1. Planning The Cruise – When you’ve narrowed your choices down by what you can afford, let your tween in on the planning phase. Gather brochures, library books about the areas you’ll be visiting and visit the online cruise sites. Many of the online sites provide video tours. The brochures and sites include information on what is available for children, tweens and teens to do on board, which is plays a big role in the choice of your cruise.
2. Buy Clothes – Choosing cruise attire will help your tween get in the mood for the activities on board, the excursions, the pool, etc.
3. Countdown The Days: As your cruise gets closer, mark off the days on your calendar or use an online countdown calendar. This increases the fun!
4. Music Downloads: Find music from the places you’ll be visiting and download it for your tween. Let them get an idea of what to look forward to.
5. Attend A Formal Dinner: Either prepare one at home or go to a formal restaurant so your tween is ready for formal nights on your upcoming cruise. It will make you all comfortable not having to remind them what fork to use, etc. Although mistakes are overlooked on cruises, it’s nice to at least know some of the basic manners.
6. Visit The Cruise Forum: Almost every cruise line has their own forum now. Join and/or visit to learn about what regular cruisers are sharing. There’s usually up to date information about the tween clubs on board.
7. Choose Excursions: Involve your tween with deciding on what excursions to take. Read about the rules and regulations carefully to see if there is an age limit.
8. Earn Money: Give your tween extra chores so s/he can earn some extra money for the cruise. There’s souvenirs, tween club sleepovers and other extras that are tempting. Provide the opportunity for them to make money so they can pay what they want.
9. Camera: Let your tween have their own camera and be responsible for it during your cruise. Find an inexpensive one at a yard sale, online or give them your hand-me-down. Let them practice taking photos before the cruise so they’re ready to shoot lots of their own when you’re on board and sight seeing.
10. Motion Sickness Items: Just in case, talk to your tween’s doctor about what is recommended for motion sickness. Buy it and bring it along.

We’re off on a Carnival Cruise within the next few weeks. This will be the third cruise for my 11 year old daughter. She’s enjoyed every one.

Do you have any questions or suggestions for tweens traveling on a cruise? Please leave a comment.

Here’s some ideas to make your mother and daughter sleepover party fun for the both of you:

Pajamas and Clothing

Let your daughter wear your women’s pajamas. Dress up in some weird outfits. Do makeovers.

Junk Food

Get out the junk food, like popcorn, candy and potato chips. See what creations the two of you can come up with. What about pickles and potato chips?

Play Games

Board games, story telling games, and charades are just some examples of games you can play together. Go online and shop, but not for real. Choose the most expensive and stylish clothing, toys, furniture and even pretend to buy women’s pajamas and girls pajamas for the next party.

Sleep In

Stay up late and sleep in the next day. Have a huge breakfast and eat a yummy brunch. And don’t forget to stay in your womens pajamas while you’re eating!

Maybe this will turn out to be a family tradition you’ll enjoy for years to come. Let me know some other party ideas for your mother and daughter sleepover party.

This is a sponsored post.

Mother’s Day crafts are one of Mom’s favorite presents. She’ll treasure them always. When a child creates something with their own hands, it’s the most special gift of all. I write the date on my gifts and cards and save them all. I have boxes of crafts saved from years ago.

Here’s some Mother’s Day Craft ideas:

• A picture drawn with crayons, painted or sketched. Add a frame from the dollar store or a magnet to hang on the fridge so it can be displayed.
• Decorative Soaps – Use a Soap Making Kit to make this task easier.
• Bookmarks – Create a bookmark with beads, heavy cardboard or craft foam. Remember to add some extras that your Mom likes, such as cats or angels.
• Jewelery – Use beads or kits to help you.
• Candy – Yes you can make your own candy, even chocolate. Think strawberries dipped in chocolate or something sweet and yummy. (I take photos of these delicious treats.)
• Flowers – Either handmade or real make lovely Mother’s Day gifts. Plant some flowers just for Mom or make a few of your own with tissue paper or fabric.

Share these craft ideas with your child or a single mother’s child to help them make Mother’s Day special.

1. Rainbows are popular for St. Patrick’s Day. Get out some crayons or markers and draw a colorful rainbow. If you’re lucky enough to see one, take some photos.
2. Going along with rainbows, make a batch of rainbow cookies. Use sugar cookies and add rainbow sprinkles or icing to make the shape and colors of your rainbow.
3. Leprechauns are easy to make out of paper lunch bags. You’ll need construction paper to add some extra touches like the hat and beard. Let your imagination guide you!



Image by bon_here via Flickr

4. Get a rock, paint it white and add a kiss from an ink stamp or paint to make the Blarney stone. You can even decorate it further with some glitter.
5. Make Irish Soda Bread with your child. Here’s a recipe from AllRecipes for Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread.
6. Make a Leprechaun box and watch your child’s eyes grow with excitement! You can use a cardboard box, covered with a paper bag or green construction paper. Decorate it as you see fit. Be sure there is a small opening. Leave it out the night of March 16th. Open it on March 17th at night to see what the Leprechauns have left to thank you for making them a place to stay for the day.
7. Look for clovers if weather permits. You’re sure to be lucky if you find a four leaf clover!
8. Eat a bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast.
9. Here’s a video to teach you how to draw a shamrock:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Be sure to spend some time with your children making some crafts and cooking some food. Maybe they’ll try Corned Beef and Cabbage this year.

We usually start getting warmer weather in mid-February, or even earlier. It’s actually been in the 30’s here in the past few days and we’re going stir crazy. My daughter won’t have off from school for spring break until April, so it’s time to get ourselves out of the doldrums and pretend it’s spring by celebrating.

1. Make tissue paper flowers. There’s lots of ways to make these. Use your imagination or get a craft book for more details.  Make lots of them and put them around the house or one specific room.
2. Have an indoor picnic. Make it as authentic as possible with real picnic foods and with the scenery too. Use blanket or table cloth on the floor, be sure the blinds are open, spread around some fake bugs and add lots of pillows to feel comfy.
3. Make bird feeders and study a book about birds in your area. You can even go birding, just dress for the weather and don’t forget your binoculars.
4. Plan a hike or camping trip. Then do it when the weather is more spring-like.
5. Plant some plants. Get them started indoors and then move them outdoors when it’s safe to do so. You can even get some vegetable plants going.
6. Make donations. Spring cleaning isn’t fun, but when you let your tween know that you are going to fill a donation box, at least there’s a better purpose for it. Celebrate after with a pizza party.
7. Create t-shirts. Use a kit, fabric paint, or make tie die shirts. Get ready for short sleeve weather.
8. Make a fruit salad. Find the freshest fruit possible and make a huge salad to devour.
9. Write a poem or short story about spring. Use your imagination to create a masterpiece explaining why you love the spring season.
10. Talk sports. Into baseball, soccer, softball? Get information on your local teams, players and their schedules. Discuss, plan when you can see them, decide if you’re going to join a team.

How would you like to celebrate spring? Do you have a family tradition already?

When our daughter was just an infant, we began traveling and it was so easy. She slept, we drove. She was in her stroller, was nursed, and/or ate anything we gave her and slept wherever, whenever. As a toddler, she was a happy traveler too. She loved seeing new things, having her photos taken and even sleeping in her car seat. As she grew, little issues came up, she would begin asking the age old question, “when will we get there?” and saying, or whining, “I’m bored!”.

That’s when my husband and I used some of the old tricks our parents used. Here’s our top ten family vacation tips:

1. Talk, actually discuss things during the drive. You’ll be surprised how much fun and laughter you’ll end up having. Sometimes, some serious issues may come up that your child wouldn’t likely open up about otherwise.
2. Sing together. You may need the radio to get you going with this, but there’s nothing easier to bring a smile to everyone’s face when you’re singing, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”.  You may end up singing Old MacDonald after that!
3. Plan your trip together. Even though we’ve probably gone over what we’ve going to do in advance, it’s still a lot of fun to discuss last minute plans or just go over our plans.
4. Play some games. Remember car bingo? Yes, we still play that. We also read billboards and find odd color cars, like orange. Prizes? A desert when we stop for food or a souvenir for $1.
5. Choose a place to eat. We try to save money on our trips so we do a lot of eating in our hotel room, but we do plan on eating out a few times each trip. Each family member gets their choice of a place to eat (within some limits of course). If you don’t need reservations, you can do this during the drive.
6. Bring a camera or two. This sounds logical, but we also have our daughter bring her own camera. It’s an inexpensive digital made for children. She can take the photos she wants and keep them for her memories. She even uses it in the car.
7. Take time to soak it in. Don’t schedule every minute of your vacation. Plan some down time so you can just hang out, go swimming, stop to see something unusual or interesting. This can make the most memorable moments of your trip.
8. Don’t spend too much money. Some people think that going on luxurious vacations is the only way to have a good time. This is the farthest from the truth. Some of our favorite memories are stopping at a quiet rest area and eating a picnic of sandwiches that we packed.
9. Find unusual souvenirs. Sure there’s tons of coffee mugs, key chains, stuffed animals and t-shirts, but look for things that may not even have the name of where you’re visiting. Find something in the woods, or by the lake, or in an old country store. Let your children choose an item that reminds them of something you did together, like a photo that you can make a frame for at home.
10. Go with the flow. The weather may be awful, your hotel room may turn out to be a mess, but being together is what matters most. Go to a museum, find an out of the way motel, talk to some locals and learn what they do for fun. Enjoy!

This post is being written as part of a contest at Twitter Moms.  I along with other bloggers were asked to write about our top ten ideas for a fun, distraction free family vacation. Alamo is providing $30 gas cards to the first 50 bloggers who enter. I am also entered into a contest for a $100 gas card.

(Alamo Rent A Car is a value-oriented, internationally recognized brand serving the daily rental needs of airport leisure travelers. Alamo offers low rental rates and a fun, hassle-free customer experience at the most popular travel destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim.)

Travel Tips for Moms & FamiliesReserve Now | Quicksilver | Online Check-in | Pre-pay & Save | Self-Service Kiosk

]]> http://conniesview.com/top-ten-family-vacation-tips/feed/ 7 http://conniesview.com/disney-pressed-pennies-family-fun/ http://conniesview.com/disney-pressed-pennies-family-fun/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:05:24 +0000 Connie http://conniesview.com/?p=910 Collecting Disney pressed pennies is a fun family event. Pressed Pennies are not just a souvenir but something to do when you’re at any of the Disney parks or hotels. You can find pressed penny machines all over the parks and finding them is just part of the excitement. Then collecting them, knowing which ones you have and still need, is the other part.

They only cost 51 cents – the penny to be pressed, stretched or elongated and 50 cents to have it done. You can purchase a holder for the pennies as you start to collect enough of them to display and keep them organized. The cost for the collection books are about $10 – $15 currently.

One of the things that makes collecting squashed pennies so much fun is that you can never finish collecting them all. Disney changes the types of pennies offered in the machines and changes out machines too. Most machines offer three types of pennies within the same theme. For example, near a Buzz Lightyear attraction, you most likely will find a machine that offers pressed pennies that featur Buzz, the attraction itself and Zurg.

I suggest just getting one penny from one machine. This makes the search for new pennies surprising each time. You never know what you’ll find at the next machine. If you plan on another trip next year in or the years to come, bring along that display book and try to find some more pennies to fill it up.

Don’t forget to use older pennies without zinc. Preferable pennies before the year 1982. This way you won’t have any silver shining through after the process of pressing. If you want a shine, use some silver cleaner on the pennies before you press them.  This is something the family can do before your trip.

Of course there’s always something exciting to do at Disney, but adding a fun family event like collecting Disney pressed pennies makes you look forward to your trip even more.

]]> http://conniesview.com/disney-pressed-pennies-family-fun/feed/ 5 http://conniesview.com/christmas-school-break-tween-activities/ http://conniesview.com/christmas-school-break-tween-activities/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:08:40 +0000 Connie http://conniesview.com/?p=883 My tween daughter is on Christmas School Break for 19 days and needs activities to keep her free from boredom. Even though she got a lot of new gifts for Christmas and her birthday it seems that after a few days of playing them non-stop she needs other things to do. Even talking to her friends on the phone for hours has gotten old.

Here are some Christmas School Break Activities for Tweens:

• Movies – You probably thought of this one already, but going to the movies with your tween is a great way to break the ice and get her talking. You have the subject of the film that you just saw to get the ball rolling, so take save some time after for chatting.
• Play Dates – Get to know his friends and his friends parents too.
• Visit A Museum – There are so many different types of museums. Find something your tween enjoys and see if there’s a museum that has a section on that subject. Trains, weather, comic books? You’re likely to find a museum that has a display or something pertaining to that subject.
• The Library – It’s not just for books any more. But, even looking for books together can be fun. Check out the DVD and CD collection. See if they have any special displays or events going on. Research something your tween has always asked you about, but you haven’t had the time to learn about.
• Play Games – Get out the board games, some snacks and turn off the TV. You’ll be surprised how much fun you can have together.
• Visit Family – Is there family that lives a short distance away? Why not drive over and spend a couple of days there?
• Go To A Concert – It may hurt your ears, or make you want to hide under your seat, but didn’t your parents feel the same way about “your” music? Be the cool parent who lets their kids see the Jonas Brothers and sat two rows behind them.

What are some other tween Christmas Break Activities you take part in?

]]> http://conniesview.com/christmas-school-break-tween-activities/feed/ 4 http://conniesview.com/new-years-eve-childrens-party/ http://conniesview.com/new-years-eve-childrens-party/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:12:06 +0000 Connie http://conniesview.com/?p=875 Want to have a New Year’s Eve Children’s Party? If you are having your own New Years Eve party and would like to have your children and your family and friend’s children along, this is a way to keep them involved in the fun.

Hire a babysitter – Even if it’s an older child who will be present during the party, be sure to pay for his or her services. All parents can chip in to pay for this or the party host can foot the bill. The adults will have more time to be on their own and not worry about the children this way.

Prepare Child-Friendly Activities – Be sure that the children will have a great time with some crafts that you purchase, games for indoors, music for dancing, dress-up clothing and movies for down time.

image source – The Attached Parent

Decorate – Put up streamers, provide hats, crowns, noise makers (hide them until it gets close to midnight!), and balloons if there’s no children that this will provide a choking hazard to.

Food For Kids – Party food is something that everyone looks forward to and children should have their own fare too. Think kid size and lots of choices – pizza bagels with toppings they can add, chips and dip, cookies, etc.

New Year’s Eve is a holiday that children can take part in too. They can learn about why we celebrate the ending of a year and the coming of a new one. Even if they don’t make it until midnight, they can get a taste of what a New Year’s Eve party is. Some of my happiest memories are trying to stay awake with my cousins and being whisked away fast asleep in the dark to my bed.

]]> http://conniesview.com/new-years-eve-childrens-party/feed/ 0 http://conniesview.com/children-save-money-for-vacations/ http://conniesview.com/children-save-money-for-vacations/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:56:44 +0000 Connie http://conniesview.com/?p=831 You can make your family vacation even more exciting by including your children in the planning stages of your travel. Children can save money for vacations if you guide them on how to do it. They can use the money for souvenirs or other special purchases.

Depending on your child’s  age or ability decide how to save money for a trip:

• Give them extra chores to earn money for your upcoming vacation.
• They can either start their own or donate to the family’s change jar. If donating, the money is actually divided among the children only. Don’t let them know that until right after the change is transferred into paper money!
• Have them help with pre-vacation chores like packing their pajamas, choosing a certain number of toys to take along, finding tote bags, etc. for a set fee per chore.
• Reward your children for thinking of ways to save money when planning your vacation. You will need to help them with this but it can be a fun learning experience.
• Tell your children before you leave how much money they can spend or how many souvenirs they can purchase with their money. If you plan on adding to their money discuss that, as well as how to look for less expensive items to purchase and not buying on the first day.
• Using the internet with your children to plan your vacation can enable them to understand what things cost. For example if you’re flying, visit the travel website you’re using and show them the air fare costs. If you’re driving, use maps online to route your trip. Talk about gas prices.
• Use websites for your destination. Find the hotel site you’ll be staying at, the activities you plan on taking part in, the dining options you’ll have, etc. Check on the prices of meals if possible. Then show them how much you can save by either bringing picnic lunches or eating at a less expensive restaurant. Find sites that show general or actual prices of souvenirs. Search for outlets near your destination that provide less expensive items. All of this information can guide your children in learning how to save money on your trip.
• As for souvenirs, make rules in advance. If your child purchases something and then whines or complains that they want something else, but has no more money to spend, let them know the consequences. You can take their item away for the day or an hour for example.
• Focus on the positives, find ways to have fun with your children’s help, without spending too much money. One of my older daughter’s favorite memories is my packing lunch when we’d go to the water parks and to the theme parks in Florida. She told me when she was older that even though there was food to buy, she felt loved because I’d pack something special to eat and would remember everything, including the napkins!
• Your children will learn that being together, seeing new places, and finding fun along the way is the best part of family vacations not how much money they can spend.

It’s easy to teach your children to save money for vacations when they know that something great is coming up soon. Take advantage of planning for a trip to include money management skills as part of the fun.

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