Summer Safety by Numbers

As the summer wind comes upon us we start to plan our vacations and fill up our weekends with all kinds of activities. But, along with these activities comes stress. The stress to be prepared, organized and the stress of keeping our family safe. I have come up with a way to ease some of the stress and I call it Summer Safety by Numbers.

Going to carnivals, amusement parks, museums and zoos can be fun but it can also be stressful. In one second your little one can be off and blended into the crowd and your in panic mode. Or you can turn around and your husband is no where to be found. An easy way to avoid this stressful time is to be able to spot your loved one more easily in these situations by making them stand out.

Family Tidbit - Make your family stand out by dressing them all up in the same color t-shirt and numbering each one.

What you will Need

Bright Colored T-Shirts for each member of your family found at any craft store
Iron On Numbers found at any craft store
Fabric Paint or Iron On Letters found at any craft store
Iron
Scissors
Pencil or Fabric Pencil

Choose a Bright Colored T-shirt like Yellow, Orange, or any Neon Color so that your families shirt will stand out in the crowd. Bye one for each member of your family, including any other members who frequently join your group, such as grandparents. Find Large Iron On Numbers and Number each member by ironing on their number on the back of the t-shirt. You can also put your families last name above the number like seen on sport jerseys. You can do this with either Fabric Paint or Iron On Letters. If you choose to use fabric paint, make sure to pencil your letters first so that you can trace them with the paint, to avoid any mistakes.

Extra Tidbit - Personalize each shirt with Iron On Patches. I did this by ironing on the first letter of each members name on their sleeve. The kids loved picking out their letter and color. They have all kinds of patches to choose from. You can also look for patches at gift shops from the places you visit and add them to your shirts. This would make each trip more memorable for your child. They will love to show off their memory shirt.

This works especially well for large families. You can easily spot your child and they can easily spot you. I found that this worked very well with my family and it did ease some of the stress that comes along with large crowds. I hope that you try out this method and enjoy a Summer Safety by Numbers!

Family Nights

In our home I am always trying to come up with ways to make the time we have together Memorable and Fun for our children. I find this especially important during these long winter months. One way I do this is with Family Nights.

Tidbit - Today is Wednesday and tonight is Game Night in our house. We have a shelf full of games to pick from and the boys look forward to picking out a game and playing it with mom and dad. We try to be consistent with it although we may skip it once and a while. During the winter it helps make it over the hump until the weekend arrives. Play a Game with your kid's tonight!

Extra Tidbit - Game boxes can break easily. To make them more durable, support them with clear packaging tape, found at any hardware or storage store. I line the edges of the boxes inside and out and I tape off one side shut. This helps keep all the pieces inside. Also, if a box is too bulky for the game and the parts are not that big, I will put them in a large freezer bag and label it. Plastic bags and elastics are always good to use for cards and small pieces.

Extra Extra Tidbit - In our home we have also tried Craft Night on Monday and we always have Movie Night on Friday. I serve popcorn and a snack. The kids love it. The only problem is finding a movie that they haven't seen or that they want to watch again. The Disney Movie Club is a great way to start your own movie collection at a fraction of the cost. There is one downfall, just be sure to check in monthly if you join to reject the current selection, or else they will charge you and send it to your house.

Open Windows

If your anything like me, you have a collection of pictures on your camera and computer from the past year. Most of us will never get any of them developed and scrapbook them all. So I have a solution for you. Open Windows!

Tidbit - Open Microsoft Windows and make a DVD Movie using the Movie Maker. It's really easy and fun. Now that the holidays have passed and a new year is here, it's a good time to make a movie of 2009. You can add titles and music to the background. I made one last year and my sons loved it. I am working on one now and I can't wait to finish it. It's a great way to hold on to cherished memories. Best of all when your done you can save all of your pictures on a disk and free up some space on your computer.

Extra Tidbit - Another way to take advantage of windows is to create Forget It Folders that will keep your thoughts organized. They are a great resource to use to jot thoughts down and forget them until needed. In My Favorites section I have a folder marked Summer. In it I save websites of places to visit, so that when the summer rolls around again I can refer to it and the calenders for the season. I also have one marked Vacation where I save websites of Bed and Breakfast's I would like to stay in for Anniversary's and Birthdays. This year I have decided to make a Needs and Gifts Folder in My Documents section in Word. In it I am going to put ideas for the boys and for people in our family who we buy for at Christmas and Birthdays. Hopefully this will help me when some one asks me what the boys would like or need for their birthday or Christmas next year. And I will have some ideas for others as well. I can write it and forget it all year long.

Beauty Tidbit - In this cold, cold season we can all use a little pick me up each time we leave the house. Mine is Ginger Mentha Lip Shine Shimmer from Bath and Body. I leave it in my coat pocket and put it on each time I leave my house. It keeps my lips smooth, it tastes and smells great and it makes my lips sparkle. Keep a yummy Lip Balm in your pocket and enjoy the pick me up.