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Keeping Kids Busy
143 Things for Your Kids To Keep Busy With:
- make paper snowflakes
- clean out the toy box
- send virtual greeting cards
- choose photos for a family calendar
- have an indoor picnic
- bake and decorate cut-out cookies
- go camping in the livingroom
- clear out your email inbox
- make a mobile out of found objects (acorns, rocks, branches)
- write up some New Year’s Resolutions
- create a simple Family Tree
- make sandwiches and cut them out with large cookie cutters
- play basketball with a wadded up piece of paper and a wastebasket
- play board games
- make a tent out of blankets
- read books
- make homemade play dough
- play with play dough
- write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
- clean bedroom
- vacuum living room
- clean bathroom
- make a craft
- draw
- color
- paint
- watch a movie
- write stories
- use magnifying glass
- write a play
- act out a play
- invent indoor circus acts
- perform an indoor circus
- play card games
- dust the house
- brush the pet
- write letters
- read a magazine
- play dress-up
- play Cowboys
- build a fort in your rooms
- do a jigsaw puzzle
- play on the Geosafari
- play on the computer
- listen to a story or book on tape
- do extra schoolwork to get ahead
- do brain teasers (ie: crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.)
- cook
- prepare lunch
- surprise a neighbor with a good deed
- play store
- prepare a “restaurant” lunch with menus
- hold a tea party
- have a Teddy bear picnic on the floor in the livingroom
- play with toy cars
- play dolls
- play house
- learn magic tricks
- put on a magic show
- make sock puppets
- put on a puppet show
- crochet or knit
- make doll clothes
- sew buttons in designs on old shirts
- make bookmarks
- take a quiet rest time
- take a shower or bath
- organize a dresser drawer
- clean under the bed
- empty dishwasher
- vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found
- write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out one or two to do
- practice musical instruments
- perform a family concert
- teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
- fold laundry
- sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
- vacuum or dust window blinds
- clean bathroom mirrors
- clean sliding glass doors
- copy your favorite book illustration
- design your own game
- build with blocks or Legos
- create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and-ends of things destined for the
- garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.)
- have a marble tournament on the livingroom carpet
- make dessert
- make dinner
- give your pet a party
- have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
- check out a science book and try some experiments
- make up a story
- arrange photo albums
- play hide-and-seek
- create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
- read a story to a younger child
- string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
- glue noodles into a design on paper
- play jacks
- make up a song
- make an indoor teepee out of blankets
- write in your journal
- play charades
- make up a story by drawing pictures
- draw a cartoon strip
- make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
- call a friend
- cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
- make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
- do a secret service for a neighbor
- plan a treasure hunt
- make a treasure map
- make up a “Bored List” of things to do
- plan a special activity for your family
- search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those
- countries from the encyclopedia or online
- plan an imaginary trip to the moon
- plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
- write a science-fiction story
- find a new pen pal
- make up a play using old clothes as costumes
- make up a game for practicing math facts
- have a Spelling Bee
- make up a game for practicing spelling
- write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
- put together a family newsletter
- write reviews of movies or plays or TV shows or concerts you see during the break from school
- bake a cake
- bake a batch of cookies
- decorate a shoe box
- make a hideout or clubhouse
- make paper airplanes
- have paper airplane races
- learn origami
- make friendship bracelets for your friends
- make a wind chime out of things headed for the garbage
- paint your face
- braid hair
- play tag
- make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.) and then eat it
- produce a talent show
- memorize a poem
- recite a memorized poem for your family
Heres A Tip
Blend sweet, juicy fruits in a chopper or blender and add to unsweetened plain yogurt for a healthy treat.
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When raking leaves, use this handy-dandy hint: Rake your leaves directly onto a sheet you’ve spread on the ground. Gather up the corners and drag to your compost area.
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Use a paintbrush to dust wicker furniture. It can get into all the nooks and crannies better than any cloth.
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Shower curtains can be hung inside a regular curtain to insulate from window drafts.
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Unwrapped bars of soap can be used in closets or dresser
drawers as nice-smelling sachets until you’re ready to use them.
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Use pretty photo albums for holding recipes. The recipes will be protected in the kitchen, and these books prop open for viewing better than most books do.
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Electronic items like cameras and cell phones come with so many accessory cords these days. Store them in snack-size plastic baggies. Write on a small piece of paper
what the cord is for and then stick that in the bag.
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Use the plastic lids from large coffee cans underneath bottles of cooking oil or syrup in kitchen cabinets.
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To store cast-iron cookware, it must be completely dry. It can still get scratched up, though. Try inserting a paper plate between stacked pans to protect the cooking surface and to absorb any moisture or excess oil.
Weight Loss Tips & Strategies
{1} Ban the word “diet” from your vocabulary
Diets are temporary, the word implies you’ll go off it at some point rather than developing healthy habits you can maintain throughout your life. Plus “diet” is such a motivation-killer thanks to its many negative connotations (hunger and deprivation, to name just two). Focus on the positive aspects of eating healthfully, such as feeling more energetic.
{2} Don’t make it all about dress size
Yes, wanting to fit into your skinny jeans can inspire you to slim down, but you’re more likely to succeed if you think beyond the superficial. Meaningful goals like setting a good example for your kids or avoiding a health problem that runs in your family are more motivating and will make it easier for you to resist temptation. Write your goals down and refer to the list often to reinforce your determination.
{3} Be realistic
Forget everything the weight-loss infomercials tell you: Dropping a dress size in a matter of days is pure fantasy. Trying to lose too much too quickly will frustrate you, and you’ll be more likely to give up on your weight-loss plan when it doesn’t happen. Aiming to shed a pound a week is more realistic. Better yet, don’t just focus on the scale. Create easily attainable mini-goals like using skim milk in your coffee instead of half-and-half. Meeting them will help you feel successful and excited to make more healthy changes.
{3} Don’t indulge a craving the minute it strikes
It will probably go away in 15 to 20 minutes (we’re serious!). Distract yourself while you wait out a yearning for cookies by drinking a glass of water, playing a game on the computer or taking a walk. Or simply picture anything other than cookies. In a recent study conducted at Flinders University, in Australia, volunteers who had been experiencing food cravings reported that those cravings eased after they were asked to think about nonfood images and aromas.
{4} Avoid peer pressure
You’ve probably heard that women are more likely to overindulge when they eat with other women. To avoid social dining sabotage on girls’ night out, check the restaurant’s menu on its website (or look it up on menupages .com) and make a healthy meal choice ahead of time. Picture yourself saying your order and asking the waiter for water with lemon instead of soda. Placing your order first helps, too—once you’ve asked for the grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side, you won’t be as easily swayed by a pal who orders mac and cheese.
{5} Ditch the put-downs
Negative beliefs like “I have no willpower” or “I’ll always be this heavy” can easily become self-fulfilling prophecies. (Needless to say, they won’t do much for you in the motivation department, either.) The good news is that positive self-labels can also influence reality. People who describe themselves as being healthy eaters report consuming more fruits and vegetables and fewer unhealthy foods, according to a study conducted at the University of Ottawa. Think it, be it—there’s no easier weight-loss strategy than that!
Winter Storm & Extreme Cold: Preparation For Disaster
Before Winter Storms and Extreme Cold
Add the following supplies to your disaster supplies kit:
- Rock salt to melt ice on walkways
- Sand to improve traction
- Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
Prepare your home and family
- Prepare for possible isolation in your home by having sufficient heating fuel; regular fuel sources may be cut off. For example, store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
- Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic.
- Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment. Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
- Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
- Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
- Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
- Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors or employees.
- Hire a contractor to check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow – or water, if drains on flat roofs do not work.
Prepare your car
- Check or have a mechanic check the following items on your car:
- Antifreeze levels – ensure they are sufficient to avoid freezing.
- Battery and ignition system – should be in top condition and battery terminals should be clean.
- Brakes – check for wear and fluid levels.
- Exhaust system – check for leaks and crimped pipes andrepair or replace as necessary. Carbon monoxide is deadly and usually gives no warning.
- Fuel and air filters – replace and keep water out of the system by using additives and maintaining a full tank of gas.
- Heater and defroster – ensure they work properly.
- Lights and flashing hazard lights – check for serviceability.
- Oil – check for level and weight. Heavier oils congeal more at low temperatures and do not lubricate as well.
- Thermostat – ensure it works properly.
- Windshield wiper equipment – repair any problems and maintain proper washer fluid level.
- Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. However, some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads, vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tires with studs.
- Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season.
- Place a winter emergency kit in each car that includes:
- a shovel
- windshield scraper and small broom
- flashlight
- battery powered radio
- extra batteries
- water
- snack food
- matches
- extra hats, socks and mittens
- First aid kit with pocket knife
- Necessary medications
- blanket(s)
- tow chain or rope
- road salt and sand
- booster cables
- emergency flares
- fluorescent distress flag
Dress for the Weather
- Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.
- Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves.
- Wear a hat.
- Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
Country & Victorian Times 