Have you ever looked outside on a weekend morning and seen the rain coming down…and despaired? Why? Because your kids are home from school, and they need something to do, besides plopping them down in front of a television or computer. Rainy day games can be a great way to bond with and entertain your kids–and they work on snow days, too!
This is one of those play-at-any-age toys that produces hours of thrill. Colours, flavours and scents ‘mould’ (see what I did there?) these recipes into different variations and can each change the game entirely. In little jars, the dough can be gifted for holidays like Valentines, or given as party favours. And not just for kids’ parties.. imagine a posh dinner chez you where every guest takes home an assortment of polaydoh? Trés fun.
The first flakes started flying last week and it got me thinking that the days where it starts to stick aren’t very far around the corner. Winter can be such a magical season but some times all that white stuff means leaving the house just isn’t going to happen. For those days, here are some ideas to keep the kids busy and entertained.
Who else is on week two of clean eating, limiting alcohol and exercising like an Olympian? Snicker. Yes, I gave up on January 3rd as well. I find January particularly hard, and not only because it’s a birthday month for me. The pandemic has made working out even more of a hurdle, streaming has increased snacking, and with home schooling and isolation, most of us aren’t feeding our souls. One of the worst resolution-killers is guilt, and many of us throw away a whole plan if we slip up a bit. As we grow up, and especially as we develop as parents, we learn that the all-or-nothing approach in not only unrealistic, but can harm our ambitions. So this year, give yourself a break and tone down your resolutions so that they become slow-building habits instead of guilt-inducing nooses.
There is little as special as a peaceful bath with soap you have made yourself. Try different scents, and let the kids experiment with their own colours and smells. Handmade soap is spectacular hostess treat for the holidays, or perfect for holiday gifts. Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can try different recipes, or interesting moulds to create amazing one-of-a-kind soaps.
It’s a weird time. Kids are getting educated online. Video meetings are riddled with cats (or half-naked toddlers) running across the screen, and girlfriend wine dates and dinner parties happen in front of a computer. How do we navigate the expansive world of video hangouts and meetings? Which ones allow multiple people? Are they expensive? How do I teach my grandmother so she can see the kids? I’m pretty green too, so decided to dig into the world of video hangouts and meetings so I could connect with others digitally. We’re all going to need to connect virtually with others as we self-isolate or practice social distancing.
What is it to be ‘good’? Does it matter why people practice kindness? My grandmother told me to be kind for religious reasons. Some people may want to make up for a misspent past, while others just want others to be happier and make the world a better place than it was yesterday.
Quirkiness can be a great thing – especially at Hallowe’en. The best part of living in a true quirky community with lots of kids is that we all go overboard on October 31st. As part of a neighbourhood of film directors and actors, kids flock to our area to experience the wonder of the holiday. Bouncers control the crowds lining up to enter haunted mansions and adults stay in character all night. My favourite night of the year, giggles and screams can be heard for miles. The only downfall to being the scariest, quirkiest neighbourhood? We all run out of candy. But it’s worth it! Here are a few tips and tricks (he he) or making your home super scary for Halloween.
Halloween is such a fun time of year, and I love it because it’s just so creative. From picking out the perfect costumes for your kids, hosting parties with fun spooky treats with friends and family and making crafts that celebrate the season while having fun making things with your hands. We don’t get a lot of trick or treaters where we are, but we do get some and it’s always fun to pick out treats to hand out and to see all the creative, adorable and spooky costumes on the kids that come to our door. And then there’s decorating the pumpkin. Decorating pumpkins is so much fun (and so is roasting and eating the seeds, yum!) – but some people feel really stuck about how to decorate them.
Especially during summer vacation, we have to keep our toddlers busy, hydrated and burning energy. I for one run out of exercise ideas faster than I get boring with making school lunches! We asked you to send us toddler energy buster ideas and tips.. here they are!