June 2010

  • 10 Fun Family Reunion Themes

    By sarajean on 6/30/10 8:23pm
    Add Comment

    Many families host their annual reunions during the summer months, and for good reason. Without the snow and rain in many areas, travel is generally safer. It’s also usually better weather for outdoor activities, a favorite pastime during these events. Family reunions can be jazzed up with fun themes. Here are ten ideas you might want to use at your next family gathering.

    10. The Beverly Hillbillies

    If you live in the Midwest like me, much of your family may already seem like Ellie May or Jethro! And even if they don’t, it could still be fun to make everyone dress up like hillbillies, rednecks, or whatever phrase your family likes and see how far people go with it.

    9. Costume Party

    Read more >

  • Make Your Own Board Game

    By sarajean on 6/30/10 5:59pm
    Add Comment

    My daughter and I were flipping through her National Geographic Little Kids magazine when we came across a fun board game. It’s very simple—a winding road, much like Candy Land—where each square lists an activity to do. To play, you can simply roll a die (or flip a coin) to take turns with a friend, and then follow the instructions.

    Some of the instructions read things like clapping as loud as you can, hugging a friend, or drawing a sand castle. Fun, right? I got to thinking that A. this board game looks super easy to make and B. wouldn’t it be fun to make our own board game like this one?

    I have a ton of ideas that we’re going to try over the holiday weekend. Here are a few themes that I thought about:

    Read more >

  • 10 Free Date Ideas

    By sarajean on 6/30/10 4:15pm
    Add Comment

    While summertime means longer days and hotter nights, it doesn’t necessarily bring with it more revenue. In fact, just as many seasonal workers—such as fruit and vegetable pickers and carpenters—find themselves without a job in the winter months, so too do many teachers and other school workers. The good news is that no matter your income, there are always free things you can do with your partner. The trick is finding a cheap or free babysitter (Grandma?). Here are ten fun and free summer date ideas.

    10. Go Swimming

    Find a free lake, beach, river, or other nearby area to swim at. If you have a pool at home, that’s all you need. Clothing is optional in that case!

    9. Take a Walk in the Park

    Try a park you haven’t been to yet. Walk along some trails, or meander through the shade trees.

    8. Window Shop

    Read more >

  • 10 Summer Activities

    By sarajean on 6/28/10 6:37am
    Add Comment

    Summer is well upon us, and there are plenty of different activities to do while the Sun is at full power. Here are ten fun things to do throughout July and August.

    10. Spend Some Time with Animals

    Let your pets know how much you love them. Provide a bird feeder or bath for local wildlife. Make your animals a few protective amulets or charms. We made simple hand-drawn ones for our pets and taped them beneath their food dishes.

    9. Use Summer Herbs

    Get to know St. John’s Wort, Rue, Woodbine, Lavender, Vervain, and any other herbs associated with the summer months. Incorporate them into your home or a ritual if you wish.

    8. Peer Into the Future

    Try a hand at scrying with a mirror, or use an outdoor water source. It’s always fun to visit a professional palm reader or psychic as well.

    Read more >

  • Fight Whining with Whining

    By sarajean on 6/23/10 2:19pm
    Add Comment

    Sometimes…your kids just drive you nuts.

    I love my daughter with every ounce of my being. I want to be with her 24/7, and I actually cried when she used to go to preschool. I still do when her grandparents take her for an overnight once in a while. I know that many people think this is crazy, and maybe I’m weird. Maybe it was the whole experience with her in the hospital for the first three months of her life when she was a premature baby. Maybe I’m just a sentimental fool. Whatever reason, for 23 hours of the day (or, I suppose, 13 of the 14 hours she is awake) I simply feel as if I must be with her.

    Then there is that 24th hour.

    Read more >

  • Cellphone Radiation Levels?

    By dfunzy on 6/23/10 1:40pm
    Add Comment

    Yes, I do not trust cell phone manufactures who tell us that cellphones are perfectly safe, and that we should not worry about the radiation the phones give off. I waited for years before I got a cell phone. With the nearly disappearance of street phone booths and boxes, having a cellphone has become a necessity.

    Of course when I use a cellphone, I use an earplug with a long cord,  and I hold the phone as far from my body as possible. I only take the phone with me when I have to be near a phone.

    Read more >

  • GoCityKids!

    By sarajean on 6/15/10 5:10pm
    Add Comment

    Better than word-of-mouth, library bulletin boards, or the school newsletter, GoCityKids.com is your source for all things kids in your area. I heard about it from Nickelodeon (of all places), and now I’m utterly hooked. The site has nearly everything you need to keep your family clothed, active, entertained, educated, and engaged.

    If you’re looking for a camp for your child, GoCityKids has you covered. Want to find out which restaurants have free kids meals on certain days of the week? How about which companies near you specialize in kids’ parties and entertainment? You can search by all of these categories and more at GoCityKids.

    Read more >

  • World Juggling Day

    By sarajean on 6/15/10 3:55pm
    Add Comment

    June 19 is World Juggling Day, a perfect time to introduce kids to the art of juggling. Here are a few ways you can do just that.

    Learn to Juggle: Another item on my own Living to Do List, juggling is something that my middle sister can do. My daughter and I watched an episode of Mr. Rogers once where he went to visit a circus. The juggling team told him that the best way to start juggling was with scarves, as they were very easy and help to build the juggling skills you need for harder items. So why not pull out a few of your scarves and juggle them together?

    Read more >

  • June 19: Garfield Day

    By sarajean on 6/15/10 3:06pm
    Add Comment

    Everyone’s favorite fat cat—well, favorite until Bill Murray took over his voice and he became an annoying CGI creation that seems a thin shadow of his former fat self—has his own day on June 19. It’s the day his comic strip, written and drawn by Jim Davis, was first put into publication. Here are a bunch of ways to celebrate Garfield Day.

    Read more >

  • All About Father's Day

    By sarajean on 6/15/10 3:02am
    Add Comment

    Many of us celebrate Father’s Day every June, but how many of us really know much about the holiday—other than the fact that it seems to make golf balls, toolkits, and fishing equipment go on sale? Here are some fun facts about Father’s Day.

    Father’s Day was inspired by the creation of Mother’s Day. No surprise there!

    More than 70% of Americans celebrate Father’s Day.

    While half of all Father’s Day cards go to fathers, 20% are given by wives to their husbands. Perhaps this 20% is made up of families with very young children? (If so, kiddos can still give their dads a token of affection on Father’s Day. How about a handmade card, a painted rock, or even a simple handprint?)

    Read more >

  • Time to Take a Step Back

    By Thoreson on 6/11/10 3:55pm
    1 Comment

    The fast-paced nature of this world is getting out of control.  It is getting ridiculous.  Many are in such a hurry to get somewhere, and sometimes nowhere, so fast, that it beyond perplexes me.  When I can, I take the trip from Lakewood, Colorado to Boulder to help out an incredible farmer.  The drive is about an hour up heavily trafficked Wadsworth Boulevard.  A stoplight halts progress at almost every block, but it’s the observations that cause a shake of the head.

    Read more >