tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58194045868227296132024-03-04T23:36:40.609-08:00Chaos in my ArkMy take on modern family life, getting healthy and natural living from an ADHD mom. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-51189870488719783132013-10-11T12:54:00.002-07:002013-10-11T12:54:40.685-07:00Homemade Word Girl and Captain Huggy Face CostumeHalloween is fast approaching and I always seems to forget to share these costumes I made a few years ago. My oldest son was obsessed with Spider-man (still is!) and my oldest daughter wanted to be Word Girl with her younger brother dressed up as Captain Huggy Face. I decided that we would just go with it and have a Super Hero themed Halloween. Getting a Spider-man costume was easy but Word Girl and Captain Huggy Face ended up being a challenge. <br />
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Here are the results. (Note: I am not a professional photographer and my kids only pose for cute pictures when I DON'T want them too!!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj536p2ux0rG7CIpCnU-L202Cl0bM5rXL0SD3pWHGA8VaArsHmqG3PFCQDqmQM41Qz6n1thZfzsNFJ5N6wUcrPhiU52d9Uf_sDfaWW5PpL4eYrn_P3gRzPzzgCIMrYl1g_H8bScTsHf4w/s1600/w+is+for+word+girl+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj536p2ux0rG7CIpCnU-L202Cl0bM5rXL0SD3pWHGA8VaArsHmqG3PFCQDqmQM41Qz6n1thZfzsNFJ5N6wUcrPhiU52d9Uf_sDfaWW5PpL4eYrn_P3gRzPzzgCIMrYl1g_H8bScTsHf4w/s320/w+is+for+word+girl+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EW0jEiHP6GzCO81IaGg44vuS9-respljcIVc06WukebKOKxOQk0B5GQZu51Ee_3H0gbzXwlAclHyrCKGcSVna3E7DRwacP2UytyiEFYQco7fgda1ZOG2UIx0TOHsbbGY-94Ggd6nfA/s1600/Word+Girl+Captain+Huggieface+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EW0jEiHP6GzCO81IaGg44vuS9-respljcIVc06WukebKOKxOQk0B5GQZu51Ee_3H0gbzXwlAclHyrCKGcSVna3E7DRwacP2UytyiEFYQco7fgda1ZOG2UIx0TOHsbbGY-94Ggd6nfA/s320/Word+Girl+Captain+Huggieface+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I didn't capture pictures along the way for a tutorial but I will try to run through how I created the costumes...</div>
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I used these two images as the inspiration for my costumes. </div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/136656169912601295/" target="_blank">Word Girl & Captain Huggy Face Image</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/136656169912599575/" target="_blank">Captain Huggy Face - Homemade Costume from Flickr </a></div>
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<b>Word Girl Costume Instructions: </b></div>
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I dyed a set of white thermal long john's using red dye. I got that idea from one of the few blog posts I did find from someone who had made a custom. My daughter wanted a yellow cape out of satin and wanted it sewn directly onto the shirt. It is a double layer of fabric, I sewed a large rectangle, leaving a small area undone so I could turn, turned it, sewed the unfinished section then gathered it, pinned it along the shoulder line and used a double zig zag stitch to secure. The belt and star emblem are made out of felt that I Steam a Seam to adhere (carefully with a towel on top) and then sewed for durability. The hat was purchased at Wal-mart and we simply removed a tassel that it had at the top. (shown in picture at the bottom) </div>
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<b>Captain Huggy Face Costume Instructions: </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbi3q-aCw_0SweurhlNosBVhZi9DojLTJ6SRxRIg8HZd7eOUNQwy5gbZxm03fFjdl995GBzmo1GMWOvhBfu2tErLmhfssP_QtHLW-EW-FeV9FgG5-W6TraPyZu1KLzXeE7_rE_lzCng/s1600/Huggyface+Close+Up+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbi3q-aCw_0SweurhlNosBVhZi9DojLTJ6SRxRIg8HZd7eOUNQwy5gbZxm03fFjdl995GBzmo1GMWOvhBfu2tErLmhfssP_QtHLW-EW-FeV9FgG5-W6TraPyZu1KLzXeE7_rE_lzCng/s200/Huggyface+Close+Up+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="176" /></a>I lucked out with Captain Huggy Face and found the blue shirt, thermal leggings and red shorts at a thrift store in town. The colors were perfect. The shirt actually has an Old Navy logo on it but I covered it with the lightening bolt (also out of felt, fused with Steam a Seam and then sewn). The leggings are thermals, I'm not sure of the brand. The shorts are from a Superman PJ set and even have a little Superman logo at the waist but that is covered by the belt so they worked. The Captain Huggy Face Cape is made from a simple single layer rectangle of fleece fabric. I gathered it and sewed along the shoulder line in the same manner as the Word Girl costume. The belt is also made in the same manner as Word Girl, I cut pieces from felt, fused and sewed. The belts are secured with Velcro at the center. </div>
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Huggy's hat was the hardest part of the costume to figure out. I used an adult size knitted bennie type hat from Wal-Mart. It was very cheap maybe $2-3. I cut out brown ears from felt using the same method as the belts (fuse together, sew) but I hand sewed them onto the hat. A friend helped me with the idea for his little antenna. It is a bundle or 3-5 (I can't remember exactly) pipe cleaners twisted together. I poked a hole through the hat and pulled the ends of the pipe cleaners out like spokes on a wheel. I then cut a circle of red felt and hand sewed that over the ends of the pipe cleaners inside the hat and put another circle (that I had made a small cut so that it would easily wrap around the pipe cleaner antenna) on the exterior of the hat. I wrapped the pipe cleaner "pole" in a </div>
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scrap of grey felt and secured with hot glue. I glued on a large gold pop pop for the top. It was hard to figure out but in the end was my favorite part of the costume because it is quite close to the actual hat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBZQ7rmnWqayRg7yDGXzAlFxKPmQgKIwtTNk7ZdNh_4HQsm8gkekeuQjPLeYnwLdPsOHyOVXk5eAWOiyV7LO-l_pfhcD50OBGjIqQi619Ykc-Xf5557HfuFIC_R-Cptv_8UIfmG7Exw/s1600/Captain+Huggy+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBZQ7rmnWqayRg7yDGXzAlFxKPmQgKIwtTNk7ZdNh_4HQsm8gkekeuQjPLeYnwLdPsOHyOVXk5eAWOiyV7LO-l_pfhcD50OBGjIqQi619Ykc-Xf5557HfuFIC_R-Cptv_8UIfmG7Exw/s320/Captain+Huggy+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Huggy Face collecting candy on Halloween!</td></tr>
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These two siblings share a special bond and now two years later still refer to each other as Word Girl and Huggy! My little guy has worn this costume (the top and pants only) at least 2-3 days a week for 2 years! {notice the holes in the sleeve??} </div>
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Recently big sissy went off to college; they worn their costumes on the last day before for she left and had a Word Girl marathon. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrFTCLxhJ2ZBWRJJbjql4CsdAsPROUt2ZK_vy_x3Y5r9VynmYHN9KN4OsFGGO6Xkjof5fGfCEwGUNLur8Tzh_rDAv68GwADwcUjvhn-rIXk5mUEMTMazAIMrvy0vL66hlFYueRPXurg/s1600/Word+Girl+Captain+Huggy+-++Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrFTCLxhJ2ZBWRJJbjql4CsdAsPROUt2ZK_vy_x3Y5r9VynmYHN9KN4OsFGGO6Xkjof5fGfCEwGUNLur8Tzh_rDAv68GwADwcUjvhn-rIXk5mUEMTMazAIMrvy0vL66hlFYueRPXurg/s320/Word+Girl+Captain+Huggy+-++Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="283" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied3b9_M9ubFg55eyuOTzehadC3-9A5PZXQcECKCKxgd9Yq8KKsjlvz2mX8DCMUg7aNm_D3ozuaoMp6PBEE_RksMXqQY_hxKBJdje-0Tx54hX-8l-XvatYmi4r__k7YTB8AOdITmJ_eA/s1600/Word+Girl+and+Captain+Huggy+Face+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied3b9_M9ubFg55eyuOTzehadC3-9A5PZXQcECKCKxgd9Yq8KKsjlvz2mX8DCMUg7aNm_D3ozuaoMp6PBEE_RksMXqQY_hxKBJdje-0Tx54hX-8l-XvatYmi4r__k7YTB8AOdITmJ_eA/s320/Word+Girl+and+Captain+Huggy+Face+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-22382464694187233742013-10-10T10:16:00.000-07:002013-10-10T10:16:02.858-07:00Take Chances Quote - Free PrintableI love quotes. Quotes that make me think, inspire me and sometimes just make me laugh. I found this quote yesterday and wanted to share. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6FB4vbX6M1m_gvlpyefg_X9vVS9DF_0oLM2jQNhQBLQNUv3MmRPjIp8FPdz1cTs9XS52duilNP2VLB2h9gEfKBYml9c4SprHcCIVxMmelLEav5NRQqlAuKV-iz-SgQPE-393zGEB1g/s1600/Take+Chances+Quote+-+Healthy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6FB4vbX6M1m_gvlpyefg_X9vVS9DF_0oLM2jQNhQBLQNUv3MmRPjIp8FPdz1cTs9XS52duilNP2VLB2h9gEfKBYml9c4SprHcCIVxMmelLEav5NRQqlAuKV-iz-SgQPE-393zGEB1g/s320/Take+Chances+Quote+-+Healthy.jpg" width="228" /></a> </div>
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"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave." Mary Tyler Moore</div>
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There are so many aspects of our lives that require us to take chances and make mistakes - that is how we grow!</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Rebecca</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-14880971988520182682013-09-19T22:01:00.002-07:002013-09-19T22:03:41.754-07:00Helping your ADHD child succeed in school - Tips for Parents I am happy to be joining Sherry Clarke of <a href="http://www.clarkecoaching.com/">Clarke Coaching</a> as a co-author on her blog. This month we shared tips for how parents can help their ADHD kids in school. As both an ADHD Mom and Parent I know school can sometimes be a struggle, these practical tips can make a difference.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC7FOzx79-TUsiwtz-ZyxLbzsdkMW4meZQUTOG0a96mtmn2779MqtGtTi0WN7Rt8RH0rDt_sPGW48ZdONvM1m_trNAgXEy1F4m_VJCv17QN6fwskpvAYtK2Z3PfbQw4qCHMmxPFHalg/s1600/ADHD+School+Tips+-+Clarke+Coaching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC7FOzx79-TUsiwtz-ZyxLbzsdkMW4meZQUTOG0a96mtmn2779MqtGtTi0WN7Rt8RH0rDt_sPGW48ZdONvM1m_trNAgXEy1F4m_VJCv17QN6fwskpvAYtK2Z3PfbQw4qCHMmxPFHalg/s320/ADHD+School+Tips+-+Clarke+Coaching.jpg" width="284" /></a> </div>
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School is back in session across the nation and today we are sharing a few ways parents can help ADHD child do well in school.</div>
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<strong>Exercise – Physical Activity</strong></div>
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Children and adults with ADHD need to move. Physical activity is good for everyone; however, those with ADHD have an even higher need for regular activity in order to focus. They need physical stimulus and activity regularly. Unfortunately, one thing many schools are cutting back on is recess time and physical education classes. Often this equals your ADHD child coming home after sitting for most of his school day, which can cause tantrums and other negative behaviors. This also often triggers fights about homework, because the last thing an ADHD child wants to do is sit for another even five minutes. After- school sports, martial arts, dance, running around in the backyard or jumping on the trampoline are great ways to help your ADHD child decompress after school and actually increase his or her ability to focus again when it is time for homework. Since they are engaged in structured time all day at school, it is very helpful for them to “just free play.” ADHD Expert and Author Dr. John Ratey explains “Exercise is like medication… Exercise turns on the attention system, the so-called executive functions — sequencing, working memory, prioritizing, inhibiting, and sustaining attention. On a practical level, it causes kids to be less impulsive, which makes them more primed to learn.”</div>
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<a href="http://www.clarkecoaching.com/6-ways-to-help-your-adhd-child-succeed-in-school/">CONTINUING READING ON CLARKE COACHING BLOG.</a> </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-18927200631399210362013-09-16T12:30:00.000-07:002013-09-16T13:06:48.654-07:00Back on Track... Mission Healthy Life with RebsThe kids (well most of them!) and after a hiatus from my weight loss journey due to surgery and then the fun days of summer I've back on track. Making lifestyle changes is never easy and even a few months off can equal slipping back into some of my old habits. I decided to create a Facebook page to help keep me accountable and provide a place for me to share some of the tips and tricks that have worked for me along the way. I'd love to have you join me!<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mission-Healthy-Life-with-Rebs/1406346296249011"><b>Mission Healthy Life with Rebs - Facebook Page</b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9s43wxz4TPnaqXFij8yjY7XbUM24RB-kNu7HwfWDSfG0DEmkaK99O5MxX1uZLhj5Ok-uliWrFfEoBUvo7mYGaQo3bAXUPk2xmwcMzxagJte6qV1CF0Z5bz6pVJ0qlKnkIQ9CnC_Iug/s1600/Mission+Healthy+Life+with+Rebs+FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9s43wxz4TPnaqXFij8yjY7XbUM24RB-kNu7HwfWDSfG0DEmkaK99O5MxX1uZLhj5Ok-uliWrFfEoBUvo7mYGaQo3bAXUPk2xmwcMzxagJte6qV1CF0Z5bz6pVJ0qlKnkIQ9CnC_Iug/s400/Mission+Healthy+Life+with+Rebs+FB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-19819722263862206472013-07-23T19:50:00.000-07:002013-08-01T14:47:06.870-07:00Why I want my children to Volunteer<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently my husband, my newly adult stepdaughter and I spent
some time volunteering with disaster response activities for a large wildfire
in our community. Although most of the
time we did not volunteer on the same projects or at the same time it was a
cool experience to volunteer on the same event. Watching her choose to volunteer was a great
reinforcement for all those times we helped volunteer her growing up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before becoming “mostly” a stay at home mom I spent a decade
in the non-profit industry and one of the many hats I wore over the years was
that of Volunteer Coordinator. I love
the non-profit industry and I have been able to work with several of the
leading charities including Shriners Childrens Hospitals, The American Red
Cross and the YMCA. I grew up regularly
volunteering through church and school projects. My husband and I share this passion – we actually
met while working for the Red Cross!
Although we both no longer work there, we are still volunteers and refer to it is a family affair. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a mom and a former Volunteer Coordinator I want my kids to volunteer as they grow up and thought I would share 'why'... You might call them reasons, lessons learned or even benefits but ultimately for me they are why I encourage my kids to volunteer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Exposure and Connection</b>: Charities or non-profits
provide an excellent opportunity to exposure children to new experiences,
people and opinions. Volunteering can
provide connections to friends, mentors, the community and causes that may
inspire your children now and even shape future careers. Even in smaller areas there are a variety of
places to volunteer from recognized non-profits to schools or faith based
initiatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Skills:</b> Non-profits are often more willing to provide
training to volunteers because quite frankly – they need the help! Volunteering provides a fabulous opportunity
for children to learn a variety of skills from how to care for an animal,
office and clerical, public speaking, photography, fundraising or interviewing. There are also organizational specific skills
such a disaster response, emotional first aid, childcare or teaching that
volunteers can acquire through non-profit training programs that are often
free. One of my best volunteers over the
years started at age 14 helping answer phones during a large national disaster,
after four years and a variety of other assignments; he became the person who
interviewed, placed and orienting new volunteers to the organization. Due to his experience and organizational
knowledge most people had no idea he was a teenager! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Problem Solving:</b> Just as non-profits will introduce children
to different experiences and people; volunteering will also require children to
learn to be flexible and develop creativity.
Both of which are essential parts of problem solving. Charities often have limited workforces,
supplies and other resources. This
requires staff (paid and volunteer) to find ways to adapt and meet needs in
non-traditional ways. The adage “Necessity
is the mother of invention” is almost always true in the non-profit world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Gratitude and Social Responsibility:</b> Every year,
as Thanksgiving approached, I would receive calls from parents wanting to know
if we had family volunteer opportunities available. They wanted to teach their children about
gratitude. Volunteering allows children
to see others needs and recognize inequalities and inadequacies in the
world. It can also motivate children to
become more educated about the world or a specific problem, their own beliefs
or how their actions can be a positive contribution to society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Commitment:</b> I want my children to serve because they
believe in something and want to do – not just because there is a monetary
benefit attached. Exposure to others who
are already living this example is much more powerful than a lecture from me! Generally
speaking there is no amount of money you could pay someone that would match the
dedication of a volunteer that is committed to an organization or cause. Most people would be truly amazed at the
amount of time and energy dedicated volunteers contribute to causes simply
because it is their passion. In my years
of experience I can tell you of countless times that the first person I saw in the
morning (even on a really early morning) was a volunteer and the last person I
talked to at night was a volunteer. I
don’t say this to encourage my child (or yours) to devote their lives to
non-paying volunteer service but rather because that dedication, commitment and
passion that leads volunteers to contribute their time and talents is an
example I want my children to see! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Need some ideas on how to get your kids involved? Check out your local Volunteer Center or ask
at your church or child’s school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have little kids who </span>aren't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> quite old enough to volunteer?
Think of doing </span><a href="http://chaosinmyark.blogspot.com/2013/02/celebrating-random-acts-of-kindness.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Random Acts of Kindness</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to plants the seeds as they grow
older! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-59053127834167511062013-07-03T10:30:00.000-07:002013-07-03T10:30:00.963-07:00Mission Healthy Mom - Turtle Power!It's been over a year since I decided to change my lifestyle and become healthier. I've made great progress but due to set backs (hernia surgery), life events and the typical plateaus of long term weight loss I sometimes get discouraged. Recently, a friend posts a set of pictures on Facebook from Easter 2012 - which was several months before I started my journey. Most of the pictures were of my cute little girl interacting with baby chicks. <div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzeWYpo3zXw4e_e7-CbdfUc8LXoS4LA2mAkYkexmDbS3OnNgFmuvOg1G72nWEAp8SttdObbtysiWWX0EcDnc-hxmu6lyqpi_N7uECmO6dYNFF8URqly4dATX_aOXaATP2neTSGIZ8Nw/s1600/Lucy+Easter+2012+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzeWYpo3zXw4e_e7-CbdfUc8LXoS4LA2mAkYkexmDbS3OnNgFmuvOg1G72nWEAp8SttdObbtysiWWX0EcDnc-hxmu6lyqpi_N7uECmO6dYNFF8URqly4dATX_aOXaATP2neTSGIZ8Nw/s640/Lucy+Easter+2012+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Isn't she cute??? </div>
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Then, in the mix of the photos I caught a glimpse of myself. I'm normally the one behind the camera and the more weight I had put on the less excited I was to get in any of the pictures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbEPJbHVxjkUBoiGLx3Op4x59ol1OnTRXqe27xC9Ivk918eh5a_BnZdVIJI1S__Hs_QSd9EhWwWzEzpxWFZRtbCO9QE0aVvvplC5mdx_e_Y9kWgN9NdGotQRLNSX3oK9HGlvYt0953Q/s692/Easter+2012+-+chaos+in+my+ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbEPJbHVxjkUBoiGLx3Op4x59ol1OnTRXqe27xC9Ivk918eh5a_BnZdVIJI1S__Hs_QSd9EhWwWzEzpxWFZRtbCO9QE0aVvvplC5mdx_e_Y9kWgN9NdGotQRLNSX3oK9HGlvYt0953Q/s320/Easter+2012+-+chaos+in+my+ark.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
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At first, I was drawn back to that place of not liking me in pictures but then I realized - that is the OLD me. The unhealthy Mom, standing in the background, most likely tired and out of energy. That is not who I am today. I don't have any "official" Easter pictures of me from 2012 but this year I was excited to be in the pictures with the kids. After seeing the old and new me I realized how much progress I have made. </div>
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Then I thought of a turtle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAvTUXvnT1yRA0T4Almme4qOvu12tP6woYNNFoNwVLcF94TboIglpx1SAjYtlHCOSj8sTcQjntxvqUib_JZVw7jt7RhY-mzI9mWNJC6ZvQzVVBBgj71575T_MtjNLI8UIG1VYaoWZw/s1600/2013-06-30+13.17.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAvTUXvnT1yRA0T4Almme4qOvu12tP6woYNNFoNwVLcF94TboIglpx1SAjYtlHCOSj8sTcQjntxvqUib_JZVw7jt7RhY-mzI9mWNJC6ZvQzVVBBgj71575T_MtjNLI8UIG1VYaoWZw/s320/2013-06-30+13.17.32.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Ok, not that turtle.. but didn't my friend do an amazing job on her son's birthday cake? But I digress. I'm talking about the famous turtle from the Tortoise and the Hare. </div>
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A year later, I'm not finished, I'm still in progress, some days it feels like this journey (or me) is going as slow as a turtle. Whether it is my surgery recovery taking months longer than expected or trying to fight through yet another plateau I'm reminding myself that in the end it is the turtle that wins. Slow and steady really does win the race. So whether it takes me six more months or another year to reach my healthiest weight in the end if I am moving forward, I'm winning the race. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKtyiitij5Vx8wFU2drl656g8lstfpVTsQ5dlk7d_PiGiezFpZtU1CU-LmKo-A0NSRPzK1kxLAATJJrEGCfmgYCuiena-FK1mK_AFdIU8EjdMVP6CrZ3ZmQjX7jISwEsTmGoadPGpYA/s1600/Easter+Comparison+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKtyiitij5Vx8wFU2drl656g8lstfpVTsQ5dlk7d_PiGiezFpZtU1CU-LmKo-A0NSRPzK1kxLAATJJrEGCfmgYCuiena-FK1mK_AFdIU8EjdMVP6CrZ3ZmQjX7jISwEsTmGoadPGpYA/s320/Easter+Comparison+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Are you a turtle? How do you stay motivated?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-82653513988864657752013-07-01T13:58:00.004-07:002013-08-01T14:50:03.934-07:00Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn Chex Mix - Kid Friendly Recipe <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWqW2Nwl9uPdCS6_FH_l-Wdg5wPK4-FOuENvAmbfJ1_Fxum1kXphMdFxUwP-A2pwiSIZl6CI5_m7Vt2ybO_fTnjgAvCuAVUO3SLhGowjXnhzXkkwrVr-lc3t46bQ-0FUX5RaBxw5TkA/s1600/Cinnamon+Caramel+Popcorn+Chex+Mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWqW2Nwl9uPdCS6_FH_l-Wdg5wPK4-FOuENvAmbfJ1_Fxum1kXphMdFxUwP-A2pwiSIZl6CI5_m7Vt2ybO_fTnjgAvCuAVUO3SLhGowjXnhzXkkwrVr-lc3t46bQ-0FUX5RaBxw5TkA/s320/Cinnamon+Caramel+Popcorn+Chex+Mix.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Chex mix is always a crowd pleaser and works great as a quick gift as well! It is also easy to involve the kids by having them measure the cereal, popcorn and mix it up (with supervision of course!). This blend is easy to mix up and always gets rave reviews. </div>
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<b>Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn Chex Mix</b></div>
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1 stick of butter</div>
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1 cup of packed brown sugar</div>
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1/2 cup of dark corn syrup</div>
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2 teaspoons vanilla</div>
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1 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
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6-8 cups of popped buttered popcorn</div>
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4-6 cups of rice Chex</div>
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1 cup of cinnamon Life (optional - you use all Chex) </div>
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Combine the popcorn and cereal in a large bowl or pan. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and corn syrup until well combined. Make sure to stir frequently so it does not burn. Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon and vanilla. Drizzle the syrup mixture over the popcorn mixture and stir gently to incorporate. If you want to add sprinkles (a kid favorite)... make sure to do it while the syrup is still slightly warm so they stick but not too hot or they will disolve. Store in an plastic bag or air tight container. </div>
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Tip: This mix is not overly sweet and the coating is meant to add a light glaze, rather than completely coat every piece of popcorn and cereal. If you want it fully glazed, you can double the syrup mixture. </div>
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This is great to put in a mason jar or bag up for a quick treat for a friend or teacher!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-67512884534152371852013-06-28T13:40:00.000-07:002013-06-28T13:40:30.592-07:00Ten Things to Smile About: June <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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June isn't even over and I have a long list of happy things for the month. <br />
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My little man graduated Kindergarten! He picked his own outfit for the ceremony. Funny that he REFUSES to wear the jacket to church but he wanted to look really nice for the ceremony. </div>
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We had an even bigger graduation, our oldest graduated from high school. Getting decent pictures that day turned out to be almost impossible but we are so proud of her. </div>
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Schools out for SUMMER! What better way to celebrate than with ice cream?? This also shows little sisters "cheese face". </div>
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Started a summer schedule - so far we are having lots of fun with it!</div>
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One of our "Make Something Monday" projects - gake! This was a HUGE hit. </div>
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Loved capturing this visual depiction of my kids drastically personalities. Two are non-stop, always part of the action kids and the other would much rather find a quite corner and take things at his own pace. We were at the library summer reading kick off and that's exactly what happened! </div>
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Love all my kids and the littles especially adore their big sister. </div>
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They are going to be very sad when she goes off to college. </div>
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Celebrating Father's Day with my husband and the crazy kids! </div>
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The little kids helped make the carrot cake from scratch. </div>
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Teachers! My kids have been very blessed with some wonderful teachers and </div>
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now that it is summer - I appreciate them even more!!!</div>
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I got to go back to my old job and serve as a volunteer chief for a multi-day full scale disaster exercise. </div>
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It was great to be back and most of all to be with some of my old staff. Miss them! </div>
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Linking up over at <a href="http://www.emmymom2.com/2013/06/ten-things-to-smile-about-june.html">Emmy Mom's Ten Things to Smile About</a>...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-58458614068333042092013-06-20T22:59:00.000-07:002013-08-01T14:53:36.284-07:00Las Vegas Natural History Museum - A great kids Dinosaur Museum!<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVzAE7NcybihDrNyORGjkVZKTA-gFCMvAdpSMQI9cSeXtrM8bVx0TqoUi029nWLqtttUFQA092U60b9aebc728WN98EzBF95k7d7MO68OqdCZIoMXTJvx5koWET3dW4QY60i9hZQGyQ/s1600/Natural+History+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVzAE7NcybihDrNyORGjkVZKTA-gFCMvAdpSMQI9cSeXtrM8bVx0TqoUi029nWLqtttUFQA092U60b9aebc728WN98EzBF95k7d7MO68OqdCZIoMXTJvx5koWET3dW4QY60i9hZQGyQ/s320/Natural+History+Museum.jpg" width="315" /></a>Dinosaurs seem to have a universal appeal with young children, especially little boys. My 4 and 5 year old are no exception to this phenomenon. We've had dinosaur birthday parties, dressed up as a paleontologist for Career Day at school and read more dinosaur books than I can count. Yet, we had somehow not made it to the local <a href="http://www.lvnhm.org/">Natural History Museum</a>, or as my boys now refer to it - The Dinosaur Museum. </div>
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<a href="http://museums.bankofamerica.com/">Bank of America</a> offers a great promotion for debit and credit card holders the first full weekend of each month, providing free admission to select museums across the country. One of those museums is the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. I finally took advantage of this special a few weeks ago and we had a lot of fun. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2olex9By_CmtPhIKhUhruyEGO6oxoJUSCre6MX5pptOhVDUkNLfI3eapBNzBQrsJeAM8BbHA825XaJ7AyZkdNnvvMb3tutyfDHH9Q6NUAfcTVdEUAvdE8BTd2y7qd2Yem53uMet3BZw/s1600/Natural+History+Museum+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2olex9By_CmtPhIKhUhruyEGO6oxoJUSCre6MX5pptOhVDUkNLfI3eapBNzBQrsJeAM8BbHA825XaJ7AyZkdNnvvMb3tutyfDHH9Q6NUAfcTVdEUAvdE8BTd2y7qd2Yem53uMet3BZw/s200/Natural+History+Museum+2.jpg" width="194" /></a>First, I should say that I grew up in Washington DC so in some degree being raised with Smithsonian as your "local" museums has jaded me for life. I do try to look at museums and attractions relative to the location and the age of my children. The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is a Smithsonian affiliated museum. It is small and definitely shows signs of age but for a town like Las Vegas and most children it is a great experience. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoZA7QKuW837Wn2FGGGp5hscDY0RBX86VO4ATYZpCyPDgCqJ-UFZ47pa5kCqkGe03NNlHBl22HoZ-2MFByf4XX6X0EywYnWk15zxt-TyUJRxgz2zuxlifxaJc_5UOPDOp44370ek59g/s1600/Natural+History+Museum+-+fossil+digging+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoZA7QKuW837Wn2FGGGp5hscDY0RBX86VO4ATYZpCyPDgCqJ-UFZ47pa5kCqkGe03NNlHBl22HoZ-2MFByf4XX6X0EywYnWk15zxt-TyUJRxgz2zuxlifxaJc_5UOPDOp44370ek59g/s200/Natural+History+Museum+-+fossil+digging+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="160" /></a>The Museum is open 9am - 4pm daily which makes it convenient for families. The museum offers free interactive programs on the weekends on topics related to their exhibits, check out the <a href="http://www.lvnhm.org/lvnhm.org/weekend-science">Weekend Science</a> page for current topics and times. When we went the traveling exhibit was Sea Trek and the program we attended was about to Creature Camouflage. The presenter did a good job of keeping it interactive and involving the participants (there were about 3-5 families with kids ranging in age from 2-12 would be my guess). After the presentation there was a craft activity and then a chance to get up close with two smaller animals - a mouse and a lizard. My four year son especially liked that part. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUCfxsiLHw5hTv398fiTkedt5QM2DsTMMQovg_6bKyHw215sOQEtyluzoE3pIcl7TSrxE2B-AbKqoZb4nJPbUUZ6wos_IKy26BRDS3R6NUpYN2dGOVzHqEOfzGH1NvSzxw9EKBeAQg/s1600/Natural+History+Museum+-+Nemo+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUCfxsiLHw5hTv398fiTkedt5QM2DsTMMQovg_6bKyHw215sOQEtyluzoE3pIcl7TSrxE2B-AbKqoZb4nJPbUUZ6wos_IKy26BRDS3R6NUpYN2dGOVzHqEOfzGH1NvSzxw9EKBeAQg/s200/Natural+History+Museum+-+Nemo+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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In addition to a traveling exhibit the museum has wildlife, early Nevada, Egypt and of course Dinosaur exhibits. My kids favorite parts were the Dinosaur Area and the Young Scientist Area which is the interactive part of the museum for kids. They loved digging for fossils, creating rubbings and checking out the computer stations. A fun little mini-aquarium let them "get inside" and find Nemo; big hit with my Disney loving children. The Dinosaur exhibit features a variety of different models including a large Triceratops and T-Rex that are animated by push of a button. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStJdxgu74TvaZxRE0HCHD9v69wEf6_uNQg4hyphenhyphenD7bEqOs_9skF_vyhatDJpbeUht_sem6neBrBnitTHglh_br6WuArS_Ult0MVGty-TQcKrgBwBP5XkOlavfHUhDRylKfhxqbvyq_Z0w/s1600/Natural+History+Museum+-+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStJdxgu74TvaZxRE0HCHD9v69wEf6_uNQg4hyphenhyphenD7bEqOs_9skF_vyhatDJpbeUht_sem6neBrBnitTHglh_br6WuArS_Ult0MVGty-TQcKrgBwBP5XkOlavfHUhDRylKfhxqbvyq_Z0w/s200/Natural+History+Museum+-+Park.jpg" width="200" /></a>We arrived about 10 am and stayed for a few hours, which included attending the presentation and animal interaction. The museum was very quite when we arrived and got busier by the time we left about Noon but was by no means crowded. There is a smaller playground located on the same property, just "behind" the museum. We checked that out after our visit and the kids enjoyed being able to really run off some energy before getting back in the van. Overall a great low key museum that provides interactive opportunities for the kids and is affordable, especially if take advantage of the Bank of American promotion, or the two for one<a href="http://www.lvnhm.org/coupon"> coupon</a> they generally have on their website. </div>
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<b>Las Vegas Natural History Museum</b></div>
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900 Las Vegas Blvd N (by Cashman)</div>
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Las Vegas NV 89101</div>
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702.384.3466</div>
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<a href="http://www.lvnhm.org/">www.lvnhm.org</a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-7918497881442048892013-06-11T16:39:00.002-07:002013-08-01T14:58:19.086-07:00Wetlands Nature Center and Park - Free Family and Kid Activities in Las Vegas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8D5ci5eeKFM_-z7IDALFomw1D1FgNVJuAfaX1TbLqRYyropQc2c00QYQelWru_XrL4z_Y5b4gW3tqGyqf0v7dQmSjttsQOHtcq586qj2XRiEabvt_xdkANUJ8SUBF3ljashnTl1IRQ/s1600/2013-06-11+11.58.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8D5ci5eeKFM_-z7IDALFomw1D1FgNVJuAfaX1TbLqRYyropQc2c00QYQelWru_XrL4z_Y5b4gW3tqGyqf0v7dQmSjttsQOHtcq586qj2XRiEabvt_xdkANUJ8SUBF3ljashnTl1IRQ/s320/2013-06-11+11.58.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It is our first Tuesday of the<a href="http://chaosinmyark.blogspot.com/2013/06/summer-game-plan-or-my-attempt-to-not.html"> Summer Game plan</a> and that means its time for Take a Trip Tuesday. I decided to take the kids to a new place we have never visited, the <a href="http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/depts/parks/pages/wetlands-park.aspx">Clark County Wetlands Park and Nature Center</a>. I've been hearing good things about the Wetlands for a few years, had seen some friends photographs from the area but until we arrived I honestly didn't know there was a full scale nature center at the park. Although the temperatures are pretty good today, only a high of 100 versus the end of the world 116 degrees that it was on Saturday, it was still a nice surprise to discover an indoor exhibit area to explore! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44rz_9_ys_ZkhwZcl5JdqYEWu6iqvzEU-S4q2ULOQwNaHJdsdBQSQkWwq0jD3NfvA66y1n2NCQPrriIJZYZsczl9D4RjIBUVM5U15vCYsZEABHmu1v4D7JQYgZoEoR1BV1A1YVDG38w/s1600/2013-06-11+10.57.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44rz_9_ys_ZkhwZcl5JdqYEWu6iqvzEU-S4q2ULOQwNaHJdsdBQSQkWwq0jD3NfvA66y1n2NCQPrriIJZYZsczl9D4RjIBUVM5U15vCYsZEABHmu1v4D7JQYgZoEoR1BV1A1YVDG38w/s200/2013-06-11+10.57.26.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtI1z_0TBWSTJzDy5AdE0GPmd76HmquJb_4Ypo-3iPWV0cYF5JrqjQo03X9e4RTXQZa7qj4OgaDAfds8eJwGcPa3Mss0zvvaI6y8G6YaMJGrq66pdf_CNV_4g_B-pJjdlYzr0lzANmjw/s1600/2013-06-11+10.57.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtI1z_0TBWSTJzDy5AdE0GPmd76HmquJb_4Ypo-3iPWV0cYF5JrqjQo03X9e4RTXQZa7qj4OgaDAfds8eJwGcPa3Mss0zvvaI6y8G6YaMJGrq66pdf_CNV_4g_B-pJjdlYzr0lzANmjw/s200/2013-06-11+10.57.44.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Nature Center was fabulous and turned out to be my kids favorite part of the visit. The Nature Center building includes both an exhibit area, a theater (we didn't stay for the movie) and space for a cafe (not currently open). According to the staff, the Nature Center opened this April so maybe that is why I didn't know about it! The Nature Center is a well designed, green building and also includes restrooms and water fountains you can access without actually going into the exhibit area. As a mom of young kids, I love when they make those types of things easy to access. My five year old was fascinated with the cool sink in the family bathroom!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmYkuZzkPFpVjCh-8cwyahBy6DsJKSvEXD3ldMI8AotEk9fMRlaTfpP-Bw4m6nM3eJabi5ffH_UaLczZ-bt4rCnxCC3R9lcQxWMRxLMNWrxpEVzNc7EYjc0_S3NP1TaHQaEKWjrqG3Q/s1600/2013-06-11+11.02.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmYkuZzkPFpVjCh-8cwyahBy6DsJKSvEXD3ldMI8AotEk9fMRlaTfpP-Bw4m6nM3eJabi5ffH_UaLczZ-bt4rCnxCC3R9lcQxWMRxLMNWrxpEVzNc7EYjc0_S3NP1TaHQaEKWjrqG3Q/s200/2013-06-11+11.02.16.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfQzxhT5FuiuU9YtRDAGbuerOPxegVUavR9TVciARKRQCrrLxPXwsvPx4k-njvL5Ib-yBQTWvF0vVVFIbGPAPfNbLiC_XnXyL6xxawfZkixbjlAQG4rgdhQW9VVDykolYOqLgz56DcQ/s1600/2013-06-11+10.59.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfQzxhT5FuiuU9YtRDAGbuerOPxegVUavR9TVciARKRQCrrLxPXwsvPx4k-njvL5Ib-yBQTWvF0vVVFIbGPAPfNbLiC_XnXyL6xxawfZkixbjlAQG4rgdhQW9VVDykolYOqLgz56DcQ/s200/2013-06-11+10.59.11.jpg" width="150" /></a>The design of the center is very appealing, especially to children. The lobby area features a mural with over-sized plants and animals. There are a number of very large insects that move on the ceiling of the lobby and two fun sculptures they can stand behind, my boys are checking them out in the photo to the left. <br />
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The exhibit area opens with another great area for kids with a large mural and more over-sized animals that the kids can touch. The bull frog even rabbits and the large snake features his most recent meal inside his stomach - yum! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxRUGcXONp3p2lxHl-VsPjIDfgTkKfvvTX4FC4WydfFF-S3e3l-6J9wUuvzTS_9hCSfynXoq3l7_j-agqBphdyjsGj_4h9bToab3Ha44e0UV2pUmkQCWqm4_daBW_ZON7NnDObWIsMQ/s1600/2013-06-11+11.07.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxRUGcXONp3p2lxHl-VsPjIDfgTkKfvvTX4FC4WydfFF-S3e3l-6J9wUuvzTS_9hCSfynXoq3l7_j-agqBphdyjsGj_4h9bToab3Ha44e0UV2pUmkQCWqm4_daBW_ZON7NnDObWIsMQ/s200/2013-06-11+11.07.49.jpg" width="200" /></a>The exhibit space is not very large but has quite a few different displays related to desert life including the plants, animals, water and flooding and early settlers. There are 8 hands on children's activity tables in addition to the interactive features of the various displays. My boys were especially impressed with the display related to animal scat. But then, what little boy doesn't love a scientific display of poop?!? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQmUkIhXbzuVaS5ay2fao9BthS0gxUjUDqj34_XhbojCckD6VkbKMEqFvxpzPtVtbRerIw-vA2DOX36gNGBzUm60fFJuwwFtnfeeUljLEke39GAL7NlMdRlZzO44KoAhbNkZWyy2YHg/s1600/2013-06-11+11.00.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQmUkIhXbzuVaS5ay2fao9BthS0gxUjUDqj34_XhbojCckD6VkbKMEqFvxpzPtVtbRerIw-vA2DOX36gNGBzUm60fFJuwwFtnfeeUljLEke39GAL7NlMdRlZzO44KoAhbNkZWyy2YHg/s200/2013-06-11+11.00.26.jpg" width="200" /></a> The Nature Center and Wetlands Park are free of charge, so this makes it an awesome option for families and kids in Las Vegas to visit. In addition to the exhibit area there is a movie that is available but we didn't check that out, although I plan to on the next visit. It is located on the east side of town at the end of Tropicana, a few minutes east of Boulder Hwy. The trails are open dusk to dawn and the center is open from 9am - 3pm daily. The staff were all helpful and friendly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfMMjKouD9uJp-JkDxSVMCC-WOrPs-PQqH6oN4-QTyEt-l_HI_OXWgqGnmoiaMDBP-nZqHqmQ4lbwMsF6oH9FvMpzowN7wCWq-JUN2PiHc0NxFZL2MUeUa7DpHWj-BO8mAH5IINwaNQ/s1600/2013-06-11+11.36.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfMMjKouD9uJp-JkDxSVMCC-WOrPs-PQqH6oN4-QTyEt-l_HI_OXWgqGnmoiaMDBP-nZqHqmQ4lbwMsF6oH9FvMpzowN7wCWq-JUN2PiHc0NxFZL2MUeUa7DpHWj-BO8mAH5IINwaNQ/s200/2013-06-11+11.36.00.jpg" width="150" /></a>By the time we finished checking out the exhibit area it was getting close to nap time and much hotter so we only explored a very small portion of the Wetlands trail area. The Wetlands Park covers over 2,900 acres and some areas are still under construction. The trails are both dirt and paved and those that I observed from the nature center and the parking lot seemed pretty easily accessible with a stroller. We used a small umbrella stroller on the portion we explored by the small pond and it worked fine. The kids liked checking out the pond and we were able to see insects, butterflies and what I think were tadpoles from the edge of the pond. We also heard many different wildlife that we could not see and the kids thought that was really cool. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp76hzoCAg8brAHQqsBOzM0gmLnjc5k4vyTbUYJiNERVcPE3adiQr259voAYyYDUNjJJEheO9JgB33xZ3Ow5L9-E3_48CC6D-xRBDK67mcFwVEC8EFJRIAO-fFek9024b-LsjXxy5R0g/s1600/2013-06-11+11.42.09+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp76hzoCAg8brAHQqsBOzM0gmLnjc5k4vyTbUYJiNERVcPE3adiQr259voAYyYDUNjJJEheO9JgB33xZ3Ow5L9-E3_48CC6D-xRBDK67mcFwVEC8EFJRIAO-fFek9024b-LsjXxy5R0g/s200/2013-06-11+11.42.09+-+Copy.jpg" width="200" /></a>You can access the trails without visiting the Nature Center. There is also a set of bathrooms in the parking lot. The entire area, both Center and Trails had very few other guests while we were there (Tuesday between 10am - Noon). When we were driving into park, there was a sign for a neighborhood park. I decided to check that out as we were leaving and found a fun little play area that we will check out on our next visit. It has play equipment that blends in with the Wetlands park including a small climbing wall and large animal play objects. There is a picnic table and benches, perfect for after you explore the area. Overall I highly recommend this as a free option for kids and families in Las Vegas. My kids are 2, 4 and almost 6 but this would be a good option for all ages or if you have a broad range of ages in your family. I also love that it introduces city kids like mine to nature! If you are looking for things to do with your kids or family this summer in Vegas check out the Wetlands Park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKciKhb2-8gxBIeL3bDS1cTUtAvj0UIG_N1gxV3RPLWr2tm75hERj5lZn2SK3g8Co4CzO5kz0r04ivAqQZwB68YAzDbcrKQsOvz14r-bk8hIjN9ifE0kvv_uth7KlBfyWmsI36chhTNQ/s1600/2013-06-11+12.02.02+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKciKhb2-8gxBIeL3bDS1cTUtAvj0UIG_N1gxV3RPLWr2tm75hERj5lZn2SK3g8Co4CzO5kz0r04ivAqQZwB68YAzDbcrKQsOvz14r-bk8hIjN9ifE0kvv_uth7KlBfyWmsI36chhTNQ/s200/2013-06-11+12.02.02+-+Copy.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playground Area with small climbing wall - <br />
follow signs for neighborhood park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/depts/parks/pages/wetlands-park.aspx">Clark County Wetlands Park</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7050 Wetlands Park Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89122 </b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(East side by Tropicana & Boulder Hwy)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Open 7 days a week - Trails from Dusk to Dawn, </b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Center from 9am - 3pm</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Closed New Years Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas</b></span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-40285556244647715032013-06-03T10:57:00.001-07:002013-06-03T11:00:34.517-07:00Summer Game Plan... or my attempt to not go crazy with small children in the Vegas Heat!June has arrived, we are counting down the final days of school and I've been busy pinning all the amazing Summer Bucket lists popping up on Pinterest. This year my three youngest kids are 5, 4 and 2 and I've decided it's time to create a plan of attack for our summer. <br />
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I don't like to schedule everything but I find that if I just "hope" we will do things and have fun, we end up spending hours doing nothing. {Correction, I spend time trying to figure something out while the kids go crazy or fight - not all the time of course but that is generally how it feels}. Another problem with not having a plan is that we live in Vegas. If we want to go out and do some activities we need to start early before its 1,000 degrees outside. Let's just say I'm not a morning person so hoping I get moving early without something scheduled just doesn't work so well. I decided it I needed to take all these great ideas I'm pinning and come up with the Garcia Game Plan for Summer. <br />
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First, I love the bucket list concept but I knew that wouldn't quite work for us. My oldest son who just finished Kindergarten, loves check lists, but he also due to ADHD loves to hyperfocus. He will see one thing on that list and I will hear about it non-stop until we do it, and quite frankly my sanity can't handle hearing about something twenty times a day that I know we can't do until August! <br />
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I knew both my ADHD self and my son needed something that enough structure to keep us on track and therefore having fun but also flexibility since life happens! When I saw <a href="http://www.remarkablehome.net/2012/06/super-summer-schedule-free-printable.html">this idea</a>, I fell in love! The idea comes from a <a href="http://powerofmoms.com/2012/05/do-it-yourself-summer-camp/">Power of Moms post</a>, a site that always has great support for Moms. I love the idea of having a "theme" for each day that I can plan for and my kids can look forward to but it also gives me flexibility to change it up easily. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvAA78sL7-2C08O-a944p0IQ-2WGGI_5FTvPvilA19jP-bpXrXfTMc9DoCmaG91JrsOi06doovQMhApX1i5DnygJioNqrDWHyurwEUXWShe7kMNup8M5CS7M85vYuCF6fovV_LgaWaQ/s1600/Summer+Game+Plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvAA78sL7-2C08O-a944p0IQ-2WGGI_5FTvPvilA19jP-bpXrXfTMc9DoCmaG91JrsOi06doovQMhApX1i5DnygJioNqrDWHyurwEUXWShe7kMNup8M5CS7M85vYuCF6fovV_LgaWaQ/s320/Summer+Game+Plan.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<b>Make Something Mondays</b> - craft, bake, paint, build<br />
<b>Take a Trip Tuesdays</b> - try a new park, museum, hike or activity<br />
<b>Wet and Wild Wednesdays</b> - anything water related, pool, splash pads etc.<br />
<b>Thinking Thursdays</b> - library, learning. experiments, practicing<br />
<b>Fabulous Fun Fridays</b> - open day to pick anything fun to do together<br />
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After deciding on our schedule I made a big list of things to do including activities I know my kids like and choices from the s<a href="http://pinterest.com/rebsgarcia/2013-summer-kids-ideas/">ummer buckets lists</a> I'd pinned as inspiration. Almost all of our activities will be free or very low cost even our "trips". Once that was done I started dividing the list into our "schedule". This is my planning list, to keep us on track, not for the kids to see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-QyhllREk-IrkMn-N-oFaQXcW9OXSh91GXKUWK6U6S-2apT2n_Aa7qQcENbuTUmgd9DTuhkeCTy71Q6tqdgn9nV-5c1ofEemrYCyjqkRwlQPdzl44f22NoqLGif_FSpH0yl9jHF-rg/s1600/2013+Summer+Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-QyhllREk-IrkMn-N-oFaQXcW9OXSh91GXKUWK6U6S-2apT2n_Aa7qQcENbuTUmgd9DTuhkeCTy71Q6tqdgn9nV-5c1ofEemrYCyjqkRwlQPdzl44f22NoqLGif_FSpH0yl9jHF-rg/s320/2013+Summer+Calendar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also created another sheet that has a list of bonus activities - extra ideas to fill our days if needed, weekend activities - both scheduled and optional, and finally a list of "bored" activities I can suggest to the kids when they inevitably tell me they there is absolutely nothing to do! The bonus activities involve my participation while the "bored" list can be done individually with siblings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCVzHQ8n8pcWy_N-U20yTZz5F7n3Oot25i0e36BQwckJ17tGdIdBoLuZBC7FgIuXBWPWNwLiSMdSOIBoa25r_PG2kW5trns2WlFo7ZpLHe2HeD-upayFo-f8KfuDzg-5nJWFcDtnX1g/s1600/2013+Summer+Calendar+2nd+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCVzHQ8n8pcWy_N-U20yTZz5F7n3Oot25i0e36BQwckJ17tGdIdBoLuZBC7FgIuXBWPWNwLiSMdSOIBoa25r_PG2kW5trns2WlFo7ZpLHe2HeD-upayFo-f8KfuDzg-5nJWFcDtnX1g/s320/2013+Summer+Calendar+2nd+page.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm still deciding how to visually display our plan for the kids (it's not like school is over in two more days or anything - nothing like the last minute!). I thought about a take on an advent type calendar like we do for Christmas but I'm leaning towards just doing just one week at a time and using a card for each day that they can turn over and see what the activity for the day will be each morning. Once I actually create it I will try and remember to post it! My goal is to plan our week using my planning pages each Sunday when I do our family meal plan. We will see how it goes.</div>
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I'm also still coming up with how to introduce this to the kids. I'm thinking some type of celebration on the first day of our summer. Any ideas? Again, I've got lots of time to decide - you know a whole two days! </div>
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Did you create a summer plan? bucket list? What's on your list? </div>
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Happy Summer! </div>
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Rebecca</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-91178317675277888692013-03-04T18:54:00.003-08:002013-03-04T18:54:54.342-08:005 Easy Ways for Moms to Reduce Calories and Eat LessEating less isn't always a good thing, but for people like me who love good food and have been eating too much for too many years, it is a necessary part of getting healthy. There is a lot of information out there about correct portion size and of course the best way to make sure you are eating the right amount is to weigh and measure your food. <br />
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But let's be honest, in the midst of a busy mom life and cooking dinner for your family or corralling little ones at lunch do you want to have to measure and weigh everything? No.<br />
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So today I am sharing a few things that have worked for me to help control my portions and each more appropriate amounts of food.<br />
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<b>1) Downsize your dishes</b><br />
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Unless you are eating a ton of veggies, the reality is that if you fill an average dinner plate you will most likely end up eating too much. Switch to the salad plate for your protein and carbohydrates and fill another plate with your fruits and vegetables. When you pour your morning cereal use a small bowl instead of the large cereal bowl. Downsizing your dishes also has the visual effect of not making you feel so deprived. If I eat the same amount of food on a large plate and it takes up only half the plate it feels like I should eat more, even when I really shouldn't.<br />
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<b>2) Drink a glass of water before you eat </b><br />
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First, we often confuse thirst for hunger so if you like you are starving you might actually also be dehydrated. Also, drinking water helps you feel more full and eat less.<br />
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<b>3) Borrow your toddler's plate</b><br />
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I don't know about you but if I have a choice between a yummy piece of chicken and lettuce I'm not always going to choose the lettuce. I love fruits and veggies but I love good food in all forms! A former co-worker told me once that she had lost a lot of weight and one of her tricks was using a divided plate. She used a old tv dinner tray. As a mom of toddlers most of my kids dishes are already divided into 3-5 compartments. I found one of their plates with three compartments works great. I use the largest section for veggies and then the carbs and protein go into the smaller sections. This was really helpful for me in the beginning of my weight loss to easily control quantity without having to feel like I needed to measure everything.<br />
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<b>4) Buy things you don't like</b><br />
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One of the challenges for many moms trying to lose weight is that we can't just eliminate everything we shouldn't eat from our house. Some foods that tempt us are find for our husband or toddler. Should we inspire and encourage our families to eat healthy - yes. But that doesn't mean my little ones can never have a treat. My solution - buy things I just don't like. If I am buying ice cream, I buy a flavor or brand my family likes but I don't. On a recent road trip I was buying snacks and passed the Twizzlers. Twizzlers are my ultimate road trip food and although they aren't as bad as some treats, I knew I wouldn't stop at the suggested serving size, so instead I bought Red Vines. I can't stand Red Vines but my family all loves them. Easy way for them to not feel deprived and me to not be tempted. <br />
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<b>5) Choose already portioned foods, especially for treats</b><br />
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This is hard for me because I try to limit the amount of processed and artificial foods we eat and most portioned foods are processed. I am in no means 100% clean or real food only but it is something I strive for in choosing what we eat. But will power and I are not always friends... Maybe you have great willpower and when the serving size on the brownies says one, you only eat one. For me... well there is a reason I weighed almost 250 lbs, one brownie was never enough. I knew when I started changing my habits that I couldn't cut out treats for life. I have always been a chocolate lover, never having chocolate again just isn't realistic. Instead I knew I would need to learn how to eat a small portion, instead of the king size candy bar. I've learned that buying ice cream bars is better for me than a container of ice cream because the size is already controlled. Its easier to buy individual serving sizes of chips because then the bag is done. Its easier to buy a Twix or Reeses because I can quickly and easily share half and therefore only consume half the calories! It doesn't work for everything but I find it helpful for things that I consider treats and need to learn to eat the serving size and not what my taste buds demand!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-27358268173406518332013-02-15T22:39:00.001-08:002013-02-15T22:50:26.556-08:00Start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>It seems simple enough right?</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4iyvNaxZ_DAxtIjy7zRyN8iUTa_aY18P-2Z3clhC6M5WNA4r0DDx5iKas1i-yP-eZBv3LArmnpg86ExuA7UFofThs7s9sbVKZiICUNGPCigxFzhcQgTt7UXlAZo1YlPd5QhDdFhdaw/s1600/Start+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4iyvNaxZ_DAxtIjy7zRyN8iUTa_aY18P-2Z3clhC6M5WNA4r0DDx5iKas1i-yP-eZBv3LArmnpg86ExuA7UFofThs7s9sbVKZiICUNGPCigxFzhcQgTt7UXlAZo1YlPd5QhDdFhdaw/s320/Start+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Put one foot in front of the other... </div>
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The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step... </div>
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Just do it... </div>
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Why is it so hard? Every decision to make a change requires a start. </div>
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<i><b>June 12, 2012 </b></i></div>
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The day I decided it was just as hard to be fat, as it was to be healthy. </div>
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And so...<br />
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I started. Was it perfect? Have I had setbacks, of course. Eight months later I am 50 pounds lighter, happier, and excited for where this journey will take me next. </div>
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There are lots of ways to get healthy and lose weight, but none of them work unless you <b>START</b>.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-83947101071141810052013-02-14T14:02:00.003-08:002013-02-17T20:25:53.265-08:00One more Valentine Idea - Teacher Appreciation Treat Printable <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFhyIEAYnBwbsav-uXtE8SgtxG8KWbnyKMJpkG9lumoZKzFbGurekoGnF6rCLj1ugP4qwbL_4IeawazCe9XyK9bnK6g3I0fKZc4LxeA9DleV1snTmmA1_c7-X_rtT319-WHDbqScsww/s1600/Teacher+Valentine+Treat+Idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFhyIEAYnBwbsav-uXtE8SgtxG8KWbnyKMJpkG9lumoZKzFbGurekoGnF6rCLj1ugP4qwbL_4IeawazCe9XyK9bnK6g3I0fKZc4LxeA9DleV1snTmmA1_c7-X_rtT319-WHDbqScsww/s320/Teacher+Valentine+Treat+Idea.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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As part of our <a href="http://www.chaosinmyark.blogspot.com/2013/02/celebrating-random-acts-of-kindness.html">Random Acts of Kindness </a>activities I wanted to give a Valentine's treat to all of the teachers and aides that work with my kids, not just their classroom teachers. I had a hard time deciding something, that was simple and inexpensive.<br />
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I finally decided to do just a little bag of candy - Dove Hearts and Hershey Gold Nuggets and created a little topper that said, "For a teachers with a special heart, you are a treasure". Cheesy I know, but hopefully it made them smile and even if it didn't the chocolate was good! I'm sharing the image I created below. I used it as a treat bag topper and printed my kids names on the back fold over portion. This is just the graphic that could be used as a card or treat topper or any other number of ways. <br />
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To all the amazing teachers out there - Thank you for all you do! I am sincere when I say I don't think I could do it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0srq9FqSJKYbFhaR4BQpnSB08hDyX5I3jcOSod87ZUoLQuDT6fkInahSpe98MoDUAR58eQAFMiMN9zcSN4xWokG1uH-P3eavbiL93_yppcHjLL8ZEEcR1jV7hNvAh22paWxUal-6sQ/s1600/teacher+valentine+topper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0srq9FqSJKYbFhaR4BQpnSB08hDyX5I3jcOSod87ZUoLQuDT6fkInahSpe98MoDUAR58eQAFMiMN9zcSN4xWokG1uH-P3eavbiL93_yppcHjLL8ZEEcR1jV7hNvAh22paWxUal-6sQ/s320/teacher+valentine+topper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-79196075827864920032013-02-13T17:54:00.001-08:002013-02-14T13:47:51.616-08:00Valentine, you deserve a High 5! Sticky hand non-candy Valentine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-S7lY9OQEo9920J6ZnaeedZIr7-uaLMXQJfL1dm-ivOhkWqLuoc2qJhPaOtB8u6Q2D7RJxoiZWt6XASzg2xJevdXFxJqJxCJluqOkuaXrucWBfGTog8uLetini9385tPpmeV3azkBQ/s1600/High+5+Valentine+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-S7lY9OQEo9920J6ZnaeedZIr7-uaLMXQJfL1dm-ivOhkWqLuoc2qJhPaOtB8u6Q2D7RJxoiZWt6XASzg2xJevdXFxJqJxCJluqOkuaXrucWBfGTog8uLetini9385tPpmeV3azkBQ/s320/High+5+Valentine+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last minute as always, but we are finishing up our Valentine's tonight. Between my boys I have to do over 50 Valentine's for their classes, so I like to find something inexpensive as little costs can add up quick. I also like something unique and non-candy if possible. Finding something that fits all of those can be difficult. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaoypLMtONcTi2ktGqkp9dClqor7Zt2zNO1a1pMHuvfc_pCrniEWzyI_xiYCza2Zd5l52IMfmLyMNjPLIyBQSMN3mzo3hyphenhyphenX26Hf_hntLjXultlhlAs8qiFytMlH091uQByTpI4kXSFQ/s1600/Sticky+Hand+High+Five+Valentine+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaoypLMtONcTi2ktGqkp9dClqor7Zt2zNO1a1pMHuvfc_pCrniEWzyI_xiYCza2Zd5l52IMfmLyMNjPLIyBQSMN3mzo3hyphenhyphenX26Hf_hntLjXultlhlAs8qiFytMlH091uQByTpI4kXSFQ/s320/Sticky+Hand+High+Five+Valentine+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. I grabbed a big bag of <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/glitter-sticky-hands-a2-39_1649-12-1.fltr?Ntt=sticky+hands">72 Sticky Hands</a> on Oriental Trading when they were having a free shipping special so paid less than $8.00 total. My son has a February birthday so I am going to put the extras in his party bags. </div>
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I love the <a href="http://chaosinmyark.blogspot.com/2012/02/time-for-love-and-valentines.html">photo Valentine's</a> we did last year but wanted to do something really simple this year so just created a quick black and white card. It took me less than ten minutes to do the little card and you know what - my kids still loved them.<br />
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The boys wrote their names on the back, I left the sticky hands in their individual wrapping and stapled them onto the card. I wish you could see the hand a little better but this way they don't loose their stickiness (is that a word?). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOQ1poYZZhQSvr0UgZaYmebvDnBF776Ylbu7Oub7-mGs9zbFOXLPFPBFCpwqKIDfivjGlrjgN4YJub0oR2uMu6m4sYN3qsYAlqeTr0-AGWi8Q8lMpX_RV_27r3khMPEFet4JOu5I23A/s1600/PicsArt_1360805173396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOQ1poYZZhQSvr0UgZaYmebvDnBF776Ylbu7Oub7-mGs9zbFOXLPFPBFCpwqKIDfivjGlrjgN4YJub0oR2uMu6m4sYN3qsYAlqeTr0-AGWi8Q8lMpX_RV_27r3khMPEFet4JOu5I23A/s400/PicsArt_1360805173396.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>*The sticky hands I linked to are a little different then the ones I bought last month, but I couldn't find the exact ones I purchased. </i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-74112354736237694172013-02-10T21:46:00.002-08:002013-02-14T09:37:11.129-08:00Celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week with Kids<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6SNh6rVy6cJvlL0MNc_s9E804t7a_l2UUpjG63t2tDaglgke15nhU8BZ1JulaVl_U0aYyPoA5xJYzHt_rbtNm9Vv3-rB1OlmQuSaQvE_f61UPJPnc9Dlyb_dP_bQJL_GY85Vqdo_Nw/s1600/RACK+with+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6SNh6rVy6cJvlL0MNc_s9E804t7a_l2UUpjG63t2tDaglgke15nhU8BZ1JulaVl_U0aYyPoA5xJYzHt_rbtNm9Vv3-rB1OlmQuSaQvE_f61UPJPnc9Dlyb_dP_bQJL_GY85Vqdo_Nw/s200/RACK+with+Kids.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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This year our women's group at church has been encouraging us to plan for and celebrate <a href="http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/rak-week">Random Acts of Kindness Week</a>. I love Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) because it helps me remember to be better. I'd love to say that I naturally think of others all the time but honestly I let life get in the way too much. I've found that planning to do Random Acts of Kindness, especially around holidays, is a great way to help not only myself, but also my kids focus on being better. Even the best of us can be kinder, more caring and considerate in our daily lives. The best part about kindness, it's contagious! As we are kind to others it helps others pass that along in their lives.</div>
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Random Acts of Kindness Weeks is celebrated the week Valentine's Day. In 2013 that means it starts tomorrow, February 11th. Today at church we were given cute little cards and heart stickers to track doing a RAK each day this week.<br />
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In the past we have incorporated RAK activities into our Christmas Activity Advent. This past Christmas, we put on our best elf garb and put candy canes on people's cars and taped microwave popcorn to the redbox machines. It was my teenage stepdaughter's idea to dress up and the little kid had so much fun with it (or course the photo below at the redbox my son doesn't look so happy!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CDyFip3mHTANGE-7RAVGdkgu0R9JdWF9hsX08syG71WN_hNNLvSfeOUhlYjl5xC4DnCOvDoEfo5gUHbfYna-NMFIlRr7y0oumhViV9D7SJyLAEEF6eGSUCDM-nWv2HFKI6SwqYzAlQ/s1600/Christmas+Rack'ed+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CDyFip3mHTANGE-7RAVGdkgu0R9JdWF9hsX08syG71WN_hNNLvSfeOUhlYjl5xC4DnCOvDoEfo5gUHbfYna-NMFIlRr7y0oumhViV9D7SJyLAEEF6eGSUCDM-nWv2HFKI6SwqYzAlQ/s320/Christmas+Rack'ed+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are so many great ideas about how to do RAK activities out there. A quick search on pinterest led to tons of great ideas. The <a href="http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/">official website</a> also has great ideas and even printables. If you are an educator they have school based ideas you can implement. I know my boys elementary school participates in the <a href="http://joshstevensfoundation.org/">Be Kind</a> program. <br />
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<b>A few of the things we will be doing to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week -</b><br />
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<i>Makes cards & a treat for the kids teachers</i> - We are going to include the "specials" teachers like the Art, Music & PE teachers & aides in addition to the classroom teachers. My sister is a Elementary Art Teacher so I try to remember to thank the specials teachers. I know my kids love these other classes and the efforts of those teachers make a difference for my kids. In addition to a card from the kids, I will also write a note. Teachers often say that their favorite gifts are handwritten thank you notes. <br />
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<i>Individual Kindness</i> - I will be working with each of the kids to pick something they can do for another member of the family. It will be their choice so I will have to report back on what they choose! <br />
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<i>Microwave Popcorn on redbox</i> - This is a repeat from Christmas but it is fast, easy and we are a redbox loving family so my kids think this is extra fun. <br />
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<i>Trash Clean Up</i> - Unfortunately we live in a neighborhood with lots of trash around. We are going to go out and pick up trash and help make our neighborhood a little cleaner.<br />
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<i>Bubbles on the Playground</i> - A great <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/136656169915045639/">pinterest</a> find, we will be buying some bubbles at the dollar store, attaching a quick tag and leaving at the playground for kids to enjoy. Don't all kids love bubbles? Plus it's easy to do while also spending some time at the park.<br />
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<i>Bring flowers to a friend </i>- Surprise a friend or two with flowers. <br />
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<i>Recognize Good Work</i> - One other idea I love, although not necessarily child related, is to find a way to recognize people through their employers. This could be your child's teacher, a co-worker or even a favorite employee at the grocery store or gas station. As a former HR Manager, I know how much employees and volunteers love it when they are recognized for their efforts. My kids school district has a <a href="http://ccsd.net/employees/rave/">Recognize a Valued Employee Award program</a> and anyone including parents can submit an online recognition for a staff members efforts. I did this for my son's wonderful preK teachers last year and they were so touched by it. Many companies have ways to submit recognition online, you can also post a compliment on Facebook or twitter. I know one I am doing this week is submitting a compliment for an amazing manager at Target who helped me one day when my toddler was throwing the mother of all fits in his store. I've needed to do it for weeks and will be submitting this week!<br />
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<b>A few of my favorite ideas I found from other blogs include - </b><br />
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Make them Wonder has a <a href="http://makethemwonderblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/random-act-of-kindness-24.html">great free printable</a> and lots creative RAK ideas. I found the <a href="http://makethemwonderblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/random-act-of-kindness-39.html">bubble idea</a> on pinterest and started exploring her site. I love how she incorporates Random Acts of Kindness year round with her kids!<br />
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<a href="http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/01/i-am-excited-to-be-participating-in.html">The Good Long Road</a> shared ten ideas that are both free and kids friendly! <br />
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Loved <a href="http://tennesseehart2heart.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-years-of-blessingsblessing-others.html">this idea to make homemade coloring books</a> and leave with crayons in hospital waiting rooms.<br />
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<a href="http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2013/01/100-acts-of-kindness-project-2013.html">Toddler Approved's 100 Acts of Kindness series</a> is a great resources with dozens of participating blogs that can help inspire you with ideas. I wish I had discovered this earlier to participate for the whole four week project. I hope to do it next year! <br />
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You have to check out the same sites <a href="http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2013/01/25-acts-of-kindness-as-mom.html">25 Acts of Kindness as a Mom</a>. This list is fabulous and I hope to incorporate more of these things daily. <br />
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<b>Finally, some tips for celebrating Random Acts of Kindness with kids - </b><br />
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<i>Plan</i> - As someone with ADHD, sometimes planning is my nemesis and it does sound a little odd to plan a Random Act of Kindness but I find with busy family schedules that is the only way it will get done. <br />
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<i>Be Flexible</i> - Although planning is important you also have to be flexible. All mom's know there is a last minute appointment, a sick kids, an extra errand that needs to be done that can throw off your day. When I make schedules of things like this I try to allow myself the ability to easily switch things out if I need to based on how the day is progressing. I also avoid things that are time sensitive for the reasons I already listed!<br />
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<i>Involve the Kids</i> - Depending on the age of your kids you can include them in making cards or crafts, choosing what to do or who to do it for (you would be amazed at the ideas that even my 3 year old has come up with). Kids will get more out of participating if they are involved in multiple parts of the process. My kids are also more excited about doing giving away something they help create, even if its as simple as helping cut out a printable you found on the internet. <br />
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<i>Make it Personal</i> - Although I think its good to include opportunities to RAK strangers for kids, especially small ones, including service to people you know can often make it more meaningful. You could do a RAK week that was entirely limited to your family!<br />
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Do you do RAK activities with your kids? Have ideas or a post? I would love to hear or see. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-9098371036535639332013-02-07T13:48:00.000-08:002013-02-14T09:37:59.806-08:00Mini Moments or That's Why God Made Them Cute!Ever had one of those days where it felt like the kids were crawling the walls or the fighting and whining would never end? One of those moments where if you heard, "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy" again your head would literally pop off? Lately it's often my very destructive one year old that gets me wanting to tear my hair out. If you hear silence, a scream or a crash you can pretty much be sure she is destroying something or beating on her almost 4 year old brother... again. <br />
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It's in the those moments, when let's face it you are really tempted to either A) Walk out the front door or B) follow Bill Cosby's comic wisdom and take them out of this world! Of course reality sets in and you realize you would never do either one of those but for that brief, brief fraction of a second when your last nerve's last nerve has been squashed on one too many times those thoughts do flash through your mind. Or maybe that's just me???</div>
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It is in those moments that I always seem to say, "That's why God made them so cute!" </div>
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Personally, I think I have some darn cute kids... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZHn611_H5IMB3VocgfyXdNl9SHzZQoDog2SRts7B57KD-iVQlvW5Iq3By0on8Ai0MdDMrZnbYI8DxZhPfOzA_h33Or17bX0fu4kMH2_8XZXJ5voUyYRkjVvqVh9KTr1EvlC8NOTp_Q/s1600/20120619_184522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZHn611_H5IMB3VocgfyXdNl9SHzZQoDog2SRts7B57KD-iVQlvW5Iq3By0on8Ai0MdDMrZnbYI8DxZhPfOzA_h33Or17bX0fu4kMH2_8XZXJ5voUyYRkjVvqVh9KTr1EvlC8NOTp_Q/s320/20120619_184522.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Look at those two happy boys. You gotta admit those smiles are pretty darn heart melting! Bonus: my family room doesn't look like a tornado went through it either so I'm guessing company must have been coming over!</div>
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Baby girl rocking big brother's sunglasses and playing in her seat while I cleaned out my van one day. Again - how could something so cute ever terrorize her brothers right? </div>
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These are the mini moments of motherhood that I cherish. They make up for those gross moments of cleaning carpets & car seats, the sibling fights that seem to never end and the whining that you can hear in your self! These mini moments are what God gives us to remember how precious these little ones are and how lucky I am to be a mom. After a few kids and a realization that one day the fighting, whining and destruction will stop, and my house will be empty, I've started to cherish these a little bit more! </div>
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Yesterday I had one of those mini moments. My little man coming home from preK all excited to tell me about Goldilocks & The Three Bears. School was a big transition for my 3 year old but just recently everything seems to be clicking and he is loving learning. But honestly the best part - was his little voice saying the word porridge and explaining that they lived in a cottage, "which is like a whittle house". </div>
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I'm hoping to start documenting these moments more and sharing. What have been your mini moments this week? I'd love to hear!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-1452600507922551242013-02-04T19:12:00.000-08:002013-02-04T19:12:17.004-08:00Finding Health in Chaos - My Mission to become a Healthy Mom Last year I weighed over 200 lbs, really I was on the verge of a quarter ton! Yep, I just said that out loud, or rather will be sending it out to the blogosphere which is actually even more scary... but it was my reality.<br />
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Its been my reality for just about as long as I can remember. I have had short periods of being less but never for very long. I was the fat kid from a very early age. Like so many people who struggle with weight I am cursed by both genetics and bad patterns I developed in childhood. Patterns of food serving as both comfort and protection against the challenges and struggles in my life. Being overweight - fat, has been part of me for most of my 33 years.<br />
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The last few years whenever I mentioned weight people would say, but you just had kids... Which is true. I've had 3 kids in the last five years. All by cesarean section and two were difficult pregnancies that required bed rest. My children have left their mark (literally) on my body but the reality is that I was overweight well before my beautiful babies arrived. Unlike many women I couldn't use them as an excuse.<br />
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Age and maturity has helped me to accept myself and be comfortable in my skin, but underneath that acceptance my longing to not be overweight never changed. Those dreams of my teenage years to be able to wear normal size clothes and not be dragged down by my weight never went away. I found ways to justify my weight - children, heredity, no time to exercise, no money for a gym, chronic pain. I also took comfort that unlike many overweight people I didn't suffer from any weight related diseases - diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure.<br />
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Yet, deep down the longing for something different never went away. <br />
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At times it seemed that my determination to learn to love myself made it easier to ignore my weight. If I lost weight it would only confirm that I wasn't as comfortable as I said, that I wasn't as sure of myself as I let everyone around me think... But then I had two defining moments that made me realize that I was not where I should be and those slowly led me to know that change was needed. I began to see that I could love myself AND change. I could be strong and confident and say - being fat is not who I am, it is NOT a part of me and I can shed that for something better. <br />
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I'll go into those moment in a different post but they brought me to the realization that becoming healthy was truly the only way to finally show that I did love and accept myself. Accepting the fat me as OK was what was fake, not letting it go for something healthier.<br />
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On June 12, 2012 I decided it was time for a change, not a diet (although I have nothing in particular against them) but a decision to find a way to become a healthy mom in the middle of my crazy chaotic life. Time to put away the excuses and become a healthy Mom my family deserves. <br />
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Almost eight months later I am within reach of losing 50 pounds. I still have more to go and I hope to share more of my journey to becoming a healthy Mom here. I want to share because I have found strength in other's choices to leave their fat behind for something better. I've been inspired, encouraged and uplifted as I have seen others who put themselves out there in the public forum and shared both triumphs and failures. As I've lost weight I have had so many ask how I did it {I'll give you a preview - I don't have any fancy tricks} and shared their struggles with me.<br />
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So here are my before and current pictures. I'm not done yet! <br />
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As of today I have lost 48 lbs and am excited to see where this journey ends up!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-90031220610879648532013-02-01T14:02:00.000-08:002013-02-01T14:02:04.145-08:00Project 365 - January HighlightsThe last few months have been an evolution for me. You see, I had 3 kids in 4 years and worked out of the home for most of those years. It felt like most days I was surviving and not trying for much beyond that! In September I hit the one year mark of being a wahm (very limited consulting) and have been drawn to focus on those things that have slipped away in the chaos of the last few years. One of the things that has been neglected is a deliberate effort to document our life. I love taking pictures, especially on my on phone, but that's about as far as it goes. Literally... the photos sit on my phone. <div>
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I decided that January was a great time to change that and start documenting our life in a more deliberate way. I like bite size, easy projects so I decided to jump on the Project 365 bandwagon and try to take one photo a day and share via instagram. I wasn't perfect but did about 95% {so that's still A range work right??}.</div>
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I thought I would start sharing a few of my favorites each month on the blog as another way to document and share the story behind the photos... </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4eI-Sh0ZF8PxGgDqj9x0M0iklKXstgcsNo1kUeY05MEw3hoHqd39fTKV18vVZ_Q81l8QJ-esDU2rZsu6VPKVHSlchcssQIOs00W3zToHVMJ8ydiLpO48qk8tjNMpl402OSvdh0uqtg/s1600/IMG_20130106_235313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4eI-Sh0ZF8PxGgDqj9x0M0iklKXstgcsNo1kUeY05MEw3hoHqd39fTKV18vVZ_Q81l8QJ-esDU2rZsu6VPKVHSlchcssQIOs00W3zToHVMJ8ydiLpO48qk8tjNMpl402OSvdh0uqtg/s320/IMG_20130106_235313.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This picture describes my little girl perfectly. We had to go straight from church to a </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">family birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. So here she is all dressed up, </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">trying to </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">play a car racing game. Didn't matter she couldn't actually do it, she loved it </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">and would push off any boy that tried to play with her! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-hfdtbrPl-2qnQign1eV_e9cW_NRfnlxh4u8HTN7fetHoityFM691kj3nb2BOLPBFvU8j9cuAzr2pYE6v7ffB5_hT3Xf1-8D3-w6cHmStTg-5rLcXfwRnF1PsHIRqbQBZfWqvm0Wuw/s1600/IMG_20130102_092907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-hfdtbrPl-2qnQign1eV_e9cW_NRfnlxh4u8HTN7fetHoityFM691kj3nb2BOLPBFvU8j9cuAzr2pYE6v7ffB5_hT3Xf1-8D3-w6cHmStTg-5rLcXfwRnF1PsHIRqbQBZfWqvm0Wuw/s320/IMG_20130102_092907.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year - Time to get back on track! Luckily both myself and the kids love <br />green smoothies. Great way to start the day or as an afternoon snack. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYIBc-_5ZhpXXjE2Qa7tJoGAcU75fEAPTBnS4vEb7uGMx6ui6cSXyilpC-UMJYyaKj8l2FH2h6_s5d2s0d8-mF3K7IkHl1MAlLxHEqFRZ-YCKYG8Qy-eDo3A0dE22PagOfCHQxuYExg/s1600/IMG_20130107_162610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYIBc-_5ZhpXXjE2Qa7tJoGAcU75fEAPTBnS4vEb7uGMx6ui6cSXyilpC-UMJYyaKj8l2FH2h6_s5d2s0d8-mF3K7IkHl1MAlLxHEqFRZ-YCKYG8Qy-eDo3A0dE22PagOfCHQxuYExg/s320/IMG_20130107_162610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A not so fun part of life! Our first experience with LICE... I wasn't messing with the nasty bugs <br />so the boys got their head buzzed. An unintended consequence, you can really tell how <br />huge his eyes are and those beautiful lashes! Why do boys always get the gorgeous lashes???</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdEZscxINMyZx-ohzHYDDW0vz5G6SXRNLgthmUJdhlju6NJDNcci6fCC1yEdP5HP0osrpDJXdUoLgujitOK4Krcwn6FblDnE5IRXH9bMPekXy4tsHTzgaj6IduOG1nmLE_ABYWki05w/s1600/IMG_20130113_203328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdEZscxINMyZx-ohzHYDDW0vz5G6SXRNLgthmUJdhlju6NJDNcci6fCC1yEdP5HP0osrpDJXdUoLgujitOK4Krcwn6FblDnE5IRXH9bMPekXy4tsHTzgaj6IduOG1nmLE_ABYWki05w/s320/IMG_20130113_203328.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living in Vegas normally means nice mild winters. This year we got a true cold <br />front for several days. Walking the kids to school in 27 degree weather was a <br />new adventure. Hey, for once the kids didn't fight me about wearing gloves and hats!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipl_vcHPTQ_3eukq-GzGma-hrQRO32g1eM0iAMRUrOfYj-8And7USO7U-mEzEVBTjx5AWSmBMiXu_2HDwU25DTfG1Lk4cVQJaiL-yX0boin21vPXjt28Ve-Heu77fve3R6TDIynVHBRQ/s1600/IMG_20130110_121527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipl_vcHPTQ_3eukq-GzGma-hrQRO32g1eM0iAMRUrOfYj-8And7USO7U-mEzEVBTjx5AWSmBMiXu_2HDwU25DTfG1Lk4cVQJaiL-yX0boin21vPXjt28Ve-Heu77fve3R6TDIynVHBRQ/s320/IMG_20130110_121527.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January was the month of things breaking - cars, vacuum, pipes <br />(thanks to that lovely cold weather), flat screen TV and our washer! <br />This was after it got fixed - a great day for a mom of 4. <br />I would never have survived pioneer days!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDZlx0XeTzkff35paps4LIakJyK5v9_CUC9UWwGoLHeMoO31kTB6Qf4PsF8ZMVYX5DZWZVH2x6RdDiH_H-4zuWUlMd3mS2E80PAja2bkXDmdK0mlbq6FeanjDC7xRieHLo3dWKa1T6Q/s1600/IMG_20130111_134701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDZlx0XeTzkff35paps4LIakJyK5v9_CUC9UWwGoLHeMoO31kTB6Qf4PsF8ZMVYX5DZWZVH2x6RdDiH_H-4zuWUlMd3mS2E80PAja2bkXDmdK0mlbq6FeanjDC7xRieHLo3dWKa1T6Q/s320/IMG_20130111_134701.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out a new system for organization. I use my phone for a lot of things but there <br />is something about getting it all on paper than helps my ADHD brain get focused. <br />After several weeks I'm still liking it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXaYc7mdVLnuh-4Fha1HUMv8H2d-yGy16tZ9pkzWStl_Vlz8mb6ztTtEw6iBt86EJtSDkVbUrmnO5jR560Dspn9eVzaBFD5Ti3LC9ee0EtyFO1OAC39BypRQFdxLBojuVv-gNjTPOxw/s1600/IMG_20130117_184900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXaYc7mdVLnuh-4Fha1HUMv8H2d-yGy16tZ9pkzWStl_Vlz8mb6ztTtEw6iBt86EJtSDkVbUrmnO5jR560Dspn9eVzaBFD5Ti3LC9ee0EtyFO1OAC39BypRQFdxLBojuVv-gNjTPOxw/s320/IMG_20130117_184900.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big sissy picked up little man from school and took him on an adventure... <br />Just a quick trip to the corner store, but when you are five that seems amazing. <br />He thought it was AWESOME and they brought home ice cream <br />for us all {everyone else thought that was awesome}. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFOnX7XrektnOrZfimODJGjDGgMhrUELVKK6c9qRoFlH-oqQnJ_cCd99HwdJvdkkVVubAz1DEFZrVmxuLYI4vshI4D_z3c9X9MRqRDiy38LzS256vKreb7b8zNlEjqIKiBuRsESlNDQ/s1600/IMG_20130117_185336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFOnX7XrektnOrZfimODJGjDGgMhrUELVKK6c9qRoFlH-oqQnJ_cCd99HwdJvdkkVVubAz1DEFZrVmxuLYI4vshI4D_z3c9X9MRqRDiy38LzS256vKreb7b8zNlEjqIKiBuRsESlNDQ/s320/IMG_20130117_185336.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Miss finally has enough hair to put up and use clips! Hooray. <br />It might be past her eyes by the time she is two. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkUpFgXgcB3mwyGjK7tXFQUZPhs1gKzKf94cbnhxZhTcw546Rp2q-0BJBbnklsKN6ZyoQsiJ35IHwOrNEYM1qqdKQjx6w9UXZEPWAcfLxu5QmhHW7ssSZmBBeSTTnPzK20xhuSyKLcg/s1600/IMG_20130118_142910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkUpFgXgcB3mwyGjK7tXFQUZPhs1gKzKf94cbnhxZhTcw546Rp2q-0BJBbnklsKN6ZyoQsiJ35IHwOrNEYM1qqdKQjx6w9UXZEPWAcfLxu5QmhHW7ssSZmBBeSTTnPzK20xhuSyKLcg/s320/IMG_20130118_142910.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon cuddles with this little man - one of my favorite parts of the day. <br />His sweet spirit make me grateful I get to be his mom. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ9Jh_jhAswMPQM8EJctX6Rq7v4d4vLXZarWQQKhrvwhk8yswSGodGVeemE_Qs2WH9l-M0NBnvytyyVgJkHNV9piC0NitoUPmnt2mzoCqgBw2Wbx89nHl31a0WuGAtwLVyfglN_BSxA/s1600/IMG_20130120_220440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ9Jh_jhAswMPQM8EJctX6Rq7v4d4vLXZarWQQKhrvwhk8yswSGodGVeemE_Qs2WH9l-M0NBnvytyyVgJkHNV9piC0NitoUPmnt2mzoCqgBw2Wbx89nHl31a0WuGAtwLVyfglN_BSxA/s320/IMG_20130120_220440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my 2013 goals is become better at keeping a clean house. <br />First habit I am working on is going to bed with a clean sink. <br />It really does fell good, especially in the morning!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgK4rh_KsX4n2_qWgOFjLMzU6YlHRuXCcan2moAWJLiZsl9vz0AAUT9oZ0CuHvbVu-Vx0g2WRIHpIiyOKzZAZyiHvx3GvHAjD4nTPHJsRFiwdoA0b0UT8wXGeuCJ6lSBqOgt1aM0M-Q/s1600/IMG_20130122_171954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgK4rh_KsX4n2_qWgOFjLMzU6YlHRuXCcan2moAWJLiZsl9vz0AAUT9oZ0CuHvbVu-Vx0g2WRIHpIiyOKzZAZyiHvx3GvHAjD4nTPHJsRFiwdoA0b0UT8wXGeuCJ6lSBqOgt1aM0M-Q/s320/IMG_20130122_171954.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah was an old pro at the dentist. Of course his favorite part was getting to watch cable TV <br />{we don't even have basic at home}. I love this picture - kickin' back, so perfectly Noah. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWMTtM5yumKsCkYWwinl9dBNZ5PUGJRnUvi4jHs16OW2B6nBCQ-TeQb_-y8YVDLyu1Cqxqa3vkFnI4SSTpxMg4d3rtRwJNTOpTKrPEhDQoSUYx71NmaSAIzeWPW_aeCz7NtS1M2Z2jQ/s1600/IMG_20130130_175712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWMTtM5yumKsCkYWwinl9dBNZ5PUGJRnUvi4jHs16OW2B6nBCQ-TeQb_-y8YVDLyu1Cqxqa3vkFnI4SSTpxMg4d3rtRwJNTOpTKrPEhDQoSUYx71NmaSAIzeWPW_aeCz7NtS1M2Z2jQ/s320/IMG_20130130_175712.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is disgusting - NOTHING like Starbucks! Enough said. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKu9fAXTZHyLQwhlyzz7ZoVFPnP_yUaNbhCDmUuYQq7hrphEVZOcXFOzzVRZV9SLJ-z3wWZ592Nobxg0JTMpg1dWYjn_d9O791FsWC52Mels0YsLfeujTiNratQ-2WyNpQiq1hNLVD0A/s1600/IMG_20130126_120505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKu9fAXTZHyLQwhlyzz7ZoVFPnP_yUaNbhCDmUuYQq7hrphEVZOcXFOzzVRZV9SLJ-z3wWZ592Nobxg0JTMpg1dWYjn_d9O791FsWC52Mels0YsLfeujTiNratQ-2WyNpQiq1hNLVD0A/s320/IMG_20130126_120505.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brief moment of cuteness on a morning of errands with the kids. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WuJIUiz8Yyq5cOCod-gdL72oPts703CH1KqTvlyCiABXBsQK-VFM8rN5XlVYGPQ6LtwgczXV6_coD-5r8rGDL2pKlTg3t-37xRcLRLDDLQ3CFxvsD8SsBBKVWTKhFL3PgndxQKTKSQ/s1600/IMG_20130131_114018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WuJIUiz8Yyq5cOCod-gdL72oPts703CH1KqTvlyCiABXBsQK-VFM8rN5XlVYGPQ6LtwgczXV6_coD-5r8rGDL2pKlTg3t-37xRcLRLDDLQ3CFxvsD8SsBBKVWTKhFL3PgndxQKTKSQ/s320/IMG_20130131_114018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So proud of my guy! He wrote his name all by himself in his preK journal. <br />He was so proud of himself and his fabulous teachers made a big deal out of celebrating it. <br />{I know - hard to look at anything but the crazy tiger hat... <br />a Christmas gift he begged for! I'm hoping the weather warms up soon..}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVF0dBAa6rzQ-z50g97kEmIPhiyGnvm_ML3A8RthsvL9DeqH7rCgEec33ZnFo6dwqcvMduxF7QLjX6r-4XazE6wWmwnVsTAcyM-tzq_JK-Q0wAKmC2OQsGUpetgY5FKHGQVfo7tS6fw/s1600/IMG_20130131_213613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVF0dBAa6rzQ-z50g97kEmIPhiyGnvm_ML3A8RthsvL9DeqH7rCgEec33ZnFo6dwqcvMduxF7QLjX6r-4XazE6wWmwnVsTAcyM-tzq_JK-Q0wAKmC2OQsGUpetgY5FKHGQVfo7tS6fw/s320/IMG_20130131_213613.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of documenting, I started a "One Line a Day Journal" and completed January! <br />It tracks 5 years and I'm looking forward to seeing how life evolves. </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-24549817267182472352013-01-04T13:50:00.004-08:002013-02-04T20:55:36.568-08:00My One Word for 2013 - STRIVELast year thanks to a post from a blogger I love, <a href="http://dineanddish.net/2012/01/connect-in-2012-giveaway-the-rusted-chain-bracelet/">Dine and Dish</a>, I chose one word to focus on for 2012. Have I mentioned that I am much better at stalking blogs than writing one, but I digress... <br />
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I loved the idea of a focus word. I found it much more achievable and not as intimidating as resolutions that seem to go undone before January draws to a close! I was drawn to two words and decided to focus on both: connect and complete. I cannot say I was 100% perfect in my focus but I do feel that I did better and that really was my goal. I did better at connecting in my relationship and completing what I wanted to focus on for the year. <br />
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So this year I decided to do it again. It didn't take long before a single word came to my mind that just felt right.<br />
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{STRIVE} </div>
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It's not a word I use very often but it feels perfect for where I am at in life. I am in the middle of a healthy lifestyle transformation (down 45 lbs whoop! whoop! in the last 6 months) and approaching some major life transitions in 2013. Strive feels like a great word to guide in that process. As a visual reminder I created a word cloud. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsfUqMSKgee7Xws6OkU1u5ZwFaivRCQznSIwDE_h8cNGUA9Lhqc8TAhF2-qk5uxGSifUfniaKxPz_WGkQBEq1b5lMnVfH2EnjCBWCOtqfnQ8NJhu9_uq9I3_R9aqGH9ZkDG_YmpOQEw/s1600/Strive+-+One+Word+2013+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsfUqMSKgee7Xws6OkU1u5ZwFaivRCQznSIwDE_h8cNGUA9Lhqc8TAhF2-qk5uxGSifUfniaKxPz_WGkQBEq1b5lMnVfH2EnjCBWCOtqfnQ8NJhu9_uq9I3_R9aqGH9ZkDG_YmpOQEw/s400/Strive+-+One+Word+2013+-+Chaos+in+my+Ark.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think I am going to hang over my sink (a place I spend FAR too much time) to help remind me of my focus. I also found some great quotes on pinterest, who doesn't love pinterest that I added to a <a href="http://pinterest.com/rebsgarcia/strive-inspiration-one-word-for-2013/">Strive Board</a>. <br />
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I loved this one...<br />
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A great reminder... Are my actions consistent with what I am striving for in life? That is a question I hope to be able to consistently answer yes as I focus on striving for what matters to me and my family.<br />
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Do you do New Year's Resolutions? Focus word? If so, what is your word?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-7434272378642084422012-05-05T01:10:00.000-07:002013-02-04T20:56:52.216-08:00Teacher Appreciation Apple Inspirational Words PrintableNext week is Teacher Appreciation Week. I love all the fabulous creative bloggers that share free printables and ideas that I can use as inspiration! As part of the PTA I have been gathering ideas for awhile on <a href="http://pinterest.com/rebsgarcia/pta/">pinterest</a> but hadn't really found the right fit for the individual gifts for my kids teachers. I finally had to come up with what I was going to give my son's teachers. I found <a href="http://www.happygoluckyblog.com/2011/04/teacher-gift-idea.html">this great idea</a> at <a href="http://www.happygoluckyblog.com/">Happy-Go-Lucky</a> and decided to create my own.<br />
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I started with the basic image from <a href="http://www.tagxedo.com/">tagxedo</a> with a combination of the words I saw at Happy Go Lucky and new ones I choose. Changed themes, fonts and other options to get the look I wanted. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u8UZ3LzJRE85ugxHXzjwl7Wy60gibuUsZTli5kSF9V3RI1iCKGcPBv-BxAhlxuNK_JIzxCkY6eIklBNqDDAm5tPQonUyL9sNdCeyfGDIfnIH2FCIn3rgka86ZuXjHGSJEPntzn9xbQ/s1600/Teacher+Apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u8UZ3LzJRE85ugxHXzjwl7Wy60gibuUsZTli5kSF9V3RI1iCKGcPBv-BxAhlxuNK_JIzxCkY6eIklBNqDDAm5tPQonUyL9sNdCeyfGDIfnIH2FCIn3rgka86ZuXjHGSJEPntzn9xbQ/s320/Teacher+Apple.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
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I then visited <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/">picmonkey</a> to personalize it for each teacher.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw3YuCd44_IZKAMx-Pg4na3zHhDfOcW3I6-26hVL642oGj-oeFdr4I69lMhMlzJVpbcD9kL2arH0GRTscIT0W7RP8rxrYITcW0Ka8gYo7R_GAM9Ddl9n30zPNz8fMFGrvHzrx-3LcXQ/s1600/Teacher+Apple+Coppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw3YuCd44_IZKAMx-Pg4na3zHhDfOcW3I6-26hVL642oGj-oeFdr4I69lMhMlzJVpbcD9kL2arH0GRTscIT0W7RP8rxrYITcW0Ka8gYo7R_GAM9Ddl9n30zPNz8fMFGrvHzrx-3LcXQ/s320/Teacher+Apple+Coppi.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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I'm printing them off and putting them in a simple frame = a quick, easy and custom teacher appreciation gift just in time for 2012 Teacher Appreciate Week. <br />
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Don't forget to acknowledge the other support staff that help at your child's school and classroom. From the office staff, specials teachers and aide they all play a part in the success of our kids! Once I come up with their gifts I will try to remember to share as well! What are you doing for Teacher Appreciation Week?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-32123505989340601782012-05-01T13:55:00.000-07:002013-02-04T21:06:08.323-08:0010 Things to Smile About: AprilAfter a comment on my blog I discovered this <a href="http://www.emmymom2.com/">meme</a> and it sounded like something I wanted to do! One of my recent goals regarding blogging to is to forget the "rules" (one of the main reasons I don't blog very often) and just start writing and recording our life. <br />
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One of the best parts of motherhood are the smiles! Those everyday moments that I love, but all to often forget. </div>
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So here is my list for April. </div>
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1 - Signing Student Loan papers! Doesn't sound exciting but it means that my husband is back in school full time as of today, which is important for our family. </div>
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2 - Amazing time learning, growing and laughing at the<a href="http://powerofmoms.com/"> Power of Moms </a>Premium Retreat in Vegas. </div>
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3 - My little Lucy girl - trying on her outfit for her "I Love Lucy" first birthday party in two weeks. </div>
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4 - Winning a 42" plasma TV during a family outing to the 51s Game. And my brave stepdaughter sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game in the 7th Inning Stretch!</div>
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5 - Dying Easter Eggs with the Kids</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My stepdaughter's Humpty Dumpty Egg - notice the crack and suspenders!</td></tr>
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6 - My boys having fun! They always make me smile.<br />
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7 - Spring Break Family Home Evening. It wasn't anything crazy or elaborate. We had ate dinner, had a short lesson and popped popcorn while we watched Dolphin Tale together as a family. The part that made me smile was the spirit in our home. That night we were bonding as a family and that ALWAYS makes me smile!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the popcorn from that night but I took this last night and had to share. <br />
I love popcorn!</td></tr>
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8 - Black Eyed Susan's at the Springs Preserve. I took the kids to the Springs Preserve during Spring Break and saw these black eyed susans. These always bring back my memories of growing up in Maryland (it's the state flower) and a family vacation incident of my mom picking them on the side of the road and getting a ticket from a State Trooper!</div>
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9 - Science experiments with the kids during a playdate. 3 little boys playing with vinegar, food coloring and baking soda - I got serious cool mom points for something so simple (thanks Pinterest)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjbPqLmru8aXXFNGWE5Pounv226hL5DplSuJsLzmMQA_rrz0xnb9oMecyvtVTr4sFC73ibykxqWYY0vYrKQxPWg0DYzKIlov4rmk-ZkHd-GTCf_E65s_PUH3WU89OHuJETe_x3VVqcg/s1600/IMG_20120412_120311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjbPqLmru8aXXFNGWE5Pounv226hL5DplSuJsLzmMQA_rrz0xnb9oMecyvtVTr4sFC73ibykxqWYY0vYrKQxPWg0DYzKIlov4rmk-ZkHd-GTCf_E65s_PUH3WU89OHuJETe_x3VVqcg/s320/IMG_20120412_120311.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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10 - My kids in their Easter best! I love seeing them all dressed up:) Twice a year they all match in new clothes (Christmas & Easter)... </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course they decided they didn't want their picture taken so this was the best out of about 20 tries!</td></tr>
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I'm linking up over at <a href="http://www.emmymom2.com/2012/05/ten-things-to-smile-about-april.html">Emmy Mom</a>.</div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Rebecca</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-52174584387610887762012-04-27T15:00:00.000-07:002012-04-27T15:00:04.311-07:00Housework & Chores - A Blessing or a Curse? Teaching children to work and be happy!Recently I had the opportunity to attend an amazing <a href="http://www.powerofmoms.com/">Power of Moms</a> retreat. The tag line for <a href="http://www.powerofmoms.com/">Power of Moms</a> is "A Gathering Place for Deliberate Moms" and that is the heart of what the retreat was all about. There were about 50 moms with a sum total of over 150 kids in attendance. I hope to be sharing more lessons learned over the next few weeks and months but today I want to talk about work. <br />
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I hate housework. I hate cleaning. My mother is meticulously clean so I learned how to clean at an early age but it's just not something I enjoy. Couple my dislike of the activity with my ADD and my house is normally far more cluttered and disorganized that I ever want it to be. Recently as my sons have been getting older I have realized this is not a trait I want to pass down to them. One of the topics of the retreat was on Family System and the lunch discussion was about teaching children to work.<br />
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Something that <a href="http://powerofmoms.com/2009/01/my-story/">April Perry</a>, one of the founders of Power of Moms, said during the Family Systems training really hit me. She said something along the lines of do you teach your children that it is a blessing to be able to take care of their home? That is its not just a responsibility but a blessing to have a home to take care of?<br />
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Of course my immediate response was NO because that is not how I view housework AT ALL. As that thought lingered I realized that maybe that is where my problem lies. I view housework as a curse. Something to be endured rather than a blessing associated with the larger blessings of having a home and family. I do feel that my home and my children (who are often the creators of the mess) are a blessing but I never thought of viewing the need to take care of my home and the subsequent mess as a blessing.<br />
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With this in mind I decided I need to do some reevaluation of my attitude at home. <br />
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I love how when you decide to change your focus opportunities to improve always seem to present themselves. <br />
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On Monday as I looked around at the post-weekend chaos at my home I decided to not get discouraged. I don't remember exactly how or why but my 4 year old asked to help and I said yes. My boys (3 & 4) have to pick up their toys, help with laundry, throw their trash away, clear their dinner plate and other small tasks but I've never had them help with cleaning like sweeping, windows or even the dishes. Some of that is do to me believing they won't do a good job and it will be a waste of time because I will have to do it again. Acknowledging and correcting that attitude has been a many year struggle for me but one that I am starting to win. <br />
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So as I said yes to my little Noah and gave him a task almost immediately my 3 year old Sam asked to help too. Suddenly all three of us were cleaning together and my attitude of cleaning as a curse was slowly mellowing and I was finding a small measure of the joy that can come from working together with your kids. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sam washing his plate after lunch. Notice the Superhero outfit? <br />Ever since wearing a costume to a Superhero birthday party the other day <br />he thinks he needs to wear a Superhero outfit every day.</span></i>
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Noah ended up cleaning with me for over an hour. He kept asking for more and more to do. He did windows, dusting, mirrors and even did dishes for the first time in his life. Sam helped too but he still can't reach and do some of the things as easily as Noah. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Noah cleaning the sliding glass door. <br />He even asked to stand on a chair so he could get the "everything". </i></td></tr>
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Now Noah asks what he can clean when he comes home from school. Obviously I know this won't last forever but for right now - I'll take it. And one more lesson I've learned - he actually did a good job! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Noah was pretty proud of his work. I'm also grateful that I use homemade natural cleaners so I was able to let them clean without being worried it was dangerous. </i></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-8158843856547540312012-04-25T12:29:00.000-07:002013-02-04T20:58:47.122-08:00Lessons learned from my kids: PrayerI keep thinking of Noah, my 4 year old, prayer at Easter dinner. <br />
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<i>Dear Heavenly Father,</i><br />
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<i>Thank you for Kat and Sally (our guests), Papa, Big Sissy, Sam, Baby Girl, Mama, me and for my powers and that I'm Electric Company Dinosaur and Jesus loves me. Amen. </i><br />
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As you can imagine there were several snickers, especially when he thanked Heavenly Father for his powers...<br />
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But in my heart I was happy. Why? Because Noah wasn't worrying about what anyone else thought. He was talking to God and thanking him for what was important to Noah. <br />
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There is a lesson in that for us all. Prayer at it's most basic level is a conversation with God. I want my children to learn reverence and respect. But I never want them to forget that through prayer they can build a personal relationship with their Heavenly Father. I want them to know that he loves them and will always listen to them even if its about something someone else may consider silly. <br />
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It has also made me think about my prayers. Do I really share what matters to me or do I say what I think I'm supposed to say or do. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13548791080993338751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819404586822729613.post-83212110801584422152012-04-12T21:34:00.004-07:002013-02-04T21:01:25.664-08:00My gratitude for Poopy DiapersI guess the fact that spell check doesn't recognize "poopy" should convince me not to use it in a title but if you read on you will understand {hopefully}.<br />
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The other day was one of those days as a mom where finding the joy in motherhood didn't seem very easy. In fact it felt more like my children were finding their joy in driving me nuts.<br />
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Now I should back up a bit. I have 3 kids ages 4 and under and then a 17 year old stepdaughter that lives with us full time and all this happened in the last 6 years. I continued to work full time for the first two years and then part-time as a Non-Profit Manager for several more until I recently chose to be home full time. I've officially hit the 6 month mark as a work at home mom and most days there is at least one, if not many more, moments I long to go back to my office for even just a few minutes! A few hours of adult interaction, using my professional skills, heck I'd even do budgets again, just for a moment of not having a small child attached to my hip and another one or two begging for my attention. <br />
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So this was where I was at the other day... and where the "poop" enters the story. <br />
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My 4 year old who is completely potty trained had an accident for the first time in months! My 3 year old who is about 90% potty trained had to have used the floor instead of the potty at least twice and my infant daughter needed to be changed at least every 30 minutes {or that is how I felt}. It was reaching dinner time, I was frazzled, my husband had just gotten home and was headed upstairs with the boys. I grabbed my daughter to put her in her high chair and discovered she needed to be changed, again! <br />
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"You have got to be kidding me!" I cried out {and I'm only partially exaggerating here}...<br />
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I walked to the changing table and began the process of changing my daughter and then suddenly it hit me.<br />
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<i>In the midst of feeling sorry for myself and annoyed at having to change another poopy diaper I looked down at my little girl's face. </i></div>
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<i>In that moment I realized I had this <u>all wrong</u>. </i><i>Suddenly I stopped thinking about the diaper and really looked at this little baby. </i></div>
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I thought for a minute how fast she is growing. She was just 5 lbs when we she was born, so unexpectedly tiny I had to borrow premie clothing for her and yet almost 11 months later, on this day, she was just a few steps away from walking {she's now a few steps away from running!}. I thought of my sons who every day amaze me with how big and grown up they are becoming. I thought of my teenager who is just over a year away from going to college. In that brief moment it suddenly hit me, that if in fact I got my wish for no more diapers, I would also no longer have a baby girl. My gorgeous little Lucy Luc would be on to the next stage and my precious time with her as an infant would be gone. </div>
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Maybe this doesn't make sense to anyone else but that realization, on that day, while changing what felt like the one millionth diaper of my life, has made me look at what used to feel like annoying or useless tasks just a little bit differently. Because although some days it drives me crazy to hear "mommy, mommy, mommy..." all day long, I know there will be a day when they are much older where I will hope that just one time in a day they will need me and call "Mom". In my six short years as a mom I have become to finally appreciate how fast these early years go and so for today I say... give me one more poopy diaper because that means I still have a sweet faced little baby. A baby girl that I can snuggle, kiss and love on all I want. A baby with bright eyes and giggles that warm this mom's heart even in the dark hours of the night when I would rather be asleep. <br />
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So for today I am trying to remember this... the good always comes with the bad. I may not like the diapers or the tantrums or the fighting between my little boys but I love the learning, growing, giggling, snuggles and those simple moments when one of them cuddles next to me and says, "Momma, I love you."<br />
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So because of the sweetness of those good moments, I'm learning day by day to accept the moments that aren't my favorite and remember that its my choice if I focus on the poopy diaper or instead focus on my daughter's sweet face. It's my choice to show love even when I am tired because in the end I chose to be a mom and it is the best job in the world.<br />
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After all, how could looking at this face not be the better choice? {and yes those kicking feet are exactly what I get each and ever time, I thought I would share an authentic photo}</div>
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