When am I going to find time for FUN?

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."

-Stephen Covey

Having FUN with my child is a high priority to me. Therefore, I have to make it happen. But, my days are full. I work. I clean. I cook. I organize. I schedule. I volunteer. I plan. I study. I relate. I learn. And...so do you. Moms are busy. But, I want my little guy to know that he matters more to me than having a well-organized closet, or having a well-known name in the community. He's pretty close to the top of my priority list (only behind God and my husband), and my actions should show it. So, here's what I set out to accomplish each week:

3+ "Special Time" Activities.

20+ minutes each.

This isn't to say that we don't do something fun every day. In his mind, we definitely do. We have lots of simple, spontaneous, silly fun. But, I've set a goal to think of at least three make-his-day kind of things that we can do together. We both win when I'm intentional about planning FUN things for us to share.

He and I both agree...It's a good feeling to have one's priorities in order.

Where is all the FUN stuff gonna go?!?

No need to have a craft room....

A craft closet might work in your house.

Or, maybe you have just a little bit of space available inside a closet.

Or, you might have a dresser that isn't serving much use right now. Bring it to life with chalkboard paint (available at Home Depot/Lowe's), and fill it with FUN!

A toolbox, with it's many compartments, can be a traveling craft container. Very handy!

Or, a bunch of easily organized, kid-friendly bins ($59.99 at Target) could work well.

So, where is all the FUN stuff gonna go in your house?

Share your thoughts in the FunMom guestbook!

And, by request...

What does a FunMom do?

1. Have a Plan!

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

This saying has always resonated with me. I know, from WAY too much experience, that without a plan, my day is very likely to become a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-free-for-all. Not pretty....for me, my house, my husband, or my child. A plan is my best line of defense. Things are just more likely to happen when they've been put in writing. There is power in a plan! The following FunMom Weekly Planner ($5.99) can be found under the "FunMom Store" tab. This 50-sheet notepad was designed to help FUN go from being good-intentioned to good-as-done!

2. Name it!

In our house, we call it "Special Time". If you name it, your kids will claim it! My three-year-old asks me every day what we're going to be doing for Special Time. Talk about an accountability partner! I don't get to slide very often. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything spectacular though; he just loves knowing that I've planned something special for us to do together. By naming it though, simple, sweet pleasures-such as baking cookies, riding bikes, flying a kite, and making pinwheels- are highlighted as special and sacred because we share those moments. I'd love to know what you've named your FunMom Moments. Please post them in the FunMom Guestbook in the sidebar.

Who is a FunMom?

"If I had my child to raise over again,

I'd fingerpaint more and point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd teach less about the love of power, and more about the power of love."

-Diane Loomans

I've always loved this poem. I don't live up to it everyday, but I think about it often. There are days that motherhood seems anything but fleeting. I know. I've had those days too. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever go anywhere without baby wipes in my purse. I've decided they're the equivalent of a mother's duct tape. They're just too multi-purposeful to go anywhere without. But that's another platform...

The truth is though, the days when our little ones are in the safety of our own homes, and our own arms, are short. I believe in teaching manners, discipline, and responsibility. Don't get me wrong. My little guy knows what I expect, and what happens when those expectations aren't met. BUT, I refuse for my child and I to not enjoy the day-to-day moments of this stage. There's nothing special about me that makes me a FunMom. It's not a creative gene. It's not a great craft room. It's not a knack for planning or organization.

It's just a choice that I've made.

Who is a FunMom? Any mother that wants to be.

If you're ready to commit to being a FunMom, click the FOLLOW button in the sidebar.

Munch: Love you Berry Much, Dad Pie

This is what we'll be having to celebrate Daddy today. He's gonna LOVE it!

You can find the recipe here.

Munch: Kid-Friendly Strawberry Jam

After having lots of fun berry picking we had to decide what to do with all our strawberries. We all agreed on JAM. We had a great time making it, and it was much easier than I thought. This recipe was very kid-friendly because you don't even have to cook it.

Ingredients:

4 cups crushed strawberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 jelly jars or other freezer proof containers

Instant Fruit Pectin (found at grocery store)

Directions:

1. Stir sugar and pectin in a bowl

2. Add crushed fruit and stir 3 minutes (we used a potato masher)

3. Ladle jam into clean containers and let stand 30 minutes

4. Enjoy!

*It keeps in the fridge for three weeks and in the freezer for up to a year.

Submitted by fellow FunMom, Reba.

Thanks for sharing! :)

Make: Scented Stickers

These are easy, cheap, and FUN!

MATERIALS:

Labels

Glue

Scissors

Kool-Aid (and water)

Container (egg crate)

Fruit images (link below)

Step 1: Click here to pull up the fruit coloring page pictured above. Print.

Step 2: Round up an assortment of fruity-flavored Kool-Aids (off brand is fine).

Step 3: Mix each packet of Kool-Aid flavor with a tiny bit of HOT water (maybe a tsp, or so). We mixed these in an egg carton. Helpful hint...label the sides of the egg carton so that you can distinguish each flavor (we did a "G" for grape, "S" for strawberry, etc.).

Step 4: Cut out your images, and glue them onto a sticky-backed label. I used large, leftover packing ones from our last move, but printer labels (like the Avery brand ones) would work well too. Allow time for the glue to dry, which will also stiffen the "sticker," giving it a more authentic texture and thickness.

Step 5: Let your little one paint their stickers with the corresponding fruity flavor. Once they are dry, you can simply peel the label backing off. Your kiddo can then proudly wear their homemade creations (and probably skip a bath too...they're gonna smell like a peach, anyway!). ;)

Munch/Make: Fruit Faces

Sometimes it's FUN to play with your food!

We thought so, anyway...

Munch: Fruit Salad on a Stick

Put a new twist on an old favorite!

My boys are fruit eaters, so they loved this vertical version of a fruit salad. Even more FUN, is that once the fruit has been cut, most of it is soft enough for little hands to assemble the kabobs (this is a great opportunity to play with patterns).

A yummy, and easy, summertime snack!

Ingredient Ideas:

Apples (good for bottom piece)

watermelon

kiwi

grapes

raspberries

blueberries

strawberries

oranges

pineapple (good for top piece)

Misc: Berry Good Reads

Jamberry*

Written by Bruce Degen. A childhood classic!

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear*

This book, by Don and Audrey Wood, is wonderful! Great illustrations and a very sweet little story. LOVE it!

*Click on title for ordering information.