School Olympics 2018 Part 1

St. Joseph School had their  olympics on May 24th.  I always love this time of the year because the kids get to release all of their  energy and have fun with their friendly competition events.  They did  it a little different this year.  

Above is my daughter's class and below is my son's class.

They started with a parade around the school vicinity with a faux torch. I thought that was a nice touch as the kids never did that before in the previous administration. So seeing kids from each grade pass and carry the torch to the school was neat.

What I love about this year's  olympic was the fact that the  weather was  awesome.  It did not rain  and it wasn't cold.

They also divided the  upper and lower grades.  While the lower grades are competing with the different events  inside the gym.  The  bigger kids  get to have fun outside.  They set up a lot of  activities for them to do which is nice.

I do admit that I miss watching the little ones compete though..  We didn't get to watch their individual games because of the set up but still was fun.

It's funny how the kids are so serious with competing.  Our son was  stressing the other events that he wasn't sure how he's gonna  do.  We told him to just enjoy and not worry about winning or losing.  We said if he wins, it's great but if he lost, it's okay as long as  he had fun.  His  response is always "It's fun when you win" lol.  

This year's  olympic wads a a bitter sweet one for me because it is my daughter's last time participating/competing.  I mean they are still part of the olympics next year but they will no longer competing but merely facilitators as they will be  graduating already.  The 8th grade usually has the graduation before the olympics.

I can't believe that my little gartner  from years ago will now be in 8th grade  come next school year.  Ahhh time flies!

Jumping for joy is what they were doing in these photos.

There were a lot of games to play outside.  The parents get to catch up and the kids get to burn some calories running around and playing.

Glad they set it up this way.  My son get to  release some of his nerves out before  competing to the events.

I was also happy that my husband took a day off   to watch the kids.  Although he is always busy at work and  his boss always want him there at the office, he make sure to  be present for occasions like this.  I told him that  it means a lot to our kids.

I also  designated him to take some  photos with the other camera so it's a win win situation.

I thought this swimming pool noodle game is great.  We even tried playing it with our kids.

This big ball brought a lot of laughter to every kids that played with it.

As much as I would like to forget about school now that we are on summer break, we will have to get an appointment soon for  the registration which will be happening next month.  That will be another 5 grand to flush down the  school.

In a week, my daughter is  turning 13!  I will now be an official teenager Momma.  I think my daughter's teenage  character came out early, I notice that it is getting better and better each day.  Looking back at my teenage life, I don't think I have enjoyed it as a teenager.  I was tasked to take care of my younger siblings so I didn't really get to enjoy teenage life,  ha!  It was fine though, I learned a lot.

Gift Ideas for Father's Day

I always joke that I have three kids because my husband  is a big kid-at-heart.  He love playing with the kids and do a lot of fun stuff with them.  He is a hands-on Dad when it comes to our children.  Sometimes I think he spoils the kids but I guess that's not a bad thing as long as it doesn't get out of control, which will never happen on my watch lol.  Kidding aside, I always tell my kids how lucky they are to have such a great Dad and they couldn't agree more.

He is always looking for adventures for us to do.  He said that he only went for a vacation once when he was a kid so he wants to make sure that our children can experience what he didn't growing up.  I myself did not have that privilege because  we were very poor and  couldn't afford to go anywhere.  So we truly love  his sense of adventure because we get to go to places every year.  

This year, we will  be venturing into a long road trip to two states that we have never been to before.  I can't wait, me and the kids are super excited.

1.  Gun Concealment Bench  

This Father's Day, we wanted to get him something useful and fun.  I bought him this American Furniture Classics Entryway Gun Concealment Bench.  I have been wanting to get him a gun safe to store his  collection but could not find the right one that fits  our budget and style.  I thought the bench  is a great idea to conceal  the  guns.  His Dad gave him some of his  guns from  World War 2 era so he wants to protect them.  He wanted something that he can display it on but I thought concealing it is the best way.

2.  Fuego Box Condiments and Sauces

This Fuego box is  also a great gift idea for  Dads who love to cook in the kitchen.  Although in my part, I do all the cooking so this  is kind of my thing BUT, the food I will be preparing will be his so this counts.  This box contains different kinds of condiments and sauce.  It even has a spicy honey which I really liked!  I will  share the  dishes I will be making with these spicy but yummy selection from Yellowbird Serrano. 

3.  Home Cooked Meal

"The secret to man's heart is through his stomach", my Mom always told me that growing up because I never liked cooking. I told my Mom then that  it's a very shallow  reason but it turned out to be true.   Little did I know that  when I got married, I would start liking and eventually loving to cook.  I guess LOVE will do that to you (if there's such a thing).  Whenever I look back, I couldn't believe how I could cook now compared to  when I was single.  Anyway, this Father's Day, I ordered something From Home Chef that  I will be cooking  especially on Father's Day.  I cook most of our meals on a regular basis but for this special occasion, I want to prepare a special meal this Sunday.

You can share  some more  gift ideas for Father's Day through the comment section.  Thank you!

4 Easy Ways your Family can Save on Groceries

Groceries count for a large portion of the average family’s monthly budget. As a matter of fact, the average American spends as much as 33% of their income every month on groceries according to data from the USDA. However, a large portion of these costs could easily be lowered by making better purchasing decisions. Here are a few simple tips any family can apply to save on groceries.

Buy in Bulk

One of the best ways to cut on groceries is to buy in bulk. When you spot certain items on special, try to stock up on them as much as possible, as long as they’re non-perishable. You could also regularly check sites like Ecouponshub.Com and look for special offers. Cereals, cleaning supplies, dried goods, frozen fruit and vegetables and canned goods are all examples of things you could buy in bulk when you can.

But it doesn’t stop with non-perishable goods. If you have enough storage space, you can also freeze or even pickle or preserve a lot of perishable fruits and vegetables. Make jams out of seasonal fruit. Make delicious pickles out of vegetables like beets, zucchinis or cucumbers. Make fresh sauce out of tomatoes or can them. These are all methods that will allow you to stretch conservation time and allow you to buy fruits and vegetables in bulk without wasting them.

Buy Large Cuts of Meat

Meat is another area where you can apply the bulk effect. Supermarkets will charge you extra for special cuts of meats or meats that were processed. For instance, you’ll pay more if you buy ground meat then if you took primal cuts and grind the meat yourself.

Hubby and I went to Washington, PA and picked up the meat we bought from Nickoles Bros. Farm. The 🐄 was slaughtered at AJ Processing, out there in the middle of wide #farm lands. It was a bit of a drive but I enjoyed the scenery. I bet it’s more beautiful out here during the Fall. #FarmRaisedBeef #beef #cows #farmland #WashingtonPA #Pennsylvania #cattleRanch #farmlife🚜 #countryside

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Mar 5, 2018 at 11:58am PST

The same goes for cuts. Instead of buying chuck or flat iron steak, you could save if you buy the whole shoulder and portion it yourself. The less transformation that goes in, the less you’ll have to pay. And if you have a large chest freezer, you can easily stock up on meats when prices are cheap as well.

Go for Generic Brands

You’d be surprised at how similar generic brands can be compared to name brands. In some cases, they are completely identical. This is the case for most over the counter medicine such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Brand name cereals might not taste as good as the original ones, but if it’s for a toddler, then they most likely won’t tell the difference. When it comes to staples such as flour, sugar, salt or bleach for example, the difference will be barely noticeable, so you should always go generic.

Go to a Discount Produce Store

A lot of people are afraid to go to discount produce stores thinking that the produce will be of lesser quality, but that isn't always the truth. In some cases, discount produce stores sell fruits that have minor cosmetic imperfections or are near their expiration date. Most supermarkets are very strict as to which produce they will sell, so the quality of produce you’ll get will be just as good and you’ll barely be able to notice the difference.

These few simple tips should allow you to save a ton on your next grocery bill. Always try to find new ways to be more frugal and smart with your buying decisions and your wallet will thank you for it.

Crucial Tips To Help Kids Succeed At Gardening

Gardening can be a fun hobby, a way to save (and make) money, and an important life skill. It’s also an important way to interact with the natural world, especially considering more and more time is spent indoors interacting with technology. If you want to get your kids out enjoying and learning in the dirt, then these tips will help you out.

1.    Make It Fun

To get kids into the habit of gardening, you need to make it fun. Treat gardening almost like playtime and let them experiment with their little plots of dirt. Once they have been at it for a couple of weeks, then you can start teaching them more complicated and regimented gardening skills.

2.    Make Gardening Year Round

If you only undertake a gardening project for part of the year, then your kids may forget most of the skills learned once the season ends. It may also be difficult to motivate them to get back in the garden. Consider year-round planting to create a yearround-harvest.

3.    Build Confidence By Growing Herbs

Herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow and pretty hard to stuff up. They can also handle a variety of weather conditions. Therefore, it's recommended you chose some to start off with, such as basil and rosemary. You want to assure your kids’ first growing endeavors turn out successful so that they stick to it. For more advice on which plants are easy to grow, check out mygardeningnetwork.com.

4.    Make The Kids The Owners

You want your kids to feel in control of their own garden rather than merely playing a part in an adult’s garden. They should help create ideas for what should be in the garden, should play a big part in the construction, and should be responsible for ongoing maintenance. Don’t do all the work for them.

5.    Mix Long Term Projects With Instant Gratification

If your kids’ plant seeds and then have nothing much to see until they sprout, boredom can quickly set in. Give them something to do in the meantime, such as a sunflower to water. This will get them back in the garden every day and prevent them from losing interest.

6.    Take Kids Shopping And Let Them Pick Their Own Plants

A good way to create a bond between your kids and their garden is to let them pick their own plants or flowers. Similar to picking a pet, this will give them a lifeform that is theirs to look after. This will also help foster the feeling of ownership even more.

7.    No Yard, No Problem

If you don’t have a yard, then you can still grow. Many plants can grow in large pots placed on a veranda, porch, or windowsill. Plastic containers can also be used. You should still be able to grow plants such as tomatoes, greens, and herbs.

Final Thoughts

Gardening is a great past time that kids are likely to love once they are eased into it. Now is the time to assign some plots of lands and get the kids growing their own plant life. Just remember to make it fun for the children and slowly build up their gardening confidence.

Top Reasons Cats Are Great for Children

Companionship is the base of human health regardless of their age groups. Children to adults, young to old, humans always look out for companionship and acquaintance in their neighbourhood to keep their life happy and motivated. Children might always have different needs and want to entertain themselves. Some kids have the habit of changing their friends very often, as they don’t get well in all terms together. In such cases, more than human friends it is the cats that give the true companionship and compassion for growing children. In case, if you have not experienced to be around pets in your life, reading through this post will give you compelling reasons to immediately accommodate a pet at home. 

No More Cat Spraying

Those who don’t have pets at home always justify that pets are sometimes harmful and unhygienic. Cats might spray around the house which creates various health hazards for the family. If you are one of these kinds of person, believe that cat spraying no more completely is possible with basic and hygienic caring on them.

There are very effective remedies to stop cats spraying at home, and some exclusive pet spots can provide the best and instant solution for cats that spray around. If you find the spraying nature of cats to be your reason for getting them at home, you need not worry about it anymore.

Pet-Friendly Kids

Kids who grow along with cats and who love pets very much will have good morals in life and become responsible in nature. When kids get to take care of pets as they grow by, they get the maturity to take care of the surroundings along with their own belongings. Kids can learn to care for their pets by giving foods to them, filling up their water bowls and giving pet-friendly toys to play with them. Kids who grow with the pets from the early childhood become very expressive and thoughtful, as the pet environment teaches them to be so.

Teachings of Pets

Pets are really good at expressing themselves in one or the other way, so kids who grow up with pets also get the habit of expressing their thoughts and feelings easily. When a pet misses someone in the family, it can be easily understood by its behaviour, which is a great learning tool for children to be compassionate too.

They also learn to care and share at a very early age, regardless of having siblings or not. Pets make sure that the people around them and those who love them are not sad at all. Pets can best understand the moods of their family and can do anything to keep them cheerful.

Final Words

The family that has pets around always be more loving and considerate towards one another in the family and also in the society. Pets are a great companion for growing children, as pets spread love and bond to the entire family. However, ensure that the pets are always vaccinated and grown hygienic in the interest of the safety of your children.