Spring break is the best thing in the world when you’re a kid, but the hardest thing to deal with when you’re a parent! Not because you don’t want the kids at home, but having the usual routine broken and needing to think of activities for them to do while they’re away from school isn’t easy. Spring break is usually just a week long, meaning that your usual routine gets interrupted and only for a short amount of time. This can cause some major disruption in the kids, depending on their ages, so keeping busy is key.

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You don’t have to spend every penny you have to fill their spring break week with exciting days out and impressive things to do, but you do have to get a little creative and think about things to keep the boredom at bay. Hopefully you live somewhere where the weather won’t be a problem for you, but if you do you’ll appreciate the indoor tips we have for you in our list here:

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Hold an indoor disco. Whatever the age, all you need is a darkened room, music and lights flashing which can come from smartphone screens. Add in a game of musical statues, some neighbourhood friends and snacks and you’ve got yourself a giggle party on your hands.

Get gardening. Your kids can learn so much about the great outdoors just by getting their hands dirty. Whether they like to play with basketball hoop above the garage or plant in the soil right alongside you, there’s a lot that can be done outside during spring break. If you are planning on installing or cleaning a pool in the back, make sure you get the right equipment and accessories from poolcoversandrollers.com.au first!

Teach them to cook! Spring break is the perfect time in their schedule to keep the educational juices flowing but with hands-on activities. Get the kids around the table and choose some recipes together for desserts or lunches for the week that they can create themselves. This can be anything from pizzas to cupcakes. It’s fun to learn to cook and not only are you giving them some essential skills – yes, cupcakes are an essential – you’re also spending time bonding with them.

Talent competitions through painting, making and singing are another way to occupy their time. Give them tasks like painting the house you live in to the best of their ability, or collectively making a papier Mache solar system using newspaper, glue, paint and balloons. Not only are they learning, but they’re learning how to work together. By making it a contest, you fuel the fires of competition and working as hard as possible. All you need to decide on are the prizes you’ll give.

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Lots of kids simply want to chill out during Spring break and not bother doing much at all, which is just as good a way to spend their time after the rigours of school. Take time to just be with the kids; they’re not young for very long.

Becoming a mom can be one of the most difficult and hardest things that life brings. Actually, that is an understatement – becoming a mom is a life changing event that will alter your life forever. It is a fantastic accomplishment and an incredible aspect that you will never be able to forget, though, and caring for and nurturing your child will open your eyes to how precious life is – and you will want every bit of goodness in life to influence your child and you will also want to create a perspective of life for your child that will mean they enjoy every part of their childhood and are happy.

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This does not come easy, though, as we know. When you bring a child into the world, it can mean that you will find you have limited time to yourself and can’t do as many things – socially and personally – that you took for granted before. Again, you will not mind this as you will invest all your time into caring for your child because, simply, you want to. However, at times you should not let your social life slip away altogether as we all need some free time now and again. Time to ourselves is an important part of maintaining our well being and allows us to earn some well earned relaxation time.

If your friends have contacted you, asking if you are keen to meet up for a coffee, do not immediately say no. Think about how good it could be to see your friends, and have a catch up. Coffee shops allow babies in (they would be silly not to!) so even if you can’t find someone to look after your baby for a few hours, take them with you. The likelihood is that your friends will love seeing your child and your child can also experience new surroundings.

There are also a lot of mother and child groups that meet regularly. These types of groups can be found in almost any location – but especially in cities – and provide a place for mothers and children to go and relax. You will also find that joining these types of groups is an easy and accessible way to meet new friends – you can talk all things parenting but can also ask for advice and guidance on certain aspects of motherhood. You will also find that women who are expecting children turn up for these groups, and you can pass on your advice to them, or tell them about this article here, so that they can gain more of a knowledge of what to expect when motherhood begins.
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Even though you want to spend all your time with your child – and that is completely understandable – it is important that you maintain aspects of your life, too. Without a social life, you may find that you become, at times, overwhelmed with motherhood. It is good to talk about any pressures that are affecting you and to keep your relationships intact while motherhood continues.

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The bathroom provides the perfect place for peace and quiet. You can lock the door and run yourself a luxurious bubble bath in which you can relax and forget about everything else. In fact, chilling out in the bathroom can be so relaxing that many busy professionals and stressed parents really treasure this private time to themselves. If you are lucky enough to have an en-suite, you can relax in even more privacy!

If you really enjoy lounging in the bath, why not consider turning your en-suite into a gorgeous spa retreat? Recreating all the pleasures of a spa is easy enough to do in any bathroom. And it doesn’t have to cost you the world either! Here are some simple tips that can help you create your very own spa.

Think About Presentation
The first thing you notice when you walk into a spa is just how pretty it looks. And one way the spa smartens itself up is by creatively displaying all the various beauty products that customers can use. For example, the bath salts and skin lotions aren’t just stacked up by the saunas. They will be presented in an attractive way on vintage tables and wooden cupboards. So, consider the presentation of your own bubble bath and soaps. Carefully arrange them on a cute table right by your tub.

Add Lots Of Softness
No one likes stepping out of the bath as it can often feel very cold. Everyone always grabs for their towel as soon as they are out so that they can wrap themselves up in it! You won’t feel quite as cold if you add lots of softness to your spa bathroom, like a fluffy bathmat and cozy slippers. You might also like to think about electric heated towel rails for your bathroom so that the towel is always warm when you wrap it around you. It’ll be so soft and cozy, you might not want to get dressed!

Use Lots Of Plants
Plants have a very relaxing effect on us whenever they are brought inside. And they can also work wonders in your spa bathroom! Not only will they add some color, but the plants will release oxygen into the air as they grow. All of this extra oxygen can help to clear your mind and help you forget your worries. Wondering which plants are best in your bathroom? I recommend adding some orchids, peace lilies, and ferns.

Install Dimmer Lights
Lots of people enjoy snoozing when they take a dip in the bath, and the best way to help you drop off will be to install some dimmer lights. Then you can make the whole room as dim as you want it. But even if you don’t like sleeping in the bath, you will find that it is a lot easier to relax away from bright lights. Plus, the dimmed light might help any headaches you had throughout the day disappear.

There is an old tradition that many households have gone through as they raise children. When they are old enough to stand, children lean against a doorframe while a parent marks their height with a pen. An age is then added next to it. Each year, on their birthday, the same process is repeated. The result is a visual guide to how much a child has grown through to the age of 18.

There is something wonderfully quaint about the idea. A habit and way of doing things that changes each year, but nevertheless remains the same. While many gifts for kids these days will be from the technology sector, there is still place for sentimentality. For the same visual record without needing to rip out a door frame when you move house, there are plenty of options to consider.
Matryoshka Dolls

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The famed “Russian nesting dolls” are designed to expand. You can begin with a small doll, decorated – perhaps by your own hand – while your child is young. The next year, they get a larger doll to encase the smaller one – and so on and so forth.
There’s a powerful metaphor at work here too. At the age of 18, you will have 18 dolls all nestled inside one larger doll. It’s quite the same as how your child’s developmental years are always inside them, influencing the adult that they will be.

Bobbleheads

Bobbleheads are adorable small statuettes that can be made to a person’s likeness. This is a gift that begins well around the age of six, as your child’s facial features develop fully into something that is uniquely them.

Every year on their birthday, give a gift that showcases the custom bobbleheads unique craftsmanship and how their face and body changes as they age. Each bobblehead makes a wonderful ornament in and of itself, but ten plus of them arranged in ascending order is something truly wonderful to be able to look forward to.

Sports Jerseys
As most parents will agree, the regularity with which sports teams redesign their outfits can become expensive for a kid who is sports mad. But there is an excellent way of turning it into the perfect gift that moves with the times. You can, but don’t have to, start this on their first birthday with a miniature shirt, and go up size by size as your kid gets older.

The genius behind it comes with the fact that all sports teams play in numbered shirts. So birthday by birthday, as your kid gets older, you can mark the day by gifting them a jersey with their name on it and their age as their “playing number”. Keep each shirt, and you’ll have a real representation to show people when they remark “My, hasn’t he/she grown!”.

Of course, you’ll hope that your child doesn’t change teams as they get older, or the effect is lost to an extent. But then, you can always incorporate that into the display: “Ah, between six and nine. We call those ‘the Dolphins years’, don’t we honey?”, you will say to your sheepish, now Patriots-loving teen. That’s the stuff memories are made of.

Tummy pain is possibly one of the worst pains out there. Mild tummy pain isn’t always bad, but severe pains and cramps can be immobilizing. It can make it impossible for you to get comfortable, and even impossible to concentrate on whatever it is you’re doing.

Sometimes, all you want to do is lie there and feel sorry for yourself. There are a number of reasons you might be experiencing this uncomfortable pain, but there are also a number of remedies. If a member of your family are experiencing tummy pain, then you’re going to want to help them in any way you can, too. Here are some tummy pain remedies for you and your family:

Use A Hot Water Bottle
A hot water bottle can help you to feel comforted, so it’s especially great for young children experiencing tummy pain. The heat helps to relax muscles in the stomach, too, lessening the pain. However, you don’t want it too hot or it can cause more discomfort than anything. You can also have a nice warm bath to help ease the pain.

Drink Chamomile Tea and Peppermint Tea
Chamomile is an anti inflammatory, so drinking a cup of this tea could help to reduce pain and swelling in the stomach. It also works to relax muscles in the digestive track, which is helpful if your stomach feels tight. You can buy these teabags in any store, and they don’t have much of a taste to worry about.

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Peppermint tea relaxes the muscles in the stomach too, and helps improve the flow of bile. You can make this fresh if you like; just steep fresh peppermint leaves for 5-10 minutes, and then drink the liquid. You can also chew on the leaves if you want further relief and you like the taste of them.

Drink Lemon Water
If you have indigestion, lemon water can aid the aches and pains associated with it. This is because the acidity levels help the body to break down your food easily and move your digestion along at a good pace. Lemon water is also really good for your skin and health in general. Just add some fresh lemon slices to your bottle or glass of water and enjoy. Children should find this pleasant to drink if they enjoy the taste of lemon.

Chew On Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds can help the body to produce digestive juices, moving the digestion process along at a nice pace. They also reduce inflammation in the tummy and the pain associated with it.

When To See A Doctor
If your family are having severe tummy pain, it could be time to see a doctor. You may need medication for any tummy pains that come with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. However, if the tummy pain is recurring, it could be a sign of a bigger problem at work. IBS is commonly associated with tummy pain. It’s not something you should ignore!

These tummy pain remedies should be suitable for the whole family. Just make sure you don’t ignore serious symptoms!

Let me begin by saying that I love backpacks and purses. I can’t seem to have enough in my closet. I am a busy mom of three and need a bag that has space, pockets to keep my things organized, and of course it has to be cute!

I was fortunate enough to connect with Carolina Clover products. So what is Carolina Clover? Well to begin with it’s a great site with very charming products. Each item is affordable and super cute and absolutely perfect for grandmothers, mothers, or best friends. They recently added monogram embroidery services which adds a personal touch to all of your items.  I love that about them.

A little about Carolina Clover and the original name.

And if you are wondering where the name came from...
Luck, Love, Hope and Faith, that’s what a four leafed clover represents; a traditionally “lucky” clover that we have discovered growing in our very own yard under the tall Carolina pines and that’s how we came about the “Carolina Clover”!

The product I reviewed was the Mint Personalized Backpack with Navy thread for the monogram (my initials).

I received my product within 7 business days (super fast) and was thrilled when it arrived. It was identical to the photos on the site and It comes with so many pockets on the backpack, perfect for the gym or days out with my busy little ones.

One of the things I loved about the product was the bright vibrant colors as you can see in the photos below. 

I love the leather on the straps and buckles on the backpack pockets.

Initially I thought thhe monogram was a little mixed up.  I found out that with women monograms the last name is placed in the middle and larger than the other letters.  In my case being G for Gonzalez.  The stitching is detailed and the font exactly what I ordered.

Carolina Clover was great to work with, and I definitely recommend them for all of your personalized gift needs.

Pregnancy and weight are two very contentious issues – even more so when they are molded together. So many women face huge pressure to lose weight right after they have given birth, whether this is from the media or at the hands of family and peers. It has become something of a contest: glossy magazines regularly pit new mothers against each other, in a battle to see who has got her ‘pre-baby-body’ back first. This is quite clearly ridiculous – after all, when you have a newborn on your hands, the absolute last thing you are thinking about is your weight.

Sure, carrying a bit of excess after the birth may get you down from time to time. But ultimately, there are usually much bigger fish to fry. That being said, a lot of women still feel the pressure, and often abide by strict diet and exercise regimes after having a baby in an effort to transform their bodies once again. If your baby weight is having a negative effect on the way you feel about yourself, don’t stress and don’t rush: here are some ways you can tackle it in a healthy way.

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Go easy on yourself

Take a good look at yourself in the mirror – not as the person you were nine months ago, but as someone who has just given birth. Do you actually look that bad? The answer is probably not. Remember to bear in mind that all the celebrities who seem to snap back to a size six just weeks after coming out of the hospital, all have personal trainer and dieticians by their side. You, on the other hand, will probably be surviving on three hours of sleep a night and eating nothing but toast as you adjust to motherhood. Don’t sweat it: you’re doing just fine.

Try a quick fix

One of the things that can really bother women about their post-baby body is the excess skin they are left with, or perhaps a scar after a Cesarean section. Both of these things are incredibly hard to shift, despite all the various lotions and potions that claim to minimize the appearance of both. If you honestly can’t rest until you’ve had something done, you might want to book yourself into something like laser scar surgery or a tummy tuck. This also means that you will be in and out of the hospital in a matter of days so that you can be right back with your baby in no time at all.

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Work out on the go

Think you have to dedicate at least an hour a day to the gym in order to stay fit and slim? Think again. Workout opportunities can be all around you in your daily routine, as long as you know where to look for them. Got a spare fifteen minutes while your baby naps in the afternoon? Find a workout video on YouTube and prance around your living room for a bit. Or walk to the store instead of taking your car. All these things are easy to fit into the average day and you can lose the weight while you do it too.

Your children are going to have a lot of hopes and dreams when they grow up. One of those is going to be a huge sleepover with all of their best friends and relatives—and it’s going to be a nightmare for you. Let’s admit it, we probably don’t have that much space to house an entire class of children, and the logistics are going to be rough. What food are you going to cook? Will you order food? Will you get enough sleep? Is it going to tire you out?

Despite all the possible complications and issues you might run into, it’s part of your parenting journey to assist your children in realising their dreams and giving them the support they need to live a comfortable life. So without further ado, let’s roll up those sleeves and start planning the ultimate sleepover for your children.

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1. Speak with parents
Get in contact with the parents of each child that your own child wants to invite. Make sure you speak to them about dietary requirements, emergency contact numbers and allergies that they may have. If possible, coordinate with other parents about what would be best for their child so that no one is left out or has a bad experience. You also need to consider where the parents live and when it’s suitable for them to come and drop their child off at your home or when they plan to pick up their child.

2. Sleeping arrangements
If you want to give the children the most comfortable night, then consider reading up on air mattress 101. Air mattresses are softer and more comfortable than traditional sleeping bags, and you won’t have to tell your guests to bring their own bedding. Air mattresses are easy to set up and can be stored away for future use, for example, if you have friends or family visiting or if you want to set up temporary bedding for one reason or another.

3. Cooking or ordering?
If there are children with specific dietary requirements, then it’s a good idea to consider cooking up a meal yourself with the help of your partner or the children themselves. You could even turn it into a form of entertainment. For example, you can gather the children and make a cake or small cupcakes together and have them design their own using sprinkles, icing and other tasty snacks.

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4. Plan entertainment
Whether it’s video games or board games, you want to have a list of entertainment for the children to take part in. If you are using video game consoles, then prepare some child-friendly games such as sports and Mario on the Nintendo consoles, and buy enough control pads so that the maximum amount of players can join in. You can also consider renting a film or looking for something on a subscription service such as Netflix or Amazon.

5. Monitoring children
It’s important that you keep an eye on all of the children whenever possible. The last thing you want is a dispute or argument to break out between the children or for someone to feel left out. If you plan to take them outside at some point, then make sure every child is within your vision at all times and seek the help of someone older such as your other children, your partner or one of the parents.

Being a parent isn’t an easy thing to do. It is extremely rewarding, granted. But it can be a tough slog that literally sucks up every last bit of energy and indeed money you have. Getting your kid into university can either be easy or hard, the trick is completed by planning things out in advance as much as you can. If you plan in advance, you can get it all done. You need to be an active part in the process to ensure they have the best chance of acceptance. You can’t totally guarantee it. Only your children can do that in their exams and such. But you can help stack the deck in their favour to ensure they have the best chance of getting there. Here are some hints and tips that can see you make the difference to their application. Some, you may already do. But consider the others as you best can. You may not have the time to help as much as you like, but some of these are reasonably easy.

Save The Cash
This is something you need to do from an early age. The college fund, started by many parents is a way of saving up money so that a youngster can go to college. The best way for this is saving as you go. Putting money away as it becomes available. However, you need to ensure money is available. So you can either put excess money in the bank, or force a situation where there is excess money to use. Make the most out of everything around you. If you fly often then you can swap points for gift cards.  Use these gift cards instead of paying with cash and put the saved cash into savings. It is just an idea, but these are the kind of things you need to be thinking about. You’ll be surprised by how much you can save over the years before they will be going to college. Just try to put the money in a high interest saving account so that you can make the most of it while it is there. You may just want to merge it with your everyday savings account but doing this can make it hard to track exactly what you have saved towards the fund. It isn’t an easy road, but it is one your kids will thank you for in the future.

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Do Your Research
So whatever your child decides they want to study you need to find the right university for it. Sure, they may already know but it pays to check. Then research the next best thing so that you can apply for those too. Only then will you have the best opportunity for getting into university. You need to know which ones are the better ones to apply for. Then make a short list and go for the top three or four. Don’t just go for a university because it is good. Go for a university that is good for the specific subject you child wants to study. You should also research the towns they are in and whether you child likes them. Take a visit there and look around. Most universities do open days so consider using one of these to inspect it and see what is best for your child. Distance from your home could be a deciding factor if they are going to come home at weekends or maybe they don’t want to leave home yet meaning their only option is the university in your home town. Research means you can nail down which universities to apply for.

Help Them Prep For The Interview
This will be a daunting interview for your child and maybe their first proper interview of their lives. Help them as much as you can. First, impart general interview advice. Guide them to helpful websites where they can learn all about interviewing and pick up some top tips to see them through, just like the one found here. After that, you need to start focusing on the actual specifics of the university interview. They will be assessing their passion for the chosen subject but also them as an individual. So your child will need a decent knowledge of their passion as well as presenting themselves well. Sometimes these interviews don’t even happen, but if you are applying for some of the more prestigious ones then they likely will. Look out for certain interview tactics of various universities. Some will ask different questions to others whereas some will ask stranger questions. All you can do it prepare. Find out what questions are asked by raiding the search engines for forums about said interviews. You can then give your child a heads up about the content. You can never be sure about what will come up so don’t be certain. Finally, your child needs to be comfortable in the interview, so get them a new outfit in which they feel completely comfortable in. It should be professional, which will give just the right first impression.

Get The Grade
You can’t sit the exam for them. But what you can do is help them pass it. Study with them, impart knowledge that you know and give them what they need to succeed. This could be a quiet room to study in, or it could be a firmer hand by making them study when they really don’t want to. Buy the right materials like past papers and practice exams, giving them a feel for what their final exams will be like. If needed you may want to consider hiring out some tutors. They are usually teachers or have teaching experience and can help them in subjects they are struggling with. There should be a priority on the subject they are going to study in university too as this will really show a proficiency. Try to identify their weak areas or better still ask them yourself. They may not feel totally comfortable about it. Some kids are different than others. Some will revise well, others will need to be pushed into it. Whatever you do, they’ll certainly thank you if they get into the university they want to go to.

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Divorce is such a horrible thing, but it happens. You never planned for it, but it happens. For whatever reason, it has happened. It comes with stresses, worries, hurt, love, anxieties and pain. But the hardest thing about divorcing the person you once loved is protecting your children. They are your every thought, that piece of you that you will do anything to protect. Of course, it is worth noting that a lot of children cope with divorce fantastically, and come out unharmed and unaffected.

But not all of them, which is why you will need to do everything you can to ensure they are as protected from the effects of your divorce as best as you possibly can. That is where we come in. We have gathered as much market research as possible, including advice from experts and divorcees, to ensure that your children remain the priority through this incredibly tough time.

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Set The Priority Straight
Your marriage may have broken down, but you still share your children, and that you always will. You are both going to be responsible for raising them to be incredible adults. As such, you need to reaffirm with the other parent that your children’s emotional health is at the very top of the priority list. Whatever happens, you will protect them from harm and hurt. That is your duty as responsible parents, and that chat needs to happen from the outset.

No Fighting
Emotions will be high, and often uncontrollable. They will flare at times and you will get under each other’s skin. But try and control your emotions as much as possible, because the more control you have the easier it will be to remain calm and not fight. This is going to be in your child’s best interests. To help you, we suggest you hire an attorney who is experienced in this area of law, such as Barton Wood. It is also wise to seek mediation, and perhaps go to counseling together. The sooner you can tolerate each other, the better it will be for your child. Sometimes working things out can be more difficult than expected, and you may not be able to find a way to work through it.  Counseling is an ideal before taking the plunge toward divorce, here is a helpful link on how counseling can be beneficial in your marriage https://www.regain.us/advice/therapist/couples-therapy-cost-is-it-worth-it/

Be Role Models
You are both role models for your child. You are the biggest influences on their lives. You will want to show them how to be mature, how to act when the going gets tough, how to approach undesirable situations and how to show strength. Remember, showing strength doesn’t have to be pushing. It can be in accepting the other person’s opinion too.
Be Involved
A parent needs both parents. They deserve it too. So no matter how much you may despise each other, you cannot let your child suffer because of your pride. By both having an involvement you drastically reduce the chances that your child will grow up with emotional health problems. There is no point telling yourself that you would make a great single parent because it is irrelevant. What you should be telling yourself is that your child needs both parents in their life. It takes bravery to do that, but being a good parent is all about being brave.