How to Save Money on Your Next Family Ski Vacation

Tips for Savings on Family Ski Trips

Mountainside Savings: Tips for Frugal Family Ski Vacations

by Maisie Knowles

My husband and I are avid snowboarders. We met on the hills and never wanted to stop snowboarding. Then came the kids. Since daycare on the slopes can cost upwards of $95, it was almost impossible to get to the mountains without dipping into our rainy day fund.

Though our kids are old enough now to join us on the slopes, it still makes for a costly adventure. My love for the sport drives me to save as much as I can when we hit the mountain. Hopefully the following tips for saving on lift tickets, equipment and extras will help you enjoy some good powder without freezing your bank account when you plan for your next family ski vacation!

4 Tips for Stress Management During the Holidays

stress management tips

4 Stress Management Tips for the Holidays

by Minette Riordan

Yikes, it’s already November 5. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Hanukkah and Christmas are not far behind. I don’t know about you, but I am already planning meals, thinking about gifts and wondering who is coming and where are we going to put everyone. We are trying to stay within our budget and still have a fun holiday season with our kids and extended family. Trying to manage the holidays on top of regular day-to-day activities, work, kids’ schedules and keeping up with the housework can feel overwhelming. In this article I want to talk about 4 stress management tips for the upcoming holidays.

I adore Thanksgiving! It’s one of my favorite holidays and I spend hours pouring over cookbooks and food magazines to come up with the perfect menu. Not everyone enjoys the cooking, planning, the endless dishes and the endless crowds of people. Are you feeling stressed just thinking about it?

Here are 4 stress management tips to help you sail through the holidays with grace and ease! These tips are not necessarily easy but they are important, so I ask that you do what you can and free yourself from the stress and worry of the holiday season so that you can enjoy time with friends and family, because that’s what the holidays should be about!

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes: Snickers Blondies

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes

Guest Post by Heather at KidsActivitiesBlog.com

Is that bowl of Halloween candy staring at you today?  Did your kids bring home more candy than they could possibly eat? Get creative and try this recipe for Snickers Blondies…you’ll use up some of those tasty Snickers candy bars!

Bringing kids into the kitchen creates the perfect time to bond & learn together.  Younger children can help chop the Snickers, measure & sift the dry ingredients, & help spread the batter in the pan.  Older children can follow this simple recipe themselves & create their own special dessert!

And the best part about cooking with your kids?  It seems to open the door for conversation…especially with older kids…when your hands are busy together, tweens & teens seem to open up.  I think that’s my favorite thing about bringing kids of all ages into the kitchen.  From big to little, there are so many warm fuzzy moments!

Keeping Halloween Spooky and Safe!

Halloween Safety Tips

A Few Halloween Safety Tips to Keep in Mind

 

Tips provided by Centennial Medical Center

What are your kids going to be this Halloween, the latest super hero, a scary ghost or a fairy-tale princess? Halloween can be great fun when dressing up and getting free candy, but don’t forget that safety is always a top priority! Dr. Scott Neumann, a family practice physician on the medical staff at Centennial Medical Center, offers a few tips on how to stay safe during this spooky holiday!

Special Needs Fall Carnival Saturday, Oct 27th

Special Needs Fall Carnival

A FREE Event for Individuals with Special Needs and Their Families

By Mina Frannea

Especially Needed is an organization based on a vision that a community can exist where individuals with special needs are valued, respected and included. A community made up of caring people who serve as a support system as well as mentors to this wonderful group of children and adults. Especiallyneeded.org provides special needs families with information regarding local services and resources. This non-profit organization also hosts seasonal events where families with special needs children can have an opportunity to have fun and relax, and simply focus on spending quality time with each other.

This Saturday, October 27th from 5-8pm is their 3rd Annual Special Needs Fall Carnival at The Ballfields at Craig Ranch in McKinney (6151 Alma Rd., McKinney, TX 75070). This is a FREE event!

Halloween Crafts for Kids

Fall Crafts - Samantha conner

Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your kids

 

by Samantha Conner

Since I am a ‘crafty person’, it was only a matter of time before my girls joined in on the fun. My first grader learned to scrapbook at age 3. I remember her preschool teachers being so impressed with her ‘scissor skills’. Over the years, as my passion for creating has grown, the girls have always been right there with me. Whether it is being thrifty at Goodwill or making modpodge frames, my girls aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty!

In the midst of my ‘home décor- type’ crafting, I always like to do some crafts that are just for kids too. And Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your kids.  For inspiration, we found this great book at the library, “Fun to Make Crafts for Halloween”. You would be surprised at the number of ‘crafty’ books you can find in the youth section. And better yet—they are free!