Autumn

October draws me in like a bonfire flickering on a cool Autumn night. It wraps me up in a over sized sweater, whispering promises and hope into my ear. October, my favorite of all the months, has arrived once again.

September seemed to come and go quicker than I could fill out emergency card paperwork. The girls started school one week earlier than usual this year. Each new school year brings sadness for me that another summer is gone but a slight flutter of happiness for a steadier pace to my days. My youngest daughter Evangeline, who is the sweetest soul, accompanies my days with plans of grocery shopping, browsing library aisles, and baking some new sweet treat for when school lets out.

Eva happened to fall while playing outside with her sisters a few weeks ago and fractured her tibia. I have never seen a tiny girl as happy as she was getting her leg fixed by the doctor. She has a cast now and is eager to fill it with all her favorite people's signatures. No crutches were small enough to accommodate her size so we are either carrying her around or she crawls. It is cumbersome but she seems to not mind it too much.

I am also still purging my home of things to create more order and peace. With a large family comes much clutter. I try my best to manage it and keep it at a minimum. With the holidays approaching, I have been scheduling Purple Heart pickups for donations at least once a month. It is a great way to motivate myself into creating another group of items to go. By clearing unused or unwanted items from my home, I am content knowing someone is getting much needed use from them elsewhere.

As for this space, I want to return and write and share more. Distractions and stress seem to pull me away from focusing here. Sometimes just everyday life gets in the way. At the end of a long day when quiet seeps in and I can finally hear only my own voice, the only thing I can think about doing is climbing into bed under a pile of blankets and sleeping for as long as the alarm will allow me. I hope to spend a bit more time listening to that voice, though. October may just be the perfect time to start.

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
~L.M Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

#VisitBucksCounty

Hello everyone! Need a fun, frugal day trip idea for the weekend? If you live in the Bucks County area, consider doing this scavenger hunt. Last weekend, our family went to all the locations to find the answers to each of the clue questions. It was a blast! 

We discovered so many new playgrounds and community parks we never knew existed!

You can pick up a scavenger hunt sheet at the Bucks County Visitor Center or download it online. On top of all the exploring you will be enjoying, there is a chance to win some great prizes as well! Besides the scavenger hunt submissions, you can document all your #BucksCountyMoments on Instagram or Twitter. 

Go see our #BucksCountyMoments on my Instagram feed!

Here is a list of all the places we visited: 

1. Warwick Community Park
2. Northampton Municipal Park
3. Middletown Community Park
4. Lookout Park in Upper Makefield 
5. Warminster Community Park
6. Bensalem Central Park
7. Lenape Park in Perkasie Borough
8. Laurel Park in Solebury Township
9. Churchville Nature Center
10. Veterans Park in Newtown
11. Visitor Center in Bensalem
12. Visitor Center in New Hope

This was a wonderful trip! It took a little bit of planning (Thanks, Dad!) to see what was the best route to travel so we would not have to back track. 

Many of the places we visited also had restrooms, picnic areas, fields to run through, and playgrounds. Our girls looked forward to each new destination. They were involved in finding the answers to the clues and knew they had a new playground to explore! 

It was one of our "best days ever"!

Happy Exploring!

Summer Has Arrived!

Today is the last day of school for our girls! They are looking forward to nine weeks of fun-filled, sunny days with family and friends. I will be hanging up our 100 Things to Do Summer List by tonight. We are having a little Kindergarten graduation party for the twins this weekend. Three family birthdays in July including Mike and my two sisters. A big Fourth of July "family fair" celebration at my parents' home. A trip to Hershey Park with a possible stay at the Hershey cabin campgrounds.

Bonfires, swimming, barbeque parties, s'mores, catching lightning bugs and butterflies, sleepovers and late night movies. 

We are ready for you, Summer! 

Here are a few photos (courtesy of my sister @ Tessa Downs Photography) from our annual Fathers Day trip to Ocean City: 

 

Living Screen Free

Last week was Screen-Free Week, an “international celebration where children, families, schools, and communities spend seven days turning OFF digital entertainment and turning ON life!”

We decided as a family to participate this year. There were a few exceptions. Mike was allowed “work-related” time on the computer, email, etc. I allowed myself one hour after the girls’ bedtime to check in on emails, pay bills, blog, etc. The girls were also allowed one hour of TV a night watching a show that Mike and I chose.

The results of the week were pleasant and better than I expected! 

Without the distractions and noise of televisions, computer games and phone notifications, we were able to tune into each other as a family. Our girls interacted with each other more. They asked to go outside and ride their bikes almost every night. They sat at the table together and drew pictures; read alone or to their younger sisters. They also spent more time telling me stories about themselves or their day because I was available to listen and give them my full attention. I was so proud of them for not complaining and focusing on making sure we all adhered to the rules!

My phone stayed off but I did take it with me if I went out shopping or to the library. There was no morning news, no checking Facebook in bed before I woke up the girls, no Nickelodean shows for Evangeline to watch during the day. It was quiet and peaceful. 

I wrote to-do lists and actually completed them. I finished reading Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto and started a new book. I took Eva shopping during the day. We ate lunch on the deck and talked. She would ask me, "What are we going to do next?" I enjoyed this week! I felt focused and in tune with the home and our family.

The house was more organized and at the end of each weekday we were ready to have five kids come piling in from school with book bags, lunch boxes, homework, and projects. I felt much less stressed. After spending my hour on the computer after the girls went to bed, I was in bed myself by 10 PM and asleep before 11. 

It was an ideal week! I was better rested, relaxed and found that "time" I am always complaining about not having. Without the distractions, we all became more creative to find alternative entertainment.

Unfortunately, Mike did not comply and snuck in unnecessary phone and television time. The girls did notice him breaking the rules and would yell, “Hey, Dad is watching TV upstairs!”

I wish that he had tried better to stay true to Screen-Free Week. It is an eye-opening experiment to see how dependent one really is on the devices in their life. Digital devices can become a bad habit and a time waster. 

Technology is awesome, however. It is a wonderful thing to have instant information at your fingertips. I love it, actually! The problem is when it reduces the quality of the life you are living. Life does not have to be so urgent! Almost everything can wait. We should all slow down a bit.

I want my girls to remember me making a batch of play dough for them on a Saturday morning, playing baseball in the park together,  or watching old episodes of Boy Meets World and telling them how great this show was “back in the day”.

I do not want them to think about how frustrated they got when Mom or Dad would say, "Give me a minute." or "Just let me finish this." 

They will never be as young and impressionable as they today. I want to listen to every little story, each giggle, their thoughts and even their complaints. I do not want to miss out. 

Life is here for all of us to participate in right now... everyday. There is no better time than right now to start being more mindful of digital screen time. 

Your heart and soul just may thank you for it. 

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.
If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

More articles on being mindful of digital screen-time: 

• Read about how we did last year during Screen-Free Week. 

• 7 Important Reasons to Unplug and Find Space @ becomingminimalist. 

• Brain Benefits of Screen Liberation @ Psychology Today.

• Put Down The Phone, Parents; It Could Be Affecting Your Kids @ CBSMinnesota

• 5 Great Reasons to Not Watch Much TV @ Art of Simple.

ScoreBig Tickets This Weekend!

*Disclaimer: The following post is sponsored by ScoreBig.com. I was given promotional tickets in compensation for a review of the site and my experience. I am the sole owner of this post and all opinions are my own. Thank you! 



Hello! Hope your week has been sunny! I have FOUR more days of our “Screen-Free Week” and I can not wait to tell you about our adventures on Monday.  

First, let me tell you about this great new site, ScoreBig.com. You may find a great deal on tickets to a local event in your area this weekend and have some “screen-free” fun of your own!

Here are some quick details about ScoreBig.com
●    You are guaranteed to save on each and every ticket on ScoreBig.com
●    Tickets for sports, concerts, theater, Broadway, family shows, and attractions
●    No fees - ­ free delivery
●    Choose Your Seating Area - ­ all seats ordered together will be next to each other
●    Tell us what you want to pay - ­ you have all the control, it’s thrilling!
●    Get an instant answer ­- you find out right away if your offer has been accepted 

This site is super easy to use and navigate. There is a search right at the top to get you started. Simply enter your location or search for a specific event! 
 

I decided to search for an upcoming Phillies Game to surprise my husband with a few tickets. He is a hardworking, sport-loving man and super Dad to his girls. He deserved a little R&R at a game. I found tickets for a Saturday game and decided to “Make an offer” on four tickets.

I choose 3-star seating which was priced at $41.70. The “full price” estimate is for other sites that charge ticket price PLUS fees and delivery charges. I checked the official Philadelphia Phillies website for ticket prices and this indeed was a fair estimate.

I made an offer of “33.00” and was turned down. A counter offer was made by ScoreBig.com of “37.00”. Since this price was less than the “full price” and $1 less for each ticket than actual season ticket prices for the section I chose,  I accepted. 

The checkout process went smoothly and confirmation emails were immediate. I got another email shortly after telling me that my tickets would be shipped FREE and I also received delivery tracking. Perfect!

The tickets arrived only two days later and Mike and the girls were ready for fun! With beautiful weather and lots of snacks, they were sure to have a wonderful time that night watching the Phillies!

Mike had no complaints about the seating. He said they had a fantastic view! Here are a few Instagram shots he took at the game:

 

 

The girls all came home tired but happy. Each one told me they had an awesome fun time at the game with their Dad! To make the night even more special, the Phillies won the game 7-2!

Go join ScoreBig.com for FREE and start saving on tickets to sports, concert or theater events in your area. You just may find a great deal on tickets to an amazing time this weekend! 



Check out even more about ScoreBig.com on their social media sites: 

https://www.facebook.com/scorebig
https://twitter .com/scorebig
http://blog.scorebig.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scorebig/