Family Life Resources

Alpine Village Family April 25th, 2007

Summer is supposed to be full of fun and games right?  Most parents of teenagers have pretty serious concerns about the long summer days stretching out in front of their kids. 

They worry that they’ll get in trouble, that they’ll meet the wrong kind of friends, that they’ll come into contact with drugs or alcohol - that they’ll be pressured to do things that they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do when school is taking up so much of their time.

Parents don’t have to be afraid of summer - they just need to work on developing a plan for their teens to help ensure that they have a great, fun, safe summer break.

Aurelia Williams of Parenting My Teen has put together a great teleseminar series for parents to do just that.  You can learn more here: http://parentingmyteen.com/schools_out.html

• Family Helps , Parenting Helps , Teenagers
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Alpine Village Family April 5th, 2007

It is important to laugh as much and as often as you can.  It is the cure-all for stress, frustration and, in some cases, depression. Perhaps you’ve used the expression, “One day we will remember this, and laugh our heads off.” 

By having a positive attitude, and using laughter as a mechanism to celebrate life, instead of stressing over it; you’ll become healthier and less stressed when confronting negative events.

“Laugh and the world will laugh with you….” With so much going on in the world today, laughter is a precious commodity we all need to get through a day.  As you go through your daily routine, find something to laugh about. Look at the bright side; tell yourself the cup is half full; laugh until it hurts. 

You may not have control over certain aspects of life, but you can control the stress.

• Family Helps
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Alpine Village Family April 4th, 2007

Mom, are you tired and listless; do you need some fun in your life?

You need to be reenergized.

After all, you have been chief cook and bottle washer for how many months and years? A little time for you is not too much to ask, is it? Start with a manicure/pedicure; buy a lovely outfit; and go out, even for a few hours. It will do you a world of good.  Using a proper babysitter, you can indulge in that which you have denied yourself for a long time.  Perhaps a movie and dinner would be appropriate. Whoever invites you; don’t hesitate, just say yes.

• Family Helps
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Alpine Village Family April 3rd, 2007

In the old days, you would buy an egg coloring kit which required you to use vinegar and dyes. Using a tablespoon to drop the eggs into cups; take them out again became a bit messy. The kit everyone seemed to use was the PAAS egg coloring kit.

Since then, PAAS has come out with new and quite exciting ways in which to color eggs. In fact, they now have holders for the eggs to make coloring them more efficient and user friendly. Although you can still buy these kits, there are other ways in which you can decorate Easter eggs without having to use any dye at all.

After the eggs are hard boiled, let them cool down a bit so you can handle them. Apply a bit of water to the egg; take some colored tissue paper; cut it in different shapes and apply it to the egg.  You can turn an egg into a work of art with geometric shapes and strips.

Or, you can buy Easter stickers, and have the kids cover the eggs with those. No mess, no fuss!

However, if your kids insist on egg coloring, you can still opt for the PAAS kit. They have come out with incredibly new ideas to color and decorate Easter eggs, including tips on crafts; how to properly boil eggs.  In fact, there is a new method to color hollowed out eggs on their site.

While some of you may prefer the old way of coloring Easter eggs, PAAS has incorporated into their kits holders for the eggs which is less messy, affordable, and fun.
If you prefer to color eggs in a more natural way, you can certainly choose that method as well. Let’s face it; as adults, coloring Easter eggs is just as enjoyable for us as it is for the kids.  Whatever you choose, Easter egg coloring made easy can be enjoyed by the entire family. Have fun!
 

• Family Helps
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Alpine Village Family April 2nd, 2007

1. For your younger children, you can put together an Easter basket filled with homemade cookies; Easter coloring books and crayons; and, of course, a small and inexpensive chocolate Easter Bunny.

2. Another favorite treat for kids is the very popular marshmallow chicks. These have been around since we were kids, and these are sure to be a hit with yours, too!  You can add these to a small basket; take different colored tissue paper and cut them into strips to make a nest; line the basket; add the chicks along with a small bag of jelly beans, and some chocolate Easter eggs.

3. If you want to cut down on the number of sweets your child eats, you can buy an Easter basket and some straw, and fill it with little toys from the dollar store. You may even want to include a few kids’ books as well.

4. How about an Easter basket filled with cookies shaped like eggs and bunnies. You can use different color icing to decorate the eggs and bunnies.  This is one gift your kids will love!

5. How about making a bunny cake! Have the entire family participate in molding, shaping and icing the bunny.  Let your imagination run wild with this fun activity. Or you could make girl and boy bunny cakes for the kids and present it to them on Easter morning.  What a surprise that would be!

6.  String up jelly bean necklaces and bracelets for your kids to wear. Tell your kids there is an island where visitors are greeted with jellybean jewelry.

7.  You can purchase inexpensive bunny ears for your kids to wear. They can hop around the house while hunting for those Easter eggs. Make a game of it.

• Family Helps
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Alpine Village Family April 2nd, 2007

As a single mom, you’ve been working very hard, and deserve to be waited on; become queen for a day; and experience all of the delightful nuisances you remember before you became a mom.  Take guilt out of your vocabulary, and call up a friend or agree to go out on a date the next time he calls.  After all, you’ve been speaking baby for the longest time, and you need to engage in adult talk for a change.

• Parenting Helps
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Alpine Village Family April 1st, 2007

* Fruits and cookies. You can bake natural cookies at home that taste yummy.
* Mini boxes of raisins and low fat candies.
* Stuffed bunny rabbits and jelly beans, which are low in calories.
* A basket of brightly colored plastic eggs; with coins inside each egg.
* Coloring books and crayons.
* Small toys for either girls or boys.
* Peanut butter cookies and mini bran muffins.
* A basket of puzzles.
* Drawing pencils and 3×5 mini canvasses.
* Packages of baseball cards.
* Bead-making kit.
* Clay kit with mold and paints.
* Scrapbooking kit and throw-away camera.
* PC or video games.
* Books on Easter.
* Easter bunny cut-out books.
* Jewelry making kits.

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Alpine Village Family April 1st, 2007

* Bandages of different sizes, including triangular
* Tape, preferably adhesive
* Alcohol wipes (which you can buy by the box)
* Antibiotic ointment or creams (Neosporin)
* Disposable Ice Packs
* Disposal latex gloves
* Gauze pads of various sizes (including a roll of self-adhesive gauze)
* Tylenol, Advil and Aspirin
* Ipecac
* Antihistamine
* Epinephrine
* Scissors
* Tweezers
* Safety Pins

• Family Helps
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Alpine Village Family April 1st, 2007

Listen to your favorite music - When was the last time you bought yourself a new CD of your favorite artist? Turn on some motivating music for yourself. Listen to music to relax or pump up the volume and dance while you do the laundry.

Light some candles - Gather a few scented candles and light them for a soothing effect. Be sure to keep a few of the scents you like best on hand so you never run out.

Bubble bath - Fill your bath tub with hot water. Squirt in some nice-smelling bubble bath. Scents like lavender, mint and vanilla contribute a calming aroma.

Rose petal foot soak - Soak your feet for twenty minutes in warm water with rose petals. The smell from the rose petals have a calming effect and the foot soak is sure to be a treat for mom’s tired feet.

Manicure and pedicure - What mom doesn’t deserve a nice pampering manicure and pedicure! Plan a special day out alone for this special treat. If you can’t afford to pay for this, invite a girlfriend and take turns pampering each other.

• Misc
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