#Anti-Aging Advice

Getting older is a drag! But it doesn't have to be. The best anti-aging advice:

Don't act your age!

Attitude is everything. It takes you farther, lifts or dampens your mood, and affects those around you. If you act youthful, you will feel more youthful. Teaching, I feel younger all day! Until I glimpse myself in the mirror. Ugh. SKIN is where aging shows the most.

So for the physical helpful hints, I turn to medical professionals, online and in magazines... While I was in the airport waiting forever this January, I picked up one of my favorite magazines for healthy advice: PREVENTION. It was packed with great tips.

Here's what Dermatologists said in it about Anti-Aging (Jan 2019, by Michelle Crouch):

• Sunscreen is #1, a given
• Retinol, in creams, should be applied nightly. They said it "brightens skin tone, improves brown spots, and makes skin feel smoother."
• A Gentle Touch - I try to remind myself to do this when I clean my face at night--skin around the eye is the most sensitive. If you rub too hard, "it can stretch out your eyelid skin, causing wrinkles..."
• Simple Washcloths - handy tools for "light exfoliation"
• Soap-Free Body Wash - soap can be drying. It removes natural oils, like "detergent gets rid of the oil in a frying pan"
• Apply while Wet - after shower or cleansing, apply moisturizers "to seal in the water."
• Neck & Chest - don't forget about that skin! Include it in your skin care regimen.
• Take a Break - You should create good skin care habits, but also take a break for a few days, especially if your skin seems irritated.
• Eye Gels & Patches - try them in the morning after a late or sleepless night before putting on makeup to soften lines and diminish puffiness.
• Avoid: bright lights, loofahs, drinking out of a straw (huh!), a dirty pillowcase
• Glove Treatment - I do this in the winter when my hands get extremely dry: after soaking my hands, I apply vaseline (they said a rich hand cream works too) and wear vinyl gloves overnight--for feet, use socks.

In the same issue, I read that Cocoa can help slow down the signs of aging. I went out to buy some to try... I'll let you know how it works out!

There were more tips, but I will save them for another post.

So 2 best Anti-Aging Tips: Think Young and Take Care of Your Skin!
Good luck to us!

Settling the Great #Baby Debates!

Yes, I'm talking about BABIES this week.

Though I'm far from baby stages with three big teenage boys, (Dear Stork: Please don't deliver any surprises. I don't want to be a granny before my time!) I've been among some friends and family who have precious new little ones. I'm also currently waiting to cover a teacher friend's paternity leave. AND in my next Pop Travel book (CONDUCTION) there are two babies on board!

So I thought I'd share some baby advice and settle a few of the Great Baby Debates...

• To Paci or Not To Paci?
• Let them Cry? or Comfort them back to sleep?
• Crib or Parents' bed?

These topics are big decisions for new parents. After surviving three babies, reading loads of baby books, and having many discussions with relatives and friends, I can sum up the answer in one simple sentence:

It's your choice!

You should raise your child as you see fit. You have to deal with what will work for you and your family. Take all advice with gratitude and a grain of salt--savor it and try what sounds good. Like the advice I'm about to give--When deciding, you have to live with the consequences sooner or later. Crying comes with babies, so it's all how much you and the little ones can take.

• If you want to use a pacifier, go ahead. I did. They're awesome! But get rid of it as soon as possible--the longer you wait, the harder it is. And some say it affects their teeth? Only if you use it too often for too long. Only one of my kids needed braces and it wasn't from the pacifier since he used it the least.
• If you let them cry, have a system, like: increments of time to let them cry before going in to reassure them you're there, longer and longer until they're asleep. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done. But after only a few nights, it helps everyone sleep better in the long run. Be strong! If you give in and rock them to sleep, it will take longer to ween them from it. They have to sleep on their own at some point, it's up to you how and when.
• Cribs are scary for baby and parents. But only at first. The separation gives you both some peace. Again, it is up to you when and how you feel comfortable having baby sleep in their own crib. But if you wait too long, as they get older, they know more and it will be harder to make the transition. This is true for the transition to big kid beds too.

You will know when it's time to do or undo things, you'll sense it. Instinct is real and intuition isn't a joke. Moms have been around forever and raised billions of kids. It's not easy, in fact it's torture at times. We all make mistakes, but we fix them too. In the end, it's all worth it.

Best Advice: Get Off the Phones! They grow up so fast, enjoy every moment!

Got any little ones in your vicinity? What's your baby advice?

Happy "Labor" Day! (ha ha)

How to TAKE AWAY SCREENS! without losing your mind

"I'm bored."

Don't you hate those words? Kids get bored way too easily. And with Spring Break in the air, we're about to hear them say it more! Especially if you're trying to be a responsible parent and LIMIT their SCREEN TIME. That is such a hard thing to do! Screens are becoming an ADDICTION. We need to remind kids there are other fun options for their down time.

A few years ago, I made a list of things for my kids to do whenever they bemoaned having nothing to do when their video game time was maxed out. I would just point to the list on the fridge. This is a sample (age adjusted, as needed):

• play a board game/card game/chess
• Nerf
• Play-Doh
• build stuff - Legos/Imaginext/Magnetix/marble slider
• race matchbox cars
• Star Wars guys
• costumes
• build a fort
• hide and seek - lots of variations: people or things, in the dark, inside/outside
• basketball, baseball, kickball, soccer, football, etc
• pool table/ping pong table
• puzzles
• make up a game (ball tag was one)
• make a video
• bake with mom 

This is a game My Mom made up for the Grandkids, the Ball Game:

Then there are the less popular items, encouraged to do to earn brownie points for sleepovers or cash:

• Read!
• science experiment
• math practice problems
• Chores and more chores! There's always chores to do!
• go through their closet, dresser, or junk drawer
• walk the dog

My "Stuff To Do" list was made for my boys, but girls can do all this and more! If I had girls, I'd keep most of it the same, depending on what they enjoyed, plus have a ton more stuff on it! These are things I liked doing as a kid (but I played with Barbies instead of Star Wars guys... my battles were like soap operas, not space operas, haha - and that's a post for another time!)

Having these things in an organized list, the kids have a menu to choose from. Instead of searching through their stuff to find something to do, they can read through the list and see what they're in the mood for. They can even help make the list and customize it and adjust it as needed.

Please help save the world, one child at a time and LIMIT SCREEN TIME! We want Creators and Leaders, not Robots (they'll take over the world soon enough, haha)!

Happy Spring!!

Shaking Off the January Blahs

Happy January! Or should I say, Ugh, it's January again...

December is such a sparkly, festive, pepperminty month. But when January 1st rolls around, you better get those decorations down or feel the wrathful stares of your concerned neighbors.

This year, I happened to get those lights down lickety-split! And now that Christmas is put away and the company is gone and the vacation is definitely over, the house seems so dreary and bare. So mundane and unscented. And since the weather outside is still frightful, we have to spend more time inside wallowing in all the boring drabness of it!

So here are some suggestions to Shake Off the January Blahs:

• Game and/or Movie Night - Just because the holidays are over, doesn't mean the fun has to be! A family night of games or a movie will liven and lift everyone's spirits. And doing this on a regular basis will bring your family closer, keeping your house warm with smiles all year.
• Slumber Party by the Fireplace - A spontaneous night cuddled up by the fire or any out of the ordinary surprise - baking cookies, going through old photos, making funny videos instead of just watching them! - can spunk up any dull January weekend.
• Change out the photos - January is for new beginnings, so put fresh faces in your picture frames. Time for an update!
• Rearrange the furniture - Another way to give the old homestead new life is by changing the foot pattern, switch the seats, shed new light. And sometimes you'll find some lost items in the process...
• Have a Mom Party - Christmas was mostly for the kids. Now how about some pampering for the head of the house who did most of the decorating, shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc (two or three times as much in November and December as the rest of the year!) And if you're like me, you probably had to return a few things anyway, so now you can get something you really want!
• Sales - I love finding a good deal. And this is one of the best times of the year to do it. Sales, sales, sales! On Christmas stuff for next year and closeout winter clothes.
• Treat Yourself - I know. January is also the time we try to avoid treats because of all the December parties and candy and scrumptious snacks. But the treat doesn't have to be edible. This section is more about "Me" time. Give yourself some alone time with a book, a couple of episodes of Netflix, a hobby you've neglected, or just a snuggle with someone you love - like the cat! Maybe even 30 minutes of exercise. Do something for you to recharge your batteries and January won't look or feel so bad!

Hope your 2018 is off to a tremendous start!

10 #Tips for a #HappyLife - Breathe

As I send my first born off to college this Fall, I want to give him a few last pieces of advice, whether he takes it or not... I'll be sharing them with you all over the next ten months in my week here at the House. And I'll gladly take any comments or suggestions you'd like to add!

10 Tips for a Happy Life

10. Breathe. Go ahead and laugh. I did when I heard a friend say this the other day as advice she got from someone to help her with her stress at basketball games. Just saying it to each other helped us laugh some stress away at the horrible calls...

But breathing really is a great way to calm down. If more people took a deep breath before immediately reacting to bad news or someone disagreeing with them, there might be more peace in the world.

Controlled breathing is also a good way to help you get through something intense. Anticipation of a traumatic or important event--like public speaking which I am about to try, ah!--can elevate heart rate and cause anxiety. Taking a few calming breaths beforehand gives you control over your body's reaction and can steady your nerves enough to get you past that first step.

Lastly, steady breathing can help you fall asleep. If you are worried about something and it's causing you to stay awake at night, try concentrating on slow, steady breathing. In addition, imagine each muscle in your body relaxes, starting with your toes and work your way up. You'll feel the tension leave and probably won't reach your waist before you're fast asleep!

Wouldn't the world be a better place if people breathed more? Ha!

Handy Dandy Sassy Tips

I know you're going to enjoy this week's guest, the super sassy Susan Swiderski!

It's a real honor to be here with y'all today, but before I share some appropriate (and okay... some inappropriate) handy-dandy tips with you, I feel it is my civic duty to issue a warning. One of the ladies who runs this blog is... now how shall I put this delicately?... a tad underhanded. (gasp!) I know. Shocking, isn't it? When inviting me to serve a stint as guest blogger here, Tammy called me... sassy. Yeah, sassy. Not saggy... sassy. How in the world could an old broad like me possibly say no when she threw a word like that at me, I ask you? It's been quite a few years since anyone associated that word with me, so I'm just gonna wrap it around me, and savor the feeling. Yep, that's me... classy, sassy, and a bit smart assy. Okay, not entirely true. But I am a bona fide smart ass, so you'd be wise to take what I'm about to tell you with a handful of salt.

Okay, ready for some nifty neat-o some-of-'em-even-work time-saving and money-saving tips?

• Most of the things you waste time worrying about never happen, so cut it out! Worrying causes stress, gives you wrinkles, and wastes valuable time you could be using to do something much more worthwhile, like eating ice cream or sucking face with your fella. Besides, worrying never changes a darned thing. Never.
• Clean up messes as they happen. I know it's tempting to ignore that mini-mountain of cereal you just knocked onto the kitchen floor, but don't. An even better alternative? Have at least one dog and one cat in your home. Believe you me, pets make an unbeatable clean-up team. Plus, cats with a propensity to arf provide you with the perfect incentive to clean your floors and carpets... one small area at a time.
• To cut down on mildew, wipe down your shower walls and tiles after each shower. If you have a shower curtain, give it a couple good whacks to knock off excess water, and then leave the curtain closed to allow it to dry more quickly. Better yet? Join a gym. Then you can take all of your showers there, and let somebody else worry about mildew. As an added bonus, you can even spend a minute or two exercising while you're there. Might as well. Or you could do it my way... I do lots of diddly squats around the house every day. 
• If you insist on wasting money and water by continuing to take your showers at home, rather than join a gym as I suggested, you may eventually notice the shower head isn't quite as squeaky clean as it used to be. I suppose you could go all Martha Stewart and scrub it with a toothbrush or something, but how about this? Secure a plastic baggy of vinegar over the head overnight, and ta-DA! Just like magic, all of the residue disappears. (Even though you want to be frugal and all that, I wouldn't recommend re-using that vinegar in your next salad... it's a tad on the soapy side.)
• When lemons and/or limes are on sale, buy extra. Squeeze the juice out of some of them and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once it's completely frozen, you can store the cubes in a plastic bag. One cube equals about a tablespoon of juice. 
• Some recipes call for buttermilk. I don't know about you, but we don't drink that stuff, so it'd be a waste of time and money to run to the store to buy it for a particular recipe, when I know the rest of it would just end up down the drain. No problem. I don't have to go to the store, and neither do you. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar per cup of good ol' normal milk. It's a perfect substitute.
• Planning a dinner party, but hate the idea of wasting money on fancy after-dinner mints? So don't! Freeze a colorful tube of toothpaste, and then cut the tube open, and slice the paste into wafer-thin treats. Instant fresh breath!  PLUS, everyone saves time by skipping the usual after-dinner tooth-brushing routine. Win-win!
• If you're in a hurry, or have somewhere you absolutely have to be, never ever make eye contact with your spouse while eating a banana. 
• Need to drop some pounds in a hurry? Eat raw pork or rancid tuna. You can lose up to twelve pounds in only two days, without having to fork over one red cent on any of those dangerous diet pills. 
• To save money on toilet paper, borrow it from work. Not whole, unopened rolls, mind you. Just rolls that have already been started. No one will ever notice. And, um, I'm using the word borrow facetiously. No need to return it. When you get down to the empty cardboard roll, you can put that to use, too. If you cut it lengthwise, you can put it around a roll of opened wrapping paper like a cuff. Keeps the rolls looking much neater. If you care about such things. If you don't, just throw it away. No skin off my nose.
• Wanta save big money on your electric bill? Turn off the lights. Yep, all of them. If everybody wears a miner's hat, there's absolutely no need to turn on a lamp.
• While we're saving money, here's another handy tip. Don't waste any money on one of those little address books for friends' addresses and phone numbers, either. Don't you get free phone directories? There ya go!  Just cross out the names of people you don't know. 
• Here's a reeeeeeally big money-saver. When you go out with friends, leave your wallet at home. You can save yourself a bundle! However, you may eventually have to find new friends. 
• And finally: be nice. Really. Going out of your way to be nice, especially to your spouse, will save a lot of time that might otherwise be wasted in argument. Most of the time, being kind is much more important than being right. (If all else fails, reach for a banana. Make eye contact at your own peril.)

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Best wishes from Susan, long-time housewife, and visiting SOB

(Sassy Old Broad)

Susan and her husband transferred from Maryland to Georgia in 1971, and have lived in the same so-called starter home ever since. (Too lazy to pack up all their stuff!) She was a stay-at-home mom, and after the kids all flew the coop, she was perfectly happy to continue being a kept woman full-time homemaker, as well as a perpetual you-name-it-and-she'll-do-it volunteer. Since her hubby Smarticus retired fifteen years ago, they've been enjoying plenty of spur-of-the-moment adventures. (With the right attitude, everything is an adventure!) She has written one novel, Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade, and helped put together a poetry book for charity called Old Broads Waxing Poetic. She blogs most Fridays at I Think: Therefore, I Yam

The Done List

Happy Halloween, everyone! and Welcome, welcome, welcome to Kimberly Vanderhorst! This week she's bringing sunshiny-ness from the inside out. I love this post of a to do list in reverse!

“You’re not horrible, you’re human. People are always getting those two confused.”

It’s a hallmark of human nature that we are sometimes too hard on ourselves. We mentally bludgeon ourselves into a state of despair because we're not doing and being all the things we think we should.

But if you worry that you are not kind enough, giving enough, AMAZING enough, then odds are you're pretty freakin' fantastic. Because you're striving, and you're yearning, and you're aspiring.

Please. Celebrate that.

And please, resist the voice in the back of your mind, the insidious whisper telling you what a slacker you are. One of the most beautiful, most joy-worthy aspects of humanity is that we have the power (with the help of our loved ones) TO DROWN THOSE VOICES OUT.

Be a loud voice. Be the bright and shining creature you have it in you to be. And when you can't, when the weariness brings you down so low you forget you ever had the power to shine at all, remember this:

"Feeling and being are not the same. You are not one dark thought, one sad moment, or one awful day. You are oh so much, so infinitely MORE."

There’s a dangerous cliché making its way through the world, which tells us that it’s silly to stare into mirrors and tell ourselves how wonderful we are. The idea has been mocked in countless TV shows and movies, and more often than not leads to abject humiliation for the person doing it.

But I found a loophole, and it’s a fabulous one.

Every day, I write down the things I do. “Unloaded the dishwasher.” “Answered seven emails.” “Edited two query letters.” “Wrote 537 words.” “Read three books to Gracie.” “Put on real pants!” “Put through and folded two loads of laundry.” “Decluttered kitchen counter.” “Shouted inside my head instead of outside.” Etc . . .

At the end of the day, I skim my “done list,” and smile. Because when it comes to my accomplishments, my memory is a sieve with really big holes. Writing them down helps me fight that whispering “You are not enough” voice. It helps me realize that I am. Even on my rough days, when “put on pants” is the highest of all possible accomplishments.

What sort of things would you put on your “done list?”

Kimberly Vanderhorst is a speculative fiction author who cherishes a love for all things strange and beautiful. Claims to fame include running Prism Editing, serving on the committees for the annual LDStorymakers Conference and The Whitney Awards program, and co-hosting the annual Pitch Slam contest. Despite being a city girl with a tendency to cuss too much, Kimberly is married to an LDS minister and lives in rural northern Canada. There, she helps raise her four lovely daughters while pretending not to be afraid of the neighbour’s chickens.

www.kimvanderhorst.com

Pink Stuff

We are very excited to have Jo Wake, one of our faithful friends at the House guest, join us to post this week! She has some sage advice and tidbits to share!

It was so kind of the Really Real Housewives to ask me to do some guest posts this week. I can claim Liz as a friend, but although I follow this blog, I don’t really know any of the other housewives. However, I have been a housewife for a lot longer than most of them so I have been learning to do things the easiest way for a few years now.

One Sunday afternoon I was sitting thinking I didn’t know what advice I could offer you when I looked at my carpet and thought I needed to do something about the spots on it. Lo and behold, I thought of something you might appreciate.

Many years ago, whilst living in the States, I bought some Pink Stuff – it’s actual name is Quick ‘n Brite – and I have been using it forever. It is the best thing I have ever come across for removing the spots and stains which occur through every day life. No, I am not being paid to recommend it, but I think it is wonderful stuff. Recently I visited our local Costco and found they were selling a similar product which the guy selling it actually called the Pink Stuff, although oddly enough it’s white. Something about the pink being from strawberries and people being allergic. I don’t think I believe that. I had loaned Quick ‘n Brite to the local bowling alley and they were impressed with it so the owner’s wife picked some up. I believe you can use it in a carpet cleaning machine these days. But for me, it will always be something I use as a spot cleaner. You can mix it with water or for really bad stains, use it undiluted.

Except for wine spills. Maybe you don’t drink wine, but I do and I found this tip a long time ago. If you spill any red wine on your carpet, don’t touch it; cover it with a thick layer of salt. Leave it for, maybe, 24 hours and then just vacuum it. Hey presto, no wine stain. I tried mopping it up with paper towel first. Big mistake. The salt does a wonderful job of absorbing the wine. Of course the moral of that is drink it don’t drop it.

That same Sunday I had to peel some garlic and I thought you might be interested to know that you can keep garlic forever in a Mason Jar once you have peeled it. I put a piece of paper towel in the jar to absorb any moisture.

Peeling the cloves is a pain and I used to be able to buy peeled garlic in the store but haven’t been able to do so for a while. I first started doing this when I bought huge jars of peeled garlic at Sam’s Club. Way more than you would have thought just two of us could cope with. Amazingly it keeps a very long time. I just wish I could still buy it peeled because peeling it myself is not my favourite job. I find a medium size Mason Jar holds three good sized bulbs of peeled garlic.

Jo Wake has been happily married for almost 44 years, originally from the UK, living in Canada now. She's interested in cooking, reading and wildlife conservation.

Her blog is "Jo on Food, Life and a Scent of Chocolate" When she first signed up with blogger, they would not accept her last name for some reason, so she used a family name.

If you need any more info about Jo, a friend wrote a blog post about her some time ago. Although it claims she's interested in gardening, she's not really. She likes to look at gardens, that’s all.

A Healthy Sense of Pride

This week we welcome Amber Argyle to the House! She's got advice, an awesome recipe, and fun, relatable beginning of school woes... I hope you'll join us as she shares this week!

All my life, I have been taught two contradictory ideas. One from my church: beware of pride, because it proceeds the fall (meaning your downfall). The other from my school: have pride in myself, my appearance, my team. I didn’t understand how pride could be both a good and bad thing. The question continued to morph as my life changed. Was it bad that I had such swelling feelings of pride in my son’s kindness? Or my best time at a 5K (32 minutes, with steep hills, if you must know)?

www.kevinspear.com

This seeming oxymoron came to a head when my career as an author finally began to take off. After years of struggle, I was finally making good money, my books were well-received, and I was respected by my peers. I was proud of myself. Of how far I’d come and how much I’d accomplished. Was that wrong? Was I doing something wrong?

And then everything changed. My income dropped by a third from one year to the next. And then dropped by a third the year after that, even though I had more than doubled the amount of books I had for sale. I began looking around at other authors (granted, there weren’t many) who were still succeeding, despite the indie market crash. I buckled down, wrote more books, and released them faster. I had a strict deadline and often pulled ten hours five to six days a week.

It didn’t work. My sales continued to hover right around unimpressive. I was devastated. I’d worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and I tasted success. And then it was gone.

For what had to be the 100th time, I wondered if it was time to quit. Get a real job with a steady paycheck. But I still loved creating stories. It was the schedule that was killing me. And maybe not making fantastic, life changing money was a blessing. Because I was free to stop. Or at least go to half-time. Free to say yes to lunch dates with friends or a spontaneous trip to visit family for a week. Free to add working out back into my schedule. Free to help others who need a meal or a cookie or a pair of strong arms to move boxes or wipe tears.

It was around this same time that I found a quote by C.S. Lewis and I finally understood. “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man . . . It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”

The danger of pride is comparing yourself to those above or below you: “I wish I could be more like them!” or “I’m so much better than them!”. Neither is fair to you or the other person. The key for me was that even if that comparison was (mostly) to myself, it was still harmful.

I’m not making the money I was before. And that doesn’t change my intrinsic worth one bit. It never did. There are three things that are worth our constant efforts: working hard, being happy, and serving others. Everything else is just clutter.

Amber Argyle graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband and a two-year-old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people. Amber is the bestselling author of the Witch Song Series and the Fairy Queen Series. She currently has completed two series and is working on a third. You can receive four of her books for free. Simply tell her where to send them, here's her website.

Sometimes I get a good feeling - Video Scrapbook tips

Today on Friday Free Day, I'm sharing some advice about digital scrapbooking...

I love making scrapbooks! But I limit myself to special occasions for all the time they take. My oldest son is about to graduate from high school, so you know this is a huge scrapbook opportunity. Unfortunately, scrapping has lost its steam, has anyone else noticed this? Plus, guys don't seem to appreciate them as much as girls... So instead of making a video/slide show AND a scrapbook, I'm making a VIDEO SCRAPBOOK.

And as I put it together, I thought I'd share some BACKGROUND tips to add TEXTURE...
Take pictures (closeups are great!) or Scan items to use for backgrounds. These things make the scrapbook that much more personal than just googling a background (which I also do). Here are my examples:

My guy loves baseball - I also have baseballs, a bat, grass, the baseline, the fence...

and sunflower seeds!

beads are a fun, colorful background - as well as crayons, legos, even post-its!

I love 3-D cards and keep special ones, like this one! (scanned it!)

Felt is svelt! I scanned these too!

Our team is the Grizzlies - so I scanned this shopping bag!

I also took pics of favorite stuffed toys, baby blankets, his trophies, stuff hanging on his walls... Lots of memories, now digitally immortalized to his favorite music!

Have you ever made a video scrapbook? 

Any advice for this weepy mom? *sniff, sniff*

Have a great weekend wherever you may be!

Did I feel a drop?

I'm always trying to improve my health habits. You know the big 4...

1. Eat better
2. Sleep more
3. Exercise
4. Drink water

Most of them come and go, though I do try to be aware and I come up with great strategies to help myself toward these goals of a healthier lifestyle.

Lately, I've been focusing on drinking more water. Here's my plan:

• no coffee after lunch
• only 1 diet soda a day, if any
• the rest is water

But plain old water is plain old boring! So I decided to try some add-ins, or squirt-ins! And they are really helping me enjoy drinking water, a lot!

Do you have any tips for healthier living? I could use all the help I can get!

Camping Down-Time Activities

As an adult, I think of camping as down time, but when you're going with kids, that's not usually true. In fact, it can be a bit chaotic. One great thing about camping is the variety of activities to do that you may not usually have access to - like fishing, hiking, or playing in a river or lake. All of which are fun and entertaining, but there comes a point where you need a little "down-time" activity for everyone to do, (or even the kids to do) while the adults are getting dinner ready. (It's probably obvious that my kids are still young enough to need supervision).

In Monday's post I mentioned that my kids are card sharks - yes, even the 6 year old! - and that we love puzzles, but I didn't mention another favorite... ORIGAMI!!! Yes, the Japanese art of folding paper! Don't knock it till you try it! It's not only fun, but challenging too!

A couple of years ago I went on a treasure hunt through Barnes & Noble (one of the best stores ever!) and found origami books with activities for different skill levels. One book I bought was for animals and another for dinosaurs! How fun is that? They even come with paper in all sorts of  perfect patterns to make learning and folding more fun.

Basically, what I ended up with was the perfect down-time activity for any occasion, even camping! My kids love it, and while we sometimes work on our own, or race to see who can finish first... we also work together on the more difficult patterns to help one another and implement that whole 'teamwork' thing people are always talking about. Yay us!

So there you have it! Origami --- Japanese art skills in the great out doors! Give it a try!

Well, I want to run out and get an Origami book - just for me! But I bet my little guy would do it with me. There's still some summer left for us to do it, too! Thanks so much for the awesome tips and posts this week and sharing your sweet family photos!

Leigh Covington is the mother of three active children and a full time student at Grand Canyon University, finishing her Bachelors in Secondary Education emphasis in English. Fueled by Coca-Cola, she spends the majority of her time watching soccer games or gymnastics lessons, while sneaking in a sweet treat to satisfy her chocolate addiction. She also teaches the youth at church and loves spending time reading a good book whenever she can find a free minute.

Where does the time go?

We are spiced to have the lovely, long-standing Leigh Covington as our guest this week! She going to lay some tips and advice and fun stuff down and pump us up!

How many times do you wish for more hours in a day? I think we all do! We have to run kids to soccer games and piano lessons while working on laundry, cooking dinner, and attempting to fit in our 10K steps for the day. This is also hindered by our attempt to make ourselves presentable if we leave the house or if someone stops by for a visit, let alone having our kids dressed and ready to take on the world.

I used to think that things would get easier as my kids got older and they could do more for themselves, but that's not true. Life stays just as busy and hard - just in different ways. Life is simply hectic! And while we're all wishing there was more time to get ALL of these things done and working ourselves into the ground day and night so that we can scratch things off our "to-do" list...

Are we making time where it REALLY matters?

Yes... I'm sure you know where I'm going with this... are we making time to be together? QUALITY time - not simply time when we are all in the same house on our various electronics working toward different goals. Unfortunately, that doesn't count.

While there are a million ways to make time for our littles, I'm going to take you all along on my family's camping adventure from a couple of weeks ago.

First, let me explain that I've spent the past 2 1/2 years finishing my teaching degree which has left me lacking in the T.I.M.E. department. Feeling like an epic failure, I decided we needed to get away from our regularly scheduled program and enjoy some quality time. This included me packing up my three kiddos (on my own, since the hubby had to work) driving them two hours away from home, into the mountains to attempt a camping and fishing experience. What happened?

1. No cell phone service! We had to be creative and be together!
2. We had to work toward similar goals. We could set up the tent together, unload the car together, cook meals together, & figure out how to untangle fishing line together!
3. When we all froze at night because I didn't bring enough blankets - we could snuggle together!
4. Talking, laughter, and spending TIME with each other. 

It's probably quite obvious that you don't have to go to the mountains to do any of this. That was just something I have wanted to do with my kids for awhile, but it worked and it was worth it! Taking time for one another - playing together and finding a sense of unity, is all worth it. While, I'd love it if that meant there was no arguing, that wasn't really the case. Lets face it - we are human, but the arguing was happening less and fun was happening more. Hallelujah!

How else can make time for each other?

• Eat dinner together - don't forget to talk in between mouthfuls!
• Read a book to one or all of your children.
• NO TECH TIME - make time to talk and play. Ask your kids about their day.
• Play games together. My kids are card sharks so we love card games at our house.
• Cook something together, or teach them how to cook.
• Work together.
• PUZZLES! (A new favorite for us!)
• Go on a walk, ride bikes, go swimming, etc.

Truth be told- spending time together helps our kids, and even our spouse, know that we genuinely care about them and what is going on in their life. It helps build confidence and security in who they are and what they are capable of. Don't we all feel more empowered when we feel loved and accepted? Doesn't someone taking TIME for us help build those feelings of love and security? The love and support of family will probably reach much further than we can ever truly know.

For me, time with my kids and husband is this important so I put it at the top of my priority list. Oh well if I'm behind on laundry. Oh well if I'm the weirdo who bakes 5 dozen cookies with her kids to take around for Christmas gifts. That's okay. Despite how we might feel sometimes --- being a mom is the best job in the world, and definitely the most important. Does that mean that everything else we do isn't important too? Nope! Not at all. It simply means that you shouldn't downplay your role as "mother." Embrace it! And make time to embrace the time you have with those you love.

So, how do you make TIME for your family? What does your family love to do together? I look forward to hearing your ideas. I'm always looking for new things to try.

Leigh Covington is the mother of three active children and a full time student at Grand Canyon University, finishing her Bachelors in Secondary Education emphasis in English. Fueled by Coca-Cola, she spends the majority of her time watching soccer games or gymnastics lessons, while sneaking in a sweet treat to satisfy her chocolate addiction. She also teaches the youth at church and loves spending time reading a good book whenever she can find a free minute.

Family Council - Advice from the heart

This week we welcome the steadfast SHELLY BROWN to the House. And today she is giving it to us TRUE. Listen up!

Hello fellow housewives!
I’m about to get real.
Really real.

Conforto Family: Jason Conforto

Families are awesome. And tough. And worth it. And complicated.
Families are a team, right? Then how is it that we don’t always act like one?

Unity.
We can totally do this. We’ve watched Remember the Titans. How hard can this be?
Answer: Really, really hard.

Fortunately we do have some tools to help us. Like the family mission statement. It is a beautiful thing to help people realize that they are on the same page, working towards the same goals. But not everybody has one of these…yet.

So let me back up to the first tool that I would recommend: Family Council.

Family councils are just like they sound, councils for the family. They are time that has been set aside to allow each member of the family to be heard. Parents can’t govern their children without first understanding their children. Children will find it hard to obey parents that they hardly know. Each person, big and small, has a desire to be heard and understood. And love and compassion grow when we take the time to get to know one another better.

These councils shouldn’t just appear when there is a problem (though they are excellent at pulling everyone together). They should be a normal part of life in a family. They don’t have to be super formal either (though they can be.) You can council over dinner or on a car ride as long as rules about being respectful are being obeyed.

Some Do’s

• If possible set a time and place so that it isn’t sprung on family members like a ill-devised intervention
• Remember to focus on a lot of positives. You want them to come away feeling good about the experience. You don’t need to air every grievance in the first meeting. (That’s what Festivus is for!) Praise them for their attendance. Praise them for the things that they are doing to create a good family. Encourage them to praise one another.
• Some people use the pattern of starting with the best parts of the week, then the hard parts, then anything that they feel should be addressed.
• Start young. If you’ve already missed this boat then start at wherever you are. But there is a value in starting young that might be missed when parents think that small children can’t contribute to a council. Kids are smart!
• Consider taking the time in one of these councils to create a mission statement. It will guide subsequent meetings and guide your every day interactions.

Some Pitfalls to Avoid

• letting councils turn into heated debates
• allowing any form of disrespect, from interrupting to unkind words.
• allowing or becoming the Family Council Dictator. Everyone must feel free to express their concerns without the All-Powerful-Bossy-One coming in and deciding how to fix/rule/conquer everything. It’s a team of equals, not the Smart One cleverly disguising a lecture to the Stupid Ones.
• decisions should be made by consensus not voting. Each member of the group should feel comfortable enough to move forward. This is very tricky but it encourages unification in a way that voting does not.

In the busy world that we live in it means a lot for us to show each other that we believe our families are worth the time to hold family councils. That we believe that each person is an important member of our team. To show each other that we believe that our team will be successful and we are willing to put in the effort to make it happen. In a world of mind numbing television and app games, and distracting entertainment it would be much easier for us to let our families just kind of drift and become whatever they become but we teach our kids how much we value families when we put forth the effort to create a thriving family environment.

1950's family: Seattle Municipal Archives

You can SO do this!

Shelly Brown is a mother to five crazy kids, caretaker of five crazy chickens, and wears the hat of children’s book writer at least 5 days a week. Her debut children’s book Ghostsitter comes out October 1st  but you can preorder today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent bookseller.

#roadtrip - #TopTen sights to behold

On the road again.

One positive thing about technology on a road trip:
It entertains and makes the trip not seem so long. 

One negative thing about technology on a road trip:
Kids don't really see the real world anymore.

TURN THAT THING OFF AND LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!

As the driver, I see it all. So here are 10 things I've seen while driving through the countryside:

1. countless cornfields and livestock
2. cemeteries
3. real red barns (counted 25 on one trip!)
4. actual scarecrows
5. eclectic antique shacks
6. a down home chicken broil
7. beautiful windy roads of rural 'merica
8. wildlife - some still alive, but lots of dead deer =(
9. state parks and area museums
10. unique eating establishments

And despite the slow-downs of inevitable road construction here are some positive things to help make it less stressful:

• Plan on it - add extra travel time, it's okay to be early if you don't have traffic!
• If you're at a stand still, you can catch up on email, social sites, but don't ever device and drive!
• Roads will be improved, eventually
• People are working - job creation... it's an endless cycle!
• It's a good time to give a life lesson on patience to your kids =)

What have you seen in your travels? Got any advice or road trip stories to share?

Wherever you go - wishing you happy and safe travels this summer!

Road trips - Don't forget the food

If you're going to eat, you're going to want a drink, right little mouse? And that means you'll have to stop, probably before you want to... so factor that time into your itinerary. Here's my advice for food on a road trip:

• Sometimes snacks are good diversions on a road trip in themselves.
• A small, soft-sided cooler comes in handy for drinks, the healthy refridgerated snacks, and those unexpected delays
• Snacks will tide kids (or you) over until you're ready to stop in twenty more miles at the better exit
• When picking/packing snacks - individual servings are best and I use ziplock bags to make individual servings
• Raid the pantry & fridge - the stuff is going to go bad while you're gone anyway, so bring it! This is also a great time for CREATIVE TRAIL MIX
  
• Take the last bowls of cereal from the boxes the kids think are empty and won't finish
• Use the remnants of crackers, popcorn, pretzels, chips, cookies, even granola bars - just break them up, use what you have!
• That's the beauty of Trail Mix - it doesn't really have to go together because none of the pieces lose their flavor so picky eaters can pick out what they like!
• And if you want to make above healthier, throw in some granola, raisins, or nuts
• Bringing healthy snacks is super smart - they have limited options in the car (and hotel) - if they're hungry, they'll eventually eat the healthy stuff!
• Pack drinks w/lids - nuff said
• Don't give kids easy access to snacks and drinks or you'll be stopping every thirty minutes. Take heart - they're bladders do get bigger as they grow and so do their appetites, but so does the ability to suppress it - trips have become quite easy with teens. (one thing in their favor!)

Well, I hope this helps on your next road trip!

What do you recommend for road trip snacks?

#clothes that make you feel good!

I was told that Friday was a sort of free-for-all, so I’m gonna talk about CLOTHES.

The first thing I want to say, so you know the bias from which this info is coming from, is that I’m a huge believer in quality over quantity. I’d rather own 2 pairs of jeans (that I LOVE) rather than 7 pairs that I don’t love so much. If people are like, “Wow, you wear those a lot.” Then you can be like, “Yep. I’m trying to simplify. I’m not brave enough for a capsule wardrobe, but I also don’t believe in waste.”

BOOM. Done.
So, now that my short clothing philosophy is out of the way...

I’m gonna start with workout clothes because that’ll be short.

1. Wear something that makes you feel like a bad-a**. If that’s your husband’s ratty old t-shirt, own it, wear it, workout like a bad-a**. If it’s a matching set of Lululemon because you can only afford ONE matching set (because Lululemon), then rock the hell out of it.
2. This is ME, but I will say that when I’m wearing workout clothes I like, I’m much more likely to workout longer, or take a short rest and workout twice, than if I decided to do yoga in my stained pajamas.
3. Don’t skimp on workout shoes (if you can afford it). They’ll help prevent injuries and keep you working out longer. I’ve found some killer deals on craigslist and e-bay on running and hiking shoes. OR really great inserts can turn a cheap pair of shoes into something that’ll protect your joints.

And now for a few random bits of advice on everyday clothing stuffs:

1. Find a jacket you LOVE. Something lightweight that you can use to dress down a skirt or dress up a pair of jeans. I cannot tell you how many mornings I slipped that jacket on over the t-shirt I slept in, grabbed a pair of worn jeans, tucked my feet into flats, and gotten compliments. This takes no longer than shoving a hoodie over your head and shoving your feet into your ratty tennis shoes.
2. I can’t tell you how many friends of mine have a closet load of shoes that are cute, but not comfortable, and that they like, but don’t love. I have about ⅓ the amount of shoes as most people I know, but I don’t think I spent any more money--I’m just a sucker for shoes that don’t hurt my feet and that I can wear every day.
3. DON’T BUY CHEAP LEGGINGS - We can see your legs through those. Also, never size down, always size up. The only way leggings can be too big is if they’re falling off. The bigger they are, the better coverage they’ll give, and the nicer you’ll look. Stop caring about the size on the label.
4. Smooth lines on your body will beat losing 5 lbs every single time. Don’t buy things that pinch you anywhere. A size 14 will look better than a size 6, if the 14 has smooth lines, and the 6 has squished herself into a 4.
5. Don’t buy clothes you’re not insanely in love with. My cousin lived in tiny apartments and when she bought something new, she had to get rid of something in her closet. There was no room otherwise. I’m not the best at this, but this is my new goal--Don’t buy anything unless I know what it’ll replace.
6. With #5, if you don’t love something in your closet, get rid of it. Don’t store or wear things that don’t make you feel good.
7. GO GET FITTED FOR A BRA. Seriously. I worked at Macy’s as a bra-fitter for over a year, and maybe 15% of people are in the right size. Also, your body changes, so that bra fitting? Not a one-time gig. Wear a fitted t-shirt and they can fit you right over your shirt. No prob.
8. When/if you lose weight, DO NOT KEEP YOUR LARGER CLOTHES. You’ll end up back in them, because you’ll have a bloated day one day and then you’ll wear your bigger pants, and the bigger pants will make you feel thin because they’re loose and then that pan of brownies will look tasty….. ;-)
9. When/if you gain weight, DO NOT KEEP YOUR SKINNY CLOTHES. I know people will argue with me over this, but styles change, and looking at what used to be some of my favorite things in my closet, that I knew I couldn’t wear, wasn’t motivating. It might be for you, in which case, keep doin’ your thing. But honestly, I don’t mind having very few clothes in my wardrobe, and as I lost weight, it was really fun to very slowly add to the few things I had and loved.
10. One of my best tools for falling in love with the clothes I have is to pick something I really adore wearing, and then do a search for similar items on Pinterest. Laugh all you want, but seeing 18 cute ways to style my denim shirt, makes me excited to wear it again.
11. PLAN your wardrobe, what you have, what you want. I have one Pinterest Board titled TWEAK MY CLOSET, which are outfits really similar to what I already have. When I have to leave the house and don’t know what to wear, I go there. I have another board called WANNA BE, and that’s filled with clothes I’m dying to put on my body, but don’t yet have. Helps me have a plan when I go shopping.

OK. I wasn’t gonna do this, because I don’t love having my pic taken, and I gave up on my kids, so this is me, and my cheap Walmart dresser in the background, and my little mirror that’s tacked onto the wall in my bedroom, taking selfies w/ imperfect light… (For reference - I’m 5’8”, 165 (prefer to be 155-160, but I like cookies), size 10, and a 34DD bra. A t-shirt w/ a high neck is super disastrous to my figure.

1. I’m wearing one of my fav shirts to sleep in. SO SOFT. And not my most flattering jeans, but my most comfy - just wanna show you that even your smooshy, cozy jeans can be dressed up - THIS IS THE BASE OUTFIT, not a recommendation ;-)
2. I pulled my slept in hair back in a headband and tucked the back up with pins. The cardigan is a navy cable-knit that I got on super sale from American Eagle. And leather flip-flops (because yes, flip-flops can be nice).
3. (sorry about the lighting) This jacket is an earthy grey, motorcycle style, but super-duper soft. From Athleta. There’s some shape, but not a ton. Pretty casual. Boots for winter, stripey flip-flops or Chucks for summer (I don’t have 3 feet, so I couldn’t show you all 3)
4. I tucked my tee in. This is a navy blue, stiff cotton jacket with more structure than the last one. I sometimes would add a scarf--either a big one over the top of the jacket, or a smaller one tucked under. Fun, flat shoes or easy to walk in, stacked heels.
5. This time I added a necklace, tucked up the back of my hair, and added a suit jacket from Banana Republic. Driving mocs from Norstrom Rack on one foot, and my fav patent heels on the other.

So, there ya go - the same t-shirt and jeans, styled a few ways. I’m on a binge of rolling up pantlegs, so I should have shown you a few without rolled pantlegs, but yanno, I’m so done taking pics of myself.

If you’re curious on the capsule wardrobe thing, check this post. Here’s another cool post about simplifying your closet, and this one as well. While I can’t quite force myself to do the capsule wardrobe thing, that’s also because I don’t live in a city where being directly on top of fashion is important, and I’ve invested a LOT of money on tech wear for living in Alaska. Also, I grow connections to things I wear and love, and I sew clothes, so clearly, I can’t just keep those for one season ;-)

And if you’re curious about simplifying your whole house, read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up--there’s a reason it’s so popular.

I have LOVED being here this week!! THANK YOU!
Now everyone should go buy one of my books so I can send my kids to college ;-)

Jolene Perry writes books for teens and lives in Alaska with her family, dog, cat, and tortoise.

I Tweet   I Facebook   I have an author Site   I Tumblr like a gymnast



We had a blast letting you take over and give us a new perspective this week, Jolene! Thanks, girl!

Healthy summer snacking

I’m gonna list again today. My best friend since middle school is a multi-degreed nutritionist, and I use her brain alllll the time. So. Here are my little tips and tricks to eating healthy when kids are home for the summer and want snacks and cookies every few minutes:

1. I’m a sucker for a good trail mix, so I bought these cute TINY bowls from Target, measure out about ⅓ cup trail mix, and I’m not allowed to eat more than that during the day. (Target’s MONSTER Trail Mix is not trail mix. It is candy. Treat as such)
2. When (IF) I make breakfast, I cut up zucchini, carrot, and apple slices, put them in containers, and leave them on the outer edge of the shelf for easy access. And no, if I want them dipped in ranch, I do not feel guilty about this (I only say this because I have friends who have sworn off ranch, even jalapeno ranch, and this makes no sense to me).
3. When I make sandwiches, I’ll slice them all into fourths, put them on a plate for kiddos to come get their share, and I only take two. Eventually, the kids will eat the rest. I also do this with quesadillas, making sure that one of them is low on the cheese and high on the beans for me.
4. Drink water before you eat ANYTHING. Most of the time when we think we’re hungry, we’re thirsty. Try that first. If we’re actually hungry, all that water in our stomach helps us feel fuller for longer. (This is part of Bob Harper’s Skinny Rules, which is what finally helped me shed the pounds from kiddo #2)
   
5. SKINNY POP. This stuff is awesome. Two cups of Skinny Pop Popcorn, and a glass of water, and I’m totally set.
6. Sometimes water is boring. Here are some suggestions: Bai (watch out for caffeine!), Sparkling water (with or without flavoring), Nuun energy tablets that are designed to be dropped in water - I’ve gotten to where a half tablet is enough (some have caffeine, some don’t). If you need a huge jolt, but don’t want to jump in and drink soda, I highly recommend hi*ball - natural caffeine. The grapefruit is the best of the calorie free, and the apple cranberry is the best with calories.
7. DON’T EAT THINGS THAT ARE NOT FOOD. Look at your labels and start googling some of that crap. Scary what’s allowed in our crackers and chips. Smaller ingredient lists are almost always better for you.
8. When I do outings with my kids, I make them take their own food and water in their own pack. That way I’m not sorting through their yummy stuff to get to my carrots.
9. No matter how hard you work out, you can eat more calories than you realized. I pick one day a week and type up every single thing I eat (because it’s SUMMER and I don’t want to be typing in allll my food every day). It gives me a good measure of where I’m at, and it’s not overwhelming and super time-consuming. It’s like my check-in to see if I’m about right for caloric intake, or if I’ve fallen off the wagon.
10. I’m a huge lover of tortilla/taco soup - Get some chicken or veggie broth and then toss in some corn, black beans, white beans, pinto beans, whatever chilis or onions you like, maybe some peas, and salsa for flavor. I’ll freeze that up and have these super easy meals. For those of you who live in places too hot for summertime soup - I do the same thing with salads. I’ll cut up a bunch of salad stuff, so I’m not eating the same one every day. I love Thug Kitchen’s take on salads - PLANT NACHOS!! I can totally get behind that.
11. And FINALLY… I know people who go totally without chocolate (or whatever their favorite treat is). STOP THAT. Buy the quality stuff, and when you’re dying for a sweet fix? Break off a piece. Even the most extreme diets can handle a bite or two of your favorite thing. Don’t get yourself in a position where you’re so deprived you binge. Not good for your mental or physical health.

Hopefully this is helpful… I’m far from perfect, but all these little things help me keep eating healthy so I can keep up with my ever-growing kiddos! Happy Summer Adventures Everyone!! And PLEASE PLEASE share your tips in the comments!!

Jolene Perry writes books for teens and lives in Alaska with her family, dog, cat, and tortoise.

I Tweet   I Facebook   I have an author Site   I Tumblr like a gymnast