random stuff in my head:
been working this week on being a good momma, some deadlines, and some 2peas stuff. and laundry. but do i really have to say that? its a given.
i got some new tank tops (singlets for you aussie readers) and a new bathingsuit from Modbe this week. love the quality of the tops, and that they are so long-for a tall lady such as myself. the bathing suit is awesome too. a long tankini top that easily covers my belly. i also love the website-LOVE the colors and the illustrations. very inspiring. the owner told me that the designer from the scrapworks ethan kate collection is their web designer. love it.
speaking of web design, im pretty sure i found the designer for my photography website. i will still be keeping up with my blog, but i really feel the need for something more profesh as well.
i am now the owner of an iMac!!!!! my uncle michael gave it to us at mckennas party. so thoughtful and generous, that guy. but this house is total anti apple (well jeff is) and so this is a big step. havent worked on an apple computer since elementary school in the computer lab. i have no idea what im doing. but ill tell you this much-the 20 inch widescreen is rocking my world. im sure ill be following in cathy’s footsteps and posting crazy alien faces of my family soon enough….
my new favorite place to shop online: alloy. hip stuff that isnt too expensive. and they have big girl sizes.
i am struggling with how to entertain my kids during the day, without letting them depend too much on video games and TV. we have two new rules. TV off at 9am and video games only during naptime. this is a huge step at our house. i would love to hear how you guys entertain your kids without having to be on top of them to help with an activity. games around and inside the house are best for us. help me! i have never been a "play with my kids" kinda mom, and i dont really plan to start, but i feel like i need to teach them better ways to spend their time. i really want to make an effort to cure total technology zombie-heads. bring some magic back into their lives.
singlet…thanks…but bathingsuit..what is that…! Down under we call them costumes or even better ‘cossies’…gotta get with the picture Tara before you arrive on our sunny shores! Unfortunely you probably wont get to use your ‘cossy’ here in August. Cant wait to meet you in Sydney!
so do tell–which bathing suit pieces did you get? I saw this link awhile ago but those bottoms look SMALL! Aside from the skirt.
Hi Tara, If you love ModBe you’ll love layersclothing.com. Same idea but bigger variety of shirts. And you can order directly from the site instead of a rep, which I had to do. Peace out, yo.
fun randoms from your week!
How about taking the kids to the park, getting them to ride bikes, I’m sure you already do this though….
I didn’t check out the web sites but I’ll have to for the long shirts for us tall gals!
FUN on the imac!! Can’t wait for Alien Whitneys!
:-)
I have two words for you:
SWIMMING POOL
Keeps my son totally engaged for several hours and then he is pooped out. Plus, I get a tan. We joined a pool this summer and I have to tell you, it is already the best investment we’ve made in a long time.
What to do with your kids…At 64 I’ve had a lot of practice and am now enjoying a 2,3 and 4 year old…grandchildren! If you don’t do another thing with your kids READ to them or if too old have them read and tell you about what they have read. I have Granny Nanny Day with the 2 and 3 year old each Wednesday and we have painted and glittered rocks for wonderful paperweights, made paper mache birds, baked cookies, strung beads, gone swimming, gone to the water park, gone out to lunch,and gone to the park just to name a few things. You’re an artist! Go to Target and fill a plastic bin with paints, paper, glitter glue, crayons, sidewalk chalk and disposable cameras so they can take their own pictures.
You’ll all have a ball!
An idea I know about is called the “I’m Bored Jar”. It takes a little bit of planning but the kids can help with that. Type up or even just write on pieces of paper games, ideas, fun things they want to do around the house, outside, with neighbors, friends etc. Let the kids search the internet sites for “at home” ideas if you need to but my kids are more cooperative when it is their idea. Your older kids could do this for sure. Gather up the supplies to do each activity (as much as you can)and keep them in a bin or something seperate (so the supplies don’t get raided). Then when you need an idea or kids are getting bored someone can pick from the jar. I seperated the ones that we could do at home and the ones we did as “field trips” (outside the house) because some days it doesn’t work to go somewhere and vice versa. It takes a day of planning but it is really helpful. Good luck!
I just discovered Alloy too the other day. Love the stuff there. Another place to check out is http://www.bandlu.com and http://www.alight.com. Lots of cute clothes.
You’ll love the Mac. I got mine six months ago and I don’t know what I would ever do without it.
Well, I have been following your website for a few months now and I love it. As far as the kids go, my go to suggestion is that I send them outside, water of any kind usually does the trick to entertain for an hour or so. Another trick I use, like most kids, my boys, 6 & 4, are overwhelmed at Birthdays and Christmas with gifts. I will keep their new stuff out and sneak in and put up some of their older stuff. Then when they are getting tired of the new Christmas toys, I bring down from the attic a bag of “new” old toys. They will say, hey I used to have one of these. They will play for hours.
Love the list idea. My son is 2.5 but I have taught on and off for 13 years now.
Tv is limited to one hour morning, one hour afternoon here… days that I work from home or am at home, I am a little more flexible.. we all like some down time. If he is having it for longer.. we make it a treat and have popcorn. Why not throw a movie day – everyone picks one movie.. stays in their PJs.. and you can have fruit snacks, popcorn and pizza for lunch. If you dont like the movie that is playing next.. go and find your own game. Big kids movies play when lil ones nap.
Maybe the kids could have a scavenger hunt around the house. You make an easy list, and pair the kids up (reader/nonreader). Winner gets to choose dessert for the night. etc.
Have a cooking fest.. and get everyone involved.. you could freeze heaps and make the nights easier for a while. Lasagne and meat dishes freeze well and I make fresh veges/salad to include.
Clay is a HUGE winner.. lil ones enjoy the change from playdough.. big kids will be totally sucked in. Clay is cheap enough to chuck or air dry or reuse if kept moist.
Picnics rock – spend 1/2 cooking treats and then meet dh for an impromptu picnic in the park – including activities and running games.
HTH..
My boys always LOVED legos! It kept them busy for hours on end!!!
Finally! You have come over to the MAC side…welcome.
Just checked out the links to the sites. Very cool bathing suits…if I wore bathing suits, lol.
Can’t say I liked the stuff at Alloy. It was too much like the stuff I wore as a kid in the 80s, which I thought was horrible back then.
This post was fairly old, but I’m sure you’ll see this since you moderate. I don’t have a comment about kid activities, but I would like to share a laundry tip –
I only have 2 girls, but I used to drown in laundry. Rather than having a routine, I would periodically declare a Laundry Day, combine all the family’s clothing & linens, sort by color, and attack. I hated sorting and putting away the clean laundry. The process would drag on for days! I hated trying to remember who was wearing Jasmine underwear, and who had Belle…. once clean, everything got wrinkled and unattractive.
So, I changed. I started to do the laundry by bedroom. On set days each week.
Laundry comes out of bedroom in a laundry basket, including linens. I do it all on cold, and each daughter’s stuff normally fits in 1 load (including linens). Laundry gets cleaned, dried, and returned (unfolded) in the basket. Each daughter (sometimes with my assistance) puts away their own clean laundry. Bim, bam, boom – it’s done. (In fact, now that they’re teens, they do it themselves)
I do my husband’s and mine together (since we share a bedroom). We take 3 loads since we’re bigger than the girls are.
Then, I generally do one other load during the week for misc towels, cloth napkins, sports stuff, dishtowels…
It’s much more manageable to do it by bedroom, rather than all mish-mashed together.
HTH –
Marion in Rochester