Preparing for the Summer: 7 Ways To Stay Cool | #summer #hot #weather

Summer is coming, and with it comes the overwhelming heat of the season. Keep yourself cool using these proven methods, such as investing in a reliable air conditioner. Keep It Cool Indoors Image via Houses can become stuffy and hot if people aren't careful. Here are some tips to stay cool inside. Open Windows & Doors at Night As soon as the temperature outdoors is cooler than inside you should utilize that free fresh air. Open all of your screened windows and doors to create a natural cross breeze inside. The warm, stuffy air of the day will be blown…
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10 Free Fun Children’s Activities | #kids #free #activites

With schools letting out and weather warming up, parents are looking for fun and frugal ways to fill up the calendar. Spend quality time with your kids without worrying about the bill with some of these free kid-friendly activities: 1. Visit the library. Have fun all season long with ongoing public programs, children’s clubs, and endless media selections. Most public libraries host free, family-friendly events like story time, craft demonstrations, and puppet shows. All you need is your library card and some imagination. 2. Take a guided tour. Community gardens, historical centers, and cultural societies are great places to find…
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You’ve got it all wrong, Hawk! | #books #reading #readingrocks

Hawk is participating in the Reading Rocks program at school.  Basically, they have one month (?) to read 50 books.  Each time he reads a book, he has to log it with the date, title, and who read it. The program is designed to get the kiddos interested in reading by themselves and with family members. Last night, I was sitting on the couch, reading The Cat in the Hat to Hawk.  I could tell that he was getting a little antsy, like he'd rather be doing something else. I was right in the middle of the Cat bring in…
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Piggy Paint Nail Polish Review – Natural as Mud! | Giveaway (4/8)

Kylie loves to paint nails.  She's been dubbed quite the nail artist in our small town.  Anywhere she visits, she's either pulling out her nail polish, looking through someone else's stash.  Sadly, she's not allowed to paint her (or my) nails in the house, because the smell gives my husband a headache.  That all changed when the Piggy Paint came in! odorless | hypoallergenic | water-based | hard, durable finish When she opened the box, the first thing I told her was that it doesn't smell - at all.  Immediately, she wanted to get her homework done, so that she…
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Moshi Monsters Character Encyclopedia Review & Giveaway | #MoshiMonsters

Until last month, I'd never heard of Moshi Monsters.  I'm so eager to get my kiddos thinking of things other than Legos and Star Wars, that I put just about anything else in their hands! (Instagram Photobomb!) What are Moshi Monsters, you ask?  Well, I had to ask that, too.  When I received the Moshi Monsters Character Encyclopedia, I took a look at it before my boys got their grubby little hands on it, and found this cute little intro: Welcome to the gloopendous world of Moshi Monsters, a weird and wonderful place brimming with crazy critters of all shapes…
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Jett and his Papa! | #toddlers #grandparents #love

Here is a picture of Papa (my dad) and his youngest grandson.  Jett is number seven for Mimi and Papa, and daddy is just as much in love with this one as he is the others.   His patience runs thin with the kiddos pretty quickly, and he runs out of gas faster now that he used to, but for those precious moments that he devotes undivided attention to one grandkid at a time, I cherish them (and snap a pic!).  He works so much, these times are few and far between.  
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The Sound of Silence: Kids and Ototoxicity

A 2008 Reader's Digest article titled "Light in the Dark" introduced the world to triplets Sophie, Emma and Zoe Hooker, who were then seven years old. The triplets were born prematurely at 24 weeks, and a potentially fatal infection caused physicians in their neonatal unit to administer several different antibiotics. Unfortunately, the medications were ototoxic, meaning that they caused damage to the girls' inner ears. Sophie, Emma and Zoe were all deaf before they were two years old. Their mother, Liz, agreed to cochlear implants for the girls, but the implants had minimal effect. Because of their hearing loss and…
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Budgeting for Kids – The Birds and the Coupons – #finance

Because younger kids and teenagers don’t pay bills, they understandably can't comprehend the value of a dollar. Cut to: them constantly asking their parents for money. Maybe this scenario sounds uncomfortably familiar and you give your kids money each time they ask. Unfortunately, this behavior doesn’t teach healthy money skills. Although your kids won’t be financially independent until the future, it’s never too early to start teaching them budgeting for kids and saving skills. 1. Look for loose change. Get a jar or piggy bank for your younger kids and have them collect loose change in these containers. They might…
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Spring has broken… Battle of the Numbers

Spring has broken, and we're already off to a great start in the Johnston household. The boys are having a battle of the numbers, this morning, for some reason. Hawk: Count to 100 by 10's. Brax: Count to 400 by 2's. Hawk: Count to 400 by 6's. () Hawk: I did it 155 times. Brax: I did it 100% of the time. Hawk: I did it infinity. Well played, Hawk.  Well played.
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