Perfectly Imperfect Mom

  Summertime is upon us and if you’re like me, you must be wondering how to occupy the kiddos to curb summer boredom (trust me, it’s coming) and save your own sanity.

The plan? Weekly summer themes.

Hear me out.

I’m a planner. I work better with a schedule and so do my children. My children have never attended camp because I make summer both fun and educational (I can’t help it! I’m a teacher!).

Weekly summer themes can be incorporated anywhere, even with vacations. It works for children of all ages and with both free and expensive activities. All you need is a bit of planning and some research. 
Let me break it down:

These are the weekly themes I came up with for this summer, with some help from my kids: Zachary, 8, and Oakley, 4:
You can be as specific or vague as you want with your themes. When my daughter was younger, I was broader with the themes to incorporate activities for both age groups. For example, last summer we had a week of transportation so my son could read up on submarines and space shuttles while my daughter learned about the different types of transportation we use in the air, on land, and to sail the seas.

Once you have your themes, now comes the research. With every theme, we go to the library once a week. It allows for quiet time, it’s free, it’s in the air conditioning, and it lets us chose books that help us learn about that week’s theme. We look for both fiction and non-fiction books.

Next, I think about local attractions and events that may accommodate our theme. Some of these are easy, like going to the science museum for science week or seeing the fireworks for the Fourth of July for the week focusing on America. 

But it helps to think outside the box here. You don’t want to necessarily go to the same attractions your family would go to on a regular weekend. I like to find something we rarely do or even something we’ve never tried before.

For example, we plan to try the glass blowing demonstration in Hollywood, as it’s something they’ve never seen and we’ve wanted to try. 

Summer is known for being kid-friendly so flipping through a local parenting magazine, such as South Florida Parenting, or searching online for a few keywords or even on Pinterest, can give you a multitude of ideas for your themes.

I like to look up free or cheap options to help keep costs down so we can often be found free museum days or at local parks with a magnifying glass. You could choose to just do a few weeks this summer.

Weekly summer themes can be as detailed as you want them to be. Have fun and happy summer!
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Today I am so excited to welcome Roxie Reynolds from I Heart Dreaming to Guest Post on Perfectly Imperfect Mom today. She is talking about one of my favorite places, Disney World! 
Hello, my name is Roxie Reynolds. I’m a Disney obsessed college student from South Carolina. If you’re also a Disney fan come check out my blog I Heart Dreaming, where you may find anything from “Best resorts for families of 5 or more” to “50 Ways to Make Walt Disney World More Romantic”. You can also find me on Facebook , I Heart Disney Facebook Group, and Twitter. 

Character meals are one of the best parts about eating at Disney. Children love to meet their favorite characters while enjoying Disney’s famously delicious food options. Breakfast is the perfect choice for a character meal because the excitement and magic will set the tone for the day. Always book your character meals as far in advance as possible. Disney recommends at least 180 days in advance. 

5. Animal Kingdom Tusker House 

If you’re starting your day at Disney World in the Animal Kingdom, consider booking a character breakfast at the Tusker House. This popular restaurant is located in the Africa section in Animal Kingdom at the Harambe Marketplace. At this breakfast you will get to hobnob with Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Goofy and Mickey Mouse. The best part is each character will be decked out in safari gear -- fitting outfits for the environment. The restaurant is buffet-style and features a mix of classic American breakfast favorites and interesting African choices. You will find eggs, mickey waffles, quiche, and cereal right alongside basmati rice with lemon, cinnamon and cardamom and a tasty coconut sweet potato casserole. The ambiance is one of the biggest draws. The buffet is found in a “plaza-like” enclosure with colorful cloths slung up in the thatched roof. 
Expect to pay around $18 for a kid’s breakfast and $30 for adults. 

4. Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare

This tongue-twister breakfast is located at the Disney’s Grand Floridian resort in the popular 1900 Park Fare restaurant. If you’re looking for a character breakfast in a sweet environment, this one is for you. The restaurant is fully decorated in a “fancy”, Victorian carousel theme. The room is awash in crèmes, pinks, and golds with impressive carousel statues scattered throughout. Look for the large, elaborate organ called “Big Bertha”. Kids will get to meet and take photos with unique characters such as Alice, the Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Tigger, and Winnie the Pooh. The food is classic and sure to please everyone. In the buffet you’ll find an array of fruits, pastries, pancakes, bacon, and eggs, but the most famous item on the menu is the strawberry soup, so make sure you give that a try. 
Expect to pay around $13 for a kid’s breakfast and $25 for adults. 

3. Crystal Palace 

Your morning at The Magic Kingdom Park can get off to a truly magical start with the character breakfast The Crystal Palace. This Disney favorite was designed to emulate an 1800’s Victorian Greenhouse with sweeping white architecture, expansive windows, and plenty of topiaries and tropical palms. You’ll find Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and Winnie the Pooh making their way through this sunny breakfast spot, entertaining kids and posing for pictures. The breakfast is buffet-style and features fresh fruit, cereal, pastries, eggs, and the popular build-your-own omelet station. 
Expect to pay around $15 for a kid’s breakfast and $25 for adults. 

2. Chef Mickey’s 

Chef Mickey’s has always been the most popular character dining destination at Disney, and with good reason: it’s a total classic. One benefit to Chef Mickey’s over some of the other restaurants is that the restaurant serves both breakfast and brunch. Having the brunch option is nice for those days when the family needs to sleep in a little to get extra rest. The characters at Chef Mickey’s are the classic Disney favorites: Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto. Each character is dressed up in chef jackets and hats, which adds to the fun atmosphere. Chef Mickey’s is not a relaxing, quiet breakfast locale. Of all the character meals, Chef Mickey’s is the most rambunctious. Expect lots of laughter, music, singing, and general loud merriment. The décor at Chef Mickey’s is colorful and contemporary, which is perfect because the restaurant is located in the Contemporary Resort right outside the Magic Kingdom. The restaurant is easily accessed by the monorail, which just so happens to run directly through the restaurant. The fare is classic and American. 
Expect to pay $18 for a kid’s breakfast and $33 for adults. 

1. Cinderella's Castle

The breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle is a unique experience, and quite different from other options. First, this is the only breakfast included on this list that is not buffet style. The price of the meal is higher, but if your kids are interested in Disney princesses, the price is a small one to pay. At this breakfast, children will be greeted by the likes of Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White and Jasmine. Children are encouraged to dress up in their own princess/prince costumes. The venue of the restaurant is impressive since it is located right within the castle. You’ll have views of sweeping stone arches, rich carpeting, medieval style tapestries and flags, and glittering candelabras. The food on this menu is fancier which is befitting to the setting. You’ll find items such as caramel apple stuffed French toast, beef tenderloin and egg, and poached lobster and shrimp. 
Expect to pay around $35 for a child’s breakfast and $55 for adults.

I’m no stranger to air travel with kids.  We took our first airplane ride when our oldest daughter was 4 months old and she’s now been on over 100 airplanes and visited 9 states and 27 countries.  We’re now a family of five and as our family has grown, our luggage space seems to have shrunk and I’ve had to get creative with packing in order to avoid extra baggage fees.

Traveling in the summer months with kids is a big enough challenge, but traveling in the winter time AND during present giving season presents its own unique challenges!  Here are some tips for surviving holiday travel with kids:

• Pack light because the clothes are heavy.  Pack clothes for the whole family that can be worn multiple times like jeans and things that can layer and mix and match.  I am always tempted to pack extra clothes for the kids in case of spills and messes but I also know that pajamas tops can be used as emergency undershirts and things that aren’t soiled can be reworn if necessary.
• Pack all the hats, gloves and coats in a carry-on duffle bag.  This way you’ll have them all handy when you arrive at your destination and need them but you won’t have to manage multiple extra things at security and when boarding/deplaning.
• Leave the big and heavy gifts for the kids at home. There is no need to lug unnecessary large or heavy items both ways.  Instead, take a picture of the gift for older kids or just a small part of the gift for younger kids to play with (this also helps prolong the holiday excitement when you get home!)
• Shop when you get there or online and ship ahead.  Instead of buying gifts for people where you’re traveling to, wait to shop until you get there (if you’ll have time) or order the items online and have them shipped directly to your destination.
• Leave room in your luggage for coming back.  If you’re visiting family for the holidays, you’ll most likely have gifts (or after-holiday shopping steals) to bring back and while you can ship them, I like to have extra room available in my suitcases.  I’ve used a few different strategies for having space including:

• Nesting suitcases.  Fill a small or mid-sized suitcase and pack it inside a larger suitcase or pack a soft sided duffle bag in your suitcase which gives you around twice the luggage space coming back and saves you from paying extra baggage fees.
• Take disposable items you’ll need.  When traveling in the summer I usually have my family pick up diapers and wipes for us but in the winter I usually take enough for the trip (and I always take our favorite snacks and baby food).  Once we’ve used up the diapers and eaten the snacks we have extra room in our suitcase to bring back our new treasures.
• Use expandable suitcases.  Most suitcases now have an expandable portion that zips out to give you more packing space.  I always leave it zipped up when we go so I’m guaranteed to have extra space coming back.
• Pack gifts.  Take the gifts you have for your family in your suitcase instead of shipping ahead so you have room to bring back the gifts they give you in exchange.
• Pack little travel surprises in the kids’ carry-ons.  I like to go to the dollar section of my favorite store and pick up little games, books and craft items to surprise the kids with on the plane.  During the holidays I try to get holiday themed items to help them get excited!

Bio:

About Melissa Roy:

I am a full time stay-at-home mommy to three, part time ballet teacher and dedicated author of Beyond Mommying.  I love traveling and sharing the world with my children which led to our decision to undertake homeschooling.  With a first grader, toddler and one in between, my mommying journey is never dull and constantly takes me new places and teaches me more than I ever thought I could know about love, patience and this big, confusing world we live in.  I have a B.A. in Dance Education and M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction focused in Early Childhood Education and use my skills and education to guide my mommy life.

• Is my child maximizing the weight limit on their crib?
• Is my child climbing out of the crib, in spite of having the mattress in the lowest position?
• Is my child pottying at night?

One of my favorite style inspirations is Merrick

One of the primary challenge that comes with hosting any kids’ birthday party is keeping all of those little ones busy until it’s time for their own parents to take them home. Between the excitement and the sugar contained in a typical birthday party just keeping up can be more than a parent can do. Games will wear them out, but choosing craft activities will give them an opportunity to be creative while they play, and may even leave them with a great souvenir to take home with them.

Puppets
Wendy Piersall
Finger puppets are great fun and each child can take home their own set! Use pipe cleaners or fabrics, and don’t forget the classic brown-paper-bag-puppets we all made when we were kids. For longer parties or sleep over celebrations, you could also have them decorate a cardboard puppet stage and come up with a show to put on before the end of the night. Flex that visual creativity AND their storytelling skills, while building a little story-time into the evening to mark the time to bring it to an end.

Mural
Manish Bansal
A mural is an excellent activity for kids, and something that your child can keep and decorate their room with to remind them of the great party you threw for them, and of all the friends who wanted to come and celebrate him or her. This is probably an activity best planned for outdoors or in the garage, but with the careful use of a tarp or a series of newspapers, it can be accomplished inside pretty safely. Remember to make sure that each child is getting a chance to participate and a space to work in, whether or not they’re the most artistic of the group.

T-Shirts
Artaxerxes
Decorating T-shirts is lots of fun, and each kid will have a specially made item to take home! Use crayons or grease pencils for younger kids to reduce the mess, but for an older group consider setting up outside for tie-dye. It’s really a very simple process, requiring only die and rubber bands, and anyone can do it. All you do is twist up a part of the blank T-shirt and put the rubber band around it, then dunk it into the color you want. Trial and error will lead them to the best combinations of colors and the patterns they prefer, so having a few blank shirts for each child is a good idea.

Kaleidoscopes
It's all about color
This does require a few more elements than most of the craft ideas proposed above, but your party guests will be blown away when you teach them to use mirrors and paper to make a homemade kaleidoscope! Let the kids cut up the colorful paper and decorate the outsides of their tubes, then learn about refracting light when it comes time to put together the mirror and enjoy the beautiful colors. Each one will be entirely unique, and the kids will love taking home the kaleidoscope they made themselves.

Ceramics
Working with clay is a great activity for kids as it gives them an opportunity to really get their hands dirty while being creative and productive, but it can seem impossible to accomplish at home, since a proper kiln should heat up to nearly 2000 degrees. However, there are some great no-fire or air-dry clays on the market. Ceramics made with these items won’t be waterproof or oven-safe, but they will be handmade and great for decoration or storing things like keys and change.

Author Info: Jenny Franklin is a mom, a party planner, and a freelance writer. She currently writes for PartyPail, girls' birthday party supplier.

There's some things you expect to tell your kids:  Be nice, don't hit, use your inside voice.  But there are other things that you find yourself saying as a parent that you never dreamed would come out of your mouth.

The list below are 30 things my friends and I never expected to say to our kids...but we did.

Don't lick your brother.
Don't pet the spiders.  They bite.
Don't hang off the bunk bed by your feet!
Don't hide apple cores under your mattress!
Don't pee in the lego box...EVER!
We don't kiss the computer screen--even if there are cute puppies on it.
We don't lick spilled milk off the floor!
We don't eat electricity.
We don't chew on sandpaper.
No, we can't have cake for dinner.
No, you can't ride the dogs.
No, you may not go on the roof!
No, you can't slide down the fire tower railing!
No, we can't swing from the balcony
No, you can't hang a rope off the ceiling fan and swing from it.
Get off the refrigerator!
No feet on the toilet!
Food in the trash stays in the trash! 
Yes, that does make a circle...but don't bite me again.
Take my bra off your head...that's not a toy.
The toilet plunger is not a gun.  Put it back.
The kitchen knives are not pirate swords!
Lollypops are not for sharing.
My shirt is not a kleenex!
Toy planes can't really fly.  If you throw them off the balcony, they break.
I'm sorry, I can't kiss the boo-boo on your tongue.  Maybe a hug will do?
If you climb up the walls, you get to clean the footprints off.
You have to stop digging there--you're exposing the foundation of our house.
Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato need to go back in the fridge now.
What do you mean you have gone to school all week without underwear!?


So, what's the strangest thing you've ever had to say to your children?

Don't forget to vote, just click below, easy as that!
 
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 Here’s a little about me: I have a 15 month old. I live on coffee. (That pretty much sums it up.) This is a post I wrote back in May regarding the infamous Time magazine cover. It’s just a reminder that as moms, we should all support each other, and do what works best for our families! (Chances are, you’re a better mom than you think!)

We’re All AP Moms

(originally posted on May 11, 2012) By now, you've all seen it. Or at least heard about it. The latest cover of Time magazine. (If
you've been living under a rockyou really have no idea what I'm talking about, please Google "time magazine breastfeeding cover") It's making waves across the country. Breastfeeding and La Leche League groupies are rejoicing in the fact that a child who looks old enough to be in middle school has a boob in his mouth. The "other" mommies at the playground are either 1) appalled by the inappropriate nature of this photograph, and/or 2) feeling mega mommy guilt for being unwilling or unable to do so themselves. I thought about bringing the debate over here. How old is too old for a child to be breastfed?! But, when I actually got a chance to read the article this afternoon, I was surprised to see that the article had very little to do with extended breastfeeding (ie: breast feeding past the age of one). It's actually about Dr. Bill Sears and his family (who are well known for The Baby Book, The Vaccine Book, etc.) and how parents take their attachment parenting (AP) philosophy to the extreme. I will admit, I kind of wanted to be one of those AP, super-crunchy moms. But things don't always work out as planned... Enough Mom guilt for one day, though! As it turns out, according to these "eight principles of attachment parenting":

• Preparation for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting
• Feed with Love and Respect
• Respond with Sensitivity
• Use Nurturing Touch
• Ensure Safe Sleep, Physically and Emotionally
• Provide Consistent Loving Care
• Practice Positive Discipline
• Strive for Balance in Personal and Family Life

Even though I'm not a stay-at-home Mom, won't breastfeed my son until he starts kindergarten, and will not co-sleep until he goes away to college... I am still an AP mom! (And so are you, provided you don't abandon your child at the grocery store. Anymore. That one time he really needed to be taught a lesson...)


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