adults Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

New Year’s Goals – How to Stick to Them

Paula — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 14:33:40 +0000

New Year’s Goals are something that we all throw out there when the clock strikes midnight and the new year rolls in. The problem with these goals is that we never seem to stick to them. We want to get more sleep, but two days later, we’re binge watching a show until 1 AM. We want to eat healthier, but it takes about 4 days before we’re chowing down on the leftover holiday cookies. So how can we stick to our New Year’s Goals? How to Stick to Your New Year’s Goals While all of these goals that we have are well-intentioned, we rarely succeed. Why is that? Well, for one thing, they’re goals, but they’re not lifestyle changes. They are intangible ideas that we rarely make a reality. I’m as guilty of it as anyone, so how can we change that? Make Your Goal Achievable One of the keys to accomplishing your New Year’s goals is to make them achievable. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, don’t say, “I’m going to lose 50 pounds this year!” Instead, break it up and make that goal into a series of more easily achievable goals. Say, “I’m going to lose 2 pounds this week, and eventually I’ll reach my overall goal.” Making Make a Change, not a Goal A goal is something we want to achieve. Wanting to achieve something and actually doing it are two entirely different things. So while having a goal is good, it’s not enough. We have to think about how we’re going to accomplish it. If we want to eat healthier, we need to start by getting rid of the junk food. If we want to sleep more, we have to give ourselves a hard and fast bedtime. We have to actually make changes. Be Accountable If you want to stick to your New Year’s goals, you have to be held accountable. I don’t just mean to yourself. It’s easy for us to give ourselves excuses. It’s much hard to do that when we are held accountable by someone else. If we want to make a real change, we have to know that others are watching. Tell a friend or family member you trust just what your goals are and what you plan to do about them. Then check in once a week with someone who will hold your feet to the goal fire! New Year’s Goals are Easy to Achieve See? There weren’t too many tips there were there? You were probably expecting 10 things you can do to accomplish your New Year’s goals. You don’t need all that! All you need are what I listed above, and you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing your New Year’s goals. So get after it!

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Stylish Stationery and Quirky School Gifts #LoveHallmarkCA

Paula — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:55:29 +0000

We all know Hallmark for cards and fun singing seasonal toys. But did you know that Hallmark has stylish stationery too? It’s true. This year Hallmark’s beautiful back to school stationery and one of a kind gifts have captured my imagination. This year these adorable Toe of a Kind socks showed up here and the kids flipped. UNI-Kitty is hilarious and so fun for my tween starting back to high school next week. And the Game On Toe of a Kind socks are super cute for my Pokemon and Minecraft loving tween. These couldn’t have been better suited to my girls. Ever since the Peanuts Movie came out my youngest has been captivated by Peanuts drawings and comics and characters. So she and I both lit up when we spied these fun glasses. Linus and Charlie Brown decorate the set of glasses that retails in store for $24.95. You can collect all of the characters and buy a couple of different sets. Pretty stationery and journals and agendas rule the day though at Hallmark this time of year. I am enamoured with my pretty Hallmark Clipboard with tablet ($9.95 – the tablet is an 80 page set of paper) and there’s a gorgeous little matching floral journal shown above in picture ($11.95). This is some of the prettiest stationery I have ever had. I love that it matches. This pattern also is repeated in a small catchall glass dish that is perfect for tiny objects like watches, pens, keys and cell phones when you come in after a long day. So Darn Happy journal has been claimed by my youngest daughter who likes the sentiment and the canvas/burlap look of the binding. The leopard print journal is going to my teen and she might also land the French Bulldog agenda. So cute and dogs are her thing. Prettiest Stationery For Back to School Chic and pretty planners are available in abundance this year and you can find one to fit any teacher, or student’s style. I am thrilled to have a really beautiful and fun 2017 agenda. And it matches several of the pieces in the back to school in style lineup. I am a Hallmark Canada ambassador and as such I receive perks. This is my honest opinion.

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Easter Bunny Nail Art Tutorial

Paula — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 02:53:15 +0000

Easter Bunny Nail Art Tutorial Happy Easter! Well, soon to be Easter! I enjoy Easter as a rule because it is the first spring holiday and a great relief after all the snowy holidays. I love to see family and have a great meal together. And the weather means you can usually visit with a little less drama from the snowy weather. You could actually still ski if you wanted to. In fact I might actually try to sneak away just to do that very thing at some point. But not before we try this Easter Bunny Nail Art Tutorial on our finger nails. What you’ll need: Light/pastel blue nail polish White nail polish Pink nail polish Black nail art polish (or black nail polish and a toothpick or thin paint brush) Clear nail polish What to do: On clean and dry nails, apply 2-3 coats of blue polish. Let dry. Make the bunny (As per collage pic): Let dry between steps: 1-Using the white polish, make a semi-circle at the tip of your nail 2-Add the ears 3-Use pink polish and a nail art brush or toothpick, fill in the ears 4-Add the nose with pink polish and an nail art brush or toothpick 5-6Using the black, add two dots for the eyes and two lines on either side of the nose for the whiskers 7 Add a clear coat of polish Although the white may look thick and “clumpy”, once you apply clear polish at the end, it evens out. Happy Easter!

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Easter Egg Decorating Ideas

Paula — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 04:37:36 +0000

There’s something fun about decorating Easter eggs every year. The process makes me feel like a kid again. These Creative and Fun Easter Egg Decorating Ideas are so cute and clever! I wish I had thought of them first! Easter Egg Decorating Ideas I love the part of Easter where kids and parents alike decorate Easter eggs. It’s always been fun to me. I don’t care what the colours are, or, how fancy the eggs turn out, it’s simply fun. My Mom used to decorate eggs with us every year so the process reminds me of her and it also makes me nostalgic for the old days when I was a kid in the family kitchen dying eggs with my Mom and my brother. Back then, when I was a child, safe inside a tiny kitchen in our Guelph home, the egg dying process was pretty simple. We sometimes had a PAAS kit and we dyed them carefully with the kit’s contents. They always turned out beautifully. Now there are many different ways and techniques to dye the eggs. There are a lot I never would have considered – for instance Rubber Band Easter Eggs are super creative. This year I plan to do some enjoyable egg decorating here because it’s become our tradition. Happy Easter! Have you tried any of these techniques? While you are at it, maybe consider making this adorable and very simple DIY Easter Bunnies banner too. [tweetthis]Which of these fun and super creative Easter egg decorating ideas will you choose this year? [/tweetthis] Fun and Creative Easter Egg Decorating Ideas Tissue Paper Easter Eggs via Thrifty DIY Diva Rubber Band Easter Eggs via Simply Stacie Foil Covered Easter Eggs via Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom Tie Dye Easter Eggs via Amanda’s Cookin’ Silk Tie Easter Eggs via Family Food & Travel Dinosaur Easter Eggs via The Joys of Boys Drip Art Easter Eggs via Red Ted Art Speckled Easter Eggs via Mom Foodie Easy Monogrammed Easter Eggs via Divine Lifestyle Vibrant Colors Easter Eggs via All Things Mamma Easter Egg Decorating is Fun for The Whole Family! There are so many fun ways to decorate Easter Eggs. What is your favourite? Do you have a creative Easter egg decorating idea to share?

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26 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

Paula — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 18:53:18 +0000

Are you stuck wondering what to do this Valentine’s Day? Here are some simple and fun ways to celebrate your relationship together this year. 26 Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is getting closer and closer. If you are looking to shake up your Valentine’s Day date this year and stay away from the overcrowded restaurants, use this list to help you arrange a heartfelt date with the one you love. There is no perfect option that fits everyone when it comes to Valentine’s Day date ideas, but there are hundreds of tiny ways to say I love you that can be budget friendly too. Where to Start? Decide what your budget is and start with that always. There are a few ideas here that are a bit more money. For instance, a ski weekend is not inexpensive. But a cozy evening in watching Netflix ROMCOM’s together, is of course a totally easy and affordable way to spend a night. Remember it’s the thought… The most important thing to remember is that anything you choose to do will be appreciated as long as it comes from the heart. And frankly, it’s important to celebrate your partner and the relationship you have periodically. I know sometimes it’s hard to find the time. But Valentine’s Day is just right for that. Take the Time to: Take a drive to a special spot that reminds you of a special moment you shared together. Pack some sweets, something warm to drink, and a blanket to snuggle under. If it’s too cold to get out of the car cuddle inside and just reminisce about the event you took part in at that very spot, five or ten years earlier. Dine-in. Cook up your favourite Valentine’s Meal together and hunker down for date night under your own roof. I suggest these Valentine’s crepes. Watch the sunrise or the sunset together. Visit a bookstore together. Grab a coffee and take your time meandering around. There is nothing more leisurely than book store browsing. Go to the drive-in, if you have one around. Create a romantic scavenger hunt for your date. Play card games together. Go for a lesiurely walk hand in hand. Visit your local miniature golf course. Host an intimate wine tasting for your date. Catch a play. Check your local community college to see what the drama department is producing. Take an art class together. Grab some ice cream. Explore the zoo. Rent a hotel for the night. Indulge in a couple’s massage. Decorate a tree in a park or your own backyard with strings of paper hearts to make a romantic spot for a picnic. Pack a basket with strawberries, wine, and chocolate. Keep your plan a secret until you lead your love to your date spot. Pump up your music, hang a disco ball, and dance! If you don’t have a disco ball make do with what you have. The important part is the dancing. Make fondue for dessert. Serve with strawberries or other fruit. Go for a drive to see houses you dream of living in together one day. Visualizing your future together can help you work to make a goal happen. Watch Netflix at home. Embrace the Rom COMs. Make martinis at home. Visit a museum. Attend a sporting event. Hit the slopes and go skiing together. Take a ski trip. Rent a cabin, and make it a weekend trip. MY FAVOURITE. Go to an art gallery and browse. Take your time. Share your thoughts about the pieces you like. How Will You Spend Valentine’s Day? What is your favorite Valentine’s Day date idea? Did it make our list? If not, please share your ideas with us!

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Five Things I Know About Childhood Anxiety – Part 1 of a New Series

Paula — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:11:49 +0000

In 2014 we spent a huge amount of time investing in educating our family about childhood anxiety. We took part in a weekly youth group therapy session to help parents and children understand and manage anxiety. It was gruelling and exhausting and, I hope, worth it. Every single Tuesday for several months my daughter and I drove to the children’s hospital in town and we learned how to successfully manage her childhood anxiety. We split into two groups every session. There was a parents group and a youth group. Eventually we all came together to discuss things together but the first part of each session was divided into parents and youth. The kids circled back to us to discuss what they’d been working on. Both the group and names of kids involved – are all confidential. I won’t share any of that. But I will share some of what I learned about childhood anxiety here because this excessive worry is reality for a lot of kids. [tweetthis]DYK 1 in 5 youth struggle with this mental health issue?[/tweetthis] We know children’s mental health issues impact 1 in 5 kids. Children’s mental health issues are depression, anxiety, ADD (attention deficit disorder), obsessive compulsive disorder, personality disorder and a few others that are less commonly known. The big two are depression and anxiety which are two sides of the same coin really. Anxiety, or excessive worry, can become depression if not treated. Not everyone can access the treatment we did. Universal health care is only universal if you have the right doctor to help you find the treatment plan you need and there are always limits to that. If you live in a remote rural area for instance you have less access than other families do often. Single parent? Well then it can sometimes be harder to get time off work. And if you are working for minimum wage taking one morning a week off to attend group therapy with your child is pretty much never going to happen. So I will share some of what I learned and some of what is helping throughout 2015 in a series of posts. I will probably share some of the ups and downs we encountered throughout the year as well. I know many of my readers have mentioned they have children also with anxiety so I hope some of this helps. Five Things To Know About Childhood Anxiety: 1. Everyone has anxiety. Everyone. That’s right. So what’s the issue? Anxiety is a helpful tool if it makes you focus hard and build the best presentation and get your promotion and then move on without getting stuck at work, or at school. It’s helpful when it tells you to run from that car you see racing own the road while you are playing road hockey. It is not helpful when it paralyzes you and consumes every thought. Excessive anxiety equals excessive worry and it is a problem when it interferes with normal daily living. When my daughter hid in the closet before school every day we knew we needed help with her anxiety. 2. Childhood anxiety can be messy. It can look at school like the kid who never gets his or her work done. It can look like the child who can’t get to school on time and it can look like the kid who misses every deadline. And it’s often coupled with perfectionism. How is that messy, you ask? Well, think about this…if you are so consumed by building the best science project ever that you can’t ever get started because it has to be the best and it won’t be the best that you miss the deadline and can’t get anything on paper at all, well that’s anxiety. At school it’s messy. 3. There are several ways to manage anxiety. Relaxation therapy and breathing help a lot. Also tools such as exposure therapy can help. In fact exposure therapy is one of the most effective tools. So, for instance, a person who is anxious about riding an elevator could help to overcome that fear/elevator anxiety by doing this slowly over a period of weeks sometimes in smaller chunks: 1. look at pictures of elevators. 2. go to an elevator. 3. get in an elevator and do some breathing. 4. get in an elevator and close the door. 5. ride elevator with a therapist or friend 6. ride elevator alone. 7. ride elevator alone a few times in one day successfully. etc. I wrote about a common one, and how we handled it here – needle anxiety. 4. Anxiety often has a genetic component. It is more common for a child to be anxious if a parent is anxious. A parent can’t help a child with their anxiety often until their own anxiety is in check. It’s not about blame. It’s about getting to a calm and regulated place where you can better help your child with her own anxiety. 5. Eat, sleep, exercise. Repeat. EVERY. DAY. This is the starting and ending place for pretty much all mental health issues regardless of age. You have to get enough sleep, get enough healthy food and water and then you need to move. We are broken records here. We say every day: let’s go for a walk, or let’s go get moving or let’s go to martial arts or let’s go skating/swimming or tobogganing. And it is often met with I am TIRED. I don’t want to, or NO. Then almost always every single time after we have exercised my daughter tells me – thanks, I feel better. Gigantic forehead thwack on my keyboard. EVERY. Time. Because it works. Exercise makes you feel better. Period. Stay Tuned For More in this Childhood Anxiety Series This is the start of an ongoing series about childhood anxiety. I know many of you have kids who get anxious and I hope it helps. Do you have an anxious child? What helps? This is a book that helped us for years. This post contains an affiliate link below as a service to readers. If you make a purchase via the link I receive s all commission at no extra cost to you.

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How to Plan a Christening Celebration Party

Paula — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 18:48:25 +0000

Easy steps to planning a Christening celebration party How to Plan a Christening Celebration Party A Christening or baptism is a special day for a loved one and those attending the event. The party following the ceremony is a wonderful chance for family and friends to gather in celebration. While planning the accompanying Christening reception party, keep in mind the reverence and sacredness of the day while also allowing for opportunities for friends and family to visit and socialize. To help make the day go more smoothly, Jennifer Carver of Spaceships and Laser Beams has put together a simple checklist to follow for planning a baptism celebration. Easy Steps to Make the Christening Go Smoothly Guest List Step 1: Create a guest list which includes the important people you hope will attend. This may include immediate and extended family, close friends, members from your church congregation. You might also include church leaders to participate in both the ceremony and after party. Invitations Step 2: Select and send out a specially purchased or prepared invitation about a month to two months before the baptism (even earlier if guests will be traveling far). You may want to include a photograph of the guest of honor and any special details about the day. Location Step 3: Choose the location for your Christening celebration. You may opt to host the party at your own home, the home of a close friend or family member, the church where the ceremony is performed or another site (such as a restaurant) that is large enough to accommodate your group. Consider proximity to the ceremony site, time for set-up and take down, and any restrictions on decorations or food brought in to the establishment. Menu Step 4: Decide on a menu. A party isn’t a party without refreshments! Choose the type of fare served based on the time of day you will be celebrating. A morning celebration lends itself to a breakfast or brunch style menu. Muffins, fruit, juice, hot beverages, bagels, quiche, donuts and other pastries make for delicious morning eats. An afternoon or evening celebration calls for a more filling selection such as soups, salads, sandwiches, casseroles and various breads and sides. Your group size may help you in determining if you will make all of the dishes yourself or whether you should hire a catering service. Top off either menu with a sweet treat, boxed to go, or a few simple desserts to eat during the party. Cake and cupcakes are always crowd pleasers, but mini desserts like butter tarts, brownie bites and cookies are well-loved too! Decor Step 5: To keep the focus on the religious significance of the day, it is perfectly acceptable to keep decorations simple. White paired with a pastel color is always a nice choice. White linens accented with simple arrangements of fresh flowers are classic and easy to accomplish. Display pictures of the guest of honor for a fitting tribute. A printable baptism banner and balloons in chosen understated colors can add a touch of festivity without too much effort. Any Final Notes With this simple checklist in mind, you can effectively and efficiently plan a baptism celebration befitting such a lovely and significant occasion.

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2015 Fitness Goals Printable

Paula — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 03:26:37 +0000

Happy New Year! When the clock strikes 12:01 on January 1st you inevitably hear all the great promises to lose weight and get fit. It’s pretty much the standard New Year’s resolution. Get fit, and lose weight. But sometimes it’s not sustainable. Sometimes despite the best intentions life happens and fitness falls by the wayside. I know this to be true. My own fitness goals were great in 2014 but then September hit and they unravelled entirely. I am hopeful this year will be better for me that way. I have a few tools keeping me on track. The tools that keep me accountable are worth their weight in gold. I have been clear recently about my own fitness goals for the coming year. I started reviewing my fitness plan and my eating habits back here in December after our family doctor advised me I have high blood pressure. That was the start of me recommitting to fitness routines, and banishing some bad habits. I am extremely happy to report that I am still on track with the low sodium diet and the caffeine reduction. Caffeine is not good for blood pressure. I recently wrote a post about how I was doing on this mission to banish high blood pressure. I am committed to maintaining this goal through the entire year because blood pressure is not something to mess with at all. In the interest of helping all my readers maintain and active lifestyle and a healthy outlook this coming year I am sharing some fitness goals free printables. Look for more related to fitness and diet in the coming weeks. How about you? Do you have any significant fitness goals this year? Are they new goals? Are they health related? If you want to right click on the image above and save it to your computer you are welcome to print it out that way. Or you can click through to the PDF version in the link below. I prefer that link because the image is typically better and easier to download. Anyways Happy New Year and I hope you will do your best to make it a healthy one too. Fitness_Goals_PS

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5 New Year’s Eve Tradition Ideas

Paula — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 00:47:17 +0000

New Year’s Eve Tradition Ideas Just like Christmas, New Year’s Eve is a great time to think about setting traditions for your friends and family to participate in! There are so many different types of traditions you can set anywhere, from activities to games to competitions. Family party? Or adults only? Party in or party out? New Year’s Eve Tradition Ideas are endless. We have typically involved our kids in the creation of our family New Year’s Eve Tradition Ideas. Some years we skate and watch fireworks in the park. Some years we also do number five on this list. You just have to decide on a couple that make sense for your family and start keeping up with them every year! There are so many possible New Year’s Eve Tradition Ideas. I have compiled a few to get you started. 1. Watch the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve special. This is a great one for predominantly adult families who just want to relax, enjoy some music, and quietly reminisce over their year. It’s a great way to spend some time together and at the end, you get to watch the countdown and the ball drop! If you’ve never watched it before, now might be a great time to start the tradition. 2. Have a silly string fight! This New Year’s Eve tradition is wonderful for families with preteen aged children. Allowing them to run around and make a mess with silly string is a great way to let them celebrate and get their energy out. Because of the consistency, silly string isn’t usually too terribly hard to clean up. 3. Make some baked goods together. Baking as a New Year’s Eve tradition is a great way to spend some time together while you’re waiting for the countdown to midnight! Exchanging recipes, spending the time to make them, and then getting to chow down on some delicious baked goods is a win for everybody and a wonderful tradition to start this year! 4. Set off fireworks. This is always a fun New Year’s Eve tradition for anyone who loves watching fireworks. It’s important to be safe when using any kind of fireworks, but this is definitely a way to impress your guests and family members. The kids are sure to love the fireworks and you can even get small party poppers and sparklers for the kids to feel like they’re making their own fireworks! 5. Order Chinese food! If you’d rather avoid the cooking this New Year’s Eve, you could always order Chinese food for takeout! It’s a great way to order food in bulk and have enough for everyone while not breaking the bank and this New Year’s Eve tradition is sure to stick around for a while if you find a delicious Chinese food restaurant! Are there any New Year’s Eve traditions you think I should add to the list for next year? What’s a New Year’s Eve tradition you partake in?

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25 Must Have Puzzles

Paula — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 03:56:30 +0000

Are you a puzzle fan? We are too. My one daughter and husband love to do puzzles. 25 Must Have Puzzles My youngest daughter is a puzzle fanatic. From the time she was a toddler we would gift her puzzles and she would effortlessly put them together. It was a captivating thing to witness. My youngest child has special needs. She was born with sensory processing disorder and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and she struggles with a lot of things. Reading came slowly, but she gradually caught up. She ran almost before she walked and she still has a lot of sensory issues related to the prenatal alcohol exposure. I write about that sometimes here in this space. We adopted Ainsley at around 5 months old. She has made some huge gains, but there are times when it’s incredibly apparent she struggles still. Puzzles as a Sensory Calming Tool When she was little, and she was raging or having a big sensory meltdown, it was possible to sometimes convince her to come sit and focus intently on a puzzle. Now that she is ten, she can do puzzles that are insanely difficult. We still use them to have her calm down and focus. She still enjoys them and is great at them. They have been a great tool in our parenting toolkit to help this little person manage her frustration and calm herself down. A puzzle in a quiet corner has worked, ever since preschool. Every Christmas this girl gets a new one. This year I am choosing one from this list of 25 Must Have Puzzles. Versatile Toys Of course the other thing about puzzles is that they are versatile. You can start doing them at age 2 and you can still be puzzling at 99 years old. You can do them by yourself, with your family, or just with a friend. Pull out a puzzle and test your skills. Have your family join in as you search for the right piece. Putting puzzles together brings an opportunity to spend quality time together with your family, but don’t forget your Stow and Go Puzzle Mat for those puzzles that become week long projects! Here are a Few Great Puzzles that Are Options for Gifts Snow Night Aurora Puzzle Television History Puzzle Yosemite Valley Puzzle Hummingbirds Puzzle Movie Posters Puzzle Tapestry Cat Cereal Boxes Hot Air Balloons The Starry Night Puzzle Cinque Terre Puzzle Perennials Puzzle Peace & Love Puzzle Lunch Boxes Puzzle Bizarre Bookshop Beer Puzzle License Plate Puzzle Travel Dreams Vintage Flower Seeds Puzzle Doughnuts Puzzle Marbles Puzzle Pencil Puzzle Tea Cups Puzzle Doors of the World Puzzle Diners Puzzle Bowling Puzzle This post contains affiliate links as a service to my readers. Any purchases made via the links on this page generate a all commission for me at no extra cost to you.

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