When your child wants your attention ALL DAY LONG!

In Hampton Roads, we don't get a lot of snow each year....if any at all. However, this week we got 10 inches! Needless to say, we were snowed in most of this week and still currently are snowed in. So this was the perfect time for me to spend time with my sweet 18 month old, work on a few household projects, and get some good family time in. 

Yay for family time!

However, after three days, I feel like my hair has gone completely gray. Maggie has been so whiny and needy. I can't get anything done without her flipping out. 

She wants to be held.

She wants me to play in her tent with her. 

She wants me to do puzzles her. 

She wants to play a game on my phone (yeah, that's right- my 18 month old has figured out how to use an I-Phone!)

What happened to the perfect snow day I was planning? Why is she so whiny? And let me just get the facts out on the table here...I am not neglecting this child. I play with her for the majority of the day! We play for an hour or so and then I work on a project for a little while. Then I go back to playing with her. That seems fair, right?

No! That is not fair to an 18 month old. 

Maggie doesn't want mommy to work on her project at all. She wants mommy to play with her every waking moment and do nothing else. And if I am not playing with her, she is getting into something she shouldn't or whining and pulling on me. 

Finally, today I had enough and we went outside in the snow and played for awhile. It was just Maggie and Mommy time. And it was wonderful! 

She wasn't whiny. She wasn't clingy. She wasn't needy. 

It was glorious.

Then I brought her back in the house and it was time for her nap. So I took her up and we read books, we sang, and she gave me a million kisses. It was like she did a complete 180. 

And of course, I felt terrible about being annoyed with her earlier.

That's when it hit me.....

Maggie just wants my attention. The problem is that she wants my attention every second of every day...is that too much to ask? 

So what do you do when your child wants your attention ALL THE TIME!?!

Here are a few thoughts:

1. Give them the attention they are craving.
I know, I stated the obvious. Seriously though, if they are acting like they need attention, they probably do. Take time to spend with your child. Play with them. Read to them. Bond with them. It is so worth it and way more important than that load of laundry that will get done eventually anyway. 

2. Set a schedule. 
This is especially good if you are a stay-at-home parent or if you are home all day on the weekends or on snow days:) Tell your child that you will play whatever they want for the next hour and then you need time to do some things around the house for a little while. Maybe even make a schedule on a piece of paper or a chalkboard and cross out each thing as the day goes on. This may help your child understand when you are doing something besides playing with them.

3. Set a timer. 
If your child can hear a bell go off, they may recognize the schedule a little better...especially if they are young. When they hear the bell they know it's time to spend time with mommy OR time with mommy is over for a little while and now they need to wait for the bell to go off again and then mommy will come back and play again. 

4. Come up with some fun independent activities for your child.
Bring out the playdough, the crayons, the paint. Whatever it takes to keep your little one busy while you are doing your own thing. Note: If you bring out crayons or paint, make sure you keep an eye on them so there aren't any mosaics on your walls! 

5. Let your child be a part of your household projects. 
One of my projects was to bake while I had the time. So I put an apron on Maggie and gave her a couple bowls of flour and let her dig in. She sat in the kitchen with me entertaining herself with a bowl of flour for a half hour! I know that doesn't seem like a lot- but for my very active 18-month old...that is HUGE! Get your child involved in folding clothes, emptying the dishwasher, whatever the project is. This will also introduce chores in a fun way:)

The need for attention can be very frustrating, trust me!! However, with a little love and set boundaries, you and your child can get through it! 

Remember to have fun with your child while they are young and you have the time...one day they will grow up and this will be reversed! :) 

Snow Day Activities for your Cabin Fever Kiddos!

I love snow days! I love, love, love them. I think part of it is because I am a home-body, and the thought of being stranded in my warm house with hot chocolate and a beautiful view of white loveliness outside makes me all warm and fuzzy. 

However, the kids don't always feel the same way. 

After about 2 hours....oh, who are we kidding....after about a half hour of being awake they start climbing the walls with energy that they need to get out of their system and there is no where to go. 

It kind of makes you want to go back to work, right? 

So, here are a few ideas of some fun things you can do with the kids on a Snow Day:

1. The obvious- bundle them up and send them off to build a snowman! 
Oh, and post your snow pictures on Wavy 10 new's Facebook page and they may just post them on their website or even on TV! 

Click here to post your pictures on Wavy 10's Facebook Page. 

2. Make a Marshmallow Snowman
Bring out construction paper, glue, markers, and mini marshmallows and have the kids make a marshmallow snowman! 

3. Bring the snow inside
Our 18 month old did not like going out in the snow. So we brought the snow inside. We put a bunch of snow on one side of the bathtub and put a towel down on the other side. Then we bundled Maggie up and let her play! She loved it! Oh, and beach toys work great for snow play! 

4. Food Coloring in the Snow
Add water and a couple drops of food coloring to water bottles and paint in the snow! Or bring some snow in and put it in a bowl and use food coloring on it or water paints. 

5. Read! 
Definitely do a reading time. And if you have young children, a great book for a snow day is "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats. I used to read this book to the little boy I babysit all the time. It was one of his favorites. I highly recommend it. 

Then after they read, have them draw a picture about their favorite part of the story. 

6. Shaving Cream Snowman
Clear away a spot on a table or place mat and spray some shaving cream (or put it in a Ziploc bag so that shaving cream doesn't get everywhere). The kids can use sensory to make snowmen and snowflakes just by using their finger to draw. 

7. Make Snow Ice Cream
Click here to get a great recipe for snow ice cream. 

8. Bake, Bake, Bake. 
Grab your apron and bake something yummy. Let the kiddos help by mixing, pouring, decorating, etc. 

Also, don't forget to make cocoa and if you have a fireplace roast some marshmallows. That's always fun on a cold day! 

9. Make Snowflakes
Grab a bunch of printer paper and let the kids make a winter wonderland inside by making and decorating their own snowflakes. 

10. Snowman Footprints
Paint your child's foot white and put it on paper. Then once it dries let them use markers or paint to decorate their snowman. This idea is super cute and came from another cute blog. Click here to check it out. 

Hopefully this will help a little if the kids are going stir-crazy! Have fun! 

Win a FREE Front of the Line pass to peace. love. swap.

It's time for the Winter/Spring peace. love. swap. AND I have great news!! I have a GIVEAWAY going on for this awesome event!

The peace. love. swap. is happening on Saturday, February 8th from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

This event is at a NEW VENUE! It is going to be located at 5516 Virginia Beach Blvd. in Virginia Beach.

So this is how it works:
Clean out your kids closets, drawers, etc. and find items they are no longer using that you would want to swap. Bring what you're done with, then come to the swap and take what you need! You can bring anything from clothes and shoes to bigger items and toys. Anything kid friendly is welcome! They accept maternity, infant, toddler, child, and teen aged things. If you are swapping out clothing, please stick to winter and spring clothing since that is the season we are heading into.

For more information about the peace. love. swap. event, just click here! 

So, now...the giveaway! Drumroll please........

peace. love. swap. has also agreed to giveaway a Free Swap Pass and a peace. love. swap. tote bag (which is a $7 value), PLUS the pass puts the winner in the FRONT OF THE LINE! This is a really great opportunity!

Note: The winner will still need to bring items to contribute to the swap.

So here is how you can enter into this. You can comment below, "like" my facebook page, or "like" peace. love. swap. facebook page. OR do all three! Check out the "Rafflecopter" below and enter the options that you took part in so that your entry counts!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Also, feel free to share this with your friends! The more people the merrier! :)

Thanks!

Project "Quote Book"

Maggie is getting to the age where she is testing her vocals. She is starting to repeat words and say cute things that don't make sense and some things that do make sense. The other day she had an entire conversation with me....only it sounded like it was in Chinese. 

It's adorable!! Seriously.

She says words like, 

Puppy

Woof, Woof

All None = All Done. 

I-aunt-nana = I want a banana. 

Cookie

It made me start thinking that I need to write these things down because I definitely don't want to forget how cute she sounds! So I made a Quote Book to keep track of her new words. 

So here is what I came up with:

Here is what I did:

1. I got a bunch of scrapbook paper that I liked together. I stuck with light colors that would be easy to write on. 

2. I cut all of the paper to the same size. My book is 4.5 " x 6" but you can make it any size you would like. 

3. I hole punched two holes at equal distance apart on each page so that way I could put ribbon through later to tie the book together. 

4. I decorated! My favorite part! I added little quote bubbles, pictures, lines to write on, etc. Wherever my creative heart took me- I did it:) 

Here are some example pages:

5. I put the whole book together and lined up the holes. Then I took ribbon and weaved it through the holes and tied a little bow. 

6. I wrote! I wrote all of the cute things that Maggie says. Make sure to add dates too! You may want to remember when these things were said.

And Ta-Da:

Let me know what you think!

Living and Dealing with "Mother's Guilt."

I have a good friend who used to tell me (before I had a child) that she always felt guilty as a mom. And I always thought she was crazy. What in the world do moms have to feel guilty about? They do everything, for-crying-out-loud!

Now that I have a child....I totally get it. 

I feel guilty if I feel like I am not spending enough time with her.

I feel guilty if she is bad because it must be my poor parenting skills that have made her this way.

I feel guilty if she doesn't eat dinner because she was being too picky because now she is going to starve to death.

I feel guilty that I have to work because we don't get the one-on-one time that stay-at-home moms get with their kids.

I feel guilty if I don't work because I don't have the extra money for her to do extra curricular activities.

Do you see what I mean?!

Oh my word, this is a problem. I sometimes think I need therapy or something. 

If you let this "mother guilt" get too far out of hand, you can seriously end up getting yourself down. 

And it's even worse when you have one of those days. 

Today I had one of those days. And when I say one of those days, I mean, one of those days where all of my children (my dog, my husband, and my actual child) were making me completely crazy with the whining, the nagging, the needing, the complaining, and the rebellion. One of those days where you really want a boat so that you, and you alone can sail off into the sunset and you can be all by yourself. 

But, I don't have a boat and that really is never going to happen, so I opted for option 2. Option 2 was muting the monitor (because my child wouldn't stop screaming because she didn't want to take a nap), and took a steaming hot shower (because I am freezing and my husband won't turn the heat up higher because "we are on a budget") and just cried. 

Ever have those crying shower moments? 

So after I "cried it out" I realized that this "Mother's Guilt" thing has to stop. I know it won't go away for good, but I need to at least get in under control. It's certainly not helping anything.

So here are my tips and thoughts on dealing with "Mother's Guilt:"

1. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
Sometimes you are just going to have one of those days. So you just have to remember that it was one of those days and move on. Tomorrow is a new day. 

2. Don't be so hard on yourself.
So the kids are talking back. So you forgot to mail out that Verizon bill. It's okay!! We all make mistakes. We, as moms, have a lot of responsibilities. If you forget something here or there, or if you have a rough day with the kiddos, don't be so hard on yourself. It happens to us all.

3. Don't lose your cool.
Don't lose your cool even if it's really, really hard. Your kids are always watching you. Try to keep steady even when they test you....and test you....and test you. 

4. Get some time to yourself. 
Ask the hubby to watch the kiddos on Saturday and get away for a couple hours. Some time to yourself will do you wonders!

5. Remember how blessed you are. 
This guilt thing is tough. But I try to remember that I would rather have mommy guilt than not be a mommy at all. We are blessed with our kids. We love them more than anything- that's why we feel this guilt. So put the negative away and remember that you are blessed. 

Remember that you are a wonderful mom! You may feel guilty for this and that, but in the grand scheme of things, those little things don't matter much. Your kids look up to you and love you regardless of the small things. 

Forget the guilt and bring on the joy! 

"Snow" Much Fun!

We LOVE the snow!!! We had such a great snow day! I worked from home today, but we still had a lot of fun. Here was Maggie's snow day in pictures:

Check out all the snow!! Love waking up to this! 

Maggie looking out the window to see all the snow! 

Trying to walk in mommy's boots. She fell a lot:) Also note, there are like 14 Disney stickers on her because that is what happens when mommy gives an 18 month old a sheet of stickers. 

Even though it's freezing outside, it's warm inside- especially with mommy's scarf collection on. 

Drawing Mimi and Pop Pop a picture. 

Bundle up! These crazy parents are taking a baby out in the snow...she looks thrilled, right? Oh, and her mittens were mine when I was little. Cuteness:)

"What the heck is all this white stuff?!" 

"I really don't know about this...it's cold and wet and slippery."

"Yeah, not digging it. Get me out of this stuff!!" 

So what do you do with an 18-month old when it's too cold to play in the snow? Bring the snow indoors! We brought in a few buckets of snow and tossed it in the bathtub, bundled her up, and brought out the beach toys! She had so much fun! 

Playing with snow!! 

Beach toys work in the sand AND in the snow! 

Snow much fun!! 

We had to drag her out. She had so much fun. This was a much better solution than playing out in the snow in the cold weather. What a blast! 

Yay for snow days!! We had so much fun:)

Project Window

I finally finished my window project and I am so excited to share the final product with you!

Ta-da!!!!!!!!!!!

So this is how I did it:

1. Call a local window shop and see if they have any extra wood windows lying around. Mr. Roger's Windows here in Chesapeake was WONDERFUL! They were super nice and set some aside for me to come pick up. 

2. Paint the windows white, but don't do a super great job because we are going for the distressed look. 

3. Measure your window and then head over to Home Depot and get a small piece of wood cut to make a ledge. 

4. Paint the piece of wood white- again, don't do too great of a job because we are going for the distressed look. You can also take sand paper to it to add the distressed look. 

5. Add hooks for your keys to the bottom of the wood. I got these small hooks at Home Depot when I got the wood. I used a nail to make a small hole in the wood and then used pliers to twist the hook into the wood. I put two hooks in it (one on each side) because William and I have two different sets of keys. 

6. Before you attached the ledge to the window, turn the window over and attach frame hooks to the back so that you can hang the finished product up on the wall. 

7. Paint one window pane with chalkboard paint. By the way, this is the first time I have ever used chalkboard paint and I am totally in love!

8. Add pictures to the other window panes. 

9. Now you can attach the wood ledge to your window. Use two "L" brackets to attach it. 

10. Now you can hang your finished product on the wall. I put ours right by the door so we could hang the keys on the hooks. 

I added some mason jars with pretend flower in them on the shelf. It adds a cute touch. 

I have a few more windows sitting in the shed, I am thinking about making a few more and selling them. I have never done anything like that before...thoughts?

Have fun making this fun Pinterest project!

Act Out: Countdown to V-Day with acts of service

Today at church the sermon really hit me....convicted me really. The topic was service. 

Matthew 20:28 says, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

So often I find myself thinking selfishly. 

How does this benefit me?

What about me?

But that's not what I want to do! 

I don't have time in my schedule to do that. 

It's human nature to think selfishly, so that is why it is a constant battle for me to put my own thoughts, desires, and needs to the side and to think of others first. 

While listening to the sermon I started thinking about ways that I can be more of a servant in my thinking and in my actions and I came up with a plan....a challenge really. And I would love it if you would get on board with me:

I have named this challenge:

Act Out is a 26-Day Challenge that counts down from Monday, January 20th until V-Day (Valentines Day). 

Every day from January 20th until V-Day I am challenging myself to do an act of service for someone else. Would you like to take this challenge with me?

It doesn't have to be a huge thing like flying to Africa to feed hungry children....although that would be so wonderful! But it could be something simple like driving a friend to a doctor's appointment, writing an encouraging letter to a soldier overseas, holding an umbrella for someone, babysitting for a friend and not charging them, getting involved in a service team at church, and the list goes on and on. 

This is not going to be easy. But it's something I feel like I need to get better about. It's something I think a lot of us need to get better about.  

The other day I was pumping gas at the gas station and this little, old couple pulled up at the pump near me. I watched them struggle to pump their gas and I thought, 

"I should go over and offer to help." 

But then I thought, "But they will think I am weird...I can't go over there." 

But then I thought, "I really need to just do it. It's the right thing to do." 

I probably looked like that creepy little creature in "Lord of the Rings" that has full blown conversations with himself, and by the time I had completely talked myself out of it, they were done and gone anyways. 

Why did I do that? Why did I talk myself out of doing something nice for someone else?

Another point my pastor brought up today is that women are most hesitant to get involved in acts of service or serving in the church because of insecurity. I definitely felt that at the gas station. I was so worried about what these people would think about me that I let the opportunity completely pass me by. 

So when I say that this challenge isn't going to be easy...I mean it. Especially if you struggle with insecurity like I do. 

But it's necessary. 

This challenge isn't asking you to change the world...but simply take a small step in the right direction.

Like I said, I am really bad about being a servant. Even while I am writing this post I got a text from a friend asking me to do something and I started grumbling because I totally didn't want to. Wow, I seriously need to work on this. 

Another point my pastor brought out in his sermon was, "It's not about how you start, but how you finish." 

I may be really bad about it, but I am working to make it better. I am accepting the fact that I need to work on it. 

I am taking the Act Out Challenge. Are you in too?

If you decide to take this challenge, please let me know so I can cheer you on! And let me know the ways that you are serving others. This is a team effort! Let's share the ideas!! 

And remember, we will be blessed for serving. 

Can't wait to hear how this goes for you! Let the countdown to V-Day begin! 

Weekend Events! 1/18-1/19

Saturday

Kids Club at Michaels
Head over to Michael's for a fun craft class where kids will make a doorhanger. It's $2 for 30-minute class for ages 3 and up from 10AM - 12PM.

Winter Carnival at MacArthur Center (All Weekend)
The MacArthur Center is also having an outdoor Winter Carnival. There are family-friendly rides, games, and lots more. The cost is $1.25 per ticket or $25 for $25 tickets.

Click here for more info. 

Kids get into Nauticus for FREE! (All month)

During the month of January kids up to 12 years old get into free with a paid adult admission. Nauticus is open from 10 AM - 5PM on Tuesday - Saturdays, and 12-5 PM on Sundays.

Winter Tree Walk at Hoffler Creek
Take a hike....literally with State Forester Mike Aherron on the trails of Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve. This is from 10-11 AM at 4510 Twin Pines Rd. in Portsmouth.

1-2-3 Play with Me at Jordan Newby Library
Head over to the Jordan-Newby Branch library at 961 Park Ave. in Norfolk for 60-90 minutes of free play, activities, circle time, and fun with kids, parents, and caregivers. This is from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM.

Snatchabook Storytime
From 11-11:30 AM head over to the Barnes & Noble Town Center (4485 Virginia Beach Blvd. in Virginia Beach for storytime and fun activities and treats.

The Ups and Downs of a family on a budget

Last spring our very wonderful friends introduced us to the "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. I knew we needed to get on a budget because we were not keeping track of how we were spending our money and I was seriously worried. So I said a quick prayer that my husband would be open to doing something like this and within a week he was 100% on board!

So we started the journey of becoming debt free and getting our finances in order. 

The first thing we did was we downloaded an app called "Goodbudget" which makes envelopes for you and helps you keep track of your spending. I HIGHLY recommend it because it helps you budget where your money is going each month! William and I are both able to sync it together. For example, whenever I stop and get gas, I enter how much I spent in the "gas envelope" and it automatically syncs to William's phone.

So if you are a little apprehensive about carrying around wads of cash, this is a great app for you and your family.

We are currently 7 months into the Dave Ramsey "Total Money Makeover" plan. And we have our really great days, and our not-so-great days.

Because we have a lot of debt to pay off, we have had to cut back on fun things. There have been a lot of changes at my house....

Bye-Bye vacations.


So long eating out on Sundays after church.


Hello Goodwill. Hello coupons. Hello rice and beans.

We have had to say "no" to people when they ask us to go out to eat with them. We have had to say "no" to the super duper sales at stores because we really don't need it that bad. And worst of all....we have had to say "no" to family when they ask us to come visit.

That last one is the killer for me. I have cried many a tear when I have had to say "no" to traveling to see family. The majority of our families live out-of-state and it's really hard on holidays and big events to be stuck at home because you are on a budget.

It downright stinks. It even makes me want to quit sometimes. 

However, there is a light at the end of our tunnel and that is what keeps us going.

There is going to come a day when we are DEBT FREE!! There is going to come a day when we call Dave Ramsey himself and do our "debt free scream" because we finally made it to the finish line. And once we are debt free, then we can start living a different lifestyle.

A lifestyle where we aren't paycheck to paycheck.


A lifestyle where we aren't in tears because we can't go visit family.


A lifestyle where we can buy things JUST BECAUSE WE CAN!


A lifestyle where we can give to those who are in need....I can't wait to be able to give more!


I am 30 years old and I am excited about getting our money in order so that one day we can retire. One day we can splurge on eating out. One day we can afford for our children to go to college. One day we can go on that Disney Cruise I have been DYING to go on. 

One day....


One day.......

I am writing this to encourage you. If you are where we are, you need encouragement sometimes to keep up the good work. 

But as Dave Ramsey says, "Live like no else now so that you can live like no one else later." 

We want to live like no one else later and we are excited about it. We are already dreaming about our next house that will be much bigger and have more than one full bath! We are dreaming about lots of things that we can do when we are more financially stable, and I think it helps us keep going in the right direction. It's okay to dream because if you stick to it, one day your financial dreams will come true! 

If you are trying to get your finances in order and you hit a rough patch where you just want to throw it all out the window and spend your money how you want ..... don't quit, my friend. Years from now, trust me, you will be happy you went through this hard time! It's worth it- no pun intended!

For more information about Dave Ramsey and his "Total Money Makeover," click here. 

1/10 - 1/11 Weekend Events

Friday

Winter Waterfowl Walks
Head over to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge for a one-mile hike along Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge's Bay Trail. This is from 9-10 AM and is FREE! This is located at 4005 Sandpiper Road in Virginia Beach.

Winter Carnival at MacArthur Center (All Week)
The MacArthur Center is also having an outdoor Winter Carnival. There are family-friendly rides, games, and lots more. The cost is $1.25 per ticket or $25 for $25 tickets.

Click here for more info. 

Kids get into Nauticus for FREE!

During the month of January kids up to 12 years old get into free with a paid adult admission. Nauticus is open from 10 AM - 5PM on Tuesday - Saturdays, and 12-5 PM on Sundays.

School of Rock 
The end of the season shows are as follows:
Friday:
The Yardbirds (5PM)
Pink Floyd (6:15 PM)
Sounds of Seattle (7:30 PM)

Saturday:
Sounds of Seattle (12PM)
Pink Floyd (2PM)
The Yardbirds (3:30 PM)

This will take place at Eagleton Hall at School of Rock in Norfolk. This is located at 430 Boush Street in Norfolk. Visit their website for more information by clicking here.

Saturday

Kids Club at Michaels
Head over to Michael's for a fun craft class. It's $2 for 30-minute class for ages 3 and up from 10AM - 12PM.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Blyden Branch of the Norfolk Library will stage a reader's theater production of "The Story of a Dream." This will be at 10 AM at 879 E. Princess Anne Road in Norfolk.

It's a Grand Day
Bring your grandparents to storytime! There will be owl crafts and story time. This will be from 2:30 - 3:30 PM at MEO Central Library at 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd in Virginia Beach.

Winter Waterfowl Walks
Head over to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge for a one-mile hike along Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge's Bay Trail. This is from 3-4 PM and is FREE! This is located at 4005 Sandpiper Road in Virginia Beach.

Fun things to do INSIDE on cold winter days!

It's supposed to be ..... FREEZING tomorrow...almost literally. This Florida girl can't take the cold weather. I mean, in Florida it's always 80 degrees. So when I saw the forecast was supposed to be 22 degrees I about threw up. No joke.

Obviously this isn't going to be a day to go to the zoo (although I highly recommend the zoo when it gets warmer!). 

So here are some fun suggestions of things to do INSIDE with your kids:

1. The obvious- curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch Anne of Green Gables. 

2. Bake cookies! It's always a good time to have yummy cookies. Let the kids mix the batch and decorate the cookies. Maybe even do a theme like "winter."

3. Do an indoor scavenger hunt or treasure hunt. 

4. Build an indoor snowman out of poster board and then hang it somewhere and play "pin the carrot nose on the Snowman."

5. Have a Dr. Seuss day. Read Dr. Seuss books, serve "green eggs and ham" for breakfast, and watch Dr. Seuss movies. 

6. Have an art show. Have your kids color and paint drawings of their very own. Then once they have dried hang them around a room and walk around and say nice things about everyone's drawing. 

7. Have a tea party. Warm tea will be yummy on a cold day.

8. Move the furniture out of the way and have a dance party. Practice tumbling and ballet!

9. Make puppets and do a puppet show. All you need for the puppets are small brown paper bags or socks. 

10. Play with playdoe. 

I hope these tips help you not to go stir-crazy in your house. Stay warm!! 

Weekend Events (Jan. 3 - Jan. 5)

Friday

"Wish Upon a Star" at the Glass Studio
The Chrysler Museum of Art is hosting the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Virginia for the performance of "Wish Upon a Star." This will be from 6-7 PM at the Chrysler Museum of Art (245 W. Olney Road in Norfolk).

MacArthur On Ice (All Week)
The MacArthur Center has set up a 7,200 square foot outdoor ice rink this winter. Head over for some ice skating to get into the Christmas spirit! Admission is $6 ($5 with a military ID) and skate rentals are $6. Season passes and birthday party packages are also available. This is located at the corner of Monticello Ave. and Freemason Street.

Click here for more information.

Winter Carnival at MacArthur Center (All Week)
The MacArthur Center is also having an outdoor Winter Carnival. There are family-friendly rides, games, and lots more. The cost is $1.25 per ticket or $25 for $25 tickets.

Click here for more info. 

Kids get into Nauticus for FREE!

During the month of January kids up to 12 years old get into free with a paid adult admission. Nauticus is open from 10 AM - 5PM on Tuesday - Saturdays, and 12-5 PM on Sundays. 

Saturday

Home Depot Kids Workshop
Take the kids (ages 5-12 years old) to any Home Depot location for a FREE hands-on workshop from 9 AM - 12 PM. Workshops teach kids do-it-yourself skills, a cool project, and tool safety.

Kids Club at Michael's Stores 
Kids ages 3 and up are invited to a "Knickknack Keychain" event at Michaels stores from 10AM - 12PM. It is $2 per child.

Historic Houses Weekend Talks and Tours
Head over to the Willoughby-Baylor House at 2PM every Saturday and Sunday afternoon for free guided talks and tours. These houses are located at 323 E. Freemason Street in Norfolk.

Ballet Virginia International 12 Dancing Princesses Auditions
Ages 6-9 can audition from 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM.
Ages 10 and up can audition from 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM.
There is a $30 audition fee. This will be at the Ballet Virginia International at 700 West 21st Street in Norfolk.

Saturday Chess Play and Learn
Head over to Park Place Branch Library at 620 W. 29th Street in Norfolk to learn more about chess! This is for beginners and more advanced players. This will be from 12 PM - 1PM.

Sunday

Come Play Pokemon! 
Head over to Hobby Town at 4000 Virginia Beach Blvd., suite #196 from 12-3 PM for the Pokemon Club.