Family Fun Ideas to Enjoy Together in February

We are in the depths of winter weather with months to go until our kids will be running around outside again.   My kids are already restless, maybe yours are too? Besides the onset of cabin fever due to inclement weather, many months are left in the school year. Count down the minutes until the spring thaw arrives and try these fun things for families to do together in February.

Enjoy Winter Activities As A Family

Depending where you live, there may be lots of opportunities to enjoy outdoor winter activities such as sledding, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, or even building snow forts.

Play Indoors 

Staying in the house doesn't mean everyone has to parked in front of the TV or video game screen. There are plenty of indoor activities for kids that like board games and creativity exercises. You can also take the kids on a family trip to indoor sports like bowling, indoor roller rinks, and indoor skating rinks.

Black History Month 

Take a break for history.  Learn about Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and other key people who made a difference. Even younger children can embark on this learning journey through age-appropriate printables and activities.

National Snack Food Month 

Use February's National Snack Food Month to teach your kids about healthy eating habits. Start by preparing healthy snacks kids will love or shake things up with some healthy smoothie recipes kids will love.

International Friendship Month 

Celebrate International Friendship Month by helping your kids recognize their appreciation for their friends. Kids can write thank you cards to their pals.

National Cherry Month 

Cook with your kids. Prepare some cherry recipes together for a "bushel" of fun. You won't have any seasonally ripe cherries in the house (those will come in the summer). The month was established due to the legend about George Washington and the cherry tree, and serves to show that cherry products are available year-round. You can get creative with a cherry blossom craft as well.

Responsible Pet Owners' Month 

Whether you're a pet parent to a dog, cat or a gerbil, it teaches responsibility.  Teach your kids how to be good pet owners, Choosing the right family pet is the first step. Whether you're showing your kids how to take care of dogs properly, teaching them how to bond with cats or helping them learn about exotic pets, being a responsible pet owner is a lifelong commitment.

More than 5 Ways to Celebrate the Lunar New Year With Your Kids!

My favorite part of our family's Lunar New Year celebration (also referred to as Chinese New Year) is that it is a day filled with fun. Family and friends, both Asian and American, are always eager to gather and enjoy celebrating together. It's often a casual affair at our house, but my kids look forward to it almost as much as Christmas. If you've never celebrated Lunar New Year before, here are nine ways to start!

Look up your family's Chinese zodiac signs and see if any of the descriptions are reflective of your personalities.

Read a book about Lunar New Year.

Make paper lanterns and hang them in your home. 

Attend a Lunar New Year festival or celebration near you.

Learn some words in an Asian language.

Enjoy a Lunar New Year tasting menu including foods like noodles, dumplings and spring rolls.

If you've celebrated Lunar New Year in the past, what was your favorite part of the festivities?

Potty Training Tips: Strategy from your First Kid to your Second Kid

Back as a first-time parent, I remember absolutely dreading potty training. It seemed overwhelming and I felt unprepared. However, through a bit of trial and error, my husband and I figured it out together. It may not have been in the timing I’d wanted, but in the end we got there, and it felt good.

Then, we had our second baby and assumed I sort of had this potty training business down. So I went about it the same way — only to realize just how different it can be the second time. Here are a few things I learned.

1. Each child has a unique potty training experience.

Each child has a unique potty training experience and my children were no different. With my first child, she wanted to do everything in her own timing — especially when it came to potty training. I was determined that she would be potty trained by the time she turned two, but to my dismay, she had absolutely ZERO interest in any of it. Then, six months later, of her own volition, she decided she was ready for “big girl undies” and that was that. Within three days, she was fully potty trained — and less than a month later, she adamantly refused to wear her Pull-Ups at night anymore. Never had an accident and never looked back.

My son’s potty training experience, however, was a slower process. It started sooner, but with more setbacks along the way and a backtrack or two. We had to go back to using Pull-Ups again for awhile after he first switched over to underwear and we used them at night for nearly a year. But that doesn’t mean his potty training journey was a failure — it was just a different journey. He needed time and lots of encouragement, so that’s exactly what we gave him.  He had more ups and downs and accidents along the way, but I can say that he finally figured it out in his own timing.

2. Each stage of parenting is different.

When you have just one child, it’s a bit easier to focus on potty training. I don’t want to concern anyone into thinking that it’s “harder” the next time around, because it’s not. Potty training your second child is just different, because your stage of parenting is different.

With the first child, you could be more regimented and focused, but with your second, your attention is divided. You are now trying to meet the needs of your older child while simultaneously keep your head in the potty training game with your younger one. It’s easier to miss those potty cues when you’re busy with another child, so there may be more accident clean up along the way. The upside is that you’ll probably be a bit less uptight and less stressed out this time.

3. Children have different motivation.

Finding out what motivates your child is a big part of the potty training process. My first was all about treats as a reward for using the potty (dried cranberries were her favorite), my second loved a good sticker chart. Both of them were heavily motivated by praise. Whatever works best for your child, do that thing. It may take a bit of trial and error, but it will be well worth it.

4. You have much better perspective the second time around.

In both parenting and potty training, perspective is everything – and the good news for those of you tackling potty training a second time around is that you will have a much better perspective. The first time around, I stressed myself out over potty training. I worried when I noticed my daughter was taking a bit longer to potty train than some of her peers and I felt like it was never going to happen. With my second, I had the perspective that came from seeing my daughter through potty training already and realizing that potty training will eventually happen — in the perfect timing for your child. It made it a whole lot easier to let go and enjoy the ride.

4 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Whole Family

Let’s be honest. If you have a baby or young kids, the chances of sneaking away for a romantic Valentine’s Day date are pretty slim.

But that doesn’t mean you should skip the holiday altogether! There are many ways to celebrate love without leaving home. From a special meal, movie or moment, you can still enjoy the holiday with your family.

1. Make Something Together

A Valentine’s craft project can be a fun way to celebrate with your family. How cute is this ‘heart-felt’ craft?

2. A Special Breakfast

Why not start the day by celebrating love? Enjoy a home-cooked breakfast like heart-shaped pancakes or toast. Throw some strawberries and chocolate chips into your oatmeal for a special Valentine’s Day treat.

3. Movie Night

At the end of a long day, a movie is a great way to relax. If the entire family is watching, enjoy a kid-friendly love story like Lady & the Tramp or Aladdin. If it’s just you and your honey, find a movie that you saw together on your first few dates.

4. Remember Your Past

Look through some of your old photos and reminisce about the times you’ve had together. From dating and marriage to vacations and new babies, it’ll be fun to see how far you’ve come. The kiddos will enjoy it, too!

5. A Picnic Lunch

Maybe you don’t have romantic reservations for dinner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a special meal. Sneak away to your favorite park for a picnic lunch with the whole family. If it’s too cold, enjoy a picnic indoors.

3 ways to make Valentine’s Day more meaningful for your family

Very shortly, February 14th will turn on our calendars once again.  In many parts of the world, this means it's time to think about celebrating Valentine's Day.

Once I became a mother, I realized with a little creativity and thoughtfulness, this holiday can be made into a celebration that our family will find memorable.

Here are five ways to make Valentine's Day more meaningful for your family.

Celebrate as a family

In 2019 Valentine's Day seems to be about romantic love, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  However, as a parent, our children need to be involved and I want them to feel the long-lasting strength of love within the family.

1. Fill a jar of sweet words.

Repurpose a jar that once held a sweet jam into a jar that holds sweet words for the family. You could have a theme for your jar - for example, "50 Reasons Why I Love Being Your Mama" or "20 Things Daddy Does That Make Me Smile."  These little love notes can be handwritten or printed out from the computer.  Decorate the jar with tissue paper, magazine clippings, old calendar pages, and some decoupage.

Although this gift is presented on Valentine's Day, it offers little words of affirmation for as long as the recipient wants to hold on to it!

2. Craft a box of memories.

Re-purpose an old shoebox into a box of favorite family memories. Encourage family members to write these memories down and contribute other sorts of memorabilia as well.  Children from preschool age on up can contribute the memories that mean the most to them, and they never tire of hearing stories from when they were babies and toddlers.

Make plans together on Valentine's Day to go through the box and remember some of the best times you have shared as a family.

3. Create a coupon book.

Your kids will love this! Parents present coupon books to the kids and vice versa, or everyone in the family could draw names and create a custom coupon book for the family member they selected.

The coupons allow “guilty pleasure” ideas and activities that normally the family might not do.   Think candy, food, fun, etiquette.

Bonus. Express gratitude.

There are so many people in our communities who quietly do their jobs so that our lives are a little easier.  Valentine's Day is a great day to take homemade cookies to civil servants, librarians, police officers, fire men, members of the clergy, and others who don't often receive the recognition the deserve.

Let's show our children that Valentine's Day can be about expressing gratitude, not all about what they have received.

Mom Fun: Celebrities Expecting Babies In 2019

Hello 2019!  Another year is inching to a close, which means that
all the most recent pregnancy announcements are going to be for
babies due in the New Year. With our favorite celebrities especially,
 it’s particularly exciting to hear about all the recent baby news.

via GIPHY

While many of the celebs expecting babies in 2019 are growing their 
already large families with the newest additions, there are a few other 
celebs who are having a baby for the very first time!

JESSICA SIMPSON & ERIC JOHNSON

Surprise! Looks like these boots are made for carrying lots of baby weight as Jessica Simpson is pregnant with lucky #3.

ROBIN THICKE & APRIL LOVE GEARY

Although fans were quite shocked to hear about Robin Thicke and Paula Patton’s split in 2015, it does appear to have all worked out for the best as he’s going to be a dad again.

JOSH PECK & PAIGE O'BRIEN

You may know Josh Peck as the latter part of the famous Drake & Josh TV show that ran from 2004-2007 on Nickelodeon. Although the show has long ended, it’s still fun to know that the actors of yesteryear are now all grown up and starting families of their own.

TAYLOR & NATALIE HANSON

Remember the Hanson brothers? Not only are they still performing but all three brothers are officially off the market and with kids of their own! In fact, the middle brother out of the trio, Taylor Hanson, recently announced that his already-large family is growing once more as they are expecting their sixth child!

TIFFANY THORNTON & JOSIAH CAPACI

Who could forget Disney Alum and former Sonny’s with a Chance’s 
star Tiffany Thornton? She may not have done much acting since her 
big Disney break but it’s still fun to know that she’s expecting 
baby number…. Three!

How To: Moms Need to Practice Self-Care in 2019

As a mom of several young kids, if I'm being honest, some weeks I can't find time to shower for more than two days (thank God for hats!). I ate dinner last night while checking homework, doing laundry, and catching up with my mom. At least once a day, I'll have to pee for so long that I start doing the potty dance like my 6-year-old until I can barely make it the bathroom. With how my crazy jam-packed schedule is, you may think it would be impossible to make time for self-care. But after many years of mommying, I've learned that if I don't take care of myself, everyone suffers. So in 2019 I'm determined to do one thing for myself every day of the year, even if it's just for a few minutes.

via GIPHY

Let's face it - my happiness and sanity depend on it.

"A little goes a long way," is my self-care mantra, but I didn't always go that way. When I was much younger, if I didn't fit a 4-mile run (today?  Ha!)  into my day, I got cranky and resentful toward my family. As we've added to our brood over the years, however, I have realized that there won't always be an extra hour to devote to my personal fitness goals. There may only be 10 minutes when the baby is napping, the kids are playing alone, and before I need to start dinner or run someone to Girl Scouts or swim practice. But that 10 minutes is better than nothing. Maybe I'll roll out my yoga mat and do ten sun salutations. Maybe I'll stretch and focus on breathing deeply. Moving my body is always the best medicine for parenting angst. I feel my stress melt away and my patience recharge.

Still, it took my husband to point out that I am a better mom when I take the time to feel good about myself. He reminds his "control-freak wife" there's no reason to feel guilty when I leave the kids with him on a Saturday morning so I can take a walk with a friend or try a new yoga class. He jokes that "everyone wins" when mom is in a good head space. And the truth is, if I don't get that break to pay attention to my needs, I'll find myself snapping at one of the kids when they ask where their clean socks are or starting to cry as I'm nursing my son, feeling trapped and smothered. 

To any parent out there who thinks they shouldn't take time away from the kids to do something for themselves, whether that's getting a manicure once a week or reading a book that isn't Goodnight Moon, I'd say you need to ask yourself who you're serving by neglecting you. Trust me; I've been there, when it feels impossible to find even a few seconds in the day without a child hanging off of you. I can't tell you how many times I've showered with all four of my kids complaining and crying outside the shower door. I feel like I want to scream, and sometimes, I do. Then, I'll mentally berate myself for letting the kids down if I want to exercise instead of play My Little Pony or hide-and-seek after. Those are the moments when self-care is the most important — when I need to put myself first. Then, when I feel refreshed, I can play with a smile on my face rather than holding back tears while wondering what happened to my life.

Next year will only bring more parenting chaos and stress, especially since we are considering having another baby (yep, we're crazy!). Still, no matter what's happening in our family, I will not let one day go by when I don't take a time out for self-care. Some days I may get an hour, and other days it might be 5 minutes. It's about remembering, each day, that my needs are important, too.