Date night scavenger hunt

Once a month a group of parents gets our kids together and the parents take turns being kid keepers while the rest of the parents get a 4 hour date night! We pool some money to hire helpers (it works out to be about $30 per kid for the whole year! June happens to be mine and my husband's month to watch kids and I thought it would be fun to put together a little date night scavenger hunt for all the other parents (the ones that want to play anyway).

Here is our list:

June 2014 date night scavenger hunt
Do these in any order you want, do as many or as few as you want, take pictures or video of each one you complete, have fun!

1. Find a non winter themed snow globe. 20 points
2. Order a delicious dessert. 30 points
3. Write down three things you like about each other. 50 points
4. Find the ugliest hat at any store and try it on. 30 points
5. Get an awesome present for your kid keepers. 50 points
6. Read your favorite Bible verse to each other. 50 points
7. Plan and do a random act of kindness. 50 points
8. Serenade your sweetheart in a public place. 75 points
9. Win 50 tickets from an arcade. 50 points
10. Find and wear a superhero cape. 40 points
11. Take a picture in a photo booth together. 30 points
12. Carve your initials in a tree. 50 points
13. Do something that is considered unlucky. 70 points
14. Propose on one knee in front of people (get someone else to video it). 100 points
15. Find a book to improve some part of your marriage. 20 points
16. Get a new family pet. 40 points
17. Find a penny from the year you were married. 20 points
18. Get a picture of the two of you with some "Chemistry" . 50 points
19. Get a picture of the word "love" somewhere unexpected. 20 points
20. Find something that reminds you of your honeymoon. 30 points
21. Get a picture of the two of you with a clown. 50 points
22. Try something you've never tried before. 50 points
23. Race go karts or ride bumper boats. 30 points each
24. Find a classic car that isn't red. 40 points
25. Recreate your favorite movie poster from the year you were married. 50 points
26. Eat at a restaurant you've never been to. 70 points
27. Sing a duet (must be a video). 80 points
28. Get matching tattoos. 20 points for stick on tattoos & 300 points for real ones
29. Plant a tree together. 50 points
30. Pray for your family and your marriage together. 50 points

My secret allergy potion!

I love essential oils! I love how they make my house smell, I love that I have found some that help with my allergies, I love that Lavender oil helps soothe my girls and gets them ready for bed! I have thought a lot about taking some classes online for aroma therapy but I'm not sure I truly have the time for it or what I would be able to do with the knowledge if/when I was certified.

Today I want to share my recipe for my secret allergy potion. I get a 15 ml glass amber bottle from the health food store and put 1 drop of lemon oil, 1 drop of lavender, 1 drop of peppermint, 1 drop of tea tree and 1 drop of rosemary. I fill it the rest of the way up with (liquid) coconut oil and rub it across the back of my neck and behind my ears a couple of times a day when my allergies are bad.

I don't use this on my girls because some of the oils aren't safe for children. Click here for a link to a list of safe essential oils for children.

Be a cheerleader

Have you ever had to wean a baby? What about sleep training? Ever had a toddler go through a hitting or biting faze? Chances are, if you are a parent, you have! It's hard on the whole family! You feel awful for cutting a hole in the paci or letting baby "cry it out" for 5 minutes at a time. You feel like a bad parent when you have to put them in time out for hitting a friend during a play date.

There are endless websites, books and blogs that contradict each other on the best way to raise a child. From, "Happiest baby on the block." to "Attachment Parenting" and all sorts of others that tell you to let your baby self soothe while another says to never let your baby cry.

The thing is, there are so many different ways to raise children. Sometimes we get caught up in the whole, "It worked for us so it must be the right way to do it." mindset. But the truth is, What works for me might not work for my best friend. What I want to know is why we can't accept that the way we do it might be great for us but it isn't the only way? Why does somebody else have to nurse until the baby self weans just because that is what I'm doing? Why do I have to wean my child on somebody else's time table?

As long as the end result is a healthy, happy baby that is growing and thriving what else matters? Sure, share your tips and tricks! I love hearing new ways of doing things from fellow moms (and dads)! If I try it and it doesn't work for us, oh well! We can still cheer each other on! I love encouraging other moms, it's a tough gig and some days we need a cheering squad.

Do the best you can, spend time with your kids, love them and be an active part of their lives. You're doing a great job!

To the childless parenting expert: 5 things parents want to tell you.

How often do parents get parenting advice from childless peers that know everything about parenting? I'm not trying to start something here but I think I need to point out that nobody knows more, cares more or is willing to give up more for a child than their parents. I get tired of people telling me how I should be doing things... When to stop nursing, what my kids should and shouldn't eat, what their sleeping habits should be, etc.

1. Having younger siblings, nieces and nephews, friends with kids or pets isn't the same thing.

I know a lot of people think that if they are exposed to tiny humans before becoming a parent they will know how to do it all (I shamefully admit that I use to be one of them). NOT TRUE! Sure, you pick up a few tricks of the trade but I've been a mom for three years now and I'm still no expert! As a friend, sibling or aunt/uncle, you aren't really responsible for anything for longer than a couple of hours here and there. You don't sit up at night worrying about every little thing. Also, pets aren't the same as kids: you can't put your baby in a kennel or on a run outside while you run to the store, you can't leave a bowl of milk or food in their crib and sleep all night, and the puppy stage lasts seconds compared to the newborn stage of a baby.

2. Please leave discipline up to the parents.

Sometimes you are around people with children and you disapprove of the form of discipline used (or even lack of discipline) but it really isn't your place. Telling someone how to raise their children rarely goes over well. Unless you have been given previous consent, don't try to discipline somebody elses child. They may not say anything to you about it but it is really irritating to watch someone else try to do your job. There may be a reason they aren't disciplining their child right there... maybe they are on a reward system at home or maybe they don't think the action deserves the same discipline you do.

3. Don't feed my child without permission.

There are so many allergies and food issues these days! I have to monitor everything my girls eat to make sure they are getting enough fiber and very few starches. Some kids have nut allergies, gluten allergies or even fruit allergies. Not to mention a lot of moms try to limit sugars. It's always best to ask a parent before giving their child something to eat or drink.

4. Please don't question my parenting or tease me in front of my kids.

I get it, you may not agree with every decision I make for my kids. You may think I'm a mean mom for not letting my kids have tons of sugar an hour before suppertime but please don't make fun of me... especially in front of my children. Saying things like, "What a fuddy duddy." or, "Mean mommy." teaches my children to disrespect me and then they will be the ones getting in trouble.

5. We take pride in our job as parents.

When someone gives me advice like, "You should let her cry it out." or "Put her down or she will never learn to walk." what I hear is, "You are an awful mom and you're doing it all wrong." It's bad enough to hear that from grandparents and peers with kids but to hear it from somebody that doesn't know what it's like to be a parent is truly hurtful.

I know there are lots of people that love my children dearly and love to spoil them and love on them. I get it, there are lots of kids that I have felt that way for too! I just think sometimes we forget that the parents usually know their children better than anybody else and therefore know what is best for them. I know that not everyone is going to agree with every parenting style but parents deserve respect. Respect a parent's wishes and decisions.

Now, if you see my child running toward the street or you see me not buckling my child into their proper car seat, Please say something! Help keep my kids safe if they are in danger! 

Insomnia:

Ever since I was a kid I've always had trouble sleeping. I've always considered myself a night own but it's really more than that. I can lie in bed for hours and my brain refuses to shut off. I think about things I need to do the following day, I pray, I run through every single worry in my head, I look at the clock and calculate how many hours I'll of sleep I would get if only I could fall asleep.
I've tried sleepy time teas, hot baths, lavender oils (hubs hates lavender) and even wine. And nothing really helps. I use to catch up on my sleep on weekends back in the BC days (before children) but those days are long gone. I never knew a person could function on such little sleep. I was up all night Wednesday night with a sick kiddo and finally got about 3 hours of on and off sleep between 8:30 and noon yesterday. I really expected to sleep well last night due to exhaustion... No such luck! I was in bed for 3 hours before I finally fell asleep!
Who knew you could survive on so little sleep? Tonight Maybe I'll have some tea, a warm bath and then some meditation time... I've never tried that before.