Learn How to Make Rainbow Loom Bracelets
On Christmas Eve, my 2 tween nieces sat in my living room and made Rainbow Loom bracelets all night. They were laughing and talking and having the best time together creating these little rubber band bracelets, it was very cute to watch. I wanted to be part of their little “club” on the living room floor. They were so intent and focused in on their bracelet making, but they were also just having so much FUN together.
Guess what I did? I joined in.
My nieces sat and taught me how to make a basic bracelet, a fishtail bracelet and a flower charm. It was really fun sitting there, working with my hands and just gabbing away with my nieces. I will admit this… I totally caught the Rainbow Loom bug!
The Rainbow Loom has been trending online since this summer, I just had never learned how to make anything. Each of my sons have had a Loom since October and they love to make the fishtails, but I had never sat down with them and had them teach me. Well… (drum roll) now I know how to make a bunch of things and it’s so much fun. I shared (above) a really interesting and creative bracelet… the Hexafish Bracelet. It’s complex, yet (shockingly) pretty easy to make.
Believe me, you’ll have a blast sitting with your tween, chatting away and making these little rubber band bracelets. Bonding time and girl time!
Thanks Amanda! What a great review of FPgirl :)
We love when our fans share their love of FPgirl!
This video from Amanda captures the excitement, passion and creativity beautifully!
Keep sending your videos and reviews! We love them!
Get More Organized in 2014
I don’t know about you but when a new year rolls around I often feel like I need to purge, almost how I felt when I had that pregnancy nesting stage. I’ve felt that way the last few weeks and now that it’s 2014, it’s time to stop thinking about what I want to do and really kick it into gear.
If you feel that way too, maybe these suggestions will help you and your family get organized so you can begin the new year fresh. It’s always great to start out with a clean slate, and by decluttering your surroundings, you’re also making room for creative ideas, fun adventures and new family experiences!
ELECTRONIC DECLUTTER
One of the very first things I suggest is an ‘electronic declutter.’ Clean out all those emails that you thought you’d get to over the year. If it’s been sitting in your inbox for 6-9 months and you haven’t needed to look at it, toss that email into your recycle bin. Any others that you might think are semi-important but can’t seem to throw out, make a 2013 folder and put them in there. You can toss them later.
I also create new folders for the year. This way, any new documents I create will be saved somewhere in 2014. I sub-label folders within 2014 according to topic: Family, Money, Vacation, Work, Misc… you get the idea. There is a place for everything.
Take some time to delete those photos from your phone that you don’t need. You know the ones - those that you have 8 duplicates of the same pose. Get rid of them - they are taking up much needed storage space on your phone.
Back up ALL of your documents from 2013 onto an external hard drive. You don’t want to lose this information. Take time now to go through these documents and if there are any that you absolutely DON’T need, throw them out.
KITCHEN DECLUTTER
This one is where I should start first, because it would probably be the easiest. Start by opening your fridge and tossing old salad dressings. You know you’ve got at least two or three that are OLD. What else is in there that you can get rid of? Check way in the back. Moldy cheese? Dried up fruit?
Once you clear out the old items you haven’t used in the last 3 - 6 months in your fridge, move to the pantry and the cabinets. You’ll feel so good after getting rid of products that have expired that you didn’t even know you had. And then, just go ahead and straighten up that Tupperware cabinet. That task seriously takes about five minutes but it’s LIFE-CHANGING to see those cute little storage bins lined up neatly when you’re done. Even if you get nothing else done in the kitchen, these two tasks will make you feel productive, and I’ll bet that by getting started, you’ll be motivated to move on to more cabinets!
CLOSETS & DRAWER ORGANIZATION
This is where you’ll want to enlist the kids. You’re fresh off the holidays so no doubt their rooms are a bit messy. Remind them of the nice gifts they received and explain to them how some families aren’t so lucky. Then tell them to go through their closets and drawers and find all the clothes they’ve outgrown and all of the toys they no longer play with and to put them in a pile because you’re going to donate them. If they don’t jump in to offer their help immediately, the next option is to use some bribery. Suggest maybe that if they help out, you’ll take them to a movie, or maybe they’ll get more time on the computer (playing on FPgirl.com!).
It’s definitely hard to get into the mindset of organizing and decluttering but once you get your house into shape, everything else starts to fall into place. To declutter your visual surroundings, you’ll be able to declutter your internal surroundings. You’ll find the inner calmness to bring in a beautiful 2014, and don’t you want that for you and your family?
About the Author:
Stephanie Elliot, in no particular order, is a wife, writer, blogger, book reviewer, editor and mother to three kids, two who have already been tweens, and one who is right smack in the middle of his tween-ness. Her oldest son is almost driving and her daughter survived her tween years so Stephanie must be doing something right. Find out more at http://stephanieelliot.com
Sunday Inspiration!
This was circulating throughout Facebook all last week and I LOVED seeing it. Such true and powerful words for a New Year!
I thought this was very appropriate for a Sunday Inspiration kick-off for the New Year!
Passion(s)… it’s what we all need to inspire our children to find!
Fashion Friday: MAD FOR PLAID on 2014
Looks like the biggest trend for 2014 is going to be PLAID!
Plaid anything.
Plaid shoes.
Plaid blouses.
Plaid sweaters.
Plaid socks.
Plaid hats.
Plaid scarves.
Plaid handbags.
Plaid skirts.
Plaid dresses.
Plaid. Plaid. And more plaid.
I remember the last time plaid was a big trend was back in the 1990′s! It was the Clueless days…
… and it was a “high-fashion” time for tweens and teens! 
What do you think about plaid being a BIG trend for 2014? Are you happy about this?
5 Great Apps for Moms and Dads of Tweens (and Teens)
Let’s face it, it’s a digital world.
My iPhone is always with me. I joke with my kids that it’s like my “6th” child. I use it every single day - for calls, blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.
I’m also an app-lover! I love how apps - right on my phone - can make my life easier. From recipes to celebrity news to fitness to health to crafting to fashion… there is an app for everything. I literally have about 50 apps on my iPhone right now!
Today on our Parents Connection blog, I wanted to share 5 GREAT Apps for Moms and Dads of Tweens (and Teens). You may already have some of these, but if you don’t - these are definitely worth a try!
1) iCurfew — iCurfew is an easy way for kids and parents to check-in with each other remotely. Kids simply use iCurfews to send their location to their parents in an email. Whether kids are at the movies, at a friends house, or across the world, they can check-in using iCurfew on cell data networks or Wifi. For moms and dads with tweens and teens, this app is invaluable. It’s a wonderful way to keep in touch.
2) Good Food Near You - GoodFoodNearYou helps you easily find the best choices available at the restaurants nearby. In one simple location based search GoodFoodNearYou delivers the lowest calorie item at the twenty restaurants near you. Click on a search result to see the full nutrition information for that menu item, a map to the location, the menu of that restaurant, and the nutrition information for every menu item. You can sort your search results by closest distance, lowest calories, lowest carbs or lowest fat. This is wonderful if you’re on a road trip with your family and want to eat healthy options.
3) My 365 - Daily images and pictures are posted in a calendar that can be shared via Twitter or Facebook with friends and family. Wonderful for busy parents to keep and cherish moments and memories - especially as the kids get older and into the tween stage!
4) ShopSavvy - With ShopSavvy, you’ll be able to:
- Scan or Search to find the lowest prices guaranteed
- Create and share lists of your favorite products with your favorite people!
- Discover awesome items from the Popular Products page and Featured Lists
- Set price alerts and never miss a good deal again
- Read comprehensive product descriptions and customer reviews
You know tweens and teens love to shop, here is a way to get the best deal!
5) Coupons.com - Coupons.com is a giant when it comes to offers for groceries and everyday items, and its app makes it easy to access the deals on the go. Coupon savings arrive in three ways: e-mail that’s printed from your computer, printed from your mobile device (works only with an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch and certain HP printers), or added to your store loyalty card to scan at checkout. It all depends on the deal.
Feeding your family gets expensive, especially as the kids get older. This is a great app to help you save money on groceries and essentials for your household.
Make the last day of 2013 count!
2013… in just a few hours, it will be over.
For the last 9 years, I’ve taken an hour on every New Year’s Eve to recap my year and make goals for the next year ahead. There’s nothing like looking back throughout the years to see my personal and my professional growth.
Make today count! Do something you’ve been wanting to do ALL year. Reflect on your year and get yourself ready for 2014!!
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