Win the Tangled DVD

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER: "THECRAZEDANCER."  THANKS TO ALL FOR ENTERING... HOPE TO BRING YOU  MORE GIVEAWAYS SOON!

Just leave a comment about your talents along with your email address for a chance to win this adorable animation on DVD!

Tangled features Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a young girl hidden away from the world by her overprotective mother, Gothel.  Rapunzel dreams of discovering what the world holds, when suddenly Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi), a caddish drifter stumbles into her life.  They strike a deal and Flynn agrees to lead her through the forest and find the hidden strength she never knew.

A fun flick for children and adults alike! Use the interactive "Clickcast" above to find your hidden abilities, get decorating tips from designer Claire Keane (including how to decorate your room just like Rapunzel's!), and watch a clip from the movie.

A winner will be chosen Friday, April 1. If you are chosen as the winner, I will contact you to get your mailing address. Thank you to DBA West for this awesome giveaway!

Art Week for Spring Break

Monday morning the paints came out. Everyone was still in their pajamas, but creativity was on the rise just thinking about an entire day with nowhere to be and nothing scheduled to do!

One six-foot collage later I knew exactly what our theme for the week would be: Art!

Tuesday was a trip to the arts and crafts store for a few additional supplies: more brushes, water color paper, palates, and canvases. The day also included a trip to the library to procure a litany of books on the subject of art. Although the two trips took a considerable portion of the day, we still ended the day with new art on display.

First, we poured over the lovely pages of the children's art book that sample art throughout history. My daughter was particularly fond of the Matisse style paintings. I renewed my love for Degas. My son found his inner cartoonist.

Our goal is to end the week with a more permanent work - one on canvas - that will be displayed in our home for years to come! I will report back.

For now, I wanted to share our theme in case you are looking for some creative outlet with your children. Supplies can be much simpler for younger children (and cost less, of course), but I have to tell you that splurging on a set of quality bushes and working toward painting on canvas is a wonderful experience for our kids. I can even image spending a weekend afternoon painting side by side with one of my kids, capturing the world outside our window.

Staycation Success!

For those of you waiting on the promised report on our recent "staycation" let me apologize for the delay. That may be a window into how things went after taking 3 days off from the daily grind.

Even thought it took a little extra work getting back into the swing of things, I will gladly share that our staycation was perfect! Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon was the time frame for our at-home getaway. As I mentioned before, this could be a great experiment for families looking ahead to spring break in a few weeks. There is no reason you can't have a little vacation even if you are just staying at home. With some planning, you'll be on your way to some fun and relaxation!

Here's what we did:

1. We kicked off with pizza and games on Thursday night. Simple. Easy. Fun.
2. Girls (mom and daughter) had a sleepover. Boys (dad and son) had a sleepover. (Ie. slept together in different rooms - beds full of stuffed animals!)
3. Friday morning included a trip to Lamar's Donuts and a hike around Chatfield State Park. Followed by a simple lunch at home.
4. Friday afternoon was "mom's day out." Since no vacation is complete for me without a trip to the spa, I decided to make time for myself on Friday. Had an amazingly relaxing and rejuvenating treatment at Avalon Day Spa at Aspen Grove. (I had the Carribean Body Therapy, but all of their massages and body treatments are truly fabulous - and I love sipping on their hot tea in a quiet room!)
5. Friday night was dinner (Freddy's - so fun for families) and a movie night. Our kids opted for an at home movie because they weren't particularly excited to see what was showing at the local theater. Since movies can become costly for a family, don't forget to hit the grocery store for movie passes instead. If you're seeing a movie that's been out at least two weeks, you can use the passes and save yourself about $3/ticket! (We still included candy and popcorn in our movie night but as an at-home bonus we were able to watch in our pajamas.)
6. Saturday morning was sugary cereal morning. Kids had picked out the cereal I always say "no" to at the store and loaded their bowls to the brim! Cartoons were watched and pajamas were on until noon. Nice.
7. Saturday also included spring planting (indoors, of course). We worked together to plant seeds which we are now watching daily for signs of growth!
8. Saturday night was another dinner out - Jack and Grill - a must try for the "wow" factor! Eating out is another key to feeling like your on vacation (especially for moms who do all the cooking). If you feel bad about spending the money to eat out, just remind yourself how much money you are saving by not staying at a hotel. :)
9. Sunday morning was church followed by a slow re-entry into our normal routine. It really was a glorious break from the everyday.

Notes: Yes, the phone and computer were turned off for the most part. There were very few dishes to do or messes to clean up. I did a thorough cleaning before the staycation so that I was not distracted by "to do's". There's so much to be said for taking a few days to sleep in and forget that there is work to be done!

I highly recommend finding a few days to take a break... Tell us what you would do on your staycation.

The Staycation Experiment

Spring Break is on the way and we won't be going anywhere. Truthfully, most families I know aren't taking any special trips for spring break. So, what do you do for a week at home?

The "fad" of staycations has fallen off the radar, but the idea remains a valid one: how do you have a relaxing, interesting, or exciting break from the norm while staying at home?

I've decided to do a a little experiment with our long weekend. Can we feel like we are getting away without really getting away?

Here's the plan:

• No phone or email. I think it will be most important for the adults of the group (ie. mom and dad) to really take a break from the everyday.
• No chores. For kids and parents, we'll be taking a break from the "have to do's", but this will mean doing some extra time on the front end to make sure there aren't chores staring you in the face while trying to have fun.
• Eating out. Since there's no money being spent on travel expenses I think we'll splurge on some fun restaurants.
• Out of the ordinary activities. I'm working on a few fun activities that are things we don't have time to do in our normal schedule OR things that we might do on vacation that we can do close to home.

Some other ideas: planting seeds, building forts, playing board games, making cookies or crafts. I'll be back with specific ideas and what worked on Monday!