I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Take a moment to check out some wonderful kid's activities in below, and check the Best Blogs for Local Fun to see what's happening in your neck of the woods!
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There have been times when I have considered moving my personal weight loss chronicles to another blog. I have wondered: Why should I blog about fitness and weight loss on a site called Local Fun for Kids? But, every time I see a statistic about obesity in America, it reminds me why I need to keep this going here.
Did you know, according to LetsMove.gov:
Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled. Now, nearly one in three American kids are overweight or obese. Those statistics are mind boggling. Fortunately, my kids are extremely active and neither of them have weight issues. I want to keep it that way. I want to be a role model for them. It's important for me to encourage them to stay active by showing them that I am active. I'm not perfect, but I want to do my best to encourage healthy eating too. My kids' eating habits are developing now and my six year old and I have already had many conversations about high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and other things we try to avoid.
I recently started having bi-weekly phone consultations with a Dietitian which is really helping to keep me on track. I've been exercising at least 3-4 times a week, and started Weight Watchers too. I love my Dietitian because she keeps me focused. She understands that a "diet" isn't what I need. I really need to slowly implement better fitness and eating habits so that they can last a lifetime. If it means doing 3-4 work-outs a week and Weight Watchers 2 days a week, and slowing working up, than that's what I need to do.
So, I hope you stick with me on this journey. I know there are lots of other moms who are in the same boat. No matter what your body type, staying healthy and being active is important to everyone.
"The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake."
- First Lady Michelle Obama at the Let’s Move! launch on February 9, 2010
Go to Toys ''R'' Us this Saturday, June 16th, from 2-4 pm to create your own Lego Batman or Superman shield and take it home.
Click here to find a store near you.
Thanks to Jersey Family Fun for the tip!
In every job that must be done There is an element of fun you find the fun and snap! The job's a game
- Mary Poppins
I think Mary Poppins was onto something. Nothing is worse than having kids out shopping with you when they don't want to be there. But, if you can turn a job into a game, it's so much better for everyone! Stephanie from Louisville family fun came up with some fun Supermarket Bingo Cards that you can stick in your purse for those impromptu trips to the grocery store.
Continue here for FREE Printables of Supermarket Bingo
Do you have any tips for keepin kids happy in the grocery store?
Summer is here and many moms are searching for quick boredom busters that they can break out when the kids need a quick activity!
Last week, I shared a cute egg carton flower craft that my son made at school. There are so many different crafts you can make with egg cartons. Almost everyone has an egg carton in the house. With a few supplies and a little imagination, you can really have a lot of inexpensive fun creating egg carton crafts with your kids.
1) Jewelry Box by B-Inspired Mama
2) Turtle by Crafty Crafted
3) Lady Bugs by Marin Mommies
4) Counting Game by Sparkle Power
5) Dragons by Juggling with Kids
6) Egg Carton Caterpillar & Butterfly
7) Boats by The Madhouse
8) Painted Prints by The Imagination Tree
9) Floral Fairy Wreath by Mom 2 Posh Little Divas
10) Trucks by Rub Some Dirt On It
Do you know of any others that I missed?
It's Kid's Co-op time again!
Calling all Delaware County, PA, families! Please come to a Family Fun Fair tomorrow, June 9th, from 11am to 2pm in Springfield, PA. The organizers of this event have been working extremely to put this together, and there will be something for everyone! Don't miss the HUGE consignment sale with kids clothes - everything only $1.00. There will also be raffles, a bake sale, music by Makin' Music, a moon-bouce and more!
The goal of this fair is to enjoy a special afternoon in honor of my friend Tara and raise money for the education fund for the children. Gabriel, 5, and Madeline, 3, Ertle lost their mom to stage four liver cancer in February at the young age of 35. For more information about the event and about Tara, please go to ErtleEducationFund.com
A Big Thank You to Jennifer from PhillyFunforKids.com for donating
a beautiful basket full of Avon Products for the Raffle!
For years, I've been buying Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. Now that I've learned that I can use it to make my own natural cleaner for less than $1.00, I'm completely hooked!
The main reason I love this soap is because it's all natural and the peppermint scent is unbelievable! My 4 year old loves using spray bottles to help me clean, but I don't want him around any toxic chemicals. Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Soaps are: completely biodegradable and vegetable-based, made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic Oils & don't use any synthetic foaming agents, thickeners or preservatives.
I can't wait to get my hands on some of their other natural soaps like: Citrus, Lavender, Tea Tree, Rose, Almond and Eucalyptus. Can you imagine how amazing a rose or almond homemade natural cleaner would smell?
Trader Joe's has been carrying this product for as long as I can remember, but you can also buy it direct from the Dr. Bronner's website. At Trader Joe's I can get a 32 ounce bottle of Dr Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap for $9.99. That means I can make a large spray bottle of my own natural cleaner for less than $1.00.
Just pour the water into a large spay bottle and then add the castille soap and vinegar. Tightly seal the bottle and give it a shake. That's it.
Making homemade natural cleaner is that easy to make! Now, I can let my kids help clean around the house and we don't have to worry about any harmful chemicals. Are you trying to use more earth friendly products around the house? What's your favorite?
Statistics show that the average North American family of four uses 40 egg cartons per year.* We eat a lot of eggs in my house and my kids would probably eat eggs for breakfast every morning if I let them. My six year old has even cooked eggs for himself, with my close supervision, and he loves it! Lucky for us, there are a lot of different ways to recycle and reuse your egg cartons.
My son recently came home with a colorful bouquet of egg carton flowers. This is a really simple craft that could be done with toddlers, preschoolers or older kids. For this craft, you'll need: paper egg cartons, popsicle sticks, paint, glue, and glitter. I placed my son's bouquet in a little terra cotta pot, but it looks really cute without it too.
This one is my favorite!
This is a great way to use up all of those old egg cartons and popsicle sticks that will be accumulating over the summer. Do you have any other good ideas for reusing egg cartons?
Ever since I've had kids, I have not been much of a morning person.
I wouldn't label myself as a co-sleeping mom, but ultimately, I think it's undeniable. Neither of my sons have been good sleepers, and I've spent much of the past 6 years hopping from bed to bed every night. My 6 year old finally started sleeping by himself through the night when he started Kindergarten, so the bed hopping has decreased dramatically since then. My other son very rarely sleeps by himself through the night, but only having one 'bad sleeper' is making it so much easier to become a morning person.
Back in March, I wrote about early morning exercise, but, up until now, I haven't dedicated myself to a fitness routine. Staying healthy and getting fit is a huge priority for me, so if that means waking up at 5:30am in the morning to excercise, then I'm going to do it. See that photo of me wearing my Sweaty Band (fitness head band) and my favorite jacket from Jockey Person to Person? That photo was taken after a 6am workout with a friend.
That's right! By 7am, my workout was DONE and I was ready to start the day!
Another thing that is really making a difference for me is having a strong support system. My dad is committed to getting fit and so are a lot of my friends. Scheduling work outs with friends is helping me stay accountable and makes exercise much more fun.
In the past three weeks, I've lost almost 4 pounds with the help of Weight Watchers and exercise. After speaking with a dietitian from Optum Health, I realized that I am on the right track, I just need to be patient. The dietitian emphasized that it's important to take one step at a time when it comes to changing your lifestyle . She suggested that I set a goal to lose 20 pounds within the next 4 months. I can accomplish this by writing down what I eat (counting calories or WW points) and committing to work out at least 3 days a week.
Easy Peasy.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Can you imagine having the same job for 60 years? The Queen of England knows exactly how that feels as she celebrates 60 years as Monarch. Not only do my friends in England get a long weekend & extra time off from work (so jealous!) but there are many celebrations taking place as well. Even if you're not in England, there are some fun ways to get your kids involved in the celebration.
1) Send a Message to the Queen. Let your child type it out themselves, or let your preschoolers dictate their message to you and watch you send it to the Queen. Click here to email the Queen of England.
2) Try a new British recipe with your kids like this recipe for Scotch Eggs from the upcoming Disney Movie Brave which will be in theatres on June 22nd. Click here for the full size pritable recipe card.
3) Play a game online. Your kids can unscramble a picture puzzle which will help improve their problem solving and reasoning skills. Click here British themed puzzles.
4) Find a local British Pub and enjoy a traditional English meal, like fish and chips. Our favorite place for English food is The Whip Tavern. It's a very popular restaurant tucked away in Coatesville, PA, and they have the best English food I've tasted on this side of the Atlantic.
5) Watch a video on the Royal Channel or, just check out an episode of Charlie and Lola on YouTube.
Isn't this a fun way to start learning about history and celebrate from a distance?
Summer is almost here! Are you ready?
I'm not 100% ready... but I'm working on it.
I have a long summer to-do-list that includes getting organized, sticking with a new fitness routine, keeping my family happy and healthy, enhancing reading skills for my little guys, nurturing relationships, and having fun. There are so many other other things on the agenda, but these are the some of my most important goals.
When it comes to schedules, I usually just wing it. But this summer, I think a more structured schedule is going to be key. I'm also looking forward to writing more about losing weight and getting fit. I've set a goal to lose 20 pounds within the next 4 months. Today, I cycled 17 miles with a friend, and I plan to work out intensely about 3-4 times a week from this point forward. It may sound cheesy, but I'm truly motivated to make this the best summer yet!
What are your plans for the summer? Take a look at some new ideas from the Weekly Kid's Co-op and get inspired to create special memories with your kids.
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Do you have any fun ideas you want to share? Leave a comment or link up!
1. Find up your new kid-friendly blog posts and add your link below.
2. Please grab a button.
3. Link directly to your project post and please don't link to stores or non-blogs.
When my family was driving around Sanibel Island FL, we had so much fun with the tongue twister:
She sells seashells down by the sea shore.
Sanibel beaches are full of the most beautiful sea shells I have ever seen in my life. Many of the shells I picked up on the beach were tiny. Just like snowflakes, each shell was different and special in it's own way. I kept finding shells that were a shades of red and white. My 6 year old and I nick-named them 'Strawberry Shortcake' shells. Every time we found a Strawberry Shortcake shell we'd get so excited.
But, what do you do with so many beautiful shells? We used a basic recipe for homemade clay using whole wheat flour, salt and water.
1 part Salt
2 parts Whole Wheat Flour
1 part Water
Glitter & Paint (Optional)
Mix up the ingredients until they are the consistency of a bread or pizza dough. If it feels too dry, add a little bit of water. Or, if it seems too sticky, add a little more flour and salt (in equal parts).
We used a cookie cutter to form a small oval shape.
Then, we pressed the shells into our oval shaped clay forms and created little keepsakes. We created a small hole in the top by pressing a straw through the clay. Finally, we dried them in the toaster oven at 250 degrees until they hardened.
What's your favorite summer themed craft for kids?
One of my favorite memories of college was working part time in an Indian restaurant. Even at 20 years old, I was always impressed with the parents who would bring their toddlers and kids for the lunch buffet. Now as a parent, I appreciate the effort to eat-outside-the-box even more, because I know how easy it is to get into routine of sticking with restaurants that serve predictable, kid-friendly food like chicken tenders and fries.
If you're going to introduce your child to a new style of food, a buffet is a great way to do it. Even picky eaters may enjoy Tandoori chicken, Naan bread, Raita and a delicious Mango Lassi. If you've never had a Mango Lassi before, it's a traditional yogurt-based drink from India, but it's also very popular in the UK, Malaysia and Singapore. It's really simple to make and it's a healthy way to introduce your child to the traditional food from another country.
I found a Mango Lassi recipe from Jaime Oliver on the Food Network website, and I adapted it so we could use the ingredients we already had at home.
Our recipe included:
4 ouces of Fresh Mango
3 ounces of plain Greek Yogurt
5 ounces of Low fat Milk
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Here is Jamie Oliver's Mango Lassi Recipe.
Do you stick to the basics or explore new cuisine's with your child? What do you think of Indian cuisine?
This weekend, I did something for the very first time.
I rode a duck.
Every time we have out of town guests, they always have a few things on their to-do-list:
1) Eat a Philly Cheese Steak
2) Check out Philadelphia's Independence Hall & The Liberty Bell
3) Run up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum just like Rocky.
One thing we've never done was Ride the Ducks. If you've never heard of Ride the Ducks before, they offer sight-seeing tours in Philadelphia and the following U.S. cities: Branson, San Francisco, Newport, KY and Stone Mountain Park, GA.
The Ride the Ducks tour in Philadelphia begins in the heart of the Independence Mall area across from the Liberty Bell. It's about 70 minutes long and includes about 10 minutes in the Delaware River. It's very family friendly tour and is a nice combination of education and entertainment.
During the Ride the DucksPhiladelphia tour, we saw many local attractions, including: Betsy Ross's House, South Street, Ben Franklin's Gravesite, and Penn's Landing. I've been exploring this city since I was a kid, but I still learned quite a bit during the tour which was led by our cheerful guide, nick-named the "Philly Fanatic."
We were learning and laughing throughout the entire tour. As a mom, I was really happy that everything was very family friendly and all of the guide's humor was completely appropriate for even my four year old.
The duck was very comfortable. There was no air conditioning, but it was almost completely open on the sides which provided a nice breeze as we cruised around the city. We were encouraged to quack at passers-by as we enjoyed the music of Philadelphia bred artists.
Planning on Riding the Ducks in Philadelphia? Here are a few tips:
Have you ever done a Ride the Ducks sight-seeing tour? Would you recommend it?
Note: This post is not sponsored by Ride the Ducks. It's just my opinion.
It's time for another Kids Co-Op!
This weekend, my plan is simple. I'll be enjoying the time with my family and soaking up some sun (while lathered in SPF 30 sunscreen). Even though I won't be posting again until Tuesday, you can keep coming back to this linky, as new ideas will be added daily.
Have a wonderful weekend! See you next week!
/">src="http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i357/localfunforkids/kidscoop.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" />
Do you have any fun ideas you want to share? Leave a comment or link up!
1. Find up your new kid-friendly blog posts and add your link below.
2. Please grab a button.
3. Link directly to your project post and please don't link to stores or non-blogs.
Seeing my kids gain independence as they get older is one of the greatest privileges of motherhood.
There are certain moments, like watching them swim or ride their bikes without training wheels, that make my heart smile. My sons are getting smarter, more confident and more social every day. But, when it comes down to it, they're still kids. No matter how independent they want to be at age 6 or age 16, they need guidance. For many more years to come, it will be up to my husband and I to help our kids stay out of trouble.
I'm taking it one day at a time, and, for now, my sons are young enough that they only get supervised computer time. But, for older kids, I found a few helpful tips for monitoring online activity. They are:
1) Supervise Internet and Mobile Phones: If you can see what your kids are doing, they're less likely to get in trouble. Consider using a Parental Intelligence System such as uKnowKids.com.
2) Safeguards Safe Kids: Installing CIA-level monitoring software on your kids' computers does not guarantee they'll be safe online. Technology can't replace your time and attention as a parent or guardian.
3) Don't go overboard: It's smart to keep an eye on your kids' social networking pro les, but it's never cool when you post embarrassing messages or pictures to their page.
(Source)
Aren't these tips are a great place to start? I'm really grateful that parents are taking the initiative to develop products, like UKnowKids.com, that help to keep our children safe online Check out this video to see how it works.
UknowKids.com provides: Comprehensive Facebook Monitoring,Mobile phone and text message monitoring, child GPS tracking and more. There are multiple subscription options including both paid and free options. You can find find out more on UKnowKids.com.
Have you ever used a service like this? What do you think?
Lowe's is having a FREE Kid's Build & Grow Clinic this Saturday that you won't want to miss! Your kids can build their very own wooden Ice Cream Truck. My kids love all of these hands-on activities and they are always so proud of their work.
Every child who participates will get to complete this project for FREE at the workshop, plus they'll get a free Apron and a patch.
I'm the type of cook who likes experimenting with different ingredients and recipes. However, if I find a recipe that works, I don't hesitate to make it over and over again. Now, with BBQ season here, I wanted to take a minute to highlight some of my favorite recipes for simple summer side dishes.
,
Recipe for Greek Tzatziki Cucumber Dip/Sauce
Tortellini & Grape Tomatoes & Pesto
What will you be cooking up this weekend?
Ah, the good old days....
Does anyone else remember roller skating to the tune of Salt n' Pepa's Push It? I remember lots of good times at the roller skating rink. But, my kids? I don't think they even know what a roller skating rink is. If yours don't either, it's a good time to head on over to the KidsSkateFree.com website. Here's a list of reasons, from that website, why roller skating is fun for kids.
Roller skating is:
A way to burn anywhere from 330 to 600 calories per hour!What is Kids Skate Free? It's a program designed to help children get out and be active in their local community by offering FREE admission to their local skating centers each week throughout the summer. You can see a full list of participating skating centers by going to the Kids Skate Free website. If you see one near you, just click on the name and you can see the details for that partular center. If not, check back again another day, because they are still adding more centers. Some of Kids Skate Free FAQ's are listed here.
I'll be getting on my skates this summer? Will you?
Thanks to Jennifer @ JerseyFamilyFun for the tip!
