Help! My Babies Are Becoming Teens

Kristen at We Are That Family is hosting my favorite themed edition of Works for Me Wednesday. It is the Backwards Edition, where instead of me offering a practical tip for my readers, I solicit a tip from you. Ohhhh,  do I need tips. For those of you who are blessed to be parents of teens, help! My babies are now at the edge of their teen years at 12 and 13. In my opinion, the [+]

Free Movie Rentals

We do not watch or rent videos often, but when we do, it's a special occasion. Whenever we have a household project we need to tackle or want to reward the children, I go either to our local library or Blockbuster for a bargain. Because we rarely bring new videos home, they are extra special and the provide necessary time my guy and I need for either our own downtime or to occupy the children so [+]

Quick Homemade Play Dough

My daughter recently had a friend over and they had a fantastic time with quick, homemade play dough, thanks to Play Dough Recipes.  This is a great recipe to have handy as we get into the "cooped up inside" season. The ingredients are basic and preparation is easy. You will need: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup hot water 1/2 cup salt Food coloring In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Add hot water and food color to the flour mixture and [+]

The Magical Sliced Banana

Have you heard of the rare Magical Sliced Banana from South America? My children had not, so I presented them with the special unpeeled banana for an afternoon snack. When my daughter peeled it, she noticed it was already sliced. With wide eyes, she examined the banana and looked for clarification that I had not pre-peeled the banana. I had not. The gig went on for a few minutes until she found my print-out from Enchanted [+]

Occupy Children with Chenille Stems

If you are trying to fit in a last road trip before school starts or need a creative way to keep children quiet and occupied while outside the home, chenille stems are perfect. They involve no mess, no noise and lots of imagination. Fill a zippered gallon bag with chenille stems of various colors and sizes and watch what your children create. Young children can make simple shapes and practice forming the alphabet while [+]

Dinner Conversation – Part 2

Last week, I shared with you how we learn about the children's day while gathered around the dinner table. I promised you another conversation idea this week. This week's idea will not only make the meal time more fun, but will also give you an interesting glimpse into your children's developing personalities. A while back I found a book called Kidchat Too! and fell in love with it. This book is intended to spark conversations by [+]

Dinner Conversation

Do your children like to talk? Or do you have to drag information out of them? My children love to talk. I mean they really, really love talking. Honestly, I wouldn't change that about them even if I could. I understand some children do not open up much and even when asked about their day, they might shrug and give a one word answer. You will find the other extreme in our home. There [+]

Inexpensive Snacks for Growing Children

This week's Works For Me Wednesday is a Backwards Edition, meaning I ask my readers for solutions to my dilemma. As soon as I heard it was a Backwards Edition, I knew exactly what I wanted to ask you. Our grocery bill has been steadily rising lately. My son is almost 13, and as those of you with pre-teen or teen boys know, boys this age cannot get enough to eat. I hear their appetites get [+]

Money Management for Teens

The current economy has forced millions of families to reevaluate their spending and financial futures. Now, more than ever our next generation of leaders need a strong financial start. Regardless of how the economy looks when it is time for these teens to finally step out on their own, they will need as many tools for success as possible. Our family is right at the preteen/teen cusp and we are still learning how to wade [+]