What puts a smile on your kid’s face?

As parents, we want to make our kids smile.  We want to give them plenty of things to be happy about.  That’s the way it is with the little ones you love so dearly.  Their smile is precious and a reward you can’t wait to get again.

So, what can you do to keep that bright, toothy grin on their face?  Well, I’ve got a few ideas for you that will help make the sun shine in their little world.

Simple Ways to Keep Your Kids Smiling

The great thing about kids is that they are usually very easy to please.  It is us parents that tend to make things complicated and expensive.  So, my first piece of advice for you is to keep your ideas simple and straightforward.  There is no need to dream up a bunch of crazy schemes.  You can keep your kids smiling by sticking with the basics.

Here are seven simple ways to keep your kids smiling:

1.  Act Goofy

Kids love attention from their parents and they love to be silly.  Therefore, the number one thing you can do to make your kids smile is to be goofy with them.  Pull out your elementary school humor and get wacky.  This doesn’t cost you a thing (other than maybe your dignity) and your kids will cherish the regular crazy escapades making them smile from ear-to-ear.  The bonus is that that laughter will be good for you too.

2.  Surprise Them

If you want to put a big smile on your kids face, then take them to do one of their favorite activities when they least expect it.  A surprise trip to the zoo, movies or playground will have them beaming with joy.  Heck, just show up one day to have lunch with them at school.  Most kids would consider this a treat in and of itself.  Remember, your surprise doesn’t need to be as involved as a trip to Disneyworld to get the reaction you’re looking for.  An unexpected treat or outing will make their day and save you a fortune.

3.  Finger Paint

I don’t know what it is about finger painting, but kids absolutely love it.  They can’t help but to smile the whole time they are doing it.  Yes, it can be messy, but if you prepare properly, then clean up isn’t that big of a deal.  You can get a double-whammy with this one because you will totally surprise them if you are the one that initiates a big finger painting session.  Once they are done, be sure to hang their artwork in a prominent location.  It will make them smile every time they see it and remember the fun they had.

4.  A Big Cardboard Box

What kid doesn’t love playing with a big cardboard box?  Make friends with the folks down at your local appliance store and bring home the largest box you can fit in your vehicle.  It will become a ship or a clubhouse or something else from the fertile imagination that only kids have.  They’ll grin every day they dream up the next thing they are going to play in their giant box.  Of course, you’ll expand their enjoyment if you crawl in right beside them.  You can zoom off to a wonderland of delight right in your own living room floor.

5.  Anything Involving Water

I don’t know about your kids, but mine never smile and giggle more than when water is involved.  It can be the swimming pool, lake, lawn sprinkler, a rain shower, squirt guns, a bubble bath or just a kitchen sink full with plenty of containers for pouring.  Children absolutely love playing in water.  The good news is there are loads of ways you can create this merriment for them.  Water tends to work best in the great outdoors, but I also mentioned some ways that this works inside too.  Water can be a year-round kid pleaser.

6.  Animals

Everything from the zoo to a lone puppy will lock a smile on your child’s face.  Animals are fascinating and playful.  Your kids will appreciate any opportunity you give them to chase, pet, snuggle or entertain a cute fuzzy friend.  My girls love just a quick visit to the pet store and how easy is that?  Again, you don’t have to make this time-consuming or difficult.  If you don’t own a dog, then stop for a few minutes at a friend’s house to play with their pup or visit your local dog park.  Your kids will talk about it for the rest of the day.

7.  The Local Amusement Park

Okay, this last one is a bit more involved than the others, but it is too good to leave out.  A carnival or amusement park is like a fantasy world of smiles and cheerfulness for most any child.  Yes, it can cost a big chunk of your money and your time, but the happiness it produces on a kid’s face is worth it.  Don’t you remember these experiences from your childhood?  I loved going to our county fair.  It was one of the highlights of my year.  Block out the time, put on your best walking shoes and get ready to see your kids smile all day long as they fly by on carousels and rollercoasters.

What do you do to keep your kid smiling?  Add to the list by leaving a comment on this article.  It would be greatly appreciated by all.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Interested in an inexpensive video game system for your children?

If your kids are like mine, they love to play video games.  However, they often lose interest in the individual games fairly quickly.  Even the good ones only hold my children’s attention for so long.

This is a problem because I’m a dad that likes to be money-wise, but I also like to give my kids good entertainment.

The most popular video game systems like the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation all offer a wide variety of games for kids and families, but they can also cost you a fortune.  The games typically sell for $30 to $50 each.  The total cost can really add up quickly given how fast kids want more.

I’ve stumbled onto a solution to this problem.  By accident really, I’ve found a game system that my daughters really enjoy and that doesn’t break the bank.  I thought I’d share it here today just in case you were also interested in a cheap alternative.

I want to tell you right up front that no one paid me or even encouraged me in any way to write this article. I’m doing it completely on my own. There are a lot of sponsored articles out there these days, but this is not one of them.  I just wanted to pass along something that has worked for my family and might also work for yours.  My hope is that you will find it helpful.

The Video Games My Family Tried First

Before I spill the beans on this, I’d like to offer up what we tried first that didn’t really work out so well.  First, we bought a Nintendo Wii.  Of all the home game consoles, the Wii is the most family friendly.  We’ve had ours for several years now and we’ve really enjoyed it, but I have struggled with the cost of the games.  As I said, they generally cost around $30 to $40 each.  This has certainly limited how many I’ve been willing to buy.

We’ve had some success buying used games at some local retail stores that specialize in pre-owned merchandise, but we still only typically save 10% to 15% off the original price.  This just isn’t enough of a difference to really matter to my budget.

Then after we had the Wii for awhile, my oldest daughter decided she wanted a Nintendo DS Lite which is a handheld game system that she could take with her in the car, to friends’ houses and to grandma’s.  She saved her own money and bought one used at a local GameStop.

The DS is a fine little portable system again with a wide variety of suitable games for young girls and boys.  Heck, even my five-year old loves to play the DS.  The only problem is that the average cost of the games is still up there in the $20 to $30 range and they only entertain the kids for awhile before they want a new one.

Sony also offers a handheld game system called the PSP, but the games for it are generally even a little higher than those offered for the DS.

None of these popular systems really worked out all that well for us, but we did find something that is making us all happy.

The Cheap Video Game Alternative for Kids

Here’s what we’ve found that satisfies our children and my wallet.  It offers the best of everything including:

• It is portable so the kids can take it anywhere.
• There are an enormous number of games available for all ages.
• The games typically range in cost from $0 to at most a $1.99.
• It is widely available to everyone.

Okay, so what is this great solution?  I’ve held you in suspense long enough.

It is the Apple iPod Touch.

Previously, I had thought the iPod Touch was mainly a portable music player and it is awesome for this purpose, but it is also a fantastic little video game system too.

You can pick up a refurbished iPod Touch directly from Apple with a one-year warranty for only $149.  This initial cost is very competitive with the cost of a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP.  You might even be able to find a good used one cheaper than this on eBay or elsewhere.  I just liked the idea of getting a warranty with the ones I purchased.

Obviously, the cost of the system itself isn’t that much better than the standard alternatives.  The real savings start stacking up when you start buying games.

You can check out this list of the best game apps for kids to see that there are literally tons of great games, many with an educational slant, that sell for less than $1.99.  Also, what I really love is that you can download a number of awesome little games for the iPod that are absolutely free.  These will get you started and you can find hundreds more to install in minutes right in the Apple App Store.

If you go this route, then I’d highly encourage you to check out and adjust the built-in parental controls on your iPod to protect your kids.  Remember, the iPod Touch does a whole lot more than just play games.  It also has a fully-functional web browser built right in.  I’m a pretty cautious parent when it comes to the online world and I’ve found the controls available on the iPod are very adequate.

This Cheap Alternative Has Saved Me a Bundle

I can buy my kids 15, 20 or 30 games on the iPod for what it would cost me to buy just one for their standard game systems.  This makes us all happy.  I’m not as reluctant to buy new games and my kids get something different to stimulate their little minds regularly.  Plus, you can download and install a new game in a matter of a couple of minutes from anywhere there is Wi-Fi access.  It is truly a win-win all the way around for us.  I hope it works as well for you.

Have you found other ways to solve this problem?  If so, please leave a comment and let me know.  I’d love to have more ideas on how to deal with this.  Thanks!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Are your kids weird?

It is the desire of most parents that their children be normal and learn to fit in.

I’m not one of these parents.  Instead, I want my kids to grow up to be something very different than the norm.

Sure, I want them to be happy, successful (however they define success) and respected, but what has this got to do with being normal?

I’ve done some checking and normal is not what it used to be.  The more I look into what is normal, the more I want my two daughters to be weird.  I simply don’t want them following the pattern the rest of the world seems to embrace.

Normal Is Why I Want My Kids to Be Weird

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines weird to be “of strange or extraordinary character : odd, fantastic”.  In other words, weird means going against the grain.  It means standing out from the crowd in a very distinct manner.  Given this, I definitely want my daughters to be weird.

Why do I say this?  Because here is what appears to be normal:

1.  Two-Thirds of Americans Are Disengaged at Work

According to a survey that Gallup conducts, about two-thirds of all American workers are disengaged at work.  They are spending more than eight hours a day at something that puts a little money in their pocket, but they totally wished they were somewhere else the whole time.

I want my children to work at something they truly enjoy.  I want them to find what fulfills them and by pursuing it with their whole heart, I believe they’ll earn a great living from it.  If normal is being bored and dispassionate about work, then I absolutely want my kids to be weird in this area of their life.

2.  Average Credit Card Debt is $6,672 per Household

The majority of Americans owe thousands on stuff they can’t even name.  We are a bunch of hyper-consumers.  We seem to think that the next new toy or new car or new whatever will make us happy and when it doesn’t we go buy something else.  Our recreation is going to the mall.  It is disgusting really.

If this is what is normal, then again, I want my kids to be weird.  I want them to be good money managers.  Yes, I want them to be able to afford a comfortable lifestyle and to have things they enjoy, but I don’t want them to live beyond their means.  As many have found, this does not make you happy and it is often a recipe for financial disaster.

3.  Over a Third of Americans Are Obese ( & increasing)

Some estimates say that by 2020, 75% of Americans will be obese.  Obesity is an epidemic in this country.  This problem seems to mirror our issues with debt.  We just can’t control our appetite for more.  Too many folks simply fail to control their impulses and then wind up in a position where their lives are seriously compromised.

There are a myriad of ways that obesity impedes a person’s health and lifestyle.  Unfortunately, being overweight is quickly becoming the new norm.  I love food, but I definitely want to teach my girls that they have to eat in moderation and exercise.  Again, if obesity is normal, then I want my kids to be weird.

4.  Half of All Marriages End in Divorce

This is a very sad statistic.  Relationships are so key to living a fulfilling life and yet so many of our most intimate connections don’t last.  I think most of us can agree that divorce is a painful, traumatic experience.  It leaves emotional scars that effect us for years to come.

I certainly don’t want my daughters to have to go through this.  I hope they can find loyal, gentle, loving husbands that treat them with all the respect and kindness they deserve.  It used to be that divorce was a very rare and strange occurrence in this country.  However, it now seems quite normal.  We hardly even notice when it happens to others.  I hope my daughters are weird and stay happily married until death do them part.

5.  65% of Americans Lose Sleep Due to Stress

We are a sleep-deprived nation.  The CDC recognizes that insufficient sleep is a serious public health epidemic.  Does that sound as odd to you as it does to me?  Maybe not, because apparently it is quite normal for Americans to suffer from a lack of sleep.  There are several reasons for this, but the stress that comes from our over-committed lifestyles is certainly a big factor.

I want my kids to find what seems to have eluded so many of us: a balanced, unhurried lifestyle.  We try to do too much.  We seem to think that constant busyness, stimulation and activity is what we need.  Just look at how many things we enroll our kids in.  They have soccer, dance, gymnastics, softball, summer camps, scouts, play dates and the list could go on and on.  This is why they grow up stressed out and unable to sleep.  They are too wound up!  I’m raising my girls to be weird in this way.  They do stuff, but we try to teach them balance and give them time to rest adequately.

6.  About Half of Americans Don’t Go to Church

I personally believe that faith is an important part of a well-rounded life.  Obviously, only about half of you are going to agree with me.  In my mind, there are just so many reasons that going to church is so important.  Putting the deeply spiritual reasons aside for a moment, I don’t know how my wife and I would have gotten through a few really tough patches if it hadn’t been for the support we received from our friends from church.  They were there for us the whole way. 

I want my kids to experience this same feeling of community that I’ve enjoyed over the years.  I sincerely hope they will be weird in this way.  I want them to discover the meaning and joy that comes from belonging to a body of believers.  I know this is no longer the norm, but it is still something I want for my daughters.

7.  Half of High School Seniors Have Used Drugs

Despite our best efforts, drug and alcohol use among teens is rampant.  Our young folks just don’t seem to understand the risks they are taking when they engage in such behavior.  According to the CDC, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teens and over a quarter of fatal crashes involve alcohol.

I’m sure there is a lot of peer pressure involved in high school around drugs and alcohol.  The need to fit in is often overwhelming.  Studies show that parents that talk to their kids regularly about the risks involved in drug and alcohol abuse significantly reduce the chance their kids will succumb to this pressure.  I’m going to do what I can to keep my kids from becoming one of these “normal” statistics.

I Want My Kids to Be Weird in So Many Ways

Hopefully, you can now see why I want my kids to be weird.  What is so often normal nowadays is completely opposite from what I want for my kids.  This means I have an uphill battle to fight.  Society is very persuasive.  Therefore, I know I’m going to have to be an engaged and active parent to counter these norms in our culture.  Yes, I want my kids to be weird and I’m going to strive to make it so.

Do you want your kids to be weird?  Where do you agree or disagree with me?  Leave a comment below and let me know.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

How much government regulation is too much?

The City of San Francisco recently banned toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals.  They did this in an attempt to curb the ever-growing problem of childhood obesity.

Even if you and your family maintain a healthy weight, obesity is a problem for you.  Obesity is a big contributor to the rising healthcare costs in America which impacts us all.  One study funded by the CDC Foundation, found that obesity costs the U.S. $147 billion a year!

As someone that writes about good habits and personal responsibility, I have to wonder if we really need the government telling us what food choices should be available.

This all started swirling around in my head when one of my readers sent over the information below.  I’d be interested in your thoughts on this issue.  I’ve included a few questions at the end that this raises in my mind.  I’d love to hear your opinions.

Note: I added bolding in a few areas for emphasis. 

Government to Take Over Where Parents Haven’t

With recent attempts to place taxes on sugary foods and beverages, the government of San Francisco is now going after fast food joints. More specifically, they’ve set their eyes on McDonalds and their happy meals.

The past 25-30 years have shown a large increase in obesity, with a mean average increase of 25% across 33 of our great 50 states. Similarly, the obesity rate in children has risen nearly 25 percent since 1980. With numbers like this, it’s hard to imagine that a lot of parents are doing a good job at implementing best health practices with their children. And although children don’t typically tend to listen or agree with what their parents have to say, they must still be limited to and/or shunned from eating greasy foods on the regular.

However, this obviously isn’t the case, and one state in particular has come to this realization. After many attempts to place taxes on sugary beverages like soda, California (Santa Clara) has also taken it upon themselves to ban toys in happy meals.

The concept of giving a kid a toy for eating bad food is very reflective of poorly practiced positive reinforcement. In other words, parents are increasing the likelihood that their children will want to revisit McDonalds in hopes of receiving another prize (toy) in their happy meal. So they’re indirectly promoting the behavior of eating this fat-filled unhealthy food by giving their kid a toy. And it’s just not teenagers that are ordering these happy meals independently. For example, teachers purchase them purposely so that they can later deliver the toy to their children. Similarly, pet owners have also found it quite appealing to entertain a meal while also receiving a toy for their beloved dog or cat.

Currently, it’s optional for children to order these happy meals with healthier choices. For instance, they could ask for milk instead of soda; or apple slices instead of fries. But this clearly isn’t working, and milk and apple slices should be their only choices with a toy as a reward.

The ban in Santa Clara has also sparked further interest in making this a statewide law. Also, the details of the law are quite intricate: Restaurants are not to include toys in meal packages with greater than 485 calories or 600 mg of sodium. It goes on to state that these meals should not have more than 35% of total calories from fat or 10% added from sugar.

This could potentially become a precedent across all US states, and perhaps be a great step in the right direction against growing obesity rates in today’s youth. Parents should always be aware of their actions and how they affect their children. Avoiding fast food restaurants is probably the best solution altogether, however this would eliminate all the fun. Hopefully this will set an example for all parents and fast food chain owners alike.

What Do You Think About the Happy Meal Toy Ban?

Here are a few questions that this raises in my mind that I’d like to hear your thoughts on:

• Is it possible to legislate good habits?
• Do we really want the government deciding what we eat?
• Is a Happy Meal once in awhile going to kill us?
• As a parent, shouldn’t I get to decide what is right for my kids?
• Will this really make any difference in obesity rates or is it just a waste of time and resources?

What are your thoughts about all this?  Please leave me a comment below letting me know what you think and how we should deal with this issue.

The information on the Happy Meal toy ban was sent to me by: Jim Rollince of Gym Source, a distributor of home gyms and training equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, arc trainers and much more!

Photo by Stéfan

This is a question that many moms ask and one that my wife asked me after our first daughter was born. 

Becoming a stay-at-home-mom is a tough decision.  There are a lot of important factors families have to weigh in making this decision.

Today, I thought I’d share our thought process and how it worked out for us in hopes that this might help another family make their decision.

A Couple of Things I’d Like to Address Up Front

Obviously, I’m not a mom so I acknowledge that I’m writing this from the viewpoint of a husband.  I hope you’ll be gracious with me given this. 

Also, I acknowledge that there are stay-at-home-dads out there, but I believe they are still a lot less common than their female counterparts although no less important.  Hopefully, any fathers out there trying to make this decision will be able to adjust this information for their situation.

Finally, I am writing about our experience.  I don’t really know what the research says about the pros and cons of staying at home.  I just know what I know from living it.

The Stay-At-Home-Mom Factors We Considered

My wife has a teaching degree and had full-time employment when we had our first child.  At first, she went back to work, but it wasn’t long before she started thinking about staying home.

As we began to discuss it, I think there were three primary factors that we talked about.  We asked ourselves:

1.  Would She Enjoy Staying at Home With the Kids?

Personalities differ.  I think moms have to be real honest with themselves about this question.  Some women like being stay-at-home-moms and some do not.  If you don’t, it doesn’t make you a bad mom.  Every woman has to look at their strengths and weaknesses and decide for themselves what is best for their family.

For my wife, she believed she would enjoy it.  She has always had a heart for kids.  That’s one reason she became a teacher.  In fact, not staying at home was making her unhappy.

On the other hand, my wife spent several years getting her teaching degree and it pained her to think that she would be stepping away from her career for a very extended period. 

Becoming a stay-at-home-mom is definitely a sacrifice and one that should not be entered into lightly.  A woman really has to weigh her personality, her social needs, her need for achievement and her desire to stay at home before making this decision.

2.  Would Our Daughter(s) Benefit From Her Staying at Home?

Of course, a big part of deciding to be a stay-at-home mom is that many feel it is the best thing for the kids.  This was one of the driving factors for us.  We felt then and still feel today that having one parent at home was the best option.  We think this benefits our kids as follows:

1. They get more love.  Our kids get a lot of love every day from their mother because she is at home with them.  This helps them to feel like they matter which builds their self-worth.
2. They have a more stable home life.  My wife has the time to create a very comfortable, stable and loving home environment for our family.  We believe kids need the sense of security this creates to really flourish in life.
3. They get more education.  A stay-at-home-mom has more time to be involved with their kids education.  My wife has the time to ensure our kids get the best education possible.  Of course, since she is a teacher by trade, we get a double-bonus here.
4. They get more guidance.  We feel that more parental involvement helps our kids to avoid common pitfalls.  We think this will be especially beneficial during the teen years. 
5. They get more consistent discipline.  My wife is more in tune with our daughters because she is with them so much and she is able to intervene early when things get a little off track.  We believe this has a tremendously positive impact.

These are just a few of the more important ways that we feel our kids benefit from my wife staying at home.  Of course, a mother that works may be able to also do at least some of these things, but it is going to take a lot of extra effort.  You may be one of those people that could make it work.  However, we decided that my wife staying home would be the best thing for our family.

3.  Would We Be Able to Make It Financially?

Families often jump past the first two of these three considerations straight to wondering if they could make it financially if one spouse stayed at home.  I’d argue that you need to back up and look at the other things first. 

Once you think through the first two considerations, then you’ll have in mind the relative importance of staying at home.  This gives you a much better basis for making the needed financial decisions.

For us, we were going to take a big cut in pay for my wife to stay home.  However, we were willing to make this sacrifice because we knew it would have such a powerful long-term impact on our girls.

This is one of the reasons I feel so strongly that achieving a level of financial freedom is so incredibly important.  It gives you options.  Because we had been fairly wise with our money, we’ve gotten even better now, we were able to make this choice for the benefit of our family.  What a great feeling!

You just have to think through your priorities.  You might have to make significant adjustments to your lifestyle to pull this off or you might have to look for ways to make extra income, but trust me, it is worth it.  We did it and so can you!

Stay-At-Home-Moms Are Heroes in My Book

Moms that choose to stay home and raise their children are heroes.  They make sacrifices for the benefit of their family and my hat is off to them.  However, this choice is not for everyone.  It is important that you think it through carefully.

I’m so glad that my wife was willing to make this choice.  She has stayed home with our kids for about nine years now and it was worked out fabulously!  If you are considering this, I hope this information helps you to think through your decision more clearly.

Photo by loomingy1

Make-A-Wish is an awesome charity that does great things for children with serious medical conditions.  It was an honor being able to raise money for them this year.

My campaign ended last Wednesday just before Thanksgiving.  It was very appropriate timing.  I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I’m glad that I could help give back.

Today, I’m happy to announce what we were able to accomplish together for Make-A-Wish and I’m also announcing the winner of the iPod nano that I offered as a giveaway to draw people to participate.

The Total Donation to Make-A-Wish

Here are the results of the fundraising campaign:

Here is a copy of the receipt I received from Make-A-Wish to prove that I made the donation on behalf of all my donors.  You can click on it to zoom.

The Winner of the iPod nano

There were 83 comments on my original post.  I used the random integer generator at random.org to select a winner.  The 55th comment was selected as the winner.

Marcus from Tulsa, OK was the lucky person to leave the 55th comment!

I have shipped Marcus his brand-new, 5th Generation, 8 GB iPod nano in blue which was his choice of color.

He should get his new iPod later this week. 

Congratulations Marcus!

Thank You for Making This a Success for Make-A-Wish

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s help in making this campaign a success!  We didn’t raise as much as I initially hoped, but we still pulled together a very nice donation.

There are children out there right now that will get their wish granted as a result of our efforts which is what this was all about.

This just goes to show you that the concerted effort of a few people really can make a big difference in the lives of those who need hope.

What else can we do to make a difference?  Thanks again for your support!

Photo by peyri

Hopefully, you already know that I’m conducting a campaign to raise money for Make-A-Wish.  I’m even giving away a FREE iPod nano out of my own pocket in an effort to entice people to my site to give.  I’m only asking for $2.50 per person to help make a child’s wish come true.  (No donation necessary to win the iPod.)

Raising money even for a great cause isn’t easy.  I knew that going in.  Even so, I’ve been a little disappointed by the response so far. 

I’d really hoped that more of my subscribers and site visitors would donate.  It is just $2.50 and if all my subscribers would donate, we would really be able to make a difference!

I Am Asking for Your Help!

There is still time to make this a fantastic success.  The giveaway and fundraiser continues until November 25, 2009.  Please help me get the word out!

Please share my original post with as many people as you can via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc.  If you have a blog or website, I would greatly appreciate it if you would let your readers know about this campaign by sharing a link to my post.

Finally, if you have any other suggestions that might help me make this more successful, then please do not hesitate to contact me and let me know!

The Reasons I Chose to Support Make-A-Wish

So, why am I doing this?  Because of stories like these that I read on the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s website.

1.  Victoria, age 8, wishes to be a rock star

Victoria’s medical issues started a long time ago.  By just 9 months of age, she had undergone five organ transplants and seventeen major surgeries!

Victoria still has her challenges, but apparently that hasn’t dimmed her spirit.  She has always wanted to be a rock star and to record her own CD.

Fortunately, the Make-A-Wish chapter of Southern Florida was there to help Victoria realize her dream.  They drove her to a Miami recording studio in a stretch limo and then later gave her the chance to perform live in front of an audience.  She had her very own CD release party hosted at the Improv Comedy Club in Palm Beach.  It was a dream come true!

You can see pictures and read more about Victoria’s wish come true at this link.

2.  Sam, age 11, wishes to have a baseball field in his backyard

Sam has neuroblastoma which is a cancer effecting the nervous system.  Dealing with cancer took Sam away from his teammates and the sport he loved.

His wish was to have a baseball field in his backyard so he could play with his teammates anytime he wanted.  It took the effort of Make-A-Wish, a big group of volunteers and a lot of willing donors to pull this one off, but they did it.

Sam and his whole community enjoyed opening day festivities at Farris Field named in honor of Sam’s surname.  His baseball field came alive with an announcer, hotdogs, the national anthem and of course the crack of the bat!

You can see pictures of the field and read more about Sam’s wish at this link.

3.  Caleb, age 7, wishes to have an elephant

Caleb has leukemia.  Leukemia normally prevents the blood from clotting properly and severely decreases the effectiveness of the immune system.  These are both life-threatening issues.

Caleb has a big disease and a jumbo-sized wish.  He wanted to own an elephant!  This wish took a little creativity to grant.  Fortunately, the Make-A-Wish chapter here in my home state of Oklahoma came up with a creative solution.

They arranged for Caleb to be the honorary owner of an Asian elephant at a nearby sanctuary.  Caleb’s mom wrote, “The wish team did a terrific and spectacular job with a difficult wish.  We would not change anything.”

You can see pictures of Caleb with his elephant and read more about his wish at this link.

These Kids Are the Reasons to Donate

We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
~ Make-A-Wish Mission Statement

These stories make it clear that Make-A-Wish truly fulfills their mission.  This is why I personally chose them as the charity that I wanted to help this year.  I hope you’ll take just a moment of your time to help me make a child’s wish come true!

Visit my article, make a donation and enter to win a free iPod nano!

Thank you for your support!

Photo by WTL photos

One fantastic way to make yourself feel better is to do something nice for someone else. 

You can really make a difference in another person’s life and put a smile on your face at the same time!

Hopefully, you already know about my campaign to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

However, just in case, I thought I’d taken a moment to highlight why I’ve chosen this particular charity to support.

A Video or Two Is Worth a Thousand Words

I don’t think words can fully express the hope and joy that Make-A-Wish offers to children that are facing life-threatening illnesses. 

Therefore, I thought I’d put one of the kids front and center so you can see for yourself.  If this video from YouTube doesn’t move you, then your heart is made of stone!

Are you convinced yet that you should make a donation to my campaign?  If not, then let me appeal to you with another video.  Please notice the emotion that wells up in this grown man when he talks about Make-A-Wish.  You too can be a part of something special!

Why Not Do Your Good Deed for the Day Right Now?

You can join my campaign and donate to Make-A-Wish right now by clicking this link to visit my donation page.

Okay, I’ll offer you one more incentive to join my effort to raise money for Make-A-Wish.  I’m giving away a free iPod nano to one lucky reader that comments on my original post about this campaign (comments on this post don’t count).  All I’m asking is that you consider donating $2.50 to support Make-A-Wish!

Photo by qthomasbower

There are actually a number of reasons that I love Sundays, but I’ll get to that in a moment.  The sad thing to me is that Sunday seems to be changing.  If we aren’t careful, our Sunday traditions in America are going to be lost forever.  For some, I think they already are.

Traditional Sunday activities seem to be giving way to consumerism, television and even work.  This saddens me.  Sunday is as American as apple pie.  America, let’s cling to our Sunday traditions before they fade away!

21 Traditional Things I Love About Sunday in America

Call me sentimental, but Sunday traditions in America need to be held onto for dear life!  We need to continue to pass these things down to our children and our children’s children.

“A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril”
~ Winston Churchill

Most businesses used to be closed on Sunday to give Americans a day to rest, recoup and participate in traditional activities.  Of course, now the lure of the almighty dollar has a growing number of people working on Sunday.  This robs people of family and leisure time. 

Also, I think losing our Sunday traditions contributes to the deterioration of our society and culture.  Heck, some of us even go to church on Saturday evenings now!  I’ll admit I’m guilty of this one.

In essence, many of us have already forgotten the traditions that made Sunday so special.  Let me remind you of a few things in a hope that it will encourage you, America, to revive some of the traditional Sunday behavior I love and long for.

Here are 21 things I love about Sunday:

1.  The complete lack of urgency that is unique to Sunday.

2.  Time spent reflecting on how to be a better person after church services.

3.  The sense of unity that comes from being together with your family.

4.  Reading a good, old-fashioned newspaper.  These will be a thing of the past before long.

5.  Stuffing myself on Sunday dinner with all the fixin’s at grandma’s house.

6.  Feeling the wind on my face during a Sunday drive to nowhere in particular.

7.  Sleeping in as late as I want to and laying lazily in bed even after I’ve woke up.

8.  Taking a long. lazy nap on the couch to avoid the afternoon heat.

9.  Sitting in a lawn chair and drinking ice-cold sweet tea under a shade tree.

10.  Playing catch out in the yard with my brother.

11.  The sound of my mom’s favorite music wafting out the windows of the house.

12.  A family picnic by the lake with a red-checked table cloth.

13.  Waking up to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon frying on the stove.

14.  Having time as a family to play board games together at the kitchen table.

15.  Stopping for a treat at the convenience store on our way home from church.

16.  Watching an old movie on T.V. from beginning to end.

17.  Going for a long, slow walk and having time to appreciate the beauty of nature.

18.  Dad was always less busy on Sundays than any other day of the week.

19.  Two great holidays, Easter and Mother’s Day, fall on Sunday.

20.  Hearing my elders tell stories from days gone by in my living room.

21.  Looking forward to the next Sunday to do it all over again!

Preserve these traditions in America to save our way of life!

“Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week”
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sunday truly is a golden day.  If we let the traditions that make it unique slip through our fingers, then it will become meaningless.  I’d hate to think that my kids or grandchildren might miss out on all the special memories that I have from the awesome Sunday traditions that I grew up with.  I’ll fight to keep Sunday special!

What Sunday traditions do you love?

Photo by bensonkua

Teaching our kids the right habits to enjoy life, be creative, prosper financially and to generally be successful is a challenge all parents face.

Good habits do not begin automatically.  Our kids learn a good portion of their behavior from us, their parents.  We are their role models. 

We have the incredible responsibility to teach our kids the behaviors and habits necessary for a great life.  It is no small chore, but one that is of the utmost importance.

What habits are you teaching your kids?

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”
~ Charles C. Noble

A habit is an automatic pattern of behavior repeated regularly.  Basically, the way we act is a sum of our habits.

Our children model the behavior they see in us.  Actions speak louder than words.

Regardless of how much you lecture, admonish and teach otherwise, your kids are most likely to wind up acting a good deal like you do.

To me, this is a fact that is reassuring on one hand and frightening on another.

I love knowing that teaching my kids good habits is relatively easy.  I just have to model the right behaviors for them.  Over the long-haul, they will pick them up and adopt these positive actions as their own.

However, it is quite disturbing to think that I can just as easily pass along my bad habits.

This forces me to seriously examine my own life and to ask myself, “What do I want to be teaching my kids?”  Am I passing along the right habits to them?

I realize that the first step in teaching my kids good habits is to clean up my own act!

The top ten habits kids need for a great life

I have created a list of the good habits that I want to model for my children so they will follow my lead and learn what they need for a great life.

1.  Be health-conscious and eat right

I want to teach my kids to think about how they treat their bodies.  Failing to protect your health can severely limit your options in life.  I confess I have work to do in this area.  In particular, I need to model healthier eating habits.  I do exercise regularly so, I know my kids see that, but I could certainly be a better example with my diet.

2.  Get plenty of rest

Getting eight hours of sleep a night is very important to our physical and emotional health.  Of course, many of us deprive ourselves of the proper rest.  Making sleep a priority is often a challenge.  My wife and I try to go to bed about the same time every night.  We also have a regular bedtime for our kids.  Hopefully, they will carry this habit over into adulthood.

3.  Become a good reader

There are so many benefits to being a good reader.  Children that read well do better in school.  I want my kids to be lifelong learners.  Books, blogs and other written materials are excellent sources of new learning.  Good readers enjoy reading and therefore do it more often.  I read to my kids regularly and I believe this will help them learn to love reading too.

4.  Be truthful

We are either in the habit of telling the truth or we’re not.  I’ll admit that being honest isn’t always easy, but I definitely think our kids follow our lead in this area.  They watch us and they are very perceptive.  I believe setting the right example here is crucially important.  For my kids benefit, I want to tell the truth even when it isn’t easy.

5.  Work hard

Hard work is something that many these days seem to avoid like a disease.  However, nothing meaningful is ever accomplished without great effort.  The habit of doing a job well is passed down from parent to child through the expectations we set.  It is sometimes easier to do the work, like cleaning up a roomful of toys, for my kids.  But, when I do this I miss the opportunity to teach them the value and satisfaction of a job well done.

6.  Be financially wise

We’ve been following Dave Ramsey’s teaching for the last few years and I’m amazed at how much my daughters have picked up.  Schools rarely, if ever, teach children sound personal finance principles so, it is imperative that we as parents do this.  As I said before, actions speak a lot louder than words.  Our kids need to see us doing the right things financially so they can follow in our footsteps.

7.  Have fun and be silly

A big part of living life to the fullest is about having fun along the way.  I’m a pretty serious person by nature so, I have to remind myself to stop and be silly once in awhile.  I want my girls to learn to laugh and fully engage in adventurous, entertaining and fun activities.  Get your kids in the habit of having fun and they’ll practice it all their lives!

8.  Try new things

It is easy to get stuck in a rut.  Good habits are one thing, but inflexibility is another.  The world is ever-changing.  You have to adapt and try new things to remain vibrant and alive.  Teaching our children that it is okay to try new things and even to fail once in awhile is a grand lesson.

9.  Exercise your creativity

Kids are naturally creative.  As we grow older, we often lose touch with our creativity.  This is sad.  Demonstrating to our kids that we have a wide-range of interests and helping them to learn to express their creativity in increasingly more mature ways is important.  This blog is one way that I exercise my creativity and I hope my kids develop a similar habit.

10.  Be a leader

The world needs leaders.  Taking the lead is a habit that some people never seem to develop.  Maybe it is because they never saw anyone around them assuming a leadership role as they grew up.  I want to be sure that my kids have leaders they admire and model in their lives.

These habits will prepare your kids for a great life

If I can teach my kids these ten habits, then I believe they will be well on their way to a great life.  I have a lot of work to do in my own life to become the role model I want to be, but I’m not giving up.  The effort is worth the reward!

What habits do you want to teach your kids?

Photo by tiffanywashko