Managing a blog as well as a family of five is not an easy task what so ever and from time I need what I like to call “Me Time” where I get together with a few friends and have some fun girl time.

Getting together with the girls mean a lot of food and a lot of moscato wine which means it tends to be a long night full of laughing and great stories. Recently a few of us got together with some homemade dishes and wine and we hung out and talked about everything and anything and a few of us played speed bingo over at Ladbrokes Bingo. At first I wasn’t sure if I would like speed bingo online so if you find it isn’t your thing they have a lot of different options to chose from so you will be able to find something that interests you. Typically online bingo wouldn’t be something I would do but it was recommended by one of the girls and it turned out to be a lot of fun. It’s always a good time getting together with the girls and just forgetting about responsibility if even for a few hours. Our husbands are capable for the most part to handle the responsibility for a few hours while us ladies relax with our feet up eating good food and drinking good wine.

I will admit that girl time isn’t something that we do enough of and in the New Year is something I would like to do at least once a month. I am sure the husbands can handle three or four hours of responsibility one time per month.

While baseball is America’s pastime, you don’t always have to play the regular game to have a good time. Sometimes, you may not have a full team available to play, so you have to play a variation of the game. Here are a few fun baseball games that you can play with your kids.

700

700 is a fun game that encourages kids to be aggressive in fielding. This game requires at least two kids and would be best to have five or more. With this game, the coach or parent bats and hits balls toward the players. The player who catches the ball gets 100 points. If a grounder is fielded, the player gets 50 points. If the player makes an error in fielding, they lose 100 points. Players keep track of their score and the first person to 700 wins. You could use any number you want, depending on how much time you have to play.

One Strike

Another fun variation of baseball that you can play with kids is called “One Strike.” As the name implies, batters only get one strike to put the ball in play. If they get a strike, they’re out. This teaches them to be aggressive at the plate and try to swing their aluminum baseball bats at every good pitch that comes along. Each player gets an at-bat and they have a single strike. If they swing and miss, take a called strike or foul one out of play, they are out. Then the next player comes up to bat.

King of the Hill

King of the Hill is a fun game that can help develop clutch pitching in your players. Everyone forms a line behind the pitching mound. The first person up gets a single pitch and tries to throw a strike. If he throws a strike, his turn is over and he goes to the back of the line. If he throws a ball, he’s then on the hot seat. If the next player then pitches a strike, the person on the hot seat is out of the game. If the following player throws a ball, he takes over the hot seat and the previous person in the hot seat gets back in line.

All of these games can be really fun for you to play with your kids or team. Try them out and see how much your kids enjoy them.

This is a guest post and was written for Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!

These days it’s hard to know what foods are best to aid concentration and performance in studying and examinations. It seems three different diet gurus are saying three different things at any given time about the “ideal” mix of foods to boost focus and retention. The good news is that there are points of congruence where the experts agree. Here is a list of six great foods to help your child perform better in school and help curb test and grade anxiety. (Of course, just eating right isn’t enough; hitting the books does have a role to play, too!)

1)      Proteins

Red meat, green, leafy vegetables, eggs, and other high-protein foods also tend to contain iron, which aids in concentration and information retention. Protein-rich foods are good for studying because they produce long-lasting energy and help oxygenate the brain, an important component in efficient studying.  Nuts are also high in protein and iron, but unlike most red meats they also contain fatty acids that have been shown to aid memory and concentration, making them an excellent study snack or after-meal brain booster.

2)      Whole Grains

Processed grains like the wheat flour in white bread aren’t nearly as good for effective studying as whole grains, because most of the nutritional value has been removed and replaced with chemicals that actually make the brain less efficient. Whole grains include whole wheat, bran, oatmeal, and brown rice, and contain the B-complex vitamin folate, which can be found in synthetic form as folic acid in vitamin supplements and “enriched” foods. Crackers, pasta, and popcorn are also great sources of whole grain, so if your child asks for popcorn as a study-session snack, you can feel good about saying yes! (Just go easy on the butter and salt.)

3)      Water and Teas

Plain old H2O is one of the best study aids around. The brain is made up of about three quarters water, and believe it or not, your brain can dry out. (This may be one reason why people get severe headaches.) When the brain becomes dehydrated, it shrinks the memory and neural processing components to conserve water, reducing mental efficiency. Most people don’t drink enough pure water, but for those who really need a flavor boost, green tea is an excellent alternative to plain water. Black and orange teas are good as well, because of the additional vitamins they contain, but water is still the best brain beverage going.

4)      Fruits and vegetables

Getting kids to eat their veggies poses a number of unique challenges, as just about any parent who’s ever tried it can attest. However, fruits and vegetables contain folic acid, fiber, and “good” carbohydrates that enhance comprehension and energy without the lethargy and mental fuzziness that often accompanies refined sugars and carbs. Apples, spinach, berries, and broccoli all rate high on the great study food scale, and because all these foods are rich in vitamin C, they also augment immune responses, which is handy considering the cold and flu season is very much upon us!

5)      Chocolate

If you did a double-take on this one, you’re not alone. Surprisingly, dark chocolate has been shown to aid cognitive skills and recall because it contains flavonoids (also known as citrin or vitamin P) that stimulate blood flow to the brain. Don’t count milk chocolate out, though; the pleasure-causing endorphins that make chocolate fun to eat also make students happier and increase their concentration. Obviously you don’t want to let your kids make a meal out of chocolate, but for an afternoon snack or an evening cram session, moderate amounts can make studying more fun and effective!

6)      Cheese

Actually, all calcium-rich foods are good for studying. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are just a few excellent sources of calcium and proteins that help increase the amount and smooth function of chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals help the brain process and recall information more efficiently and with greater clarity. Yogurt’s a fun, sweet snack food, while prepackaged cheeses such as string and block cheese are great for nibbling during an intense cram session. Have your child wash these down with a glass of milk while hitting the books and watch their grades improve!

7)      Foods to Avoid

Especially among older children and teenagers, beverages like soda and energy drinks have become all the rage for studying. The problem with these is that they’re loaded with empty calories and artificial flavors and colors. Once the sugar and caffeine wear off, so does focus. Potato chips and other processed snack foods should be avoided or consumed very sparingly, because the carbohydrates in these foods tend to be loaded with bad cholesterol and fat. Most of the foods on this list are healthier, less expensive, and more effective at helping your child get the most out of their studying!

This guest post was provided  by www.yorknotes.com.

With modern education veering away from conventional books to multimedia experiences only available online, getting children conversant with the concepts and skills they need to surf the Web is becoming just as crucial as teaching them to read. The worry most parents have is that they’ve seen the nightly news and read the papers, so they hear about the dangers inherent in the Internet for children. This raises a very difficult and delicate problem, because while no parent wants to come off as an alarmist, the emphasis should always be on safety. Here are seven tips to keep your children safe while still giving them the valuable skills they’ll need to keep up with their class.

Choose kid-friendly, safe sites.

Websites just for kids are becoming more popular every day, and many of these sites are designed specifically to promote a safe surfing experience. Sites such as Nick.com, Poisson Rouge (“Red Fish,” for those who don’t speak French; this site is bilingual), and PBS Kids Play all offer excellent learning and play content in a fun, safe context.

Set a special profile for your child.

Most computers these days are preloaded with operating system software that will let you set up a user profile for your child. These profiles allow you to block sites over a certain rating or to establish passwords that you have to enter before a child can access a site that’s not on the list. While these security precautions may seem tedious and even excessive in some cases, they’re very important to keeping your child safe on the computer and on the Internet. Too many parents give their children the blocking password so the kids can access a site they know is safe, but then forget that there are more than three sites on the Internet, many of them sites you certainly don’t want your children seeing.

Blocking Software

While many sites a parent wouldn’t want their children accessing ask if the user is over eighteen, there are relatively few sites that actually vet users. Simply click “yes” and you’re in. Blocking software such as iRover, 4kids.org, and CyberPatrol can all help prevent kids from accessing inappropriate websites, but just like a personal user profile, this software does require you to manually set accesses and determine what kinds of sites are appropriate for your children.

Safe Email and Social Networking

Email is a useful tool, but it also offers a lot of opportunities for cyber bullies and Internet predators to get at children.  There are safe email services such as Zoobuh and Kidsemail.org which not only offer secure email for kids and families, along with sites like Kidzworld.com that offer kid-safe social networking.   They also offer other great benefits such as real-time Internet monitoring (more on this below). PureSight.com states that about twelve percent of parents in twenty-four countries say their children have been bullied. About sixty percent of this bullying happens on Facebook and other social networking sites.

Monitoring Kids’ Internet Usage

Many child education experts and psychologist argue about how much Internet time is too much. A good rule of thumb is that kids’ Web usage should be restricted along much the same guidelines as television viewing. The advantages of many safe browsing programs is that they permit the parent to monitor children’s usage from just about anywhere, and even pull the plug if a child has been online too long. While some parents may regard this as “snooping” or “not trusting the kids,” the reality is that kids’ privacy should always take a backseat to their safety.

Talk to your kids.

Education is the key to keeping children safe. All the software and security in the world doesn’t mean much if children aren’t aware of what constitutes safe behavior on the Internet. Teaching children to look both ways before crossing a street or not to talk to strangers is basic parental fare, and many of the same hazards exist on the Web. Explaining to your children why they can’t go to this site without Mommy’s permission or why Daddy set up the computer so that really cool site everyone at school is talking about is off limits can help foster safe and smart surfing habits.

Be there while your kids surf.

There is no substitute for being present while your kids are online. While security and safe surfing software are great, ultimately you are the best safeguard your child has. Not only does this give you the chance to teach your child new things, but it allows you to monitor surfing habits and prevent kids from going to places you don’t want them to be. Even better, you may find you and your child grow and learn together!

This guest post was provided  by www.conosco.com.

It’s that time of the year when you are thinking about Christmas, and all that it entails. Each year you send a photo Christmas card to your family and friends, but it is getting extremely difficult to gather the kids and dogs together and even more difficult ensuring they will behave in a cooperative and tasteful manner. In fact, it’s comparable to pulling teeth and you may be dreading it.

The kids give you grief, claiming to be too old to pose for the annual holiday card shot. If they do capitulate and agree there is no guarantee, they will behave appropriately during the photo session, but that’s part of the fun (really!) and challenge.

Remember last year when “Junior” decided to make an ugly gesture for the camera, which you didn’t notice until after 100 cards had already been sent? That gave you a few new gray hairs.

Bite the bullet and go for it, despite contrary children and pets. Most people love receiving photo Christmas cards. It may be the only time they get to see what your kids, you, your house and dogs look like.

Even if the photo is far from perfect – someone is yawning, someone is grimacing – those receiving the card will get an enormous kick out of it. The card will probably end up attached to the front of their refrigerator.

Relax and don’t try for the “perfect” portrait. Go with the flow. The Christmas card picture should convey what your family is really like and not what you pretend to be for one hour each year in a photo studio. The goal is to capture the heart and soul of your family and share it with others. The best pictures are not posed.

Display your annual Christmas cards in chronological order. Glue them to a thick, velvet ribbon and hang the ribbon and photo cards from a door or rafter so your family and guests can view them or hang them from your Christmas tree. This is a great conversation starter. “Yes, I remember THAT Christmas. I was in first grade and missing my front teeth.”

Nowadays, it is so easy to order Christmas cards online. It takes all the work out of it and you end up with an awesome holiday card. Invitation Box is an excellent online source for your holiday needs, particularly if you are up to the challenge – gird your loins— of doing a photo card once again. Consider photo Christmas cards at Invitation Box as an excellent idea for the holidays.

And, yes, it is worth it. Twenty, thirty or forty years down the road you are going to get such a kick out of looking at the old Christmas cards, reminiscing, and remembering the year Bobby did this or Susie did that, right in full view of the camera and it was captured for time eternal.

This post was written for and provided to Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!

I was watching something on TV the other day and they showed a garage that I would call the ultimate man’s garage.  It was filled with awesome cabinets, long work benches and more tools then you could imagine.  The type of garage that I might possibly sell my kids to have, LOL.  Well maybe I wouldn’t go that far but it has been a dream of mine for a long time to have the ultimate man’s garage.

During the summer months I spend a good amount of time outside and in the garage doing different odds and ends and projects.  Currently I have an ok set up but it would be awesome if one day I was able to take it to the next level.  What I mean is maybe some nice stainless steel cabinets throughout the garage instead of $30 metal  shelving units from Home Depot.  I also would love a really nice workbench maybe 12-15 foot long so that I would have a nice space to not only work on different projects but a place to store my things.  Some new cabinet style tool boxes would be awesome because my current tool boxes are overflowing at the moment.  It is crazy how many tools I have accumulated over the years without even realizing it.  A lot of them I have purchased but some I have mean a lot to me because they came from my grandfather and using the same tools he used to me is just awesome.

My current garage would need so much work to make is just right.  I would have to start by looking at new steel garage doors to replace my current because why make the inside look so nice if the outside still looks like crap.  After I replace the garage door I would need to move inside and replace just about everything in order to have it just like I would want it.  Also, let’s not forget that a new garage takes times and money which I have neither of, LOL.

I am sure some day I will have the ultimate man’s garage but for now I need to make my current setup work which it has been for over ten years but man would it be nice to have a new set up.