How to Make an Easy Kite out of Household Objects

Last year at a church picnic, someone brought kites and Caden loved flying them. Ever since the weather has warmed, he has been asking to go kite flying. Originally I planned on buying him one, until I came across a tutorial on Inner Child Fun on how to make an easy kite. We followed the steps together one by one in their video.



The best part about making this easy kite is it's adaptable to what you have on hand. We used Popsicle sticks instead of skewers, gift wrapping ribbon instead of streamers, and baker's twine instead of string. I also let the boys add stickers and washi tape for decoration.

The day we made the kites was snowy, so on Sunday we decided to try them out because it was windy and we had been cooped up all weekend due to cold weather and sickness. The boys had a blast! The wind wasn't consistent so the kites didn't stay up very long, but it was an excellent lesson in patience and perseverance.

Then Daddy came home and helped.

Making easy kites out of household objects was the perfect activity for practicing different skills, spending time outdoors, and having fun as a family!

"Girl" by DateNight, with Lyrics by My Brother!

Musical talent runs in the family. My dad sings and was in a band for many years. My cousin also sings and is in a band with her husband. And my brother is a rapper. But what I didn't know about him was that he is also a songwriter and wrote the lyrics to this cute love song. Enjoy!

The Civility Experiment

This video really touched me today. Have a great weekend!

Let "Let It Go" Go!

This is exactly how I feel about the song! I'm glad the hype has gone down a lot lately. (I originally discovered and wanted to share this weeks ago, when I was still being bombarded on Facebook with YouTube videos of kids singing and on my blog feed with Frozen party ideas, but couldn't get it to post on the iPad.) How do you feel about the song?

"Let It Go" - Mom Parody

Although I am a little tired of this song, I couldn't resist sharing this cute parody with you!

Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury

We are big How to Train Your Dragon fans. Today I found and watched this short holiday video with Caden on Netflix and I loved it! I even got teary eyed. (Man, ever since I became a mother I turned into such a sap.) Anyway, I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it!

"This Is What I Want"

My favorite scene from the movie Mona Lisa Smile.

Living in the Light Book Review

There are many people close to me who battle depression, and although I am not clinically depressed, I am easily discouraged and often lack motivation. So when I was presented with the opportunity to review a book about fighting depression, I said yes. I'm glad I did.

Living in the Light: How to Fight Through the Darkness of Depression and Anxiety, by Lacey A. West and Gary L Anderson, offers simple (but not necessarily easy!) and realistic solutions that apply to everyone wanting to change their thoughts and attitudes for the better. It is also a great book for those with family and friends who are depressed so they can understand depression better and learn how to help their loved ones.



Smiles
*Easy, well written read.
*Supported by lots of reputable sources, both scientific and spiritual. (Note: Although any Christian could read and gain from this book, it is written from an LDS perspective and includes LDS scripture and doctrine.)
*Invites readers to take action through specific exercises and activities.
*Offers encouragement and hope.
*Provides real-life examples, both from Lacy's life and Dr. Anderson's patients.

Frowns
*None.

Learn more about Living in the Light--due out January 8, 2013--on its official site, Facebook, and Lacey's blog. You can pre-order it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Teaching Children To Be

Great parenting advice from a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Mom, Mom, Mom"

(Not the best quality, but the only one without ads.)

I've never watched Family Guy, but I've seen this clip. This is so my son right now! He also will say "hi, hi, hi"over and over until I say "hi" back.

For Harry Potter Fans

How to Play with Your Newborn Baby

When Bugaboo was born, I didn't know what to do with him. My friend shared this video with me and now I would like to share it with you. Number nine made me laugh! Other ideas on how to play with your newborn:

• playing or singing with hand/finger puppets
• gently bouncing on an exercise ball
• checking the mail or taking a short walk and pointing at things as you pass by
• watching something rhythmic like a ceiling fan, mobile, or fire
• looking at photos of family members
• looking at black and white pictures of shapes and patterns
• making silly faces
• imitating your baby's sounds