Holiday Tricks, Back to School and other Activities

 Happy Thanksgiving - Holiday Hints from Heloise!

Submitted by Heloise on Wed, 11/24/2010 

•A Heloise hint to keep in mind is do the best you can, with what you have. The old saying ..there is always room at the table for one more, really rings true for this holiday. With this in mind, be prepared for an extra guest or two.

•Check to see if you have chairs or stools that can be put into use for seating. I usually set out 2 more plates, silverware, napkins and glasses so I don’t have to scramble if someone pops in.

•And, keep jars of turkey gravy handy incase the home made gravy doesn’t work out!

Our Top Ten Favorite Kid-Friendly Valentine’s Day Projects

February 10, 2011 by Morningside Mom

•Tissue Paper Flowers: Unlike expensive roses, these beauties will last forever for only a fraction of the cost. We suggest saving this craft for your elementary school aged children.

•Bee Mine Lollipop Valentine: Check out the 1 minute “how-to” video explaining this very cute and very easy lollipop decoration for your child’s class full of Valentines. This craft should work well with preschool aged children and older.

•Valentine Mailbox: Your child’s class may require them to bring in a Valentine mailbox. There are lots of ways to make one but here is a straight forward option. We also like this tissue box and shoe box idea. Depending on how ornate you make these boxes, kids in preschool and elementary school are able to assist with this project.

•Valentine’s Day Hat: Your child might need a fun Valentine’s Day accessory on the 14th so why not try making a silly hat? This project is certainly easy enough for most children and very cute too.

•Stain Glass Heart: Looking for a fun decoration or special Valentine’s Day gift? These stain glass hearts are so pretty and, with some adult ironing supervision, they are also very easy to make. Kids of all ages can create these. 

•Clap Happy teacher gift: Your child might be looking to give a gift to his or her teacher, parent or grandparent. This is a cute way to decorate a small tube of hand lotion and create a thoughtful gift. 

•Paper Plate Heart Wreath: This adorable wreath makes for a very easy homemade decoration or gift. It is also a great project for children of all ages as they perfect their scissor skills or create more intricately shaped hearts.

•Heart-shaped Animal Crafts: We never knew this many animals could be created out of heart shapes. Truly, the list is endless. So have your child pick and make their favorite!

•Brush Up on Love: Along with lots of love comes lots of candy on Valentine’s Day. Why not encourage some healthy dental habits that day too? This tooth brush idea would make a fun and easy Valentine for your child’s friends. Children of all ages can help with this project.

•Cupcakes for Cupid: Do you want to bring some heart-shaped cupcakes into your child’s class but don’t actually have any heart-shaped muffin tins? Here is a great way to make your cupcakes heart-shaped using your average muffin tin, cupcake liners, and a small ball of aluminum foil. Kids of all ages can stir the batter, help make the hearts, ice the cupcakes and decorate with Valentine colored sprinkles.

Creative Costume Ideas for Halloween Babies

October 25, 2010 by Morningside Mom

•For parents who are following older trick or treaters or marching in a parade, I adore the ideas that use the stroller. Whether your baby is a UFO, a fire truck, a mermaid, or even R2D2, it will be easy to keep your baby moving this Halloween!

•There is always this homemade Lady Ga-Ga option for your little monsters! And I love the idea of this store bought lady bug costume - a swaddling blanket and small cap can be used for all varieties of simple, comfortable infant costumes.

Spring Is In The Air, Lets Get Moving!

March 18, 2011 by Hale Mom

•Go to your local parks and recreation website

•Take a stroll around your neighborhood. It's important for your children to know their surroundings, serving a dual purpose in case of an emergency, your children can know where to go. It's also good to get out and get to know your neighbors

•Check out if your local area has any festivals, or events that are outside

•Buy a kite! Flying kites is so fun, and one of the best times is when it's windy during the Spring.

•There's also nothing better in Texas than going out to a park, or just in your backyard and have a good ol' grilling time. Having a birthday party, or just because get together at a park is fun, and will get your little ones out to the park and moving without too much effort

Spring Forward: Dealing With Time Changes and Baby

March 11, 2011 by Hale Mom

•The best way to correct sleep problems due to daylight savings time is to change your baby's bed time by 15-20minutes night by night. Whether you need to get them to bed earlier, or they are falling asleep too early and interrupting your sleep when they rise too early.

Get Back-to-School Ready with These Tips

Submitted by Dr. Smith on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 23:32 

•Julie Pippert I say keep the first month of school calendar as clear as possible on evenings and weekends to allow for recuperation as everyone adjusts to being back on the school schedule.

•Anamaria Suescun Fast My tip is all about fashion: Start laying out various outfits in advance so that our young fashionistas are prepared for their first week of school. When I was little, I so looked forward to back-to-school clothes shopping and planned what I was going to wear each day of the first week.

•Caroline Carlson Jorgensen Here in Florida, school starts next week! But before we rush gleefully into the new year, I want to sit back and cherish this last bit of time together. And remember what we DO have right now. No car lines, no schedule, no rush in the morning, no rush to baseball practice, no homework battles, no limit on daily snuggles. *Sigh* I certainly won't let constant hollers of "I'm SO bored!", "I had that first!!" or constant sibling battles distract me from appreciating these last few days. No way. Not at all. In fact, my 4 year old is jumping on the couch as I write this. This is a perfect time to fold him into my arms and off my furniture. It's a bittersweet time of year to be sure. Happy school year everyone!

•Imelda Bettinger Tip for starting school: Now that my son will be going to Kindergarten, I'm going to engage him as much as I can to help prepare his lunches he will be taking. He's kind of a picky eater, so if we get as many things he likes in his lunch box, I know he'll be eating. I hope that he also sees what other kids might be eating to give him ideas for his own lunch. I wonder what he comes up with. 

•Marcie Casas  My tip: start putting your little ones to sleep a little bit earlier each day to get them ready for those back-to-school early wake-ups.

•Traci Shannon Back to school??? This summer has flown! I try to balance getting ready for school with enjoying the end of summer by adding school skills to playtime. Cooking is an awesome opportunity for this with counting and measuring. Toy counting challenges. Color or shape sorting at pickup time. With my older son, we go around the house and read every word he knows on boxes, toys, etc. It reinforces his skills without ever becoming something he "has" to do. 

•Erica Daniel Wrapping up the summer: Enjoy every last minute of it! Drop the computer, the phone, and just live in the moment; take the kids to the pool, maybe a short day trip to a theme park, or whatever suits your family. When the kids go back to school and things are so busy or when the weather turns cold, you will be glad you did make those final summer memories about family, fun and being in the sun. 

•Stepfanie Cuevas Top tip for school starting: Limit the activities. School and homework should be the first priority. If sports or dance classes pile up so much that they are too exhausted to do homework, you should eliminate one or two things.