Slim Down For Summer Checklists

2013

I am really excited for this to start!

Here is a button for anyone who wishes to blog about their challenge or add it to their sidebar…

Okay…I attempted to have this cute little text box for everyone to snag the code from, but it is spitting a different code out than it is supposed to. So, this looks bad, but oh, well! Here is the code below that should work to add it to your blog (copy everything between the <a and /a>:

Sorry!

Below I have an 8 week form for you to be able to keep track of your weekly points, and 2 daily check off forms. One form allows for more detail, for those of us who lose track during the day, and the other is a little more simple, perfect for keeping in your day planner or wallet. Please let me know if there is any trouble viewing these.

Click on each to view and print:

8 Week Tracker

Daily Tracker

Daily Tracker Slim

ENJOY!

Filed Under: Slim Down For Summer Tagged With: Fun

December Family Challenge: How Do You Count Down?

2012

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Christmas time is a time full of traditions, just ask my 2 oldest children. They remember everything we have done from years before and want to do it ALL! We usually do a an advent calendar similar to the last idea below, but I’m thinking of switching it up a little this year…maybe the 12 days of Christmas for my hubby? Shhh! Don’t tell him! Check out the challenge and I am excited to hear/see all your Christmas traditions.

This month’s Family Challenge is hosted by Brittany from Play With Your Family. Thanks Brittany!

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December Family Challenge: How Do You Count Down?

I absolutely love Christmas time! I love the smells, the decorations, the excitement, but I think my favorite part is the added love and happiness that seems to accompany the season. This year I have been trying to come up with fun ways to spread the true meaning of Christmas to and through my family. As I’ve been looking, I’ve ran across a ton of ideas about how to count down to Christmas that are so much fun. What I love about these is that they are not just candy or toys, they are experiences that will actually enrich and build your family, PLUS make awesome family memories. Some of the ways to count down to Christmas that I’ve found are these…

25 Acts of Kindness Until Christmas

I love this! What a perfect way to spread Christmas cheer and remind your family what Christmas is really all about. Here are some kind act ideas:

Bake something yummy and surprise someone with it.
Bring a present and a kind note to your teacher.
Visit a widow and sing her Christmas songs with your family. (Make sure to let her tell you some of her favorite Christmas memories.)
Bag groceries for another customer at the store.
Take a few minutes to open and hold the door for people at a restaurant, office, or store.
Buy lunch for the car behind you at the drive-through.
Leave a note and a treat in the mailbox for the mailman.
Hand out a note and a balloon to kids that you see.
Tape quarters to bubblegum machines. (How fun to watch this one from around a corner.
Call or write letters to family members just to say you love them.
Take clothes to a homeless shelter.
Set up a free hot cocoa stand.
Bake cookies for the local police or fire station.
Give a candy cane to your cashier and bagger at the grocery store.
Clean up an elderly persons yard.
Go to an assisted living facility and sing Christmas carols. (I have done this and the residents always LOVE it!)
(More great ideas can be found at Lil’ Light O Mine Blog.)

12 Days of Christmas for your Hubby

The next idea I found was to do “12 Days of Christmas for your Hubby”. I know this is only one person in your family but I am a firm believer that strengthening your marriage affects everyone in your family! Each of the twelve days leading up to Christmas you do something for your hubby that corresponds with the number of that day. So for my husband, I might do…

One Clean Car
A Candlelight Dinner for Two
Three Ironed Dress Shirts
Four Back Massages
Five Peanut Butter Cookies

Family 12 Days of Christmas

And you can fill in the rest! I’ve also seen this idea done for another family, maybe one in your neighborhood that might not be having such an extravagant Christmas. Obviously you would have different gifts for them than you would your hubby, but I’ve done things like this with my family growing up and we always loved it! A few ideas for a “Family 12 Days of Christmas” are…

One Christmas Movie
Two Plates of Cookies
Three Christmas Books/Poems
Four Pairs of Christmas Socks
Five Packets of Hot Chocolate (Complete with Marshmallows:))
Six Homemade Ornaments for the Tree

Experiences Rather Than Things, Christmas Countdown

I love all of the above ideas but my personal favorite advent calendar idea is the “Experiences Rather Than Things, Christmas Countdown.” Here you write activities for you and your family to do together for the 25 days leading up to Christmas! I think we’re going to do this, this year! Here are some of the experiences we’ll be having:

Drive around and see the lights.
Watch a Christmas movie as a family.
Decorate gingerbread cookies.
Go to a nativity scene.
Unwrap a new book and read it together.
Write a letter to Santa.
Have a family game night.
Make gingerbread houses as a family.
Have hot cocoa and cookies with neighbors.
Read the Christmas story.
Make ornaments for the tree.

I am definitely going to include some of the acts of kindness ideas from the above list to my Christmas experiences for my family. I am so excited to make great memories and fill everyone with the Christmas spirit in the things we are doing!

So our Monthly Family Network Challenge in this season of all seasons is to create a new Christmas count down tradition for your family! It could be one of the ones we’ve suggested, or another one of your choosing, but please do share! We’d love to see what your family is doing to count down for Christmas!

Share your ideas by:

Posting on our Facebook page.
Leaving a comment right here on our blog.
Or even better, linking up with a picture of your family doing some of your advent ideas!

What ever you choose to do, we here at the Family Network hope your holiday season starts off with lots of Christmas cheer!!!

Family Network Partners:

Play with Your Family
Fun on a Dime
True Aim Education
Serene is My Name Not My Life
LDS Parenting
Mom to Three Babies

Top image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: Family Challenges Tagged With: Fun

Having Fun with Breakfast Pancakes

2012

Pinterest Party Ideas

2012

How Does HappyFreebie Work?

“HappyFreebie is all about cool, new products for moms and dads. Each featured product comes with a giveaway and a discount. The giveaway makes it fun to find out about new products. The discount lowers the hesitation we all have to try new products. As you enter to win, buy at a discount, or refer your friends, you get points which accumulate over time and give you awesome rewards. For instance, when you get 1,000 points, you start getting double entries. Win. Save. Play. Every Day.”

I will be sharing more about entering giveaways (not just via HappyFreebie) in the near future. But until then, know that I personally love how easy and time saving it is to enter giveaways via HappyFreebie. I have been lucky enough to be a winner twice since I discovered them earlier this year.

Go check them out, enter a giveaway and make sure you tell me what your favorite products are or a theme you would love to see via Pinterest Party!

Filed Under: Adults, All Ages Tagged With: Fun

Olympic Fun Ideas

2012

1 Comment

Although we are in the middle of the Olympics, there is still time to have a little fun. In fact, if you really want to, you can keep the “Olympic Spirit” going through the Summer Paralympic games starting August 29th! Here are some fun Olympic ideas I shared over at Rusty and Rosy. Check them out and make sure to add what you have been doing to enjoy the Games in the comments.

Olympic Fun Ideas

Photo courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: All Ages, Preschool Tagged With: Crafts, Fun

Doctor Days ~ Because Every Toy Needs a Little Mending

2012

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My daughter and I have a new activity. We call it Doctor Day! Over the past few months we have noticed quite a few of her stuffed toys have needed a little TLC like mending and cleaning. So, we have now implemented Doctor Days to help these toys out. You would have thought I told her we were going to Disney Land. She is SO excited when it is Doctor Day! My 6 year old son thinks it is fun, but so far it has not been his toys that we have been saving. I bet he will be more excited when it is one of his toys that need bandaging.

Doctor Days are a great opportunity for me to teach my children how to mend/sew a little, while teaching them the importance of taking care of their belongings. They are definitely more concerned and look after the toys that have been mended in our office.

What You Need:

Toys, clothes, anything that needs a little mending
Necessary mending supplies (needle/thread, duct tape, etc)
One or two very eager helpers

Directions:

Step 1: Gather “hurt” toys and clothing that need mending.

Step 2: Set up a specified day to be Doctor Day. We picked Wednesdays and only open our office on that day if there are patients to be cared for. AND we try to only do 2 patients a day or my young ones loose interest.

Step 3: Get to work and make sure to involve your office helpers. It’s a great hand eye coordination activity as well as teaching some useful life skills.

If we can keep this up, I may have to create little Dr. coats (Dad’s old white church shirts) and Dr. masks for them! Can you see how much fun you can have with this?

Enjoy!!!