Date Night with the Spouse

The other night I posted a blog relating to spending time with your little ones by having  a movie night!  Well now I am going to touch base on making time for your spouse.  It is important to focus on your spouse even when you have kids.  Trust me I know it can be difficult especially if you aren’t used to multi-tasking and don’t have any time management skills.  What I do is normally send the kids to bed at their normal bedtime which is between 8-8:30.  Once they are in bed me and my husband talk about movie options, we make sure we have snacks available to enjoy as we watch the movie also.  Normally we pick a movie we both like but there are times we also take turns of who gets to pick the movie next.

This is a great way to bond with your spouse.  I call it our date night and it works, at least for us.  Sometimes we will even play board games, write together, even just sit down and talk and eat together.  It is important to make time with your spouse and the evenings are a great chance to do that.  For our schedule it definitely works but I understand that everyone is different and may have unusual work schedules.

It is healthy in a marriage to make sure you are connecting with your spouse.  I am sad to say I have witnessed so many divorces over the last eleven years that me and my husband have been married.  Most of them only lasting between two to four years.  It has been a mission that I have been trying to pursue since I have noticed the drastic incline of divorce rates since we got married.  Another factor I would encourage to help with growing a healthy marriage is communication.   Make sure you and your spouse are talking to each other, it helps build a much stronger bond between the two of you and you start to understand your partner much better than before.  Hope these little tid-bits help.grass-2601662__480

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Sensory Play

Sensory play is important to a child’s development.  When I was teaching preschool a few years back I really enjoyed doing sensory play with my kids.  It helped them engage more with their senses and children that have sensory disorders really do well when doing projects that involve lots of sensory play.  Sensory therapy is something I do with Joseph my third child, A LOT!

Ever since he was itty bitty he struggled with water, the sensation of water.  Baths were a disaster, he would literally scream at the top of his lungs and panic when it came to bath time.  It was very sad actually.  Me and Billy really hated to see him so distressed when it came to taking a bath.  It took us until he was four to actually get him comfortable to sit in a bathtub.

Sensory play with water was his best bet, we had a lot of help through the Pre-K program at our local Elementary School also.  Showers are still an issue sadly but at least baths are okay now.  Right now I add color tablets into the bath water and bubbles and he absolutely loves it, especially when the water changes color. I strongly encourage other moms to try water play with their little ones, most kids find it awesome and really get into it.  Sensory play can also include play dough, moon sand, or anything with texture.  Feel free to message me below and I would be happy to send you some fun recipes to try with your little ones.

Having Fun in the Sun

The last two weeks have been quite funny, especially because it seems like everywhere you look kids are so caught up with their electronics.  The first week of July our internet went out and I have got to say hands down my kids’ reaction was priceless.  They didn’t know how to react.  It was a shock, it’s like they couldn’t figure out what to do next.  Every minute they would ask “when will it be back on?” or “is it fixed yet?”, it was quite funny.  We sent them outside to play while the At&t worker did his magic.

It really had me thinking of when I was as a child and how I was always outside running around getting into mischief.  My kids need time to use their imagination which had me thinking I really need to cut back their time with their electronics including the television.  Recently they have been thriving from the time away from all the media and have bonded more with each other.  They interacted more with each other which is great overall for their social development.

In the long run I will be setting up a schedule that will allow so much time for them to choose if they want to watch television or play a video game.  Choices are good but should be limited when giving options.  You don’t want to overwhelm your children which will end up in disaster.  That is also why I posted about movie night with the kids, that is a great way to encourage the kids to enjoy family time while watching one of their favorite movies or shows.

For instance, when I was a child we would go out and play hide and go seek, tag, freeze tag, football, and jump rope.  There are endless games that can be played it is just that our children have been born in an era where it has been overshadowed by media and electronic devices.  When I went to the store the other day I made sure to buy them a soccer ball.  In my younger years I loved kicking around a soccer ball so my first thought was ‘I am going to get my kids one’.  They absolutely love it.

Exercise is so important for children, getting them outside to play, it’s crucial for their physical development and also their mental status.  On another note I have decided to work out with my kids, for instance, like taking daily walks or playing games outside with them.  This helps me and the kids bond and get our blood pumping.  When outside though, especially in the summer, it is good to make sure you have access to water, so you can stay hydrated.  The heat index can be a lot hotter than usually predicted and that can be a problem for you and your children.  During the summer months I always make sure my kids have access to a Little Tikes kiddy pool so that they can also have water play even with water guns when we are outside.  This helps them stay cool and have fun at the same time.

Affiliate Marketing

When I started blogging I never really thought about affiliate marketing or anything of that nature in general.  But recently I decided what the heck its worth a shot.  Well now that I have been looking into it I seem to have figured out how hectic it can be to really start blogging full-time and the stress that it brings when you don’t really know what you are doing.  That is why I have now turned to YouTube and Pintrest.  Both sites have been amazing at explaining the ins and outs of affiliate marketing and so much more.

Never did I think I would be trying to blog full-time anyway.  I kind of started it as a hobby years back and really didn’t take it serious until recently.  Ever since I got back into writing I have become more involved with my Pintrest account.  It has been a blast going through Pintrest anyway.  It truly is addicting and there is everything and anything you could possibly imagine on that site.  I don’t see how you could run out of ideas when searching that site.  If you are interested in getting started on a blog and need help with affiliate marketing feel free to contact me, check out my pintrest board, or check out my website also.

Taking a Time Out

parenting

Today I got a lot of one on one with my kids.  It was nice considering I normally seem to be caught up with so much unnecessary stuff throughout the day.  To be honest I just get busy and forget how important it is to spend time with the kids.  Our children need attention, it is important to give them that.  It helps there imaginative play, their social skills, and overall mental health.  Kids thrive on having their parents attention.  Me and my daughter got to play with her barbies, it was quite fun to go back in time and pretend to be a kid again.  With my boys it was war, playing with army men.

As an adult I feel like all I do is stress and dwell on the negative but when my kids play with me or vice versa I actually feel much better.  I am able to actually be myself and enjoy some quality time with my kids.  Also I have really gotten to love the outside time with them also, especially with the water guns.  My boys are very sneaky and have gotten me good many times this summer.

I think taking a  time out and taking a break from adulthood is good.  It helps me take a breather and feel refreshed.  My kids are happy and truly enjoy the time as well.  Just seeing their face when I am there spending time with them brightens my day.  I encourage all parents to try it, take some time to just sit down and spend some quality time with their little ones.  You might actually find it to be an amazing experience an a chance to make unforgettable memories.

Movie Nights with the Littles

movienight

There are a lot of amazing titles available on Netflix, both for children and adults.  I am going to be focusing on the movies for children today.  Recently I have been trying to find some great movies for my kids to watch, ones that are appropriate and meant for children to enjoy.  Netflix has been coming out some amazing movies and shows focused just for kids.

The Star

Leap

Moana

Pets

Captain Underpants

Trolls

Goosebumps

Hotel Transylvania Series

Captain Underpants Series

How to Train a Dragon Series

Those are just a small list of great movie/series ideas for your kiddos.  We love them and have found them to be quite funny.  They all make great movie night selections.

Having movie nights with your little ones are a great way to spend some quality time together and bond.  My kids love it and usually take turns when it comes to deciding who is going to be deciding on the movie title for that night.  Keep in mind there are a lot of different titles available along with educational ones also.  Take time to browse, check around for suggestions, and have fun trying new movies out.

Attention…Attention…Please.

You know as a parent privacy is hard to come by.  It is so true.  To be honest in my opinion I feel like when I make a phone call that is the time you will see my children show their true crazy nature.  It brings the maniac out of my kids!  Getting on the phone especially if it is an important phone call my kids go bananas.  It’s “Mommy I need this.”  “Mommy I want to talk.”  and so on.  Then I will have some of them even try to climb me as I am on the phone.  Yep my kids are definitely the attention speaking type.

Getting on another point I have noticed that the same behavior comes out when we have visitors.  They can’t just sit quietly or play calmly, nope, that would be too easy.  It’s like they have this initial embedded beacon that goes off when mommy is doing something or visiting with someone.  It is quite humorous in a way.

Parenthood is definitely funny, there are days that I feel like I am in a comedy show.  Kids do funny things especially when they have an audience.  There are times I wish that I could catch some of the stuff they do on camera, I would be famous.  Just kidding.  But it is true, kids are funny.  When I get overwhelmed I just have to think of the funny crazy moments and remember they are just being kids.  As an adult I feel like I have forgotten the true nature of being a kid.  When I sit down and spend time with my kiddos I get a taste of how I felt in my childhood and it helps me relate to them better.  So spend time with your kids.  Laugh together.  Make unforgettable memories.  Live life to the fullest.

My Summer 2018

This summer is going by so quickly!!! It is blowing my mind. I was able to actually find time to finish my website today. I still need to produce more content on it but I was able to get it fully up and running! http://www.embracingtheimpossible.com

Also this week I have truly fallen in love with Pinterest! It is the ultimate guide to anything….literally lol! Here are tons of pictures for you to enjoy of our summer so far!

This is Us

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Love at First Sight

It’s hard to believe it has been eleven years already.  Me and my husband, Billy, got married June 2nd of 2007; Personally it feels like it has been less time than that but nope it has literally been eleven years.  Can’t believe during that time we have become parents of five amazing kids which have stolen our hearts and minds lol. During those years we have gone on many adventures, we have been through a lot personally and I feel like life has just been absolutely amazing.

God knew exactly what He was doing when he placed Billy into my life.  It’s a funny story how we met, one of my favorite ones to talk about.  It all started when I was sixteen, looking for a job to be exact.  I had an interview at Hollywood video across from the mall known as North Park there in Jackson, Mississippi.  When I went in for the interview they needed to reschedule due to the Manager being called away.  At that time I was bummed but what happened next was no coincidence.  Me and my family decided to go to the mall, it was kind of a tradition for me and my siblings to wander the mall on Saturdays.  Well I went into the bookstore called B. Dalton, a smaller version of Barnes and Noble basically.  They weren’t hiring but I decided to humor myself and apply, so I did.  After that I went home and didn’t think anything of it.  The next day I get a phone call asking me to come in Monday with all my credentials for an interview.  When I got that phone call I was stunned, I went in to check it out and was hired on the spot.  A week goes by, Billy was out of the store due to personal leave, he came back and that is when I met my husband for the first time.  It was so weird because I knew there was something about him, I fell for him almost immediately.   Love is such a funny thing and honestly this is only the beginning of how our relationship began.  For the next few weeks I will be blogging about how our relationship bloomed and how love is such a precious gift.