15 Ways To Play With Glow Sticks

When I think about the things that remind me of summer, I can’t help but have glow sticks come to my mind.  What is it about glow sticks that make them so much fun?  Maybe it’s that they glow in the dark.  Or it could be that just wearing them makes you smile.  Whatever the case, I really don’t think you are ever too old to enjoy them with your family and friends, so today I’m sharing a round up of my favorite glow stick activities!

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

As you scroll through, you’ll find that many of these activities can be done both indoors and outdoors which makes it easy to enjoy glow in the dark glow stick fun year round!  A word of caution: If you have little ones who like to put things in their mouth, please be careful.  The packaging says that adult supervision is recommended and that glow sticks are for ages 3+.

*To visit the original source, click on the link below the picture.

Gold in the Dark Lawn Bowling  |  Growing A Jeweled Rose

 Glow in the Dark Wiffle Ball  |  A Few Shortcuts

Ring Toss  |  Sugar Bee Crafts

 Tic-Tac-Toe  |  Make and Takes

 Glow Jars/Fairy Jars  |  The Gold Jellybean

 Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt  |  Lil Luna

 Word Art  |  Smile and Wave

 Glow in the Dark Drinks  |  Mommy Savers

Corn Hole  Tape glow sticks around the hole and at the sides, top and bottom so you can keep playing at night!

Red Light, Green Light  Remember this game as a kid?  Just grab a red and green glow stick and let the kids play this childhood favorite after it gets dark by having your child hold up the glow stick to indicate stop and go.

Dance Party  We’ve done this with our kids in the wintertime in our basement, but how fun would this be at your next BBQ or watching fireworks!

Glow Sticks in the Pool  Keep the fun going at your pool party by throwing some glow sticks in!  This would be fun to do in a kiddie pool as well on those hot summer nights (just keep a close eye out!).

original source: unknown

Freeze Tag  Another favorite kid game!  Have your kids wear glow sticks around their necks, wrists and ankles so they can see each other and let the fun begin.

Capture the Flag One team wears one color and the other team wears another so you know who’s who.

Bath time  Another fun activity you can do year round with your kiddos.  They’ll love playing with their glow sticks in the bath tub!  (We’ve also done glow in the dark bath paint using a black light and it’s so much fun!  You can find the post here.)

What other activities have you done with glow sticks?

Crock Pot BBQ Country Style Ribs

Using my crock pot in the summer is one of my favorite ways to save time, conserve energy and beat the heat.  A couple of years ago I found a recipe for BBQ crock pot country style ribs and after a couple of tweaks, it quickly made its way into our meal time rotation.  Country style ribs are a great meat alternative to chicken or beef/turkey and they are generally inexpensive and not very fatty so you get more meat for your money.  We’ve use this recipe for our own family, but it works equally as well when serving larger crowds.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

To make these BBQ country style ribs, you’ll need the following ingredients:

*Note: For this recipe, I use a 3-quart crock pot, but you’ll want to use a 6-quart crock pot if you decide to double or triple the recipe.

In your crock pot, place the ribs on the bottom.  Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Pour in the apple juice.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.

Remove the meat from the crock pot and put on a plate.  Drain the liquid and (carefully) wipe out the pot with a paper towel.  Put the ribs back into the pot and add your favorite BBQ sauce.  (We use Famous Dave’s or Sweet Baby Ray’s.)  The meat will be very tender by this point so you can break it up a little when you mix the BBQ sauce around or wait until you serve it.  Set the crock pot on HIGH and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour.

Serve on rolls as a sandwich or eat as is with rolls, salad, potatoes, a veggie or fruit.

Store in a sealed container for no more than a week.  This stores really well and the leftovers are delicious.  My family loves this meal and I love how easy it is!

Crock Pot BBQ Country Style Ribs
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs boneless country style ribs
• 1/3 c. brown sugar 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp dried, chopped onion
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 c. apple juice 
• 1 1/2 c. BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. In your crock pot, place the ribs on the bottom.  Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Pour in the apple juice.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
2. Remove the meat from the crock pot and put on a plate.  Drain the liquid and wipe out the pot with a paper towel.  Put the ribs back into the pot and add your favorite BBQ sauce.  The meat will be very tender by this point so you can break it up a little when you mix the BBQ sauce around or wait until you serve it.  
3. Set the crock pot on HIGH and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour.
4. Serve on rolls as a sandwich or eat as is with rolls, salad and fruit.
5. Store in a sealed container for no more than a week. 

$10 at Target: Pretty Paper Edition

Hello and happy Monday!  I hope you all enjoyed your Father’s Day weekend!  Our family went to a local theme park on Saturday and wore the kids out, then spent Sunday relaxing with family.  Just before the weekend got started, I had a chance to visit Target all by myself and it was a lovely hour and a half.  I didn’t have anything specific I was looking for, but knew I could only spend $10 for this month’s $10 at Target challenge.  I am a co-host for this challenge along with a group of lovely ladies and it’s been fun to see how close I can get to spending $10 or less at one of my favorite stores.  Do you think you could do it?  Let me show you what I found this month.

As always seems to be the case, I stopped at the Dollar Spot on my way in.  Our local Target is usually jam packed with a lot of items to choose from, so I was a little disappointed to see that there was one entire side of the rack that was almost completely picked over.  However, there was a still a ton to choose from and I found a few items that were interesting and threw them in the cart.

I wandered around the rest of the store at my leisure since I didn’t have any kids or time constraints looking for something fun to spend my $10 on, but ultimately, I walked out the door with the same things I found at the beginning:  a mini pack of note cards with cute sayings on the front, two packs of paper fans and one ice cream banner.  The total on my receipt was a little over the $10 limit at $10.69 with tax, which is the same amount I spent during last month’s challenge.

As for the paper fans, one pack included 6 mini fans that could be strung together for a cute fan banner.  The other had three fans of different sizes in a mint/teal color.  I picked them out at the store because I thought the colors were fun and summer-y.  I was deciding where to hang them when my daughter suggested the space above our summer bucket list chart.  Turns out they look perfect and add some pizazz (love that word!) to the space on that wall.

I’m excited to use the mini note cards this summer.  They are perfect for pretty much any occasion and I’m a little sad they only came with eight cards.

The ice cream banner was the most random purchase of the bunch because I don’t actually have any use for it at the moment, nor do I have plans for an ice cream party.  BUT this banner is practically begging me to throw an ice cream party with its bright colors and glitter, so I’ll keep you posted on whether or not that actually happens this summer.

Like I mentioned above, I am a co-host for the $10 at Target challenge and link up party.  If you’d like to join us, we post the third Monday of each month.  I’d love to see what you find at Target!  You can also check out what each of the other hosts bought with their $10 below!

Stephanie  |  Wife Mommy Me

Beth  |  Our Pretty Little Girls

Becky  |  by BMG

Tif  |  Bright On A Budget

Christine  |  Sword Fights and Starry Nights

Ashley  |  Ashley Newell

Emily  |  Three Boys and A Girl

Sarah  |  Foxy’s Domestic Side

Johannah  |  The Sirois Family

Stephanie  |  The Gifty Girl

Kristyn  |  Everyone’s Sleeping But Mom

Danielle  |  Sparkles and Lattes

Jess  |  Secrets of a SAHM

An InLinkz Link-up

https://static.inlinkz.com/cs2.js

3 Ways To Raise Happy Kids

Before starting college, I had some ideas about what I’d like to study, but it wasn’t until a couple years in that I found what I wanted to commit to: marriage and family studies.  I knew that what I was learning could be applied to both my current and my future relationships, especially my future family.  Growing up, I would say that I was generally a happy kid.  I got along with my parents, I had good friends, did well in school, was involved in extracurricular activities and active in church.  But if you had asked me then how I became that way–happy–I don’t know that I would have been able to nail it down.  However, through my coursework, and now through practical application (aka parenting), I’ve seen three ways parents can raise happy kids: building connections, setting limits and encouraging independence.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

So often, I hear parents joke around that they wish their kids came with a manual.  I’ve even said the same thing myself, especially when going through a challenging period of time.  And while each child is different, I know that a combination of connecting, limits and autonomy will help my kids develop into happy, healthy kids.

Building Connections
Shortly after becoming pregnant with each of my kids, I felt a connection to them.  My husband on the other hand, didn’t feel connected to them until they were born.  But regardless of when you first feel connected to your kids, it’s important to recognize that each child has an innate need to feel connected, which causes them to feel loved.  For example, my daughter has never been much of a snuggler.  Even now, she’ll sit next to me or my husband when we are watching a show or reading a book, but she’s never wanted to really connect that way for longer than a few minutes.  But, one on one time and words of encouragement and affirmation go a long way for her.  She literally lights up. 

On the other hand, my son is a big cuddle bug.  He was more that way even as a baby and now loves to snuggle and hug and sit on our laps.  Additionally, if you can get him talking or telling a story, he loves to feel listened to.  When each child feels connected in the way that means the most to them, they feel loved.  If you’re not sure how your child feels love, I highly recommend the book The Five Love Languages for Children by Gary Chapman.

Setting Limits
A strong parent-child connection is important because it builds the foundation for lovingly correcting our kids (aka discipline).  When we set limits, or rules, for our children we are teaching them self-control and establishing socially acceptable behavior.  Right now, my daughter is struggling to remember that her first instinct when things don’t go her way should not be to hit.  We are working with her to help her understand that there are other ways she can express her frustration, but that being physical is not acceptable.  We are teaching her that she needs to think before she acts and to think about how others will feel if she hits them (the golden rule).  As parents, it’s our role to be an example, follow through and maintain a strong connection with each of our kids.  They will (hopefully) recognize that the rules are there because we love them and want them to be happy.

Encouraging Independence
Kids seem to have a built-in program for using some variation of the phrase “I want to do it by myself!”.  As they grow and learn more about their abilities, they want to test the limits we’ve put in place.  While this can be extremely frustrating as a parent, it’s helpful to recognize that their desire for autonomy (independence) is actually very useful as it will prepare them for future real-world responsibilities, as well as teaching about choice and accountability.  Obviously, we have to allow some degree of independence otherwise our children wouldn’t learn how to do anything for themselves.  My kids are still fairly young, but I try my best to allow them the ability to choose wherever possible and within reason.  For example, I will tell them what the weather will be like for the day and then allow them to choose their clothes.  I ask them what kind of fruit or vegetable they’d like with their lunch (giving them options).  Doing this helps my kids feel like I trust them to make their own decisions and gives them confidence in themselves.  In addition, I have to make sure that when there is an unwanted consequence to a choice they made, that they take responsibility for it and learn from it.

Parenting is hard work.  I was just telling my husband the other night, “It’s so hard to feel like I always have to be on top of everything all the time!  There is so much to remember and so many things I need to teach them and it can be so exhausting.”  But the moments of joy–when your child puts into practice a concept you’ve been working on or they do they right thing even when they think no one is watching or they start on their chores without being asked or a hug for no reason–really do make this whole parenting thing so rewarding. 

As anyone who has been around kids can tell you, every kid comes with their own unique personality.  I love finding fun shirts for my kids to wear and graphic tees are some of their favorites.  When I saw these shirts from Cents of Style, I knew I had to grab a couple of them.  For my daughter, I chose the “Boys are EW”, although the “I believe in Pink” would have been perfect for her too.  My son is one of those funny, sweet, charming little boys and I got him a “Word to your Mother” shirt.  (I’m sure my husband will teach him all the words to Vanilla Ice’s song one day.)  My kids love their new shirts and I’m sure they’ll be wearing them for the rest of the summer.

Do your kids love wearing graphic tees?  If so, this weekend is the perfect time to snag some for Cents of Style’s Fashion Friday deal.  All their kids graphic tees are 50% off their lowest marked price, with clearance styles starting at less than $5!  Sizes range from 6 months all the way up to Youth XL (14/16) so there is something fun for all ages.  So go to Cents of Style, check out their kids shirts and then use the code KIDSTORY at checkout to take advantage of this deal, plus you’ll get free shipping!  This deal runs from 6/16-6/18. 

Have you seen these principles help you raise happy kids?

15 Minute Patriotic Wreath

My husband always groans when I come home with supplies to make a new wreath, but I love how easily they can update a room or brighten our front door.  With Memorial Day just a couple of weeks ago and the 4th of July coming up soon, I decided to pick up a few simple supplies from JoAnn’s to make a patriotic wreath that I can use in my decor.  One of my favorite wreath forms to use are grapevine wreaths because the wreath itself is part of the decor and you don’t have to do a lot to add a little extra something to it to make it your own.  The best part is that it only took 15 minutes to put together from start to finish!

To make your own patriotic wreath, you’ll want to grab the following supplies:

• 12″ grapevine wreath
• bead/berry picks (found by the wreath making supplies)
• 1/2″ ribbon
• scissors
• safety pin

As for making the wreath, I decided to try something a little different and create a video tutorial!  I’m hoping to incorporate more videos for recipes and crafts in my posts to change things up a bit.  If you have any questions about the process, please let me know!

In all, I spent less than $10 for everything and for only 15 minutes of my time, which is important to me because I only have so much time to craft.  I love how my new wreath turned out and it’s currently sitting in my kitchen/living room area being all patriotic and reminding me why I love the 4th of July.  Independence Day is in my top 3 favorite holidays and I love everything about it (except parades, I know I’m probably in the minority).

Do you decorate for patriotic holidays?  What do you usually do to celebrate?

Hiking In Pioneer Park In St. George, UT

Last summer, my family and I did a big family vacation with my husband’s parents and all his siblings and their kids to St. George, Utah.  With kids ranging in age from 17 to 2, finding an activity that everyone would enjoy was a bit of a challenge, but ultimately we decided on hiking.  St. George and the surrounding area is famous for its beautiful and unique red rock formations.  I’ve visited St. George more times than I can count, but hadn’t spent much time hiking the trails found all around the city.  However, we did find an awesome little place called Pioneer Park.  We had so much fun that we visited two days in a row and it was a real hit with everyone in the family.

Pioneer Park is located next to the Red Hills Desert Garden (also a great place for kids to get out and stretch their legs).  There are a bunch of smaller trails you can take and most are easy enough for smaller children to navigate by themselves or with some help.  (Mine were 2 and 4 at the time of our visit.)  The park isn’t too far off the freeway so its easy access makes it a great place to visit whether you are going to St. George to vacation or simply passing through and need to let the kids run around outside and get their wiggles out.

The portion of the park that we explored most with our kids is also referred to as a “mini narrows”, or small slot canyon, similar to those found in areas of Southern Utah.  A slot canyon is basically a crack in the canyon wall that is extremely narrow.  The entrance to this slot canyon in Pioneer Park is located near a parking lot and looks like a wide canyon with tall, sloping walls on either side.  There are nooks and crannies for the kids to climb into and take pictures.  If you walk farther in, you’ll be able to climb up some rocks to the beginning of the most narrow part of the hike. 

We had to help our kids as we climbed up this portion of the trail because they weren’t tall enough.  Either my husband or I went up first and then the other helped one kid up and then the other joined us.  I wouldn’t say it was dangerous, but red rock can be slippery so be sure to wear proper shoes (aka tennis shoes or hiking shoes).

Depending on your size, this may be as far as you go.  Some parts of the slot canyon are only 6 inches wide, so if you are claustrophobic, this probably isn’t for you either.  My daughter and I were able to make it through all the way to the top.  Once you make it to the top, you can climb back down on either side of the canyon to the base.  We hiked down both ways and found that the left trail took a bit longer, but was easier to hike for everyone, while the right trail was steeper and required a little more climbing and may not be suitable for younger kids.

All in all, I highly recommend Pioneer Park for people of all ages!  There is actually more to explore in the park than the “mini narrows”, such as some old buildings and other trails, but our kids had so much fun here that we didn’t venture around much.  I really like that this park is near the Red Hills Desert Garden because they have drinking fountains and nice, clean bathrooms to use.

And if hiking with your kids seems a little intimidating, or you’re just not sure where to start, you can check out this post I shared about 7 tips for hiking with kids!  (Plus, check out the giveaway from Nuby on this post running from today (6/8) to next Wednesday (6/15) at 11:59pm.)

Where are your favorite places to hike with your family?

May In Numbers

Whoosh!  Did you hear that?  It was the sound of May rushing past! *wink*  But seriously, I feel like I just wrote last months summary.  A lot of fun things happened in May, but most of them happened in single digits.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

1 – Dance recital.  We celebrated the end of my daughter’s second year of dance with her studio’s spring recital.  She performed in two dances: jazz (Dynamite – Kid Bop version) and ballet (See the Light from Rapunzel).  I am absolutely amazed at the growth she’s experienced this year and her teacher said that she can move up a level to be with the bigger girls next year!  I was also able to pick up her dance pictures I posted about last month and they turned out absolutely darling!  Although I’m dying a little at how much she’s grown and changed in a year.

4 – Books read.  Last month I shared my summer 2017 reading list and one of the books I wanted to read is called Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier.  It’s the first of a trilogy and I picked the first and second one up at the library.  My neighbor casually mentioned that she had the third book and that I was welcome to borrow it because she knew how quickly the series moves.  Let’s just say I texted her the next day and told her I was going to need that third book, haha.  So I finished the trilogy in about a week.  Just prior to picking up this series, I read the assigned reading for my neighborhood book club called The Knight of Redmond by Jennifer K. Clark.  I’ll be picking up more books from the library soon!

9 – Years since we got married (aka Our 9 Year Anniversary).  My husband and I had so much fun for our anniversary this year.  We didn’t do anything really big because we are hoping to go somewhere really cool for our 10 year anniversary next year.  My mom came out and watched our kids for us.  First, we went to dinner at P.F. Chang’s and ordered their lettuce wraps to share, then the crispy honey shrimp and Mongolian beef.  Afterwards, we went to a little place called Provo Beach Resort.  It’s one of those places that has a bunch of activities all in the same place.  We got a pass and did the obstacle course, bowling (my husband won both games), mini croquet and some arcade games.  Our favorite arcade game was a Pac Man air hockey where it would drop about 20 pucks onto the table at the same time and you had to try and block them and make points (I won!).

1 – Amazing Mother’s Day.  While I’ve enjoyed all of the Mother’s Days I’ve celebrated being a mother myself, this year was probably my favorite.  My husband got up with the kids so I could sleep in as long as I wanted.  Then he made breakfast for all of us.  Afterwards, the kids gave me the cards they’d made and my present: a new DSLR camera!  I’d had my old one for about four years, but it didn’t quite have all the capabilities I wanted so my husband had been on the lookout for a new one at a great price and he found one!  I was really surprised and so happy.  (Be on the lookout for some videos!)  After church, we had family over for a big dinner.  It was a wonderful day.

168 – Amount spent on new tires.  Seriously, who likes buying new tires?  They are so dang expensive!  But I had to buy them in order to get our car registered so it was a necessary purchase.

11 – Types of plants growing in my garden.  We decided to upgrade our garden boxes this year from the two smaller beds to one big U-shaped raised bed.  My husband did a great job building it and I’m so glad we did it.  Our garden seems to be growing the best it has since we started it four years ago.  We planted peas, pole beans, tomatoes (two types), carrots, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, green onions, pumpkin, rosemary and cilantro.

2 – Blogger events attended.  When I started blogging back in October 2015, I honestly never expected to find so many new friends.  Some I’ve met in person, others through email or social media.  It’s kind of like having a pen pal who you feel like you know because you’ve interacted with them so much, but sometimes you never meet them.  Well, I am lucky enough to live in an area where there are quite a number of bloggers so blogger events come up pretty regularly.  The first one I went to was a blogger conference the second week of the month.  The second one was just last week where we got to visit a newly opened events area at a unique little place called Gardner Village.  I rode up with Julia from The Quiet Grove and found out she knows my sister in law!  Honestly, meeting other bloggers has become one of my favorite parts of blogging.

1 – Preschool graduation.  My daughter completed her second year of preschool last week and she starts kindergarten this fall!  I am kind of in denial about it.  But I know she will love it.  She is a very sweet and social girl who makes friends with everyone, but also loves learning.

40 – Pounds of chicken ordered.  Yes, you read that right.  I ordered 40lbs of chicken and it’s set to be picked up in a couple of weeks.  We have a deep freezer so we have the space for it, but holy moly!  I’m pretty sure we’ll be set with chicken for the next few months.  I ordered it through a company called Zaycon Fresh and they are a meat co-op.  I’ll be sharing a post about them later this month but if you’re interested in checking them out before then, you can use my link here.

5 – (more) Pairs of underwear destroyed.  We are still dealing with potty training issues over here.  Please send prayers.  And chocolate.

2 – Items crossed off our summer bucket list.  The kids and I made a summer bucket list a couple of weeks ago and I put it all on a big poster board that is now hanging in our front room/kitchen area.  We were able to cross off a hike to Battle Creek Falls on Memorial Day.  Afterwards, we made a visit to a local pet store called The Puppy Barn where they sell just puppies.  You can go in there and hold them and play with them and it is my favorite way to get my puppy fix since I don’t see us getting a dog any time soon.

You can check out my other month in numbers posts below:

February Month In Numbers
March Month In Number: Orlando Edition 
April Month In Numbers

Also, I’m linking up with Deena from Shoes to Shiraz who hosts the month in numbers link party.  You can go see who else is linking up and see what their May in numbers looks like.

My kids are just getting over a cold, but I’m looking forward to a fun June coming up!

7 Tips for Hiking with Kids

This last week we went hiking as part of our Memorial Day activities.  We live close to the mountains and there are a lot of canyons and hiking trails to choose from, so we are always finding fun new places to explore.  My kids especially love hiking and it is one of mine and my husband’s favorite activities as well so we do a lot of it.  With this being the case, I’ve learned a few tips along the way that have helped make hiking a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

This post is sponsored by Nuby.  All opinions are 100% my own.  This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on one and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

It’s Not A Race
As we were walking along the trail with our kids this last week, they inevitably got side-tracked by different things: climbing on rocks, a flower, a stick.  My initial reaction was along the lines of: “C’mon, let’s go!” but then I realized that the point of the hike wasn’t about making it to our destination as much as it was about spending time together doing something we enjoy.  So if you go into your hike expecting that it will take longer, you can cut down on frustration at the so-called interruptions that are going to happen.

Bring Backpacks
This one has been a lifesaver for us when we go hiking.  I bought each of my kids a small backpack that we pack whenever we go on a hike.  Included in their packs is water and a couple of snacks to eat along the way.  They love having their own backpacks and I think it also helps them feel big and gives them a little bit more autonomy.  Even if your child says they will just carry their water or snacks in their hands or pockets, have them bring the pack because almost without fail they will want you to carry it for them or it will be put down and forgotten.  Here are a few good backpack options I found: HERE, HERE and HERE.

Create Teaching Moments
At one point in our hike, we stopped for a little snack break and the thought occurred to me to talk to my kids about littering.  I asked my daughter what we should do if we are out somewhere and there isn’t a garbage can for us to put the wrappers or plastic bottles in.  She replied that we should put it back in our backpacks and then throw it away later.  Then we talked about why that was important (keep trails clean, showing respect, etc).  It was a really simple lesson and one of those things that makes a bigger impact when we are actually out in nature rather than trying to explain it at some other time.  A few other teaching moments you could incorporate into your hike could be talking about plants and animals in the area, how rivers/streams are made, bring a nature journal and collecting leaves/flowers.

Research the Hike
Anytime we go on a hike, I make sure to find some basic information about it: Does it have bathrooms at the trailhead or along the way?  How long is the hike?  Difficulty level?  Directions or landmarks for finding the trail?  Best time of year for hiking?  Stroller or wagon friendly?  The list goes on and what you want to know will obviously depend on your own family.  I recently found a really helpful website called AllTrails.com, where you can search by state and it will come up with a list of hikes and a helpful description of what you’ll find.

Sunscreen, Wipes, Hand Sanitizer
Even if you put sunscreen on before you start the hike, odds are that you’ll need it again at some point before you get back to your car.  There are plenty of travel size containers of sunscreen that there really isn’t an excuse not to bring some.  Also, nature is dirty and kids seem to gravitate towards dirt so having something to wipe their hands off with is a good idea.  Just grab a travel size package of baby wipes and throw them in your bag.  And lastly, grab a small bottle of hand sanitizer to disinfect everyone’s hands with before eating or after playing in the water (if your hiking to a waterfall or by a stream).

Flip-Flops/Water Shoes/Extra Socks
I don’t know about you, but after a long hike, all I want to do is take my shoes and socks off and let my feet breathe.  A lot of times, we will go out and get some food or stop by a store after our hike and it’s nice to have the extra pair of shoes to change into.  Depending on the hike, we will bring water shoes so we can wade around in the water and cool off, plus they protect our feet from sharp rocks and give us traction.  Along with this, consider bringing an extra pair of socks.  The shoes I use when we go hiking double as water shoes, but I hate wearing them without socks, so I like to bring an extra pair that I can change into before we start back.  Same goes for your kids.  Throw the flip flops or water shoes or socks into their backpack and let them carry it.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
And last, but not least, bring lots and lots of WATER.  This is one of those things that you absolutely do not want to skimp on.  Who cares if you have to stop along the trail 10 times so your child can relieve themselves?  It’s much better than the alternative.  Whether you’re hiking when it’s cloudy and cooler or hot and sunny, you need to keep yourself and your family hydrated and cool.  Little kids can overheat pretty easily so stopping and reminding everyone to get a good drink is essential.  Throw some ice cubes into everyone’s bottle or cup or even freeze the whole water bottle for a refreshing and cool drink for your entire (or at least most) of your hike.

We brought our kids’ Nuby Thirsty Kids Reflex water canteens with us on our hike and they were perfect.  The plastic is made of durable tritan from Eastman and the push top could be pushed down and covered by a plastic latch so it stayed clean.  The 12-oz size was perfect for our kids and how much they normally drink.  You can find these cups in store at Target and Babies R’ Us.  (Shop the water canteens online HERE.

(For my local Utah friends, the hike in these pictures is Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove.)

What tips and tricks have you found helpful when you go hiking with your family?

And now, I’ve got a fun giveaway that you can enter to win four (4) of these Nuby Thirsty Kids Reflex water canteens for your kids!  See below to find out how to enter!

• Visit Nuby USA on Facebook (required)
• Visit Sunshine & Munchkins on Facebook (required)
• Follow Nuby USA on Instagram (required)
• Follow Sunshine & Munchkins on Instagram (required)
• Leave a comment (optional, extra entry)
• Subscribe to Sunshine & Munchkins newsletter (optional, extra entry) 

a Rafflecopter giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Recognizing Joy in the Small Moments

My day to day life is pretty ordinary and often consists of fixing food, cleaning up the house, running errands, playing with my kids and other household tasks.  At a glance, it doesn’t feel very glamorous and there are days when I can’t wait for my husband to get home from work so I can turn the kids over to him while I escape to the bathroom by myself or go for a short walk around the block.  A break from everything I have to manage and be responsible for.  Does anyone else hear themselves in my words?

Even though they lack a lot of excitement, most days are good.  The laundry, the dishes, the chauffeuring kids back and forth to school and other activities, homework, chores, fixing meals, buying the second pair of shoes in as many months because kids grow so fast.

But if I stop and take a look at the moments in between, what do I see?  My kids pretending to be a baby animal, laughter at made up knock-knock jokes, my daughter getting me a yogurt out of the fridge for breakfast before getting her own bowl out for cereal, a hug from my son for no reason other than he just wanted to.

I think there is a difference between the real life that is essential to every day living and the real life that is in the small moments in between.  The ones that we just might miss if we’re not looking for them.

I will be the first to admit that I lean more towards being a realist.  But I don’t think being a realist excludes me from being optimistic about what’s around me and seeing the good in people and situations.  Over the last few months, I’ve implemented two small practices into my daily life that help me recognize the small moments: a joy journal and a phone app.

A little over a month ago, I started a joy journal with the sole purpose being to write down at least three things every day that brought me joy.  It might be something to do with my kids, my husband, something I saw that made me laugh, a personal success and so on.  One of the benefits of this journal in my life is being able to take a step back and see what’s happening in the in between moments of life.  I have started looking for things to write down in my joy journal each night that my kids or husband do or say.  I look for the positive aspect of a negative situation and focus on that.  I work to create joy in my life, my family’s lives and those I associate with, rather than just expecting it to be there.  Overall, I am becoming a happier person.

In February of this year, I saw a post on a friend’s Facebook where she had compiled a short video of one second clips of each day of her life for the previous month.  Many of them were similar, some were out of the ordinary, but all of them together brought a smile to my face.  Right then, I downloaded the app she used to create her video called 1 Second Everyday. (It’s free!  Download from the Google Play Store or iTunes.)  Since I have my phone with me most of the time, all I have to do is pull it out and take a video.  Then I open the app, select the day and choose which part of the clip I want to represent that day.  And at the end of the month, I had a short video of clips from my family’s lives.  (If you’re interested, you can watch a TED Talk from the creator of this app on why he created it.) 

Having these two things–a joy journal and the 1 Second Everyday app–have become wonderful tools for me because they capture the little moments of joy in every day life and reminds me that my life, ordinary as it may seem, is pretty darn good.

How do you find joy in the small moments of your life?  Do you write them down?  Take a picture or video?  I’d love to hear what benefits you’ve experienced from focusing on joy.

7 Creative Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Father’s Day is coming up in a few weeks and I’ve had gift ideas on the brain.  While giving my dad or husband a new shirt or tools is nice and useful, sometimes I like to try and be a little more creative and unique.  So I’ve done some thinking and asking and have put together a list of eight gifts you might not have considered or even known about until this post.  I hope they give you some ideas or at least a jumping off point for a gift for the guys in your life.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

Shipped Sentiments
I was on Instagram a few weeks ago when an account called Shipped Sentiments liked one of my pictures.  I was curious what they were all about so I clicked on over and found the cutest thing!  Shipped Sentiments is all about curating a themed box of fun items and then shipping it out.  They have over 15 options ranging from a Just For Him box to a Sympathy box to a Sunshine Happy Day box (with all items being yellow).  They sent me a Just For Him box and I know my husband will love it when he gets it on Father’s Day.  You can also request a custom box!  See more about what’s included and pricing for each box by clicking HERE.

Price range: $20-$35

Sketch of Life (custom drawings)
Becca  has the cutest little online shop called Sketch of Life, which is, you guessed it: sketches.  All her sketches are custom and come in sizes ranging from 5×7 to 11×14.  This would be a great gift to give the dad/husband/grandpa in your life because you can choose everything about it and Becca will make it come to life.  You can choose one large sketch, caricatures or doodles and could include funny memories, quotes from kids/grandkids or anything else that would make it special.  You can find more information on sizes and pricing by clicking HERE.

Price range: $20-$125 (discounts available for extra hand drawn copies)

Audio Book Subscription
The average person spends 26 minutes commuting to work each day.  Double that and you have 52 minutes of commuting time each day.  If you travel around for your job, that time increases.  When my husband started a new job that was a minimum 30 minute commute each way, I suggested he listen to audio books as a way to pass the time.  He isn’t a fast reader but by listening to books, he was making it through about one book every week or two.  My dad is a self-employed electrician so he is always traveling to different places all around the valley, and sometimes out of state, to work.  You can bet he listens to audio books.

Check out each of the following audio book subscriptions to see if one would appeal to your guy:

Audible – Free 30 day trial available, then monthly subscription
Deseret Bookshelf Plus – Free 30 day trial available, then monthly or yearly subscription

Price range: $5-$99 (dependent on type of subscription)

Personalized Metal Wallet Insert (with custom saying)
A couple of years ago for Christmas, I stumbled on this darling Etsy shop called O Jolie Designs.  One of their listings was for a metal wallet insert, which is the shape and size of a credit card so it fits in a wallet, but is completely personalized.  I bought one for my husband and put a little note on it from our kids.  He keeps it in his wallet now but will often leave it with the kids when he has to go out of town as a reminder that he loves and misses him.  This would be such a cute gift to give to your husband/dad/grandpa and the customization makes it perfect.  You can find out more about it by clicking HERE.

Price range: $15-$24

Guys Night Out
When was the last time your guy had a night out with his friends?  If it’s been a while, consider helping him put together a guys night out (or in).  Time spent with their friends can help improve their mood and relieve stress.  You could suggest they watch a sporting event at your place or encourage them to get tickets to a local game, concert or other group activity.

Price range: Varies (depends on activity)
 
Grill Masters Club 
Does your guy like grilling?  Trying out new rubs and sauces?  Then the Grill Masters Club subscription box would be a great gift!  Each month they send out a new box with rubs, sauces, tips, tricks and recipes for grilling.  Make grilling more fun with a cool new guy’s subscription box he can receive for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months.  You can find out more about it by clicking HERE.

Price range: $27.95-$32.95 per month (depends on subscription length)

Car Wash Kit, Car Wash Gift Card or Detailing
A couple of years ago, my mom gave my husband a gift card with a handful of car washes on it.  My husband doesn’t usually have a lot of time to wash our cars so this was great because a car wash is way faster than doing it himself, plus they have vacuums there.  Another option would be to put together a car wash kit with microfiber cloths, dash wipes and leather conditioner in a bucket.  Or maybe they have a nice car that could use a good, thorough cleaning and detailing.  Look into what your local car wash locations have to offer and you can take it from there.

Price range: Varies

I hope this list gave you some new ideas!  For more great gift ideas, check out my gift guide for men.

What are you giving for Father’s Day?