No one wants to leave empty-handed! Make your New Year's Eve celebration more memorable than ever when you treat your guests to their very own swag bag! Visit Party City, Michael’s, or Hobby Lobby for bags that match your party theme. Swag means free stuff, so depending on the amount of guests you'll be treating, consider buying items in bulk to save on cost. Shop stores like Sam’s or Costco for discounts on goodies, or stack up on after-Christmas specials at your favorite retailer (Amazon affiliate links included).
Christmas is over but the winter season has just begun, and the kids have at least another full week of “break” time. Here are 8 things to do before you ring in the New Year!
Something magical happens when you pull the whole family into the EXACT SAME ROOM all evening... push the coffee table off to the side... set up indoor tents, sleeping bags, and sofa cushions... munch on snacks and hot cocoa... and play games or watch Christmas movies all night.
Here are some quick tips for making your Holiday Slumber Party a successful, unforgettable event!
Poetry is so much fun to read with kids! My family did a weekly poetry tea time for the longest, then we took a long summer break, and now the kids are requesting it again. This month we'll be starting a poetry "hot cocoa" time, to change things up a bit.
Do your kids like poems?
- Poetry doesn't take a long time to read, so you can start and finish multiple poems in one sitting.
- Poetry can provide comfort, improving your child's mental health.
- Poetry can also improve your child's vocabulary.
- Poetry can give your child a new perspective on the world and help with creative thinking.
- Some poems can make you laugh out loud, which is always a welcome treat.
Throughout our years of homeschooling, my kids have memorized dozens of poems. Memorywork is just one of those curriculum ideas that I never took off the schedule, even as my oldest girls advanced into high school. How nostalgic it is for them to recite an old poem from memory - at the drop of a hat. It's an especially useful skill when we get a Tornado Warning alert, and we all have to pile into the same closet for safety.
Here are some old and newer favorite poetry books to add your your family's collection (affiliate links included):
It's just you and your little one (or big one!) for the day, heading out of the house for a special mother-daughter or mother-son excursion. What's the occasion? Take your pick! You can plan a mother-child escape with any age child, for any number of occasions. Here are just a few:
- birthdays
- graduation (pre-K all the way through college)
- coming-of-age
- dad's out of town for work and you need something cool to do in the meantime
- school holiday
- no reason at all
You really don't need a special reason to spend quality time with your child exploring a new place or activity. Here are some fun things to do to have the most memorable excursion.
