As parents, there’s nothing quite like a homemade Valentine’s card for mom. We’ve searched the web and carefully curated everything from Valentine’s Day crafts for toddlers to easy Valentine’s Day cards for school, and all of them are sweet as can be. These Valentine’s Day recipes will sweeten any Valentine’s Day plans and these Valentine’s Day games will tucker them out. Choose your favorite ideas for making homemade cards for Valentine’s Day 2024.

1. Seed Paper Hearts

Who doesn’t love plants? This homemade Valentine’s card can grow! Follow the instructions to make a seed heart that can be planted. Grow plants like wildflowers, herbs, and small vegetables.

2. Hot Air Balloon Heart

Try out this adorable hot air balloon card that can easily serve as a decoration for February.

3. Embroidered Hearts

a picture of a homemade valentine's card
Hello, Wonderful

Kids can hone their skills with a needle and thread to make these cute homemade Valentine's Day cards from Hello, Wonderful

4. Goldfish Snacks in a "Bowl"

Backless Shirt

How cute are these Goldfish-filled valentines from Backless Shirt? This candy-free idea doubles as a little afternoon snack, too.

5. Cutie Valentines

It’s Always Autumn

Our kids love mandarin oranges (aka cuties), and this easy homemade Valentine's card from It’s Always Autumn is the perfect way to use them. Buy a big bag at the grocery store and you’re halfway there. 

6. LEGO My Valentine

a picture of a cute homemade valentine card
The Resourceful Mama

Build super cute homemade Valentine's Day cards this year with this printable from The Resourceful Mama. The only other things you'll need are LEGO bricks and plastic bags. 

 

Related: 12 Creative (& Easy) Valentine’s Day Card Box Ideas

7. Toy Plane Valentines

Crap I've Made

Your littles will soar to the top of the class with these awesome plane valentines from Crap I’ve Made. Snag toy planes on the cheap on Amazon or at a party store. 

8. Rubber Duckie Valentines

a picture of homemade valentine cards
Simple Enchantments

We love a good pun, and this card from Simple Enchantments is definitely a winner.

9. Candy-Free Valentines

homemade valentine's cards
Pretty Prudent

Since kids will be loading up on candy all day, we love this change of pace from Pretty Prudent. Pick from crayons, bubbles, glitter, or bandaids—all of which have their own clever puns. 

10. Pirate Puns

MerMag

Pirate-obsessed kids will love this clever valentine from MerMag. A pirate pun, a heart eye patch—it just doesn’t get much cuter than this. 

11. Glow Stick Valentines

homemade valentines cards
Eighteen 25

Check out this cute idea from Eighteen 25—with a few packs of glow sticks, it’s pretty easy to put together. 

12. Kool-Aid Fun

My Name Is Snickerdoodle

If your little one is a Kool-Aid lover, they’ll get a kick out of these cute Valentine's Day card idea from My Name Is Snickerdoodle

13. Star(burst) Cards

It’s Always Autumn

Fancy up your valentines this year with this idea from It’s Always Autumn. Crafty kids will enjoy decorating each card with a potato stamp. 

14. Origami Cards

homemade valentines cards
Omiyage Blogs

Whether you’re an origami expert or just a beginner, these easy DIY valentines from Omiyage Blogs will be a winner. 

Related: 19 Sweet Valentine’s Day Recipes for Kids

15. Crayon Cards

The Nerd's Wife

If you want to get crafty for your Valentine this year, this idea from The Nerd’s Wife is an awesome option. Plus, you’ll get to put all your broken crayon stubs to good use. 

16. Blow Pop Butterflies

Skip to My Lou

We love this fun (but super easy) take on valentines from Skip to My Lou. The kids will love the sweetness and creativity of this one.

17. Cute Sheep Valentines

Hello, Wonderful

Crafty kids will love making this valentine—just print out the cards from Hello, Wonderful, and then let them glue on pom poms for the sheep’s “wool.” 

18. Play-Doh Packages

Random Thoughts from a Supermom

Here’s another gift that keeps on giving: Play-Doh. Just add a fun label to the carton (Random Thoughts from a Supermom has a convenient printable), and the whole class will be sculpting hearts and flowers for their special someone.

19. Valentine "Cards"

My Paper Crane

We love the quirky character of these homemade Valentine's Day “cards” from My Paper Crane. The supplies are easy to round up, there's lots of room for kid participation, and the results are oh-so-cute.

20. Toy Snake Valentines

A Subtle Revelry

Good news for little snake charmers! A Subtle Revelry has ultra-cute easy Valentine's Day cards that only require a teensy amount of effort and a handful of Dollar Store snakes.

Related: 41 Hilariously Sweet Valentine’s Day Jokes for Kids

21. Cupcake Liner Creativity

Urban Comfort

What, you didn’t think those festive Valentine’s Day cupcake liners were only good for cupcakes, did you? Urban Comfort has a crafty idea that’s easy to make but oh-so-impressive.

22. I Spy Surprise

A Mom With a Lesson Plan

A loving message and a treasure hunt all in one? Yes, please! A Mom with a Lesson Plan has a great idea for adding a little “I Spy” to your V-Day. It’s a great excuse to roam the neighborhood (or a good way to entertain house-bound little cupids).

23. Upcycled Valentines

Art Bar Blog

You can’t help but love this idea from Art Bar Blog. With washi tape, alphabet stamps, and lots and lots of upcycled hearts, you can make gift bags for storing cards or holding other V-Day treats.

24. Joke Boxes

The Artful Parent

Brace yourselves, this idea from Delia Creates combines puns, Laffy Taffy, silly bands, and LEGO-inspired boxes. It sounds like a win-win to us. 

25. Bear-y Cute Valentine

homemade valentines cards
Domestic Mommyhood

We can’t get over the cute factor of these Valentine's Day cards for school from Domestic Mommyhood. They’re easy as pie to print, cut, and distribute—and they also make excellent lunchbox love notes. 

26. High Fives

A Subtle Revelry

What’s the ultimate show of support for your special valentine? A Subtle Revelry has the answer in the form of a printable high five. This nifty idea is easy and sure to be a classroom fave. 

27. A Homemade Valentine’s Card for Tweens

Even big kids like getting Valentine’s Day cards, and this one is cute, to the point, and includes a fun beauty gift. Get the printable from All Things Thrifty.

I want my kids to know that I worked hard to make sure that they got that one thing on their list they really wanted.

Like many, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. It got especially magical after I had kids. I can’t wait to see their little faces light up on Christmas morning with delight as they burst out of their bedrooms with anticipation to see if Santa actually came.

You know, the man in red with the jolly disposition and the mystical elves that make toys from scratch and report back to the North Pole every night fueled by “cheer.” The man who somehow manages to make it across the entire world in one night and lives solely off of milk and cookies and Christmas spirit.

I love Santa. I love the idea of Santa. And I love that my kids think that Santa is magic. It adds an extra element to Christmas that fills them (and me) with excitement every year. What I refuse to play into is that Santa shows up with the expensive, hard-to-find gifts, while mom and dad bring things like socks and PJs.

The mere concept of a loving Santa and his reindeer helpers is one that I think brings hope and enchantment to kids’ lives during the holidays. After all, if we can get them to believe that there is a person in this world who flies with wingless, hoofed animals (one of which has a light bulb on his face), lives in a hidden land that you can’t find on a map, and has an entire staff of tiny, pointy-eared people who have not yet managed to go on strike for being forced into overtime in dangerous conditions like the freezing cold… well, I think we’ve done our jobs.

Isn’t that enough?

I work my butt off every year to make sure my kids have a good Christmas. To make sure that they are delivered just as many presents as their friends and that they aren’t missing any “hot items” they desperately asked for.

Related: Behind Every Magical Holiday Moment Is an Exhausted Mom

For a month straight, I live off of coffee and evergreen fumes trying to scrape together pennies to bring my little ones the most joy I can on the mind-blowing morning called Christmas. I become a gift ninja: assembling, wrapping, and hiding. On Christmas Eve, I morph into a woman who doesn’t need sleep or hydration to survive and spend hours setting up an entire display for my kids to enjoy when they wake up at the crack of dawn because… SANTA!

Did I mention I love Christmas? I really do.

It’s all worth it. It is. But I will be damned if I am going to let the big guy in the red suit take all of the credit for the gift that I had to fist-fight someone over in Target because it was the last one on the shelf. NO. WAY.

I want my kids to one day replicate the magic of Christmas in their own homes every year. But I also want them to appreciate the season for what matters. Gifts are great. Getting gifts as a kid is one of the most exciting parts of Christmas, but plenty of kids do not get gifts—and if they do, they may not be as cool, high-tech, or expensive as some of the ones my kids have received over the years.

How do I explain to them that some kids (the ones who really need the miracle) don’t get what is on their list from a man who theoretically brings presents to all kids who are good? Do I tell them those kids are bad? What makes those kids less deserving? Nothing.

And how do I explain that if we have had a year when money is tight, Santa suddenly doesn’t have the “disposable income” to supply the mountain of gifts he had in recent years? I can’t. Not without them losing some faith in the magic of the holiday.

Plus, I’m trying to raise responsible and grateful humans who understand the value of material things and what it takes to make and spend money. Christmas happens to throw all of that out the window for the weeks leading up to the big day and at least a good month after.

I want my kids to know that I worked hard to make sure that they got that one thing on their list they really wanted. That even though I might have missed a few important sports games or school events, it’s because I was working—working to make sure we have a roof over our heads, that our bills got paid, and also so that I could do things like buy them that gaming system they’d been pining for.

I want my kids to understand that Christmas is magical and that there are two people who make it so: Santa and me.

But in taking credit for the extra-special gifts, I have a better explanation for the other kids who may not get the same number or types of presents as they do and why our Christmas haul may vary from year to year. Plus, I don’t have to stress about remembering which gifts came from Santa and which didn’t when something doesn’t work correctly and I have to come up with some outlandish story about how I’m going to phone into the North Pole to get a replacement.

If you ask me, the magic of Santa lies in my kids’ believing: believing that there is someone watching them, rooting for them, and willing to dazzle them with his abilities every year because he loves them. He does it all in one night because he’s spectacular. And he brings things they will love and play with for the whole year (hopefully).

But the big-ticket stuff—the gift that they requested for months, the one that cost a small fortune and will bring the biggest smile and the most thanks? That one comes from Mom. After all, Santa has a group of elves to do his bidding—I’m all on my own.

This post originally appeared on Mom Transparenting.

I'm a single mom of three and realtor living in a suburb of Chicago. In my abundant spare time I like to write about parenting, family, divorce and raising a young transgender child. I'm just trying to raise kids who know how to turn off lights when they leave a room. 

This three-ingredient crock pot sweet pork recipe is so simple you can make it with your eyes closed. At least, that’s what Erin at Table for 7 claims she loves most about this dish. Depending on how much spiciness your tastebuds like (or don’t like), you can switch up your salsa choices to best suit what your picky eaters enjoy most. Serve this pork on top of a bed of rice and dig in.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Sweet Pork: 

2 lbs boneless pork
2 c salsa
1 c brown sugar

Method:

1. Spray crock pot or line with crock pot liners/parchment paper. Add pork into crock pot.

2. In a separate bowl, mix salsa and brown sugar well. Pour over pork.

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

4. Shred/cut pork before serving.

recipe and photo courtesy of Erin at Table for 7

Keeping a chronicle of her cooking exploits on her site Table for 7, Erin says her site is all about her cooking and baking experiences; the good and the not so good. Erin’s not a professional baker, cook, or photographer but honest about what she prepares at home. Along with her plain-eating husband, her family consists of a couple of picky eaters (and one very picky eater). She creates recipes that aren’t fancy, flashy, or cost you a small fortune to make.

For more easy crock pot dinner recipes click HERE

Fireworks and noodle soup are two fun Lunar New Year traditions for families

Whether it’s called Chinese New Year, Seollal, Shōgatsu, or Tết, Lunar New Year (running officially from New Year’s Eve on Jan 22. through Feb. 5) is a special holiday for more than 1.6 billion people of Asian descent across the globe. Think of it as a cross between the Fourth of July, Passover, Christmas, and the biggest birthday bash ever—all rolled into one. There are some essential customs that many people hold dear, and each one revolves around family, food, fortune, and fun; these Lunar New Year traditions will help you teach your kids about this important holiday.

Prepare for the Lunar New Year

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

Although it happens in the middle of winter, Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival in many Asian countries. As such, it’s also a time when many families prepare for the new year (and the coming spring) with major house cleaning. Asian superstition dictates that household organization extends to finances too, which means paying off or collecting debts before the new year.

In addition to decorating the house with red paper cutouts and banners—particularly rabbit-themed decorations in 2023—during this festive time, a fun activity to do with kids is folding origami boxes and putting small lights in them as a way to remember ancestors and wish for good luck in the coming year.

Pro-tip: Plan to do housekeeping before the new year commences. Many celebrants believe that sweeping around the house on Lunar New Year’s Day is akin to sweeping away all of your good luck for the year!

Have Some Noodle Soup

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

There are many different traditional dishes that are enjoyed during Lunar New Year, but one of the most common dishes served across Asian countries during the holiday is a bowl of noodle soup. On Lunar New Year’s Eve and Day, families often eat handmade wheat noodles in a savory broth that includes vegetables and hard-boiled eggs. Long noodles represent longevity and long life, while eggs symbolize rebirth and starting anew.

Pro-tip: Don’t cut the noodles! Slurping is OK and expected. Also, it’s traditional to serve elders and the little ones before serving yourself.

Mo’ Money, Mo’ Fortunes

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

During Lunar New Year, kids may receive festively decorated red envelopes that are filled with “lucky money,” along with written notes wishing them health, happiness, and success. Known as lai see (Cantonese), ang pao (Hokkien) or hong bao (Mandarin), these red packets also are given during other holidays and special occasions. Increasingly, money is given via red envelope mobile payment apps in many parts of Asia.

Pro-tip: While the amount of cash isn’t as important as the intent behind the gift, many Asian people believe the number or denomination is very important, so you’ll want to make sure you’re putting a “lucky” number inside the red envelopes. Also, make sure to include clean, crisp bills because no one wants to start the new year with crumpled cash.

Related: 12 Easy Lunar New Year Projects for Kids

Find the Fireworks

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

While many people in America set off fireworks that light up the night sky only during Fourth of July celebrations, firecrackers are the noisemakers of choice for those who commemorate Lunar New Year. Traditionally, the sounds from the small explosions are meant to drive away evil spirits, while strings of firecrackers are invariably red, which is an auspicious and lucky color.

Pro-tip: Since most places require special permits or have banned fireworks and firecrackers outright, take the kiddos to your city or town’s Chinatown, which often has firecracker displays and lion dances during the weeks of the Lunar New Year. Alternately, ringing bells to usher in the Lunar New Year is a perfectly acceptable way to ward off evil spirits this time of year. Plus, you’ll have an excuse to use those jingle bells left over from Christmas.

Dress for Success for Lunar New Year

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

Dressing in bright colors—especially in red—is common practice during Lunar New Year. Revelers wear their fanciest duds as a way to scare away evil spirits and invite good fortune to them. Some devotees will even go as far as wearing red underpants! Wearing new clothes from head to toe also symbolizes new beginnings for the new year, and wearing something red is the luckiest color of them all.

Pro-tip: Red looks good on everybody.

Take a Family Photo

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

Most importantly, Lunar New Year is about spending time and celebrating with family and loved ones. For many Asian families, Lunar New Year is the one time in the year when entire extended families get to see each other, so it’s the perfect opportunity to snap an annual family portrait. If you live far away from relatives, this might not be possible, so try other ways to stay connected like these sweet ideas for keeping in touch with grandparents from a distance

Pro-tip: Your family portrait shouldn’t be too staged or too pose-y. It’s a celebration. Have fun!

How many of these Halloween facts do you know?

Although your kids might think otherwise, Halloween isn’t just about candy! We caught up with some of our favorite folks from Ireland to share the origin stories of our spookiest holiday. From the traditions surrounding Halloween costumes to the backstory of carving pumpkins, here are Halloween facts to share with your little ghouls and goblins.

The Original Halloween: Samhain

interesting Halloween facts
Mick O'Niell via ireland.com

Here's the very first Halloween fact you should know. The celebration began over 3,000 years ago as the Celtic festival of Samhain, pronounced sow-in. Say it out loud and you'll be able to hear the connection to the modern word Hallow-een. 

When the Christian holiday of All Hallow's Eve arrived in the 5th century, which took place around the same time of year, the practices began to merge and the more common term became Halloween. 

Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and a transition into the darker months of winter, the Celts believed that this was a time when the worlds of the living and the dead could interact, and spirits could move between the worlds.

Walk Among Us: The Tradition of Costumes

Halloween facts about costumes
iStock

In order to avoid being tricked or taken into the Otherworld (aka the world of the dead) people would disguise themselves as spirits like ghosts, fairies, witches, demons, and goblins.

Ancient celts would frequently don animal skins and other elaborate outfits. These costumes would cause confusion and allow the living to walk among the spirits without harm. This is where our tradition of dressing up on Halloween comes from! 

Light It Up: Bonfires

Halloween facts about bonfires
Iieland.com

Bonfires are lit on the hillsides to mark the holiday, a tradition that still is popular today in Ireland. Traditionally a Samhain bonfire was a place where clans and communities would gather together to celebrate. 

Recent archaeological excavations have suggested that Tlachtaga, or the Hill of Ward, (in present-day County Meath) was used for feasting and celebration over 2,000 years ago. There is also documentation in manuscripts that it was thought that the fire from this hill was used to rekindle all of the fires in Ireland. 

Knife Skills: Carving Pumpkins

Ireland.com

Another fun Halloween fact is that the tradition of carving pumpkins also has its origins in Ireland. While pumpkins are indigenous to the Americas, the Irish carved turnips and large potatoes into the original jack-o'lanterns.

Why the name Jack? Many believe it's because of the story of a man named Stingy Jack, who tried to trick the Devil. He did not succeed and as punishment, he was doomed to wander eternity with only a turnip with a single ember to light his way. 

Some believe that the single ember to light a jack-o'-lantern came from the Samhain bonfire and brought good luck to the household. It was placed inside a turnip and carried to the hearth to light the first fire of the Celtic New Year (Nov. 1). 

Trick-or-Treating & Caroling???

a group of kids in costumes is ready to go trick or treating with pumpkins in hand
iStock

The practice of going door to door and asking for candy has its roots in this tradition:

On the night of Samhain, or in preparation for the big bonfire, children and the poor would go door to door to ask for donations for the celebration: food, kindling for the fire, or money. 

In exchange, they would sing songs and offer prayers for the dead. Often they were given a traditional food called a soul cake: a flat fruit cake. The tradition was known as "souling." 

A Feast...for Vegetarians?

ireland.com

Feasting was a traditional part of the Samhain celebration, and foods included were those that were in abundance at the end of harvests, such as nuts, apples, grains, poultry, beef, pork, and squash.

Eventually, Samhain merged with the Christian practice of All Hallow's Eve (to create Halloween), and the day before became a day of fasting and preparation. 

Part of the fasting was to eat no meat, so vegetarian fare became the norm, including the use of apples, squash, turnips, and potatoes. 

The classic Irish potato dish colcannon became part of a long-lasting Halloween recipe tradition, along with fadge (an apple cake) and barmbrack.

A Fortune Telling Cake

Ireland.com

Barmbrack is a sort of fortune-telling cake that has trinkets or coins baked into it. What you get in your slice could predict what your new year holds. You can find a recipe here (caution should be used when serving this type of cake as there are small pieces that could be hazardous to young kids, so use sound judgment here). 

Common items found in barmbracks include a ring (marriage), a coin (wealth), and a piece of cloth (bad luck).

In some places, you'll find other unique items, including a stick (an argument), a thimble (independence), and a button (bachelorhood). 

Is That a Love Spell in Your Colcannon?

VegaTeam via ireland.com

Colcannon, a beloved Irish dish of potatoes and cabbage, isn't just for warming your belly. 

If you were single and seeking a spouse, you would make colcannon on this magical night with similar symbols to barmbrack: a ring was marriage, thimbles a life of living solo, and coins were wealth. 

If you were unmarried, you may be sent into the garden to pick the cabbage while blindfolded. Then the colcannon was made with that chosen cabbage, and a single ring was added. Whoever found the ring would be next to marry. 

One legend tells of putting the first and last spoonful of colcannon into a sock and hanging it on the door. The first (single?) person to walk through that door would be their spouse. 

Find a traditional colcannon recipe here. 

 

A special thanks to ireland.com for the imagery and information!

 

 

 

The next time you travel by airplane with kids in tow, be sure to prep the carry-on bag (and your mindset) for just about anything—including delays. We came up with a list of entertaining ideas for tiny travelers that are perfect for the airport; having enough snacks is up to you. Read on for 17 activities to keep kids busy until you hear the words “now boarding.”

1. Find the play area. A lot of airports have kid-friendly spaces. If you've got an hour or more to kill, let your little flyers burn off extra energy. Check out our picks for the best airports to be passing through (or stuck in) with kids.

2. Play I spy. This game is one of the best ways to pass time, and an airport is filled with interesting things to spot, so this classic game can potentially take up a lot of time. 

3. Explore the food court. Make it a progressive dinner. Have apps at the first place, the main course at your second stop, and try dessert at a third and final restaurant. 

4. Let the kids unwrap a toy. Something tiny (and wrapped up tight) will keep them occupied. We've got a great list of airplane toys for $10 and under

Brett Sayles via Pexels

5. Watch the planes. Watching planes take off is exciting, and it'll get your budding pilots pumped for their aviation adventures.

6. Make a new pen pal. Families from all over the world pass in and out of airports daily. If you wind up stuck with other folks toting little ones (solidarity, people!), strike up a conversation and maybe exchange info. Who knows how many lasting connections you might make?

7. Strike a (yoga) pose. Downward dog isn't the only animal pose in yoga. You can get little legs moving by doing a few simple stretches right in the waiting lounge. Some airports, such as San Francisco International, Dallas-Fort Worth International, and O'Hare International even have rooms designed for this exact purpose! Find more kid-friendly poses here.

Atlanta International Airport

8. Check out all the artwork at the airport. You didn't have time to hit up the local museum? Well, you're in luck because many airports have rotating exhibits and permanent pieces displayed for everyone's viewing pleasure. If you ask an employee, chances are they will have a map and be able to point you in the right direction.

9. Bust out a busy bag. It's always a good idea to pack a few toys; busy bags are great because you can change them up every time you fly. We love this portable activity kit from Mama. Papa.Bubba because it gives kids so many ways to stay busy, and this LEGO travel set from Fun at Home with Kids promises hours of fun.

10. Go on a scavenger hunt. If you've got paper, a pen and eager kids, then you have what you need for an airport scavenger hunt. It's easy to prep this activity ahead of time, but it's also a cinch to do it on the fly (pun intended!). If you want to leave this idea to the pros, check out this free printable from Playdough to Plato.

ål nik on Unsplash

11. Have a thumb-wrestling tournament. 1, 2, 3, 4... I declare a thumb war! If there's an easier way to pass the time, we haven't found it. You can create brackets, try two-out-of-three, or challenge other travelers. One thing's for sure—there are giggles to be had any way you play.

12. Make a paper fortune teller. Do you remember making paper fortune tellers as a kid? Check out this tutorial, grab paper and a pen, and be on your way to seeing the future (Does it say when the flight will leave?).

13. Create motor skill challenges. Kids don't need too much space to take on motor skill challenges like "stand on one foot," "jump up and down ten times," "touch your toes five times,'' and whatever other ideas you have. If there aren't too many people in your waiting area, consider using your iPhone to play freeze dance, too.

Vladimir Haltakov on Unsplash

14. Take a walk. With moving walkways, food courts, escalators, interesting people and shops filled with goodies, taking a walk through the airport is an easy way to pass the time. It's also a great way to find items on that scavenger hunt list!

15. Challenge your kids to a few (hundred) games of Tic Tac Toe and Hangman. Adding a few more easy pen and paper games to your arsenal is a must.

16. Play flick football. Make your paper football. and divide your family into teams for an epic game or three. If it's been a while since you've flicked a football, check out our play-by-play tutorial right here.

17. Get a mani/pedi. If the situation calls for one-on-one time with your princess, see if the airport has a nail salon on the premises. There's nothing like a little primping before going on vacation or ending your big trip with a bang. 

—Taylor Clifton & Gabby Cullen

 

 

RELATED STORIES:

Fly Zone: 8 Air Travel Hacks That Really Work

20 Small Toys to Bring on the Airplane (for Under $10)

14 Airports That Make Traveling with Kids Easier

The Best Compact Travel Gear to Simplify Your Holiday Trips

 

You’re beaming. Your daughter crushed it at her gymnastics meet. Or maybe your son aced that U.S. states quiz. Our instinct as parents is to shower our children with praise in their moments of success. We want to boost them up because, geez, there’s plenty that can bring them down in the day. And we want them to feel pride in their hard work. We want them to continue working hard. Plus, your child deserves to be celebrated.

But do they… completely?

We Americans value independence. We glorify the individual who shapes his or her own identity and destiny through choice, ability, and effort.

Yet, I don’t know any kid who hasn’t benefitted from the support (both emotional and financial) of you, their parent. Teachers and coaches deserve Empire-State-building-sized trophies this year, as far as I’m concerned. And there are countless others who propel our children to their fullest potential. How about the pediatrician who ingrained in your son the importance of a healthy diet so he had the mental clarity to remember where exactly Missouri is? Or your daughter’s friend who helped her perfect that backbend? Or perhaps even Mary Lou Retton, who inspired her?

This is not to say that your kid doesn’t deserve props. We, as parents, should be our kids’ loudest and most obnoxious fans. Our children need that in our hyper-competitive, goal-driven society.

But there’s another angle from which we can frame success that isn’t centered on your child’s magnificence.

That angle? Gratitude.

Being grateful is realizing that the goodness in your life has come to you, not only because you earned it, but because of other people.

Study after study over the past decade shows that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed.

Not only that, but when we acknowledge that success always comes on the shoulders of others, we don’t diminish our child’s worth. Rather we foster a sense of connection in our child. Since other people and things contribute to our good fortune, reminding your child who helped them achieve their win will connect them to others, nature and even something larger than themselves.

Why is this connection important? 

A sense of connectedness is the number one resilience-building factor for youth. According to the American Psychological Association, “Many studies show that the primary factor in resilience is having caring and supportive relationships within and outside the family.”

This means we should try and use every opportunity we have to promote connectedness. Our society tells us it’s all about you, the individual. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. But that’s not the reality of life. So much of our good fortune comes to us, not because we deserve it, but because of forces outside ourselves.

So let’s appreciate that—let’s be grateful—and teach our kids to as well.

It’s okay to say “Your teacher worked so hard to teach you the states, and you worked so hard to memorize them!” Or “You put so much effort into prepping for your gymnastics meet! Your little brother got schlepped to a gazillion practices for you!”

Tell your child how awesome they are after they crush it. And then ask them who helped them get there, or encourage them to think about the circumstances that allowed them to succeed. You’ll double the win.

RELATED:
How to Teach Children Gratitude
Finding Gratitude Isn’t Easy
18 Tips for Raising Grateful Kids

This post originally appeared on The Biggies Conversation Cards Blog.
Feature Image: Lisa Wall via Unsplash

After losing a brother to suicide, Devin Tomiak was driven to understand youth resiliency. Her personal mission to strengthen her relationship with her children, develop their emotional intelligence, and improve the communication skills of her whole family led her to create The Biggies Conversation Cards for elementary-aged kids.

Are those Beanie Babies with the tag protectors just chilling in your parents’ basement? On your next trip home, you might want to pull them out and take a look. Nine different beloved Ty beanies have sold for at least $15,000 (!) today, according to a new study from TheToyZone.

Topping the list is Rainbow the Chameleon Beanie Baby from 1997, which sold for an eye-popping $50,000 on Ebay. Next up, two Valentine’s Day beanies: Valentina (with errors) from 1997 at $29,999 and Valentino from 1994 at $25,003. Pouch the Kangaroo from 1996 comes in at $19,000, the popular rare edition Princess Di Bear from 1997 at $18,950 and the Canadian Maple Bear from 1997 (with spelling errors) at $18,000. Three others come in at $15,000: Curly the Bear, Pattie the Platypus and Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant.

Beanies aren’t the only valuable toys from the ’90s. If you had a Nintendo 64, you probably had the classic, Goldeneye 007. A copy recently sold for $14,499 online! A mint Talkboy based off the film Home Alone 2 was worth $30 in the ’90s, but sells for up to $10,000 today. And if you lucked into an original American Girl doll, they’re worth some cash too. A 1991 Felicity was valued at $7,820.

TheToyZone used Mavin, an online price guide to determine how much money the toys sold for, collecting data in March 2021. Only toys sold individually, as opposed to in sets or multiples, were included and presumably they are all in mint condition. You can read the rest of the lengthy list on their website and start making a mental list of your childhood collection. You might luck into a small fortune!

—Sarah Shebek

Images courtesy of TheToyZone

 

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Welcome 2021, with the Chinese New Year celebrating the Year of the Ox! May this year be more auspicious! For celebrating in a joyful way each day at lunchtime, discover below our Chinese New Year bento lunchbox ideas!

1. Bye Lunchbox Note, Hi Fortune Card! As the celebrations last up to 16 days (Chinese New Year, with Spring Festival, officially begins on February 12th, 2021, and ends on February 22nd, then you have the Lantern Festival held on February 26th), insert one fortune card each day in the lunch bag!

2. Fortune Cookies​ With fun and positive messages inside, these fresh and tasty fortune cookies will make lunch yummy and fun for sure! Definitely what we need these days!

3. Cute Chinese Red Envelopes Chinese Hong Bao, the red envelopes, are believed to bring good luck to the person who receives them. They are traditionally filled with money, but you could slip in a fortune card or chocolate gold coins for a lucky bento lunchbox! With the year of the Ox, let the auspicious care for you, let happiness smile forever! 72 Traditional and Fun Chinese New Year Red Envelopes, $12.99, Amazon 72 Elegant and Meaningful Chinese New Year Red Envelopes, $11.99, Amazon 12 Cute Kid-Friendly Chinese New Year Red Envelopes, $10.99, Amazon

4. Lunar New Year Chocolate Coins​ These good luck red and good fortune gold foiled Belgian chocolate Coins are perfect to place in the lunchbox!

5. Year of the Ox Sticker Favors Not a fan of the chocolate coins? You can take the candies you like and place these Year of the Ox stickers on them. Or place two stickers at the top of a wooden toothpick and you get cool Chinese New Year food picks! That will do the trick to bring Chinese New Year vibes in the bento lunchbox!

6. Eco-Friendly Moo-rrific Water Bottle Hydration should be a good resolution everyone should take for 2021! This water bottle is just fantastic for celebrating the Year of the Ox, with water, juice, or… milk!

7. Moo-tastic Lunch Bags May these lovely lunch bags bring your peaceful, happy, yummy lunchtime all this year! We selected four designs we liked best (and it seems we’re not the only ones finding these lunch bags cute – they disappear fast!). Which one would you choose? Dabbawalla Kids’ Lunch Bag, $20, Amazon Lunch Bag Cow Print, $14.49, Amazon Cows & Flowers Lunch Bag, $17.98, Amazon Cute Cows Lunch Bag, $22.98, Amazon

8. Chinese New Year Lunchbox Ideas Discover Chinese New Year lunchbox ideas and more on Teuko.com! See the ingredients that the families of our lunchbox community used and recreate easily these yummy bento lunch box ideas! Bentovivlov’s lunchbox idea BentoBette’s fun lunch.

So, how do you plan to celebrate the Chinese New Year? Any other food idea, accessory, or tip you would like to share? Add them in the comments!

This post originally appeared on Teuko Blog.

Teuko is the first platform that empowers families to simplify lunch packing. Using Teuko, they can find and share kid-approved lunchbox ideas, recipes, and tips, all in one place. Teuko is transforming the lunch packing experience by boosting inspiration and motivation week after week. 

2020 saw many a plant parent born and raised, and the obsession doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. What many of us learned is that it’s not just about the right lighting or the right water, it’s about finding a plant that is as resilient as it is beautiful. Enter the Money Tree, aka Pachira aquatica. Rated as one of the most popular houseplants, ever and selling out from popular sites like Bloomscape and The Sill, you’ll soon be able to get this little beauty at your local ALDI.

In spite of its complex, braided trunk and lush looking leaves, this plant is as easy to care for as a faux plant. It can handle all kind of light conditions, including low light, and can take infrequent watering. While it has ideal conditions (watering when soil looks dry, keeping the air humid) it can take quite a bit of…ahem…neglect.

The tree gets its common name because it is thought to bring good luck and prosperity to the household, popular especially in Taiwanese and Chinese homes where the braids trap fortune.

It will come in at 5 inches tall and cost just $7.99. Gift yourself one on your next ALDI store run, beginning January 13.

—Amber Guetebier

photo courtesy ALDI 

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