Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Woman's Day Magazine

Tons of stuff for mothers, families and kids.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Geeky Housewife Blog

Articles and tips for the domestically challenged.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Friday, August 29, 2008

Education.com

Tons of craft and activity ideas for kids.

Back to School Articles on Disneyfamilies.com

Tons of fun crafts, lunches, articles...this site is Disneyfamilies.com a whole resource for moms.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

SuperNanny.com

This is THE most useful website I have found on parenting. It really did help me get my kids to stay in bed.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Disney Princess Party Ideas

by, Cynthia Marcano

The Disney Princesses are arguably the most recognizable princesses on the planet. Every little girl dreams of being a Disney Princess and what better time to become one than on her birthday? With so many Disney Princess party supplies available, it can be overwhelming planning a party. Here are some ideas to help you plan the perfect Disney Princess Birthday Party.

Princess Invitations

Invitations are hard to come by. They can be found in most party supplies or discount stores. However if you are looking for something unique, you are only limited to your imagination. For those limited on time or creativity, here are a few suggestions.

If you are on a limited budget, try finding Disney Princess clip art on the and printing your own made party invitations. Disney Princess clip art is readily available online. You can keep it simple by adding the graphic to the top and adding the details below. Its a no fold invitation. Tip: Make the invitations the size of a readily available envelope so that mailing them will be a snap.

If you have a bit more time and don't mind a little crafting, try something a little more out of the box. The Disney Princesses are most recognizable by the gowns they wear. Create a variety of invitations each focusing on one princess. On each invitation you can place one princess in her well known gown. Embellish the gown by making it 2D. Cut colored foam or fabric into the shape of the gown. Glue accordingly to the clip art. Embellish the invitation with fairy dust powder or glitter to us modern folk. Search online for Disney princess fonts and word your invitation using the official font of the princesses.

Princess Decorating Tips

A Disney Princess royal affair needs to have the royal venue. Jazzing up your party space to be princess perfect can be easy as you want to as elaborate as the princess may demand. Using pinks and purples are the common colors for any princess, but if you have a specific Disney Princess in mind, using the color of their gown is your best option.

A princess thrown is a must. A simple and affordable thrown are in your reach. Use a standard dining chair and wrap tulle on the back of the chair and tie a big bow. Measure the circumference of the chair's seat and multiple by 3 to 4. That is the width of tulle you will need for the seat portion of the thrown. Use fabric glue and pleat the top of the tulle. Allow ample time to dry. Place books or something heavy on the tulle to keep the pleat together while drying. Wrap the tulle round the seat of the chair and glue the ends together. Do not glue to the chair. Use pins to keep together at its end to allow the fabric glue to dry. The chair should have a pleated look and the tulle should reach the floor. You can also make shorter versions of the pleated tulle and than layer one on top of the other going from the bottom of the chair up. You can embellish the tulle with glitter or sequins. Do this a few days before the party.

Whether you decorate a chair or use a Disney Princess plush chair that doesn't complete the thrown just yet. All thrown need a red carpet that leads up to it. You can accomplish this by using red construction paper or a red mat and lead it up to the chair.

You can even add a tulle canopy above the chair for some extra flair.

Disney Princess scene setters are are fast and inexpensive way to transform your party space into a Disney Princess ballroom. There are also life size Disney Princess Stick ups to go with the ballroom scene setters. You can choose one or all the princesses to adorn your wall. The princess scene setters work well as wall decor and a backdrop for photos. It is an easy alternative to making a castle from cardboard and is fairly inexpensive. Its also just a matter of adhering to your wall.

Princess Party Games

There are lots of Disney Princess games that you can choose to entertain your guests.

Pass the Poison Apple - a Snow White version of hot potato

Find the Key - Cinderella is locked in the attic, find the key and set her free

Mermaid Charades - Ariel has lost her voice to Ursula. Think up popular themes or scenes from the movie and act them out.

Guess The Disney Princess Movie - Sing or play a song from the movies and have the guests guess which movie it comes from

Dress Up - While this used to be for just girls, you can now find Disney Princess dresses and Knights attire for the boys. You can also turn this game into save the princesses or for the boys, fight the dragon. The dragon is imaginary of course.

Disney Princess parties are fun and classic. Its becoming a rite of passage for every little girl to have a Disney Princess party within her lifetime. Embrace her royal spirit and create the most magical and enchanting party that she and her guests are sure to enjoy.


About the Author

Cynthia Marcano is webmaster for www.allthingsprincess.com and www.princesstreasurechest.com. Find everything princess related.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

"Losing It," by Kersten Campbell

Sometimes I lose my perspective. I am the kind of person who gets really excited over new ideas. My husband would say “nuts” but I would say excited. That is why, awhile ago when the Relief Society teacher talked about how much spirit and strength she felt when she immersed herself in the scriptures, I thought what I always think…”If a little is great, then a lot is even better!” So I decided that I would set a goal of reading the scriptures three times a day. In my excitement and fervor to seek the spirit that I so longed for, I forgot one minute detail: I have five kids.

But, true to my personality, I thought to myself. What? Details, Schmeetails! If the pioneer women could cross the plains barefoot with ten children and a handcart then surely I, with a mere five children and a washing machine to do my laundry could read the scriptures three times a day.

Ha! I underestimated my children.

“Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, moooooooom” called my four year old from her bed, just as I was sitting down in my comfy armchair to partake of the living waters.

“What?” I answered.

“I need a story. You forgot to read me a story.”

“Okay, fine.” I got up and read her a story. As I finally put the finishing flourishes on “The Three Bears,” and made for the door, I was assaulted with a barrage of questions from the next room: questions like,

“Moooooom, I’m hungry. Can I have ice cream in my bed?”

“Can you get me my blankie, Mommy?”

“Hey mom, is it true that raccoons lay eggs? ”

“Why is your face all wrinkled? Are you old?”

Finally, after an exhausting hour of fixing complaints I sat down heavily in my armchair. Aaaah.

Then I heard the screams. “Moooooooom, he kicked me.”

“Well, she was in my bed!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

With each “Was not” I could feel my blood pressure reaching the boiling point. This was ridiculous! Why could I not even sit down and read one minute of the scriptures, let alone three times a day? What about a mother’s inalienable rights? Isn’t one of them to be spiritually nourished so she doesn’t go out of her ever-living mind?

I prepared to give my kids a talking to. I stomped mightily down the hall, self-righteous in the thought that I must not let my rights as a person be trampled and disregarded. I had a right to obtain the spirit of God through reading the Holy Scriptures! And I wasn’t going to give it up!

Then a still small voice, mightier than all of my vehement determination stopped me in my tracks, literally. I was suddenly struck with the quiet thought: “You can obtain the spirit by serving your children too.”

Oh.

Meekly, I went in and comforted and tucked and kissed and coddled.

“Mommy?” I heard a quiet little voice whisper as I turned out the light.

“I love you.”

I don’t need to tell you that I was immediately flooded with the spirit I had so desperately been seeking.

Since then I have noticed something. That mothers are entitled to special blessings. And though we may not reach the towering spiritual standards we set for ourselves, we are involved in a holy, mighty, and sacred work that is crucial to the plan of salvation. And when we do our best, we may not reach perfection, but we cannot fail…because the Lord will make up the difference.

He will.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

"It is well with my soul"

This article was posted by Earlgirl on the Peaceable Walk blog, which won our February Outstanding Mother Site Award.

Life has been a real struggle for me lately. Once again, without realizing it, I've piled on way more than I can handle. When my world and peace began to unravel, I figured there was something wrong with me. Life stopped being fun, I was running and running. I started feeling more and more desperate. I would go to sleep dreading the morning, and wake up feeling the same way. Last week was the worst. I was in the middle of an impossibly busy day, grocery shopping. I only got through half of my list, when I knew I needed to go home. I just couldn't start crying in the middle of the store! That day, I began a total and complete flake-out. No mutual, no song practice, no karate the next day. You know what? The world didn't end- it felt soooo good! Then my husband went out of town and came back just in time to start another grueling week. I had a house guest the entire time he was gone. When life got hard, I felt so alone. I felt embarrassed really confiding in anyone. I hated the thought that anyone would judge me, and wonder why I couldn't handle life. I really wanted to be able to just smile, and get everything done that I thought I should. I kept asking the Lord to bless me with that. It makes me smile now, to realize I was asking the Lord to let me run faster than I had strength. He needed to let me buckle under the weight I'd put on myself before I'd be willing to put anything down. I'm there now, I'm plenty willing! An amazing thing happened to me this morning: my visiting teacher (who is moving out of the country today) called and told me she was bringing me dinner. She woke up at three this morning, and knew what she needed to do for me. She didn't know I'd been falling apart. I came upon this song on someone's blog today, and it's just wrapped me in the peace that Heavenly Father had to wait to give me. With this beautiful song, and a loving gesture, I feel so warm, safe, and loved. Like the song says, "It is well with my soul."