Search Results for: blog great kids parties for less

Gas Tank Getaway: Six Flags Great America

Don’t let high gas prices keep you home this summer.  There’s no need to sweat it out in your backyard when extreme family fun is less than a tank of gas away. If you live in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan or Illinois, a mecca of mind-blowing adventure awaits at Six Flags Great America.  The popular theme park is located in Gurnee, Illinois; less than an hour’s drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and a host of other major Midwestern cities. Great America’s convenient location is a major timesaver, but the savings don’t stop there.  In addition to banking gas money, you can continue … Continue reading →

Tips For Great Family Photos

The holidays are a wonderful time for taking pictures of your family. Groups of relatives gather for dinners, parties, caroling, cookie baking, and many other fun activities. Photographs provide depth and feeling to any family history archive, whether they are simply placed in albums or elaborately scrapbooked. Here are some tips for capturing your family’s magical holiday moments without devoting your entire holiday to taking pictures. After all, there are so many fun things going on that you do not want to be on the sidelines with a camera the whole time. Unless, of course, you get an amazing new … Continue reading →

Is High Fashion Hurting Kids?

Strappy sandals, rhinestone-studded belts, and racerback dresses look great on the catwalk, but wearing them to school could lead to developmental problems, according to a new study. Fashion-conscious moms, who want their kids to look like they just stepped out of a children’s clothing catalog, could be setting up their offspring for failure in class. According to a recent study, wearing inappropriate outfits has the potential to disrupt the entire class and could seriously compromise a child’s development. What’s more, researchers note that the children, who are most likely to be scarred by wearing fashionable duds to class, are not … Continue reading →

More Free Family Fun in the Great Outdoors

If you get off the couch and out of the house this summer, you’ll find that there are a host of exciting events just waiting for your family to enjoy. Not only will you get the chance to have fun in the sun, but all of the following family-friendly attractions are free: MARYLAND Ocean City is making summer fun for kids and their parents with an array of free activities, from movie nights, concerts and storytelling around a bonfire to shows and demonstrations at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum. Don’t miss Tuesday night “Beach Olympics” where you can go … Continue reading →

There’s a Lesson in Here Somewhere

Christmas isn’t over quite yet… at least in our home. Tuesday we celebrate the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day (formerly known as the “Feast of the Wise Men’’) or the 12th day of Christmas. Or, in the words of my preschooler: “A day for more presents.” For those of you unfamiliar with the holiday, January 6th basically foretells the visit by the Three Wise Men, who followed a star in the night to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. The Epiphany is a major holiday in Latin America, but in recent years it has been increasingly embraced by … Continue reading →

Homeschool Lessons from Real Life: Elections

In my last article on teaching homeschool lessons from real life, I discussed using our current economic recession to teach children about the Great Depression and subsequent recessions. Another timely lesson for homeschooling would be elections. With American being in the midst of one of the most active election periods in US History, it only makes good sense to talk about the electoral process and history of elections with your children. Here are some resources you can use. Education-world.com has a great series of government-sponsored sites that teach children about voting, democracy, inauguration, and the overall election process. The Federal … Continue reading →

Britney Loses Kids Again—But for How Long?

You didn’t need to know anything about child custody laws to see this coming… As of late yesterday a judge banned Britney Spears from seeing her children. The newly issued court order states that Brit’s ex-husband Kevin Federline has been “awarded sole legal custody and sole physical custody of the minor children.” Those children being 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, both of whom are reportedly safe and tucked away in their dad’s Tarzana spread while their mother enters day two of a minimum 72-hour lockdown for psychological evaluation. According to court documents, Spears’s visitation with her children is … Continue reading →

Frugal Kids Birthday Parties: Ways to Save

Kids Birthday parties can get pretty expensive these days. It is not surprising to hear that the average child’s birthday party costs between $200 and $350! Many spend even more. But you really don’t have to spend a lot to provide a fun and memorable party. Here are some great ways to save. The location of your party can really save money. Forgo the expensive pizza places, the bowling alleys, the game rooms and other commercial theme places. Most of these places never provide enough (if any) of the food, drinks, etc. The least expensive option, of course, is to … Continue reading →

Birthday Parties on a Budget (1)

There are several ways to throw a birthday party on a budget. You don’t have to go broke trying to throw a great party for your child. Typically if all the children at the party have FUN, the party was a success. This does not have to be done by bowling alleys and swimming pools (unless it’s in your backyard). You do not have to hire magicians, and bouncy structures for your yard. Of course you can if you want to, but if you are like me and tend to be on the more frugal side (with five kids’ parties … Continue reading →

Exercise: It’s Good for the Heart

Most of us have already failed miserably at keeping our New Year’s Resolutions, according to the radio this morning at least 80% of us have given up on them already. This is pretty typical after the first week or two, but even if you’ve struggled with them a little so far, you have a whole year to perfect them so don’t give up hope! This year one of my many resolutions was to start exercising again. I, like most people, put on a few extra pounds during the holidays. When you have kids around there seems to be an endless … Continue reading →