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I LOVE spring!  In my neck of the woods it has gotten up to 60 degrees the last couple of days.  There couldn’t be a better time to get outside with your family and just. . .PLAY!  Play catch, play tag, jump on the trampoline, just play.  After a long stuffy winter, it just couldn’t get better than that!

At our house, we really try to celebrate the weekend.  Our celebration comes in the form of  my two boys spending Friday night on the couch equipped with a good move, a little bit of junk food, and their favorite blankets.  They love having a party, but they aren’t crazy about the couches.   I’ve been thinking a lot about moving their parties to the game/playroom, and using a  futon or two to serve multiple purposes!

When my husband suggested the idea of a futon, I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t crazy about it.  All I could think of  was the cheap black metal frames, usually associated with the word “futon,” but to my surprise, there are many different styles of futons, and the frame, mattress, and cover all have tons of different options.

First there’s the frame. While many futons do have a metal frame, they’re also available in wood. I would almost certainly pick a wooden frame because I think it will look good in my play/game room.   Wooden frames use slats to support the mattress which results in a more even and therefore a more comfortable, surface to lie on.

The mattresses have evolved greatly from the traditional cotton and polyfil. You can get them with an exterior made of several fabrics, including leather, and numerous fillings. Some even have bed springs like traditional mattress, while others are made of space-age memory foam. They come in all levels of firmness from the most soft to the most firm.

The last part of the futon is the futon cover. Most people either don’t know these exist, or forget about them, because most college students don’t have the budget for them. However they are an essential part, as they keep the futon safe and clean. They come in many different materials and designs.

I’m excited about the possibilities, and I’m sure my boys will be thankful for a soft place to land after their exciting Friday nights!

In honor of 2010, I thought it would be great if I kicked the year off with a bang.  That bang comes in the form of Jill, the Scary Mommy herself!  Can I just tell you, the thing that draws me to Scary Mommy is that Jill is real.  She loves her kids and she does a great job raising, but she is real, and I love it! Jill says this about her blog, “Someday, my kids can flip through these pages and get to know their mom. A mom, who despite cursing too much and feeling totally overwhelmed, loved (almost) every moment of their childhood. A mom, who wouldn’t trade this gig for the world. And, a mom who, thinks knows that they are the cutest/most beautiful/funny/charming/entertaining little people in the entire world.”

I know this blog is titled, “Making the Most of Family Time,” so featuring a post about letting the kids watch tv might not seem like a good fit, but I say your wrong.  Sometimes in order to truly make the most of time with the kids, we need some time for ourselves too.  If tv is a way to get that, then all hail the tv.  I also think that parents tend to get down on themselves for being human.  TV happens, kids turn out alright, the world keeps turning. I just applaud Jill for being the one to write it “out loud.”  I highly recommend that you take a little trip to the world of the Scary Mommy.  You won’t be disappointed!

TV & Kids: A Match Made in HeavenSeptember 30, 2009in Mother of The Year

If you’re one of those parents who don’t ever let your young children watch television, I have some news to break to you: You have no idea what you’re missing.

You probably also never feed your children cereal for dinner or skip the bath simply because you’re tired, or let them chew gum rather than brushing their teeth once in a while, so I really can’t relate to you in the least. But, I must know, seriously, how do you do it? How do you get your children to sit still and behave while you take a much needed and overdue shower? How do you bribe them to clean up their rooms and eat all of their dinner without the promise of a show? How do you occupy them when they are home sick from school and just want to lay on the couch and be entertained? How do you live like that? I simply cannot imagine.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very conscious not to let my children watch more than a couple half hour shows a day. I know it’s not the best thing in the world for them and would much rather they be playing outside or building towers or making art projects. Without a doubt. But when I’m alone with the three of them, TV makes a mighty fine babysitter when I need to get things done.

We’re embarking on a 22 hour drive this weekend with all three children. Two full days of driving for a one day wedding. (Aren’t you jealous?) While it won’t be fun, it will be infinitely more bearable with our car’s DVD player stocked with hours worth of shows and movies. And while the kids will still fight and whine and fuss, at least we will have a few hours of peace while they watch the magic box in the ceiling. I simply can’t imagine it any other way. And I don’t even want to try.

The Holidays are a great time to spend quality time as a family.  This is the time when memories are made and traditions are formed.  Sounds great right?  Unfortunately for many of us the hustle and bustle of the season seems to sneak in and many moments for family bonding is lost in decorating,  shopping, and wrapping.

Here is a list of a few things you can do as a family to ensure that your time spent together is meaningful. 

Try to go back to the basics, make and decorate a batch of your favorite sugar or gingerbread cookies.  Once your finished you can either deliver them to neighbors, and enjoy them as a family.

Try your hand at Christmas Caroling.  Think of how much fun it would be if you went to an assisted living center and spread your Christmas Spirit through song. 

Make decorating for Christmas a family affair.  Allow the kids to hang some ornaments on the tree and maybe even string a few lights.  That way you can spend time together and everybody can take pride in a job well done.

Pick a family in need and do the 12 days of Christmas for them.  What a great way to teach children the importance of giving rather than receiving.

and finally,

You could even sit down together and watch some of your favorite Christmas classics.  A Wonderful Life seems to never get old!

The list can go on and on, but the truth is, it doesn’t really matter what you are doing as long as you’re doing together.

I just wanted to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.  I hope that your day will be filled with family, friends, and great food! 

I hope that you will be able to enjoy the day and the time with your families and that many memories will be made and traditions will be kept.

I hope that you will be able to savor the time with your family just like you savor that juicy turkey.  Have a wonderful day and I hope it is just the beginning of a wonderful Holiday Season!

I don’t know if this happens at anybody else’s Thanksgiving dinner, but it seems like we spend HOURS  preparing the feast.  We slave in the kitchen agonize over the seating arrangements, and make sure our homes are spotless.  Finally the hour arrives that the meal begins.  It is presented beautifully, and enjoyed by all. . .in a matter of minutes!  After all that hard work, it seems like the meal is consumed before anybody takes a deep breathe.  Then its off the the kitchen for clean-up duty, sorting through the the ads for black Friday preparations, or making your way to the couch for hours of football.  What a shame. 

I found a great idea by Amanda Formaro which just might help the special family time linger a little longer.

What you’ll need:

• Twig with branches
• Heavy vase, container or basket with rocks
• Floral foam
• Silk leaves
• White card stock
• Black marker
• Hot glue gun
• American moss

How to make it:

1. Fill container (we used an urn) with floral foam. Pack it in tight so that it doesn’t move around.
2. Insert twig into the floral foam until secure.
3. Hot glue one silk leaf for each member of your family that will be attending the holiday celebration onto the end of each branch.
4. Write each family member’s name on pieces of card stock. Hot glue one name below each leaf.
5. Arrange American moss over the top of the pot and hot glue in place.
6. Place on the holiday table.

Many of us know that meal time as a family has many benefits, but check this site out for ideas on how to prepare meals as a family as well.  Here is one recipe that Mandy was kind enough to share with us:

Tipi Tacos
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package Old El Paso taco seasoning
water
Lettuce
Shredded Cheese
Salsa
Pretzel Sticks
Tortillas (any kind)
Celery sticks, cut into thin strips
Cream cheese (optional, for “glue” to hold the sides together)
Ketchup or taco sauce, optional

Directions:
Brown ground beef and add seasoning and water according to package directions. While meat is cooking, cut up tortillas into triangles. You have two options for this:
Option #1: cut one large triangle out of a small tortilla (see below). You’ll need three of these to make one Tipi. Be sure to cut out a smaller triangle from every 3rd piece to make a “door”

Option #2: cut a large tortilla in half and then in thirds. Trim the outer edge so they are triangles. This has less waste and one tortilla will make 2 tipis. Be sure to cut out a smaller triangle from every 3rd piece to make a “door”.
Either way, chop up the extras to freeze and fry for taco salads another night!

Place trianges on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 5-8 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven.

On a plate, place a spoonful of cooked taco meat, cheese, and lettuce.

Arrange 3 triangles to form a tipi. If you are making these yourself and serving them, they should be fine. If you are going to let the kids decorate the sides with ketchup or taco sauce, you should use a little cream cheese on each side to hold it together. Place a few celery sticks in top.

Break several pretzel sticks in half and arrange to make a “firepit” in front of your tipi. Add a spoonful of salsa for the “fire”.
Place a small amount of ketchup or taco sauce in a sandwich baggie and snip off one corner. Let the kids paint some “artwork” on the sides of their tipis. Serve and enjoy!  Thanks again Mandy!

I don’t know about you, but there are days that all of the things that I “have” to do seem to completely envelope my time.  As much as I want to spend some quality time with my kids and husband, the “have to-s” are continuously looming over my head. 

There are days that I feel it is critical to let the things, like the laundry, wait for another day.  It will be there in the morning, and sometimes the kids need special attention far more than my brights need pre-treating.

However, there are other days.  You may be familiar with them.  They are the days when you just can’t put off the laundry any longer or the kids will be stuck with mismatched socks and dirty shirts.  So then the quest becomes, making to most of the “Have To-s”

Here is something that I like to do when it comes to laundry, and yes, I realize that my children are young so this may not work with the big kids.

First off, we all sort the laundry together.  They find it challenging to sort the piles by colors.  The best part is, it incorporates learning skills at the same time.  Be sure to throw in a dash of encouragement and a whole lot of praise.

When the laundry is finished we fold it together.  If we are working on a load of towels, I let the little kids fold the wash cloths and hand towels while the older ones, and I fold the full size towels.

We like to turn on fun music, laugh and enjoy each other’s company.  For us, that is the best way to make the necessities a fun part of our time together.

Is it just me, or does this image look frighteningly familiar? 

The subject of my post has been on my mind A LOT lately.  In my opinion it applies to all of us.  Right now I spend every waking moment with my kids, and my husband, on-the-other-hand, spends far less time with them due to his work schedule, but the conundrum is the same for both of us.  Are we spend QUALITY time with our family while we are together, or are we merely exisiting in the same environment with little to no worthwhile interaction?

I think that in my circumstance, I spend so much time with my children that I often forget that I could be making the time more meaningful.  At times I get caught up in going through the motions.  The laundry, dishes, sweeping, homework, diapers, and sibling quarrels seem to make the more meaningful stuff take a back seat. 

That’s not what I want.

Now obviously all of that other stuff has to get done, but my goal is to make the time that I spend more meaningful, more involved, and more worthwhile.  Whether you spend hours a day with your family, like I do, or a few precious moments like my husband, my hope is that we can find ways, together, to make whatever amount of time we have COUNT.

I hope that you’ll join me in my journey.  I’m sure it will be filled with ups and downs, but that’s life right?  Hopefully it will be sprinkled with humor and covered in love along the way!

So from here. . . .

To Here. . . .

Let’s get going!