How will you keep those kids occupied this summer?

This is a big question to tackle for most new to raising children (and some of us old hats!) If you're a stay-at-home, the endless days of summer can be a daunting time. You rise to meet each day filled with endless hours of how to entertain the kids.

That being said, let me remind you that it is NOT your job to entertain your children! Oooops, did I offend someone? Well, it's true. You are not a paid entertainer, nor should you be. That's what Disney World gets the big bucks for!

Your "job" is to give your kids a healthy environment in which to flourish. I believe it actually hinders a childs mental and, possibly, physical growth when we, as parents, interfere too much with the natural process.

No, I am not saying it's okay to plop your kids down in front of the TV or Wii for hours a day. What I'm recommending is time to allow them to explore their world on their own, in their own time with healthy, safe guidance. Children are fully capable of entertaining themselves with their own learning processes, without too much interference on the parents part.

Have you ever handed a one-year-old a piece of newspaper? a two-year-old some pots & pans? a three-year old an empty box? If so, you've surely witnessed them spending large blocks of time amusing themselves while exploring the possibilities of this "new" introduction. This process doesn't stop as they mature; it matures with them!

Okay, I'm off that soap box...

Now on to some tips on how to spend quality time together, as a family.

1. A few years back I ran upon this neat site called Kids off the Couch. You may have guessed - they encourage just what the name implies, getting those kids up of the couch to explore their world.

How do they tackle this feat? Through the back door, of course! They give you a family movie idea and then tie it into tangible events or activities that your family can do after the movie. Fantastic way to learn!

If your family is couch/TV oriented, this is a great place to start. It's almost like a sneak attack on their senses! They'll be learning and won't even realize it...shoot, you could even sneak this one in on your significant other...and take all of the credit for the ideas. Aren't you sneaky???

Kids off the Couch offers a weekly newsletter, delivered right to your e-mail for FREE. (And they're on Twitter, too!)

2. Check out your local PBS station for tips and ideas. Sometimes there are local gatherings or shows that tell about upcoming "things to do".

My local station has a showing each Thursday night for weekend day trips. Many can be done during the week, as well!

3. Now is a great time to try out your local YMCA or city pools. Many offer summer discounts. What better way can you think of to occupy all of that free time than to get healthy?

4. What about a week at summer camp? Many facilities offer sleep-away or day camps. This will give your children a vacation from you, which often strengthens your relationship! Also a great option for those of you planning on a "stay-cation" this year...

Check with your local museums for science, arts, and history for some amazing learning opportunities that the kids will remember for a lifetime! My son took a cooking class 4 years ago that he still talks about.

5. Check with your local and state visitors centers for FREE ideas, hints, and tips on things to do in your area. I've got a Historical Marker quest on schedule for this summer!

6. Most importantly - don't be afraid to explore and discover with your kids. Many of us get so involved in being an adult, we forget that it is okay to relax and laugh with them. I missed out on many fun times by remaining stressed and rigid while my kids were small!

Stay tuned for more hints & tips for summer activities...

The Beach Trip

I'm back from vacation, well-rested, and ready to take on the world! Don't ya just love vacation???

We went to Myrtle Beach, SC, which is about 4 hours from home. When I booked the room a few weeks ago there was nothing available on the beach so we stayed about 5 miles back on the Intercoastal Waterway. (What can I say? When you have a timeshare & time about to expire you take what you can get.)

My favorite thing about the beach is to lie in bed listening to the waves roll in, followed by a long stroll on the beach. Can you believe that we barely saw the ocean while we were there? It's true. We didn't even go to the ocean! But, we had a view of a lovely little pond from our room. (It had a screened in porch. Isn't that nice?)

We hung out in the room reading, playing cards and board games, made a few day trips and went shopping one day. (Mom and my son shopped...I watched.) This is the table that saw so much action while I we were in SC.

And, this is my son - running from the camera! I take so many photos now, my family threatens me when I get it out of the case... ;-)

The days trips were to........Tony's Pizza, of course! Tony's was about an hour ride from where we were, and is in NC. My mother cannot go anywhere near the beach without hitting Tony's - for more details on another Tony's visit click here!

I had a yummy, baby House Special pizza. Delicious!

Mom still wouldn't agree to a photo of her infamous Steak & Cheese sub. Oh well, I tried!

And, we also went to Charleston. It was our first time and a two hour ride down the coast from Myrtle Beach. What a lovely town! We will definitely go back. We even found my timeshare hotel while there...

This is the bridge leading into Charleston. Beautiful, even for a bridge!

The houses were amazing! There were so many of these old structures littering the downtown area. You could almost envision what life was like 300 years ago...well, without the electric lines and cars...

This is the museum of the Daughters of the Confederacy, which also serves as the entrance to the city market. I must confess that I was hoping for a farmer's market set-up, and found something more like an upscale flea market.

Of course, there were MANY opportunities to buy sweetgrass baskets and creations. Too many, I think. Eventually I didn't look at the wares anymore. They seemed very repetitious and overpriced to be so plentiful. (My opinion, I know.)

I'll leave you with a cozy, tree-lined street. It was breezy and in the 70's that day. Perfect weather for a stroll...

Weekend Family Time...

Guiltily, I admit that I have spent very little dedicated family time with my family over the past few weeks. I've allowed my free time to be eaten up the "advertising and social connections" monster. Yes...Twitter, Facebook, Etsy forums, and my blogs (sorry, but it's true) have been given the reins...terrible, I know.

One of my sons favorite events was happening this past Saturday, outdoors. It was a given that we would go. Thank goodness we had good weather. The past several weeks have been rainy and nasty here in NC.

Welcome to the Celtic Festival -

It's held annually here in Winston-Salem at a local historic park, Bethabara. Bethabara was established in 1753 as the first Moravian settlement in NC. The park is home to several restored buildings, an old Palisade Fort (pre-French and Indian war), and beautiful grounds. It is also home to some more "modern" houses.

This festival is fairly small in comparison to the Highland games in Grandfather Mountain, but we like that. Smaller crowds = ease of movement for us, fewer lines, and better views of activities.

This year we attended the Men's Highland games activities, which included a Clachneart (small boulder toss), 22lb Hammer Throw, 28 & 56 lb weight throw, Caber toss (limbless tree), and Sheaf tossing. My son didn't find this as entertaining as I did, so we didn't stay for the entire display. What can I say?? Men playing games in skirts is entertaining!

Additionally, they had Highland games for Children and Lassies (Women)! I briefly debated in joining in on the Haggis toss, but didn't want to take away from the family time... (I'll do this one for you... Yeah, right!)

The palisade is home to the music for the day. Lilting harps, fiddles, and haunting voices floated across the valley. There were also tents for various clans where you could trace your ancestral name, herding demonstrations, clogging and country dance demonstrations, food, and other vendors.

My favorite vendors are the sweet lady that demonstrates tatting and bobbin weaving. I found out that she has a series of classes at two local libraries that I fully intend to join...hmmm, something else to put on my list of things to learn! (When we walked up she was giving a teen girl a hands-on demonstration. How nice!)

The second is a vendor of handmade iron works. They have hanging baskets, hooks, ornamental fencing, etc... Lovely items, with lovely price tags!

Of course, there was a drum and bagpipe corp...

There was plenty of warm sunshine that day. It was hot and humid. After a few hours we searched for a shady spot to take a break. Shaved Ice in hand, we found one under a grand old tree, close to the action.

It was the perfect spot to wiggle my toes...

After a few minutes, we were treated to a sighting of the costumed park staff on there way to an event behind us. This form of dress was traditional in the 17 & 1800's and the park uses them for large events to add to the ambiance. Aren't they cute??

Cost for the day -

$4.00, spent on the two Shaved Ice treats

(the event and parking were FREE!)

Time spent with family - Priceless...

Next weekend - the Greek Festival. Opa!