Parks and pools are great but if you’re like me then Phoenix’s triple digits have you running inside for the air-conditioning. For those days when slides are like branding irons and pools are like bathwater, beat the heat with these 15 fun indoor activities for kids.

1. An idioglossia is a language created and spoken by one person or few people. Make up a secret language and record the words on Word Central’s Build Your Own Dictionary.
2. Have more fun with language on Word Central’s website with the daily buzzwords and word games.
3. Got a video camera you can trust the kiddos to use safely? Let them make documentaries about their life and family or choreograph their own dance video.
4. Start a family blog on Tumblr.
5. Make some crafts with paper mache.   
6. Remember when Bobby and Cindy Brady tried to teeter-totter their way into the Guinness Book of World Records? Your kids can stay cool indoors and set a dedication record for heaviest ball of plastic wrap  or largest collection of Pokemon memorabilia.
7. Make puppy chow. Get some help in the kitchen with other kid-friendly recipes from Family Fun.    
8. Bring out your child’s inner David Blaine with these easy magic tricks using items from around the house.
9. Play card games geared for ages 3 to 8.
10. Did you know kids can lose two months of grade level equivalency over the summer? That’s known as summer learning loss. Keep their minds active and learn Spanish with these fun lessons.
11. Make a summer memory book. This is next year’s boredom buster!
12. Encourage your little artist or writer to submit their art, poems, or stories to kids’ magazines like Stone Soup.
13. If Clue and Monopoly get boring, make up a family board game with these easy steps.
14. Let your child make Christmas and other special occasion greeting cards for family members to have on hand throughout the year.
15. Didn’t finish your spring cleaning? Summer is as good a time as any to get organized. Let the kids use their idle hands clean out their closets and sock drawers. Assign some extra chores so they can earn spending money they want for all of their fun activities.

If you get sick of your own four walls, head over to Imagination Avenue, an indoor play place and party center.  Whatever activities you choose, stay safe by following these summer safety tips for Arizona children.

I must admit, I am competitive. Don’t challenge me to a game of Scrabble and think I won’t pull out the word “xenial” to garner a triple word score and then gloat. Although I am not wholly athletic, that doesn’t mean I am not going to pull out all the stops just to beat my competition mercilessly, if at all possible.  And while I try to maintain an air of decorum with my opponent, I have been known to break out a Deion Sanders-like touchdown dance when I win, even if it is just checkers.

I guess this competitive streak is what lead me to believe that I could go-kart race and just burn up the track, even though I haven’t been in a go-kart in many years.  Some friends from work all went one evening to an indoor race track, where the cars reach top speeds of 45 miles per hour.  No sweat, I thought, especially since I learned to drive on the freeways of San Diego, and I used to change my clothes while driving.  How difficult could it be to whip around a track in a little motorized version of a real car?

Our racing group consisted of three guys and three girls, of which I was the oldest by ten years.  I figured I had experience, competitiveness, and a sense of adventure on my side; instead I should have called my insurance agent.  All was well the first race, which consisted of fourteen laps.  We all started to feel the groove of the track and the rush of adrenalin.  By race two, the contest was heating up, and the trash talk between the guys began to increase, and I could feel the contender in me rise up.  I felt it–”the need for speed”.  With races one and two under our collective belts and only a few injury free collisions thus far, we geared up for our final race.

All started off well, and I was gunning it to better my lap score.  I took the turns as sharply as I could, and thought this would be my best race yet.  I was wrong.  As I rounded a turn, I went all “Tokyo drift” and slid decidedly into the red and white barrier (pictured above).  My car went under the barrier, lifted it up, and pinned me in the go-kart.  As the track personnel ran over to free me from my predicament, I watched the blood trickle down my hands, and I tried to put on a brave face.  My entire right arm was locked in the barrier, which had to be lifted off of me by the track workers.  Damn!  So much for my best time…

Diana, another racer from my group, also had a mishap and hit a wall.  Defective cars, I thought to myself.  Racer exhaustion, I pondered internally.  Certainly it had nothing to do with my racing skill, or lack thereof…

While my body was certainly banged up and my right hand, with all its cuts and scratches, looked like I had gotten into a bar fight, it was my ego that was the most bruised.  I wanted to keep up with the boys and had epically failed.  Visions of losing countless childhood contests of skill, athleticism, and might to my older brother came crashing back, much like the wall that landed on my arm.  But then I thought, I gave it a shot and really had fun doing something I normally wouldn’t do, so that can’t be an epic fail.  The more I thought about it, the better I felt about the whole situation, soreness and all.  So I crashed into a wall–at least I made the effort, and that is how I want to live my life.  Now on to cliff diving…

We recently had a girl’s night out at a Mesa institution – Organ Stop Pizza. Before you start thinking Chuck E. Cheese, think again. This is the home of the mighty Wurlitzer that rises out of floor at show time. The outer walls and ceiling accommodate the various pipes, drums and even puppets that add to each night’s performances.

We listened to a Sound of Music medley, a couple of Disney classics, and ended with a patriotic selection with a waving flag. There’s also an opportunity to write your questions and song requests and slip them into a box; the organist does his (or her) best to make your night enjoyable and educational.

This is a fun and unique place for groups, families, and even a date night if you’re not looking for a quiet, intimate evening.  It’s pretty challenging to carry on a conversation while the music is playing, but we enjoyed visiting between sets. I’d also reserve some time to get an up close look at the various instruments along the walls – don’t forget to head upstairs too. There’s an innocent looking taxidermy duck that has a party in the Mickey Mouse Club theme song.

The pizza is good. It’s not cheap but reasonably priced. They also have a small salad bar and delicious, hand scooped ice cream. Make sure you go prepared – Organ Stop Pizza only accepts cash. They do have an ATM machine on the premises, just in case.

As the weather warms up, why not take your family to enjoy some great music and yummy pizza?

If you liked this Arizona destination, be sure to check out these!

Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix Zoo

Superstition Mountain Museum

I started thinking about my son’s first birthday party months ago and was able to get my husband to agree to The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a theme. (To get my husband to love used to the idea I started off with getting my baby the book at Valentine’s Day.)

This idea isn’t terribly original, it came from the Pottery Barn Kids Design Studio. Like most things I do, I like to find an idea and make it fit my needs. I needed to use what I had and this is what I came up with. Keep in mind that I did a little bit of this everyday for a few days. It doesn’t take much work but you have to leave time for drying and such.

Directions:
1. Clean all of the glass jars

2. Get off all of the sticky stuff left on them. To do that you can put them in boiling water (with tongs!) and then scrape off the goo while it is still warm. Use a razor blade to scrape the glass. Dry everything off.

2. Spray paint the jar lids. Make sure your spray paint is good on metal. You may need a few coats.

2. Make caterpillar shapes out of your salt dough. Roll some very small balls and lay them next to each other and flatten them down. Add small antennas and then bake according to your dough directions.

2. Cut out leaf shapes out of your fabric or paper. Cut or punch a few holes along one of the edges, so that it looks like the Very Hungry Caterpillar ate through them. You can now write out the details of the invitation on your leaf.

3. Paint your clay caterpillars, this part is really fun, it’s just like being Eric Carle. Use your Very Hungry Caterpillar Book for a guide.

Once everything is cooked, painted and dry you can put the leaf and caterpillar in the jar and hand them out to friends. Keep your eyes out, I still have plenty of other plans and Very Hungry Caterpillar ideas that will be coming as the party gets closer!

For more Very Hungry Caterpillar Ideas check out these links:
Very Hungry Caterpillar Party Hat
The Very Hungry Caterpillar on Pintrest
Valentine’s Tradition

It’s the little moments that count with our kids and I am trying to be very intentional with our time together.  I make sure that I am playful with him even when I am trying to work or clean house.  He can help me in his own way and he feels valued. Our family is very playful and so play times often come up just in normal situations.  Even though I am exhausted, I try to make the time special in a small way.

Traditions or routines are very important to children and special needs children look forward to them.  I try to read to him from a “special book” of collected stories each night.  He has to earn the book with his good behavior but we make sure we spend time together before bedtime reading, singing or playing pat a cake. These little moments are what he will remember when he grows older.  Maybe he won’t remember a particular day, but he will cherish the time he spent with me.  These are also special times for me, too as I slowly watch my son grow up and begin to mature.

Mother’s Day is a gentle reminder of our sacrifice and even if your child will never be able to speak to you, you can tell that they love you.  Mothers just know.  Sometimes people put us up on a pedestal because they can’t fathom doing what we do, but we aren’t saints.  We have our flaws and our moments of weakness.  But we keep trudging on because our child needs us more than ever.  Frustration is probably our greatest flaw because we are frustrated on many levels.  But it all goes away when our child smiles or has an amazing break through.  That is why we do it.  We love our children.

I am very blessed to have a special needs child and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Yes, we all dream of a “normal” child but my son is special in his own way and gives me so much joy in return.  Our children are blessings and challenges all wrapped up in our child.  We have a connection that cannot be duplicated or taken away.  Each Mother’s Day I remember how blessed I am to have my son and how blessed that I am his mother.  Happy Mother’s Day to all you blessed Mothers of Special Needs Children!

Shopping for a bikini is not easy, because one piece of the bikini is $14 on sale! I hate to break it to you people, but $14 for two tiny triangles and string is not worth it. Not to mention you still have to buy bottoms. At a fabric store when it’s not on sale you can get a yard of fabric for $14 and that’s exactly what I did.

I also have been wanting a more personalized bikini top, I don’t care much for the styles they have now. It’s either a choice between triangles or that weird bandeau twist thing, and both are halter top. I don’t have to hold up much, but it still hurts my neck. I don’t know how you more-blessed ladies do it! So here’s my super simple solution to making a bikini top that I feel comfortable in.

Material:
Swim/Dance Material (a blend of polyester and nylon)

Directions:
1. Fold your fabric in half and cut a square of fabric 9 inches by 20 (40 inches unfolded). Keep it folded in half and make the last 8 inches tapered, like a triangle. (Confusing, I know, check out the picture below!) Also, I got some of my inspiration from Martha Stewart’s New-So DIY Swimsuit found on Pinterest. There is a pattern on there, you can even use that to create this one.

2. Cut 2 strips of fabric 3 inches by 18 inches. Also a piece 8 inches by 12 inches.

3. Take the strap pieces and fold them with the insides together and pin them. Sew the long edge, and one of the small edges. Turn each of them inside out.
4. Take the finished small edge and pin it to the strap a few inches up. (Another confusing-sounding one, look at the picture!)

4.The medium sized piece is there for lining, and also a pocket for if you want to add padding. (Mine was stolen from an old swim suit) This needs to be lined up in the center of your main piece. You will fold the edges of the main piece over for a regular hem, but make sure to pin in the lining as well. Pin the entire length of the main piece. After that pin on your straps to the front. If you can, try it on and space the straps to where it fits best for you. Mine are about 7 inches apart.

5. Sew the edges of the bikini top. It should include the two straps and lining in the same stitch. If you have never sewn stretch fabric, it is easy with some practice but may not look great (mine doesn’t even after doing tons of stretchy stuff). The key is to do a zig zag stitch or to do a long straight stitch and pull the fabric tight so that it will stretch out that far when you go to wear it later. I practiced by making a headband.

Now for wearing it! You noticed that the straps only attached once, because they have the loops in the back that you string the main part of the bikini through. You can move the straps wherever you want, have them straight or crisscrossed. If you think of any other ways to wear it or embellish it, let me know, I would love to hear about it!

If you need bottoms as well there are some no-sew ones in the same Martha Stewart article I told you about earlier, and there is also a great website called Pattern School where it teaches you really in depth of how to make swimwear or dance wear pieces. It is also free!

I hope you have fun swimming in your new bikini top! Don’t forget your sunscreen (My picture shows where I was burned while wearing a crocheted lace back tank top. It has a cool pattern )

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is upwards of $225,000. The spending starts right away with the need for diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, blankets, and clothing, just to name a few of the essentials.

Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to cut back on the expenses. Here are ten easy ways to save money on baby items:

1. Buy on sale. This is a no-brainer.Watch the ads and you’ll know where to shop for the week. Just remember that a sale doesn’t mean you have to outlay a lot of cash. Diapers are always on sale somewhere so you don’t have to stockpile when you see them marked down.
2. Always use a coupon. Coupon sources for baby items are bountiful: the Sunday paper, magazines (like All You), and store websites (like Target). Online there are numerous free printable (like Coupons.com) and clipless coupons sites (like Cellfire). Visit the websites of your favorite brands and sign-up for special offers and coupons: Johnson & Johnson, Pampers,  Huggies, Luvs, Seventh Generation, Enfamil, Similac, BeechNut, Gerber, and Earth’s Best. The point is coupons are everywhere so get as many baby item coupons as you can. To maximize your savings, stack a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon whenever possible.
3. Sometimes less is more savings. For example, when using coupons, buying two jumbo packs of diapers can be more economical than purchasing one mega pack. Let’s do the math: Purchase (2) size one Pampers jumbo packs at $8.99 each. You get 80 diapers for $17.98, less (2) coupons for $1.50 off, for a pre-tax price of $14.98. Now let’s say you purchase (1) size one Pampers mega pack. You get 66 diapers for $17.49, less (1) coupon for $1.50 off, for a pre-tax price of %15.99. It pays to do a little math before buying anything in bulk.
4. Read blogs. There are bloggers who dedicate to their time and energy into finding the best deals. Follow them online. Two of my favorites are Baby Cheapskate and The Coupon Girl.
5. Enroll in rewards programs. With Pampers’ Gifts to Grow program members get points for purchases. Accumulated points can be redeemed for prizes. Huggies’ Enjoy the Ride works the same way. Also checkout the Toys R Us and BeechNut rewards programs.
6. Ebates. Membership and participation in Ebates.com is free. Create an account, log-in to Ebates.com before you shop online, search for your favorite products and stores and click the link to their website. You will automatically get cash back from your online purchases via check on a quarterly schedule or deposit into your PayPal account.
7. Used is the new New. In a down economy more people shop their local thrift stores and clothing exchange retailers. One of my favorite used clothing stores is Other Mothers. A great time to stop by is on Saturday morning when they have tons of items on sale for a quarter. Also checkout Craigslist for freebies and used baby items. Note: it is recommended to buy car seats new due to possibility of damage or the chance it has been in an accident.
8. Make your own diaper wipes. All you need to start saving money on this baby item staple is an old diaper wipe box or any airtight container, water, baby oil, baby bath or shampoo, and a roll of paper towels. Cut the roll in half and remove the cardboard from the middle. Boil two cups of water and let it cool. Pour the water in a large mixing cup and add two tablespoons of baby oil and two tablespoons of baby bath or shampoo. Mix together and pour over the towels, covering evenly.
9. Make your own baby food. There are a lot of resources available if you should choose this healthy, economic option. Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food is one thorough online source. Mommy Made is a great book with lots of healthy recipes for babies and toddlers.
10. Spend now, save for college. By shopping online, dining out at participating restaurants, and grocery shopping you can be saving for your child’s college education through Upromise. Registration is easy and free. Sign-up today to turn your some of your everyday spending into money for college.

Has your family come up with creative ways to save money? Post a comment below to share it.

With as much as my kids and I enjoy reading, it was only a matter of time before someone chose to have a book theme birthday party. Since it was a teenager party, the structured activities were pretty low key, unless hanging out is a structured activity. But a theme is a theme and I incorporated it where I could.

I happened to have a hard cover book I didn’t want to read again that I donated to the party, and ripped all the pages out. I used some of the pages to make super easy invitations. I got crafty with the majority of the remaining pages to make decorations for the party.  Who knew you could make awesome bouquets from rolled up book pages? I couldn’t stop at decorations, and I used pages to wrap a couple of the gifts and some more to make pockets for the party favors.

Besides eating and opening gifts, the only planned activity was reading an assortment of quotes in our cupcake wrapper fortune cookies. Favorite quotes from our favorite books would have been one way to go with our fortune cookies, but we went with quotes that made us laugh. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces. ~ Judith Viorst
• Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake ~ Napoleon Bonaparte
• Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. ~ Albert Einstein

My favorite part about teenage parties is how easy they are to plan! I’m glad my children still play along and choose a theme, so I can get a little creative.

If you liked this party, be sure to check out these others!

Tangled Party

Star Wars Party

Disco Party

If you’ve not met Dr. Sheldon Cooper and his friends yet, you have missed out on the television show “The Big Bang Theory”. It’s a hysterical comedy that centers on a group of friends, each with their own neurosis. One of the main characters, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, shares some characteristics with my 9 year-old son, Daniel.

Dr. Sheldon Cooper, expertly portrayed by actor Jim Parsons, is considered the “breakout” character of the show.  Sheldon has a superiority complex, is exceptionally logical, yet possesses a childlike quality that makes him endearing, in a strange sort of way.  To say he is socially awkward is like saying “Galileo and the Pope had a little misunderstanding.” (To quote Dr. Cooper himself, from the episode “The Nerdvana Annihalation”.)

Although my son Daniel is not a genius (this mother has NOT had him tested), he does encapsulate the other attributes of one Sheldon Cooper:  he’s very logical, is a little socially awkward and definitely has that childlike quality; for obvious reasons.  Dr. Cooper surrounds himself with others that share his keen intellect, including his roommate, Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist who puts up with Sheldon’s long list of idiosyncrasies.  Leonard, while mild mannered,  has a sweet and sensitive side, that is showcased around Penny, a waitress neighbor of theirs.  Penny is not a genius, and her lack of education is a sore spot with Sheldon.  Penny, however, has a mastery of sarcasm, and its use often perplexes Sheldon.

Another of their friends is Raj, an astrophysicist who has an affliction that renders him mute around women–unless he has consumed alcohol.  While around Penny or any other female, Raj generally whispers all of his comments to Howard, the last of the friends.  Howard is ”just” an Aerospace Engineer, who happens to still live with his overbearing mother, and is often the object of disdain for Sheldon.

Daniel, while substantially younger than the aforementioned group, would have no problem fitting in.  He has an affinity for super hero t-shirts, loves video games and can name every planet in the Star Wars universe.  Daniel is a member of the chess and checkers club at school and has seen every verision of the “Star Trek” movies.  While Sheldon has claimed he is an honorary member of the Starfleet Academy, Daniel can boast that he has earned the ranking of Jedi Master, and has even battled Darth Maul…(at Disneyland).  Daniel will now stand outside my bedroom door, knock, and say “Mom”; knock again and proclaim, “Mom”, and knock yet again while saying my name, just like Sheldon does with his neighbor Penny.  Daniel, at age nine, correctly used “per se” in a sentence recently and when you tell him something like, “that dog is big”, he will respond with “Yes; yes he is.”    Daniel received the right mix of geek from me and dork from his dad to create a hybrid being all his own.

While many parents may worry that their child will grow up to face a world of swirlies, wedgies, and random bullying by more popular kids, I am not worried about Daniel.  I am certain that he will be able to weather the storm that is middle school.  If other kids pick on him, I will constantly remind him that they are just jealous because he knows the temperature on Endor and they do not.  I will assure him that Mom survived geekdom; he will survive, too.  I will arm him with a sense of humor and a sense of self; you wear that Spiderman t-shirt, Dan, because it is totally “you”.  And, I will remind him that he has four “nerdy” role models; guys that were made fun of but who are close friends and have a lot of fun playing Klingon Boggle, and don’t care who knows.

The other day, Daniel and I were discussing our favorite episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” while driving to our house.  As we rounded the corner, we drove by the house of a neighbor who had just lost his wife earlier that week.  Daniel remarked sweetly, “I wonder how he is doing all alone…”.  It was at that moment I realized I am not raising a Sheldon Cooper; I am raising a sweet, sensitive Leonard Hofstadter.

We’re continuing to get out and about quite a bit this spring. April at the Desert Botanical Garden is a time for blooming flowers and a wide variety of butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion. It is a beautiful place to enjoy a picnic lunch and spend some family time. I almost forgot we live in the desert with all the fragrant blooms and temperate weather, although it did get a little toasty by the mid-afternoon. 

It’s not just about the flowers; we saw several birds, ground squirrels and a huge lizard also enjoy the surroundings. There are several hands on displays to learn more about plants and some of the desert wildlife. On one visit, a volunteer taught us about the many ways the Native Americans use Agave – from a sweetener to drying the fibers to use in brooms or sandals.

On our last trip, another volunteer shared his musical talents by playing several types of wooden flutes.  He belongs to a group of enthusiastic collectors, but his collection was fairly small – at 60 flutes!

By far our favorite part of the Desert Botanical Garden is the Butterfly Pavilion. It is amazing to see that many butterflies in a confined space and to get an up close view of them eating, flying and resting.  My kids think it is a victory to have one land on them. Just outside the pavilion, there are a few crafts and activities for younger kids to enjoy.

If you’ve been considering a trip to the Desert Botanical Garden, now’s the time while the flowers are blooming and before the weather gets too warm.

Want more exciting Arizona destinations?  Try these:

The Phoenix Zoo (It’s right next door.)

Superstition Mountain Museum

Arizona Science Center