[Today's article "Great Summer Reads for Teens" was written by contributor Michelle Habrych.] Summer is a fabulous time to get lost in a good story. For teenagers, it’s also a time to choose books they may not have time to read during the school year. Here are some recommendations of great sumer … [Read more...]
Excellent Summer Reads for Moms
[Today's post "Great Summer Reads for Moms" was written by contributor Michelle Habrych.] I have always loved reading. It started as a young girl and continued into my adult years. There were a few years where I don’t remember reading much—those would probably be the preschool and early … [Read more...]
“Summer Media Guidelines” for a Smooth Summer (with free printable download)
This was the first really "free" week we have had this summer. So, I knew it was time to post our Summer Media Guidelines where all my kids could see it. We have a set number of things for the kids to accomplish each day before they are allowed to do any media (computer game, iPad, video, … [Read more...]
Free or Cheap Things to Do With Kids in the Summer
[Today's article Free or Cheap Things to Do With Kids in the Summer was written by contributor Michelle Habrych.] Summer typically means time for fun things. Fun things may cost money, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot. When my kids were younger, I used to compile a list of the … [Read more...]
What Do Homeschoolers Do in the Summer?
[Today's article What Do Homeschoolers do in the Summer? was written by contributor Michelle Habrych.] Summer is just around the corner. What homeschool families do during these precious months is as varied as the methods of teaching their children. If you’re new to homeschooling, you may … [Read more...]
15+ Fantastic Tips for a Spectacular First Trip to Disney World
15 Fantastic Tips for a Spectacular First Trip to Disney World All Four Parks: This was our first trip to Disney World as a family. It had been over 20 years since my husband and I had been there (not together), so I wanted to make the most of it. I decided we should go ahead and do each park, … [Read more...]
Vacation Journal Entry #1: Onto Old Virginny
[Today we have a guest post from my husband Michael Mayo "Vacation Journal Entry #1: Onto Old Virginny." This will be a series, so stayed tuned! --Gena] Onto Old Virginny - Part I We took leave for our annual American pilgrimage in July. We normally unfurl our sails in the sixth month in … [Read more...]
5 Things We Bring on Road Trips
Every summer my family takes a big road trip. Here are 5 Things We Bring on Road Trips. See below to enter the Summer Blessing Giveaway: $230 Paypal Cash! The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips I love to bring this book on every road trip. No matter which direction … [Read more...]
Get Your Summertime Family-Friendly Meal Plan
Who needs a family-friendly summertime meal plan--complete with recipes and shopping list? I do! I love that these meals have already been test-driven by Erica Johns and her family. They aren't difficult to make and her family loves them! I can't wait to try them out. each week provides … [Read more...]
Pictures from Summer of Fun 2015
As we draw to the close of the Summer of Fun 2015 I though I'd share some pictures so we can remember the wonderful experiences we had. Niagara Falls: Quebec City: The Sand Beach in Acadia National … [Read more...]
Road Trip to Niagara Falls area: Tips and Recommendations
We took an awesome road trip to Niagara Falls and surrounding area a few weeks ago. I'm happy to share today about this trip--where we went, what we did, where we stayed and ate, and tips on what you should do if you get a chance to go there! I have also shared about other adventures that we took … [Read more...]
Road Trip Through Maine: Boat Tour and Pemaquid post #2
If you missed our first Maine post, check out Road Trip Through Maine: Acadia and Bar Harbor post #1 here. Today I'm sharing about the third day we were in Maine. Since the first two days didn't work out to go on our boat tour in the harbor off of Mount Desert Island, we decided to stay a little … [Read more...]
Road Trip to Canada & Maine: Quebec City
We have recently returned from our annual road trip, 8 kids, 2 parents in a 12-passenger van! This year we traveled from Illinois through Michigan to Niagara Falls across Canada through Toronto and Montreal to Quebec City. (We then traveled through Maine to Boston and back across to Illinois.) I … [Read more...]
Vacation Scrapbook: Visiting Hollywood
I thought I had finished all the vacation posts of our California trip last summer, but I forgot Hollywood! One afternoon, we drove around to see the different parts of the Los Angeles area--Bellaire and Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Hollywood. We drove by Grauman's Chinese Theater, saw some … [Read more...]
Vacation Scrapbook: Visiting Los Angeles
Well, better late than never! I'm finally finishing up our Vacation Scrapbook of our California vacation last summer. The final leg took us from Monterey, CA to Los Angeles. We had a very interesting drive through some very different types of towns. I have never seen so many grapevines in my … [Read more...]
Vacation Scrapbook: Visiting Monterey, California
After we finished our time at my sister's house (including my Mom's funeral), we headed out to Monterey, CA for a fun vacation time! There were 10 in our van and 6 in my sister's car. I counted to 12 (the kids) over and over and over during our time there. And there always seemed to be someone … [Read more...]
Vacation Scrapbook: Visiting My Sister’s Family
One of the most wonderful parts of our California vacation was getting to spend time -- five full days -- with my sister and her family. It has been four years since we last saw them. We had never met her two adopted kids, and they hadn't met my two youngest. They live in a beautiful community … [Read more...]
Vacation Scrapbook: California, Here We Come!!!
Well, after what seems like a hundred sponsored posts, I'm happy to share some fun times about our family! We recently returned from a trip to California. My sister and her family live out there. We've been wanting to visit for years, but it isn't easy to get our big family from Chicago … [Read more...]
Vacation Scrapbook: Legoland California
For the next few weeks I'll be sharing about our recent California trip. I thought I'd start today with the last thing we did--visit Legoland California! As you can see from this picture, the lines to buy tickets weren't too long. We arrived about 10:30 a.m. (The gates had opened at 10 … [Read more...]
Colorado Vacation Post #5: Great Sand Dunes & Bents Old Fort
Well, we're nearing the end of our Colorado vacation posts now. Be sure to check out the other posts in the Colorado Vacation series if you like this one! (See Vacation Post #1 here, Vacation Post #2 here, and Vacation Post #3 here, Vacation Post #4 here.) We left Vail and traveled to the … [Read more...]
