One of the things that I have noticed as an educator is that children and young people are completely addicted to technology. They don't take time out to speak to one another fact to face anymore and they definitely don't play the kinds of games that we used to play when we were kids. The games I'm talking about were Jacks, Tic-Tac-Toe, Hopscotch, etc. Lately, my husband and I have been trying to limit technology in our home. Since we now have a teen and a pre-teen, they would rather spend most of their time playing video games when we are home. While we do reward them with time to play these games, we've also been going back to basics by making them turn off their gadgets in lieu of playing some good old-fashioned games as a family. When I was younger, one of my favorite games was Tic-Tac-Toe because it was so easy to play and because you could basically use any surface as a game board and many items can be used as game pieces. That … [Read more...]
Nativity Puppets
Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner? This is, by far, my favorite time of the year. I just love all of the sights, scents, and sounds of the holidays. It just feels like such a warm and inviting time and I do believe that it helps to bring out the good in people. Everything about the holidays also lends itself to some creative and colorful arts and crafts. One of my favorite memories from my childhood was my grandmother's Nativity which she put up every Christmas Eve. Those fond memories were the inspiration for this project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Nativity Finger Puppets Supplies needed: -stretchy gloves in your choice of color - peel and stick felt nativity stickers (found at Hobby Lobby or most craft stores where scrapbooking materials are sold) - craft glue or hot glue/glue gun Directions: 1. First decide in which order you wish to place the nativity characters. For ours, we placed the Holy Family together on one side … [Read more...]
Ring In The Holidays With The Peanuts Gang! @Snoopy #Giveaway #Ad
As you all know, I have been a Peanuts Ambassador for the past few years. The entire Peanuts gang has been such a huge part of my childhood and my life and I am so proud that my sons love them too. They immediately fall in love with anything that includes their beloved Peanuts characters so I am always on the lookout for Peanuts-themed gifts, especially around the holidays. Here are some of my favorites this season: Hallmark Peanuts Holiday itty bittys Set: Outfitted for Christmas in holiday editions of the beloved characters, this Peanuts itty bittys set serves as the perfect seasonal display or stocking stuffer. You can also take Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Woodstock out to play with this fun-filled carrier shaped like the beloved beagle’s doghouse. As an added bonus, Hallmark will donate $1.00 to Toys for Tots each time one of your readers buys a Peanuts Holiday itty bitty on their own. SRP: $32.75 for the whole set or $6.95 individually. The Peanuts Guide to … [Read more...]
Entenmann’s Little Bites Butter Cookie Muffins Are Here! #LoveLittleBites #Ad
The holidays are upon us and that means getting together with family and enjoying delicious foods and desserts at these gatherings. In our home, delicious products from Entenmann's® have always been a staple at any family meal. As a matter of fact, my grandmother would serve their delectable cakes during any festive occasion. Entenmann's Little Bites Butter Cookie Muffins are back as a seasonal favorite and just as buttery delicious as ever. They are perfect for festive get-togethers and scrumptious snacking anytime. With less than 200 calories per pouch, Little Bites Butter Cookie Muffins never contain high fructose corn syrup or trans-fat. It is so easy to enjoy their yummy goodness knowing that they are made with real butter and have less calories than other sweet treats. Not to mention that they taste so good! I like to enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee but my boys like to eat them with a cup of hot chocolate. Entenmann’s Little Bites baked snacks started … [Read more...]
Turkey Treat Bags
I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week already! Since we are going to my sister's house on Thanksgiving Day, I am excited that I got out of cooking this year. I do, however, want to bring some treats for all the kids so I made these Turkey Treat Bags for all of them. They were really easy and inexpensive to make and I hope you enjoy making them for your family as much as I enjoyed making them for mine! Turkey Treat Bags Materials: Tulle (Use rectangle tulle from a roll or tulle pre-cut circles) Pipe cleaners (red, tan, orange and yellow) Peanut butter candy with a crunchy shell (or your favorite mix of candies in fall colors!) Googly eyes Glue (hot glue or another strong glue) Scissors Small clear hair elastics Optional: clear treat bags or sandwich bags Directions: Place candies in the middle of your tulle. {Tulle from a roll may be used (cut to 16”) or precut tulle circles.} Secure the tulle closed with a … [Read more...]
How Valentine’s Day Changed My Life…
This Valentine's Day will make eighteen years since I met my husband for the first time. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday... He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina at the time and we met in a chat room online. Neither one of us had ever done that before but we really seemed to connect and had so many things in common. That weekend, he had called me to tell me that he would be unable to take leave and drive up to New York with his roommate because he had been assigned guard duty. Of course, I was extremely disappointed that I would not be able to see him but I resigned myself to the fact and just tried to keep busy. Sometime in the evening, I received a call from Ben telling me that his roommate would be stopping off at my house on his way to Jersey to drop off my Valentine's Day present. I could hear a lot of noise in the background during the call and he assured me that they were just running drills … [Read more...]
Ring In The New Year With Netflix! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
Tonight is New Year's Eve and, since we are nearing the end of holiday vacation, we know it's not long before the first "I'M BORED" will escape our kids' lips. That's why, this past week, Netflix and DreamWorks Animation Television started treating families to 13 hours of adventure, suspense and limitless imagination with the all-new series DreamWorks Trollhunters. Millions of kids are out of school and the threat of boredom looms but Netflix is helping us parents keep the whole clan excited with 250+ inspiring moments from the epic saga, DreamWorks Trollhunters. And parents, apparently this show is not only for kids, you're just as likely to get hooked. For those of you who are visiting family this weekend, great news! Just in time for long holiday trips, Netflix recently announced that members can now download many of their favorite series and movies at no extra cost. To start downloading today, make sure your Netflix … [Read more...]
Build New Worlds With Minecraft! @Minecraft @BestBuy #Ad
If you have kids, you have already been bombarded with holiday wish lists this year. Every list that I have seen has included Minecraft, including the lists of my own two sons. They love building and exploring exciting new worlds and my husband and I love that Best Buy has an assortment of Minecraft games and collectibles. Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures. If allows players to explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. The games are very family-friendly and great for kids. The toys and collectibles make great gifts for anyone already into the game. Players in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep in Survival Mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off dangerous mobs. They can do all this alone or with friends. Best Buy carries a large assortment the assortment of … [Read more...]
Snowman Earrings
I am way behind this year on Christmas shopping. Normally, I would have already finished buying all presents by mid November. I'm trying cut down on my spending budget and making sure I give some personalized gifts that will show my loved ones just how much they mean to me. My godmother loves to wear themed costume jewelry so I thought it would be a great idea if I made her some earrings. Since it is winter and she has been rocking her winter accessories, I came up with a plan to make her some snowman earrings using supplies that I could purchase right at our local art supply store. You'd be surprised how many great gifts you could make with just a few items that you could buy locally and are pretty inexpensive. Snowman Earrings Materials Needed: Tools (small wire cutter, round nose pliers, and chain nose pliers) 22mm Fishhook earwire 3″ Head pins Glass snowman beads Tiny silver … [Read more...]
Watch Hallmark Channel’s “Christmas in Homestead” Thanksgiving Day! #CountdowntoChristmas #Ad
The holidays are my favorite time of the year because they allow me to focus on the people who really matter in my life. As a Working Mom, I spend a lot of time juggling my many responsibilities including being a mom, a full-time educator, a wife, a professional blogger, and much more. I like to prioritize my time during this season to redirect my attention to where it truly belongs, which is on my husband and my sons. They are the center of my world and I cherish every opportunity to spend quality time with them. Hallmark Channel is my family's prime destination for all things holiday related! This season, we look forward to original movie releases such as A Wish For Christmas, Christmas Cookies, My Christmas Dream and much more! This Thanksgiving Day we will be tuning in to watch "Christmas in Homestead" at 8pm/7c! The movie stars Taylor Cole and Michael Rady. One of the most famous actresses in … [Read more...]
