MeckMom.com » family fun

Friday’s Find: Delicious Diet Popsicles

MeckMom — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:26:23 +0000

The only thing better than finding a scrumptious new dessert is finding one that’s only 80 calories. I grabbed these weight watchers popsicles at the store last week and I’m totally hooked. They remind me of the raspberry Fannie Mae chocolates I used to sneak out of my Mom’s stash when I was little.

I’m generally not a fan of chocolate-covered ice cream stuff. The chocolate layer is always too thick and waxy tasting. In this case, the dark chocolate is thin and sorta crispy – making it the perfect compliment to the fluffy raspberry filling. Yum! If you’re looking for a sweet treat that won’t kill your calorie intake for the day these Weight Watcher pops will totally hit the spot.

While we’re on the topic, here’s a charming popsicle party link for you from Design Sponge. Wouldn’t this party concept be a fabulous ‘first day of summer’ backyard party? Just seeing all those bright colors and warm, sunny photos makes me crave summer. Keep your fingers crossed that these grey, slushy days will end soon. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Friday’s Find – Two Sites that Save Me Money

MeckMom — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:17:22 +0000

I’m not a big coupon user. I probably should be but it all seems so tedious. Searching, cropping, sorting, organizing…all to save $.35 on a jug of orange juice? I’m far too lazy for that. Maybe that’s why I like these two deal sites so much. They offer me all the savings without all the hassle.

The first site is CityDeals

CityDeals is pretty self-explanatory, they send me daily deals via email and I purchase anything that grabs my eye. I can either print the deals immediately or have them mailed to me. I’m signed up for the Salt Lake City list and I’ve snapped up quite a few deals lately (everything from car washes to smoothies). Just the other day we took the family to the Airborne Trampoline Arena in Draper. We had a blast and we got our tickets for 50% off thanks to CityDeals. We loved it so much that as soon as I got home I went online and purchased more discounted tickets.

The other site I love is Groupon.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with it. Groupon sends me a deal-a-day that is only available for a limited time. I haven’t purchased as many from Groupon simply because they tend to offer more expensive items and I’m sort of cheap. The deals are just as good as CityDeals – often 50-70% off great restaurants, entertainment, etc. – they just tend to be for bigger ticket stuff.

My latest purchase was for a 4-hour photography class from a fabulous local photographer. I grabbed that deal for a only $29!! Score for me. I can’t wait to go.

Both CityDeals and Groupon have a referral program so if any of you actually purchase something by following my links I get a $10 credit. Just think how many hours of jumping that could buy my kiddos (shameless, I know).

CityDeals Link

Groupon Link

The better news is that once you sign up you can refer friends and get credits yourself – maybe we can head over to Airborne together (just prepare yourself for a dodgeball throwdown). Regardless of how you get to the deals, I highly recommend both of these sites. They’ve saved me a bundle so far. Have a great weekend everyone!

Lovin’ These Links

MeckMom — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:36:42 +0000

I’m mixing things us a little today. I spent so much time creating and posting the printables last week that I ran out of time to add new sites to my facebook page. I’d hate for you to miss out on these awesome Valentines ideas before the big day arrives so I’m bypassing facebook and adding a few of my favorite links here. I hope you enjoy them. Don’t forget to leave comments for these incredibly talented, hard-working bloggers who offered their genius up to the rest of us. Share the love, ladies! By the way, my new theme is having link issues so you’ll need to click on the blog name (rather than the pictures) to get redirected to their sites. Sorry, I’m still working out the kinks.

Under the Sycamore (this one isn’t Valentineish but it was the only post that made it on my facebook page last week – I love it)

There are beautiful nurseries and then there are BEAUTIFUL nurseries. This one is definitely the latter. The DIY reading bed (made from old fork lift pallets) topped with the overflowing tissue ball cluster really wowed me.

Sassy Sites

I’m all for games that force my kids to say ‘I love you’ more – especially when it involves lots of chasing, sticking and laughing. I can’t wait to try this.

WhipperBerry

You guys know how much I love a great printable. Here’s a lovely one just in time for Valentines.

Mrs. Bettie Rocker

My kids adore these candy dots. I had not idea you could make them yourself. Check out this cool tutorial (don’t you just love her blog name?)

Design Aglow

Something about this valentine idea really won me over – I love the whole look of it. I especially love her son’s expression in the pictures. Priceless.

Swappin it Up – Easy Toddler Games

MeckMom — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:22:08 +0000

Today I’m guest posting at Or So She Says. A great blog dedicated to offering easy solutions to women. You can find everything from parenting tips to makeover ideas, it’s a great resource. If you haven’t seen it yet, hop on over and check it out.

Luckily, today I’ve got a guest poster for you to fill in in my absence – and she’s a doll. Her name is Meagan and she contacted me last week asking to do a guest post on easy baby entertainment. Since I spend the vast majority of the daylight hours entertaining a couple of little guys myself, I was all for it! Here goes…I hope you enjoy it.

7 Games You Can Play with Your Toddler to Help Him Learn

I am a SAHM of two little boys ages 1 and 3, and I’m trying to grow a small business. Sometimes it can be

difficult trying to balance the two…work and family. They are both important to me, but at the heart of

everything I know that my family comes first.

Image: Little Alouette on Etsy

My infant is just starting to be more interactive although he does well entertaining himself. My 3 year

old on the other hand is becoming more and more energetic, and he wants me to entertain him all the

time. Sad to say his ideal form of entertainment is to sit in front of the television and watch Blue’s Clues

all day. Some days when I’m really busy trying to work on my business I’m tempted to allow that, but

then I remember that my first priority is the wellbeing of my kids. So for me, that doesn’t mean letting

them watch cartoons all day or for them to play by themselves for long periods of time. Yes, they need

to learn to entertain themselves, but they need to spend quality time with me too. In our house there’s

a time for work and a time for play. Work for me usually happens when the boys are napping or when

they’re playing with Daddy, but when they’re both awake and Daddy’s at work I don’t want them to sit

around with nothing to do, being board, and getting into mischief. So I play games with them.

Now how do I go about spending time with my toddler and keeping him entertained? First I want him

to spend some quality time with me, second I want him to be active, and third I’d like for him to learn

something as we play. Sometimes we play with his toys, go visit Daddy at work, play outside, go on play-

dates, or play learning games. So today I want to share some fun games with you that will help your

toddler develop some skills they need to learn, and will allow you to spend some quality time with your

little one.

Image: Evgie on Etsy

1. Play Catch – {hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills}

Since most toddlers can throw a ball before they can catch one, this is a great game to

play to help them learn to catch! Use a big ball, like a beach ball, and start by sitting 3-4

feet apart. Roll the ball back and forth until he has the hang of it. Next deflate the ball a bit

so that it’s easier to catch. Start by asking him to throw the ball to you showing him how

to catch then let him have a try. Once he has the hang of it you can increase the distance

between you and he little by little.

2. Balancing Act – {balance, eye-foot coordination, spatial awareness}

Trying to balance on narrow walkways is a natural activity for little ones so you probably

won’t have to work too hard to play this game. Find something for your toddler to walk

on that’s low to the ground, straight and narrow. Railroad ties and balance beams at the

local park work great. Hold his hand and walk him across. Make sure to praise him once he

reaches the other side, and if he falls off encourage him to try again. Eventually you won’t

need to hold his hand any longer!

3. Playtime with Puppets – {imagination, language development}

If you’re really in a creative mood you can start with an art project and make your own sock

puppets, but if not than using stuffed animals works great. Rig up some sort of stage where

you aren’t seen but the puppets are. Behind the sofa works well. Ask your kiddo questions

with the puppets, and encourage him to talk back. Sing songs that he knows. Use different

voices for each puppet.

4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes – {body awareness, listening skills, visual memory}

You know the fun children’s song, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”. Sing that song while

you demonstrate where your hands go each time. If your toddler is having trouble getting

the hang of it, use his hands and put them where they go as you sing. After your little guy

has got the hang of it, have a bit of fun and speed up the song each time you sing it. By the

end you’ll both be jumbled up and laughing together.

5. Fluttering Scarves – {eye-foot & eye-hand coordination, gross motor skills}

In this game you’ll need to find some brightly colored, lightweight or sheer scarves. You can

also use tissues if you can’t find any scarves. Scrunch up a few and toss them high in the air.

Have your toddler try to catch them as they float down. Next ask her to throw them up for

you to catch. After a while increase the difficulty level by having her spin around once or

clap her hands before trying to catch them.

6. Phone Calls – {creative expression, language development, social skills}

Toddlers are drawn to telephones like bees to flowers! Find an old phone or use a play

phone if you have one. You can even use your own phone if you don’t mind. Have your

toddler hold the phone up to her ear, and ask questions to the imaginary person on the

other end. You can even slip around the corner and pretend she’s talking to you!

7. Bottle Bowling – {balance, cause & effect, hand-eye coordination}

Little ones LOVE to throw things so this game will be perfect for them. Start by gathering up

plastic cups, bottles, or empty cans and placing them together on the floor. Find a soft ball

or plush animal, have a seat about 4 feet away, and demonstrate how throwing the item at

the bottles knocks them down. Take turns setting the bottles up and knocking them down.

Make sure to let your little one help set the bottles back up! You can move your toddler

closer or further from the bottles to change the game a bit, and when he has that down

have him stand up and play the game.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab your little guy or gal and spend 30 minutes here and there playing

some of these quick and easy games!

Meagan Visser is the owner of Baby Swank, an online shop for trendy and eco-friendly

items for babies and toddlers. She is a SAHM to two perfect little boys, and a wife to

the love of her life. She lives in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee,

and is working toward growing her business and helping other moms pursue their

dreams of running a business while having a family.

Best of MeckMom – Christmas Roundup

MeckMom — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:34:35 +0000

It’s hard to believe my first Christmas tips hit the blogosphere over 4 years ago. Since then I’ve posted many tricks to helping the holidays feel a little less hectic. Since I’m pretty sure most of you haven’t been with me for the full span (my Mom and Sister excepting) I thought I’d post a few of my favorite tips from MeckMom Christmas’ past. *Try not to pay attention to the hideous photography of the early years – I had a sad little camera then.

POST UPDATE: I just added some new Christmas printables today and thought they should be included in the roundup. Here’s the link…

Merry Kissmas – Free Christmas Printables (2010)

An easy advent calendar (with free printable) (2006)

Christmas Game Plan (with lots of free printables) (2006)

Santa Sacks (still a personal favorite of mine ) (2006)

Quick and Easy Santa Letters (with free printable) (2008)

Wrapping tips that make life easier (2008)

Holiday How-To (a three-part series chock full of fabulous organizing tips) (2009)

To-die-for Cinnamon Roasted Pecans – still a family favorite (2009)

Pass-along plate tradition (with free printable) (2009)

More fun, free Christmas printables to come tomorrow so don’t forget to check back! Just thought I’d pass it on.

Friday’s Find – Gingerbread Crackers, for cheaters like me

MeckMom — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:52:17 +0000

I’ve never been a die-hard gingerbread house maker. I pretty much just buy the kit at WalMart and call it a day. Of course the big down-side to the kit is that there’s only one house in the box. When you’ve got lots of little fingers itching to build, one boring, pre-fab house just won’t do. Lucky for me, I found these cool crackers at the grocery store the other day.

They’re baked just like regular graham crackers but they’ve got a sweet hint of ginger which makes them taste and look more like the real thing. In my book, they’re the perfect building tool for all the trains, houses, and x-wing fighters my kids love to make. All I need is couple boxes of these babies, a few tubs of white icing and a stash of sticky candy and I’m good to go. No mixing, baking, or sharing required.

Speaking of gingerbread houses, check out this cool collection I stumbled upon last night.

I never thought to use gum as siding – so clever. Just thought I’d pass it on.

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

MeckMom — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 05:33:01 +0000

Sorry I missed posting on Friday. I was busy attending my sisters’ back-to-back wanda-style Halloween parties. They had my teams digging up sealed puzzles, exploring dark lakes, dancing to Thriller and even spending a few minutes locked in a real jail cell. It was a fantastic weekend. Thanks for the fun, Dana & Lisa! I love you tons.

So it’s Monday again. Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web. All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page in the last week so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out. If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page, joining the like group at the bottom of my sidebar or by following this link and then clicking the ‘like’ button. Here are the links from the last week…

Simple Thoughts

Is your fireplace lacking a little pizazz this time of year? Try out this cool pumpkin arrangement idea. (Oh and I’ll take the purse and the boots she featured too…love ‘em)

Craft-O-Maniac

Want to surprise your trick-or-treaters with something special? Try whipping up a bunch of these awesome franken-pops. You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood.

Flamingo Toes

Aren’t the mummy eyeballs from this tutorial awesome? I had no idea it was so easy to print onto fabric! I can’t wait to try it.

Wickedly Dark Chocolate Kisses – a free Halloween printable just for you

MeckMom — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:19:00 +0000

Do you guys remember last May when I posted this little Thank You gift tutorial for Teacher Appreciation Week?

Well, hundreds of you downloaded it during the free week and dozens more have ordered it from my Etsy store over the past few months. Since you all went out and bought 3/4″ & 2″ punches to create your cute jars I thought I’d whip up a Halloween version to help you put those punches to work.

The steps are the same as the Thank You gift jar but I’ll give a quick review for those of you who missed it the first time around…

Step 1: Gather Supplies & Crop

Print the file on heavy, white cardstock and then trim (you can find the file at the bottom of this post). I like to use a 3/4″ circle punch, a 2″ fiskars punch and a simple straight edge cutter.

Step 2: Punch Circles

Turn over your 3/4″ punch and center it over a circle. I designed the circles to be a bit bigger than 3/4″ to give you a little wiggle room in your cropping.

Step 3: Glue Dots to Hershey Kisses

I loved the vibrant purple color of the dark chocolate kiss wrappers but you could use any type (the little circles are the perfect size for Rolos or Reese’s PB cups as well). Also, I prefer to use glue dots but a glue stick works in a pinch.

Step 4: Punch Large Circles

This part is totally optional, of course. You could stop here and just toss the kisses in a cute Halloween bowl and munch away. However, if you’re looking to add a little fanciness to your container you’ll want to keep going. I found my 2″ punch at Michaels (if you want to get one, be sure to visit their website and print off a 40% off coupon first). Again, I made the circles a bit bigger than 2″ to allow for a little wiggle room during cropping.

Step 5: Jazz It Up

Add a hole to the 2″ circle with a standard hole punch and string it on a thin ribbon. Tie it on to your favorite container.

Wouldn’t that be cute a Halloween party favor? Or even as a sweet surprise tucked into your kids’ lunch boxes? I added a tiny notecard to the file as well, just in case you wanted to give them as gifts to friends, teachers or neighbors. I was going to add it to my store but since you guys love Halloween as much as I do I thought I’d post it for free. Enjoy! Here’s the file…

Download: Halloween Kiss Circles

*A little note: Please feel free to blog, tweet, facebook or email all your friends about this idea (in fact, I hope you do). I just ask that you link directly to this post in your message – please don’t post the actual printable file on your sites. Thank you!

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

MeckMom — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:17:02 +0000

It’s Monday again. Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web. All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page in the last two weeks so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out. If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Everyday is a Crafting Day

Need a cheap, hauntingly cool halloween decoration? Grab your kids and get a little messy with this fun, ghostly creation.

Tatertots and Jello

Who doesn’t love a free printable? This site collected 20 fabulously-free Halloween printables for us to enjoy. Gotta love that!

A Lemon Squeezy Home

There’s nothing better than a front porch covered in cool halloween decor. I love the look of these flying bats scattered across the front door.

Mae

How About Orange directed me to this charming reusable fabric wall decal site. I was particularly partial to the girly deer and the makin’ monsters collections.

The Wanda Witch Party Roundup Post

MeckMom — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:16:36 +0000

I can tell it’s getting close by the emails coming in…that wonderful time of year when dozens of you readers anonymously invite all your friends to a big party and take on my favorite pseudonym…Wanda D. Witch.

I hosted my first Wanda Witch party 10 years ago and I’m still going strong. We’ve done variations of it in 4 different states. It’s been the source for new friendships and awesome memories we retell with friends to this day. But the benefits don’t end there. Some of my favorite family memories happened while my husband and I were out scouting for clue locations with our kids. Here’s a picture of them last year as we were scouring the hills of Branson, MO for a good spot to hide a clue (I was pregnant with #5 at the time).

I’ve hosted loads of parties over the years, but I can definitely say that this one is still my all-time favorite. If you’re looking for a way to kick up your Halloween status or build up your friendship base, this is definitely the party for you.

Several of you have mentioned in your emails that you’d like a quick refresher on the party concept – and that you’d like them all the steps & free printables in one place. So for today’s post, I’ll be offering links to all the Wanda Witch info. Remember, if you’re new to this party you’ll want to read the posts in order.

Wanda Witch: The Ultimate Halloween Party (intro to the party concept)

2008′s Wanda Witch Clever Clue Giveaway (loads of great clue ideas in the comment section)

Hosting the Wanda Witch Party the Second Time Around (how to host the party w/out the anonymity)

2009′s New Wanda Witch Clue Ideas and Party Fun (fun new party twists and clue ideas)

Wow, that’s a lot of posting. We hosted another successful party last Halloween and I can’t wait to share the details (and free printables) with you. I’ll be posting all about it next week.

Good luck out there, Wandas! I can’t wait to hear about your successes (I love it when you email me or send me links to your party recap blog posts).

*As a side note, if you have questions about certain aspects of the party please try to post them in the comments area of that particular post. Lots of you have similar issues, so if you ask in the comments area it’s easier for other Wanda’s to learn from my replies. Thanks!

MeckMom.com » family fun

Friday’s Find: Delicious Diet Popsicles

Friday’s Find – Two Sites that Save Me Money

Lovin’ These Links

Under the Sycamore (this one isn’t Valentineish but it was the only post that made it on my facebook page last week – I love it)

Swappin it Up – Easy Toddler Games

Best of MeckMom – Christmas Roundup

Friday’s Find – Gingerbread Crackers, for cheaters like me

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

Wickedly Dark Chocolate Kisses – a free Halloween printable just for you

Step 1: Gather Supplies & Crop

Step 2: Punch Circles

Step 3: Glue Dots to Hershey Kisses

Step 4: Punch Large Circles

Step 5: Jazz It Up

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

The Wanda Witch Party Roundup Post

Wanda Witch: The Ultimate Halloween Party (intro to the party concept)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 1 (getting started)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 2 (making a plan)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 3 (finding clue locations)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 4 (create invitations)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 5 (gather supplies)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 6 (set up teams & plot locations)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 7 (create clues)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 8 (make trophies & send out captain instructions)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 9 (plan clue hunt agenda)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 10 (day of the party to-dos)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: RSVP Troubles? (what to do if no one is RSVPing)

2008′s Wanda Witch Clever Clue Giveaway (loads of great clue ideas in the comment section)

Hosting the Wanda Witch Party the Second Time Around (how to host the party w/out the anonymity)

2009′s New Wanda Witch Clue Ideas and Party Fun (fun new party twists and clue ideas)