Holiday Party Time

The issue that needs to be resolved is the return trip home after drinking alcohol at a party. A little preplaning is an easy task. There are options. If the party is nearby, walk to it. Then you can crawl home if necessary. Or, have a friend pick you up and drive together. When you want to go home, call an Uber driver or a taxi to come pick you up. It’s a cheap alternative to the DUI attorney fee with an insurance premium bump.

Across State/Country for a Visit

There are two things to always keep in mind.

First, always leave early to avoid frustration with traffic or crowds. The trip is to be enjoyable and relaxing so you want to avoid any unnecessary stress.

Second, do not get overly tired. Fatigue lessens our alertness and causes drowsiness which reduces our defensive driving skills.  Further, tiredness can adversely impact your immune system and lead to sickness. And, we all know, there is nothing worse than being sick away from home.

Holiday Travel Trip Packing

When the family members pack for the trip, keep in mind there are limitations at your destination:

• Limited space for travel bag storage
• Limited surface space to put things out
• Limited hangers for good clothes and coats
• Limited space for shoes and boots during bad weather

To save space when packing it often works well to roll clothing rather than to fold it. This reduces the wrinkles even when packed in tight, unlike folded items.

Take along a couple of plastic garbage or shopping bags to put dirty clothes in. This will keep your other clothing smelling fresh when they are all in a travel bag together.

It is also prudent to take a night light or two for the unfamiliar sleeping quarters. And, don’t forget a can of bathroom spray deodorant. These can just make the trip a bid more pleasant.

Other Important Items

Always wear shoes, not sandals or flip flops when traveling. This will keep everyone’s feet cleaner, safer and make any required walking more tolerable. It prepares everyone for that unexpected emergency where you may need to run for shelter or walk a great distance for rescue.

Include earplugs for everyone. These are handy to have when trying to sleep in an unfamiliar place. The sounds are always unique and may include unexpected, early morning garbage truck pick up noises outside.

Many times the air conditioning is difficult to get adjusted just right, or it is blowing directly on the nearest bed. Don’t forget to take a set of Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® for each of the children. They are easy to attach and remove from beds as you travel. This way the kids will remain covered all night and you will also get a good night’s rest.

Take a pillow and a blanket for each child. Whether in the car or plane, it is always wise to have an extra cover-up, especially when sleeping. If flying, it is also a good idea to have a sweater or light jacket when the cabin temperature is too low. The best idea is for everyone to dress in layers. This will accommodate most all circumstances.

All Important List

When planning for a trip have each family member compile a list of what they intend to take. Review this and weed out the unnecessary items. They should each take the list along and when leaving use it as a checklist that they are returning with everything they brought.

Having Done All, Relax & Enjoy

Check out this article for some additional ideas for making your holiday travels more enjoyable: How To Make Holiday Travel Less Stressful. 

How do you practice good health during the holidays? Share with us in the comments below!

Give Love.

The greatest gift you can give to anyone is to simply love them where they are in life. A lot is asked of moms this time of year and maintaining an attitude of love about every request or demand on your time will keep it all in proper perspective.

Play Music.

Turn on the radio or cell phone or even the TV channel that has continuous music. Play soft music some days and seasonal music other days. Having this in the background will help all family members be more relaxed and remain positive about their daily activities.

Avoid Toxic People.

Whether it is a family gathering that includes the aunt you can’t stand, or a local party with an acquaintance that bugs you, there will be people around who are an annoyance. Simply avoid these people with a polite hello and keep moving on to talk with others. Don’t allow yourself to be subjected to a negative encounter.

Have Family Time with Laughter.

Allocate time amidst the hectic holidays and just be with the family. Do something that everyone will enjoy and be able to communicate among one another. You can play cards, or an old fashion board game, or watch a comedy movie etc. The key is to be together and to get the good endorphins active through laughter.

Eat Balanced with Portion Control.

The holiday parties serve all the fattening but best tasting food of the year. So, go ahead and enjoy it. The key is to enjoy the taste without eating too much. Limit the amount you consume and you’ll be ok. Then at meal time, eat the balanced diet items of vegetables and protein.

Exercise and Get Outside.

Go for a walk outside to get some fresh air. Walk with a family member or a friend. You’ll be building your relationship, getting needed exercise and breathing fresh air. This is a win win for your physical and mental health.

Rest.

You’ll be burning a lot of extra calories with the food you’re eating and the pace you’re keeping during the holiday season. Therefore, proper rest is imperative for restoring your body in order to maintain good health. And to assist you, utilize Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® on your children’s beds. These Blanket Suspenders® keep the bedcovers on all night so you do not need to check on recovering the kids and they have the bed looking good in the morning, almost already made.  www.tuckright.com are mom’s delight, “keeping my kids covered all night.”

Reach out to Someone Alone.

Now contact someone you may know is alone during the holiday. Give them a call or better yet, go visit them. This will assure them they are loved and cared about.

Remember to do everything in moderation. If each family member can maintain a balance in all they do, the holidays will be a time to remember with great joy.

Happy Holiday Health.

For 12 more ways to have a healthy holiday season, click here! 

How do you have a healthy holiday season? Share with us in the comments below!

Unstable Situation

However, their bed is an uncontrolled environment. Think about it. During the day they have control over what, when and how much they eat. They have control over what they wear and are able to keep their clothing proper during the day. They have control over their physical environment and are able to keep things decent and in order.

But at night, they are asleep and totally unaware of what is happening with the uncontrolled bedcovers. When they roll and turn over, or especially if they restlessly toss and turn, the uncontrolled bedcovers will move around and generally the child becomes uncovered. Let’s face it, tucking them in really does not work that well. They are either tucked in too tight becoming uncomfortable, or too hot, or tucked too lose and the bedding gets pushed around and they eventually become uncovered.

Moms Delight Achieving Control

When we dress we use pins, belts, ties, straps, buckles etc. to keep clothing and hair in place. In the house we use door stops, curtain tie-backs, rubber mats, racks, etc. to keep things in place. But, the children’s bed is a neglected area that has been disregarded and not addressed until now. Today, there is a product that tackles uncontrolled bedcovers and solves the age old problem of uncovered kids at night while everyone else in the household is asleep.

Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® keep kids covered all night and the bed practically already made when they crawl out in the morning. This contributes to the well-being of the family. The kids are more rested, stay warmer all night and parents are not concerned or bothered about having to recover their children at night. Then, in the morning, the bed is so easy to make, the children can do it themselves and this renders life easier for mom.

These are also ideal to use for calm, comfy snugglers. Nestling into bed with a teddy bear and maybe the remnants of a favorite old blankie is enhanced from the warmth provided by the bedcovers remaining in place. Now cuddling up to the smell of the beloved pillow makes all the issues in a child’s life disappear and Mr. Sandman can easily take over with the job at hand.

Sweetest Times

During this holiday season everyone wants there to be great joy throughout the household. It is a wonderful time for parents and grandparents to be available to comfort the children at bedtime. It may be the finest time for intimate talk and resolution of all the worldly problems children tend to muster. Covering the kids, reading to them, praying with them and talking about their issues at bedtime are not only timely and important, but it creates a memory for them and for the parents.

Mom’s Delight

Unfortunately, this pristine time can turn into a nightmare for busy moms if their child is in and out of bed following the initial turn in. Mom is required to drop what she is doing and attend to the children’s needs redoing all the tuck-in effort that was done so perfectly the first time. But, this situation is averted with the use of the Tuckright® product. Harmony is sustained and peacefulness prevails in the home to mom’s delight.

Concern for the children’s welfare is natural behavior by parents. The caring nature of parents and grandparents is to oversee the children in all situations. Children are cared for throughout the day, but left to their own at night with uncontrolled bedcovers. This holiday season is an ideal time to address this void and acquire Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® for each of the children’s beds.

Get organized to be a winner and overcome these hurdles.

Establish a master calendar for the entire family through the end of the year. Find out when everything will be happening. Discuss with the family what are priorities and make decisions early regarding which activities each person will participate in.

Teach the family how to say No.

Just say no to the lower priority opportunities. This will protect your family from false anticipation. You sometimes just can’t do everything. This will resolve conflicts early and set expectations with each individual member of the family. That includes determining driving requirements for the kids.

Now, you can get the sitters lined up early, and get that off your mind too.

Block out time.

Allocate time on your master calendar to enjoy the family. Set aside time to do some fun family activities that will contribute to making memories. Baking cookies, decorating the tree, setting up decorations and other tasks are simple things everyone can enjoy. Then comfort the children at bedtime with a Christmas story. When you plan ahead using Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® on the children’s beds, these will reduce your work by keeping them covered all night and the bed easy for them to make in the morning. Moms delight using Tuckright®; “keep my kids covered all night!”

Also, take the time to keep the season holy with your faith. Carry on traditions and meaningful customs so they are enjoyed and passed on to the next generation.

Allocate time and money for yourself.

There are always tremendous deals during the holidays. So plan some shopping trips or on-line surfing to take advantage of the opportunities. Begin soliciting gift ideas from not just your children, but everyone on your list. If it is a neighbor, friend, fellow worker or relative, ask the people closest to them for gift ideas. This is always a good policy for knowing their interests that will help fill the void of ideas for you.

Easier entertaining during holiday season

Try entertaining family and friends with an old fashion pot luck dinner? During this season of giving, it allows everyone to participate and be recognized for their contribution. Furthermore, a festive buffet dinner is easier on you and allows everyone to mingle more creating that memorable time. Look out, it may be requested for a repeat next year!

And, when you have to travel during the holidays, leave early. Give your destination people a heads up regarding when you expect to arrive, and inform them of any delays along the way so you can enjoy the trip.

Taking the stress and anxiety out of the holidays is a challenge but can be accomplished. It is something we must all work on so our presence is a joy to everyone around us.

Additional holiday season tips.

Here are some additional ideas for holiday preparations categorized as: Conserve while Cooking, Decorating Tips, Traveling and Receiving Guests, Winterizing Your Home and Gift Giving. 

How do you prepare for the holidays? Share with us in the comments below!

The costume.

Kids sometimes have trouble deciding what to wear for their costume each year. So, why not have them select two different outfits or costumes. They could have one for school and the other for trick or treating in the evening. Why do this? Well, often the kids want something elaborate for school that is a total disguise so their friends won’t know who it is. Often these disguises can be rather bulky and perhaps cumbersome. It may be fine for the school parade through the halls. But outside, it is not practical. For the trick or treating at night, they need clothing they can move in, even run. A costume that is more functional is in order for the actual trick or treating venture. So, consider something that will work around a pair of sneakers, pants, top and a mask. That’s all they really need and they’re off seeking the mounds of candy they’ve been dreaming about.

The container.

Great success getting lots of candy can mean problems. The container used to collect it in gets heavy and can often break, come apart or rip. Therefore, to avoid this, use two separate containers. The parent who takes them out keeps one and has the kids dump their candy into it periodically. This way theirs won’t get heavy and it also gives you a chance to examine the candy they’ve received. Another tip, throw out any items that are unwrapped just for precautionary safety measures. Now for the older kids who are out running on their own, have them take an extra plastic bag in their pocket. When their container, often a pillow case, starts getting heavy, they can dump it into the plastic bag and secretly stash the bag in the bushes somewhere they can return to and pick up at the end of the evening.

The trick or treat neighborhood.

Your own community is best for trick or treating as it is something you are familiar with and therefore, generally safe. It is best for maximizing the candy in-take to go to houses that are relatively close together and close to the street. This of course minimizes their unproductive transition time between handouts. When the kids find a house that is giving out an abundance of candy, they should not be hesitant to return to it a second time a little later.

The candy haul.

How much fun it is to go home at the end of the trick or treating and dump the candy out on the floor to see what’s there. This is another photo op time that should not be forgotten. The glow on the kid’s faces seeing all they have acquired is sometimes priceless. They sort it out and fondle every piece. Then if there are siblings, the trading begins. This excitement might continue until bedtime when the kids finally drop from exhaustion. Many wise moms are using Tuckright Blanket Suspenders®  on their children’s beds to keep the kids covered all night which helps them get a good, restful night’s sleep. And, there’s less work for Mom, using Tuckright® “Keeps my kids covered all night, and the bed easy to make in the morning.”

The candy consumption.

But wait! This candy stuff is all sugar and not really the best health food. And furthermore, it really isn’t one of the seven food groups after all. How the feasting should be done to cause the least harm to their growing bodies is the concern. Well, one way, if they have the personal discipline, is to dole the candy out to themselves over a long period of time to enjoy it longer. But, the problem with this is that is bad for their teeth since they most likely won’t be brushing after eating some in their room every night. Perhaps the better remedy is to just allow them to have their feeding frenzy and then it’s gone! It will flush through their system rapidly this way and be gone. If there is any indigestion, well, it’s minor and only temporary.

What’s your trick or treating secret to a successful Halloween night? Share with us in the comments below!

Can Color Help Children Sleep?

The same concept applies to children’s bedrooms. Certain colors will be stimulating and others calming. Turns out the color blue is one of the most relaxing colors to use in a child’s bedroom. The reason is the ganglion cell receptors in the retina of the eye relay information to the brain that controls the 24 hour circadian rhythm, which impacts how we feel physically and many other aspects of life.

Blue, the color of the sky and ocean, is associated with openness, peace, tranquility and calmness helping to reduce heart rate and in turn lower blood pressure. This results in a better night’s sleep for your children. The net result is the color of their bedroom can affect children’s sleep patterns as well as their consequent mood.

There are other colors that will have the same effect if blue is not you color of choice. Colors like grays, coral, beige, silver and neutrals also create a calming environment. Further, warm colors may be incorporated like a pale yellow that produces a cozy feeling and is very inviting to the room.  Shades of green, earth tones or soft, muted colors may also provide the same results. It is also best to use a flat paint rather than an eggshell since the egg shell reflects more light making it brighter.

Now here is another thought. Consider painting the ceiling a darker color rather than white. Use perhaps a light gray or a complementary color to the wall color. This will also be of help in getting your children to sleep with daylight savings time and also if they desire to nap in the afternoon.

By all means, do not make the mistake of painting the children’s bedrooms bright colors. While this looks nice and is visually invigorating, it will tend to hype up the child and stimulate their energy at a time when you want them to be relaxed and calmed to prepare for resting.

Combine Bedroom Accent Colors for Influence

Here is a very good list of colors assembled by Ethan Green, author of No Sleepless Nights, of the impact of colors on human behavior:

• Red: Aggressive. Dangerous. Typically stands out from all other colors.
• Blue: Trusting. Peaceful. It is a relaxing, peaceful color, but it is also associated with coldness.
• Yellow: Friendly. Contented. This is a mellow and generally positive color, but it can also be polarizing.
• Green: Calming. Opulent. It is the color of nature and of money.
• Purple: Luxurious. Darker shades can be elegant, lighter shades can conjure up images of nature, of spring and summer flowers.
• Orange: Energetic. Playful. A contrasting color, it can be seen as uplifting, but also cheap.
• Gray: Plain. Boring. A gloomy, depressing color devoid of life, but also formal and straight-edged.
• Pink: Youth. Young Love. This is an innocent and feminine color, but one that can also trigger images of sweet candies.
• Brown: Dirty. Strong. Brown conjures images of dirt and other unsavory things, but also of wood and leather.
• Black: Elegant. Unique. Black is different, it’s unusual, it’s dark and it can be enigmatic.
• White: Clean. Cold. A clinical color that may conjure images of hospitals, cleanliness and virtue.

What color have you chosen for your bedrooms? Share with us in the comments below!

Teaching sportsmanship is not an easy thing to do. But when there is a good example of what it is not correct, right in front of everyone, the opportunity must be seized. Kids need to be told that it is not proper to yell, bully, taunt, complain and loudly express negative comments regarding the officiating or coaching of either team. They need to realize these charges vented by an irate parent do nothing to change the outcome of the game.

Winning or losing isn’t the primary objective of youth athletics. Rather, it is about:

•         developing skills,
•         building strong bodies,
•         learning discipline,
•         fostering confidence,
•         comprehending teamwork,
•         understanding competitiveness,
•         learning to play by the rules and
•         to enjoy playing the game.

There is a statement written by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) that says, “When the One Great Scorekeeper comes, to write against your name, He marks not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.”

Sportsmanship is all about respect for everyone else who is involved with the game. When things are going well it is easy to be a good sport and only have praise for everyone. But when things are not going well, that is the time each participant and parent needs to handle themselves with dignity. Kids need to be taught that saying nothing when they are upset and disagree with what just happened in a game is a difficult but virtuous thing to do.

Encouragement and positive comments are always appropriate in any difficult situation. When the kids lose a game it is important to focus on what they did well and correctly. Building confidence comes from re-enforcing the activities that went well and not focusing on the questionable issues with other players, coaching or officiating. The outcome of a team’s game score is beyond an individual player and needs to be kept in perspective. Walking away from a game with a sense of personal pride that they gave their all and did their best is a player’s real objective.

This personal pride and self-esteem begins in the morning with a student athlete’s bedroom. Like the military, the personal discipline to make the bed and clean up the room before leaving sets the day off on the right foot. To assist your young competitor, you can utilize Tuckright Blanket Suspenders®  on their bed to keep the bedcovers on all night and have the bed looking good in the morning, almost already made.

A child who practices good sportsmanship is likely to carry the respect and appreciation of other people into every other aspect of life. Sportsmanship is as much an outcome of playing a sport as the other attributes mentioned above.

On or off the field, how do you teach good sportsmanship? Share with us in the comments below!

Local WIFI in your house will permit your child to use the laptop anywhere that is comfortable and convenient. The purchase of an inexpensive wireless router connected with your Internet source will provide the basic requirements. Some of the more popular routers are: Apple, Arris, Asus, Belkin, D-Link, Google, Linksys, Motorola, NETGEAR, TP- LINK. These brands have products that range from around $80.00 to $275.00 in price depending on features and capabilities, and can be found at local retailers like Best Buy or online at Amazon.

Many students enjoy sitting in bed and working on computer projects. It is comfortable because it is essentially their own space where they can be relaxed and perhaps do their best work. To keep those expensive bedcovers looking good and not all bunched up while they work, it is helpful to utilize Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® on their bedcovers. These are designed to keep kids covered at night but also function to keep the bed looking good all day. Check’em out at www.tuckright.com

All students differ in their ability to perceive a written project when it is strictly on line. Inexpensive Ink Jet printers are an asset for the students to be able to view completed documents in their final form. These printers use a cartridge ink supply that is easily replaceable and relatively inexpensive. The printer’s prices start around $100.00 and increase, again based on features and function. Popular brands are: Brother, Epson, HP. Again, these can be purchased at local retailers like Best Buy or online at Amazon.

To make the printing task much easier is to incorporate a mobile printing APP on mobile devices. These are easy to use and will handle any size document. They minimize the technical connection requirements making the entire process simple. Here are a few well known suppliers:

• Brother
• HP
• Lexmark
• PrinterShare
• Samsung
• Xerox

and a few others have powerful printing APP solutions that can be considered.

A “Hard Drive” is a data storage device on computers.   An external hard drive is a hard drive which you can unplug and take it wherever you want. It connects via a USB cable to a USB port in the computer. It holds a much greater amount of data than a typical USB Flash or Thumb Drive. These storage devices are a nice addition to your student’s electronic tools as they will hold all their projects for an indefinite amount of time. These range in capacity from a few Gigabytes to several Terabytes. The prices start around $50.00 and scale upward to several hundred. The selection is broad as there are many brands on the market. Once again, check out the popular suppliers like Best Buy  or on line at Amazon.

When you provide these tools to your student, be they lower elementary, middle school or high, the results will be encouraging. They’ll know you care about providing them with the latest and greatest support to eliminate any restrictions and you are engaging in their technology world. The younger students today are cutting their teeth on this technology and will need to have these types of items to stay ahead of increasing demands placed on them every year.

What school supply can your student NOT live without? Share with us in the comments below!

Night Time Routine

1. Plan for breakfast by checking the food supplies and have alternatives available when supplies run low.
2. Backpacks should be loaded with the needed items by all the children.
3. Each child’s clothes should be set out at night for the next day. This is a good way to teach discipline and responsibility as they should each learn to do this on their own.
4. Stagger each child’s alarm setting to different times to minimize contention for the bathroom in the morning.
5. Use Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® on each child’s bed to minimize your efforts with tucking them in, re-covering them at night, and for the bed to look nice all day after the kids awaken refreshed.

Morning Routine

1. Set priorities on all resources like the bathroom, kitchen toaster, hair dryers etc.
2. Review each child’s plans and schedule for the day to assure all needs will be met.
3. Have a routine, be organized and communicate among all members of the family regarding their individual necessities.
4. Have all shoes, boots and coats in a central location. Maintain winter gloves in a box or drawer close by so everyone can get out on time.
5. Be sure to send everyone out the door with love.

Longer Term Routines

1. Maintain a master calendar displayed in a location for all to see, such as the front of the refrigerator door. Post events to this calendar at the time you are first aware of the occasion.
2. Plan the week’s lunches for each child with appropriate funding or the right lunch box items. Buy ahead in bulk so you have adequate supplies.
3. Weekends are for clothes washing, food purchasing, and bigger homework projects.
4. Make lists of “to do” items and assign responsibilities with due dates, then check them off as they are accomplished.

Before it is all said and done, because that never happens, make time for yourself. You must allocate personal time to accomplish those things that are a priority in your own life. Exercise is a key ingredient to survival during these critical years with children at home. Working moms need to carve out a niche of time each day to restore their own sanity and maintain good health.

Mom, tell us what must have makes your morning, night or daily routine go off without a hitch? Share in the comments below!

It’s all about personal discipline. You must not let your emotions run your life. But rather, maintain a positive attitude toward every situation regardless how confusing it may seem at the moment.

Organization is the key to success.  Keep your family home decent and in order with stuff put away. Someone once said, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Have a plan for how you will approach each responsibility and task.

Make to do lists. This is the starting point for good organization. Have a plan and work the plan. Make a list of everything you can think of that will need to be accomplished in the upcoming weeks. If it is all in your head only it is just a wish list. Then make daily lists from this and enjoy crossing off the items when completed.

Prioritize the items on each to do list. Importance is not just what is significant, but also timely. Minor items may have a deadline so they need to be gotten out of the way. For example, if you are going to the store, what else can you accomplish while you’re in that area of town, even if it is a lower priority. Then it’s done and off the list. Prioritizing allows you to identify shortcuts you can use.

Don’t procrastinate as it may increase the effort required. Putting off until tomorrow what needs to be done today may actually make more work for you. It may reduce the window of time you have to complete the job creating increased anxiety for you. Furthermore, you may find you don’t have everything you need to do the task and have to run an errand to get needed supplies. The process may have gone smoother had you addressed it sooner and planned what was needed.

Fix problems immediately. Along with not procrastinating, it is wise to address problems in life ASAP. This is sometimes difficult to do but the dirty deed will need to be done eventually anyway. This gets it off your mind and truly lightens your load. You can shortcut a lot of issues by flattening a problem immediately.

Delegate tasks. This is a great way to lighten your load even more and to teach discipline and responsibility to your children.

Be thorough, but not necessarily perfect. Do a complete job at whatever you do but don’t make work for yourself by going beyond what is required. Many people are near paranoid about everything being “just right.” Sometimes “good enough” is adequate for the situation. This is a good loophole.

Ask for help and offer help. Build a working relationship with neighbors and parents of your children’s friends. Don’t be shy about asking them to help you out in a pinch and reciprocate by offering to assist them when needed. This is another good loophole.

Use the tools available. Utilize the Internet for information regarding just about everything. Identify all frequently needed websites and bookmark them. Use time saving products like Tuckright Blanket Suspenders® on each child’s bed to minimize your efforts with tucking them in, re-covering them at night, and for the bed to look nice all day after the kids awaken refreshed. This is a good shortcut to reduce your effort.

Rest when you are tired, eat properly and exercise. They call them cat naps. When you are tired, isolate yourself and grab some time to just let your body relax a bit. Be certain to eat right each day and to get at least a little exercise consistently.

What shortcuts and loopholes do you use in your household for making back to school easier? Share with us in the comments below!