Here are some of the best recent articles on parenting and kids:

Creative Parenting Tips and Tricks: Creative Parenting Tips and Tricks via Family from SC Johnson

The Best Part of Parenting: The Best Part of Parenting via New York Times Parenting Blog

Tips for Keeping Kids Busy: Ways to Entertain the Kids While You Work was recently featured on christiancounselingdegree.org

Fun Travel Activities for Kids: Top 5 Kids’ Travel Activities via Travel-Tot

A Safe New Years

Thanks for the post, Jennifer Mcconnell

New Year’s is a festive wind down to the extensive holiday season. It is a time to look back on the year that has passed, and look ahead with hope at the year to come. Many may go to bars and clubs and celebrate with numerous rounds of drinks. Although, it may be just as festive and as enjoyable getting together with a few friends and enjoying the festivities with a small party.

While this will not be quite as exciting as the bar scene, it will offer a more personal and safer environment. Just be sure to set your Allhomesecurity security alarm Everyone can bring a favorite dish to pass and even the recipe and/or ingredients for their favorite beverage. The children can even join in the fun, while the hour remains appropriate. This will allow for the reminiscence of many great memories, and lets everyone begin the year with with new, happy memories.

New Years’ can be dangerous when individuals indulge a little too much with the beverages and then decide to drive. Going to a get together with friends will assure that no one gets behind the wheel while they have been drinking. The individual can either catch a ride home with a sober person from the party, or they can sleep on a sofa for the evening.

However one chooses to celebrate, be safe, and avoid driving after consuming alcohol.

Once upon a time (before I was a mom) I thought it was fun to go out and shop around at various stores.  I’d have an item that I wanted and I would shop around at different stores checking out prices and trying to find the best deal.  It was fun to me to go to the stores and actually shop.

Now?  I’m a mom and while I still enjoy shopping it has changed quite a bit for me.  I prefer to do my shopping from home, right in front of my computer.  Hailey can happily play with her toys while I do my shopping and price comparisons at home.  Then we’re both happy.  There is no getting her in and out of her car seat 20 times per day.  Or fighting with her to stay in her stroller while I shop.  Or listening to the whining and complaining.  You moms know what I’m talking about!

So before you make your next purchase why not check out shopping online and see what kind of deals you can find!

Guest written by our friend Katie Callahan

Every Christmas, my family and I play a fun game we call the “Christmas Lights Game.” We do this whenever we can. Sometimes we play it when we are already out running errands. Other times, we leave our house, setting our Security Choice home alarm in the process, and go to our family car.

The rules of the game are this. While driving around, we look for Christmas lights and decorations. When someone spots a house with lights, he or she calls out “Christmas Lights!” He or she is then awarded one point. If they call out “Christmas Lights” and there are no lights there, they get minus one point – this prevents people from simply constantly yelling out Christmas Lights to get all the points. The player who gets the most points (by noticing the most houses with decorations) “wins” the game and gets to decide where we go for dinner, or some other prize.

We don’t always make looking at Christmas lights a competitive endeavor. Sometimes it’s just fun driving around and simply looking at the great displays. There are a number of houses in our town that are well-known for the majesty and complexity of their Christmas decorations, so we always make it a point every year to check out these homes and see if they’ve upgraded. Whatever we do, looking at lights and decorations is a holiday tradition that we all enjoy.