Winter has finally arrived, and with it, the countdown to Christmas has officially begun. The spirit of Christmas is in the air, and you can not help but feel joyful whether you are a fervent celebrator or a contented observer. What makes this season even more lovely are the customs and traditions across the world during this time of year. Do not forget to spend quality time with your soul mate when decorating your homes and shopping for gifts. Consider some of these couples Christmas traditions to keep the romance alive.
Starting couples Christmas traditions is the perfect opportunity to create some memories with your significant other. You and your partner need to sit down and come up with some Christmas traditions for couples to rekindle that fire in your relationship. Since the festive season is filled with continuous planning and stress, this exercise will allow you and your partner to decompress while still spending some quality time together. It is also an excellent method to get to know one another better, which is especially essential if you are in a new relationship.
Couples Christmas Traditions To Keep The Romance Alive
Hot chocolate dates
Why not have a hot chocolate date with your significant other? Couples like participating in this custom since 1) who does not enjoy a hot chocolate on a cold day, and 2) it has a romantic vibe to it. As you savor your hot chocolate and talk about your future goals, remember to be grateful for this precious time you have together. Either way, it will be a fantastic way to celebrate, whether you choose to do it at home near your fireplace while curled up or in a coffee shop.
Christmas Eve boxes
Christmas Eve boxes are not just the domain of children; adults can enjoy them too. Add in some matching pj’s and socks, a boozy treat, and something yummy to eat. You could also pop in personalized books for girlfriend or boyfriend too, and start a new tradition of giving them back every year!
Christmas date advent
This Christmas, give yourself and your partner a gift that will continue to give for the entire new year. Put some ideas for dates for the following 12 months in a jar on a few pieces of paper. Monthly, choose one slip of paper and embark on this specific date night escapade.
Choose a new Christmas Ornament
Purchasing ornaments is one of the most meaningful Christmas ideas for couples. It serves as a lovely reminder of the memories you and your partner have created together and has a significant meaning. One day, you will have a tree full of decorations that mean something to you as a couple.
Couples Christmas Traditions
Taking part in these couples Christmas traditions will help you create some incredible experiences along the way that you will remember for the rest of your life. Make these traditions your own by infusing them with unique creative flair, and then let loose as you share some unforgettable experiences as a team! What are some of the Christmas traditions you and your partner love doing together? Leave a comment and let us know!
If you ever find yourself in or near Battle Creek, you should make it a point to spend some time there. There are so many fun things to do in Battle Creek, Michigan. Most people think that the only thing to do there is going to the casino, but that is just the tip of the ice burg.
My husband and I often stop at the Casino in Battle Creek when we are traveling without the kids since we pass right through it when we head toward Lake Michigan. This last time, we spent a day exploring the city and we had so much fun doing it. It was the perfect day date for us, and we truly had a blast.
Things to do in Battle Creek, Michigan
1. Handmap Brewing
We stopped at Handmap Brewing on a whim, and it quickly became one of my favorite breweries. They play great music and have different music themes each day. We went on a Saturday and reggae music was playing to give a vacation vibe.
The brewery is beautifully decorated and had a relaxing vibe. I could have spent the entire day there with a good book and yummy beer. Oh, and the beer was amazing because it was different than most places. They had choices for everyone, but I was especially impressed by the Black IPA they had called Black Squirrel.
I was lucky enough to meet the owner while we were there, and she was so nice! She took the time to talk with my husband and me, and the staff was just as friendly.
Handmap Brewing
2. Griffin Grill and Pub
The thing I like most about Griffin Grill and Pub is that they have an extensive menu for both food and beer. Our food was delicious, and they played fun Irish music, which I loved. The service was great, too, with our waiter coming by often and returning quickly when we needed something.
3. 32 Social Cafe
Coffee in Battle Creek: 32 Social
32 Social Cafe
If you’re looking for a coffee shop, 32 Social is the perfect place. Their coffee is delicious and the environment is perfect. It’s sunny inside and so chill, it just left me feeling positive and optimistic. They also have yummy treats like cupcakes, cookies, and other snacks.
32 Social Cafe
4. FireKeepers Casino & Hotel
The casino is fun, of course, but you have to remember to limit yourself. My husband and I decide on an amount we want to spend ahead of time and then only take that amount with us. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, and we move on. Hence the reason we decided to explore the rest of Battle Creek.
If you decide to stay overnight, the FireKeepers hotel is really nice. They also have many restaurants to choose from, but our favorite is Dacey’s Taphouse.
Things to do in Battle Creek, Michigan
I hadn’t realized it before, but there are so many fun things to do in Battle Creek, Michigan. There are only a handful of things discussed here, but there is still so much more for you to see. Make a day trip to check it out!
Have you ever been to Battle Creek? What did you do there? Leave a comment and let me know!
The dreaded years are here… your teenager has started dating or has begun showing interest in dating. Now what?! This teen dating experience could be disastrous, or it could be a great time in both of your lives.
I’m sure you remember when you first starting having an interest in dating someone. Your trips to the mall or movie theater, meeting their parents or siblings, hanging out at the park… infatuated with this person you’ve been spending your time with.
Our teenager has her first serious boyfriend, and we are kind of learning as we go. Along the way, I’ve been jotting down some tips for when your teen starts dating so that I could help other parents out.
Why Is This Teenage Milestone So Important?
While these teenage relationships may seem minor and unimportant to some parents, it is SO important to think back and remember how you felt in that time of your life. The feelings were REAL, weren’t they? We need to remember this about our own teenagers… these relationships are so real to them in every way, and it is the time to show them how a healthy relationship works, and help them through this time in their life.
The way a teenager or young adult learns to date and have a relationship is setting the precedent for their future relationships and eventually their marriage. Take this time while you are more present in their lives and able to supervise and monitor more of the relationship to give them advice, help correct mistakes, teach your teenager to respect themselves and their boyfriend/girlfriend, and even when it is time for an unhealthy (or potentially unhealthy) relationship to end. Our teenagers don’t know any of this… they’re new to dating! These tips can help you make this new milestone in your teenager’s life a positive experience.
*This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.*
How Do You Know When Your Teen Is Ready To Date?
I hear so many teenagers ask, “how old do I have to be to start dating?”, and I honestly don’t think you can put a definite age to it. Each teenager is different and matures at different times, so there are characteristics you should watch for in your teenager. Once you have noticed these traits in them, you know your teenager is ready to begin dating.
You know your teenager is ready to date when they:
see through empty promises and bribes.
become less impulsive.
know how to speak to adults and introduce themselves.
are respectful of themselves and others.
have proven themselves to be trustworthy and able to make good decisions when adults aren’t present.
Teen Dating: Tips For Parents
1. Communicate!
The most important thing when your teenager starts dating is to let them know they can talk to you about anything. This means you can’t overreact when they do come to you, or next time they won’t let you know what’s going on.
If communication isn’t your strong suit when it comes to your teenager, try this “Dates With Parents” idea that I do with my kids! It gives you an awesome opportunity to bond, which will likely open up a way to easily communicate.
I actually learned a ton from this book “Parenting a Teen Girl“. I learned so many tips for communicating, and they actually worked!!
2. Be up front about expectations and rules.
An important rule we have for our teenage daughter is that she isn’t allowed to be alone with her boyfriend. I want an adult to always be present… maybe not right next to them the whole time, but at least in an area where an adult will be regularly walking through. This means that bedrooms are definitely off limits.
While I trust her to make a good choice, I don’t want her to get into a position that is difficult or awkward to get out of if I have anything to say about it. She should feel safe and comfortable at all times, and I (as the parent) should feel comfortable in the knowledge that my child is in a mistake-free situation.
3. Talk to them about how to get out of a situation when they are being pressured.
Give them an easy out… let them know they can ALWAYS text you a code word or something (determine this “something” ahead of time), that means they need you to come and get their right away. When you get this message, you could call your teen and pretend something has come up and you have to come and get them. (Read more on this *here*.)
If texting or calling isn’t an option, they should know what else they can do to get out of the situation. One thing you could tell your teen to do if they are being pressured is to tell a lie. I know, it kind of contradicts everything we’ve taught them in the past. However, if they are in an uncomfortable situation like this, their number one priority should be getting out of there and being safe.
4. Communicate about respect (this means both themselves and the other person).
It is so important for a teenager to know that they can say NO. And they should also know that if they are being shown respect, their “no” answer will be accepted. The teenagers should also known to respect the other person… if that person says “no”, they need to immediately drop the subject and accept that answer.
5. Give them a curfew.
The world gets a little crazier after a certain time of night. Alcohol comes out, bad decisions begin to be made, it gets dark, and many of the “good” kids are safe at home. Your child should be home, too, after a certain time of night. Stick to this curfew because, as parents, we know that nothing good could come from being out too late as a teenager.
6. Meet their date.
You would be surprised how many parents don’t think it’s important to meet the people their teenager hangs out with. If someone is going on a date with your teenager, you should definitely meet the date ahead of time. I also like to meet the parents of the date (or have my husband meet them), too.
7. Check on your teenager after the date has ended and give them a chance to talk.
You should always make time to ask your teenager how the date went and give them a chance to talk about it, whether it was good or bad. Don’t interrupt or give your opinion until they are finished talking or until they ask for it. They’ll be able to process their feelings vocally, and you’ll be able to get a feel for how the date went.
8. Watch for red flags.
Even with following all the parenting tips in the world bad things can still happen. You can’t always be present when your teenager is with their boyfriend or girlfriend, so you have to know how to look for red flags in other ways. Some common red flags to watch for include:
sudden lack of communication from your teen.
irresponsible and unpredictable behavior.
telling lies when they didn’t before.
controlling behavior.
unusual insecurity.
withdraw from friends and family members.
lack of interest in their favorite activities.
Teen Dating: Tips for Teenagers
Talk to your parents about the good and the bad.
Stay in well lit areas and near others.
Go on group dates whenever possible, and stay in public places if you’re alone with your date.
Listen to and follow your parents rules (I promise they are only giving rules to protect you!)
Always know where an exit is.
Don’t take food or drink from anyone at a party – always serve yourself.
Don’t hesitate to call for help. This includes calling the police if it even crosses your mind that you may need to.
Final Thoughts On Teen Dating
I think part of the reason that the teenage years are so difficult is because our teens are now learning to do adult things. Driving, working, taking care of pets, meeting deadlines, DATING (omg)… these are all things that full grown adults make mistakes at.
We can’t expect our teenagers to be perfect, so when it comes to teen dating, we must make ourselves present and open to communication with them. It’s one of the only ways we can pave a healthy path for them as they grow into adults.
Whether it is for a kid/parent date, a special day for your birthday boy, or a day that’s just all about [name of child here], there are plenty of reasons to give your child a perfect day. With 5 kids in our house, it is SO hard to give the kids the undivided attention they desperately crave, which is why I decided to come up with the “perfect day” idea for my kids.
It all started when I began implementing scheduled dates where each child would get one on one time with one parent. Chris (my husband) and I take turns taking the kids on dates, one at a time.
I got tired of having to spend a ton of money each time, however, and had to start brainstorming more child/parent date ideas that were relatively inexpensive. That is when I decided to start having some of the dates be all day adventures, full of things that my kids love to do but I don’t always get the time to participate in.
How to Give Your Child a Perfect Day
1. Make their favorite breakfast.
There is no better way to give your child a perfect day than to start it out with their favorite breakfast. If they want to help cook or prepare it, definitely let them do it, but, if not, you can put on their favorite cartoon and let them relax until it is time to eat. My kids always choose pancakes, waffles, bacon, or all of the above LOL.
2. Go to the park and actually play with them on the playground.
I’m guilty of taking my kids to the park and then finding a comfortable place to sit and read a book, especially with my 5 year old. Now that he’s more independent it’s easy to let him play on his own, even though I know he loves it when I actually play WITH him. When I’m giving him a perfect day, however, we do things like play tag, hide n seek, or the floor is lava on and around the play equipment.
3. Go on a nature hike, and spend time noticing the little things.
Some of the parks we go to have trails that go through the woods, but if we are playing at one that doesn’t, we have nature trails nearby. The Dahlem Center is our favorite place, and I like to let the kids choose which way we go. We’ve been hundreds of times and I still don’t think we’ve seen all there is to see there.
Walk with your child on a trail and look at every little thing they point out. If they want to walk slowly, you walk slowly, too. This day is just for them, after all, so let them set the pace no matter how much you want to hurry along.
4. Talk with them, but try to do more listening than talking.
Throughout the activities of their perfect day, spend time talking and listening to your child. There are so many things they want to tell you, but when you are surrounded by the rest of the family it may be hard to get it all in. Let your child express themselves and chat your ear off all day long.
5. Let them help you make a lunch of their choice.
Sometimes, instead of making lunch, we stop and have lunch at the place of their choice. If you do make the lunch at home, however, let your child help you. I find that one of the better bonding times spent with my kids is when we are cooking together.
6. Take a nap with them, or have quiet time with them.
Instead of putting them in their bedroom alone for nap or quiet time, go with them. Lay in their bed and just cuddle, talk quietly, or read books together. Just having you there with them will mean the world to your child.
7. Play their favorite outside game.
After quiet time, head outside for a while and play whatever your child wants to play. This is the perfect time for you to play those games that you normally don’t have time to participate in.
8. Build a fort with them.
All of my kids like to make forts. They are constantly asking me to build one with them, but, on a normal day, I’ll enlist when one of the other kids to help instead. On their perfect day, however, this changes and I build the biggest and best fort with them
9. Watch their favorite movie in the fort while eating their favorite snacks.
Since you have to make the most of your fort, you should gather all the best snacks and bring them into the fort. We also like to grab pillows and blankets so we can get extra comfortable. Then, you should let your child choose a movie to watch from inside of the fort while you enjoy those snacks.
10. Take them to the dollar store and let them pick out a few items.
My kids choose their weirdest stuff, and that is perfectly okay. Oftentimes, we buy a package of balloons, blow them all up, and play games with those for a long time at home.
Other times, we buy paint and make artwork. You can even find dress up items and snacks that your kids will love! It’s not about the quality here, it’s just about giving your kid an amazing day.
11. Participate in whatever play activity they ask of you.
Don’t tell your child no today (unless it’s a safety hazard or expensive). If your child asks you to play, then go play! This is their perfect day, and they will love nothing more than you playing with them with all of their favorite toys.
12. Let the child choose and help cook dinner.
Okay, let’s get real here… you may not be able to keep your entire family out of the house for the entire day, so dinner time may include the rest of the family. Even so, this is still one child’s perfect day, so let them choose dinner and help cook it if they want to.
13. If they like baths, let them play in the bath extra long.
My kids LOVE bath time, but, with 3 littles who needs baths, I tend to rush them along. During their perfect day, though, they get to spend as much time as they’d like playing in the bathtub.
14. Read an extra book or two at bedtime.
I’m not one to say no to extra books anyway, but there is a point where I’m thinking I just want to go and read my OWN book LOL. The perfect day means they should get extra, however, so sometimes that means I’m reading to them for an hour straight or until they fall asleep.
We don’t just read the words, we also look at and discuss the pictures and events that are occurring in the book. With my 5 year old, I ask if he recognizes any of the words on the page, too.
15. Lay with your child as they fall asleep.
Allow them to ask questions or talk while you lay together instead of shushing them for bedtime. They’ll get sleepy and quiet eventually, and then they’ll fall asleep.
Important Tips For Giving Your Child a Perfect Day
You must be present!
This is the first and most important tip. Your child craves your undivided attention, so make sure you’re giving it to them most of the day. This is their perfect day, after all, so put the phone, computer, laptop, tablet, etc. away and be present for your child.
Customize the day for your child.
Each child is different, so you may have to change things around a bit. With my daughter, we make time for DIY facials, mani’s, and pedi‘s. This is our “thing”, so we make sure to do it each time. It’s her favorite part!
Listen to your child – even the things they aren’t saying.
If your child doesn’t seem to be enjoying an activity on their perfect day, move on! Definitely don’t take it personally, instead take note for next time that they would rather do something else.
Final Thoughts On Ways to Give Your Child a Perfect Day
At the end of your child’s perfect day, your child will go to bed so happy and feeling so loved and noticed. There is nothing better than that, and it is something your child will remember for a very long time. If you make this kind of thing a regular tradition, your child will remember it for the rest of their lives and maybe even pass it along to their own kids someday.
You may also find that after you give your child a perfect day you’ll feel great, as well. While you may have skipped housework or other things you need to get done at home, seeing your child so happy and spending one on one time with them will make it all worth it.
What would you do to give your child a perfect day? Tell me about it in the comments! I may just add it to our own perfect day routine.
The New Year is already here, and I just sat down this morning to figure out my New Year’s Resolution. I wanted it to actually be achievable goals for the New Year. It was a tough call because I can honestly say I won’t be going to the gym every day (or even once a week… I have 5 kids LOL), I also won’t ALWAYS eat healthily so I’m not going to restrict myself there, either. Every resolution that I considered just didn’t seem right.
I instead thought about what areas of my life I wanted to improve in, and things that I wanted to learn about. It seemed that everything I desire fits into two categories:
Instead of heading into the rest of the year with vague resolutions to improve finances, improve our home, and focus on family, I decided to make a list of how I can accomplish all of those things.
I didn’t go overboard. There are so many more things I could have added to my list, but I wanted to start with an achievable goal. I figure that I will be more likely to follow my goals through when I actually have a goal that seems possible, instead of a vague idea to work toward the goal.
I didn’t want this: Spend more time with family. Instead, I wanted something specific: Dates with kids weekly.
Then, I even went further into it and wrote:
“Dates with kids weekly. One kid each week, rotating schedule. After 5 weeks of individual kid dates, one big family outing. Then start over.
Not all of my achievable goals for the New Year were that long, either. That was probably the most complicated one. (List of all 10 of my goals for the New Year will be listed at the end of the post).
Later tonight I plan on sitting down and making a concrete schedule of dates with the kids. I may make and print out a calendar of the whole year and write it on there. Then I can put it into a binder so that the kids can always look and see when their next date is.
Plus, it might be fun to put a memento from the date in the binder afterward. Then, next year on New Year’s Eve we can look back at all of our date memories from the year.
I wanted to figure out a plan to implement each of the things I wanted to achieve. Once I narrowed it all down and wrote out my detailed list, all of the fun ideas came naturally when I began typing up my plans. The “date binder” was one of those that just came as I was planning.
So – back to the achievable goals for the New Year. Instead of just choosing one or two vague ideas of which areas I wanted to improve in, I came up with 10 smaller achievable goals.
10 Achievable Goals For The New Year
Follow chore/payment chart (blog post about that is coming soon so check back!!)
Start seeing a larger increase in the savings account.
Hire someone to do the yard work. (so serious. we can never keep up and I’m sick of stressing about it.)
FREAKING LAUNDRY. (and yes, this is how I wrote it on my list. I guess this one might be vague but I will be typing a schedule for everyone in the house to follow.)
Dates with kids weekly. One kid each week, rotating schedule. After 5 weeks of individual kid dates, one big family outing. Then start over. (We have 5 kids, hence the 5 weeks. If you have less/more, adjust the number accordingly).
Crunch numbers for vacations for the year before January 14th. Come up with a savings plan and a plan of when to make payments by February 1st.
Lose 40 pounds. 10 pounds every 3 months. First goal: Lose 10 pounds by March 1st.
Buy “clutter baskets” for each person in the home. Put anything they’ve left lying around the house in those baskets and distribute accordingly after school.
Final Thoughts On Achievable Goals For The New Year
All 10 of these goals are achievable goals for the new year. I won’t have to make a HUGE change in my lifestyle, I’ll just have to plan a little better and look for ways to cut costs while also making more money. Plus, I just need a plan to contain all the freaking clutter that my family accumulates each day.
I never follow through with my New Years Resolutions because I never come up with a list of ways to actually accomplish my goals in life. This time is different.
It may sound crazy to have 10 New Years Resolutions, but if they really are achievable goals for the new year, you can hit your goal sooner and see all the progress you have made. Plus, when you do accomplish one, you can come up with an even bigger goal next time.
Did you set any goals for yourself for the New Year? Tell me about them in the comments!
Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. It was not exciting at all… he got his gift early (last) week, which was a circular saw and the rest of his gifts won’t be here until tomorrow because I’m a crappy wife and ordered them late. He went to work, after work he rushed home to grab Sylas and Josie and then rushed to Nevaeh’s choir concert, while Liam and I went to my nephew’s high school graduation.
After the choir concert, Chris rushed back to our side of town to pick Peyton up from the school when he got back from his Macinack field trip. By the time we all got home, it was 9 pm and we hadn’t done anything fun all day. Sylas asked about 10 times when we were going to the park for daddy’s birthday because we always have Sylas’ parties at the park. LOL.
I knew ahead of time that Chris’ birthday wouldn’t be very “special”, so the littles and I took some time to make him a couple of homemade gifts.
***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***
I helped the kids make him some handprint crafts. Josie made a birthday cupcake using her hand, and then the flames on her “candles” are made from her fingerprints.
Sylas and Liam made little monsters. Sylas used his hand (minus the middle finger) to make his monster, and then I added the eye and mouth myself. Liam made a monster using his foot, and then I added the smile and eyes. I helped Liam make polka dots on his monster, too.
Sylas and Josie also did some free art time and they both chose to make pictures for daddy. They’re so sweet and I’m trying to help them understand that they should try and make daddy feel special on his birthday like he does for them on theirs.
Josie’s artwork for daddy, it’s two different spaceships.
One of Sylas’
Sylas’ other one… this one is a tall tower, a dragon, and rain.
So then MY DIY project for Chris was a date night jar. We struggle with finding things to do when we are stuck at home and I always want to bond more than we do during a normal week.
We ALWAYS talk about having more date nights but with the kids, it’s really hard to find the time.
I decided to create a “Date Night” jar, full of things we can either do at home or (with a little planning ahead) find a babysitter for a couple of hours while we do something quick but fun.
I used a mason jar (I buy mine on Amazon) to hold the date night ideas. Then, I made a tag for a label, used a hole punch to make a hole in the tag, and slipped it onto twine before tying the twine around the neck of the bottle.
When we are wondering what we should do to have some fun, we just draw a date from the jar and go with the first one we pulled out. The ones that require a babysitter or a little planning ahead, I marked with a different color so that we know to avoid those ones when we know we are stuck at home.
No more sitting around wasting time on our phones or cleaning when we want to bond and spend time together… now we have plenty of ideas. 🙂
Are there any free/cheap date nights you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments. 🙂
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Josie’s artwork for daddy, it’s two different spaceships.
One of Sylas’
Sylas’ other one… this one is a tall tower, a dragon, and rain.
