Thursday, April 23, 2015

How to raise awareness in your kids to being thankful ...

One thing I've started doing during dinner time with our family is to ask each person to name one (or more) thing that they are thankful for. Or they can tell us about something good that happened during their day, or the best part of their day, etc.
It has been a fun way to get my kids thinking about what they are thankful for and to help them realize that we have so much to be thankful for. Try it with your family today!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Create more room in your refrigerator . . .

As our family has grown, we realized that we probably need to get a larger refrigerator, as it seemed like we never had enough room in there to fit all of our refrigerated foods and drinks. However, buying a larger refrigerator these days is so expensive. So . . . we came up with a solution that worked very well for us.
We purchased a mini-fridge at Costco, for $150, which was a much more affordable option. Luckily, we have a large pantry and we adjusted a shelf or two and installed the mini-fridge there. We keep all of our drinks in that fridge ... jugs of orange juice, juice boxes, milk, waters, etc. Whenever guests want to grab a drink, we just direct them towards the mini-fridge.
It has cleared up a ton of space in our regular fridge and solved our issue of not having enough space. We love having all or our drinks/liquids in one area and have loved this solution. It saved us a lot of money and it could save you some too if you are running out of space in your fridge.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Picky Eaters . . .

My kids are such picky eaters!!! I worry that they are not getting enough variety because they will only eat certain things. Thank goodness for vitamins, right?

I've tried bribing them, threatening 'no dessert', asking them to have 'just one more bite', etc. So I came across this article tonight and loved it and wanted to share it with you . . . unfortunately,  it looks like that article is no longer available for some reason.
There were a lot of great ideas in the article but the main thing I took away from it was: you decide what to serve and when, and they decide what to eat and how much. No bribes, threats, or un-happiness at the dinner table.
The article recommended a book from Amazon, there is the book they recommend.  Check it out!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Central Computer Area

Our kids are getting old enough now, that it was time to get them a computer. Actually, I had a very outdated one, so I got a new one, and we passed on my old computer to the kids. My husband suggested getting them desks for their bedrooms and eventually they would both have a computer in their room.
That did not fly with me! I don't like the idea of kids having a computer in their bedroom. There are too many online predators out there, too many inappropriate images, and it's just plain dangerous.
So, we came up with the idea of having a central computer area in our home where it's out in the open, in a common area. This way, it will lessen the opportunities to hide what they are doing or get into a bad situation. Since it's in a central area, I will check them as I walk by to do laundry, etc. and the kids can keep a check on each other because they will be side by side.
We invested in a long desk/table type of unit and for now, we have my old computer there, which they share, but eventually they will both have their own, next to each other. This is a great study area and I recently found the cutest maps to hang on the wall, above their workspace.
I admit, I am terrible when it comes to geography and don't want my kids growing up not knowing where places are in the world. These maps are custom made so you can choose your colors and personalize whatever you want it to say at the top, etc. They look pretty and they are educational... win-win! I found them on Etsy by a shop called Urban Tickle. Here is the link to the Maps