IDEAS FOR BECOMING A MORE FUN MOM

GUEST BLOGGER:
Sarah Grace Villaflor

During the past decades, having fun has not always been the top priority for parents. There are many different structures and methods of parenting but in today’s generation, there is always room for some fun. Sometimes, letting the kid inside of you loose, is the coolest feeling you will ever sense as a parent.

Remember that adults are just kids in their fully developed shells. Our children often see us as a person who always needs to be obeyed, respected and feared. But let me tell you that laughter is the best foundation of all emotions!

Here are some ways that can help you be a fun mom:

1. Do tolerable and safe pranks together. Most of the children love bringing some unexpected surprise to another person’s day. Just make sure your kids don’t overdo it in the future. 

2. Make your kids laugh out of the blue. Surprise them with a tickle fight or some old but gold jokes.

3. Learn to make some custom greeting cards together. Give them simple present like this when they did a good job, whether in school or sports. Put some words like Good Job! You are the best! Congratulations, aren’t you going to thank me for the genes.

4. Face grimace is one of the best contests you can do at home anytime. Give simple prizes for the wackiest face.

5. Who doesn’t love kisses? Have a smooch-kiss chase once in a while! Chase each other around the house and when you catch the person give them a big kiss! This is best when you wear child safe lipstick so that you can easily see who truly wins.

6. Dates are not only for couples. Take your kids out on a date and always celebrate “family day” as long as possible.

7. Our kids need some dirt to boost the immune system. Have a scavenger hunt in the park! You can hide things to find around the park and see who will be the fastest to get greater objects. If you have one child, you can also invite their friends. 

8. Include them while cooking their favorite cookies. This is a memory that will last forever! The kitchen can be a little bit messy but it’s awesome!

9. Read a story to your child, it can be new or old. You can replace the characters with your child’s name or act how the characters in the story play.  

10.  Do a simple experiment with them. Coke plus Mentos never gets old. You can make this soda bomb and let your kids be amazed the whole day!

11.  Watch animated the mummy movie and let them mummify you with a tissue. You will be totally “MOMMYfied” by your kids!

12.  Go in the backyard and play with your kids with a water gun! Give them their own water gun and let the battle begin!

13.  A horseback ride is always a fun way to connect with your kids.

14.  Do some abstract painting and let their creativity come out. Remember to use non-toxic materials.

As parents, there are lots of fun things we can do with our kids. Memories are always better when shared. You can collect it as early as now and reminisce them for a lifetime!

GUEST BLOGGER:
Sarah Grace Villaflor

7 TIPS TO SURVIVE TAKING YOUR CHILD TO WORK FOR A DAY

 

Below are 7 tips from guest blogger, Kristen, from Travel Karma on how to survive taking your child to work for one day:

1. Prepare your child for the office environment the day before

The day prior and then again in the morning before arriving at the office explain to your child that they will have a fun day with lots of surprises at your workplace, but that lots of grown-ups work there and they will need to be quiet and stay at your desk for the day; wandering around or making any loud noises are not allowed.

2. Prepare your boss and colleagues

Ask your boss for permission before bringing your child, and assuming they say yes give your colleagues a heads up that you will need to bring your child to the office for the day. You may be surprised to find that someone will be happy to keep an eye on your child at their desk for part of the day.

3. Bring lots of snacks

Pack lots of separate snacks that you can dole out over the course of the day include some healthy fruit, cheese, crackers, veggies and one or two treats that they may not usually get at home. 

  4. Bring an activity pack such as the Travel Karma "Are We There Yet," jumbo pack.

   

This pack has lots of activities for kids packed into separate kits so your child can be kept entertained for longer playing the contents of each kit for an extended time. The pack includes board games, a coloring and activity book and many craft activities. It’s perfect for kids who are stuck in one place for a long time and was originally designed for using on long haul flights. Find the kits online at www.travelkarma.com

5. Take your child out to lunch for a change of scenery and some time to connect one on one

Taking your child to a restaurant close to the office will be a real treat for your child and will be a good chance to talk about how the day is going so far. You will have a unique opportunity to connect with your child and talk to them about your job, how you work with others, what happens in an office, and create a special memory for your child. My father used to take me to the office when I was a child and I really enjoyed having lunch with him on these special days.

6. Don’t feel guilty about using technology

Bring the tablet with some games and apps uploaded, this can be used later in the day if the child is getting tired or bored with sitting in one place it can be brought out as a reward to keep them going a little longer. 

7. Bribery can work wonders

Tell your child at the beginning of the day if they are very good all day they can have a treat on the way home. I took my daughter to the ice cream parlor close to the office on the way home and she loved it. I commented on how well behaved she was all day and she said ‘’Yes Mamma, I really wanted an ice cream at the end of the day, so I was very good!”.

Extra Pics from our day in the office

  

GUEST BLOGGER BIO:

Kristen, a mom, a teacher, and former expat, who taught in India for 6 years, is now a corporate education professional.  She started her own business; travel activity kits for kids. You can visit here website at: Travel Karma.

 

URGE TO SAVE MONEY VS. LIVING LIFE ONLY ONCE

Like we all know, money is something that runs the world. It is a said that money helps us fulfill all our dreams wants & wishes. It is an important ingredient for the recipe to have a balanced life.

"We as parents want our kids to know everything. This is probably because
we are scared that in the competition not knowing enough can be a setback
for them later on. But as parents explaining money and its importance to
them is something that we all must do. One appropriate way of doing this is
to help them open a bank account for themselves." (Source: Confused Parent)

There is a general misconception that investments and insurance are the same. It is very important for us, as parents to understand that once a baby is born, it is important to take insurance for his/her safety and also. Now, when it comes to investments, it is purely your choice as to when and which investment option you choose.

During my childhood days, I had the urge to save money and deposit it in the bank to see my savings account grow. A monthly visit to the bank close to my house was quite a fun. During those days a deposit of $ 0.71 by a teenager was a big deal.

During festivities like Christmas, Thanksgiving or even weddings and maybe a visit to my grandparent’s place, there would be an added bonuses for us. Honestly, a sum of $1.42 would sound so paltry now, but a similar sum during my days would make us feel like a millionaire. Our expenses those days would jot down to a random comic like The Complete MAUS which would cost around $3 for the love of art, or M & M chocolate was available for just $4.

Another memory of carefully spending our  saved money on buying stuff for favorite game of cricket or probably nag your dad to buy you the latest hand held game like Donkey Kong, or to get us a bicycle etc. Nostalgic as it may sound, I feel we were a happy and a lot more content with what we had.

A couple of decades later, I find myself in a different scenario. Where “living life to the fullest” is the new norm by buying things we don’t need, only to keep up with peer pressure and new normal laid down by the today’s society.

thefinancialexpress

Well, kids are reflection of their parents overload of pampering due to lack of dedicated time has made things so easy for the kids to get their wishes fulfilled.  “NO” used to be the final word what we used to hear from our parents when we demanded for anything. But try using that two letter word on your child now and you stand a risk of being labeled as a "miser." Well, who would like to be called that? Expecting children to value money would be far-fetched if they get what they need/want/wish with such ease.

Money doesn’t grow on trees. So, a few months back, I tried this simple experiment on my kids to teach the Budgeting or to discipline them. I had told them that from the following month they would be getting a pocket money of 200 bucks per month. They both were super excited to hear that, but I told them that they were to buy all that they wanted from their pocket money, irrespective of a fancy or an ordinary thing from their cotton candies to bicycles .

A couple of months passed by and one fine day we visited the super market to buy some household stuff. The regular visits used to be a tug of war between my kids and my wife. They would have the cart loaded with what their favorite items and my wife would have a tough time trying to convince them that it was such a waste of money. But the scene that day was surprisingly calm. I asked my better half “What happened to the kids?” She said, before coming here she warned the kids that whatever they pick up from the store would be paid from their own pocket money.

This exercise re-iterated my faith in my belief that most of what kids learn today come from their parents, be it to value money or practice saving or teaching them a disciplined life. But a straight forward question we need to ask ourselves, have we done enough here?  If not, then why blame them for what they haven’t been taught at this young age.

GUEST BLOGGER:       Deshna Chordia

A doting mom to angel, Social Media Specialist and Professional Blogger. She loves to share her thoughts with other parents in the same turbulent boat.  She absolutely loves and adores her family and is learning to strike a good work/life balance.  When she is not writing, cooking or busy taking care of her toddler, she is probably dancing to some good Desi music.

--

Lissette Rozenblat

Social Media & Network Marketing

MiaMoon Designs, Inc.

"Empowering Women to be Unstoppable""Be Grateful. Be Inspired. Be Happy."
"What You Think, You Attract.'

LAPTOP LIFESTYLE STAND UP DESK

As a blogger and online marketer,  I spend countless hours on my computer. If you are like me and also spend a lot of time on your computer, you'll probably appreciate the use of a stand up desk.  At first, I was a little reluctant to switch from my regular desk but using a stand up desk gives you so much more versatility.  A stand up desk is designed to allow you to set up an office anywhere! It is easy to carry, with a light weight aluminum frame, that is flexible.

I love it because it makes a perfect desk for my laptop.  I have also seen others use a stand up desk for a variety of other things such as:

- TV Dinner Tray
-Sound Equipment Table
-Projector Table
-Standing Desk
-Book Tray
-Writing Desk
-Tablet Holder

The one I have is one of the lower priced models of stand up desk that lets me attach my mouse pad to the side of the stand. I have mine set up on the left, since I am a lefty! And it also came with a USB cord that connects to my laptop and powers the USB CPU cooling fans. The legs on the stand are totally adjustable and it is super to easy to carry anywhere!

My favorite use of the stand up desk is to be able to carry it to bed or the couch and do a little work from there while I am comfortable! 

If you want something a little more sophisticated for an "office look," there is also the option of having a completely portable workstation.  An adjustable workstation allows you to find that needed healthy balance between sitting and standing up throughout the day. This workstation option gives you the option of buying it with a manual riser or electric riser.

So, if you are living the laptop lifestyle, this is probably a great option to consider.
 
The good news about the stand up desk, is that there are so many options of brands and prices. There is a price range for all!  










(*Affiliate links included)

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM HOME

Hey Moms!  Are you looking for some extra income? There is nothing better than the luxury of working from home, being able to be there for your kids when they get home from school AND make money, while you are at it!  A great way to start is through affiliate advertising. 

When I first started my blog I did not have a lot of viewership and therefore, got rejected often when I applied for affiliate advertising. However, I stuck with it and as time went by, my blog grew and I started to get approved to be an affiliate for top brand name vendors.  

Some of my best results with the advertisers I work with, are via Gymboree, Janie and Jack and Crazy 8.

They have amazingly cute clothes for toddlers and kids and they always have the best sales. Moms love to shop here and now you too can become an affiliate advertiser for them as well!
Join the Gymboree affiliate program today!

If you like to blog and want another source of residual income, all you have to do is sign up. It's FREE!

Here is some of their stats:


Crazy 8 makes cool clothes that let kids be themselves. At Crazy 8 it’s easy to make a big statement for a small price. Find real deals for cool kids from 6 months to size 14.


Janie and Jack is an iconic design house with a modern take on classic silhouettes for children. Janie and Jack set themselves apart with inventive storytelling and outstanding quality in styles up to size 12 online.

Good candidates for our affiliate program include: mom blogs, family, kids, baby, gift and other related sites.

Here are some of our program highlights:

• Commission: 8%
• Cookie: 30 days
• Product data-feeds for both Gymboree and Crazy 8 updated daily
• Award-Winning Affiliate Management Team dedicated to your success from Acceleration Partners
• Regular newsletters with updates on promotions, contests, and sales opportunities

Sign up today - it's free!

CUTE CLOTHES AND BEING MOM

As we all know sometimes being a mom can get a little hectic. Whether you are a stay at home mom (SAHM) or a mom who works outside the home, finding the right clothes to fit while trying to look trendy is never an easy task.  Sometimes, it is very tempting to just lounge around in pj's or sweat pants all day.

For those of us who stay home with our kids, there tends to be a tendency to get a little too comfortable with attire. When you are always on the go and shuffling your kids around town to and from appointments and/or activities, it becomes a pain to find the right clothes.  I mean you can still dress comfortably but there's a big difference between going around in sweat pants all the time vs. making an effort to pair up cute outfits.

I was browsing through a magazine and saw Jennifer Aniston wearing a comfy but trendy-looking outfit and thought, why not?  I am no Jennifer Aniston, obviously, but I thought, I can totally find a cute tee and shorts or may capri pants to wear, especially now that summer is around the corner and match it up with cute accessories and some wedges and make a real effort to look trendier, instead of "schleppier!"  Is that even a word? (Well, it is now! LOL!)

I found few outfit combinations online that I really liked and can still be comfy. These could easily be paired up with some cute shoes for a little more sophisticated look, instead of my usual SAHM flip-flop look! 

Honestly, I know I will not be wearing the shorts option, as I have not worn shorts in eons but, you younger moms might like the look. I guess even with a pair of jeans these outfit combos would look good.  It's all about fashion, right?

As you can tell, I have a tendency to lean towards the bohemian-look.  If you like any of these items, you can click right on the picture and it will take you straight to shopping!

 
 

 

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