Domestic Success

Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category

Are we there yet? Car ride problems solved!

Friday, July 16th, 2010

I am so excited to be sharing this guest post with you – but this is no ordinary guest – she is my sister Candice! Enjoy!

Are we there yet??

Summer is time for travel and that often means long car rides with bored children saying “Are we there yet???” We are about to embark on a trip to the beach and after a recent trip for 5 hours in the car, I have learned some tricks to make the experience more enjoyable for all passengers.

We try not to resort to the DVD player unless the length of the trip is longer than a couple of hours. So here are some ideas we used with great results. Many of these items can already be found in your house or at a local Dollar Store.

Car Ride Activities:

Etch-a-Setch, Doodle pads, or Magnet pads
A cookie sheet with letter magnets from the fridge
Pipe cleanersor Bend-a-roos to make fun creations
Small chalk boards
Bubbles
Water ring games
Melissa & Doug’s Memory Gamehas several changeable versions
Pieces of tinfoil to make crowns, necklaces, or animals
Crayola Window Markers

car activities for kids

Be sure to hand these items out over a period of time or else they will go through everything in 5 minutes and ask what else you have.

Timing of your trip is also another factor. If your children happen to take naps, try to be traveling while they can be napping in the car to help take away a chunk of their time in the car.

Before you know it, when they say “Are we there Yet???” You can say YES!!!!

Candice Johanson

- Helping you achieve your Domestic Success!

Tags: car activites for children, traveling with children
Posted in Encouragement, Household Tips, Tips | 3 Comments »

All Those Cards, Cards, Cards

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Not long after I got married I soon realized my family just doubled – almost tripled because Derek’s family was bigger than mine. Then I realized wow – that’s a lot of birthday cards to do! Well I enjoy sending cards just as I love getting them. Then I started to feel bad because I was having trouble keeping up with the birthdays – I always felt I was sending “belated” ones out. My mother-in-law, whom I love so much, one day said “cards, cards, cards – always cards” she was right – not only family birthdays, but new baby, get well, condolences, mother’s day, father’s day, etc…. Well I was determined to not be late anymore!

Fist I took a marker and wrote down all the immediate family members’ birthdays on my kitchen calendar. Then I made a binder with folders, and each folder has a pocket for every month. On the outside of each pocket it had the month and lists all the birthdays of that month. Then I went to the Dollar Store and purchased the next six months worth of b-day cards, along with some thank you’s and get well ones.

Then when I flip the calendar for a new month I scan for any birthdays and pull the cards out of the folder and off they go! Am I late anymore with birthday cards? Sure – but not nearly as often as I used to be!

wendy