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The Morning Routine You’ve Been Overlooking

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Guest blog by Logan Lindabury.

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5:00 AM

I’m a 20 year old entrepreneur and also a full time college student. I have no children. I have no wife. At least, not yet. And now you wonder, “What could he possibly know about what I’m dealing with? How can he possibly think he can help me when he can’t even relate to me?”

Well let us let the judging end here. Because here are your answers: Just because I’m young does not mean I have no knowledge. Just because I don’t have kids does not erase the fact that I myself was once a kid (and at many times, still act like one.) And although I may not have been in your shoes, chances are I have been in the shoes of the other person you are “dealing with.”

So give me a chance. Give me a try. What’s the worst that could happen? I’m offering ways to find happiness in your life and you want to pass that up? Really? Have you thought about what’s really important to you?

And now we begin, with the topic of this article:

Finding some happiness in your everyday life; Morning Routine Version.

You wake up each morning with a slight feeling of discontent because you know your child will stall, yet again. You have the everlasting feeling that the coffee will not be to your liking. That you’ll have forgotten to prepare lunch for the second time this week.

smile

Your child stalls getting ready, who hasn’t? I do it myself some days. But get this, when I incentivize the situation I tend to move a LOT quicker. “Hey, if I get done and out of the house in the next 10 minutes I can take the scenic route today!”

Get it? Offer your child something that he/she wants in turn for him/her getting ready on time. Do yourself a favor and come up with a few things that are both fun and free – like extra Zoodles playing time! You do that enough times, and you won’t have to give them the rewards anymore; though you still should.

But then there’s you, on your third cup of coffee before 9am. And boy are you tired! But guess what? Natural energy works so much better and has NO tired feeling afterward.

“But I’m too busy to do a workout or join a gym.” Good. Well, not good. But, OKAY. That’s fine. Here’s YOUR answer:  Sing and dance.

singing

Sing and Dance

Literally everywhere you go, sing and dance. No music? Who needs music. You’ve got the lyrics and the beats in your head. Come on, you remember Mr. Roger’s Happy Feeling Song, don’t you?!?! And when you can’t think of the lyrics, you can just mumble words together. I do it all the time.

So now you’re thinking, “Great, I’m taking advice from a crazy man who sings and dances no matter where he is. And this is supposed to help me?” Well first off, making my own fun does not make me crazy. And second, this will help you.

When you’re singing and dancing to music that you like you find happiness at a much more rapid pace than when you’re thinking about where the sugar is for your next cup of joe. So, give it a try. If it doesn’t work you at least know that you gave it your all.

But to be honest, I can’t tell you a single person that sings and dances at any given time and is NOT happy during and afterward.

That should tell you something. So, finish reading this and go give it a try. You don’t even have to thank me; just come back and keep reading.

Stay tuned for my next article about letting the kids join in the fun. Thank you.

Author Byline

logan

Logan Lindabury


This article was written by Logan Lindabury, the Happiness Coach from HappinessCanHelp.com. Do you want to enjoy your life? Do you want to find happiness no matter what happens? Then go to HappinessCanHelp.com and get started today.

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Despicable Me Movie Review

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Guest blog by Rachel Akers dis

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout of a super villain.

Steve Carell stars in Despicable Me as Gru, a villain whose main goal is to go down as history’s number one bad guy. Past evil plans have not worked out so well for him so Gru decides he needs to reach for the moon.

With his army of faithful yellow minions, underground lair and even his trusty car-plane, Gru sets out to steal the moon, literally. To get the moon the size of a grapefruit he needs a special shrink ray. Enter the villainous rival, Vector (Jason Segel).  Gru plans to steal Vector’s shrink ray and use it to steal the moon.

Along  the way Gru adopts a triodis2 of lovable orphan moppets from a girl’s home to use in his evil scheme. But slowly the girls start to see something in Gru that he never knew was there. The ability to be a dad.  By the end of the film, Gru has warmed up to the girls and learns that as long as you have love, you really don’t need anything else.

There is no arguing that Despicable Me is a kids adventure movie complete with rocket ships, shrink rays, tea parties and dolls. But while catering to children it is entertaining to adults alike.  Showing that even the bad guys have redeeming qualities. Despicable Me does contain a little bit of toilet humor.

Despicable Me stars Steve Carell, Jason Segal, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews. It is rated PG with a running time of 95 minutes.

Author Byline

Yellow

Rachel Akers


Rachel Akers is a full time stay at home mom and the owner of the blog Yellow Tennessee. She blogs about life, deals and saving money.

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6 Signs That Your Child Might Be Gifted

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Guest post by Chris Brantner

giftedThis week, July 18 – 24,  is National Parenting Gifted Children Week. In an effort to raise awareness, The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) has outlined a number of opportunities for spreading the word in your community about gifted children and the importance of high quality education.

Gifted and talented children often show signs that go unnoticed for years. Everyone likes to believe their children are gifted. But how do you know if a child is truly gifted and talented? Here are a few signs that a gifted child might show.

  1. They find beauty where others don’t Often visually gifted kids will see the world differently than the average child their age. Where a normal child sees a tree, the gifted child might take note of the way the leaves dance in the wind. They might even grow emotional over the beauty they find.
  2. They love to argue Don’t confuse this with being spoiled or rebellious. Gifted children often have impressive control over spoken word. They’re able to manipulate language and persuade. And they certainly want you to know when and why they believe they’re right.
  3. They search for the meaning of life You might find your child asking questions that seem above their level. They might ask what this all means or why they’re here. Such existentialist leanings could even make them prone to depression later on in life if they aren’t taught how to direct their thoughts.
  4. Impatient and disrespectful Some gifted kids just know things and have a hard time understanding why others don’t. As a result, they have little patience for those who don’t understand what they consider simple logic. These gifted children might be seen as disrespectful, as they have a hard time not challenging authority when punishments are deemed illogical.
  5. Bored in school Gifted kids often find school too easy. They coast through their activities just to sit and stare. Or worse, they refuse to do their assignments because they seem pointless. Often these students end up acting out and getting themselves in trouble. They’re labeled “trouble makers” but really all they need is a good challenge.
  6. They disassemble things and put them back togethercamera Some gifted students share two qualities. They’re curious and gifted with their hands. As a result, you might find them taking your cell phone apart, studying it, and attempting to put it back together. Meanwhile, their friends are playing with stuffed animals. Don’t get mad. Try to find ways to satisfy their curiosity and mechanical prowess. Try out this Design a Cell Phone game instead!

Keep in mind that the above signs don’t guarantee a gifted child. They also may occur independently in children. Or your child could show all of them. Whatever the case, if you think you have a gifted child on your hands, talk to a gifted specialist at your child’s school. They can perform the necessary tests and give you advice on how to handle your potentially gifted and talented child.

Author Byline

chris

Chris Brantner

Chris Brantner is a father and a teacher. He also heads up his own agency that offers copywriting services.

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5 Ways to Stay Active With Your Kids

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Guest blog post by Andrew Salmon from LifeInsuranceCanada.org.An-photo

Sure kids will tire us out but hey, what a way to go! We must remember that it’s vital for kids to run, jump and play in order to build up their bones and muscles. But the same applies to us adults. Being active with your kids is the best workout around – because it’s fun! Here are five ways to stay active with your kids.

1. The Park

Consider the park an outdoor gymnasium. There are places for you and your kids to run. There are monkey bars to swing and climb, building upper body strength. See-saws to work those legs, merry go rounds to spin. And, most parks have basketball courts, baseball diamonds or soccer fields. You want it, the park has got it. Heck there’s even free water to keep yourself hydrated as you run acres at breakneck speed all over the place.

2. Rollerblades

Here’s a great way for kids to learn muscle control and balance while you all get a great aerobic workout. Rollerblading is a great exercise for the legs but the whole body gets into the act as you need to swing your arms for balance and every muscle gets into the balancing act.

3. Swimming

Another total body workout, swimming is another way to get fit while playing with your children. Kids naturally take to the water and so did you when you were their age. Remember? Also swimming is a great way to start getting back into shape if you’ve been inactive too long. After all, you at least want to be around until your kids become adults, don’t you? So hop in the pool and stretch and work every muscle in your body. You’ll be doing it with ease, courtesy of the water’s buoyancy, which makes you lighter so those muscles don’t have to overdo it.

4. Badminton

Eye-hand coordination is vital if your kids are going to be active throughout their lives. Badminton is an easy and fun way to work on this. The rackets are lightweight so everyone can play and the shuttlecock is safe to have flying around the young ones. Tennis is also good but the clunky rackets and heavy tennis ball (by comparison) are potential hazards. So if you’re kids are too young for tennis, then badminton is the game of choice. You’ll have a blast!

5. Scavenger Hunt

This one you can file under ‘having too much fun to know I’m exercising’ which is, of course, the absolute best exercise program anyone can have. Organizing a scavenger hunt and taking part yourself will create a lot of excitement amongst the group and you will all be dashing this way and that, trying to beat the clock. And while you’re getting winded from all that running, you and your kids will also be using the ol’ noggin as you play Sherlock Holmes in search of clues.

There you have it… some easy, fun, wonderfully exhausting activities you and your kids can enjoy together. Have fun!

Author Byline

Andrew

Andrew Salmon

Andrew Salmon works as a freelance writer. He contributes to a number of websites with articles about fitness and financial topics such as life insurance. He has published or appeared in nine books and this is his Amazon profile.

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Five Fun Kids Science Experiments

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Guest blog by Kelly Wilson of Teaching Resource Center.

microscopeLong summer afternoons offer our kids time to complete activities that are more educational in nature. Kids, however, may balk at anything that resembles schoolwork. I came up with these simple science experiments that are disguised as summer fun, with no need for special teaching supplies.

Nuts and Bolts

The basic parts of a solid science experiment include the following:

  • Question: What question do you have that you want to test?
  • Hypothesis: This is your “best guess” about you think will happen, or how you think your question would be answered.
  • Procedure: What are the steps to completing the experiment?
  • Observations: Sentences and sketches that describe what happens during the experiment.
  • Result: What is the outcome of the experiment?
  • Conclusion: How was your question answered? Was your hypothesis right?

Discuss each of these elements casually with your child while completing the following experiments.

A Salt Field

Make your own salt field using a shallow glass pan, regular table salt and water.

  1. The ratio to begin with is 1 tablespoon of salt to one cup of water. Adjust the amount of each depending on the size of your pan.
  2. Mix the salt and water thoroughly, then pour carefully into the pan.
  3. Set the pan with the salt water out in the sun, allowing the water to evaporate throughout the day.

When the water is gone, the salt left behind makes a cool design on the bottom of the glass pan. A variation of this experiment involves a control pan of water without salt – what is left behind on the bottom of that pan once the water has evaporated?

I’m Melting!

The trouble with ice cream treats in the summer time is that they melt. This activity determines which ice cream lasts the longest in the sun.

  1. Choose two or three different ice cream treats and put each one into a separate (but identical) container.
  2. Set them out in the sun and watch over them, keeping track of how long each one melts into liquid.

For a wider variety, choose up to five different ice cream products to test, using a small amount of each one for your experiments. Another variation is to put out two kinds of the same ice cream treat, putting salt on top of only one of them – which one melts the fastest?

Shadow Sun Dialsundail

This is a fun experiment that requires attention throughout the day.

  1. Choose a spot on your driveway or patio and mark a large “X.”
  2. At the same time each hour, have your child stand on the “X” and trace his/her shadow with sidewalk chalk, writing the time down next to it.

At the end of the day, take a look at your unusual artwork and talk with your child about when you’re his/her shadow was the longest and when it was the shortest.

How Much Water?

Water balloons are wonderful for hot summer afternoons, and kids like to fill them to capacity. But does more water actually make the balloons weaker?

  1. Fill water balloons with water – some with a little, some halfway, and some all the way.
  2. Conduct this experiment by doing a water balloon toss – a pair of kids stand about two feet apart and throw a balloon back and forth, taking a step back with each toss. Which ones break the easiest?

After testing a variety of water balloons with different water levels, talk with your kids about which ones they would want in a water balloon fight and why.

Fry Up An Egg

eggThere are always days during the summer where it feels like it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, but can we, in fact, actually do it?

This experiment requires an extremely hot day, the kind where meteorologists warn us about the heat wave and reporters interview people keeping cool at the local community water park.

Stake out an area of sidewalk in the sun and wait until mid-afternoon, then crack open the egg and see what happens!

Author byline

Kelly Wilson Editor, Teaching Resource Center

Kelly Wilson Editor, Teaching Resource Center

Kelly is an editor with Teaching Resource Center, a trusted source for high-quality, low-cost teaching supplies.

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Kids Triathlon

Monday, July 5th, 2010
Guest Blog by Jon Taylor of 365DayTriathlon.com.

Who’d Have Thought?

swim lineWhen I was young, I often tried my mother’s patience with the common phrase, “I’m bored.” If mom had answered, “Why don’t you train for a triathlon?” I probably would have started digging a tunnel in my room. You may have never heard the words “child” and “triathlon” uttered in the same sentence, but it can actually be a fun summer activity.

What’s a Kids Triathlon Anyway?

triathlon5-600x400If you’re not triathlon-savvy, here’s a quick overview of how they work. The race is split into three parts: swimming, biking, and running (in that order). Before you start imagining your child staggering though a desert, forced to drink cactus juice just to finish, triathlons for kids are actually quite doable. The length of each race is custom fitted to the age group your child is in. It will still take quite a bit of discipline and training, but if you’re looking for bonding experiences, how cool would it be to swim, bike, and run regularly with your son or daughter?girl biking

Studies have shown that child triathletes are very likely to obtain student body office, love broccoli, and surprisingly, help parents win the lottery. That may not be entirely true, but a triathlon will establish a great foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Not only that, but kids will gain self-respect and self-discipline. Triathlons take just as much mental conditioning as they do physical.

I’m In!  What now?

KidsTriathalonPicLGIf you’re interested, find the closest kids tri to you.  You can go to IronKids.com or just google “kids triathlons” in your area.  I live in a pretty rural neighborhood and there are a few within reasonable driving distance from me.

Maybe your child is tired of saying, “I choose you, Pikachu!” Or maybe he just wants to get out of summer reading. Either way, triathlons can be a challenging but rewarding event. You’ll never know unless you tri! (And if you do, you’ll probably find yourself making triathlon puns as I did in the previous sentence. Just a warning.)

Author Byline

triJesse and Jon are two normal guys that have decided to train for a triathlon.  They, along with seasoned marathon runner and triathlete Graham and their coach, a physical trainer named Danah, are blogging about their progress at 365DayTriathlon.com.

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The “Z” Summer Contest

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

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With help from your parents, decorate the “Z” with markers, crayons, sequins, glitter or anything else you can find! It would look great on a super-hero cape or a crazy cool hat. Have fun and be creative. Then take the “Z” to your favorite place and take a few pictures at the location with the super cool decorated “Z” clearly visible. It could be your grandparents house or the Grand Canyon! The “Z” is easy to carry and can go anywhere. When you send your picture in, write a few words about why you chose that spot and email it to ginny@zoodles.com. Be sure to submit your entries by August 1, 2010

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Inexpensive Ways to Educate Your Kids During the Summer

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Guest Blog by Eric Rea

Read mini-books. Mini-books are a terrific way to keep kids reading and discovering. You can improve reading skills, learn new things, solidify good social and moral lessons, and even create your own stories.

Geared for specific grade levels, mini-books can enhance and advance your child’s reading and writing skills. They spark creativity without being viewed as “educational”. You can even create games surrounding the stories you read. Best of all it’s an activity you can do together.

Go on nature walks. Grab a book on plants, birds, or history and hit the trails. Make a game of trying to find, identify, and locate all kinds of things. Other than the cost of some gas, and maybe some snacks or a picnic lunch, this trip is completely free.

You can check out books from the library and do some reading for a day or two before you go. Get the kids familiar with what they are to look for. The possibilities are endless – geography, geology, historic site markers, animals, stars, fish, shells, metal detecting, insects, or whatever you and your children can come up with. You might even schedule these outings once a week and look for new things each time you go out.

Educational TV sessions. Schedule educational television sessions for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, History Channel, Travel Channel, or Planet Green and the like. TV is often a boon of pleasure for kids in the summer. With more time to watch, make sure that they’re going to pick shows that will get the wheels turning.

Scout out shows that one or all of you are interested in, or let each child pick a show with a subject they want to learn about. Throw your interests into the mix, so they can learn about you, too. They can write about what they’ve learned, have a discussion, or take unanswered questions to the internet to find out more.

Go to historic museums and centers. Sure, you have the big and famous museums that are super fun, but you don’t have to restrict your fun learning to these super museums. Tons of small cities have historic museums or locations that give children a glimpse of all kinds of history.

These lesser-known places have tasty tidbits of interesting and unusual historic artifacts, stories, and atmospheres. Plus, they’re usually not nearly as expensive as the big ones, and can take you and the kids to areas you may never otherwise visit.

Don’t forget Zoodles. Keep your child’s academic skills sharp this summer by encouraging them to play fun reading games and math games on the computer. You can teach and reinforce a variety of subjects by visiting our Games Directory and populating the games your child has access to with the type of educational subject matter he or she most needs.

Learning and fun don’t have to be opposites!

Author Byline

Eric Rea

Eric Rea

Eric Rea is a college student who loves the outdoors, blogging, and social media. He is a devoted uncle and his own blog can be found at www.ericrea.com.

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Six Tips for a Calmer, Happier Summer for Your Family

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Guest blog by Renee Brown, owner of Restoration Organizationfamily image

There’s so much to love about summertime, but with all of that comes a new dizzy level of crazed activity for families of young kids. Day camps, swimming lessons and lack of school year structure can throw the best of us into a tailspin. Is there hope? Absolutely! With a bit of attention to creating new organized processes and systems, you can turn this summer into your best one yet.

  1. Write it Down: First and foremost, you must have one and only one calendar for everything. Think about what makes the most sense for you and your family. A huge monthly one posted in the kitchen? An electronic version on the computer? Perhaps the calendar on your phone? Whatever you pick, make it the one place you visit at least a couple times a day to enter new information and events, update details and of course, to see what’s on deck for the day. What will make this the most successful is if you train yourself to input everything: soccer, games, camps, weddings and family get-togethers. Train your family to check the calendar frequently to keep track of their own events.
  2. Mom’s Taxi: Since summer generally means an abundance of driving to and fro, think of your vehicle as a second home. What would be helpful and useful? Mandatory items include a hanging garbage bag (mine hangs behind the front passenger seat and gets emptied each time I gas up, so there’s never an overflow issue), a container of wipes (lifesavers!), a first aid kit, blankets for an impromptu picnic or for rain-drenched bleachers, box of tissues (summer allergies, anyone?), a small notepad and a few pens, activity items for younger kids, hand lotion, lip balm, bug spray and sunscreen. Look around your home for small boxes or containers (how about those gift-with-purchases bags that seem to multiply?) to corral the items in your car.
  3. House Rules: These will vary according to your children’s ages and stages, but ideas include no wet swimsuits on the floor, no running in the house, no TV or Zoodles until after breakfast, beds made immediately, etc. Summer is also a great time to teach kids new skills, such as how to do laundry and clean a bathroom. Remember, even though you know you can do these jobs faster and more efficiently yourself, your kids need to learn these all-important life skills and the sooner, the better. I taught my sons to do their laundry when they were in 4th grade and after a short learning curve, they never looked back! Now as teens they have learned to think ahead and wash their baseball uniform before the game. Success!
  4. Taking time to just enjoy: We all love to savor these three sunny months each year, so please don’t over schedule, jam-packing each day so everyone gets exhausted and crabby. Build in some fun, simple activities, such as lying on blankets in the backyard at night to view the stars, catching lightning bugs, or getting up early and watching the sunrise with a picnic breakfast. Remember, sometimes the most valuable moments are the simplest!
  5. De-Clutter: Summer is also a terrific time to go through kids’ clothes, books and toys. Set a goal and create a plan so that you have done this for all of your kids before school starts up, otherwise there will be no room for new fall clothes and the onslaught of new school papers and projects. Get your kids involved in this process and gently help them let go of things that are no longer relevant. To make it an even more valuable experience, bring the kids along when you donate the items to a shelter or non-profit. Make sure to go one step further and explain how their former belongings will be a blessing to someone else.
  6. Corral the Art: Another good summertime sorting-through project is going through your kids’ artwork. Make time to sift through a pile and let your child tell you about each one. Take pictures of them holding their favorites. Consider creating an art gallery of their best work. You can buy cheap frames at garage sales, and create a fancy show piece. Think about where the art could be displayed, perhaps the wall going downstairs? A big wall in the family room? Don’t forget about big wall spaces such as your garage. Another great way to use artwork is to gift it to family and friends or, use it as gift wrap or to make a card. Win-win for everyone!

So you see, with a little planning and a little project management, before you know it, things will feel a lot less crazed. After all, summer is meant to be savored not just survived. You never know when you are making a new memory!

Author Byline

Renee

Renee L Brown, Owner Restoration Organization

Renee Brown was born organized and after helping friends and family through the years, she finally began a freshly minted career as a professional organizer with her company Restoration Organization. Her specialties include whole-house de-cluttering, management and organization. She loves working with busy families and professionals, helping them create more space and peacefulness. A former editor for TV Guide Magazine, Renee has juggled many communications gigs through the years, all while single-handedly raising her two teenage boys. Her website is www.restorationorg.weebly.com and you can find her blog at http://mom-interrupted.blogspot.com

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Using Your Garden to Grow Minds

Friday, June 25th, 2010

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Guest blog by Stephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D.

You can use your garden to grow minds as well as food.  The very things that are necessary to make a garden grow food, flowers, and hay can also be used to educate children in science and math, reading, following directions, nutrition, and cooking.  Even something as mundane as pulling weeds can involve lessons in taxonomy and composting.

Taxonomy lessons

For example, your child can sort the weeds into piles of similar plants.  A simple guide to weeds is not very expensive and usually has big pictures for easy identification.  Using the shapes of the leaves, color of the flowers, and type of stems, the child can work to identify the type of weed.  This can lead into a discussion about the life cycle of a plant and why some are useful in the garden and others are not.  The same plants that are pests in the garden might be grown in a pasture.

Composting

After the weeds are identified, you and your child can work on a simple compost pile.  If you have 2548355070_ec3ea13411hoofed animals, you have a source of manure.  If not, kitchen scraps that are not from meat or fat can be used.  Layers of weeds and manure or scraps can be made, or laid on an existing compost pile.  The child can have a small one that he or she can turn and monitor until it becomes rich compost.  This compost can then be returned to the garden so the cycle can start again.

Soil test

Check with your local Extension Office for the best soil test kits (they are inexpensive and sometimes even free!).  A soil test can be used for several lessons.  Start with elements and which ones are important in growing plants. Move on to how those elements get into soil, and how soil is formed.  A hands on lesson can involve the gathering of the soil needed for the test.  Shovel a little dirt from five or six sites and allow the child to mix it with his or her hands.  Then let them pack the soil into the sample bag.

Plant circulation systems

While you are waiting for the results, which will take about two weeks, you can cover photosynthesis and how plants take up water and nutrients from the soil.  Roots need food, so the plant’s circulatory system, a simple one, can come next.  Finally, you can discuss why plants are green and go over chlorophyll.

Soil test results

When the soil test results come back, it is time for a little math.  Usually, for lawns, the results are expressed in Soilpounds of element per 1,000 square feet.  Fertilizer usually comes in 40 pound sacks that only have a percentage of the element in them, with the rest being carrier.  You can cover fractions and multiplication while figuring out how much of the bag to spread to meet the recommendations.  You can go to the Tulsa Master Gardeners website and find calculators to make this easier for you and smaller children.

If these topics have wet your interest, there are lots more where they came from.  In fact, there are two years of curriculum in science, math, literature, and various other topics available from the United States for the cost of the books.  Children who complete the curriculum may be certified as Junior Master Gardeners. It is possible to teach much more than where food comes from if even a small spot is under cultivation.

Author Byline

StephStephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D.  is a master gardener, photographer, and writer in Texas.  You can see her photographs and read her work at http://blog.stephaniesuesansmith.com.

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