How to survive a Staycation

It's March Break for my kids this week and sadly we aren't going anywhere. I've explained to the kids we're having a "stay-cation". It's like a vacation, but where we stay at home.
After the screaming and swearing died down, I presented my suggestions for a super, awesome staycation. These ideas are easy, creative and cheap!

Theme days 
Kids love to dress up! Create a theme day from a movie or book.
We had a Toy Story theme day where the kids dressed up as characters from the movie and we watched all 3 movies throughout the day.

Cupcake decorating
This activity is not only delicious, but creative and keeps kids busy for at least a good hour.

Movie Day
Pop some popcorn, snuggle up in some comfy pjs and put on your favourite movies. If you need some inspiration, check out my Top 5 Family Movie Review

Scavenger hunt
In our case, the weather outside is frightful, so our hunt would take place inside.
You can hide certain items yourself around the house, or send the kids to hunt for things you know are already in sight. Create a list of items and draw pictures for the little ones who can't read yet.
Make it challenging (it'll take up more time) like finding a blue and white polka dot sock or something you know would be difficult to find.
Group the kids into teams and send them on their way! Make sure to have a little treat or surprise at the end for them to enjoy:)

Beach Party
My kids are huge fans of beach parties! They put on bathing suits and turn our bathroom into a sunny destination!
They lay out towels to "sunbathe" on, make fancy drinks and play some beach themed music. It's a perfect way to forget about all the snow outside the bathroom window! This is also a perfect time to paint some nails or rub on some temporary tattoos.

Tip: Make it extra fun by throwing some Barbie dolls into the party too! The bathtub is perfect for a Barbie pool party. Use facecloths for Barbie towels, plastic tupperware for boats, and the faucet serves as a perfect Barbie diving board.

Get outside
I've expressed before that we aren't a Winter season family, so this suggestion is for everyone but us.
Try out a new activity like snow-shoeing or a sleigh ride. Pack some hot chocolate in a thermos to take along and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer!


I'd love to hear some of your ideas for a fabulous Staycation!

Confessions of a Super-Mom

 Behind the scenes!
Baggy clothes, messy hair and the beginning of what will be a long history of back problems

Occasionally, I've been referred to as a "supermom". This makes me laugh because I have a vision of a super-mom and it's not me. I wear no cape, have no super powers, or fly.

Wikipedia states that the word supermom is a term used to describe a woman who, either out of choice or out of necessity, tries to simultaneously excel in several occupations, one of which is being a mother.

It's of course a flattering title. To think that someone believes I have the ability to do something that other women can't. Taking all my kids to the grocery store, organizing a birthday party or re-decorating a room while running a house-full of kids. These activities are more of a necessity and I don't ever expect to excel in them, haha!

Mothers who feed their kids only organic food.
Mothers who are on time.
Mothers who use cloth diapers.
Those are my inspirations, my trying tasks.

I envy mothers who have their hair brushed, makeup on, and a stylish outfit to match. Correction, I'm fascinated by those mothers. Hell, if you've taken a shower, I'm intrigued.
Where did they find the time and energy to do their hair, and put on makeup?
Did they pick out that outfit from their collection of laundry baskets in their bedroom corner?

You're wearing heels to gymnastics class? How are you able to chase your kids across the parking lot in those?
My normal wardrobe consists of yoga pants and a hoodie. There's no style there.

The truth is, every mom is a super-mom. Every mom faces parenting obstacles everyday, no matter how big or small. Whether you have 1 kid or 10, it's never easy. They often try my patience, can annoy me to the fullest, and exhaust the F@#$ out of me. But, I thrive off my children, live vicariously through them and absolutely adore them.
Parenting is one of the hardest endeavors I've ever taken on. I chose it, and for me it's a necessity.

I love it.

Bath-time Fun

Baths are probably one of my kid's favourite in-house activities. They all love water, the warmth and playing with tub toys. Evening baths are a great way to calm my kids down from a busy day and get them in the mind-frame for bedtime *cringe*
It's also a great time for me, because it keeps them entertained so I can get some evening housework done. I can bring a basket of laundry to fold into the bathroom while they are there, clean the bathroom and since their bedrooms are adjacent to the bathroom, it's a great opportunity to spend  some time in there tidying up or put laundry away.

And who doesn't love the thought of a squeaky clean kid? Is it just me?

Bubbles can get tiresome and even certain tub toys can overstay their welcome. Here are a few fun and easy accessories that can really make bath-time a "splash"!

Glowsticks
Turn off the lights and toss some glowsticks in the water (make sure to check there are no leaks first). Kids will have a great time watching the water light up!

Strainer
Who doesn't have one of these in the kitchen? Kids will love dipping it under water and making it rain. Or use a clean sponge to create the same effect.

Bath Crayons
These look like alot of fun! However since I hate mess and destruction, I'll never buy them.
Here is a great link to make your own!

Have a beach party
Play some music, lay out some towels on the floor, and make some fancy drinks. If you have an indoor tree, bring it in to create a tropical feel.

Why having a large family rocks!

In this day and age a family of six is considered a "large family". We just barely fit in a minivan, never qualify for vacation packages (family of four only!) and always get denied in those "kids eat free" gimmicks (only one kid per adult). 
I grew up as an only child and later gained a step brother, and a half brother, so I never experienced a houseful of siblings. Unlike my husband who is one of three kids, all very close in age. Although I never imagined I'd have four kids, I feel very blessed that my kids will grow up with such a wonderfully, large support system. They'll always have someone in their corner, cheering them on from the sidelines and coaching them from behind the stage.

Of course there are several pros and even more cons to having a large family, but I thought I'd start the year off right and be thankful for the pros of my wild and crazy household!

You're never alone
There is never a dull moment with a house full of kids! Our evenings can easily turn into an impromptu play, baseball game or dance party. You always have a friend to talk to and enjoy your time with. The house is never empty and with so many of us, it feels like a party everyday!

Reliving milestones

I've had the pleasure of experiencing all the important moments in life four times. Watching each kid walk, talk and jump on the school bus for the first time never gets old.

You're always learning

My kids will always have a playmate! Therefore, teaching each other how to share, take turns and look after one other. They'll experience several life events as they get older and learn from their siblings.

Celebrations

We're always celebrating something! Birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. Special holidays, like Christmas and Halloween are so much fun with four kids!

Needless to say, happy families come in all sizes. I experienced a wonderful childhood in a small family, and my kids are having great childhoods here in our crowded house.
Yes, my kids will grow up wearing hand-me-downs, sharing a room, and adjusting to a large level of noise and a hectic household, but it works for them and for all of us, and that's the most important thing!

When Ninja Turtles have Birthdays

My youngest turned 4 today. Im still in shock. The day he was born still feels like it was yesterday and when I look back on the last 4 years, it seems like a blur. Being the youngest boy in a family of 3 girls was going to be a challenge, or so I thought. I envisioned him growing up surrounded by the femininity of his sisters and inheriting their love of hosting tea parties, playing dress-up and watching Disney Princess movies. When in fact, he is the complete opposite! He fits into society's version of a boy - rough, loves swords, cars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I have no idea how. 

I now find myself crawling out of my comfort zone of fashion and nail glitter to dinosaurs and action figures. It's new and kind of exciting for me. 
Instead of a Birthday of butterflies and Justin Beiber, I had the pleasure of decorating my house with turtles and ninja weapons.


Since Im terrified of balloons my aunt made these really cute turtle balloons! Simply made with ribbon and craft eyes.

Snacks were green drinks, chips and of course pizza. 

And what party isn't complete with themed cupcakes?

Frozen Birthday Party

For Lily's 5th Birthday, we threw her a "Frozen" themed party. She loves the movie, the princesses and the song. It was a last minute idea and with a party budget already in place, I tossed around what I could. For those of you who are oblivious to this new Disney marvel of a movie, the basic theme is ice, snowflakes and everything cold.

I decorated the food table and made a backdrop to go behind it.

The backdrop was a sheer white curtain accented with snowflakes and sparkled ribbon. Using blue tissue paper, I cut it in shape of icicles and hung it amidst a homemade Birthday banner.

Included in the theme, was a white table cloth, blue kool-aid jammers and themed plates and napkins.

For dessert I showcased an Elsa cake (her dress was the cake!) and snowflake cupcakes.

The party was a hit and my girl was one happy 5 year old !

DIY Headband Holder

Lily has an obsession with headbands. She wears them everyday, coordinates them with her outfits and even sleeps with them on. 

This was how she stored them. The organizing freak inside me gagged every time I looked at them.

She found it hard to look for certain headbands, they constantly fell on the floor and could easily break when digging through them all. So I made her a headband holder!

This project took less than 15 minutes and was so easy!

I used a paper towel holder and roll and covered the roll with fabric using a hot glue gun.

I tucked in the ends and placed the roll back on the holder.

Ta Da !

My top 5 Family Movies

We spent the majority of Sunday watching movies. We had a very busy week, so lazying around on the couch, losing ourselves in the imaginary wonders of Wizardry and e-woks seemed like a great way to spend our day.
Since our kids range from the ages of 3-9 it's hard to always pin point an appropriate movie that everyone enjoys. Here are a few that solved that problem and remain family favorites!

Harry Potter

What's not to love about these movies? We love imagination and learning about a new world and way of life. It's full of magic, some laughs and just the right amount of scares. Mike and I can always sit down to watch these with the kids over and over again. Maybe it's the accents, the historic castles or Rob Pattinson's cameo.
We enjoy movie collections because the stories continue on and my kids enjoy seeing their favorite characters grow. Luckily for us, we have a choice of 8 amazing installments of witchcraft and wizardry to enjoy. My 4 year old is obsessed with the movies, and my 3 year old regularly recites many of Harry's spells.

Toy Story

Another Amazing movie collection that we never grow tired of. My kids love all the bright colors, music and familiar toys in these series. My girls loved seeing Barbie and Ken come to life together in the 3rd installment.
Not to mention the few adult jokes that amuse me every time. This collection has definitely developed a kid-cult following and I know will be one of our family favorites for years to come.

  Monsters Inc.

This movie brings real monsters to life, throws in some hilarious comedy and invites us into another world of imagination. It brings to life the familiar "Monster in the closest" scenario and adds some humor to it. My son loves monsters and everything about them, and enjoys watching this movie over and over again!

   Enchanted

We love movies with singing and dancing and Enchanted has all of that. Plus the classic fairytale storyline, with a touch of the 21st Century. How do you not fall in love with Giselle's super sweet character and taste in fashion? It's a happy movie that always makes me think of Springtime, warm weather and flowers.

  The Muppets

One of the best things I love about being a parent is introducing my kids to movies and tv shows Mike and I  loved as a kid. We both grew up watching The Muppets and made them a household name within our family. Every Muppet movie is a hit, but the 2011 film is one of our favorites. I love the wholesome, 50's era theme Disney created. It's a great plot, answering everyone's questions about the characters whereabouts since their Muppet Show days. It's silly, humorous and fun!
Again, we fell in love with the music and dancing and even I find myself humming "Am I muppet?" now and again.

Of course, there are many more awesome movies. I could have easily made a top 50 list! I'd love to hear some of your family favorites and maybe add some new flicks to our list!

Valentine's Day

For me, Valentine's Day has changed it's meaning entirely since I had kids. Once upon a time, I spent all my time and money on presents, surprises and romantic gestures for just 1 adult.

Imagine.

Now, Valentine's Day means buying and helping Madison and Jessee fill out Valentines for both their classes and planning a Valentine's party for Lily and Noah, and the kids I babysit. Oh, if I remember, Mike gets a gift and card too!
The kids love Valentine's Day. They enjoy making up all their Valentines for their classes, decorating bags, and dressing festive for the big day. Not to mention the thought of any type of "party" ! I love any reason to celebrate something, so I tend to go all out for such holidays too!

Of course, we should celebrate LOVE everyday, but Valentine's Day is a fun way for everyone to maybe go a little overboard on the love (which isn't a bad idea) and just have fun with it.

Making Valentines!

I'm planning a party today for the kids I babysit. We're decorating cookies, putting on Valentine tattoos and making heart hats from paper plates. You can find the tutorial here.

Happy Valentine's Day !!

Celebrate the Olympics with your kids!

We are loving the Olympics this year! My kids are always tuning in to watch the events, cheer for their country, and watch some amazing athletes show off their talents.

Another way to beat the winter blues is use these 2 weeks to celebrate and enjoy this fantastic world event with some great kid ideas!

Visit nobiggie where fellow mom-blogger Kami shares some great kids snacks to celebrate the Olympics

 

 

 

Here's a great Olympics craft from mommypoppins.com

Homemade medals made from cookies courtesy of saveoneverything.com

Go Canada !!

Easy Kids Crafts

My kids love to do crafts. Especially Lily, she's a craft junkie. I enjoy them myself, it's the prep and cleanup that I don't enjoy. Paper cut outs, glue, googly eyes everywhere... I came across some pretty easy and fun crafts to add to our agenda.

Check them out!

Paperbags make great crafts. They're cheap and easy to work with and make great puppets!

http://paperbagsshot.blogspot.ca/2013/08/paper-bags-crafts.html

We always have empty egg cartons, Lily has made one of these caterpillars with her Grandmother and loved it!

We're big Monsters Inc fans, so this will be fun to make!

http://www.frogsandsnailsandpuppydogtail.com/2013/08/paper-plate-monsters-craft.html

Happy Crafting !!

Surviving Winter

I'll be the first person to admit I dislike Winter. I despise the cold. Physically my body doesn't ever stay warm so I endure 5 months of uncomfortable temperatures. I hate bundling up my kids in snow pants, looking for matching gloves, lacing up snow boots and having to start my van 20 minutes before we want to get in it. And you know what? My kids aren't big fans of the cold either.
Unfortunately I can't just hibernate under my electric blanket, I have to go outside to get places and keep my kids entertained all winter.

Here are some things we do to survive until flip flop season:

1. Family Swims
My kids love to swim! The pool is always suffocatingly hot (which is perfect for me). If I'm not swimming, I  bring a book and relax on the bench while my kids splash around me.
My community offers 2 free swims every weekend, so there's no excuse for anyone to miss out!

2. Winter Getaway
Every Winter we plan a family get-away. It gives us something to look forward to, gets us out of the house and have some fun together. We never go very far, but try to go somewhere new or that we haven't been to in a while. We stay at a hotel, swim in the pool, eat out at restaurants (all of our favorites!) I love planning trips, and the organizing alone will keep me busy for a week.

Nova Scotia has some great Winter Vacation Ideas to check out.
We've gone to Halifax and toured museums, visited PEI for the Jackfrost Fest and last year traveled to Moncton to have fun at Crystal Palace.

3.The Theatre
Plan an afternoon or evening and take in a family movie! We don't do it often, with a family of 6 it's a small fortune to see a movie, so it's a treat for all of us. We all love theater popcorn!

4.Family Day
Plan a day of activities for you and the kids. You don't even have to leave your house if you don't want! Set-up an afternoon of board games and puzzles. Bake some cookies, or cook supper together and curl up together with a good movie to end the day.
You can read about our recent Family Day here.


Since I can't keep my kids inside all Winter, I've forced myself to embrace Winter and took in a few Wintery activities.
We started skating this year. I'm glad we did, as it was Lily and Noah's first time, and why deprive your children of milestones just because you're freezing your a-- off?

Why not take in a sleigh ride? What kid doesn't love that. Invite some friends or neighbors and get together afterwards for a pizza party!

We have yet to ski. But how much fun would it be to load up the van and head to the hill for the day? Another milestone for my kids!

I'd love to hear some of your ideas for surviving winter!