Simple Summer Shindigs

Just because you don’t have a summer birthday doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with a monster bash that people will be talking about well into winter. Summer parties typically involve barbeques, backyard bonfires and plenty of beverages. However, if you are looking to spice up your seasonal get-together why not think outside of the box with these fun themes: Go West: Ditch the beach theme and kick up your heels at a western-themed hoedown. Print up invitations on computerized wanted posters and request that guests attend the party in western duds. For those who forget their gear, hand out large, … Continue reading

Making Playoff Parties Fun for Kids

Watching the Packers and Giants, Saints and 49ers, Texans and Ravens or the Broncos and Patriots go head-to-head in the NFL playoffs this weekend may sound like an incredibly fun time for you, but what about the littlest players in your life? Whether you are hosting a football-viewing party or attending one, if you want to be assured of a good time, then it would behoove you to have a plan in place to keep the kiddos entertained. Fortunately, there are a slew of simple and affordable kid-friendly activities you can have on hand during a football-themed party, so that … Continue reading

Raising Kids On a Budget

Money is always a concern, even more so when you are a single parent. Kids need lots of stuff. They start off so small but quickly seem to take up so much space and need so many things. Some things you should not scrimp on, car seats, cribs, things that are important for your child’s safety. There are plenty of other areas to save money. Let’s start with clothes. Babies and toddlers in particular grow so quickly, clothing is usually outgrown long before it is outworn. Take all the hand me downs that are offered. They won’t all be to … Continue reading

Simple Celebration

Easter is right around the corner, but for some families, so is graduation. Preschool graduation takes place at the end of April at the small Catholic school my daughter attends. Unfortunately, the occasion is not marked with a ton of pomp and circumstance. Rather, the school leaves the celebrating for the parents to handle at home. The school has the same rules for kindergarten. Last year, when my daughter completed half-day kindergarten, it was up to me to come up with a way to celebrate her accomplishment. We had a small party with family and friends. Nothing over the top; … Continue reading

Valentine’s Fun with the Kids

Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day tonight? If you have young children, then you may have opted out of partying ‘til the break of dawn this year because… it’s a Monday. Celebrating anything on the first day of the work week is about as anti-climatic as it gets. Then, there’s the whole babysitting factor. Securing a sitter on Valentine’s Day can be tricky. If you have a teenage sitter, there’s a good chance her parents won’t allow her to work on a school night. Meanwhile, older sitters often have sweethearts of their own and don’t want to spend the night wrangling … Continue reading

Healthy Valentine’s Day Party for Kids

The words “healthy” and “Valentine’s Day party” don’t typically go hand in hand. No doubt, hosting a healthy Valentine’s Day party for kids can be a challenge given that the holiday is basically a day set aside to gorge on chocolate. While it’s fine to serve up a few sweet treats (everything in moderation), healthy parties focus on offering nutritious dishes to kids without compromising the Love Day theme. An equally sweet alternative to mountains of Valentine’s Day candy and cupcakes is fruit. Consider setting up an entire table featuring red fruits. Apples, strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, and watermelon are … Continue reading

Holiday Decoration Family Fun

Who says you have to spend a fortune creating festive holiday decorations for your home? With a little effort and some creativity you can make a variety of seasonal decorations without breaking the bank. Here’s how: Christmas Card Collage: During the holidays, most people receive dozens of Christmas greeting cards. Instead of stacking the cards in a pile or tossing them into a basket, consider cutting out your favorite images, and creating a collage. You can even add small embellishments such as buttons, ribbons or silk flowers for a one-of-a-kind piece of holiday artwork. Gift Stacks: Fake out your kids … Continue reading

Make Your Own Holiday Decorations

If you are on a fixed income, but you still want your home to look festive during the holiday season, then consider making your own Christmas decorations. Doing so will help you save money, avoid chaotic shopping malls, and allow you to exercise your creative side. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a craft queen to piece together stunning seasonal decorations. There a thousands of simple projects that can be made with just a few materials and little if any skill. For example, last year my five-year-old helped me make a sensational centerpiece for our dining room table. All we … Continue reading

Simple Holiday Traditions

For most of us, the holidays are not always as relaxing as we’d like them to be. This is especially true if you are the one hosting the holiday meals and all of the out-of-town family members eating said meals. Stress is hard to avoid in the days leading up to holidays, such as Thanksgiving, but there are ways you can make the season fun… like having the meal catered. Kidding. Around here we embrace holiday traditions to reduce stress and infuse fun into the day. One of our favorite traditions is cooking together as a family. It’s not everyday … Continue reading

Keeping Kids Busy During the Big Game

The Pro Bowl kicks off tomorrow, then a week later, NFL’s biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl, will touch down in living rooms around the world. The Super Bowl is like Christmas for many football fans. It’s a time to celebrate with family and friends with parties, food and music. Super Bowl viewing parties, tailgating shindigs, and halftime hoedowns are just some of the many festivities that mark Super Bowl Sunday. If you’re partying with kids, then you’ll want to include food and activities that they’ll enjoy as well. After all, there are some children who would rather … Continue reading