Sprayground

If you can find a sprayground in your area, this is a great way to beat the heat with the kids. There is one not too far from us, behind the zoo. We went up there this week after school had begun for most kids in this area, so we had it practically to ourselves. What a great way to cool off and have some fun. And it's FREE!!

Furniture Shopping

Furniture shopping can be fun and when the kids are helping to pick out their own new furniture, it can turn into a family affair. The Furniture Domain has a great selection of whimsical kids furniture. My nephews would love the spider web decor. I personally love the full over twin loft bed set. It features a full size bed on top, with a twin sized trundle underneath. In between are drawers and a desktop area with pull out keyboard holder. They seem to have everything you need to make mom, dad and the kids happy.

What is Your Blog Worth?

Do you or your kids maintain a blog? It can be fun to spend time together going over your blogs, giving input to topics to blog on, you can even find out how much your blogs are worth . I bet the kids would get a real kick out of that! Right now this blog is pretty much "worthless" in some folks eyes, but to me, it's priceless!

Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader is a great game for children. They find it fun, particularly when they get to be the leader. It is good for following and for large motor skills, and can be a great way to spend some time together with your little ones.

Today I learned about an internet Follow campaign going on. . It is good for all our blogs and thankfully, jerseygirl put up a link which made it easy for me to follow.

DO FOLLOW is good because it allows link love to be spread through the internet, making it good for your blog and mine. And we know that link love helps raise page rank. DO FOLLOW allows comments to be followed on Google-comment links now "count". This gives your readers incentive to comment by showing commenters you appreciate them.


It’s easy to turn off the NO FOLLOW with these instructions. And now I can join the "movement" (and get a cute badge too!) So now I can help spread link love!

Treasure Hunt Variation

Another variation we did on a treasure hunt was for my daughter's eighth birthday. I saw this idea in a magazine, but I've forgotten since then which one.

We bought spools of ribbon at a local craft store. We strung the ribbon over the entire back yard, one color for each different person. The string went up, over, down, around, through...til the whole yard was covered in masses of different ribbon colors. At the end of each piece of ribbon we had brown bags filled with treasures. We included books, pencils, stickers, and other small trinkets.





Each child was given the spool of his/her color of ribbon. They had to follow their ribbon's path, rolling it back up onto the spool as they went until they found their treasure bag.





We did this with ages 2-10 and each one loved it. We labeled each bag so we were sure each child got a bag with appropriate prizes for him/her.

treasure hunt

When my kids were small, I would do treasure hunts for them. There are several ways to put on a treasure hunt. A simple way is to hide whatever your treasure is and then draw a simple map for them to follow. If your kids are older, you can write out clues for them. The kids really enjoy the search and then finding the treasure is always great fun, whether it be a piece of candy, dessert, or a book to read together.

bubbles

It seems like all kids love blowing and chasing after soap bubbles. I know that even as an adult, it is a pretty pleasant and relaxing past time. One fun family activity can be to make your own soap bubbles, then sit together blowing and chasing them to your hearts content. I like this recipe because it uses common, easy to find, and maybe even on hand, ingredients.

3 Cups water
1 Cup dishwashing soap
1/3 Cup corn syrup

Mix ingredients. You can make a bubble wand using any bendable wire. You can make "tiny bubbles" using a paper clip shaped and attached to a pencil. Or try giant bubbles using a clothes hanger bent into a wand shape.

family fun runs

A great way to get active with your family is to sign up for a family fun run/walk. There are many going on throughout the year in all areas of the country. You can find a cause that you are passionate about to support, or just join any fun run you can find. Many races offer family discounts. Even the youngest in your family can often participate. Some races even have kids 1K races before the longer distances begin.

Spending time together getting ready for the race will assure lots of active, fun family time. Race day will be exciting and loads of fun. The kids will love it if they leave old mom and dad behind!

affordable insurance quotes for families

Buying insurance is a big decision in any family's life. And once you have kids, you realize the great importance of it. Discussing the needs of your family in case of accidental death is never a comfortable topic, but can mean so much to the family in case anything ever were to happen.

The people at Advantage Term Life Insurance know this can be difficult. Not only are emotions running high when looking for insurance, but these days, the money can be tight and insurance seems like another possibly unnecessary expenditure. Because they know how hard it can be, they offer insurance quotes online, offering you the advice and expertise to make the right choice for your family's needs.

It is simple. All you need to do is fill out the online form and begin comparing rates today. You can choose from whole life or term life policies.



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Watch the Hummers

I don't know if you have ever been blessed to watch hummingbirds in action. My grandpa has a couple of feeders by his windows and we love to get to sit and watch the antics of the hummers. If your family enjoys this, you might be interested in visiting the Hummer House.

I turned on PBS today to be delighted to learn about Dan Brown's Hummer Haven. Several decades ago, Brown began feeding hummingbirds. Now he has thousands that return each year. They return to the spot in which they were born, which is a main reason for the increased numbers of birds. The Brown's are ranked by Texas Parks and Wildlife as the top hummingbird feeders. The Brown's built the Hummer House for folks to come stay and watch the hummers and other wildlife on the property. Then, a bus tour asked to come and they built the observation room so that many folks can come gander at the hummers without bothering them. One of his regular visitors photographs these hovering birds. The still shots are absolutely amazing.