The following is a guest article from Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby.

With Thanksgiving and the winter holidays just around the corner, it seems like everyone I know is heading out of town. When I talk to parents, the thing that causes the most stress isn’t holiday gifts or basting the turkey, it’s the prospect of a long plane flight or car ride with kids in tow. As a mom of two (ages three-and-a-half and two) who travels a lot with her two kids, I’ve learned and a few tricks that go a long way towards making travel days easier.

1. Save the surprises for Grandma’s house

The turmoil of packing up and getting through the airport can be unnerving for a small child, especially when their parents are stressed. A few days before you leave, tell your child about where you’ll be going and how you’ll be getting there. On the day of the flight, outline exactly what is going to happen. For example - “First we’ll take a taxi to the airport, then we’ll go through security, and then we’ll get on the plane and fly to Grandma’s.”

If you have a very cautious child, consider visiting the airport in advance, or role-playing what will happen at the security checkpoint. Even very young toddlers are comforted by their parents explanations of how things work (even if they don’t understand all the details).

2. Lighten Up

Each extra ounce weighs heavily when you’re rushing through the airport with a crabby child, a stroller, and you’ve only got a few minutes to get to your airplane.  Edit your suitcase, and ask yourself whether there’s a
clever way you can do without each item you’ve packed.

For example, would your child do just as well with a straw as a sippy cup? Can you order diapers online to be shipped to your destination? With airlines adding restrictions to carry-on bags and fees for checked bags, it’s worthwhile to check your airline’s website in advance so that there aren’t any unpleasant (and expensive) surprises at the airport.
For more tips on packing light, check out our family packing lists.

3. Get an Early Start

Kids create chaos, and when you’re trying to pack everything and everyone in the car, they have a way of undoing what you’re struggling to get done.  If possible, hire a sitter to play with the kids while you pack up. If you’re flying, extra time at the airport will give your kids some time to stretch their legs before they get on the airplane.

4. A Well-Fed Child is a Sleepy Child

Bring some hearty snacks and pack them where they are easy to reach. We love protein-rich eggs and sunbutter sandwiches. Freeze dried fruits, crackers, cereal and cheese slices also travel well.  Remember that any liquids need to be packed separately, so it’s easiest to avoid applesauce or other sauces. Here’s one tip  we never forget: high-protein snacks and cow’s milk have a mild sedative effect on young kids.  Avoid sugar - candy might keep the kids quiet for a few moments, but it works against you on a long flight.

5. Divide and Conquer

Try to avoid dragging the whole family through the more mundane travel details. One parent should stay with the kids while the other completes tasks like checking baggage, buying snacks, pre-boarding to install car seats, and renting a car. If the airport has a play area, (ask at the information desk or check the airport’s website) those are ideal times for the kids to “get their wiggles out.”

6. Clear their Ears

Takeoff and landing are hard on toddlers because they don’t know how to clear their ears. Bring a sippy cup or a straw so that your child can drink milk or water during takeoff and landing. Not every airline has milk on board, so buy some in the airport after you have cleared security, or bring some powdered formula from home.

7. Set Your Own Expectations…

I look back longingly at the days when a long plane flight meant time to read, think, and relax. When I’m flying with the kids, I prepare to spend the entire time reading to them, playing with them, and attending to them. Now that we’ve all been on long flights together, the kids know that from the moment they get on the plane they’ll have my complete attention, and as a result they are well-behaved.

8. A Busy Child is a Happy Child

Most articles about traveling with kids recommend that you pack a busy bag, filled with toys, books, music, and audio books, and I’m no different. But don’t break out the toys before you have to - be
creative. Make toys out of everything around you. Barf bag puppets, airline magazines, and old-fashioned seat belt buckles are all fascinating to young children. Teach yourself a few new finger rhymes
(e.g. Where is Thumbkin?) and games before you leave home. Need more ideas? Check out our top ten tips for keeping a child busy on a plane and our list of ten great travel toys you already have at home.

9. Bring the Binky

Don’t forget (or check) your child’s comfort object, whatever it might be. Travel is stressful. They’ll need it.

10. Bore Them to Sleep

If your child is sleepy, do everything you can to create a comforting, sleep-inducing environment. Give them a little milk to drink during takeoff. Follow the same sleepytime ritual you do at home, and sing quietly or play some music (using headphones).  Here are more tips for helping your baby or child sleep on a plane.

When all else fails, remember, you don’t need your child to be the best-behaved child on the plane.  You just need someone else’s child to be worse.

Debbie Dubrow is a mother of two (ages 3 1/2 and 2) living in Seattle. Her blog, DeliciousBaby.com, is about traveling with babies, toddlers and kids, and is filled with personal travel stories, family-friendly city guides, and lots of tips and advice for traveling with kids.

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Q&A Tuesday: Where Do You Want To Go? I suppose I still have some jet lag lingering to...
2. This Halloween, Lower the Sugar Intake Photo by Rodney Halloween is the pinnacle for many...
3. 13 Tips for Packing Light with Small Children Photo by Dana Merwin Since we live overseas, we...

One of the fun perks to the eco-savvy trend is all the great products out there now. And many times, their initial cost is worth the money-saving benefit they provide in the long run. Today, several of you will have a chance to win some!

Reusable bags are one of the easiest ways to go green - and let’s face it, they’re so much cuter than plastic grocery bags. Almost 1 trillion plastic bags are annually consumed worldwide, and they’re not biodegradable.

In the month I’ve had my reusable bags, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using them. When I whip one out from my purse in the checkout line, the most common response I get is, “Those are so cool!” I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using plastic.

Here are the brands I’ve enjoyed using, and who are rewarding a few Simple Mom readers with some of their bags.

Shop Wise Bags

• Perks - These durable oilcloth bags are shaped just like traditional grocery sacks, so they fold up nicely and stand up well. I’ve been using mine lately to cart around diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes for my kids in the car. And I love all their great patterns and colors.

• Giveaway - One reader will win a set of three high-quality Shop Wise bags!

Envirosax

• Perks - These bags are much bigger than they seem. They hold so much stuff, and they’re easy to fold up and secure with the velcro tabs. They’re pretty, too.

• Giveaway - One reader will win a set of five Envirosax bags!

B. Happybags

• Perks - These high-quality, durable canvas bags can hold a lot of stuff, and their wide openings mean I can toss big things along with no problem. Plus, they’re adorable.

• Giveaway - One reader will win four B. Happybags!

ACME Bags

• Perks - These are mesh bags, which are perfect for produce. They fold up tiny, so you can hold multiple in your purse no problem. I’m so impressed with how durable they are - for as lightweight as they are, they can really hold some heavy stuff.

• Giveaway - One reader will win three ACME mesh bags from ReusableBags.com!

RuMe

• Perks - I love how this micro bag folds up securely and easily, and its medium-sized shape holds things neatly. We use ours to tote books and crayons to and from the car.

• Giveaway - One reader will win a micro RuMe, a 13 ounce Earthlust bottle, and a Wrap-n-Mat from Mama Goes Green - all things I use and love!

Flip & Tumble

• Perks - These bags scrunch up nicely, and the colors are great, too. The 24-7 bags wads up into a ball, which means you’re carrying an instant toy for small children - and I love the felt shoulder pad, because normally bags and purses are always falling off my shoulder.

• Giveaway - One reader will win one 24-7 bag and two Loopt bags!

How to Win:

1. To be one of the six winners, leave a comment on this post and answer this question - What else do you reuse or repurpose around your home?

2. For a second entry, email me at simplemomblog (at) gmail (dot) com with the secret code in the email’s subject line (no need to write anything in the email’s body, as it won’t be read). To find the secret code, make sure you’ve subscribed to Simple Mom’s feed either via RSS or via email, and look in the footer of any post. I promise you - the code is there.

3. For a third entry, blog about this giveaway and make sure I know about it.

This giveaway ends on Saturday, November 22 at midnight CST.

I hope you win!

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Keep Your Home Clutter-Free This is a guest post from Emily at Remodeling...
2. Holidays By Hand: Celebrate the Season With Your Sewing Skills Photo by Debbie Hill Head here to enter the...
3. Introducing Twaddle-Free Books… for Moms! Photo by Arthur I love to read. My childhood...

The five Simple Mom readers who’ve won an Inkubook photo book of any style and size are:

• Kim, who’s reading The Creative Family by Amanda Soule
• DeeAnna, who’s reading Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks
• Julie Weaver, who’s reading Harry Potter in French (impressive!)
• Kealoha Kagawa, who’s reading Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy, and
• Nikki, who’s “reading blogs - nothing else” (I understand completely)

Congrats!  Be looking for an email from me soon.  And everyone else, don’t forget you have until November 30 to create your own free digital scrapbook.  When you use the code PBK266, all you have to pay for is shipping.  When you create your account, use the “invite others” feature to have others create an Inkubook account, and they’ll get a promotion code for a free book, too.

Check back here tomorrow, where I’m reviewing quite a few of the same thing, each from different companies.  And several of you will get a chance to win some!  They’re eco-fabulous.

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Link Love :: The It’s-late-and-I’m-tired-not-too-mention-out-of-town Edition Photo by Hey Man Are You There? Per Saturday's...
2. Gift Giving & Wishing Made Easy I know there's differing opinions, but I love the...
3. Toggl: a nifty time management tool for COOs of the Home I work at home as a part-time graphic designer, and...

I love to read. My childhood memories are defined by well-loved books, its pages worn from devouring eyes. I still love reading - but I rarely make the time for it I want.

I also love running my home. I love every part of it - the organizing, the money management, the cleaning (well… okay, not the cleaning), the hospitality, and especially the parenting and establishing a legacy with my husband.

A mom has very little time, and the spare time she does have is often spent prying her eyelids open in order to finish folding the laundry, or to have an adult conversation with her spouse after a long day of work.

We do our best to provide an environment of twaddle-free books, playtime, and learning for our kids. So why do we so often let ourselves have the scraps that fall off the floor?

Won’t we be much more productive, effective, and influential women in our homes if we take care of ourselves?

We need to keep our minds sharp. Learning what happens when we give a moose a muffin is important, to be sure - but so is learning about mutual funds. And how to maintain a compost pile. And how to parent with love and logic. We give our children mental steak. Let’s do the same thing for us moms.

Starting in January, I’m starting a little book club here on Simple Mom. We’ll tackle six books in 2009 - that’s one book every two months. I think we can manage that, don’t you?

It’s called the Sound Mind, Sound Mom Book Club. These books will be practical, full of time-tested wisdom and helpful advice we can apply in our everyday lives at home.

Fiction is great, of course, and I’m all about immersing in a great novel over a cup of joe. But I’ll venture a guess that you haven’t enjoyed a useful book in awhile - and I could wager even more that you haven’t enjoyed a conversation over a useful book with fellow women in an even longer while.

Topics covered will be what’s covered here on the blog - food and drink, green and frugal living, making your home a haven, kids and parenting, money management, organizing, productivity, and taking care of yourself.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join the book club. It will be geared towards moms, but you don’t have to be a parent to join in the conversation. All I ask is that if you join, you get into it.

I’m still working on the details of how it’s actually going to work, but I’m thinking it’ll be some sort of forum or message board here, with a possible live chat once a month. I’ll cook up some questions based on the book of the moment, and we can take it from there. And I’ve got a few books in mind, but I’m still mulling over a few more.

And if you want to be a part, feel free to share the Book Club’s button on your blog.

Are you up for it? Do you have a book to suggest? What’s one you’ve always wanted to read? Or perhaps you have a favorite you read regularly… Please share your thoughts in the comments!

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Twaddle-Free Books for Preschoolers: My Top 10 Favorites Photo by melissann CS Lewis once said, "No book...
2. 6 Little Ways Mommy & Daddy Can Stay Connected I don't need to tell you how hard it is...
3. 30 Simple Ways to Get Your Child Ready to Read Photo by Erica Simone Sara is a literacy junkie...

Per Saturday’s norm here at Simple Mom, I’ve got some great links to share.  But because I’m out of town, and quite frankly, I’ve got to go to bed, I’m just going to link to my Tumblr to show you the reads I’m recommending for your weekend reading.  So head on over there, grab your cuppa, and enjoy your weekend in jammies watching the leaves fall.

Don’t forget to enter the contest for an Inkubook photo book (it ends Sunday), and get ready for next week’s new giveaway on Simple Mom!  Not to mention a few more articles in the works…

Have a great weekend.

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Link Love :: the It’s Officially Summer edition It's been over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day this week...
2. Link Love :: the I Adore Coffee edition Photo by Arthur Seems like I downed an awful...
3. Link Love :: the Hooray for Freedom! edition Photo by Trey Ratcliff I've always loved the 4th...

Before we moved overseas, we created four photo books.  We wanted to keep our photo collection streamlined and lightweight, so this seemed like the logical solution.  And we get compliments on them all the time.

Today, Inkubook is treating Simple Mom readers!  Everyone can create their own free digital scrapbook online - all you have to pay for is shipping.  Yes, everyone includes you - so get started!

Here’s how to get yours:

1. Sign up with Inkubook and start making your free digital scrapbook.  You have from now until November 30.

2. If you want, use the “Invite Friends” feature, and invite someone to join Inkubook so they can submit a few photos or page designs to include in your book.  Inkubook will also send them a promotion code to use for a free digital scrapbook.

3. When you’re finished with your free digital scrapbook, enter this promotion code at checkout: PBK266.  You pay only shipping charges to receive your free book.  Basic shipping options are $6.99 for Media Mail and $8.99 for Standard Ground.

Want an even sweeter deal?

Inkubook is also giving away FIVE free books of any style and size to five Simple Mom readers. You can do photo books, art books, recipe collections, and more.  These would make wonderful Christmas gifts - just think of your kids’ grandparents drooling at the site of these.

To win, simply leave a comment on this post, answering this question - what are you reading these days?

To get a second entry, mention this giveaway on your blog and let me know about it.  Sorry, no third entry this time - I’m a bit wiped out organizing all the secret code entries from the last giveaway a few days ago.  I’m sure you all understand.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, November 16 at midnight CST - it’s just a few days, so be sure and spread the word right away.

I hope you win!

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. A Declutterer’s Guide to Storing Photos Photo by Jeremy Hall Reader Vicki asks: "I am...
2. Introducing Twaddle-Free Books… for Moms! Photo by Arthur I love to read. My childhood...
3. Link Love :: The It’s-late-and-I’m-tired-not-too-mention-out-of-town Edition Photo by Hey Man Are You There? Per Saturday's...

Today is officially six weeks until Christmas, if you can believe it. You may notice a whole slew of stores and shops featured on the right-hand side - these are all businesses endorsed by Simple Mom for the holiday season. From now until Christmas, I’ll be highlighting a few of these cottage industries every week. Each were carefully selected as businesses I truly do endorse as promoting simple living in some fashion. Whether they exist to help life at home, encourage higher-quality playtime for your kids, or I’m simply promoting a well-run mom business so that she can work from home, each company deserves the Simple Mom “mark of approval.”

With this in mind - this week’s project for preparing for Christmas is to start shopping for your gifts. Or to start making your gifts. I know many of you have already done this (bravo!), but it’s not too late to begin the gift buying process and cross it off as “done” in plenty of time.

It’ll come as no surprise to you that I advocate not going nuts with gift-giving for the holidays. Many extended families draw names, give only to the children, keep it all homemade, or forego gift giving all together, and I think these are all great ideas. But don’t endorse this idea while going crazy for your own family. Hopefully you’ve already set aside the needed funds for Christmas gifts, so you’ve got a financial limit. This is a good thing.

Your kids really don’t need that much for Christmas. Cut back on the gift giving, and:

1. the focus will be more on what Christmas is really about,
2. they’ll more deeply appreciate the gifts they are given,
3. it’ll serve as yet another good reminder that life is not all about them, and
4. your home will be that much more free of clutter.

In our family, the kids get three gifts. That number is kind-of arbitrary (initially stemming from the idea that Jesus was given gold, frankincense, and myrrh - which is not morally black-and-white, but you get the idea). We take our time opening them, and we let them play and enjoy each gift for a while before moving on to the next one.

Yes, our kids are young, so there may come a time when we revisit this idea, especially if they ever want or need something that’s higher priced. If that’s ever the case, we’ll probably just get them that one gift, and involve them in making that decision, further helping them understand why money management is so great.

The adults - my husband and I - talk over gift-giving ahead of time each Christmas, and agree on our boundaries beforehand. Some years, we haven’t given each other anything. Other years, we’ve done $50 each person max. This year, we’re getting an iPod and calling it our gift to each other. Regardless of what we do, we keep it simple, and only bother with gifts we truly want or need.

Photo by Steve Spencer

Think about your favorite holiday memories from childhood. How many of them involve an actual gift? I’d wager not many. For me, my favorite memories involve being with people, laughing, playing, crafting and baking, going to Christmas Eve church services, and just being together celebrating the season. That’s what your kids will value as adults, too.

Epson Artisan 800 Winner

I know you’re all dying to know - after all, there were almost 2,000 entries for the Epson Artisan 800 printer. I don’t blame you - the printer rocks my socks off. And really, I can’t call it a printer, because it faxes, scans, photocopies, and decorates our home for the holidays. From now on, I’ll just call it our fabulous zipzorp.

Anyway - the winner of the Artisan 800 is Shilo of My Place of Peace with her second entry as a subscriber.  Congratulations! Be looking for an email from me soon, so I can send your info off to the right people.

If you didn’t win, I highly recommend considering it as a quality tool for your home. Head here to order one, and you’ll get a $60 rebate plus an extra set of high-capacity ink. Thank you, Epson, for being so generous to Simple Mom and Blissfully Domestic readers!

Also, don’t forget about the other recent giveaway. If you want to add that extra touch to your holiday cards this year, personalized stamps on Picture It Postage is a fun idea, sure to make the grandparents swoon. And if you’re still in the market for holiday photo cards, I naturally endorse my shop, Chickpea Designs. You’ll save money if you order in November!

Check back tomorrow for another fun giveaway, perfect for a Christmas gift!
__

What’s your family’s policy on gift-giving? Trying something new this year?  Share your ideas in the comments.

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Holidays By Hand: Celebrate the Season With Your Sewing Skills Photo by Debbie Hill Head here to enter the...
2. Plan for the Holidays: 12 Weeks To an Enjoyable Christmas Photo by Anthony As of tomorrow, there are 12...
3. Enjoy a Simple Christmas With a Well-Planned Budget Photo by Alenxandre Duret-Lutz I'll be quite honest -...

My husband and I are in our early 30s, and we are not homeowners. We never have been homeowners, actually. Much of this is because of our expat lifestyle, but even if we were stateside, chances are, we’d still be renters.

And we are okay with that.

There were times when we seriously looked into buying a home, and I definitely struggled with home envy. I often felt like the only person in my demographic without a mortgage and who was “throwing away” my money to rent. But hindsight being 20/20, God protected us from ourselves and prevented us from signing any deals.

The reason I’m so thankful to not be homeowners is because when we were looking into it, we did not know as much as we know now. Many of you know that I’ve drunk the Dave Ramsey Kool-Aid, but I really am so thankful for his radio show, his books, and for his Financial Peace University course, because through them my eyes were opened to so much about mortgages, PMI, contracts, down payments, tax write-offs, and the like.

I never knew much about personal finance growing up, and it never was a huge interest of mine. But the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. And the more I learned about how to handle our own family’s finances, the more I wanted to learn about broader topics, such as home ownership.

I don’t pretend to know everything - not by a long shot - but with the little bit I have learned, we’ve created a long-term plan to become home owners, and to do it well the first time.

Here’s our family’s home ownership plan:

1. Save up for at least a 20% down payment. 50% would be ideal.

2. Sign only a fixed-rate, 15-year mortgage that’s no more than 25% of our income.

3. Buy a fixer-upper in an up-and-coming neighborhood. I am extremely blessed to have a husband that knows how to build a home from scratch, since he used to be a contractor - hopefully, we can put quite a bit of sweat equity into a home.

4. If we love the home we’ve fixed up, we’ll stay. But if we don’t, we’ll sell at the right time and take the equity from that home and upgrade - doing the same thing as before. Buy a fixer-upper in an up-and-coming neighborhood.

5. Eventually, we want to custom build a smallish, eco-friendly home from scratch, and stay there long-term. And pay off the mortgage as fast as we can.

I know it’s always that cut-and-dry, and that there are a lot more details involved in home ownership. But in a nutshell, we won’t consider buying a home until we’re able to do the above steps, and to do them well.

If you want to own a home, but you’re just not ready yet, please know that you’re not alone. There are a lot more renters out there than you’d think, and they’re doing just fine. It’s so easy to believe that home ownership is everything, because that’s what our culture tells us. But renters really are whole human beings, capable of intelligent rationale and mature decision-making skills.

Home ownership is great when it’s a blessing. But when it’s not, it’s a curse. Just ask millions of people who’ve made headline news recently.

When you get house fever and it’s just not time to buy yet, here are some tips to cool you down:

• Work on your budget and figure out how you can save just a bit more.

• Listen to Dave Ramsey’s radio show - either find a local radio station, or pick up his podcast online, like I do.  You can also catch him on TV.

• Take FPU, either locally or online. I can’t recommend this enough.

• Take it one step further, and join My Total Money Makeover, where you can find accountability and encouragement for following Dave Ramsey’s baby steps with others.

• Focus that energy you’re using on home envy onto something else - exercise, crafting, reading, or skill-building.

• Pray. Ask God to help you with contentment.

• Drive through the lower-class part of town, praying for those people and giving thanks to God for what He’s given you.  Not with a superiority complex - with a humble, grateful attitude and an open heart to do more to bless others.

• Start a list of things you’re thankful for. Post it somewhere prominently, and add to it regularly.

Photo by Mike Rosales

• Remember how the rest of the world lives - Americans live so much more richly than the rest of the world.

• Go one step further, and sign up to support a child who truly needs help.

• Balance your checkbook.

• Start living on the envelope system, if you haven’t yet.

• Go on a cheap date with your spouse - walk around a bookstore, or go hiking.

• Avoid shopping when you don’t need to. You’ll save more money for that big down payment.

• Stop dwelling on it - think of something else. Use a Redbox code and rent a free DVD.

• Finally, make a plan. Instead of just pouting that you don’t own a home, get out a pencil and paper, and figure out how to get that money you need socked away.

Have you ever struggled with house fever? How have you successfully handled it? What is your family’s longer-term plan towards financial peace?

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Personal Finance 101 - Live Like No One Else This is the eighth and last part in my series...
2. Personal Finance 101 - Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps This is the first part in my series on Dave...
3. Personal Finance 101 - The Debt Snowball This is the third part in my series on Dave...

Today, Leo asks:

How do you make room in your life for quality time with your kids?

Tsh’s thoughts:
Great question, Leo.  I don’t think there’s a difference between quality time and quantity time with your children, most especially when they’re younger.  Having quantity time is just as important than quality time, in my opinion.  Needless to say, as a stay-at-home mom, it’s not too difficult to get the quantity time in.

But making sure we have some quality time can be difficult.  One thing that’s helped me is to set more boundaries around my writing and graphic design schedule, so that when I am home, I’m “all there.” It’s a luxury I can’t always allot, but right now, I’m writing this away from home while my hubby is home with the kids.  That helps, especially when little kids don’t understand that Mommy can’t always play, even though they can see her.

Turning off the TV helps. Games are big hits in our family, as are dance parties in the living room.  We also like crafting together - just being inventive with the stuff around our house and seeing what we create.  My daughter loves to help cook, so we let her drag her stepstool over and work alongside us.  Basically, we make everyday life a participatory, family-oriented event.  We also have a lot of conversations, and we include our preschooler without talking down to her.  Sure, she doesn’t understand everything, but we show her the same respect we want her to show us - we do our best to intently listen to her and engage her in her thoughts.

Now it’s your turn. How do you make room for quality time with your kids?

• Planners LTD - A convenient way to organize your ideas for the holidays


• Chickpea Designs - Order your Christmas photo cards now and save


• Shopwise Bags - Artisan grocery bags & housewares


• Annie & Olive - Little handmade goodness


• reusable bag giveaway code: blue skies smiling at me

Related posts:

1. Sharing a Room: Is It Okay for Brothers & Sisters? Photo by Jonathan C Reader Laine asks, "My daughter...
2. The Benefits of Raising Kids Cross-Culturally We leave for the United States in two days....
3. Your Morning Routine: Start Your Day Off Right Moms, especially stay-at-home moms, are in short supply of a...

This weekend, our family had a professional photo shoot for our annual photos.  We actually had a great experience, which, if you have small children, you understand is no small feat.

This is definitely the time of year when families endure the grueling procedure of getting everyone in their clan to look happy and peaceful into the camera for a few minutes - all for the sake of sending out copies to loved ones.

Even though it can be a pain, in the end, it really is worth it to document your family in each life stage.  Use the Christmas season as your excuse to take that photo, and make it your weekly project to prepare for the season.

Here are some ways to make the entire family photo experience a positive one:

1. Schedule the photo shoot when kids are at their happiest. Usually, at least for little ones, this means 5 to 6 p.m. is not the best time.  You can’t always get the time you want, but if you have any control over this aspect at all, I highly recommend working your appointment around your kiddos’ routines.

2. That said - lighting is important, so you may have to be flexible.  Bright, high noon sunshine is not ideal, so oftentimes, photographers prefer to shoot outdoor photos either in the morning or just before dusk.  You might have to go with the flow and let your kids’ schedule be a bit different that day.

3. Speaking of photographers - if you want a professional photo shoot, but it’s out of your budget, try looking in your local Craigslist.  Budding photographers are always wanting to expand their portfolio, so you may find someone offering a great deal.  You can also try your church, your local university, or word of mouth with your friends - there’s always someone out there who’s wanting to expand their photography business.

4. Do your best to buy a package deal that gives you all the digital files for a flat price.  This is much easier in the long run, because you’ll have control over all the printing.  It might be more up front, but it’ll probably save you in printing costs over the long haul (especially when every. single. picture. is adorable).

Photo by Chelsea Elizabeth Photography

5. Coordinate, but don’t match. This is just my opinion, as I know many families like to wear the same outfit for their portraits.  But in my experience as a holiday photo card designer, photos look better when everyone blends well, but not too much.  To be honest, when I see a photo with the entire family wearing denim shirts, all I see is a sea of denim shirts - not the people.

6. Avoid patterns. It’s okay if one family member has a simple stripe or a basic design, but too many intricate patterns detracts from faces.  If in doubt of what to wear, go with a simple, solid-colored shirt.

Photo by Andrea Janda

7. Go casual. Especially if you have little ones.  I love photos that look like the family is relaxed, having fun with each other, and basically like they do most any other day of the year.  Sure, go ahead and brush their hair and have them in clean clothes - but you’re probably fighting an uphill battle asking preschoolers to sit still more than a minute at a time.

8.  When it comes to the setting, think outside the box.  The background is not the most important subject of your photo, so keep your location simple. Many cities have beautiful parks and natural settings, but don’t forget about your backyard.  Other fun settings are front porches, old buildings, fences, and even on your master bed - let everyone play around and get goofy.

Photo by Zulpha Dawson

9.  Get closer than you think. If you’re going to take the photos (with a timer, or when it’s just the kids), I can’t emphasize this enough - ge