Kids always have fun making crafts, especially holiday-themed crafts. Here are some fun Halloween craft ideas for your kids to make this year.

1. Trick-or-Treat bucket
Supplies: ice cream bucket, construction paper, markers, crayons, glue, glitter (any craft supplies)

Directions: Use construction paper to draw ghosts, pumpkins, scarecrows, etc. Cut out your decorations and glue them to the outside of an ice cream bucket.

2. Trick-or-Treat goody bags
Supplies: small brown paper bags, Halloween stickers, markers, treats (candy, pencils, erasers, bubblegum, etc.)

Directions: Decorate paper bags in Halloween themes using your art supplies. Put treats inside bags. Fold the top of the bag down and tape shut with a Halloween sticker.

3. Tiny pumpkins
Supplies: acorns, orange paint, and green paint

Directions: Lay acorns on a sheet of newspaper. Paint the bottom of the acorns with orange paint. After the orange paint dries, paint the top of the acorns green (for the stem of the pumpkin). Allow to dry thoroughly.

4. Spooky Spiders
Supplies: black construction paper, cotton balls or cotton stuffing, black pipe cleaners, small bowl or saucer, and a stapler 

Directions: Using black construction paper, trace around a small bowl or saucer. (Cut out two circles per spider.) Place stuffing or cotton balls on first circle. Lay second circle on top of cotton stuffing and staple half-way around. Insert 3-4” pipe cleaners on each side, then staple the second half of the circles together. Bend pipe cleaners to make the “legs” of the spider.

My Awesome podcasting buddy Carrie Lauth is celebrating her 100th Show  at Natural Moms Podcast.  

With her to celebrate is Jody McLaughlin of Compleat Mother Magazine and she has offered to give away several prizes.  Stop by and be sure to listen in as soon as you can

What Mom hasn’t dreamed about having more time to herself? Moms are great at organizing their time each day to make sure that the household runs smoothly and the children’s needs are met; but they lack in the simple skill of setting time aside just for them.

Without their own “Me” time, Mom’s face burnout and stress. This can ultimately affect your spouse and children as well, so it’s important to find that Mom time for yourself and keep your sanity as well as your family’s. There are many ideas you can use to incorporate Mom time into your life and here are some of them:

Mothers’ Day Out - There are many childcare centers that provide a Mothers’ Day Out program. These programs don’t require that your child be registered for daily care, so you can use it only as the need arises. This is a perfect solution for mom time, because this allows you an hour or two a week to shop, hang out with friends or just pampering yourself.

Play Dates – Take a look at who your child’s friends are. Will their moms be willing to join you in a play date group? The moms in these groups can trade off and watch the other children while those moms get a short break. When it’s your turn, you return the favor and watch their children while they take some time for their own short break.

Tea Time - Taking even a short break during the day can be enough to recharge your batteries. See if you can keep your children entertained with a movie or some kind of game they can play amongst themselves. While they’re busy, you can sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or a drink of your choice. Take those couple of minutes to just sit back and enjoy a peaceful moment to yourself.

Date with Dad - It’s important for the kids to spend some quality time with dad. Why not suggest he take them out for a few hours, while you stay home and relax. The kids can go on an adventure with dad and you can stay home and appreciate the quiet atmosphere that you don’t normally experience.

Mothers’ Helper – Ever thought of having another person to help you out a couple of hours a week? If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your children with a sitter; consider having a sitter come in while you’re there. Some young teenagers that are fresh out of babysitting courses can use some experience before they go off on their own. This would be the perfect way to relieve you of some of your motherly duties and enable you to be just a “supervisor” of sorts while the sitter learns the trade.

These are only a few examples of what you can do get some time for yourself. Check with other moms and see what they do for their own Mom time. As a mom, you’ve done a great job with your family, but don’t neglect yourself in the process. Mom time is not only something you need, but deserve as well.

For more help, visit Real Life Guidance for a happier and more fulfilled you.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month began as the “Day of Unity” in October 1981.  The idea was started by the National Coalition against Domestic Violence and has grown from a day-long event to one that lasted a week.  Finally it was extended to cover the entire month of October because this topic is so important.

People have probably heard of domestic violence but many don’t know what it is.  In its simplest terms, domestic violence is a pattern that occurs in a relationship where one person tries to gain power and control of the other.  Although it is often referred to as “spousal abuse”, victims of domestic violence can be of any age, religion, or gender.

Domestic violence isn’t an issue about anger.  In fact, an abusive spouse may not ever physically harm another person besides their own spouse.  They will also wait until there are no witnesses before they will begin to bad talk or abuse their spouse.

Control is the issue behind spousal or domestic abuse.  One person wants to attempt to have total control over their spouse and they’ll do anything to accomplish that goal.  Here are some of the strategies that an abusive spouse may use:
1.  Dominance:  They need to feel like they are in charge.  They may make all family decisions and expect you to obey them without question.  You may also be treated like a child or a servant.

2.  Humiliation:  They will use derogatory talk to make you feel bad about yourself.  If they convince you that you’re not worth loving and they’re doing you a favor by staying with you, you’ll be less likely to leave.

3.  Isolation:  They want to maintain your dependence upon them so they cut you off from the outside world.  You may not be able to meet or talk to friends or family, to the point where you are not allowed to leave the house without them being with you.

4.  Threats:  Abusive relationships use this tactic to keep their family from leaving.  They may threaten to call child services or may even say they’ll kill themselves if the other partner leaves.

5.  Intimidation:  Abusers use intimidation to scare you into submission.  They may slam something in front of you, destroy your things, or hurt your family pet.

6.  Denial and blame:  Abusers will make excuses for their behavior or blame their victim for it.

7.  Guilt:  What usually occurs after an abusive episode is that the abuser feels guilty, but not because of what they’ve done.  They may apologize but are more worried about facing the consequences of their actions.

Domestic violence is something no one wants to endure.  Unfortunately it is all too often an occurrence.  That is the reason Domestic Violence Awareness Month was instituted.  The hope is that by making more people aware of the violence it will stop.

If you’re like many people, you have more items in your home than you need and you are very busy and struggle to find time to organize your home. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has launched the National Get Organized Week from Oct 5th-11th.

As families become more involved in various activities, they have less time to put things away where they belong. This leads to clutter and stress as families go through piles of papers to find their child’s permission slip for the field trip. Worse yet, they may have lost a bill that needs to be paid.

You may have heard that the best way to get organized is to start somewhere. Find the area in your home that bothers you the most. In 15 minute increments, begin going through one pile or drawer at a time.

If the top of your desk is your biggest frustration, begin by taking one piece of paper off at a time and either read it, file it, or throw it away. Keep taking one sheet of paper off at a time and before you know it your desk will be clear! If there is an important deadline or date you need to remember, mark it down on your calendar now.

After you’ve cleared off the top of your desk, start digging in the drawers. Go through each file folder and purge anything that is no longer needed. Stop and take a break after you finish going through one file folder. Don’t try to tackle the whole project at once or you may give up altogether.

Clothes closets and drawers are another problem many homes have. Use the same process for purging. Create piles on the floor or across your bed. One to keep, one to give away, one to fix, and one to throw away. Go through each piece of clothing and put the clothes in one of the four piles. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn something in six months, you probably won’t and can get rid of it.

Children’s toys can also take over a house. Have the children help you go through all of their toys. The ones they never play with, those they’ve outgrown, and anything broken can be gotten rid of. If you have toys in your home that are in good condition but arent being played with you can also donate the toys to others. The rest that they love and they play with can be put in bins or otherwise stored in their bedroom.

Wouldn’t it be great to have your whole house organized once and for all? You can do it with some time and a little bit of elbow grease. Use this strategy for each area of your home that is cluttered and for each room of your house.

Take advantage of National Get Organized Week and let’s get organized this year!  Run over to http://reallifesolutions.net/personal/getorganized.html today and grab your free organizational resources.

Moms, do you find that your sleep is not as peaceful as it used to be? This could be your body’s response to the stress in your life. Find out if the way you sleep indicates that there is too much stress in your life.

If you ask most moms, they would say that they got more sleep before the children came along. Looking after our kids comes hand in hand with sleep deprivation. But if this sleep deprivation continues to occur, our bodies will result in other means of getting rest, even if that means being under the weather.

Checking your sleep patterns will determine if the sleep problems are due to an illness or a stress response. Here are some characteristics of stress induced sleeping problems and illness related sleeping problems:

Stress

Trouble falling asleep-Stress can cause people to have trouble getting to sleep. What’s on their mind during their minds can still be plaguing their thoughts when laying down for sleep. Their minds are moving at lightning speed trying to process the events of the day -what they did or didn’t do. Give your mind a chance to process before getting to bed. Wind down first and then try to go to sleep.

Waking up several times- Some people fall asleep okay but can’t maintain a sleeping state. They wake up several times during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. When they finally manage to get some good sleep, it’s time to get up for the day. Stress tends to put your body and mind in overdrive. You may be able to fall asleep, but your body isn’t always tired enough to stay asleep for the night. Try taking a warm bath before going to bed to help relax your body and mind to obtain a restful night.

Not enough sleep- Some people get to sleep and stay asleep okay, but end up waking up after only 4-5 hours of sleep. They’re unable to return to sleep, so they get up feeling tired, listless and lethargic. Having to face a day feeling this way can cause you to become more anxiety ridden and makes the cycle of sleep disturbance continue.

Illness

Sleep Apnea- This is a medical disorder that causes an affected person to experience periods where they stop breathing for a few seconds. These episodes occur several times throughout the night sometimes waking you up. The more episodes you have, the more tired you feel the next day. If you suspect this condition may be occurring for you, check with you physician.

Depression- Severe bouts of depression will cause you to sleep too much or too little. You can also be sleeping at odd hours of the day. The disturbed sleep patterns you have tend to make the depression worse. Be sure to consult a mental health professional if you experience any signs of depression.

Kidney disease- Those who suffer from this disease can have their sleep interrupted throughout the night by having the need to use the bathroom. It can also cause persistent feelings of fatigue along with shortness of breath. Both can interrupt your normal sleeping routine. Consult a doctor if you think you may be experiencing this disease.

A few nights of sleep disturbances here and there is no cause for alarm, but if you find the problems persist then you should find out the underlying cause. Illnesses would need to be treated right away to prevent them from getting worse. Stress should be treated as well as this could ultimately cause some illnesses like depression. Be sure to check your sleep patterns today!

If you’re like many Americans, you have more items in your home than you need.  Let’s get organized this year as we celebrate National Get Organized Week the first week of October.

As Americans families become more involved in various activities, they have less time to put things away where they belong.  This leads to clutter and stress as families go through piles of papers to find their child’s permission slip for the field trip.  Worse yet, they may have lost a bill that needs to be paid.

You may have heard that the best way to get organized is to start somewhere.  Find the area in your home that bothers you the most.  In 15 minute increments, begin going through one pile or drawer at a time. 

If the top of your desk is your biggest frustration, begin by taking one piece of paper off at a time and either read it, file it, or throw it away.  Keep taking one sheet of paper off at a time and before you know it your desk will be clear!  If there is an important deadline or date you need to remember, mark it down on your calendar now.

After you’ve cleared off the top of your desk, start digging in the drawers.  Go through each file folder and purge anything that is no longer needed.  Stop and take a break after you finish going through one file folder.  Don’t try to tackle the whole project at once or you may give up altogether.

Clothes closets and drawers are another problem many homes have.  Use the same process for purging.  Create piles on the floor or across your bed.  One to keep, one to give away, one to fix, and one to throw away.  Go through each piece of clothing and put the clothes in one of the four piles.  A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn something in six months, you probably won’t and can get rid of it.

Children’s toys can also take over a house.  Have the children help you go through all of their toys.  The ones they never play with, those they’ve outgrown, and anything broken can be gotten rid of.  The rest that they love and they play with can be put in bins or otherwise stored in their bedroom.

Wouldn’t it be great to have your whole house organized once and for all?  You can do it with some time and a little bit of elbow grease.  Use this strategy for each area of your home that is cluttered and for each room of your house.  Take advantage of National Get Organized Week and let’s get organized this year!
 

It can be overwhelming and frustrating when life seems un-controllable. When we lose control of daily situations, it can feel like we are being pulled in different directions. Life simply becomes stressful!

No matter how stressed out we can get, know though that keeping our life balanced is not that difficult. There is no need to leave our job and our family or even run away and hide in a far away place just to feel at peace and in control. The truth is, life balance begins within us first and foremost - regardless of what is happening around us.

Here are three simple ways to help start us in our journey to finding inner peace, harmony and life balance:

1) Find some quiet time. Personal time is one of the things that get sacrificed when people get busy. We tend to focus all our energy to helping others, trying to accomplish more than one thing at one time, meeting goals, crossing off to-do lists and just trying to accomplish everything we possibly can.

To enjoy a balanced life, we need to remember that quiet time for ourselves is extremely necessary. It is easy to say that we do not have enough time for ourselves. It’s funny though that when a situation comes up where we need to allocate some time, we are able to make time for that project. Situations like this actually make us more focused, more energetic and more productive which in turn makes us happier. It is not impossible to find some quiet time for ourselves. When we do, we should enjoy and appreciate the silence; certain activities like meditation or reading can surely turn stress into peace and ultimately happiness.

2) Take time for self-care. We must take some time to do the things we enjoy so we can love ourselves everyday. Some things we can do to nurture ourselves are: making sure we get a full 8 hours of sleep, eating a balanced diet, getting a good amount of exercise and also positive self-talk.

When we are tired or stressed out, even the littlest problem can become a nightmare. But, when we are rested and relaxed, we are able to see things in a different light - we tend to see the positive in most situations. When we take the time to take care of ourselves, we are able to replace our burnt out energy quickly. It is easier for us to handle difficult situations and easier for us to find joy and peace in our everyday lives.

3) Learn to be flexible. The biggest cause of stress in most people is high expectations. We are all guilty of this at one point of time. We have a certain expectation on how our lives must be and we get irritated when things do not fall into place. Relax! Let’s take a deep breath and try our best to have a flexible state of mind.

We must try to remove ourselves from the stressful situation and look at it from a different angle. Why not try to go with the flow? When we allow ourselves to do this, we may find that our creativity in solving problems may come out. Imagine being like a tree bending with the breeze. We can move through challenging situations with no drama or frustrations.

These three simple steps can dramatically change our state of well-being. However, we may also want to examine our outer life circumstances. Pay attention to other menial changes we can make to help support our inner work.

One example that comes to mind is letting go of obligations that may no longer be enjoyable and meaningful to us. Agreeing to perform weekly tasks does not mean we need to do it forever especially if it starts to drain our time and energy. It is all right to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle we want so we can have the time to commit to other things. By doing this, we can start to create a peaceful, joyful and a more balanced life.

Finding balance in life is rewarding, but it’s challenging. Get the help you need at  Real Life Guidance.  It’s your place for instant downloadable help for moms, day or night.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by fear - so much so that it prevented you from doing something you wanted to do? Believe it or not, this is a common problem faced by many people daily.

Fear has the power to hold you back from taking risks, following your dreams, or becoming successful at anything you attempt to do. If you allow it to control you for long enough, it can eventually erode your quality of life and keep you locked in a prison of inactivity.

What many people fail to realize is that fear is nothing more than a conditioned response. It’s a natural reaction to a frightening or unfamiliar situation. While it is usually automatic, there are things you can do to overcome it.

1) Check your expectations.

One major contributor of fear is the prevalence of negative expectations. Do you usually find yourself expecting the worst in every situation? Do you worry obsessively about what could go wrong, rather than focusing on your strengths and capabilities?

If you make a conscious effort to expect the best, see the positive side of each situation and keep reminding yourself that you can handle more than you often think, you’ll find yourself with much less fear to deal with. Even if feelings of fear do manage to creep into your consciousness, you’ll still be able to keep them in perspective and balance them against an underlying sense of confidence.

2) Discredit your fears.

Experts will tell you that the majority of things you fear will never come to pass anyway. While this may be true, it sure doesn’t feel that way when fear has a chokehold on you! However, if you look a little more closely at your fears when they arise, you may be able to dismiss at least a few.

For example, if you have a fear of public speaking and your boss wants you to give a presentation at work, you might feel like your life (and perhaps your livelihood) is on the line. You may fear getting fired, or worry that your colleagues will lose respect for you if you don’t do a good job.

But is any of this likely to happen? In most cases, no. Rather than worrying about what “might” happen if you don’t give a solid presentation, you might brainstorm ways to help improve your performance, such as being well prepared, practicing your delivery on friends and family members, writing notes to yourself and so on.

3) Do the very thing you fear.

When you remember that fear is simply a feeling, it loses much of its power. It can’t harm you and except in truly threatening situations you can choose to ignore it and move forward anyway.

If you weigh the pros and cons in any situation, you may decide that the possibility of negative consequences is minimal so there’s nothing to stop you from ignoring your fear and going for it! This will be determined by you on a case by case basis, of course. The point isn’t to become reckless with your decision-making but rather to empower yourself to know when a fear is groundless and easily overcome.

Through our collection of Real Life Guides you can find instant downloadable help for moms, day or night.

I know that many moms dread trying to get their children involved in doing some household chores and it can be a never ending battle. Well, I am here with a few tips and insight on this matter that hopefully will make the weekend chores go a bit more smoothly.

Many of us have chores that must be done on the weekend and with a little incentive and the right attitude, you can get your child happily involved in them (Ok, well maybe not happily, but involved). Even young toddlers can play a significant role in participating in household chores. Your children can help separate the laundry, sweep the kitchen, dust off furniture and even help prepare meals.

Explain to your children that chore time can be family time. You can turn on the music in your home, assign the household members a task and get busy. For children, they feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment and for the parents we now don’t have to do it all on our own and we can relish in the fact that our children are being responsible.

Be sure to limit the number of chores that you assign to your children and try to build in some fun into the process or offer small rewards for a job well done.

Be sure to check out my friend, Nicole Dean’s awesome article titled ‘Chaos, Children and Chores’ for more wonderful information http://www.reallifesolutions.net/family/chores.html

P.S. Grab more free parenting tips here: http://www.reallifesolutions.net/family/parenting.html