Weekends Count Magazine - Helping you maximize your weekends through travel and DIY experiences.: Working Moms

Showing posts with label Working Moms. Show all posts

Parents, When You Travel - You Need Lunch Notes!

Our daughter began her first week of school last week and it has been a whirlwind of emotions for me. I am excited to get her out of the house during the day and for her to learn all of the things she needs to know this year. However, I realize that I only have a few more years with her and I have to maximize my time.

These years are especially important when I have to be away from her for weeks or months at a time. When I had to be away for two weeks this summer, I felt HORRIBLE and I made quick trip to the larger Dollar Tree in the next city to purchase 15 days of super small, but girly gifts for to connect with and entertain her while I was away. When I travel for work, I have to prepare in advance.

These connections are also important when she takes her tests and tries out for sports teams during the day. I try to make the best connections at lunch time, when she has a break. I used to write little notes for her on post-its, but I realize that this is A LOT to do when you have -all the things - to do around the house.

I found this brand to utilize as her daily lunch notes. She loves jokes and these are funny lunch notes for my daughter. She loves getting short, sweet and colorful lunch notes from mom. They are quick and easy to use and they are not super expensive. Also, there are several different varieties:

I actually made a comment to her last night that she has been using the same lunch kit from Land's End for the past six years! Talk about quality!

Even as the caregiver of two senior parents, I would have LOVED these notes. These are also great lunch notes for adults! Notes like these would make a huge difference in the lives of the seniors in our community. Show them that you care.

We know you LOVE these notes as much as we do! The price point in great and the colors are engaging! Check them out! Also, this post has a links that benefit our Amazon store!

Sincerely,

Weekends Count Magazine & The Weekends Count Family

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Have You Purchased a Samsonite Underseater Yet? Great for Airline Travel!

My family flies to many destinations within the United States. However, when I travel alone, I like to travel with luggage that I can easily fit under my seat. This is especially important if you are traveling Basic Economy on United Airlines or American Airlines.

If you are a mom who works outside the home, a mom on-the-go, or a frequent traveler to the grandparents' house, you need this suitcase. It is GREAT for air travel or for simply fitting in the trunk of a car for a 1-5 day road trip! Introducing the Samsonite Small Underseat Carry-On Luggage, Black, One Size and the Samsonite Underseat Spinner with USB Port Carry-On Luggage, Jet Black, One Size!

This post contains affiliate links to help you build your shopping list and travel list for your family. We provide easy links for you to click to make your busy lifestyle easier!

Here's the Samsonite Small Underseat Carry-On Luggage, Black, One Size suitcase! This is the one that I have and love, but after six years, I need a new one soon. Everything is in tact, but after 40+ trips, I've put some wear and tear on this suitcase. Let's get one!

Here's the Samsonite Underseat Spinner with USB Port Carry-On Luggage, Jet Black, One Size. It is sleek, professional, and ready to travel! It is actually a spinner as well! We do not have a spinner, but I would definitely love to spin my suitcase 360 degrees!

This has been the best bag for me and sometimes it is large enough for a weekend trip for my family. In fact, I've used this bag for the last 40 trips (over the past six years) that I have taken on the airplane and for numerous work trips. It has everything that I need in a bag and I never have to worry about leaving something at home because it is all there. With 15+ pockets and zipper sections, you have room for almost everything.

This bag has fit under economy seats on American Airlines and United Airlines. It is perfect for almost every adventure and in fact, I've escaped having to check my bag because it fit under the seat.

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

Sincerely,

The @WeekendsCount Family!

About Weekends Count - Weekends Count is a Millennial Family Travel, Fun, Food and Activities blog based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. We review hotels, travel and household items, and millennial family experiences!

Authors - Jennifer and Tony Edwards

Here's a link to our press kit/media kit - http://www.weekendscount.com/p/our-media-kit.html

Contact Information:
1030 East Highway 377 Suite 110
Box #145
Granbury TX 76048
817-382-8475
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Remember to Purchase or Download Our Family Travel Book on Amazon! - Family Travel Hacks and Tips for Any Budget!

Seven Things that Moms Can Do to Stay Sane During the School Year

One thing I dread each year is...the beginning of the school year. So, I have to pay my bills ahead of time (because if not.. they will be late) and literally plan everything that we will do during the month. August and September are always the craziest months for our family, even since college. During college, tuition and fees are due at the beginning of the school year and this has always made me dread the months.

So, I have to plan to remain sane. I am an educator (my year begins in August/September) and I have to plan my lessons for the entire year. Then, I my mom life with the first grader kicks in and I am officially in beast mode for our family. I have to cook, clean, plan schedules, check backpacks, communicate with teachers, check the school's social media accounts, and commute to my job each day.

As a result, I had to create a list of ways that I have managed to remain sane during the school year (especially over the past few years that my little one has been enrolled in public school).

Here are Seven Things that Moms Can Do to Stay Sane During the School Year:

1 - Eat Healthy Food - Consider adopting a meatless diet (at least one night per week!

2 - Incorporate Walking in Your Daily Plan!

3 - Make Sleep a Priority! - Eight hours of sleep is ideal, but consider setting a sleep reminder on your phone.

4 - Find a Friend (at work, at home, at the gym... somewhere)! Check in with your friend at least once a week.

5 - Try to Tackle Only ONE Task at a Time - It is easy to multitask, but remember that you can focus when you segment your work.

6 - Create Goals Every Six Months! - This will help you keep yourself on track. :)

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

Sincerely,

The @WeekendsCount Family!

From Lack of Passion to Productivity - A Review of Productivity Hacks

It is painful everyday to wake up and to look at my daily schedule. Literally running from meeting to meeting, being asked to solve large-scale problems, and to develop creative ideas to recruit and retain individuals is quite a challenge every day.

For the past few weeks, I've made a concerted effort to wake up extra early to sit on a rug in my bathroom and to stretch and explore a few yoga poses. After my before the sun arises poses have truly made a difference in my daily life. After those few minutes of wellness, I am ready to conquer my day and walk from meeting to meeting!

It seems that millennial moms are some of the most overworked individuals in the workforce. More of them are working mothers (outside of the home), they are responsible for household tasks (shared with their partners), and usually they are tackling several tasks at once.

I wish that I had this book before transitioning to a new semester (of the school year). "Productivity Hacks: A Time Management Plan to Become More Productive" presents several innovative ways for individuals to become better prepared to address their daily activities.

Here are the chapters of the book:

1 - Introduction

2 - Bad Habits That Kill Our Productivity

3 - Set Your Goals

4 - Day-By-Day Plan to Increase Productivity

5 - Conclusion

The book is very organized and well written. Moms, regardless of their experiences, can definitely relate to the lists and tasks presented in the book.

Here are my top 10 favorite tips from the book:

1 - Automate Routine Tasks

2 - Limit Your To Do Lists to 5 Items or Less

3 - Wait for Optimal Work Conditions

4 - Use the Internet Only When the Task Demands It

5 - Take Short Breaks Between Tasks (An hour between tasks is recommended).

6 - Avoid Moral Licensing (Excuses for negative behavior (i.e. - eating unhealthy foods, etc.)

7 - Create a Vision for Your Life

8 - Develop a Personal Mission Statement

9 - Create a Morning/Evening Routine (and practice it each day)

10 - Remember to Include Meals in Your Weekly Schedule

This is definitely a great book for anyone, but especially person who work for large corporations, entrepreneurs, and teachers.

This post contains affiliate links to help you build your shopping list and travel list for your family. We are passionate about the product and the experiences listed in this post, but we also wanted to provide easy links you can click to purchase products for your busy lifestyle.

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

The @WeekendsCount Family!

About Weekends Count - Weekends Count is a Millennial Family Travel, Fun, Food and Activities blog based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. We review hotels, travel and household items, and millennial family experiences!

Authors - Jennifer and Tony Edwards

Here's a link to our press kit/media kit - http://www.weekendscount.com/p/our-media-kit.html

Mailing Address: 1030 East Highway 377 Suite 110; Box #145; Granbury TX 76048
Phone Number - 817-382-8475

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Remember to Check Out Our Book - Family Travel Hacks and Tips for Any Budget!

Your Resilient Child: Parenting that Builds Confidence and Grit

By Patty Wipfler and Tosha Schore, Hand in Hand Parenting

Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Even today many of us think that building resilience and grit in our children requires the use of harshness. It’s not that we want to scare them or hurt them or worry them. We just don’t know how else to get from the screaming, tantruming child to the strong, confident one. The truth is that a crying or upset child is not weak or broken. He is brilliant - using his body’s natural ability to heal from upset to regain access to his thinking brain that will guide him well. It’s just that we adults are so uncomfortable with big loud feelings that we get in the way of success!

Children who seem to lack confidence or resilience know how to gain those qualities, but they need our support to make it happen. Setting Limits by offering them expectations, and then stopping to really listen to any feelings that come up around that limit is a great way to escort a scared child towards confidence. We call this willingness to hear how a child is feeling when they are upset “Staylistening.” Because separation is such a common struggle for children of all ages, it is often the perfect place to help a scared child gain confidence.

TACKLING SEPARATION FEARS USING LISTENING TOOLS

The first step in moving towards confident separations is to plan for emotional ones. You’re ready to be an agent of change when you’ve anticipated the upset that is surely coming.

Second, understand that your child’s upsets reflect underlying fear, not a deliberate desire to ruin your plans. Think about where your child’s fears might come from. If your son clings tightly to you at bedtime, consider what earlier separations he might be recalling. Has the daughter who won’t participate in that gymnastics class she wanted so badly had difficulties in groups of children before? You may be able to identify a few of the hard times that could be contributing to your child’s separation fears. But don’t worry if you can’t think of anything. He can shed his fears without either of you knowing their origin.

The third step in helping your child through separation struggles is to address your own fears and worries. As your child shows how threatened he feels, your own feelings can be triggered so that you become unsure of his safety, too! Your worries will be transmitted to him without a word.

Things will go better when you get the support you need to release those feelings. Remember how you felt leaving your crying child to get to work on time? Or how it felt moving your child from a crib to a “big kid” bed? Do you remember longing for your own mom? Your dad? Listening Partnerships work well for identifying and venting feelings from memories like these.

In the throes of a difficult separation, Setting Limits and Staylistening are your go-to tools. You’ll want to let your child know ahead of time that a separation is coming up. He needs to know where you are going, when you’re coming back, and who will stay with him. If he begins crying at this news, Staylisten. He’s using the healing process already.

Here’s a story from our new book Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Challenges that shows you what it can look like. This mom took a broad perspective on her son’s separation issues, chose to set a limit and Staylisten, and watched big new doors open for him.

When my son was in sixth grade, he was still too frightened to go on sleepovers. I didn’t want to push him to do something he wasn’t ready for, but all his friends were sleeping at each other’s houses, and I sensed that my son really wanted to as well. I felt that his fears were holding him back. After sharing my feelings about this issue several times with a Listening Partner, I decided that I was ready to help my son.

I had gone to overnight camp myself when I was young, and I wanted my son to begin going to the same camp. I knew he’d love it, and I’d heard that one of his close friends was also going. I knew that if I set a limit here, I’d need to Staylisten, and this would move him into a more rational and relaxed space. One day, the two of us were home alone and I said to my son, “I’ve decided I’d like you to go to sleepaway camp this summer. The session that fits with our schedule is full, but I put you on the waitlist.” I knew that he would be upset by this proposition, but I didn’t realize just how scared he was! He began trembling. He begged me not to send him. He told me that he couldn’t be away from me for that long—that he would die! At first I was taken aback by the rush of emotion and the intensity of my son’s words. But I quickly realized that this limit was important.

His upset and trembling continued for a good hour. I listened. Then he calmed down and asked, “Do you think I’ll like it?” He was still hesitant, but he had shed enough fear that he could see the possibility that my decision to send him to camp was a good one. We talked for a while, and then moved on to other things. The next day I heard my son say to his brother, “I’m going to sleepaway camp this summer! Well, if there’s space. I’m on the waitlist.” He was proud. And then he turned to me and asked if he could spend the night at a friend’s house that same night. While I remained calm, inside I was bursting with excitement at my son’s newfound freedom. “Absolutely! Why don’t you give him a call and see if tonight works.” Since that day, my son has been sleeping at friends’ houses regularly. And that summer he had the time of his life at camp. His first words off the bus when he got home? “Can I go to Session Three next summer? It’s longer!”

Want to help your child build confidence? Hold out reasonable expectations. Listen to his fears. Get the support you need to address your own worries. You’ll be amazed at how quickly things can change!

You can learn more about the authors and their new book, Listen: Five Simple Tools to
Meet Your Everyday Challenges, on the Hand in Hand Parenting website.

This post contains affiliate links to help you build your shopping list and travel list for your family. We are passionate about the product and the experiences listed in this post, but we also wanted to provide easy links you can click to purchase products for your busy lifestyle.

This week,

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

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About Weekends Count - Weekends Count is a Millennial Family Travel, Fun, Food and Activities blog based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. We review hotels, travel and household items, and millennial family experiences!

Authors - Jennifer and Tony Edwards

Here's a link to our press kit/media kit - http://www.weekendscount.com/p/our-media-kit.html

Mailing Address: 1030 East Highway 377 Suite 110; Box #145; Granbury TX 76048
Phone Number - 817-382-8475

Send us an Email! We are PR friendly! - weekendscount@gmail.com
Watch Our Videos on YouTube! - http://www.youtube.com/weekendscount/
Become a fan of Facebook! - http://www.facebook.com/weekendscount/
Follow Us on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/weekendscount/
Look for Us on Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/weekendscount/
Discover the Weekends Count Blog - http://www.weekendscount.com

Living Green and Cleaning Sustainably with Green Gobbler Apple Melon ULTRA PACS!

If you hate cleaning your house as much as I do, you are definitely looking for a product that will work... the FIRST time! The Green Gobbler all-purpose spray cleaner is for almost every surface in your household! From crayons and countertops to outdoor furniture to indoor sinks, this is the perfect product for easy cleaning around your household.

This post contains affiliate links to help you build your shopping list and travel list for your family. We are passionate about the product and the experiences listed in this post, but we also wanted to provide easy links you can click to purchase products for your busy lifestyle.

This product comes with two microfiber towels, eight ultra pacs, and the spray bottle. The Green Gobbler is very sustainable for households that are interested in green living!

This pack will last forever because you have eight multipacks that you will just need to place in the bottle, add water, and shake! Best of all, your house will smell like apple-melon!

You can order your Green Gobbler Apple Melon ULTRA PACS - 8 Refills here - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0149ELZ10

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

Our Top STEM Toy Pick for 2016 - The "I Do 3D Vertical Pen"!

Realistically, professional parents who work outside the home and/or who commute for 30-minutes to an hour to work have a limited amount of time to spend with their children in the evenings. Post of the time, this precious time is filled with dinner prep, after school activities, sports, etc.

This busy situation is true for our small family as well and we emphasize homework or a STEM activity for our preschooler each day. She really enjoys the hands-on activities instead of the workbooks, but she really likes creating items and watching physical changes occur during the science experiments.

This post contains affiliate links to help you build your shopping list and travel list for your family. We are passionate about the product and the experiences listed in this post, but we also wanted to provide easy links you can click to purchase products for your busy lifestyle.

Here's Step 1 - Utilize the Design Paper to Create the Martian!

Step 2 - Allow the Solution to Cool (while admiring your creation)!

Step 3 - Make Your Creation a 3D Creature!

Toys like the "I Do 3D Vertical Pen" (the price ranges between $3.39 and $19.99) is one of those affordable, versatile toys for busy families who want to emphasize the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics in 30 minute segments for their children. Our preschooler LOVED creating her own objects and viewing them on the dining room table each day!

Tony, my husband, is a former science teacher and my father is a former science teacher as well. So, science definitely runs in my family. My preschooler also loves science. She will definitely be a STEM Girl and I know that she will carry on the family name in the science field!

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

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When You Want to Make Someone Else's Day Amazing...Bouchard Chocolates!

We hope you are having a great week!

We received this chocolate from the Bouchard Chocolate company to review for our blog. This chocolate was delicious and would be an amazing work gift, teacher, gift, or simply a thank you gift for someone who has done something amazing!

These chocolates were actually shipped from Belgium! This was a great touch! This chocolate is also sold at your local Costco store!

We cannot wait to give these chocolates to colleagues, family members, and friends! Great for the upcoming holiday season!

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

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Top 5 VTech Toys for Christmas and Birthday Party Gifts! - Gift Guide

TOP FIVE VTECH TOYS FOR CHRISTMAS & BIRTHDAY PARTY GIFTS! @weekendscount

We hope you are having a great week!

The Weekends Count is super concerned about Christmas and purchasing the correct gifts for our little one and her friends! Here are the top 10 Christmas List Items for Preschoolers!

This post contains affiliate links to help you build your shopping list and travel list for your family. We are passionate about the product and the experiences listed in this post, but we also wanted to provide easy links you can click to purchase products for your busy lifestyle.

1 - Go! Go! Smart Friends Enchanted Princess Palace ($54.99 with Amazon Prime)
Here's the link to the item: http://amzn.to/2dqmFBy

2 - VTech Care for Me Learning Carrier Toy ($24.99 with Amazon Prime)
Here's the link to the item: http://amzn.to/2cJHCci

3 - VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Adventure ($43.99 with Amazon Prime)
Here's the link to the item: http://amzn.to/2cAeQrh

4 - VTech Bizzy the Mix and Move Bot ($24.99 with Amazon Prime)
Here's the link to the item: http://amzn.to/2cAdtsI

5 - VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk Deluxe (Electronic) ($54.95 with Amazon Prime)
Here's the link to the item: http://amzn.to/2dqnJ8p

These items are definitely on our Christmas list and my little one will love them! When one do you like the best?

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

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Make Your Weekends Count!

Explore the Weekends Count Magazine

Parents, When You Travel - You Need Lunch Notes!

Have You Purchased a Samsonite Underseater Yet? Great for Airline Travel!

Seven Things that Moms Can Do to Stay Sane During the School Year

From Lack of Passion to Productivity - A Review of Productivity Hacks

Your Resilient Child: Parenting that Builds Confidence and Grit

Living Green and Cleaning Sustainably with Green Gobbler Apple Melon ULTRA PACS!

Our Top STEM Toy Pick for 2016 - The "I Do 3D Vertical Pen"!

When You Want to Make Someone Else's Day Amazing...Bouchard Chocolates!

Top 5 VTech Toys for Christmas and Birthday Party Gifts! - Gift Guide