How to Survive Bad Weather with Kids in the Lehigh Valley!

That's right, another snow storm. If you are anything like me, after multiple snow and ice storms, winter has now lost its appeal.  

Snow flakes hitting my face, once a blissful moment, now tends to turn my stomach. And the idea of being cooped up in the house, with the kids, can be trying.

But as we all know, being a Mom or Dad is a 24-hour job, even if the weather isn't cooperating. With that in mind, here is a list of fun things to do with your kids when Mother Nature has other plans.

Bake cookies!
A perfect way to warm up the home and make it smell yummy too! A special trip to the grocery store isn't always necessary. Many times I can find recipes based on the food items I all ready have at home. We have lots of fun recipes on our Pinterest page.

Get out those board games.

Remember those good 'ol games that are piled in your basement or hall closet? Some oldies but goodies?  Connect Four, Clue, Monopoly (love it) just to name a few.

Clean out those closets.
I have clothing that my daughter has outgrown piling up in my laundry room. A snowy day is a perfect time to gather up all outgrown or unwanted clothing and be a Consignor. A Consignor is a participant who sells new and gently-used items at local, seasonal sales events. There are many consignment opportunities coming up in the near future. The Kids Closet Sale is March 13, The Kid's Clothesline is April 4-6. The Clothing Tree is April 11-13, and Just Between Friends is April 12-13. Most events are looking for Consignors NOW.

Teach your children how to take photos.
Being stuck inside is a perfect opportunity to show your kids how to use a camera. I could spend hours looking out the window at the snowy landscape and capturing photos of it. Our friends at Dan's Camera City have great tips on their website for taking fun winter photos. A great way for kids to see things that they might not notice otherwise.

Get messy, try paper mache.
That's right, I said it. GET MESSY! Put an old table cloth on your kitchen table and let the kids go wild. Check out our Pinterest page for some fun ideas! Paper mache is super easy to make - Mix 1/2 cup of flour with 3/4 cup of water, old newspaper cut into strips - add 1/4 tbsp of salt to prevent mold and to make extra sturdy and 2 tbsp of white glue. Let it dry and then GET OUT THE PAINT! This is twofold messy fun and you will be the coolest Mom or Dad on the block! You can thank me later.  :)

Go sledding.
OK, so this is obvious. But sometimes you have to point out the most common things to those who need ideas. Sled for a little while and then make hot chocolate. This is a MUST DO in my house.

Make an Emergency Preparedness Kit.
Being prepared is a great thing. Ready.gov lists items that are commonly found in your home that could be set aside for an emergency; flashlights, batteries, water, etc. With the amount of homes losing power in a storm, this could help you and your family should the need arise. It is also a great opportunity to teach your kids the importance of being prepared.

Have a Snow Day Scavenger Hunt.
Our friends at Paper Bag Child have a list of items needed by local, Lehigh Valley charities. Check out the list and then do a family scavenger hunt in your house. You might just find a gently-used item, that you no longer use, that could help someone else in need.

So, I hope the above list helps you get through yet another snow day. Whatever you decide to do, do it together with your kids. You might just make a memory or two that will last a lifetime. 

Have fun!

Lehigh Valley Family Fun is a website resource for families of the Lehigh Valley! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Pinterest.

It turns out that "I AM the SOCK MONSTER!"

Back when I was working full time, I hated the idea of sending my daughter to daycare.  Don't get me wrong, the daycare center we used was nice but there was just something missing.  It was me.  So after months of debating and listing the pros & cons, I left my career in the Direct Mail/Print industry to be a Stay-At-Home Mom.  Or SAHM for short.

Let me first say that I have never been a "Domestic Goddess".  I get by with as little housecleaning as I possibly can...you know "spot cleaning"...AND that ugly 7-letter word "L-A-U-N-D-R-Y".  I've always dreamed of having a cleaning service come in and do all the ugly stuff, bathrooms & such.  But living on one salary...it just isn't in the budget.

So, where was I...  Oh right...I AM the SOCK MONSTER!

Am I the only one who has one of these?    I call it the "Sock Basket".  If you don't have socks in your drawer, you check the "Sock Basket". 

This is why I HATE Socks!  Yes, they keep your feet warm but each and every time I enter the laundry room I see this UGLY basket.  It calls out to me "Hey you!  Shouldn't you be folding me sometime soon?"  "What kind of mother are you?"  "Put down that cup of de-lish coffee and sort me!"

That leads me up to my daughter's sock drawer.  When you have a basket that looks like that, you have a drawer that looks like this!





No child should have a drawer like this...





But the good news is...Last night I was surfing on my new favorite site - Pinterest.  And I found something that will help me get rid of the "Sock Basket" FOREVER!

Source: imalazymom.com via Lehigh Valley Family Fun on Pinterest

THE MESH BAG!

Why didn't I think of this before?  This is GENIUS!  Each person in the "fam" keeps a Mesh Bag on the back of their door.  When they take their socks off at the end of the day, they simply put them in their mesh bag INSTEAD of their hamper!  When it gets full, the entire bag gets thrown into the wash and VIOLA!  NO MORE "SOCK BASKET"!  No more sorting..   No more snide comments coming from the "Sock Basket".

So, take THAT, you stupid "Sock Basket".  If my kids were to read this, I'd be getting in trouble for using the "Stupid" word.... But they are not....so, STUPID "Sock Basket!  Be gone with you!

I'd like to send a "Thank you" to  "I'm a Lazy Mom" for coming up with such an awesome idea and spreading the word about it on her site.  And thank you to Pinterest. for allowing us the ability to get the word out about a simple solution for a monster of a problem.