December 31st, 2011

New Years Ideas for Kids

Happy New Year 2012!There are lots of fun things to do today – this last day of 2012. Here are some festive ideas that you can whip up with hours to spare!

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New Year’s Eve Hats:

To make a cone-shaped hat, cut a 14 inch diameter semicircle from a large piece of poster board. Roll it into a cone, adjust its size to fit, and seal the seam with double-sided foam tape. To make the chin strap, use a thumbtack to poke a hole through each side of the hat near the bottom, thread one end of an elastic or string through each hole, and knot a few times to secure it. To have the kids decorate the hats, wrap pipe cleaners around pom-poms to make antennae or coil them around a pen to make spirals. Attach pom-poms, add fun stickers, or decorate with markers and crayons.

Make Noise Makers:

Take a clean, dry (and empty) water bottle and take off the logo. Place a handful of beads, dried beans or coins inside. Run some glue around the mouth of the bottle and replace the cap. Then make a mixture of 1/2 white craft glue and 1/2 water to cover the bottle a few times over. Tear white tissue or colored tissue paper into large chunks. (Kids love this part.) Paint a small section of the outside of the water bottle with the glue mixture. (Kids can help!) Place a torn piece of white tissue paper onto the glue mixture and paint over it with the glue mixture. Repeat this process, covering the entire bottle. You can add layers if you wish. Allow to dry. Then you can add stickers or other fun things to the bottle. Take some ribbon and tie around the cap for a festive flair.

Happy New Year’s Sign:

Have kids make a big banner to hang outside or inside the house. Take a large piece of poster board and have them go at it. If they are not old enough to write, write “2013″ and “Happy New Year” on it. Then let them decorate around the words.

Make a Time Capsule:

This is a project the whole family can get involved with. See what things your kids can think up. Whether they write a note, take a picture of themselves or collect objects found around the house, have fun! Then place in an empty shoe box covered in wrapping paper or construction paper that they can decorate. Or place in an old milk jug, old can with a lid (like a coffee jar) or other storage container.

Make a Countdown Clock:

This is great for elementary school kids. Take a paper plate and have them make numbers around the edges to make a clock. Add glitter and glue or just stick with basic markers. Then make the clock hands with pipe cleaners, heavy duty paper, etc., and secure with a fastener. Then as the day goes on, have them countdown the number of hours left until the new year!

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After making these items, set a time for your family’s New Year’s eve celebration. Whether it is at 12 noon, 6pm or 7pm. Serve fun drinks (like sparkling water mixed with orange juice and cranberry juice) and serve their favorite dinner! They can wear their hats, shake their noise makers and watch a YouTube clip of the ball dropping on the computer to yell Happy New Year (just try to ignore the fact that it is from last year). And if you miss doing it on December 31st, there is always next year! Celebrate it tomorrow!

Happy New Year Everyone!

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Image Credit: Creativity103 on Flickr Creative Commons

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December 31st, 2011

New Year’s Goals

Happy New Year 2012!

(Not Resolutions)

To be honest, I kinda loathe the whole ‘New Year’s Resolution’ thing. Maybe because the term is overused. Or maybe because many resolutions are way to lofty (and doomed for failure.) I also hate all of the weight loss pressures too. I’ve noticed the recent influx of weight loss commercials, the Living Social deal on lipo, and the huge sales on exercise equipment. (Really, people?)

So I wanted to chat about setting goals, not resolutions, and setting goals that have nothing to do with weight loss. So here are my top six 2012 goals to consider incorporating in your new year. Each goal mirrors the six categories I have in this blog: style, health, home, travel, technology, parenting. So here they are:

1. [Home] Start saving for college: Open a college specific banking account and put money in it every month that is only for education. $5, $50, $500, whatever. Anything adds up (unless it’s zero!) To make your cash go further, consider signing up for a program like UPromise. Whenever you do online shopping through UPromise, or eat out at a participating restaurant, you get a certain percentage back that goes into your college savings account. You can even earn money for grocery shopping or buying stuff like diapers or clothes. Seriously easy (and easy money as they say).

2. [Health] Go to a chiropractor or get a massage: I could link the heck out of all the articles that show the health benefits of chiropractic care and massage work, even for pregnant women. It’s real and proven, so add it to your healthy living goal for 2012. Just do your research and find a reputable chiropractor and massage therapist. Call your state board of registration to make sure they are registered, and there are no complaints against them. Ask friends and family for references and even look to see who local sports teams use. Then call your health insurance company to see if some of the care is covered or ask for a gift certificate for a birthday present.

3. [Travel] Have lunch with a friend you haven’t seen in a long time: Get in the car and go. Pick up the phone and call. Get a babysitter, tell your partner to watch the kids, or tell your regular friends you are busy, and go see someone you have wanted to see in person. It doesn’t matter if you chat with them on Facebook daily, go see them face to face. Even if it has been 15 years and if you weigh 15 pounds more; they will be so happy to see you.

4. [Style] Stop wearing sweatpants or workout clothes everywhere: Yes, I am guilty of this, but whether it is to the end of the driveway at the bus stop or the quick trips to the grocery store, try to make a conscious decision at least one day a week to not wear workout gear in public. While this is a more ‘stay-at-home’ parenting goal, the same challenge can be applied to working moms and dads who often wear sweats from 5pm Friday-7am Monday morning. By no means do I mean put on the stilettos or wear office attire, but wear a dark wash jean and a cute pair of flats, at least. (Ahem, note to self.)

5. [Parenting] Do something as a family once a month: Life can get seriously busy. Weekends can be filled with games and practices, homework and errands. But once a month, do something as an entire family. It can be just making pizza and playing a board game, or taking a trip to a museum. It doesn’t have to be costly as there are many free family-friendly events (that I even post on my local site) of which to take advantage every month.

6. [Technology] Change at least one password on an online account: We have all heard about hacking and online security breaches. One way to avoid that is to change your passwords frequently and to have different passwords for different accounts. Easier said then done. So at a minimum, pick one account to change and make the password difficult for someone to guess. And check out this article on some tools to keep track of all those passwords.

All in all, enjoy each day. Remember to pause as your tuck your kids in at night, make sure to hug someone you love everyday, and remember that no matter how many people try to knock you down, you have the strength, and the friends to help, get back up. So go and rock the heck out of 2012, my friends.

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Image Credit: Creativity103 via Flickr Creative Commons

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December 30th, 2011

Festive New Year’s Eve Drink Recipes

Champagne Glasses(Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic)

Whether you are going out for New Year’s Eve or staying in, here are some fun New Years Eve drink recipes to kick off the New Year.

One classy option at a New Year’s Eve soiree is chilled champagne with a splash of raspberry liqueur – otherwise known as a Kir Royale. Just add a tablespoon of the liqueur (like Chambord) – to each flute of champagne or sparkling wine before serving. Add some frozen raspberries for style and to keep the champagne or sparking wine chilled.

To celebrate the New Year’s Eve smooches, how about trying an Amaretto Cranberry Kiss. Fill a shaker with a cup of cranberry juice, 1/2 cup of vodka, 4 cup of amaretto and the juice of a fresh-squeezed orange. Serve in a martini glass and garnish with clementine slices. If you want to make in bulk for a party, this drink can be made a day ahead.

What if you are staying at home watching the festivities on TV in front of a fireplace? How about curling up with a cup of hot cocoa – with a twist. Make your favorite hot chocolate (from scratch or from a mix) and add a sweet flavored vodka whipped cream to each cup. Make it extra festive by sprinkling cinnamon, nutmeg or shaved chocolate on top.

If you are pregnant (like me), then libations are on the no-no list. Or perhaps you are the designated driver (you rock!), or just want to pass on the liquor, it doesn’t mean you have to stick with soda all night. Try some of these fun mocktails like the Mocktail Mojito. Take 1/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves and place in the bottom of a glass. Add ice and 6 ounces of ginger ale. Delish!

Who doesn’t love a Cosmopolitan? So here is non-alcoholic one to order up (in a martini glass, of course) and party with the rest of them: 3 ounces of cranberry juice, 5 ounces of orange flavored sparking water and one lime wedge. (Note: if you or the bartender doesn’t have orange-flavored sparkling water, ask for 2 ounces of orange juice and 3 ounces of sparking water to substitute.) For a New Year’s Day brunch, try this mocktail mimosa: 3 ounces of fresh orange juice and 3 ounces of ginger ale.

I hope you enjoy all or one of these New Years Eve drink recipes! Enjoy and make sure to drink responsibly! (And never Drink and Drive!)

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Image Credit: Fangol via stock.xchng

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December 20th, 2011

Smilebox Giveaway for Lasting Smiles

For the last day of the 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways, I wanted to close the “giveaway galore” with something that is lasting. Something that can give well beyond the holiday season. That helps you capture holiday memories and all the memories you’ll have in 2012.

The perfect answer was a year-long premium subscription to Smilebox.

Smilebox was founded in 2005 by a group of optimists with a lofty mission: joy is one of the world’s most important renewable resources, and they wanted to help people share it by connecting friends and family in sharing life’s special moments. They found a new and inspired way for us to share treasured photos and videos with family and friends. I have been using it off and on since that time, to find fun ways to share home memories with my father who has been in Afghanistan.

As Smilebox states on their website, “You need to stop reading and go make an awesome Smilebox for your favorite people in the world…Share the love and the smiles.” ….Whether down the street or across the world.

Everything from the ability to take a picture with your free Smilebox iPhone app and then add fun captions to ordinary pictures or, my favorite part – the ability to create online scrapbooks, slideshows and personalized e-cards set to music that you can store, email, post to your blog, post to Facebook or Twitter, print or save to a DVD, Smilebox is such fun.

It is all free, but if you want an ad-free experience, you can sign up for a $30 a year membership, which also gets you more features and designs. You can also add Smilebox to your tool bar (Mac or PC) making it easy at anytime to create a scrapbook, make a slideshow, or send an email card to the grandparents. There are tons of designs, themes, music and picture possibilities, and if you install Smilebox, it even recognizes when you upload new photos to your computer and asks if you want to make a Smilebox creation from the new pix.

Like I mentioned before, you can then share your creation directly from Smilebox: Email it, Burn it to DVD, Save it, Facebook it, or Tweet it. For bloggers, you can upload to WordPress or Blogger directly, which is an unique way to share a product review or blogging event.

Needless to say I am a HUGE fan. For example, in October, I used it to create a birthday party invitation to my son’s 2nd Birthday Party. I also sent a Smilebox Thank You e-card to everyone who attended and used pictures from the party to give it a personalized feel. I also used Smilebox in November. I picked a “Give Thanks” theme that we sent out the day before Thanksgiving. I said how thankful we were for our family; personalized family pictures played in a slideshow with music and the last picture was an ultrasound photograph, which we used to announce that we were expecting baby number two! This month, I send out a Holiday Card with lots of pictures. It saved us lots of money in postage and having to order paper cards, saved us time in addressing and mailing them, saved the environment since it was less paper and gave us the opportunity to use 10 pictures rather than just one!

Honestly, I could go on and on, but you really do need to stop reading. Go to Smilebox.com, download the software and get going. It is simple, fun and everyone will love it. But if you want a premium membership I’m giving one away. While the monetary value is not as large as some of the other 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways I had this year, it is by far the most valuable one in terms of memories and smiles.

Happy Holidays everyone! I look forward to sharing more Chronicles with you in 2012. Thank you for being such wonderful friends and fans.

Note: Not enough people entered for the Giveaway so no winner was selected.

Click to play this Smilebox greeting
Create your own greeting - Powered by Smilebox
This digital ecard personalized with Smilebox

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this particular post, though I did write a previous Smilebox post! All opinions and text, however, are my own.

Image Credit: My own.

 

 

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