Go On a Date With Your Kid! #dateyourkid #thekerrieshow

**This was originally written in 2011

It all started after my youngest son was born and spent some time in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). If I wasn’t at the hospital, I was a stressball at home, so I decided one day to start taking my three oldest kids out on a date. My then-two-year-old considered a trip to the grocery store alone with me to be a fun date, so I figured the age four and up crowd would be the best candidates for a couple of hours on the town with Mommy.

Date Number One was with my oldest son, age 10. We couldn’t play a game of Pokemon cards without being interrupted 27 times, so we took our card decks and headed out. First we ate lunch at Olive Garden, then went for frozen yogurt at a place with large tables where we could play our game. He shared all kinds of thoughts with me that I will always treasure.

Date Number Two was with my second son, age 8. He chose Red Robin for his restaurant, and we played tic-tac-toe and drew silly pictures on the paper placemats. I joked for him to tell me his hopes, dreams and goals, and we had a great conversation about life in general. Later we grabbed some cookies and went to a park.

Date Number Three was with my oldest daughter, age 6. She chose a local restaurant where we could get some blueberry pancakes and hot chocolate. We colored on placemats and did lots of giggling. Then we went to a beauty school so she could get her first haircut.

For each date, we took Daddy’s truck instead of our usual mommyvan transportation, and we took the camera to snap lots of pictures. Sometimes we eat, sometimes each child might get a little gift, and sometimes we spend no money at all. You could make your date extravagant (go to a water park all day then have dinner out) or go simple (head to the park for an hour). My big rule is that you have to get out of the house so you aren’t distracted by phone, mail, dishes or laundry.

I love how I get to know each of my kids better when we go on our dates. They tell me things they might not tell me while their siblings are around, and I get to savor every word. We get to build a relationship based on more than day-to-day interactions like chores, meals, homework and activities. It’s easy to get into a relationship rut with your kids just as you can do with a friendship or a marriage.

Sometimes I plan our dates, sometimes my kids plan them, but we try to do something different every time. The sky’s the limit, but here are a few ideas to get you started depending on your child’s interests (we keep an ongoing list on the fridge):

·         Go swimming at an indoor pool in the winter
·         Go to a museum or children’s museum
·         Drive go-karts
·         Try geocaching
·         Head to the zoo or nature center
·         Take a board or card game to a coffeehouse and play while enjoying a treat and conversation

Whether you have one child or 10, going on a one-on-one date with him every now and then will be an important and special experience for both of you. As my kids get older I look forward to day-long dates with each of them. Dates aren’t always easy to fit onto the calendar, but they are always worth it. Repeat as often as necessary!

*Come back tomorrow for 5 Ways to Carve Out One-on-One Time in a Big Family!

Happy Birthday #8 to My Daughter Eva!!!

The night before her birthday party I slept with Eva in her room on the floor at her request. Sam also wanted us to sleep with his Pig named Pig the Pancake

We had a chocolate cake and also a cherry bomb fridge cake

Her party was lovely with lots of friends

Eva's friend Little Eva got to spend the night!

Mommy loves you, Eva!

5 Tips for Lowering Your Car Insurance Bill

Car insurance is often toward the top of the list of any family budget. The amount of money it costs to drive has reached epic proportions. Naturally, you don’t want to spend all that money on something you might never use yet always have to have.

We’re going to give you five clever tips for lowering your car insurance bill.

1.      Don’t Drive a New Car

Rather than buying a new car, buy a used one instead. Insurers know that new cars are infinitely more valuable and much bigger targets for thieves if they’re bought new. Expect big insurance bills if you go down this route.

On the other hand, you can save a lot of money if you buy a used car. Scrape some money together and purchase a used car, even if it’s close to being new. This will reduce your monthly bill by hundreds.

2.      Don’t Put Everyone on the Policy

It’s tempting to put the whole family on the policy, but in the eyes of an insurance company this is a risk. They’re not just insuring one driver they’re insuring multiple drivers, so it’s only natural to see the price go up.

If you do have some occasional drivers in your home, this still isn’t a reason to put them on the policy. Instead, you should take out temporary insurance on the rare occasions they do need to drive. This can be done without breaking the bank.

3.      Secure Your Car

Theft is rampant everywhere, including in the UK. Use a company like themoneyhub.co.uk for an injection of cash and invest in securing your car. This includes the best locks you can buy, car alarms, and steering wheel locks. You should also have a GPS tracking device that allows you to track your car after it’s stolen.

The biggest money saver is to store the car in a secure area, such as a garage, but this isn’t always practical.

4.     Accept a Higher Excess

If you accept more than the voluntary excess, this means you agree to pay more towards the cost of repair in the event of an accident. This sounds bad, but if you’re not at fault you’ll get this money back from the other driver’s insurer anyway.

Good drivers will find a higher excess goes a long way to reducing their premiums, whilst at the same time being of no risk.

5.     Shop Around

Always shop around for the best deals. You should never settle on the first offer. With all the insurance comparison sites available to you, it’s easier than ever before to type in your details and get a list of quotes in a matter of seconds.

The Truth

The reason why insurers can charge so much is because people don’t shop around. They’re lazy and so they renew with the same provider each year, even if the prices go up.

Get an advantage and have no loyalty to any company. Switch as soon as you see a better deal. That’s the best way to save money on your insurance premiums.

Live Ultimate Whole Sun Care Facial Sunscreen and Tinted Primer #Organic #LiveUltimate

I recently received  a full-size Live Ultimate Whole Sun Care Facial Sunscreen Tinted Primer to review. I don't usually use sunscreen in the fall and winter so I just recently tried some and I have to say I love it! I was afraid it would be too thick and would make my face feel like I had a bunch of makeup on or something but I don't feel it on at all! It feels nourishing and adds a burst of moisture to my dry, Midwest winter skin!

It has just a tiny bit of tint so it matched my face just fine. I can't wait to also try it out come summer when I am putting sunscreen on my 40-something face daily at the pool. Of course, I will also be breaking this out this winter when I go sledding with the kids or when we play outside!

Here are some of the great things I see about this product:

• It contains astaxanthin and other powerful antioxidants that are especially great for aging skin like mine
• It's all natural and mineral based
• It's made with organic ingredients
• Broad spectrum SPF 30
• 21% Zinc Oxide

Check out their other products here on their Facebook page! 

Here's how you can purchase it! Update: April 24, 2016 used this product today on 9 people and a little goes a long way. The slight tint makes us all have a healthy glow in pictures but it doesn't look like some obnoxious fake tan :-)



P.S. I might make a small profit if you click the link and purchase. Just wanted to let you know!

How to Have a Happy #Thanksgiving

1. Wake up and think of all the things you're grateful for.
2. Continue to think of all those things all day long, even if a family member makes you want to throw the gravy across the room.
3. Try to keep smiling and try not to stress eat..
4. When you are away from your family who may or may not annoy you, watch your favorite TV show or do your favorite hobby, like reading or scrapbooking or woodworking or WHATEVER. Try not to comfort eat.
5. Consider going for a walk after dinner.
6. Check out these awesome Thanksgiving crafts my kids made at their homeschool co-op.