Free Father's Day Gifts of Time and Talent-- Do for Dad

 Looking for free Father's Day gifts dad (grampa, uncle, husband, boyfriend)? Think do-for, not buy-for. Most dads I know have more projects than time to do them. Everyone who lives at home should participate in household tasks. But some just naturally falls to dad. Or, if he's an over-achiever, git-er-done guy, like my husband, he takes it all upon himself. Here are gifts of time and for Father's Day. Free Father's Day Gifts -- Do for Dad, Don't Buy For Him

Cheap, Homemade, Father's Day Gift Crafts Any-Age Kid Can Make

 We homeschooled four kids in a mobile home living on one income. I'm a DIY, frugalista, recycle mama. I'm also a special needs Montessori teacher. My mantra is "hands-on, child-centered." With that in mind, here are cheap, homemade, kid-friendly Father's Day crafts the whole family can help make. Cheap, Homemade, Father's Day Gift Crafts Any-Age Kid Can Make 

Free Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids from A-Z

School is out and students are rejoicing! But parents are often concerned about a long summer with no study. The problem is compounded If you have a child who is lagging academically. Summer school is an option, but most children balk about school work in the summer. Tutoring centers are costly and many parents lack the time to tutor children at home. How can you ensure that your child's academic progress is not thwarted by three months away from school? Don't despair; here are 26 summer educational enrichment tips from A-Z.  A-Z Ways to Continue Your Child's Education Through the Summer Months

Low Cost Candy Free Easter Basket Ideas for Little Girls

I'm the original minimalist mama. I've always done it natural, sustainable, frugal and recycled. On holidays, I made simple, DIY gifts. Here are candy-alternative Easter basket ideas I've used for our daughters. Quality. Instead of filling her Easter basket with cheap toys made by slave labor, choose items she can use and enjoy all year: bubbles (here's my Easter party article with a cheap, homemade bubbles recipe), sidewalk chalk, jump rope, playground ball, Chinese jump rope, lawn games, craft dough (see my article on recipes for homemade Play-Doh, Moon Sand, Silly Putty linked in this article.) Read onInexpensive Candy Alternative Easter Basket Ideas for Little Girls 

Lenten Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Activities for Children

The Catholic Lenten season of Lent is fast approaching. In lent, we practice gospel virtues: prayer, fasting, almsgiving. We seek to draw near God, by imitating Christ's suffering. Those acts in turn help us grow stronger. Here are lenten sacrifice activities for children.  Lenten Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Activities for Children

Free Printable Thanksgiving Cut and Paste Activities

Want cut and paste Thanksgiving crafts for kids? Or free printable holiday crafts for classroom, homeschool, day care, scouts or church groups? Print turkey, pilgrims, harvest, pumpkins for Thanksgiving cut and paste crafts. Keep busy hands and minds active making decorations, coloring pages, place cards, Thanksgiving greeting cards and thank-you notes.

Here are websites that allow you to print free with the click of your mouse. Nothing to download, no registration or user ID. You can request to be put on free email mailing lists; keep up to date with all the wonderful crafts and cut and paste activities available. You might even have some activities to contribute.Free Printable Thanksgiving Cut and Paste Activities 

Time to Think Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child

Back to School sales are a great time to stock up on stocking stuffers for Christmas. They're great sources for cheap gifts for holiday toy donations. Looking for a good children's charity try Operation Christmas Child from Samaritans Purse. This group collects shoeboxes of Christmas presents for needy kids. To participate, fill shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, articles of clothing, personal care products, candy, books. The website lists suggestions and what to avoid (breakables, liquids, war toys). Print a shipping label from website and indicate age and gender the box is for. Include $7 donation for shipping (a pretty fair deal considering weight and goods shipped). Boxes are due Nov. 18-25 and drop-off locations listed on the website.  Best Childrens Charities for Holiday Toy Drives Operation Christmas Child

Balance is Healthier Parenting Than Health Obsession

We want to give our kids the best, right? And the closer to nature, the healthier and better, right? Drugs, chemicals, cleaning products, household items, cosmetics, disposable items, kids products--we try to use natural ingredients as much as possible. Note I said "as possible." It's virtually impossible to avoid all. And my naturalista friends are going to gasp, but I say balance is healthier parenting that rigid obsession with health.  Balance is Healthier Parenting Than Health Obsession

Diet Tip of the Day: Purge, Donate Fat Clothes

I've lost 80 pounds. I'm not trying to brag, but to share healthy, safe weight loss tips that work for me. So today's weight loss tip: purge the fat clothes. Get them out of your closet. I just did that for the second time. I'd done it a few months ago but missed weeding out the summer garments.

As you take them out, try the clothes on. Look at how they DON'T fit anymore. Notice how they sag. It's incredibly therapeutic to see how big your clothes have gotten, or should I say how tiny you have gotten. Take photos of you wearing outfits. I like to compare how I looked when I was fat and how the same outfit looks now. Diet Tip of the Day: Purge, Donate Fat Clothes

Detroit Mower Gang Reclaiming Abandoned City Parks

A community group, the Detroit Mower Gang, is taking their urban renewal campaign to Detroit's parks. The group's Motown Mowdown event this Saturday, May 25, will be a 24-hour marathon of freshening up closed and disused city parks. It's the quintessential "grassroots" effort, as the Detroit Free Press aptly called it.Detroit Mower Gang Reclaiming Abandoned City Parks

Give Back to Mother Nature with Easy, Green Earth Day Gardens

Do you love to garden but find yourself cursed with poor yard soil? Or maybe you're one of those unfortunate apartment dwelling green thumbs. Either way, it seems impossible to reconcile a love of gardening with a lack of basic garden essentials. With spring planting, Earth Day and the lure of summer bounty right around the corner, would-be gardeners long to tend plants even more. If you find yourself in this situation, do not abandon hope of gardening. You can have a flourishing garden right on your patio, deck or porch.  Easy, Green Earth Day Gardens

Lenten and Easter Almsgiving Activity

As Catholic homeschoolers education focused around the liturgical year in our family. Holy Week is the pinnacle of the church year. We practice lenten virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, in solidarity with our Lord and in preparation for our Easter celebration. In our homeschool career, we explored many avenues of sacrifice and service. One simple activity became very meaningful. We are fortunate to live near several mission-type sites which provide immediate care and help to those in need. Our church twins with a parish in Haiti. Many Staples outlets gather school supplies. Using these resources we made lenten care kits.Lenten and Easter Activity 

Teaching Children About Lent and Fasting

In the Catholic church, Ash Wednesday kicks off the penitential season of Lent. During Lent, we fast, pray and give alms to the needy, to prepare our hearts for Easter Sunday. Whether you're Catholic or not, there's a lot to be learned from these disciplines, especially for children. Here are tips to teach children about Lenten fasting. This Q-and-A guide will also help non-Catholic children understand what their Catholic classmates are doing and why.  Teaching Children About Lent and Fasting

Attachment Parenting: Bonding with Your Preschool Toddler

 The "attachment parenting" catch phrase has infiltrated common parlance. Speaking as a 25-year attachment parent, I think the term is often misunderstood. I knew a gal who had no kids say she was an attachment parent because she babysat her brother's children occasionally. It isn't part-time; it's a lifelong, all-invasive commitment. Here's how we did it when kids were toddlers and preschool age. I forgot to add this tip--don't stop nursing your toddler just to cave to social pressure. If baby is ready to wean, okay. If not, let her enjoy this bonding time. My kids nursed till they were 2-5 and very healthy physically and emotionally. Attachment Parenting: Bonding with Your Preschool Toddler

Minimalist Lifestyle is Healthy for Kids, Parents

My out-of-the house son and I were recently discussing the minimalist lifestyle. We noticed how many people claim to be minimalists but in fact aren't. Case in point: money. It's easy to talk about living simply, but much harder to do it. And now that our son is paying his own way, he realizes why dad and I were so frugal when he was growing up. He sees first-hand how expensive things are and how easy it is get deep in debt. Avoiding debt is one reason parents should live simply. Here are others.  Living minimally is good for families

Back-to-School Activities at Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum

Detroit rocks black culture like no other city. It's about Motown and more -- soul food, jazz music, roots dance, triumphs and struggles, and, of course, people. If Detroit is the mother of black culture, then the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is her repository. The museum offers films, workshops, exhibits, artifacts, art treasures, and educational opportunities galore. Check out the September line-up for great back-to-school family outings.  Back-to-School Activities at Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum

Ways parents can develop awareness of poverty, teach generosity

If I had a buck for every time I heard someone say "kids today are so insensitive and selfish," I'd be rich. If kids lack sensitivity, it's because we parents have failed to teach empathy. We've taught them materialism and self-absorption. And kids need to learn empathy, especially with those in need. Here are ways to develop awareness of world poverty and teach generosity.  Ways parents can develop awareness of poverty, teach generosity

No, 'Octomom' You Can't Afford a $520 Hairdo on Welfare

 Mom of 14, Nadya Suleman, dubbed "Octomom" for her octuplets, was investigated by Child Protective Services after photos appeared showing unsanitary, dangerous conditions at her home. Suleman lashed out in an ABC Good Morning, America interview, saying that her hairdresser who took the photos "set her up." I'm glad to hear that the door that appeared to be barred keeping a child prisoner was, in fact, just closed being held closed to keep little ones out. But I still have some concerns about Octomom's attitude toward money, particularly her welfare payments. Read on 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman Exemplifies Misconceptions About Welfare 

Lenten Rice Bowl Devotional and Lesson Planner

Catholic Relief Services is the single largest non-governmental relief agency in the world. Each year at Lent CRS initiates what is called 'Operation Rice Bowl'. Operation Rice Bowl is a program which focuses our attention on the cardinal aims of the Lenten season: prayer, fasting and alms-giving.
The Rice Bowl project consists of a cardboard box which when assembled, looks very much like the take out boxes that rice comes in. The Rice Bowl is a box which families set up in their homes during Lent to collect loose change and offerings for the poor and hungry of the world. Operation Rice bowl also includes a Lenten prayer calendar with devotional activities, feast days and stations of the cross. Each calendar day has a prayer focus. Specific information about world poverty statistics and needs from around the world are listed also.  Lenten Rice Bowl Devotional and Lesson Planner 

Parents Benefit Giving, Receiving Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes

Parents Benefit from Giving, Receiving Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes For some parents, the holidays represent more poverty and struggle. For others, it's a time to reach out and share. Here's how Operation Christmas Child helps parents in need and those with resources to share. Read more...