My family takes advantage of picnicking in The Woodlands as often as possible, but our picnics are almost always the same. But not anymore! I found this gem of a book - A Year of Picnics - at one of the libraries in Harris County, and the author has planned 20 different themed picnics for us to sink our teeth into. It's really getting my creative juices flowing! I can't wait to implement some of these ideas along with many of my own. Each picnic idea includes a menu, packing listing, and suggested activities. While a "Breakfast Picnic" might include playing games like hide and seek, walking along a creek, or eating homemade biscuits and jam, a Bird-Watching picnic might implore you to pack binoculars and a birding field guide plus a lunch that includes pickled eggs and birdseed cookies.
Is there a spare room in your house, a guest room perhaps, that you can take over from time to time? It doesn't have to be big. And guess what? It doesn't even have to be a room. It can be a comfortable chair, a desk, or some corner of a room that you've laid claim to and that everyone else knows to leave alone (and to leave YOU alone when you're in the space, unless they've been invited).
When you need to recharge or relax, having your own room might prove more valuable than you can imagine. Hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign and use your room to:
Magazine-worthy school lunches. That's what we all want for our kiddos, right? It's actually not so hard to kick the PB&J to the curb when you have fingertip access to the WoodlandsMommy.com "School Lunches" Pinterest board! Your kids will never want to go through the lunch line again! CLICK HERE to view our curated ideas on Pinterest, including this cute lunch box put together by Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons. *Editor's Tip: We love sending out kid lunches to school and the park in these durable and stylish Bento Boxes [ad].
To help your children put the best foot forward, consider these suggestions from The Salvation Army, which operates hundreds of low-cost after-school programs for kids of all ages in low-income neighborhoods across the country and understands the importance of setting children up for success all year.
White flag away! Summer Break will NOT defeat us! We’ve decided that if we’re going to clean up our act and get our Mommy Groove back, all it takes is a little determination, and this list:
Parents often struggle with what to do when they learn their child has received a special needs diagnosis. To help parents improve the quality of life for their children with autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other learning disabilities, we've assembled these helpful tips!
1. Make an appointment with your child's teacher. A simple phone call, email, or even a note may work wonders.
Jot down a list of detailed questions to gather information about your child's academic weaknesses and ask about any social or emotional problems and the teacher's observations of any physical clues that there may be a problem. Ask the teacher if she feels your child could benefit from an independent education program or any special needs classes.
2-Take on a part-time job. Lots of retailers are hiring part time this season, and often times, you can have a flexible schedule. Tag team with your husband when he gets home from work, and go spend a few hours each evening at a $10 per hour job with an employee discount to boot.
3-Offer your babysitting services to friends and family in exchange for cash. Reliable child care options are golden during the new year and beyond. You can even consider regularly hosting a fee-based themed “camp” evening for a handful of your friends. Provide crafts, activities, and dinner for the little ones while mom and dad get a night out.
Could your kids spend hours burning off that summer energy? Looking for a unique location for a play date? Maybe a place where the entire family can spend a full afternoon? Check out Palava Family Entertainment Center & Party Center in Spring!Do you find yourself spending way more money than you want to spend on Christmas gifts for the “larger” families in your life? I always overspend my budget when shopping for my sisters and their families, because they all have multiple kiddos, plus I like to get presents for the grown-ups too. This year, I’m going with (1) family “have fun” baskets, (2) family memberships, and (3) restaurant gift cards, gifts that everyone will dig. I look forward to saving money on individual gifts.
Selling your stuff online is a great way to declutter your home and make a bit of cash at the same time. If you rummage through your closets, you can probably find several items that you haven’t used in years. If they’re in good condition, chances are someone else would be happy to take them off your hands. Curious about what kind of treasures you could list online right now? Here are 10 of the most common options that’ll put some extra cash in your pocket.
Vintage items
It looks like old junk to you, but a collector might see it as “vintage’ or “retro.” Relics from decades past (think the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s) are often more valuable than you’d think. Check your storage areas (or your grandparents’ house) for things like obsolete electronics, vinyl records and old toys. You could get $20 for a 1961 “Christmas with the Chipmunks” LP, $60 for a 1970s RCA combination TV clock radio, or $125 for a 1980s Apple II+ computer. Toys in their original packaging are especially popular with buyers. A boxed GI Joe Jeep from 1964 could fetch upwards of $200.
