Take Your Kid on a Spring Date (no matter how old they are)!

Happy Thursday! I'm able to write today because the craziness of Homeschool Co-op Wednesday is behind me and I can chill out today a little bit. I know I've had a lot of informational blog posts lately, so I wanted to share something personal with you today: spring dates with my kids (and of course I think you should take your kid on one as well, no matter how old they are!).

I got some writing checks all at once and decided it was time to take each of my kids out on a small date. Nothing spectacular like in the past (present, full meal at sit-down restaurant, dessert, going somewhere to play), but just an hour or so alone and some food. I knew if I waited until I had the money to do something fancier and waited until we had the time, it would not happen. So off we went!

**I know some people with big families with older kids who take their kids one at a time on a nice long WEEKEND trip somewhere by train ... that is my ultimate goal: to take each kid somewhere like Chicago alone so we can explore and chat.

I grabbed Joel, age 16, first because he is the busiest out of all of us. He is either working or doing schoolwork or reading or with his friends. On a Monday afternoon we went to Taco Bell in Raymore and got some snacky stuff and just sat and talked. Our Taco Bueno in Belton has been closed since last summer when the roof caved in during a storm, and I have to tell you they have missed out on hundreds of dollars from the McLoughlins moving to town. They need to open back up! Anyway, we forgot to take a picture so I grabbed this insanely great selfie outside our garage when it was crazy windy.

10-year-old Eva was next on Tuesday at lunchtime, and she chose Taco Bell as well. By this time I was having a real craving for the spicy tostada, so I was happy to go. Look how happy she is! One-on-one time with me is hard to come by, and she chatted me up. Oh, before we went there we got her bangs trimmed up in Peculiar at Shear Serenity.

Thursday for lunch, Sam, age 8, wanted to go to Freddy's Steakburgers in Belton. We got yummy cheeseburgers and fries and sodas, but he wasn't very talkative so we just chilled. Then he got a dirt and worms concrete.

That night was Callie's turn. She just turned 13 and wanted a smoothie, so I found The Smoothie Shop in Belton and off we went. Highly recommended! But she also wanted some food so ...

 We went right up the road to Arby's, where she got a roast beef and cheddar sandwich. Once they hit teen years, they don't always love to have their picture taken, but if you are a kid of mine, you gotta do it! Mommy likes her pictures for posterity! SMILE!

Friday, 14-year-old Michael and I were going to head to Freddy's but, alas, it's LENT and so we were not having meat that day. So we waited until Saturday to go. We got our yumburgers and fries and drinks, but he was thinking a smoothie was more his style than a concrete (plus he gave up ice cream for Lent), so The Smoothie Shop it was. It was an exciting day at Freddy's with a couple of altercations between customers and workers and customers and their children ... never a dull moment in Belton, we are learning.

 So that ends this episode of The Kerrie Show Takes Her Kids on Dates ... Belton and Raymore, Missouri did very well monetarily and the "date envelope" is empty. I need to start filling it back up with cash for the Mr. and Mrs. Aron McLoughlin date ... which I know for a fact won't be held at any of the places I took the kids because he has an EXTREME aversion to fast food (except for Chick-fil-A).

Leave me some great date ideas in the comment section please!!!! And I'd love to hear about dates with your own kids ... include a link if you have a blog post about it!

Have a great Spring season!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Entertainment Options in New York

There’s no doubt that New York is really unlike any other city on earth. This vibrant city is one of America’s most historic, and that history shines through in the beautiful architecture and culture this amazing place has to offer. New York, aka “The Big Apple,” is one of the country’s greatest tourist attractions, and there is so much here to see and do. People who take vacations in this vibrant place often decide to come back again and again, as it is impossible to take it all in in just one visit.


A Wealth of Culture

New York offers a vibrant cultural scene, with incredible choices in the arts for visitors to take in. The museums here are world class, and include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim, The Whitney and many more. A walking tour of the city will take visitors to many beautiful art galleries, which can be found in many great neighborhoods, from the upper East Side to downtown areas like Soho and Greenwich Village.

Great Entertainment Options

The entertainment scene here in New York is of course second to none. Those who love theater can take in great shows on Broadway, or more intimate shows on the cabaret scene. These shows can be found by looking at ny cabaret reviews online, and booking tickets in advance. The big shows on Broadway are of course incredible, and boast many big stars like Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters. The cabaret scene offers a chance to see great performers in smaller venues, while also enjoying food and drink along with the show.

The truth is, there are so many great entertainment options in this city, it’s impossible to see them all during a short visit, so why not plan to come back again really soon? If any city is worth a second or third visit, it’s New York!

Protecting You and Your Property During Unexpected Circumstances

For many children, taking horse riding lessons is just a part of a normal childhood.  They learn to ride a horse just like they learn to ride a bicycle or skate.

As helpful as horse riding lessons can be, they can also pose a risk to both the novice riders as well as their instructors.  You can protect yourself, your property, and your horses during unforeseen circumstances by investing in personal injury coverage, horse business liability insurance, farm accident property coverage, and other types of assets today.

Shopping for the Best Policy

As a busy horse riding instructor, you may not have a lot of time to shop for new insurance.  You need to stay focused on teaching your students and tending to your riding horses.  You have no time to talk on the phone or visit with an insurance agent in person.

Still, you cannot afford to let this type of coverage go for your business.  You need to buy or renew the policy quickly so you can keep your riding school open.

To make shopping for insurance easier for busy instructors like you, the website now lets you browse for the right coverage for your business.  You can check up on deductibles, premiums, total amount of coverage, terms of the policies, and other details without leaving your ranch or farm.  You also do not have to make phone calls to ask about the policy basics since the information is right there for you to read on the website.

Signing Up for Coverage

You also do not have to leave your ranch or farm to get the policy started.  You can sign up for the coverage you want online.  If you prefer, the insurer's agent can come to your location to appraise your horses and property and determine the right amount of coverage for you and your horse riding business.

As a horse riding instructor, you are obligated by law to protect your students in case of an accident.  You can also protect yourself, your horses, and your property by investing in comprehensive coverage that safeguards you during unforeseen circumstances.

Put Your Talent to Work for a Good Cause

If you have a song in your heart or another performing arts-related talent, you already know how uplifting sharing your talents can be. Sing a Song of Hope (SFH) is looking for artists, writers, poets and singers to put their talents to good use as a volunteer. You don't even have to have a specific talent as long as you have a willingness to change a life, maybe even your own.

What Does SFH Organization Do?

We've found a way to fulfill two needs in New York City: allowing local artists an outlet for expression and brightening the lives of those in the community who need it most. Our great city has an abundance of both in our population, and we've had a lot of success through various outreach programs. We work through a city-wide network of partner sites to put on productions and other means of involvement.

What Kind of Volunteer Opportunities Are Available From SFH?

We offer several ways for anyone who's interested in improving their community to get involved. The easiest way if you don't have the time or the talent is to subscribe to our community or donate money. We're a non-profit charitable organization, so your donation is tax deductible. You don't need to be a performance artist to give you time and talent. We have talented photographers, writers, comics and dancers bringing joy through our program. If you're looking for a hands-on opportunity, here's what we need.

Youth outreach: Art for All is a youth leadership initiative to develop talent among high school students in the community. Our Youth Corps is open to all high school students, and they're involved in coordinating events, running promotional campaigns and community networking.

Healthcare outreach: We put on concerts and other performances at hospitals, nursing homes and treatment centers throughout the city. We even give bedside performances and interactive shows.

Community outreach: Our flagship program is SFH pianos, each of which is customized by local artist. They're placed in parks and other public spaces to encourage interaction and inspire community engagement.

Project Leaders: If you're too shy to perform or prefer to lend us your organizational skills, you can train to become a project leader.

It's been proven time and again that art has the power to heal and inspire. We invite you to become part of a community of artists who want to change the world with song. Get in touch with us to learn more abut how you can get involved. You can also form an SFH program in your community.

Travel Gear That Keeps Things Convenient

You already know all the obvious goods you need for your next trip. All your travel documents, the
right clothes, your first aid kit, sunscreen. Those are your travel essentials, but if they leave you a
little extra room, what else should you pack? A lot of people fail to consider just how uncomfortable
and inconvenient travel can be at times. However, we’re not going to make that mistake, now, as we
take a look at some of the gear and gadgets that can play the starring role in saving the next trip you
make.

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The right bag

First of all, you should learn what makes a good travel bag and what doesn’t. Your carry on bag is
going to be the one you spend the most time with, as you’ll likely carry it around at your destination,
too. Having the right bag is about more than just choosing the one that offers the most space while
staying on a plane. Organization should be a factor, too, with different pockets and sections allowing
you easier access to your money, electronics, papers, and so on. What’s more, security must also be
an issue, with many bags coming with clips and ties that can help you secure them to your person
so they’re less likely to be lifted off from the first opportunist you encounter.

Saving on space

If you can get even more into those bags, then you can make more room for some of the other gear
we’re going to take a look at, too. There are all kinds of tips on how to layout your clothes so as
to fit more stuff in, but no technique works quite as well as vacuum packing them. The best
vacuum packing gadgets allow you to fill them as you would any other piece of luggage. Once they’re
all full, however, they suck all the air out of the bag, shrinking it down, compressing its contents, and
sealing them tight. You can save huge amounts of space simply by getting rid of the air.

Get in your zone

When you’re flying or taking public transport, you might want nothing more than to be able to shake
off the stress of the airport. However, that’s often easier said than done. With other passengers,
sights, and sounds to invade your consciousness, it can be much harder to catch a nap or simply
meditate and regain your cool. If that’s the case for you, look at the possibility of getting some
noise-cancelling headphones for your next flight. That way, it’s a lot easier to put on some relaxing
songs or background noise, put your head down, and catch some sleep. Don’t worry, a flight
attendant will wake you when you land.

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Investing in comfort

On the flight and throughout the trip, you might that real comfort is in rather short supply. Especially
if you’re going camping. For that reason, consider investing in the tools to give yourself that comfort.
If you’re a flight or a long train ride, travel pillows should be considered a must-have, supporting your
head so you can rest more comfortably just about anywhere. Camping pillows allow nature lovers to
enjoy a better sleep without taking up too much space, often coming in inflatable form. Compression
socks can help you avoid painful inflammation in your legs during long trips, as well as protecting
you from the very serious risk of blood clots. If you don’t want to start your vacation off with a bunch
of aches and pains, invest a little in your own comfort.

You have the power

Nowadays, access to the internet and all the most reliable travel apps can be just as much a source
of comfort as a good sleep. However, when you’re traveling, you don’t always have access to a
source of power or, if you do, it may very well be the wrong one. There are lots of different portable
chargers to browse, some being as small as a USB pen and other larger models offering a lot more
power. But there are also plug socket converters that allow you to charge your goods like regular folk,
no matter what part of the world you’re in. Of course, you should do a little research to see if the
country you’re going to uses different socket layouts or not. You don’t want to waste space packing
things you’re not going to need.

Never lose a thing again

All that power for your tablet isn’t going to do much good if you can’t find it. Lost items are a regular
antagonist of the frequent flyer and can result in more than one panic and the occasional cancelled
trip. Beyond double-checking and triple-checking your goods at every opportunity, there are tools
that can help you know exactly where your items are at all points of the journey. GPS trackers are
getting much smaller, making them much more convenient and able to fit on most of your goods. If
your bag ever gets stolen, a well-hidden GPS tracker can even help you find it again.

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Trouble sleeping?

Noise-cancelling headphones can help you relax or catch a nap on a flight, but if you have regular
sleeping trouble in new environments, you might want something a little stronger. That something
stronger may very well be a white noise machine. Beyond drowning noises out, these machines are
regularly used to treat people with sleep disorders, creating environmental noises at just the right
pitches and tones to help the majority of people drift off into a quiet sleep. Especially helpful if you’re
the kind of person who jolts awake at unexplained noises, which are far from uncommon in your
average hotel or wilderness camping trip.

Never underestimate the difference that a little convenience can make on your next trip. Sure, some
people like the rugged, minimalist experience of backpacking with nothing but the clothes on their
back and so on. But when you just want a nice, relaxing vacation, you’ll want these tools with you.