August is Family Fun Month

As parents prepare to send the kids back to school, make time to enjoy some family time together during August, celebrated as Family Fun Month. Enjoy backyard kickball or pull out the sprinkler for some family water fun. These 10 suggestions will help you celebrate Family Fun Month with your little ones.

Go Fishing. Grab your fishing poles, head to the nearest lake or river and spend a lazy day fishing together. It doesn't matter if you catch anything or not -- it's all about making memories.

Take a family bike ride. Check the air in the tires and hit your favorite bike trail. Don't forget to wear helmets for protection.

Visit a children's museum. Hands-on fun and learning go together at children's museums. Your kids will love being able to touch everything. You'll love to see them learn as they play.

Bake cookies or cupcakes. A little treat now and then is fun for all ages. Find a kid-friendly recipe on my Pinterest Cupcakes board or pick up a box mix.

Play a board game. It may be old school, but the kids will love playing a family game of Monopoly, Life, Candy Land or Chutes & Ladders. Begin a game night tradition in your family.

Go camping. Head to your nearest state park for a camping adventure. All you need is a tent, sleeping bags and a cooler filled with food. Add a lantern and deck of cards for fun after dark.

Visit a park or playground. It's free to enjoy your local park or playground. See who can swing the highest, slide down the slides together and enjoy fresh air family fun.

Go skating. Many skating rinks offer beginner classes for all ages. Our local skating rink also rents Skate Mates that make it easy for the little ones to skate "all by myself."

Enjoy a last blast of summer water fun. Head to the beach and bring the buckets. Visit the ocean or a nearby lake. Spending a day at the beach is a great way to bid summer farewell.

Take a family road trip. Visit your favorite amusement park, your state's capital, a nearby zoo or relatives who live out of town. Bring along some kid music to listen to in the car and play travel games while you're on the road.

Whether you hit the road or stay close to home, enjoy family fun with your little ones during August and celebrate Family Fun Month.

Summer Fun for Kids of All Ages

 

As the days of summer slide by, take time to make summertime memories with your family before school time rolls around. Whether you enjoy a morning walk on the beach, a picnic lunch at your favorite local park or an afternoon hike in the mountains, spending time together can be as much fun for mom and dad as it is for the kids.

These fun summertime ideas will help you with your late summer family fun planning.

Hit the pool. Spend a hot summer day at your favorite municipal swimming pool. Relive your glory days by jumping off the diving board. Teach your kids to swim underwater or show the little ones how to dog paddle. After a day in the sun, be sure to enjoy a frozen treat before you head home.

Blow bubbles. Pick up a few bottles of bubbles and spend some quality time in your own backyard. See who can blow the biggest bubble, the smallest bubble and the bubble with the most parts. Let mom and dad take a turn too.

Play at the park. It may be hot outdoors, but your kids will still enjoy time at their favorite local park. If it's really hot out, visit the park early in the morning to beat the summer heat or wait until later in the day.

Cool down inside. Visit your nearest children's museum and enjoy the AC on a hot summer day. Kids love hands-on fun and they're learning as they play.

Take a hike. It's cooler under the trees out in the woods. Grab hiking sticks and hit the trail. Enjoy nature and see what interesting things you can find.

Go fishing. Head to the nearest lake or river and teach your kids how to catch the big ones. If there's a fish hatchery near you, take the time to learn how rangers supply local fishing spots with fish to catch. Many fishing sites have catch and release programs if you don't want to take your catch home.

Hit the road. Take a family road trip to somewhere you've never been. Whether you visit a historic site, explore your state or head to the beach, mountains or lake, spending time together is priceless.

Celebrate summer with ice cream. Visit your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt shop or make your own ice cream cones at home. Ice cream treats will light up your child's eyes and make happy memories of summertime fun.

Summer will be over before you know it. Gather the kids, make a list and get out to enjoy some late summer family time together this week.

Get Ready for Halloween with Walmart

Whether your Halloween includes spooky and ghoulish teens, cute and cuddly tots or a group of fun-loving friends, you'll find everything that you need for a spook-tacular Halloween at Walmart. 

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so it’s all about the party. Most of us will attend or host at least one party this Halloween. Some busy parents will host or attend a family Halloween gathering, school party, community trunk-or-treat event and an adults-only Halloween bash.

Instead of running from store to store to find Halloween costumes, accessories, food and party needs, head to Walmart and pick up everything in one place -- at prices that won't break the bank.

Knowing what families need for Halloween, Walmart has stocked the shelves with exclusive candies like the new Pecan Pie M&Ms and Pumpkin Spice Ghirardelli Caramels, as well as tried-and-true favorites. 

Walmart also carries a large selection of costumes for kids of all ages, as well as costumes for mom and dad. For the first time ever, Walmart.com will have 200 costumes available through the Pick Up Today service – including the top licensed costumes for kids such as Avengers, Star Wars and Ant Man.

Top Halloween Costumes for 2015

Kids -- Girls Costumes

• Frozen Elsa Classic Child Halloween Costume with Locket
• Rubies Batgirl Tutu Child Halloween Costume
• Dorothy Child Halloween Costume
• Purple/Orange Lite-up Witch Child Halloween Costume
• Pink Batgirl Child Halloween Costume
• Rubies Supergirl Tutu Child Halloween Costume
• Frozen Elsa Deluxe Child Halloween Costume
• Pink Power Ranger Dino Charge Classic Child Halloween Costume
• The Dark Knight Rises Deluxe Catwoman Child Halloween Costume 

Kids -- Boys Costumes

• Star Wars Ep 7 Kylo Ren Child Halloween Costume
• Antman Child Halloween Costume
• Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Deluxe Leonardo Child Halloween Costume
• Red Power Ranger Dino Charge Classic Muscle Child Halloween Costume
• Star Wars Darth Vadar Child Halloween Costume
• Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Deluxe Michelangelo Child Halloween Costume
• Halo Master Chief Classic Muscle Child Halloween Costume
• Gold Power Ranger Dino Charge Classic Muscle Child Halloween Costume
• Blue Power Ranger Dino Charge Classic Muscle Child Halloween Costume

Baby

• Oatmeal Bear Infant Halloween Costume
• Pumpkin Tutu Infant Halloween Costume
• Elephant Infant Halloween Costume
• Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Infant Halloween Costume
• Baby Red Riding Hood Infant Halloween Costume
• Cow Infant Halloween Costume
• Pinky Winky Infant Halloween Costume
• Dalmation Infant Halloween Costume
• Pink Pansy Infant Halloween Costume

Looking for just the right touches for your teen's Halloween party? You'll find creepy makeup kits, frighfully realistic Halloween decor items and everything your teen needs to create the spookiest haunted yard in the neighborhood.

Be sure to grab Halloween plates, napkins and a few extra trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets to hang from shepherd's hooks in front of your house.

Class mamas coordinating school Halloween parties can fill a basket with trick-or-treat bags, bagged candy, prizes and even a cute wreath for the classroom door.

You'll find all the fixings to create your family's favorite Halloween snacks. Let the kiddos help make Mummy Dogs, Witches Fingers, Eyeball Cupcakes and other frightful treats or keep it simple with Halloween themed bowls filled with crackers, chips and candy. Add a frozen pizza or two and you're all set.

No Halloween is complete without pumpkins. Big or small, real or plastic, Walmart's got you covered. Pick up a pumpkin carving kit or two and watch the kids create the best jack-'o-lantern ever.

Halloween memories remain long after the candy's all gone. The big day will be here before you know it, so make your Halloween plans and leave the rest to Walmart.

Disclosure: This blog post was sponsored by Walmart; however, all opinions expressed are my own.

Summertime is the Best Time of the Year

Summertime is the best time of year,

Seeing the sunshine fills me with cheer,

Fresh mowed grass and scent of grilling,

Cookouts and ice cold drinks that are chilling.

No school to fill the time with homework, 

Time to ride bikes and enjoy the perks, 

Honeysuckle wafting through the air, 

Flowers blooming everywhere.

Whether as a child or as a mother, 

I enjoy time with sisters and brothers, 

Laughing and going here and there, 

More food to eat, less clothes to wear.

We fix meals together, focused on sweets, 

Choosing dessert before thinking about meats, 

To the store we go over and over each day, 

For things we forgot like chocolate, YAY!

But the best thing of all about summer's long days, 

Are the trips that we take to the ocean's big waves, 

Watching the sun rise at the start of the day, 

Riding the waves, up, up, up, and away.

When the sun goes down as the day is all done, 

We know that we've had a full day of fun, 

Tomorrow brings a new day with sun shining bright, 

To fill each moment with every delight.

So come on summer, you're almost here, 

So close I can almost smell the summertime cheer, 

The beach is calling and I must go, 

Oh sweet summertime, I love you so!

- Originally published June 6, 2012 on Yahoo! Voices by Sandy Wallace

How Mommy Blogging Has Changed Parenting

Back in the day, parents kept kids occupied and amused using the same tried-and-true methods their parents had used. You could tell which houses had kids from the backyard swingsets, sandboxes and riding toys in the yard.

Kids made their own fun and parents were just there in case something went wrong. Most kids spent long days outside when the weather was nice and enjoyed playing outdoors until dark in the summer.

Cold winter days meant bundling kids up in snowsuits, digging out hats and gloves and sending them outside to play. Afterwards, there were mugs of hot cocoa for the kids and cleanup for moms.

Most outdoor family photos were posed pictures of the kids in front of the house, on the deck or playing in the backyard.

Rainy days were harder for parents back in the day. Sometimes kids played with toys or played board games. If the kids got bored, moms might pull out the craft box. Indoor craft time usually involved something messy like painting.

Parents today don't have to come up with their own ideas to keep the kids busy. Mommy bloggers have changed parenting life. Pick a blog, any blog and you'll find lots of creative ways for kids to have fun. Sensory play, unique craft ideas and ways to make learning fun are some of the things you'll find on the thousands of mommy blogs out in the blogosphere.

Mommy bloggers know there's no need to stay indoors when it's raining. Google "rainy day fun" and you'll find about 33,000 results, many linked to a mommy blog.

Many mommy bloggers remind today's moms to enjoy the simple things in life, sharing happy family photos of picture-perfect kids having fun.

You can find fun new outdoor games on your favorite mommy blog. You'll also find new ways to make everyday activities more fun.

Riding bikes is a timeless way for families to have fun together. It's easy to bring the little ones along with strap-on baby seats, bike trailers, tag-alongs, tandem bikes and family cargo bikes. You'll find lots of ideas from mommy bloggers who write about life as a biking family.

You can find lots of mommy bloggers to follow on Pinterest, where they share their best ideas and cute posed family photos.

Follow easy craft and activity instructions from your favorite mommy bloggers and your home will become like a resort, filled with activities and fun for kids of all ages.

You can find footprint craft ideas to create perfect gifts from the little ones to their grandparents. What grandma wouldn't love a flower pot with her grandbabies' footprints on it!

Find crafts for every season on your favorite mommy blogs. Winter, spring, summer or fall craft ideas range from simple seasonal pictures to unique ideas you'd probably not think of on your own.

There's no need to buy another greeting card ever again. Lots of mommy bloggers share their favorite greeting card instructions to help moms and kids create one-of-a-kind greeting cards.

Pick a holiday, any holiday -- and you'll find cute and original ways to make desserts that your family will love.

Most of all, mommy bloggers celebrate the timeless love of a mother and child. Whether your children are toddlers or teens, family love lasts forever.

Whether your kids are little or big, becoming a mommy blogger offers moms the opportunity to share their real lives with followers or to relive the good old days.

Even tech-savvy grandparents can jump on the mommy blog bandwagon. I've been a mommy blogger for several years. Mommy blogging wouldn't have worked for my Mom though -- she didn't like computers!

Mommy blogging -- it's here to stay, at least for now. Until the next big thing comes along, follow along with me on Twitter and you'll find the best of parenting. From old memories walking down mommy memory lane to recipes and parenting tips, mommy blogging is what it's all about. Parenting is the place where fun never ends.