I was very hesitant at first. But after witnessing some of the best pitches on why they should own their own business, we decided to invest. Just like one of the sharks on Shark Tank.  After all, entrepreneurship provides many valuable lessons that my kids wouldn’t otherwise learn until later on in life.

The Secret to Getting Ahead is Getting Started

Last Valentine’s Day, my daughter, Kenzie, helped make chocolate covered strawberries. After proudly showing off her work and sharing it with friends and family, she got a ton of interest from people wanting to buy some from her next year. But after moving to a different state last summer, I knew shipping chocolate covered strawberries wouldn’t make for a very profitable business for a 7 year old.

After a weekend of brainstorming, and a whole lot of brand development, Kenzie & Co. was up and running with her first product, a Valentine’s Day marshmallow pop!

What started as a simple joy of helping in the kitchen turned into a full blown, money-making operation.

But of course, we couldn’t stop there.

Brody certainly didn’t want to be his little sister’s only employee. So he dove into his own research, scoped out the local competition, and after getting pup approval for his grain-free dog treats, Brody’s Biscuits was open for business!

Rather than depending solely on sales from friends and family, my kids decided to approach a wonderful friend of ours that happens to own a shop in our hometown supporting local small businesses. She graciously and enthusiastically agreed to let both kids sell their products in her store.

These kids really know how to hit the ground running!

Never Stop Learning

After their first month of being kid entrepreneurs, I had a few moments where I doubted my ability to keep up with the two of them. They have put in a lot of hard work, dedication, and self motivation to see the success they are seeing right now. I am so impressed with their commitment and drive to just get it done.

As a homeschooling family, we are always looking for outside-the-box ways to teach our kids valuable lessons. So far, our kids’ businesses have granted them the opportunity to learn and improve in five skilled areas. And boy, are they important!

1. Money Management

When starting from nothing, our kids had what we referred to as “startup costs.” They kept track of what they spent on supplies and the fees/licensing associated with becoming legal business owners in the state of Tennessee. Whatever costs associated with starting their company were expected to be paid back to their investor (Dad) when their business was profitable.

Aside from startup costs, each kid also has ongoing costs to keep track of. With help from their Greenlight debit cards, they are able to better monitor their spending and even put money into savings accounts that earn interest. We wanted them to understand the value of a dollar and the hard work that comes with earning those dollars.

I’m sure my kids aren’t the only ones that act like money is a never ending resource. After just a few weeks of having to earn their own money, both of them have gained a greater appreciation for it. They now reconsider a lot of their purchases because of the amount of time and effort that was required for them to afford that item. You can always make more money, however, you can’t make more time.

Within the first two weeks, Kenzie & Co. and Brody’s Biscuits were debt-free! Which is a huge accomplishment they should be proud of!

2. Self Confidence

There’s a great quote from Michelle Obama that says, “Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.”

Brody and Kenzie are so proud to have something with their name on it. Being praised by people in our community for their hard work in each of their businesses is really building their self confidence. I believe the more confident they are, the less likely they will be to listen to self doubt. Most of the time, the one person standing in the way of success is yourself. I want these kids to shoot for the stars and not settle for anything less!

3. Work Ethic

The first time you do anything is always the hardest. That first weekend really challenged their work ethic! They were trying to figure out the most efficient systems to get their product made and packaged. It was monotonous, tedious, and very time consuming. But they also learned how to be organized, how to manage their time better, and how to be resilient when problems arose.

It was tough pushing through until they were finished but that first payday Monday morning was so rewarding!

4. People Skills

The one question we are often asked as a homeschooling is, “aren’t you worried your kids won’t have any social skills?”

As business owners, they have many opportunities to practice making good eye contact, communicating clearly, and just being comfortable interacting with others. It is a skill I wish I would’ve mastered at a younger age!

5. Healthy Competition

Brody and Kenzie have always been two peas in a pod. So when they both wanted to start their own business, I was fearful that sibling rivalry would take over and pit them against each other.

But as usual, my kids surprise me. What I thought would turn into a competition of who could make the most money actually turned into two kids learning how to be better support systems to those they care about most. They want to learn about the other’s business and how to be helpful when fulfilling orders. But more importantly, cheer each other on.

They make me so proud!

Let’s Raise Kids to be Entrepreneurs

I have to say, I have been very impressed with the outcome of this crazy idea. Brody’s Biscuits and Kenzie & Co. have certainly been a whirlwind. Sometimes, my kitchen looks like an actual tornado tore through it. But what my kids have gained from this experience is making it so worthwhile. We need more kid entrepreneurs in this world! I hope you join us!

The post 5 Reasons to Encourage Kids to Start a Business appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

Just last month, my husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. I don’t think either of us imagined we would make it to this far without killing each other. Getting married at 18 and 22 isn’t for the faint of heart.

You see, no one really prepares you for how hard marriage is. In a social media world, where everything you see is literally picture perfect, it’s hard to distinguish what a normal relationship looks like. Let alone the amount of work it takes to make a marriage feel good on the inside and not one that just looks good on the outside. Whoever said marriage is 50/50 is a liar. Anything you put half of your effort into never works. Marriage takes 100% of your effort 100% of the time.

But nothing can prepare you for how incredibly awesome it is either. Having someone you can depend on for love, support, and loyalty is irreplaceable. Marriage makes you feel secure. Similar to a weighted blanket except you have to feed it often and listen to it snore.

Last year, I shared what we have learned about marriage so far in my blog post, 5 Tips for a Happy and Successful Marriage. While I’m hoping life grants us another ten years together, I wanted to share the highlights of our first ten years as husband and wife.

Baby #1

Brody, the one that gave me the confidence to believe I could handle five more. Most importantly, he’s the best big brother and I couldn’t have imagined a better leader of the pack.

Our First Home

A cozy, little place with big backyard that we would add dogs, chickens, and many more kids to. We outgrew it about as soon as we moved into it but it contained all of the things we hold dear in our hearts. For that, I’m so grateful.

Baby #2

Mackenzie, the little girl I was always hoping to have someday. She became Brody’s partner in crime almost instantly and they are still inseparable to this day.

Baby #3

Lillian is a firecracker that’s going to change the world! But she’s also the most compassionate one, especially when someone is having a rough day. She’s definitely the mother hen of the group.

Baby #4

Chloe, my little assitant. She insists on being the one that helps with everything and will get offended if someone else beats her to it. She was meant to be a big sister and loves being one.

Baby #5

Amelia, a total class clown. She would do just about anything, including risking hurting herself, to get a laugh out of her siblings. She definitely brightens our day!

Our Second Home

A wild, off-in-the-distant-future idea that became a reality years before we thought it would. The amount of time and effort it took to pull off moving across the country with five kids made me realize I am capable of anything I put my mind to. It was a risk. But one that paid off greatly!

Baby #6

Finally, there was Brayden. The icing on the cake, the cherry on top, our grand finale. Whatever you want to call it, he fulfilled our dreams of having a big family. He’s the sweetest little boy and the most perfect addition.

Ten Years Down, Forever to Go

While the last 10 years have been incredible watching our family grow, I’m looking forward to this new season of life. One where we spend less time running on coffee and cuss words and more time helping and encouraging our kids to be well rounded, young adults.

Here’s to forever and the many more adventures we have awaiting us!

The post The Best of 10 Years Well Spent appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

For a reason I couldn’t pinpoint at the time, 2022 just felt different. After celebrating my birthday in the beginning of March, that feeling grew stronger. It was only month later, we decided to take a huge leap of faith and put our house on the market. We were leaving Colorado and headed to Tennessee.

I’m sure some of our family and friends thought we were crazy. We had no intentions of making big moves like this; at least not for a couple more years. But the older I get, the easier it is for me to trust my gut and go along for the ride. Even if in my head, it sounds a little crazy.

Looking back now I can proudly say 2022 was our best year yet.

We are Home

Shorty after getting to Tennessee, the whole housing market seemed to take a huge turn. What was once a very competitive market became strangely quiet. I am no real estate guru but even our realtor that helped sell our house said, “If there was a perfect time, you guys hit it square on the nose.”

There were many times in the process that I wanted to listen to the devil on my shoulder. Were we moving too fast? Are we doing the right thing? What if we fail? Maybe we should just wait until the kids are older, or until we have more money in savings, or when our credit scores are better.

But then, there was the angel on my other shoulder saying, “take the risk or lose the chance.”

We are in total awe of Tennessee’s beauty and it’s southern charm. Taking a chance led us to some incredible people and the relationships we have developed with them make it feel like we have known them our whole lives.

We belong here. This is home.

Welcoming Our Baby Boy

Just when we thought moving was enough excitement for one year, we found out we were pregnant with our sixth baby. After having a boy, followed by four girls, we were shocked to find out our kids were finally getting the baby brother they had always hoped for.

After a fairly easy pregnancy, he came into this world wanting to making a lasting impression. At a whopping 10 lbs 4 oz, we were overjoyed to finally be holding sweet baby Brayden.

Coming home from the hospital and finally feeling like our family was complete was a something I had been waiting for for a long time. Here we were, in our new home, our kids crowded around their baby brother and everything about that moment felt so right.

Look Out 2023

2022 was a pleasant surprise for our family. But with all of the big changes that took place, there was a lot of personal goals I placed on the back burner. I’m really looking forward to refocusing some of my time and energy into this blog and hit major milestones in my own health and wellness. After all, six kids requires me showing up as my best for them everyday.

So in true new year fashion, I have chosen a new word for 2023. Ambition. To be ambitious means to have or show a strong desire and determination to succeed. There is no doubt that I have a strong desire to be successful! But this year, I’m going to make sure my goals and dreams finally come to fruition. I want nothing more than the same for you this year!

The post 2022: The Best Year Yet appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

My birthday was in March and I couldn’t shake the feeling that my 28th time around the sun had big things in store for our family. I even remember telling my husband that day that deep in my heart, I just knew this was going to be the best year yet. It was a very bold statement. Especially since so much has happened in the last 10 years with getting married and adding five kids to our family.

Then, in April, I shared a blog post interviewing my husband on life, fatherhood, and our future. What I thought were near future plans suddenly turned into immediate future plans. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let me take you back to the beginning of this adventure of moving from Colorado to Tennessee.

Trust the Magic of New Beginnings

For the last few years, Aaron and I were feeling stuck. I think 2020 reminded us all that life is never guaranteed. We didn’t want our lives to feel like we were just getting by, we wanted to thrive as a couple and as a family!

My heart began preparing me for the idea of moving out of Colorado. This was hard because not only was Colorado the place where I was born and raised, but it was also the place where we chose to start our own family as well. I had no idea what was next but we spent 2021 reducing our debt, improving our credit scores, and decluttering our home in preparation for when the next best thing would reveal itself.

While looking all over the United States, we considered Oklahoma, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. But after comparing the cost of living and income opportunities for Aaron, Tennessee quickly became our number one choice. My brother spent some time in Tennessee last summer after moving a couple of friends to the area and couldn’t stop talking about the people, the places, and how beautiful the state was. Hearing first hand from a family member whose opinion I trusted really solidified our decision for us.

“Where You Movin?” And I Said, “Onto Better Things.”

When a house around the corner from us went on the market, I couldn’t believe the price people were willing to pay for a Colorado home. We had been hearing for years how competitive and expensive the market was. But because we bought our house eight years ago, we turned a blind eye to the issue.

Thankfully, we had a dear friend that is also a trusted realtor that walked us through the next phase. Before we knew it, our house was going on the market and we were working with lenders, realtors and employers in Tennessee. It was becoming so real so fast!

We accepted an offer on our house after the first weekend of showings and few days later, we were under contract on our new house in Clarksville, Tennessee. We were thrilled that everything seemed to be falling into place almost effortlessly. Until the following week, when inspections issues arose on both houses. We spent more money than we anticipated on repairs and had to walk away from the house we were under contract on.

That was a tough week emotionally for me. I remember second guessing whether or not we would be able to pull this off. We so desperately wanted this to work out but I couldn’t help but think this was maybe a sign that we should abandon our plan.

But with encouragement from our closest friends and our realtor, we kept pushing forward. I was reminded that nobody’s moving journey comes without speed bumps and that I had no control over this part of the process. I’m so glad we didn’t cave at the first sign of resistance because a few days later, we were again, under contract. But this time, in the small town of White House, Tennessee.

Tennessee Bound

We spent the next two weeks saying goodbye to friends and family and packing our entire life into a moving pod. I had no idea how hard it would be to walk through our home one more time completely empty and with an unfamiliar, eerie echo. We locked the doors behind us and were off!

The 16-hour car ride with five kids and two dogs actually went surprisingly well. After having a June bug fly into my ear the first night we got into Kansas, I briefly questioned my decision to move from a state that didn’t have a lot of bugs. But ultimately, the excitement overcame my fear and we made it to our destination safely after that.

While we waited to close on our new house, we had to spend a couple of weeks in a hotel. The very first night we got to Tennessee, we started a week long battle with the stomach flu. Everybody had it on a different day so by the end of the week, we were ready to break out of our room and do some exploring.

Our kids weren’t the only ones that had to adjust to our temporary housing situation. The dogs had a lot to learn about hotel living, too. They weren’t a big fan of being leashed to go outside, riding elevators, or sharing grass with other animals. Thankfully, for the most part, we flew under the radar with hotel management.

To wrap up our hotel adventures, we spent the last three nights in a room with a broken air conditioner. It also happened that week was the hottest week Nashville had seen so far this year. The only thing that kept the kids in good spirits was the hotel pool and me promising that this would all be worth it in the end.

Home Isn’t a Place, It’s a Feeling

We closed on our new house a day earlier than expected and I’m pretty sure we left the hotel so fast, our tires squealed against the pavement.

The last of the surprises was our moving pod being delivered a few days late. The air mattresses got old fast but at least we working air conditioning! When the moving pod was dropped in the driveway, we all took a big sigh of relief. Everyone and everything had finally arrived to our destination safely.

It has been about a month since moving in and living here still feels like we are in a dream. Not only do we have more space to live in, but we also have more friends in the neighborhood that we enjoy spending time with. Our kids finally understand what it means to play until the street lights come on. Tennessee has exceeded our expectations. Aside from the humidity anyway.

I’ve always heard that the greatest things come when you step outside of your comfort zone. Even though it has only been a month, I am blown away by the blessings we have received for simply taking a chance and having a little faith. I said it on my birthday and I’ll say it again now, 2022 is certainly proving to be the best year yet!

The post Colorado to Tennessee: The Adventure Begins Now appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

So let’s dive right in!

What surprised you the most about becoming a Dad?

How rewarding it is. I didn’t know they would observe and copy what you do at such a young age. I probably should have done a better job at not having such a bad mouth. But it has been fun watching them each grow up and become so independent after spending what felt like forever being dependent on us.

What is your favorite part about having kids?

Getting to see them each be their own person. How can kids raised in the same house be so different? What’s the Forrest Gump quote about life being like a box of chocolates? That’s kids-you never know what you’re going to get.

What is the toughest part about having kids?

Having five of them. That is pretty self explanatory.

How many children did you want to have when you were younger?

Four. But my wife wanted six so I said, why not.

What do you look forward to most in the future?

Getting to see who my kids become. They are turning into pretty cool people already.

What is your favorite memory with me?

PG? Probably to see how excited you were the first time you got to drive my truck…and how f*cking scary it was.

What is your favorite thing about being married?

To have somebody in my corner that is always on my team and there to fill in all of my gaps.

List 5 things you love about me.

1. Laugh
2. Smile
3. Heart
4. How involved you are with our family
5. You are a go-getter

Where do you see our family in 5 years?

In a new house in a new state with more kids.

If you could afford it at this moment, what would you buy?

The 2 million dollar home on the river in Tennessee.

What is your favorite family tradition?

Smoked prime rib on Christmas Day. Everything about Christmas Day is great though.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

My 3rd grade paper I found said I wanted to be a janitor. I thought it would be cool to work where you had summers off and all other breaks and holidays the students had off. But in high school, I wanted to be a 9-1-1 dispatcher.

If I had to cook only one meal for you for the rest of our lives, what would it be?

Chicken enchiladas.

What is one thing you wish you could change about yourself?

My physique. I wish I could eat what I want when I want without repercussions. And more toned.

Based on our relationship, what advice would you give people who are dating?

Always remember that you are on the same team and this team is the most important one you will ever be on.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Bad drivers. As someone who drives for a living, I have no patience for it.

What did you hate as a child but appreciate now?

Naps. Naps are underrated.

Would you rather go to the past and meet your ancestors or go to the future to meet your descendants?

My descendants. I feel like I could help the future generation excel faster in life if I could help them learn from my mistakes.

What was your very first impression of me?

Gahdayum!

When was the first time you knew I was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?

One of the weekends you came down from college for the weekend and met my friends and family. You just hit it off with everybody. It was like you fit right in and belonged here with me.

10/10 Would Recommend You Do a Husband Interview Too

This was really fun! I wish I had put together more questions to ask because I especially loved hearing his vision for our family’s future.

Stay tuned as I interview my kids next!

The post Husband Interview on Life, Fatherhood and Our Future appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

As a homeschool family, we aren’t limited to just spring break for partaking in fun adventures together. Plus, Colorado doesn’t always provide the nicest weather for spring break. So we take advantage of every opportunity of sunshine and warm weather when it finally returns!

The first day of spring is March 20th! So with help from my kids, we have created the 2022 spring bucket list and challenge your family to see how many of these fun activities you check off before June 21st. Ready. Set. Go make some memories!

Spring Bucket List Activities

• Color with chalk
• Fly a kite
• Visit the farmer’s market
• Find a rainbow
• Plant a seed
• Paint rocks
• Have a picnic
• Visit a local ice cream shop
• Go to the zoo
• Make a bird feeder
• Hunt for bugs
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Make a nature collage
• Visit a new park
• Make a fairy garden
• Go on a bike ride
• Blow bubbles outside
• Play in the rain
• Make a rainbow craft
• Dye Easter eggs
• Go on an Easter egg hunt
• Visit a farm
• Make homemade lemonade
• Paint a flower pot
• Go hiking as a family
• Visit the library
• Fly a paper airplane
• Have a tea party
• Make a suncatcher
• Go fishing

“Spring is Nature’s Way of Saying Let’s Party!” -Robin Williams

Another fun way to implement spring activities for kids is to write each activity on a popsicle stick that your kids take turns pulling from a jar. But, if you’d like to print this spring bucket list I created, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter. My subscribers get exclusive access to all of my fun printables that I am constantly updating.

Let me know in the comments what your favorite thing about this season is! Happy spring!

The post 30 Spring Bucket List Activities Your Kids Will Love appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

I usually love this time of year. Christmas is so much more fun after you have kids of your own. I love seeing the way their faces light up when they see us pull out the Christmas tree. Or when we spend time driving around while looking at all of the lights.

But nothing beats Christmas morning! Being gathered around the tree, still in our PJs, watching the joy and excitement unfold with each new gift being unwrapped. My husband and I pass a quick wink from across the living room; like a silent high-five to each other for pulling off another “best Christmas ever!”

Usually, I spend the month of November counting down the days until I can bring out my Christmas decorations.

But this year is different.

Where is My Holiday Spirit?

I’ve been struggling to find the same level of holiday spirit and excitement as my kids. Maybe I lost it after cleaning out the basement. We tossed and donated SO MANY toys! The same ones my kids desperately wanted from Santa a couple of years ago. The lifespan of toys around here is shorter than the lifespan of a fish without water.

Or maybe I lost my holiday spirit when I took my kids shopping during the first weekend of November and we saw stores everywhere had already begun Black Friday sales. People were already lining up to dump hundreds of dollars on materialistic junk.

Or maybe I lost it this summer, when the news started predicting there would be supply shortages on lots of items due to the after effects of COVID. The message was basically to get your shopping done early this year to ensure you had everything you wanted.

Now, here I am, just trying to figure out how I got sucked into this belief that the only way to show the magnitude of your love to those you care about is to go into debt for them.

Power of Connection

Every year, we participate in a family gift exchange with my family. In the past, we have drawn names and each person was responsible for shopping for one other person in the extended family. Last year, we decided to change it up a bit and have one family shopping for another family in hopes to keep gifts affordable.

We took it a step further and challenged ourselves to gift “experiences” instead of just things. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember many of the gifts I received as a kid. So the purpose of gifting experiences was to hopefully create lasting memories instead.

It was a great idea at the time, but trying to gift experiences when most places weren’t fully open was extremely difficult.

So, this year, we introduced a new challenge, the gift of connection. Because surface level relationships suck.

As adults, we all understand the amount of hard work that goes into surviving this crazy thing called life. Some of us have full time jobs, some of us have families, and some of us have both.

We all know the importance of friends and family. It is really hard to maintain those relationships when life gets busy for everyone. But what would happen if we stopped letting time slip away and instead, were intentional about prioritizing those relationships?

Time is a Precious Gift

I know, at least for the foreseeable future, that I won’t be able to pull off a completely toy-free Christmas. Just like every parent, I want to instill good morals and values in my kids. They should always value those around the Christmas tree more than what is under it.

So as I accept this challenge and we begin rediscovering the meaning of Christmas as a family, I want to know what traditions or activities you enjoy together. Please share in the comments!

If you’re wanting to accept this challenge but don’t know where to start, I encourage you to check out my post, Best Non-Toy Gifts for Kids.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!

The post Gifting Time, Not Toys, This Holiday Season appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

I love the crisp, chilly morning air, the leaves changing colors, and all things pumpkin spice. My kids can’t wait to go to all of the fall festivals and they know that this season also brings trick or treating and Thanksgiving.

There are also so many fun, fall activities to do with your family. Where do you start? With help from my kids, we have compiled a list of our favorite seasonal things to do. I have also included a free printable for you to use as a checklist. You will find a download button at the bottom of this post.

Don’t let fall slip away before you have gone on a few of these adventures!

30 Fall Bucket List Activities and Adventures

• Find a pumpkin patch
• Go apple picking
• Take a drive to look at the fall colors
• Go on a Hayride
• Jump in a pile of leaves
• Attend a Fall Festival
• Paint a pumpkin
• Make a scarecrow
• Eat a caramel apple
• Find your way through a Corn Maze
• Drink Apple Cider
• Have a pumpkin carving contest
• Have a nature scavenger hunt
• Eat s’mores at a bonfire
• Make ghost rockets
• Eat an apple cider donut
• Make pumpkin bread
• Make apple pie
• Create apple stamp art
• Roast pumpkin seeds
• Eat candy corn
• Make pumpkin pie
• Go trick or treating
• Glow stick hide and seek
• Paint pinecones
• Gather treasures for a nature collage
• Make a thankful tree
• Have a Hocus Pocus family movie night
• Make your favorite fall soup together
• Build a fort

All of this talk about fall has my kids so excited! What are your favorite things about this season? Does your family have any fall traditions? Let me know in the comments!

The post 30 Fun Fall Activities to Put on Your Bucket List appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

I had no idea what to expect, or even what to pack. So I literally packed everything and then regretted loading and unloading so much stuff.

Things have changed since then. We now have five kids to entertain and very limited space in the car. So I have to be particular about what to pack and where to put it.

On our most recent road trip, we got about an hour into our drive before our two year old started complaining that she’s ready to get out. Thanks to my husband’s lead foot, we usually make it to our destination in less than seven hours. But that’s still not fast enough to avoid the constant questions of “are we there yet” from the back seat.

We like to think of ourselves as seasoned professionals, at least for this specific stretch of Colorado highways. So I wanted to share some tips and tricks you can use on your next road trip with your family!

Pack Plenty of Snacks

I’m the snack dealer and I take this job very seriously. My kids start expressing bad attitudes and bad behaviors when they’re hangry (they get that quality from their dad). So this is the one area that I tend to overpack in.

But, for me, the worst thing about road trips is passing the good snacks to the kids in the back and then you never see those snacks again. So we created “snackle boxes.” Each kid helped decorate and fill their own box.

This was seriously one of my best road trip hacks! There was no fighting in the backseat over who wasn’t sharing and there were also no hunger complaints. Plus, my husband and I were pretty happy to have access to our favorite snacks in the front, too.

Prepare the iPads (or other technology)

I love that Neflix allows you to download movies and episodes to a device that you can play while offline. I always make sure the night before that all of our iPads and phones are fully charged and that they have plenty of movies to choose from.

Also, don’t forget to bring an extra long, lightning charger that will keep those iPads charged while in the car. I try not to be too strict on screen time while on the road. My priority is keeping a peaceful car so the baby can sleep and the driver can focus on the road.

Emergency Supplies

With kids, you never know what to expect. At the minimum, I always pack Neosporin and a few bandaids. But knowing we aren’t always within a convenient distance of a grocery store, I try to remember to pack things like infant Tylenol, allergy medicine, teething gel, Pepto for kids, cough drops, and chewing gum if driving through the mountains. It can never hurt to be too prepared, right?

Bring the Entertainment

To help break up long periods of screen time, bring some games! Right before our most recent road trip, I created a few games that I could print off. These games included Road Trip Bingo, Slug Bug, and Road Trip Alphabet I-Spy. Below, I’ve attached the file for these games so you can download and play them with your kids, too!

We also like to bring a deck of cards and a couple of lap trays so we can play Go-Fish, Slap Jack, and other fun card games. It is a great way to pass the time!

Making Memories One Road Trip at a Time

All of these suggestions help make road trips a little more enjoyable. But, the best thing you can bring on a road trip is a good attitude. With a little bit of prep, these long drives can create some of the best memories. So get out there and explore! What are you waiting for?

Do you have any tips for road trip with kids? Let me know in the comments!

The post The Best Survival Guide to Family Road Trips appeared first on Bliss This Mess.

With love languages, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all. But I believe all of my kids’ love languages include some aspect of quality time. They all thrive on spending time with me, which makes it really hard to venture out of the house by myself…ever.

A recent survey showed that American families only dedicate 37 minutes a day during the week for quality time together. Yikes! People are getting so busy creating a life, they forget to live and enjoy their life, too.

The Struggle With Technology

My 8 year old just got his first phone. He has been begging me for a while so I gave him one of my old phones that he can only use when he is around wifi or connected to my hotspot. His only contacts are family members and couple of close friends. But after entrusting him with the freedom of his own phone, I suddenly realized that I became a role model on how to responsibly use one. I couldn’t lecture him about putting his phone away if that was something I could not model myself.

With technology at our fingertips, it is harder than ever to be present in every moment of our child’s day. I can’t even count how many times I thought I was going to sit on the couch for a couple of minutes to check social media and then, all of a sudden, a half hour goes by. I know I am not alone here!

So when it comes to spending quality time with my family, the best and most important thing I can do for myself is unplug. Your children want your undivided attention! Did you know there are settings on apple devices (sorry, I’m not knowledgable with Android) to help with this? Under settings, and screen time, you will find options to set downtimes and app limits. During downtime, only apps that you choose to allow and phone calls will be available. App limits allows you to set a daily time limit for app categories, like social media. Pretty nifty, huh?

No Fail Method to Staying Off Your Phone

Creating and sharing content for my blog requires a lot of time on technology. I have had to discipline myself in waking up early to finish my projects so that I could allow adequate time that is dedicated to just my children.

But sometimes, even I struggle with being able to let work go to be fully present with my kids. When this happens, I have to put my phone in a place where I know I will be too lazy to go and get it. For me, that place is usually in the car in the garage. There is no other reason I need to go out there. If it is urgent, people can call my husband.

My kids also get really excited about playing one game in particular. It is called, “hide mom’s phone.” You probably guessed it. I let my kids find a hiding spot for it until bed time. For your own sanity, I highly suggest you only play this game with kids you can trust to not forget where they put your phone. I recently found out of desperation, if I ask my AirPods where my phone is, it will ping my phone. That in itself is worth the investment of AirPods, in my opinion (ha!)

Whatever the strategy, find one that works for you!

The Only Thing More Important Than Time is Who We Spend it With

If you are not intentional about scheduling quality time, then let’s be honest, it isn’t likely to happen. You have to block this time out. We typically schedule quality time at least one day a week. For us, this is usually on either a Saturday or a Sunday. Weekends can also be hard if you’re used to being invited to do a bunch of things. But, you will learn how to say no to certain activities and yes to your kids which will better benefit the functionality and happiness of your home!

Some of our favorite quality time activities we enjoy as a family are:

• Cooking and eating meals together
• Planning a family movie night
• Enjoying an after dinner walk together
• Reading books together
• Having a backyard picnic
• Starting a water fight in the backyard
• Planning a living room campout (including an indoor s’mores station)
• Going on a scavenger hunt
• Making play dough together (tutorial and the best play dough recipe here)
• Planning a family game night with a popcorn bar
• Having an arts and crafts night
• Building a fort

For Kids, Love is Spelled T-I-M-E

Quality time with your kids will improve mental health, boost their self-confidence, reduce stress, and strengthen family bonding. Along with those benefits, prioritizing quality time will also demonstrate positive family and relationship dynamics. Kids learn by example and they mimic behaviors they often see. This time with our kids goes by so fast! Be sure to spend as much time as you can with the ones you love the most!

What is your favorite quality time activity you like to do with your kids? Let me know in the comments!

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