Adirondack Park
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Adirondack Park for Families (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

Happy August from Allison at Tips for Family Trips! I know that many of us are getting into the back-to-school groove, but I can’t let the summer slip away without sharing one more top vacation destination – Adirondack Park in New York.
August is one of the best times to visit the Adirondacks because temperatures are cool and comfortable, while the park’s many lakes are just right for swimming and canoeing. If you love colorful autumn leaves, then fall in the Adirondacks is unbeatable.

Lake Placid, a two-time Olympic host city, is located in the Adirondacks, and my family had the opportunity to visit this lovely town last June. Here are some of the fun activities we recommend in Adirondack Park.

family mailbox
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Family Mailbox Fun! (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

Hello again! It’s Veronica from Nine A Plenty. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! It’s such a fun time for families, but I always can count on my kids getting stir-crazy. They do much better with routines and things they can count on. Lately, we’ve had a bunch of craziness, so I thought it was time for a fun activity that brought them closer together. Thus, the Family Mailbox has begun!
What is a Family Mailbox? Well, it really can be anything you would like it to be. That’s the best part. For us, we’ve been writing little notes to each other. These can express love, appreciation, something the other person does to make you happy, something you admire in them, etc. I’ve been surprised at how excited they were to do this for each other. Our mailbox has been full and it’s been fun to “deliver” the mail.

bike parade
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Fourth of July Bike Parade (she: Darleen)

ByDarleen

Happy Fourth of July! Do you have any exciting plans tomorrow? There is something extra special about festivities that happen around the Fourth of July. Well, this is Darleen from Darling Darleen, and at our house we go all out on this patriotic holiday. I make sure we are all donned in red, white and blue outfits…of course! When we lived in the Northeast we spent many 4th of July holidays in Boston and on the beaches in Cape Cod, attending the parade and fireworks show. Since living in the South, we’ve picked up a tradition that many of the neighborhoods do, which are bike parades! This was new to us, but we love the idea.
We love this because you can take your party on the go–whether hitting up your town’s annual parade or having a festive picnic at the park. Visit the dollar store or your local craft store just a few days prior to the 4th or better yet TODAY. They usually mark down holiday party items a couple days before the actual day. Pick up paper pinwheels, streamers, garland, flag picks and the inexpensive what-is-this-used-for items. Chances are most of it will look pretty darn good on an 8-year-old’s bike.

trampoline water park

Trampoline Water Park… A Cool Way to Beat the Heat! (she: Jamie)

ByJamie S.

Hi, it’s Jamie, stopping by from Prepared Housewives to tell you about our trampoline water park project that will make you a super-hero in your kid’s eyes 😉

It’s hot, really hot (at least in Texas)! Which means sending the kids out to play only lasts a few minutes before they need drinks, Popsicles, & Band-Aids for their boo-boos.

I would love to fill our days with outings and fun trips to Disney, but the fact is bills need paid and laundry needs done.
Luckily, my husband saved my sanity by deciding to turn our trampoline into our own personal water park. He still won’t admit he stole the idea from Pinterest, but it doesn’t matter – it has entertained our kids, the neighborhood kids, and even some adults for hours.

It’s super simple, and with just a little PVC pipe you can survive the heat and save your sanity too..

family games
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Entertaining Kids Without Electronics: 8 Family Games They Will Love (she: Jamie)

ByJamie S.

It’s easy to overdose kids with TV, video games, and catapulting Angry Birds around (everything my kids are currently doing right now 🙂 – but I encourage you to try to disconnect from electronics a few times this Summer and teach your kids they can actually survive without them. Entertaining kids without electronics doesn’t have to be a lot of work!

Many families pass down photos, memories, & names – well our family passes down GAMES! I decided to share our absolute favorite ones with you! Each time we play these I can’t help but think of going to Grandma’s and having some good ol’ family fun!

end of school wrap up
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End of School Wrap Up… a Questionnaire to Remember Their Year! (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

Helloooo! It’s Veronica and I’m so excited to be back! Here in the good ‘ol South, we are enjoying our last week of school. It FLEW by this year!! The kiddos and I are enjoying the craziness of field trips, field days, awards nights, different graduations, and the list goes on and on!

I love the idea of my kids answering questions that explain their life. It’s always fun to hear their thoughts and get a glimpse into their fantastic little minds. And because this is a crazy time of year for all of us, I love how simple this idea is.

Keep reading to see what I created for the END OF SCHOOL WRAP UP!

Dinosaur Destinations
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8 Dinosaur Destinations in Utah for Families (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

It’s Allison from Tips for Family Trips with another monthly dose of travel inspiration. Does anyone in your family love dinosaurs? If so, it’s hard to find a better place than Utah for dinosaur destinations.

Paleontologists recently discovered several new dinosaur species in Utah, and you can find out more about them in the May 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine. These new species, along with (really) old favorites, are on display in Utah museums. There are also plenty of places in Utah where you can still see evidence of ancient life in nature.

Here are my favorite Utah dinosaur destinations for families.

play time with toddlers
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Tips for Surviving Play Time With Toddlers (she: Heather)

ByHeather

Happy Mother’s Day to you, and to all the special moms in your life. It’s Heather, back to share a few ideas to help you as you play with your young children.

Spend a few minutes with your little ones and you realize how much they love to play. Play is vital to their emotional, physical, and social growth. It helps them build confidence, self esteem, and even teaches them to control their emotions. But… their games and activities can start to grate on moms. The next time you wonder if you can spend one more minute playing kitchen or Candy Land, remember all the benefits that come to kids from playing. And use the following suggestions to make things a little easier during play time with toddlers. Remember, you are not alone. These feelings are very normal.

Family Night – Teaching Kids Their Words Matter! (she: Tonii)
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Family Night – Teaching Kids Their Words Matter! (she: Tonii)

ByTonii

Hello everyone, it’s Tonii again and I am so glad to be back with another fun and simple Family Night! This month, I felt inspired to talk to my kids all about the importance of WORDS. The words that we use, and the way that we use them. It’s so important to spend time teaching kids their words matter.

To get started I whipped up a simple printable with the words I say to my kids every day before they head off to school… Check it out!

Family Valentine's Day tradition on orsoshesays.com #familyvalentinesday #valentinesday #familynight #familyfun #valentine #printable
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Family Valentine’s Day Tradition … FREE Valentine Printable

ByKristina

I don’t want my children to ever grow up feeling that Valentine’s Day is only awesome if you have a “lover.” I want them to always look forward to it. Which is why we call it “Family Love Day” in our family. It’s a day for showing each other love. It’s a day for having fun as a family. This can be done in a variety of ways: A fun breakfast in bed (or just a fun breakfast in general), a fun lunch with cute notes, or a night out on the town. My husband and I like to take the kids and go to dinner. If Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday we will take the kids to dinner and then celebrate as a couple on the weekend.

what's in the car for your kids?

Favorite Ways to Entertain Kids in the Car (she: Brooke)

ByBrooke

Just let me begin by saying I am in no way, shape, or form above using technology as entertainment in the car. My parents live three hours away, and we pull out every electronic device we own for that trip. I’m talking about what I use for engaging my boys in the car on a daily basis when we’re running here and there around town with errands, school, and activities.

One day while doing our running around in the car, after breaking up one argument after another between my boys, I decided I needed something engaging/distracting (call it what you like) to keep these boys of mine from drawing blood in the car. So, here are few things we’ve come up with to keep our time together in the car a bit more pleasant, and actually enjoyable.

Fun Printable for Setting New Year's Resolutions www.oneshetwoshe.com
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Setting Goals for the New Year! ~ Family Night Ideas (she: Tonii)

ByTonii

Hey again, it’s Tonii from Blue Skies Ahead. I am so thrilled to be back at Or so She Says…sharing another fun family night idea! I don’t know about you…but I LOVE the start of a new year. A clean slate, a chance to do anything you want and start fresh! I was really excited to do a simple activity with my kids to help them learn about goals and have fun making a visual that we could focus on ALL year long to remember what we want to accomplish in 2014.

First up I made this printable to hang in our home. I love this quote and have found it to be so true in my personal life. There is so much power in simply believing in ourselves!