Archive for the ‘Family Fun’ Category

Recycle old Christmas cards into beautiful ornaments.

November 25th, 2011 by Trish

Recycled Christmas Card Ornament

I’ve always found it hard, once the holidays are over, to toss the beautiful cards that I’ve received.  Most of the time, I hang onto them. Often, I stumble upon last year’s greeting cards while unpacking Christmas decorations for this year’s tree.  Shoved in the bottom of the box, there they usually are!

If you’re like me, and teeter between wanting to toss them and wanting to keep them, here’s a crafty way to make use of them as well as a great project for the kids.

The instructions are as follows:

1) Simply take a ruler and divide the greeting card (front and back) into equal vertical strips (from top to bottom of the card’s cover picture).

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Party Planning…The good, the bad and the ugly!

November 14th, 2011 by Trish

Parties……..People seem to think that because I am an professional organizer, I automatically organize parties.  Nope!  This is a stress I love to live without at this stage of my life.  Sad I know, because when I throw myself into party planning mode, it can be a lot of fun.  However, it is all consuming, I fret about all the little details, I don’t relax because many other things get put on the back burner which really shouldn’t.  Sometimes I can’t wait for it to be over so that I can relax and get going with what really needs to get done in everyday life!!!  Am I crazy?  YES I AM! This is life!  This is what is important, getting together with friends and family is just one of our rewards for working hard. Maybe I should consider hiring an event planner, after all my reasons to avoid planning parties are the driving force for event planners.  My problem with this though is that I am a control freak and the event planner would probably fire me.

I think my daughter will end up being the party planner-decorating diva of the family.  She keeps me on my toes.  This year I was (more…)

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NEW: More Time Moms has Party Supplies!

October 5th, 2011 by Trish

Planning a Party? Now you can select from six beautiful themes online! Browse the themes, then simply buy online, it’s that easy.  If you want to get your hands on the hottest partyware, then start planning early!

From the basic cups, napkins and plates through to designer cupcake kits, beautiful centerpieces, dye-cut hats & loot bags and invitations, there’s everything you want to celebrate birthdays, showers, tea parties and Halloween too. We  even have assembled party packs from the Basic to the Ultimate to simplify your party planning and make your party memorable. Visit www.moretimemoms.com and join the party!

 

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Rained Out!

July 18th, 2011 by Trish

We have been experiencing an unrelenting period of grey skies and rain this summer.  One of the girls at the coffee shop optimistically told me that August will be better.  I hope so because it’s all we have left.  We’ve been trying not to let it get to us and so far, in spite of the rainy summer, the kids and I have come up with a few activities to pass the days. Try one of these activities or let us know how you keep spirits high when the rain comes.

1. Plan a Treasure hunt

This requires a little advance prep, but it’s always a big hit with kids. Stash clues around the house (adjust difficulty based on kids’ ages; use picture cues for little ones, tricky puns for older children), directing kids to hunt for a hidden prize.

2. Put on a Show

Help the kids stage a play or talent show. Give them a theme or opening lines to get them started or pull out costumes to get everyone started.

3. Go to Video

Film the kids’ Play or talent show and put it on youtube.  The kids will love it and it may go viral!

4. Bring the Outdoor Games inside

Play basketball with a soft foam or sponge ball, or just wad up some newspaper; the hoop can be any basket or receptacle (either hung on the wall or resting on the floor). Have kids shoot from different parts of the room or in different ways, in an indoor version of HORSE.

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Stop, Drop and Roll, Moms

September 22nd, 2010 by admin

One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure its worth watching –anonymous

Hmmm…Time management…..hahaha….have we mastered it yet?  Are we supposed to master it?

Seriously? Do we manage all of our time or is it better to structure our time enabling us to have the freedom to live life spontaneously. No, this is not going to be a piece on the art of organizing your time like preparing the kids lunches a week beforehand or laying out the kids clothing for the following school year!

What some of us have a hard time figuring out is how to live our lives as moms also for ourselves! Our worlds gladly revolve around our kids. It will for now, but with a caveat.  How about if we plan to grow with our kids, throwing a little adventure into everyday?

I am not necessarily talking about bungee jumping or skydiving but by all means go ahead.  I’ll be on EARTH drinking a margarita! Adventure could be nervously re-connecting with someone you haven’t spoken with in a long time or going on a canoe ride or snowshoeing through the woods on a white snowy day.  Or maybe it is trying some skate boarding with the kids. In my case, the adventure could be cooking in the kitchen!

Recently I was asked to write down my bucket list.  I struggled, but finally when I did write some things down; they were to see my kids grow up, see them married, have grandchildren etc.  But what were my own personal dreams?  Everything I put down was revolving around my children. Don’t get me wrong, my kids have made me grow in many ways…literally and figuratively.    So if I was to wave my own personal magic wand and nothing was impossible what would it be?

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Daily Winners Keep Rolling In!

December 16th, 2009 by admin

presentsIf you haven’t already heard about our More Time Moms Christmas contest.  It’s not too late to participate. You can win an MTM Family Organizer! One a Day, everyday! To enter, place an order or leave a comment on our blog. We are drawing a name every day for the next 30 days. You can still enter, the contest ends December 24th.

Congratulations to our daily winners so far!:

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Preparing for the Holidays

November 25th, 2009 by admin

SnowmanDon’t worry, it may be early to some of you but if you’re like me and everyday is filled to the gills, planning for Christmas couldn’t be early enough.  This year I decided to get ready a little earlier.  We have made the ‘what I call’ mistake in the past few years to put up the Christmas lights in minus temperatures. We pull out the ladders and I send my ‘always looking for an adventure’ husband on up in the hypothermic inducing temp to unfold the magical Christmas scene I have created in my mind.  Yes, Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year.  It isn’t just Christmas day, it’s the whole season. It’s the feeling I wholeheartedly embrace.

I have finally decided at my ripe age of 40 to let go of what is supposed to be the rule and just go with the flow of how everyone close to me is feeling.  The last thing my husband and I wanted to do on Christmas day last year was to spend half of it in the kitchen, so we didn’t even make a Turkey.  We went out for walks, dreamed, talked, and skated on the lake along with the kids tobogganing down our hill with just a few injuries. (Note for me this year, bring some helmets up to the lake) Coming in, sitting in front of the fire, watching a Christmas movie and munching on goodies made for one of the best Christmas’s I can remember.  Nothing was planned, nothing was rushed, and we embraced every moment, we were so present.

My goal this year is to create a similar feeling my family enjoyed last year…….what does that mean?  I NEED TO RELAX!!!  I am an organizer with a self diagnosis of OCD. I like things to be just so and I will waste time getting it just so to the point where I have sincerely missed out on some special moments others have clearly enjoyed.  This year the leader in me will let others lead the holiday…..to a certain point.

On a practical note, in addition to using More Time Moms Christmas Countdown checklist, I have decided to ask myself the questions I need answers to in order to have as much of a special stressed free holiday as possible.

Holiday Time Management

Before I plan the holiday activities, I need to check my Family Organizer.  Are children going to be involved in exams during the season or are the exams after the holiday? How about the kids activities around Christmas i.e. parties, concerts and plays.  What about their regular sport activities?  Do we have to go to all the events because I would like to do what we used to do a few years ago and drive around in pyjamas, yes pyjamas drinking hot chocolate and looking at all the wonderful Christmas lights!

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Single Socks Make Good Rainy Day Crafts.

October 16th, 2009 by admin

My laundry room is a magical place.  You don’t believe me?  Well, then explain what, aside from magic, would make my socks disappear.  Of course, some prefer to blame the washing machine and its insatiable hunger for socks; single socks that is, never a pair.  But regardless of what causes this phenomenon, there is one thing I know for sure; I am always left holding one lone sock.

Even on those days when both my socks find their way back from the laundry room, they never seem to stay together.  So, aside from tossing what would otherwise be perfectly good socks, what does one do with all of those single socks?  The best option that I can think of is to get the kids on board and make sock puppets.

By adding pom-poms, buttons, play jewelry and scarves; your otherwise boring sock takes on a life and character of its own.  If you have a lot of time on your hands (which most of us don’t), you can always sew the stuff on.  But helping out is a lot easier for the little ones if you use glue.

My favorite “hair” piece for sock puppets is pretty simple.  I cut about 10 to 20 same length pieces of yarn and place them evenly, length-wise, on a table, one piece on top of the other.  Then, I tie up the center with a small piece of yarn.  Once the center has been determined and tied, I proceed to braid each side.  Once my braids are completed, I attach the center to the top of my sock puppet.  Add a hat or scarf and voila!!

The possibilities are endless and of course, the fun doesn’t have to stop once the puppets have been made; putting on a show is the best part.

Charline

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Halloween: Be Creative and Resourceful!

October 14th, 2009 by admin

It’s that time of year again, where the kids are planning their costumes and already  making requests to have friends accompany us on our Trick or Treating adventures.  I have developed a love/hate relationship with this holiday that is so beloved by the kids.

When our oldest son Jacob was one, my husband came home from work on Halloween night to proclaim that he was ready to partake in the festivities and bring Jake around the neighborhood to visit and enjoy his first foray into Trick or Treating.  Secretly, I was horrified that my baby, who was still breast-feeding and just precariously walking, would be exposed to the Halloween horrors of candy.  “Where’s his costume?” he said.

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Kids Can Show School Spirit By Creating T-Shirts

September 28th, 2009 by admin

With preparing for back to school and all the routines one must re-adhere to once school is back in session, crafts may be the last thing on your mind.  However, if your children need something creative to do, simple school related crafts may be just the thing you’re looking for.

If your child is a pre-teen or teenager, hanging out with their friends after school or on the weekend is what they like to do best, so why not give them something creative to do while they’re all together?  T-shirts and fabric markers or paints are all you need to get their creative juices flowing and they’ll be guaranteed lots of fun in the process.

As a matter of fact, middle and high schools usually offer our children the opportunity to be a part of various clubs and committees, and what better way to show school spirit than to create matching t-shirts?

Of course, there’s nothing stopping your children from creating a t-shirt of their own for the joy of being creatively unique; and if this is the case, such a project will most certainly keep them entertained for hours.  But if the t-shirts’ goal is to bring attention to a particular school club or extracurricular activity, it might be more fun to get all members involved.  It could certainly make for a funtastic evening or afternoon.

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