Purchase a THREE-RING BINDER with sheet spacer. When you find a recipe you want, cut it out and glue or tape it to papers. Organize by course, fruits, veggies, etc. This helps organize all your recipes. (Alison Seymour) Designs for CAKE DECORATING: Lay a stencil or a cookie cutter on top of icing, fill in with sprinkles or colored sugar crystals. Remove stencil. Treat your … Continue reading Kitchen Kapers
FALL CENTERPIECE: Start with a wicker plate used to support paper plates. Supply bump chenille, hay, styrofoam, silk leaves and flowers, ribbon, small decoration, glue, scissors. Let imagination go! Will you have a pumpkin patch, a scarecrow, a candle in the middle? This is a great family night project. Also a good ice breaker for groups. Easy PAPER BAG Decorations from HIGHLIGHTS Creative Crafts Series: … Continue reading Kid’s Korner: Harvest
Shopping with a Toddler: Before you go into the store, tell your child how to act, what behavior is and is not acceptable. They need lots of reminders and they are still learning what is appropriate in what place. Do not assume that after running around the playground this afternoon, your child will remember to be calm prepare them, this gives you an opportunity to say, “Remember, … Continue reading This Works for Me!
It is not your responsibility to get your children out the door on time. It’s theirs! Your only contribution is to complete your assigned tasks on time (making their lunch or combing their hair). As long as you are not hindering your child’s progress in the morning, you can not be blamed if they miss the bus or the carpool. Once a child realizes that … Continue reading How to Empower you Children to get to School on Time
Sewing lace-up cards: Make your own easily by using the cover of a coloring book, back of a cereal box or a Christmas card that has something interesting to your child. Cut out the picture, punch holes around sides, add shoelace or yarn. Good examples would be Barbie coloring book or Batman cereal. Coloring Savvy: It’s so easy to “get involved” with our child as they color or draw … Continue reading This Works for Me!
When your child shares about their day, LISTEN. Even if you have to bite your tongue. I’ve learned a lot about my children from listening to them and not reacting. I also listened to their friends, who seemed quite willing to share “funny” stories that my children were involved in. Don’t judge; don’t react. Just listen. If you must put your two cents in, wait … Continue reading Top 10 Parenting Tips Part II
Long Distance Moves: Be prepared for cash flow problems. New apartments, phone companies, and utilities may require immediate cash deposits but refunds from old deposits can take weeks. When moving to a new state, find out how long you have before you must change your car registration and tags. If changing banks, keep old bank accounts open until all checks have cleared. Some businesses do … Continue reading Moving Tips
Do you want to raise healthy, well-adjusted adults? The beauty of having 3 twenty-somethings is that I can see the fruits of my labor. Through reading, trial and error and my basic belief systems, I raised my children on the following 10 premises: Read about each phase of childhood BEFORE you get to it. You won’t be surprised when you get a call from the … Continue reading Top Ten Parenting Tips – Part 1
Most of these ideas can be used even if you’re not homeschooling. As parents, we are our children’s primary educator. Learning takes place everywhere, anywhere. Look for opportunities to teach in everyday activities. If you’re getting a new rug, have your child help with measuring. Let your child follow a recipe. Talk about measurements using standard and metric. Have them design a house. What size … Continue reading This Works for Me: Tips for Teaching at Home
The first question people asked me about homeschooling was “What about socialization?” By that I suppose they meant, “Would my son be isolated?” My response to this is that there are many ways to socialize and sitting in the school for 6 hours a day with the same children in the same age group is just one way of socializing. It’s not better, it’s not always the most positive … Continue reading Moms to Moms: Homeschooling
ART with Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama's Guide 