Motherhood

Tips For When Mom Get Sick During the Holidays

December 10, 2018 / Motherhood / 8 Comments

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Vicks at Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

Moms can get used to taking care of their sick families, but what about when Mom gets sick? The average cold lingers for one to two weeks, and the flu can stick around for even longer than that. We all know that time is precious, especially during the Holiday season, so here are some tips for how Mom can stay on top of the cough, cold, and flu symptoms. With these tips in mind and a little luck, she’ll be back on her feet and soaking in the good cheer in no time.

Tips For When Mom Get Sick During the Holidays

Take it Easy

“Taking it easy” may be easier said than done at this time of year, but one of the absolute best things you can when you come down with a cold or the flu is to give your body the time it needs to heal. That means rest and lots of it. One of the best things a family can do to help Mom recover is to take some of those Holiday chores off of her plate, so she can get the rest she needs.

Stay Hydrated

The fluids you lose when you’re sick need to be replenished somehow, which is why we’ve all heard the old admonition to drink plenty of water when we’ve come down with something. So one great thing the family can do for Mom is to constantly keep that glass of water full, and make sure she’s getting enough liquids. Soup for dinner is a great way to do this as well and has the added bonus of being light and easy to keep down.

Don’t Spread it Around

Sure, there’s a good chance that everyone else in the house is going to sick now, but that doesn’t mean you have to bring the problem out to the rest of the world. But we get that Mom has errands to run, and if there’s no one else to help, she should take care to keep from coughing on anyone or anything; no one wants to potentially ruin someone else’s Holiday!

Stay Medicated

Even the most supportive and accommodating family can’t help Mom get better all on their own. She might need a little help from elsewhere, which is where Vicks products from Walmart comes in.

Vicks has been a trusted name in non-prescription cold and flu medication for years, and right now you can save $1 off of most Vicks products at Walmart with the BrandSAVER coupon from your the November 25 edition of your local newspaper. iBotta is also currently offering $1 off of Vicks Nyquil and $0.75 off of Vicks VapoDrops, with a $1.25 if you take advantage of both offers on the same purchase. You can even make use of Walmart’s Online Grocery Pickup service to select all your groceries (including Vicks!) from the convenience of home, and then have it ready to be picked up at the store — hopefully by a kind family member, so Mom can stay at home and get more rest! You can place your order at grocery.walmart.com.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Vicks. The opinions and text are all mine.

3 Tips to Calm the Holiday Chaos this Year

November 26, 2018 / Christmas, Motherhood / 9 Comments

This post is sponsored by Red Baron but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Calm the Holiday Chaos

The holidays are a busy time of year for everyone but they are especially busy for us moms who have to prepare our homes for family and guests, shop for presents, and maintain traditions, on top of our everyday busy schedules. Luckily throughout the years, I have picked up a few tips to save time while keeping everyone happy.

3 Tips for Keeping the Holiday Stress-Free

Make the Lists and Check Them Twice

The quickest way to get overwhelmed and stressed out this holiday season is to go in it without a plan and unorganized. Take several hours now that the kids are back in school and make all your lists. A gift list, a Christmas card list, a grocery list if you are hosting a holiday party or dinner, and so on depending on what your holiday plans look like. I make all the lists! I even have a list of cleaning to be done over the next month, fun things to do, etc. having everything out of my head and able to be crossed off instantly makes my brainless stressed.

Give Yourself a Break with Family Pizza Night!

Find time to relax and take in the beauty of the holiday season. The one way I find time during the holidays is to streamline our weeknight meals. I like easy and delicious options that I can count on and Red Barron pizza is my go-to!

At the end of a busy workday, the kids come home from school hungry with backpacks full of homework. Then there are letters to be mailed to Santa, shopping to do, and of course the holiday fun. So having easy dinner options on hand that my family loves is imperative! I always keep a Red Baron Classic Crust Cheese Pizza and a Classic Crust Supreme Pizza in the freezer to helps me calm the mealtime chaos and keep everyone’s belly happy.

Create Fun and Easy Traditions

Some people enjoy making entire gingerbread houses from scratch, that’s not me. So I go for the boxed version and enjoy sneaking candy from my kid’s dishes as they decorate. This is a tradition for us, but it entails little cleanup and no stress on my part.

Movie nights are another stress-free tradition that we adore. There is nothing better than cuddling up with the kids and some hot chocolate to watch a holiday movie with the Christmas tree lit up in the background.

Baking my grandmothers cookie recipe is a tradition I look forward every holiday season, granted it creates quite a mess to clean up but it is still something I absolutely love.

Choose the traditions you love and get rid of the ones that overwhelm you and stress you out!

How do you calm the crazy and stay festive during the holidays?

5 Benefits of Music Lesson for Kids and Why We Choose Guitar Center

November 14, 2018 / Motherhood / 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Guitar Center and The Motherhood, All opinions are my own.

Top Benefits of Music Lessons for Kids

Music has always been a part of my family life. All of my uncles play the guitar while one is in a band, and several of my cousins play musical instruments and DJ. Unfortunately, I never got into playing an instrument as a child, and it is something I regret now, so when Anthony came to me asking to take guitar lessons I didn’t hesitate to run to Guitar Center and sign him up. Anthony has always been a very shy child and building up his self-esteem has not been an easy task, he also has generalized anxiety, so when I learned the benefits of music lessons for kids I realized this was a lot more important than some of the other hobbies we’ve tried in the past.

Taking music lessons provides countless benefits for kids from hand-eye coordination to cultural awareness and many of the life skills it provides are phenomenal.

5 benefits of Music Lessons

Increased Social Skills:

When a child plays in a group setting, they need to learn to work together to create the musical goals they are working towards. Learning to have patience with others and to cheer on their peers will help build stronger social skills

Academic Improvement and Retention:

Learning to play an instrument is an exercise for the brain and helps teach them how to store and retrieve memories. This skill can have a profound impact on your child’s academic performance.

Lowers Anxiety:

By building a child’s self-esteem, social skills, and confidence, they are able to feel more relaxed in a social setting.

Gives a Sense of confidence and self-esteem:

Working hard on something and seeing it through to fruition generates a sense of pride and confidence in everyone including children.

Helps Create Discipline:

Learning to play an instrument requires patience and hours of practice. Learning a single note can take countless tries which teaches children to keep trying even when things get hard.

Lessons at Guitar Center

The Curriculum

Guitar Center has created a custom curriculum focusing on teaching theory through contemporary music. All curriculum programs are approved by the National Association for Music Education, the world’s largest arts education organization. They can also help tailor curriculum to your goals and interests with a database on thousands of songs to learn.

The Convenience

With over 200 locations nationally, brand-new facilities Guitar Center Lessons is a one-stop shop. From lessons to retail to instrument repairs to supplemental learning materials, Guitar Center can cover any aspiring student’s needs. Plus, their program gives students the ability to continue learning on the go with online resources and the ability to schedule at any location.

Pro Instructors with a Passion for Music

All Guitar Center Lessons instructors are passionate, playing musicians who want to help you reach your musical goals. Based on your needs and wants. You are paired with the instructor that is right for you!

Contemporary Instrumentation

You can take any instrument, anywhere. They make sure you have the musical foundation to achieve any level on any instrument.

The Achievement Program

They offer a 6 tiered program to help students monitor their progress.

Give the Gift of Lessons with Guitar Center’s Holiday Promotion!

This holiday season when you buy 3 Lessons you’ll receive the 4th Lesson FREE!
(New students only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other coupons, promotions or lessons offers. No cash value. Buy 3 lessons at current Guitar Center market pricing and receive the 4th lesson complimentary. Offer valid at Guitar Center Lessons locations only. Valid November 23-December 26. Registration ($30) must be paid at the time of purchase.)

Why Inclusive Play is Important – Landscape Structures Inclusive Playgrounds

October 30, 2018 / Autism, Motherhood / 7 Comments

This post was sponsored by Landscape Structures as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Why Inclusive Play Is Important

I remember the painful thoughts that ran through my mind when Aidan was diagnosed with Autism, and then again when Lilly’s diagnosis and weak muscle strength began. Would they be able to make friends and participate in play? Would they be able to ride a bike? Would they be able to play with other kids? These are questions I never imagined thinking about with my oldest son, but they are the never-ending thoughts a parent of children with disabilities has. When Anthony was a preschooler, I didn’t think twice about spending an afternoon at the playground or think twice about the play equipment, however, when the twins were that age I suddenly needed to think about play structures in an entirely new way. Which is what makes Landscape Structures Inclusive playgrounds so special to my heart.

Landscape Structures Inclusive Playgrounds

Kids learn so many life skills on the playground and the foundation of those skills begins at an early age so it is extremely important for children of all abilities to participate in an inclusive play space. Inclusive Play is not just focusing on accessibility, it brings age, developmental appropriateness, and sensory-stimulating activity into the equation which results in social equity and increasingly diverse social communities.

Lilly’s muscle tone has improved after years of hard work and physical therapy and Aidan’s Autism is high functioning, however I truly believe that the social skills they have now has a lot to do with the inclusive play that they had available throughout the years and now we continue to spend out playground time at Inclusive Playgrounds because I want them to always understand that everyone is made different and beautiful and deserves to be included.

3 Important Life Lessons Children Learn on the Playground

Kids learn how to make friendships by working together and helping one another.

The first place my children made friends, outside of the family, was on the playground. There is something heartwarming about a child being able to run onto the playground and within the blink of an eye, they are jumping around with a group of kids. They help each other and encourage each other to cross the monkey bars or face their fears and go down the high slide. Children learn that working together will make the see-saw work and build sandbox villages faster. They learn that climbing as high as you can is a lot more fun with someone to enjoy the view with.

Kids learn to use their imaginations and collaborate with each other.

The play structure becomes a pirate ship and the slide is a plank into the alligator waters. The climbing dome is a princess castle that is protected by magic. They learn to use their imaginations together and create some amazing play time as each child adds a different aspect to the story.

Kids learn to be leaders and make decisions while celebrating each other.

As they play children learn to make decisions for themselves, which leads them to become leaders and builds their confidence. From deciding who is going to be the captain of the ship to figuring out who is going down the slides together, decisions are made and leaders are built.

Children learn so much on the playground! Landscape Structures believes that through inclusive play, kids learn life lessons such as leadership, persistence, support, and empathy. Which I also believe wholeheartedly making Inclusive Playgrounds so important.

Find an Inclusive Playground Near You

October is Sensory Awareness Month! So why not head to a great Inclusive Playground today? One of our favorite Landscape Structures Inclusive playgrounds is Sims Park in New Port Richey when we are close to home. We also love to stop at Common Ground Park in Lakeland as a car break on our drives over to Orlando. Want to find an Inclusive Playground close to you? Visit the Landscape Structures site and search for the playground that fits your needs!

Tips for Creating a Stress-Free After School Routine

September 6, 2018 / Motherhood / 12 Comments

This post is sponsored by Sparkling ICE but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

How to keep After School Time Stress-Free!

Weekday afternoons can be incredibly stressful for both kids and moms. Between getting homework done, dinner on the table, everyone to their practices and meetups, bathtime, and so on, it sometimes feels like a crazy rat race until they everyone’s head hits the pillow at night. This isn’t fun for anybody and I hate the thought that my kids are only relaxing and having true quality time with me on the weekends. So I decided to take some active steps to keep our time together after school stress-free.

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