Month: July 2013

Why I Love Reward Charts for Kids!

Reward Charts for Kids

My little princess has always been a bit…let’s say ambitious.  She loves to win at CandyLand, she loves to be the line leader at school, she loves to “teach” her little brother how to “correctly” play with toys, and she loves to keep us all in check at home.

For these reasons, reward charts work fantastic for her.  And, we have used reward charts for LOTS of things – potty training, learning to contribute to household chores, learning to read, learning to try new foods…you name it, you can make a chart for it.

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Family-Friendly Travel: Bacara Resort & Spa

Bacara Review

Last week my family was invited to visit the Bacara Resort & Spa just north of beautiful Santa Barbara to share a firsthand Bacara review on its family-friendly offerings.

It’s a tough job. [Please don’t hate me.]

Santa Barbara is one of my favorite places on Earth, and I had always wanted to stay at this luxury resort in Santa Barbara, but to be honest, I would have never thought of taking my kids there.

To me, it seemed like a high-end property geared more towards adults and couples. Which it is, don’t get me wrong, but what I learned from our stay is that Bacara is also a fabulous family resort in Southern California!

Situated on 78 acres on the beautiful Pacific coast, it is an easy drive for a getaway, but far enough away to make you  feel like you are in a different world.

After a busy summer running around like crazy, we valeted the car upon arrival and didn’t leave. We didn’t have to, or want to. To spend two days relaxing was a much-needed family retreat.

Here is a view of the property from a nature walk we took. From where I am standing to take this photo, I am still on Bacara property.

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An Easy Way to Teach Kids Their Phone Number

I have discovered an easy way to teach kids their phone number and I wanted to share it with you today.

It’s always been important for both of my kiddos learn how to recite important identifying numbers early in  life, particularily their phone numbers and address for their safety.

Just think – in an emergency, does your child know their phone number?

Now days, most people I know (myself included) operate with their cell phones, and very few seem to have the archaic “landline” anymore, so you have to determine the best number to teach them first.

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How much sleep does my child need?

The moment I became a mom I instantly became obsessed with the question, “How much sleep does my child need?“

Every time my child is cranky or going through a challenging phase, I always find myself wondering if they are getting enough sleep. Nice to have something to blame it on, right mamas?!

If kids don’t get the sleep they need, things can get ugly. That can go for moms too. Just sayin’!

In the course of working with Serta as a brand ambassador for their amazing mattresses, I learned of their partnership with the National Sleep Foundation. Serta’s Perfect Sleeper is the official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation.

Since this organization is an expert on all things sleep related, I poked around to see what they had to say about children and sleep, and came across this great article I wanted to share with you.

What do you think? Would love to hear your comments below.

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