You may think it is too early to create holiday traditions, however, even though your little one may still be in your belly, this is her first Thanksgiving and Christmas. Next year, you’ll have your little bundle in your arms while you enjoy the glow of your Christmas tree.
This is a fantastic time of year to host get-togethers with friends and family. You’ve probably done the same events year after year. Either Secret Santa or White Elephant, where everyone draws names or brings a cheap gift to exchange. Those can be fun, but why not try something new?
Why not try a holiday swap this year? The premise of a swap is that everyone brings one of the same item. One popular swap this year was for socks or sweaters. Every attendee brings the funniest, silliest socks they can find. Then you come up with a system to swap with one another. Add a little fun to a new holiday tradition.
You can also host a cookie swap. Yum! Everyone makes two-dozen cookies to bring to the swap. Then you each exchange cookies 4-6 at a time with other attendees until everyone has an assortment of holiday treats from everyone. As a bonus treat, you can host a get-together to cook the cookies as well. Bonus: now you have a fun dessert to bring to your family dinner!
What do you do with those adorable Halloween costumes that you only use once? Here are some ideas to get your philanthropic juices going. It is the season of giving after all. So let’s give a little and recycle a little.
1. Donate them to a women’s shelter. In honor of #DomesticViolence month, giving gently used and cleaned costumes to shelters not only for Halloween but also for dress-up can be an escape for little ones stuck in impossible situations.
2. Donate them to a family shelter. Kids in shelters are often going without when it comes to stuff like this. Remember families that are affected by difficult times.
3. Recycle them. Next year have a clothing swap. Especially when kids are young, clothing swaps are an excellent way to help each other out and save some money in the process. Hand-me-downs are amazing for young families trying to live on a budget.
4. Donate them to the red cross or a thrift store benefiting a community or cause. In my area, I love to do the local thrift shop that benefits our hospital and the Red Cross, but there are many thrift shops, such as thrift shops to benefit AIDS or the Salvation Army that helps get people back on their feet.
Instilling philanthropy in our youngest generation is good for humanity as well, so involve your kids. Let them decide where to donate and take the costumes in themselves. Let’s all raise good humans.
Fathers Day is this weekend and we want to take some time to appreciate all the dads out there. This year more than $23 billion was spent on Mother’s Day, compared to only $15 billion on Father’s Day. Dad, we want you to know that you’re important, too. Little ones need their fathers just as much as they need their mothers, and here’s why:
Dads are the yin to mom’s yang. There is a reason that there are two parents. Moms and dads naturally balance one another out. We’re not just talking about traditional gender roles since both parents can essentially “do” all of the same things. We tend to be attracted to a mate who provides balance to our own lives, and this extends to our children as well. One parent may be more organized and the other may be more free-spirited. Parenting takes teamwork. By maximizing one another’s strengths, you can both parent more effectively.
Becoming a parent for the first time can be an exciting time, but, as The Child Whisperer notes, most new parents often also feel overwhelmed, thinking about how they’ll juggle the many new aspects of parenting alongside all their other responsibilities. Fortunately, Pregnant Pauses explains that there are numerous apps that can help make the journey of parenting a smoother one.
It is springtime almost! There’s just something about spring that makes an expecting mommy want to jump up and clean (and clean, and clean), especially when it’s Spring Cleaning time. The weather is warming; the air is fresh and crisp; so it’s a great time to prep your home for your little bundle of joy. Here are some items to scrub and spaces to organize that will bring you instant joy (and the instant satisfaction of crossing items off of your long to-do list).
When you have kids, date nights can be few and far between. Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to prioritize your relationship and go out for date night. If you haven’t made plans yet, or Valentine’s crowds stress you out, no worries! There is no rule that you have to celebrate ON February 14. And given the current world state with COVID, why not pick another day!
If you scan online pregnancy sites and popular baby retailers’ blogs; they will make you feel pretty stressed out about packing a hospital bag. Why? They absolutely over exaggerate just how much you need to bring with you on D-day. Take it from me-I packed way too much and spent more money than I needed to when packing my bag. After all, was said and done, here are the things I feel are most important to have with you at the hospital!
What to do in an emergency? At one time or another during pregnancy, most women wonder about what will happen should they not be able to make it to the hospital on time. Given the nature of our world now, the thought of COVID and if the hospital will be taking patients is also a concern. These concerns hit home even more for the moms-to-be who are due during the winter months. With a snowstorm around every corner, black ice, and sleet impeding their path to the hospital, what would a mother in labor do in the event that she couldn’t get to the hospital to birth her baby?
If you’re like a lot of Americans, “Santa” is going overboard at your house this year…again! Did you shop ahead in an effort to save money, but then forget about some of your purchases? Or, the “hottest” toys are currently in stores, and you are buying more than you thought. Or, Amazon is just calling your name during the pandemic.
Once you factor in friends and family buying gifts as well, it can be overwhelming to think about all the toys and gifts that will be in your home in the next month. Get ahead now and have a plan for the New Year!
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