Search Results for: blog bonding over sugar

Mother-Daughter Holiday Bonding

My daughter is just six years old, but she’s already got eye-rolling down to a science. I know this because I am typically the one she practices on. Only in her mind she’s not practicing, she’s dying–a little bit inside–each time I embarrass her by, well, being her mom. I do things like remind her to put on her hat when I drop her off at school in the dead of winter (eye roll), tell her that she is not allowed to play unless she cleans up her room (double eye roll), and sing songs from the radio during carpool … Continue reading →

Bonding Over Sugar

Gingerbread kids have invaded our home. My daughter’s first grade class has adopted Gingerbread Fred as its holiday mascot, and for four days straight she begged me to make him a brother, and a sister, and a dog. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to fit baking a band of brothers and sisters for a cookie kid into my already tight pre-Christmas schedule. However, thanks to some creative reconfiguring I was able to grant my daughter’s wish. Not only did we bake some sweet siblings for Fred, but we also were able to construct him a gingerbread and … Continue reading →

Kelle Hampton’s Beautiful Blog

Kelle Hampton is a talented photographer and blogger, and the words and photographs that appear on her blog have attracted the attention of so many people. Her photographs are stunningly beautiful, and would not be out of place on the pages of a parenting magazine, or in an art gallery. Her words are honest, and come from her heart, even when it would be easier to sugar coat what she is trying to say. Together, the words and photos tell the story of what life is like as a mother of two beautiful daughters, one of whom happens to have … Continue reading →

Old-Fashioned Holiday Fun

“Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money.”- Unknown Buy, buy, buy.  Spend, spend, spend.  These days it seems the holidays are more about spending money than bonding with loved ones.  I suppose you could bond over how much you’ve spent on each other, but wouldn’t you rather save your cash and share the richness of laughter and warm embraces? Instead of going into debt trying to prove how much you love your favorite family members and friends, consider spending time with each other having fun with these holiday-themed activities: … Continue reading →

Sweet Treats

Sunday is National Dessert Day. If you are looking for a reason to indulge on a decadent treat, you have a great excuse. However, if you are a parent, you have an even better reason to spend time bonding with your child in the kitchen. Kids love to exercise their creative muscles making edible masterpieces. Give them the opportunity to hone their culinary skills by assisting them with the following simple recipe. Then, take it a step further by using the special day to give them your full attention. Chat, laugh and make merry while splurging on these chocolate goodies. … Continue reading →

Simple and Affordable Seasonal Fun

Summer 2012 officially ends on Friday. However, that doesn’t mean the end of outdoor family fun. Fall marks the start of apple and pumpkin-picking season. Whether you live in the north, south or mid-Atlantic, the nation is teeming with farms that allow visitors of all ages to pick their own produce. These u-pick farms offer fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. What’s more, you will be able to bond with your clan in the great outdoors, which is a priceless experience for most folks. In addition, if you have kids, visiting a farm is a great way to show … Continue reading →

Christmas Cookie Conundrum

To eat or not to eat; that is the question? Tis the season to be in the kitchen with your kids whipping up the likes of Snowballs, Wintermint Wafers, and Peanut Butter Blossoms… fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Of course, Christmas is not complete without baking a few batches of traditional chocolate chip cookies to dunk into a piping hot mug of cocoa. And by dunk I mean plunge deep into the boiling hot abyss of the popular seasonal drink because if your cookie is undercooked this may be the only way you can heat it … Continue reading →

Here Come the Freebies! – Week of November 16, 2011

There are two types of “freebies”. There are the type where you have to purchase something in order to get a second one for free. There also are “freebies” that truly are free, just waiting for you to pick them up. Those are the most fun, but, the other type can be valuable as well. Starbucks will give you one holiday drink for FREE when you purchase a holiday drink. The free one, of course, has to be of equal, or lesser, value as the one that you are paying for. The holiday drinks at Starbucks include: Peppermint Mocha, new … Continue reading →

Go With the Flow

What do you do when Mother Nature rains on your Fourth of July parade? If you are my sister-in-law, you move the party indoors. Like the good parent that she is, my brother’s wife made the change of venue work in order to salvage her family’s holiday plans. Parades, picnics, fireworks, every aspect of the Independence Day experience, was amended rather than cancelled all together. My 4-year-old nephew had his heart (and decorated wagon) set on riding in the village’s Fourth of July parade. When a thunderstorm put the kibosh on that event, my sister-in-law struck up her own band … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Holiday Stress Get You Down!

There’s no doubt about it, this is a busy time of year. Christmas is just days away, and New Year’s is about a week after that. During this busy season, many people including home-based professionals abandon the routines and systems of organization that have served them well all year. If you have gotten so wrapped up (no pun intended) in trying to get a ton of extra things done that you have become disorganized and stressed out, take a deep breath. This holiday thing is supposed to be fun, isn’t it? It is time to reclaim your merry and bright … Continue reading →