March Simply Family/Simply Parties by Jackie

MARCHing right into spring!

The end of winter is in sight! Warmer days are ahead ☀️ Let’s march into spring with loads of family fun!

It’s Cool to Care: Maybe you have a neighbor or older relative who lives alone. Show them how much you care by making a “heat and eat dinner”. Use a freezer/microwave save container and prepare a meal for them. Adding homemade bread is also a thoughtful and yummy idea!

Happy to be Healthy: YOGA – Even if you only do a few poses each day to start, I’m pretty sure your body and mind will thank you. Take a glance at this informative website to learn about the different types and benefits of yoga. http:/kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/exercise/yoga.html

Get into your animal spirit by trying these animal poses together.

Family Fun: Movie Night- March means March Madness! Choose a basketball themed movie such as Air Bud, Space Jam, Like Mike, Rebound, or Teen Wolf. Pretend you’re at a ball game and enjoy snacks such as nachos, popcorn, or ice cream. You can even turn these snacks into a nacho bar, popcorn bar, or ice cream bar to make the evening extra fun!

Game Night: Let each member of your family choose his/her favorite board game to play. This is a great way to play some of those games that maybe haven’t been played in awhile, but someone is always asking, “Who wants to play this with me?”

Hooray for the Holidays: Dr. Seuss’ Birthday– Of course we have to celebrate this day! Take turns reading Dr. Seuss books. Try making some green eggs and ham or stack some mini pancakes and strawberries for the Cat in the Hat’s hat. See who can make the tallest stack. A neat website to check out is http://seussville.com

Mardi Gras: a carnival like atmosphere with music, parades, food, how fun! To learn some cool facts about Mardi Gras, check out this website. https://www.savingssarah.com/2016/01/17/mardi-gras-facts/

Get crafty making a Mardi Gras mask or how about baking a king cake? Here’s a super easy recipe, but there are many more cake recipes if you’d rather bake from scratch. https://www.momdot.com/monkey-bread-recipe/

St. Patrick’s Day: Talk about the history behind St. Patrick’s Day. Locate Ireland on your globe or world map. Play some Irish tunes. Get everyone involved in the kitchen making corned beef and cabbage, Guinness beef stew, or any Irish recipe that is new to you. Set up a scavenger hunt and use green paper shamrocks to write clues on. The treasure could be chocolate coins, a pass on doing chores, extra screen time, or choosing what’s for dessert. https://www.aberdeenskitchen.com/2016/03/slow-cooker-guinness-beef-stew/

Home Helpers: Spring means it’s time to organize! Make it a family project not only to clear out clutter, but start by organizing one room. The kitchen is the heart of the house, why not begin there? h

Keep on adding to your coin jar! Cha-ching! $$$

Mind Matters: “Music is what feelings sound like” Have the musicians of the family put on a little concert. Listen to different types of music and see if you can here specific instruments. Let everyone speak (or sing) about their favorite kinds of music, instrument, or instrument they would like to learn to play. Check out this website for some DIY instruments you can make.https://planningplaytime.com/10-diy-musical-instruments-for-kids

Winter Wonders: Spring is on it’s way, but not quite here yet. Enjoy the end of winter by taking a walk and searching for signs of spring.

Read On: Pick out some classics to enjoy. When done with reading the book, find the movie and compare the two. What are the differences, if any? Which did you enjoy more? Would you recommend both? What are your favorite parts?

Parents’ Corner: Make time for meditation. Even a few minutes of meditation a day can really help with those daily stresses. There are many wonderful short meditation videos on youtube that boost energy levels, help with anxiety or improve sleep. Find an app that fits your needs and can remind you daily to take a couple minutes to stop for mindful meditation. https://www.mindful.org/free-mindfulness-apps-worthy-of-your-attention/

Thanks for reading my March blog! As always, I appreciate your time. Hope you have much March fun with these family activities!