This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GIVEEXTRAGETEXTRA #Walgreens #CollectiveBias
You know how it goes. Sometimes it’s easier to do the work yourself than to train your kids how to do it correctly. But I recently realized that my kids are capable of so much more than I gave them credit for. When I was down and out with the stomach flu a few months ago, my oldest floored me by putting away all the clean dishes from the dishwasher. Without being asked. Or bribed. It was HUGE for me. He told me he knew it would help me out and a light bulb went off in my head. One of the reasons I had resisted putting together a chore system for them was because I didn’t want it to be about how much they could earn. I wanted it to be about how their actions could help another family member. We came up with an easy plan where they are incentivized to help out around the house, but the focus is on helping others. I created a chore list to help prompt their actions. I really love how it’s working!
Kid’s Bedtime Made Easier
Bedtime. I feel pretty lucky that my kids are good sleepers. But sometimes just getting them in to bed is the challenge. My day doesn’t end until the kids are settled and off to snooze land. Here are some tips that will hopefully help get all those kiddos in bed a little easier and get us to that glass of wine faster. I mean, that reality TV isn’t going to watch itself…
Movie Night in your Backyard
*Compensation was provided by Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn via Mode Media
Have you ever had an outdoor movie night party? They are SO much fun. It’s the perfect family activity and doesn’t have to be relegated to summer! Early fall is the perfect time to pick your favorite movie and plan a watching party held right in your own backyard! Today I’m sharing tips on how you can host your own movie night!
How to Get Through Errands with Kids
Please tell me I’m not the only one who wants to cry when I have to take my kids on errands with me? I usually try to get all the hard ones done while they are at school. But it’s summer which means they will be with me all day e’ry day. My kids aren’t bad. They actually play together better, when we are doing errands, than when we are at home. The trouble is they amp each other up and get CRAZY. Their playful tickles turn in to full on wrestling on the post office floor. They make up crazy songs and block the aisles at the grocery store. It makes me sweaty. So I really tried to think of a way to keep them entertained on our errands to make it easier on me (I HATE hearing myself holler at them the whole time and I’m sure everyone else does too) and make sure they are out of other people’s way. So I came up with these ‘Do me a Favor’ bags. 
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with these two and they love sweets. I know that if I keep a snack with me, ready to whip out at the height of their craziness, I’ve bought myself at least 2 minutes while they enjoy their surprise. I’m super excited about these OREO 2-packs. They are the perfect sized snack, easy to keep in my purse. 
This size is perfect to keep at the ready in the snack cupboard so I can just grab a multipack for whoever is going with me. And you know I always put a pack in for me. Because, OREOs. Duh. These 2-pack multipacks are sold in a box of 18 and can be found at your local grocery store. They also come in Nutter Butter! 
When I was thinking about how to keep the kids entertained, my head kept going back to favor bags that kids usually get as they leave a party. No matter how much candy, sugar or cake they’ve had, there is always a few minutes of quiet in the car on the way home as they carefully sort through their loot. So I am calling these ‘Do me a Favor’ bags because really I’m just hoping they will do me a favor and be cool while we are on our errands. Are these perfect? No. Sometimes it takes more than a bag of tricks to keep the kids from behaving like wild animals. But they are helpful and will work more often than not. 
The bags contents should be different every time. I always try to keep the kids wondering and excited about what they might find in their bag. I try to include some blank paper and markers in case we have to be in one place for a while like the DMV. They can draw, play hangman, write letters, whatever they want. It’s super versatile. I give the kids different colors so they can swap. Stick on eyebrows are a must. They can double as a mustache and are always good for a laugh. And you always want to try to make the other grocery shoppers laugh since a few aisles from now, the boys are probably going to be in their way.
This May, OREO launched a new 2-pack size which are super convenient as a grab-and-go snack for busy schedules. These OREO multipacks fit perfectly in to your purse, jacket pocket and oven overnight bags headed to grandma’s house. They are fantastic for when the kids start complaining that they haven’t eaten in hours. I’ve tried to explain to them that it is ok to be hungry but they just aren’t buying it. 
And I always try to include something that they aren’t familiar with or will give me something to chat about with them. Take this California Raisin figurine. The boys had no idea who the California Raisins were but, boy, did I get to share with them how obsessed I was with them when I was little. Hence the Christmas themed figurine which mom my practically forced on me when I moved in to my first apartment and could remove it from her holiday decorating treasures. I was able to distract the boys by telling them all about how these super cool Raisins sang Motown with choreographed dance routines. And how I had a huge clock on my bedroom wall that looked like a watch that had the Raisins on them…Nerd alert. In the other child’s bag, I put a small hand buzzer from a prank kit. I know that seems counter intuitive when trying to get through errands calmly but if I can direct their attention to each other and away from the breakables, it’s less stress. 
These ‘Do Me a Favor’ bags are super easy to grab and easy for the kids to keep their treasures in. You can even keep a few of them already made so they are there when you need them. These would also work in a pinch if you have a playdate over, or are trying to entertain a little guest that has dropped by. How do you manage to get through your errands? All I know is that OREOS make everything better, including errands!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Best Pencil Sharpener Ever
Ok. You guys might think this post is crazy. Like, Sharon, you can’t possibly love a pencil sharpener this much. But it’s legit. My love is real. So much so that I want to share my love of an inanimate object with you. So much so that I sought Classroom Friendly Supplies out to do a review for them, at my request. They sent me a sleek, chic black pencil sharpener so my photos would be cuter but I have had a blue one for about 6 months. It’s kind of like part of the family now. And it’s the best pencil sharpener ever.
With school starting and homework routines being set, my mom decided that my boys needed a really good pencil sharpener. I give her all the credit. She researched online, read reviews and spent time on this. It seems a good, manual pencil sharpener is hard to find. But then she came across this one by Classroom Friendly Supplies. It showed up at our house and the boys immediately started sharpening all of their pencils. I had no idea they would take to the sharpener the way I did.
I use only pencil for my editorial calendar and blog planning. The first time I used the pencil sharpener my world changed. I usually grab whatever dull pencil is lying around, left out by the boys. But a nice sharp pencil really does something for my productivity. We don’t have an office area set up at the house (thank you to Lauren for letting me borrow her workspace for these photos!) so the pencil sharpener sits on one of the counters in our kitchen where we keep the homework supplies. I couldn’t take a picture of it here because it is literally sitting next to a jar of mayo (unopened but still, ew gross – a result of pantry cabinet overflow) and a big jug of cranberry juice. No one wants to see that. This pencil sharpener needs to shine!
The pencil sharpener comes with a clamp so that it stays put when you are using it but we just hold it steady with our hands since we move it all around the house to where ever we need it. It comes in other colors as well, and they also have a discount if you buy 3 of them. And you should totally buy these for your kids teachers. They will totally want one.
Isn’t she pretty?
Recently I thought we killed ours. My kids sharpen far more pencils with it than they really need to. I was devastated. The price is not outrageous (they are $25 each) but I really didn’t want to spend another chunk of money on a pencil sharpener around the holidays). But as I was looking at the site, I came across their videos to troubleshoot problems. You guys! It turns out that there was just lead stuck in the sharpener! I was able to take it apart, following their instructions on the video, and fix it! World saved! This is a hearty little machine. It’s going to last you a nice, long time.
You see how the front part of the pencil sharpener, the metal part, is away from the body? Well, that holds the pencil and feeds it in to the blade for you as you crank. It’s so smooth and makes the nicest point. Yes, I’m a nerd and love this pencil sharpener.
The shavings go right in to this little drawer that you can empty right in to the trashcan. It. is. the. best. ever. I am sure that the people on your holiday gift list don’t realize that they want this pencil sharpener. But they totally do! Or surprise them with it as a back to school present. This is THE only pencil sharpener you should ever have.
*I asked Classroom Friendly Supplies to send me a black pencil sharpener for my photos because I need you to know about this amazing product. And they did. Because they are awesome. And they are available for all your pencil sharpener needs.
New Music Mondays Dinner Time Playlists
It is finally happening. My son is taking an interest in music. Better music. He has always loved music but as of late, we’ve been forced to listen to novelty songs and One Direction. Non-stop. And his preference for Radio Disney left me and my ears wanting more. A month ago I subtly suggested we try our local radio station, KIIS FM since a lot of the songs he likes are played on that station too. And it worked. That helped us to expand the genres of music is he is hearing. As a result, he has shown interest in Imagine Dragons and One Republic. But my happiest moment came the other day. Although he wanted to create a playlist on the iPad to listen to (hurrah!) he was grounded from screens (boo!) so instead I turned on the radio in his room. He came out after a few minutes, made me stop vaccuuming (amen!) and said, “I have a new favorite song. It’s ‘Ain’t it Fun’ (Paramore). Come on mom. Come listen to it with me.” I shot put the vaccuum and ran down the hall to his room. I am a big fan of that song. So we listened (he listened, I lip-synced) together.
I’m not a music snob but I don’t think that music needs to be dumbed down for kids. Music is a big source of enjoyment for me and has been for as long as I can remember. I was allowed to listen to pretty much anything that I wanted and I knew my boundaries in terms of language and themes, etc. Just because I heard 2 Live Crew in junior high did not mean it made my behavior change. I certainly wasn’t slanging rocks or getting horn y. Knowing how music has changed, I am not willing to just send my kids off with a radio for them to learn on their own. I see music as a great way to open the dialogue between our children about not only music, but the art form and life lessons that come along with it and the words being sung.
So we are starting New Music Mondays Dinner Time Playlists! Notice the new tab at the top of the page under the header?
I’m going to attempt to post a new New Music Mondays Dinner Time Playlist each Sunday night. It will be right on my sidebar (do you see it over there on the right hand side of the screen?). And you should be able to just hit play and listen along if you want to participate too. Although I am listening to the songs all the way through as I make them, I can’t gurantee that they are free of all bad words. I am pretty sure there is a “damn” in the Old School Rap Songs for Kids playlist. Depending on your views, values, etc. I suggest that you listen to them through first so you are aware of exactly what you are sharing with your kids. But be prepared for dance breaks. We allow them to get up from dinner a few times to dance along with the music. Mondays are pretty fun.
I LOVE old school rap. And rap has been one of the hardest genres to share with my kids thus far. When in the car, we mostly listen to Sirius which means that the rap stations are not edited or the clean versions of the songs. So we have to skip them. But I know that some of my favorites from when I was younger are just fine. And beat boxing! What kid doesn’t love that?!
So enjoy this week’s playlist. I’d love to hear if you listen along so leave a comment! Of course it doesn’t have to be on Monday. I’ll leave the playlist up for the whole week and then I think I am going to host the past lists on my Facebook page so you can check out those too. I’ll update you on that. And I’ll update the tab at the top of the page with quick discussion tips for each playlist. But only if you want to go that far. These are just things we will bring up to our kids while listening but while this is learning for them, we really just want it to be fun. Let’s rock.
Check out more info about New Music Mondays and see playlist talking points.