Mommyfest

Fun Nature Family Walk

Have you ever gone on a nature trip with your family? If you haven’t, now is the time to do it - weather permitting. Before you go though, here are some things to consider:

Choose appropriate clothes and shoes for your nature trip. Make sure clothes are comfortable. You could wear light and layered clothes of course depending on the weather. You may want to bring a light jacket or raincoat too. Wear sneakers or hiking boots or any closed toed shoes to make sure your feet are well protected. It may be nice to bring binoculars too as you can never tell what sights await you.

Teaching our kids about nature and also the animals who live in our planet is a great practice because our kids can learn all about specific habitats, the animals who live in them, and the importance of preserving them for future generations.

Yes, our kids can learn about nature through books but, they discover more when they see and walk among different trees and flowers and discover the different species of birds and insects. It makes life more real for our kids and makes their easier to relate and understand nature.

Whether you are taking the whole family to the zoo, or to a reserve where extinct birds can be found, now is the time to do it. Our earth’s natural resources are vanishing as the population continues to increase. While there are still parks which preserve the beauty of nature and wildlife, no one knows how much longer conservation will continue.

Start with a family nature walk. This is a fun time of learning and appreciating nature and the grand treasures it holds.

Mom - Go Out on a Date with Dad!

When was the last time you went out on a date? A week ago, a month ago, a year ago … Oh no!

If you ever notice that you and your partner have settled into a routine where cuddling and sweet conversations are out of the picture, then you need to re-ignite that passion. How? … with a date, of course.

It’s just the simple things that will help you rekindle the romance. Like, reminding each other how you much you enjoy being together, how much fun you have together, and how romantic it is to walk hand in hand.

Below are some steps you can take to start sparking the fire and the passion back into your marriage:

- Secure a baby sitter for a weekend.
- Book your favorite hotel for that weekend.
- Pack a bag for you guys (except the kids) for the weekend.
- Check in your hotel room for that weekend - if you can afford it, booking the honeymoon suite would be a plus.
- Enjoy the romantic weekend with your mate.

This may sound a tad bit corny. But, hey … this is a great time to be reacquainted again with your life partner. There are no distractions, phone calls, kids yelling for your attention, just you and your beloved embarking on a journey of self-renewal. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

You can change the scene just a bit but you get the general idea, right? The effects will still be the same - a romantic weekend to rekindle the love. So often life gets in the way, and there is a disconnect between who you were then and who you are now. Thus, family responsibilities, work, and kids all play a part in putting aside the romance for the sake of the family. Keep your romance alive.

If you can not afford to spend the whole weekend together, plan on spending at least the one night together with no distractions … then perhaps you can start planning regular dates. Remember, it is important to have the time to talk to each other without interruptions. You need time to hold hands and take walks and look back and just enjoy each others company again - this will help you create more wonderful memories together.

Free Family Activities for the Summer

Let’s face it - planning for a family vacation can be costly. However, don’t think for a moment that the family can not have fun this summer. Below are some no-cost summer activities your whole family can enjoy.

Enjoy your backyard. Find a nice shade under a tree, and lay a blanket. Get a small picnic basket together and a fun book from the library. You and the kids can take turns reading out loud. You can even make this a weekly event.

Do you have kids who loves pirates? How about having a treasure hunt? You could come up with a cool treasure map. You could have the older kids even help with the map. Fill a small treasure box with coins, toys and even candy. You could make pirate flags and have the kids decorate it too. This is something the kids will truly enjoy.

You could introduce gardening to your kids. This is another no-cost summer activity. Have your kids plant their own flower garden. Talk about each flower; how it grows, and what it needs to grow. You do not have to stop at flowers. You could plant vegetables or even fruits. It’ll be fun watching the kids take care of their vegetable garden and perhaps will help them eat more veggies.

How about visiting the beach? or the park? or the mall? You can go biking, fly a kite, go hiking and even play some outside sports like volleyball or basketball. If you have crafty kids, you could even start a scrapbook. The possibilities are endless. Choose one, two, three or even all the ideas here. What ever summer activity you decide on, just know that it foes not have to be expensive, the important thing to remember is to have fun with your family and enjoy the Summer together.

Family Fun Night Ideas

In today’s busy time, families have less and less time to have fun together. In most families, both parents need to work and are unable to spend time with their kids. However, if you think about it well enough, you can actually take time out one night a week and plan a fun night with your family. Below are some ideas on family fun night activities.

Get everyone together to bake some cookies. Take a vote on what they would like, and assign everyone one job. For example; mom could make the dough; the kids could use cookie cutters to cut them out; dad could do the baking.  Another family activity could be playing charades.  Everyone loves that game. Instead of dinner; how about a picnic in the back yard!  Then after dinner, get out the Frisbee or play a game of touch football.

Play a board game.  Scrabble or Monopoly would be a fun time had by all. Kids love to beat their parents at these games! If it’s a Saturday evening, why not go to your local park and fly kites.  Even adults love this activity!  If it’s raining, use the old standby and build a fort in the living room. Prepare hotdogs on a stick; then toast the old marshmallows (adults only can do this); tell stories, and have a great time. If the family is into sports, get out the basketball and play a few games of HORSE.  Or for exercise; why don’t you and your family go out for a bike ride in the neighborhood.

Maybe you’ve already started a scrapbooking project involving holiday pictures, but haven’t had time to finish.  Think of the smile and giggles that will echo from the living room when everyone looks at the pictures once again.  You’ll finally get to put the pictures in the book; as a family.

Whichever activity you end up doing as a family, know that it brings your family closer together. That alone is priceless. With everyone going off in different directions, think of how wonderful it would be to have everyone at home for dinner at the same time; seated together around the dining room table. After dinner, get ready for some family fun acitivities.

What to bring to the beach

Summer time means trips to the beach. My kids usually get excited when they see me get the beach towels out. Let me share my “must have’s” list for a trip to the beach. Make sure your beach bag is large enough to accommodate these:

- Sunscreen lotion / Sunblock
- Lip Balm
- Beach towels
- hats
- extra set of clothes for the family
- beach toys like pails, shovels, frisbee and beach ball
- sunglasses
- radio, mp3 player or portable cd player
- plastic bags (for beach treasures and wet clothes)
- cell phone
- camera
- first aid kit
- floaties

You may also want to bring a cooler for water, juice, soda and snacks. Don’t forget the beach chairs and beach umbrella too.

Here’s a tip, put cell phone and money pouch in plastic bag and keep in cooler. This way, you don’t have to bring a purse or worry about it being stolen.

There you go - a short list of “must haves” for your family trip to the beach. Don’t forget to stay close to the lifeguard’s tower and keep an eye out for signs posted regarding any restrictions. Have fun and enjoy the beach!