Author Archives: Jeff Bogle

Family Fun Week in Review

An exciting week in the Families.com Family Fun Blog has come to an end. This past week we welcomed back Jeff Bogle. He is back from a short hiatus and is eager to provide fun ideas for you and your family as we usher in autumn and eventually wintertime. With Jeff back in the fold and with Lauri continuing to offer her own amazing tips and ideas, the Fun Blog will be busting at the seams over the coming weeks and months! Here’s a quick recap of the fun had during the prior week. Jeff returned with a very cool … Continue reading →

The Writing on the Walls

We are in the midst of a massive remodel job in what was once our breezeway (which doubled as an orange playroom) and garage (which housed mostly junk – not a car). When complete it will be one big area, housing a beautiful new playroom and a den, separated by a half wall, complete with a twelve-foot ceiling and a ton of windows letting the natural light flood the room. The nights leading up to the scheduled demolition of the old rooms we all grabbed markers, crayons and pencils and went out to have some fun in our underwear. We … Continue reading →

Daytime Playoff Baseball

What a wonderful time of year. There is a chill in the air, the colors in the trees are as varied as your toddler’s moods and there is baseball being played under the still warm afternoon sun. Major League Baseball games, once played primarily during the day, have long since abandoned their core daytime audience – kids – and now schedule 95% of all games during the evening. Sure, the primetime slots maximize ad revenue but those late games have done more to hurt the sport then most folks realize – as most of today’s youth would name another sport … Continue reading →

Bunny Scissors and Catalog Shopping

Hi there, it sure has been a while. I am back from a short hiatus to bring you more fun ideas for your whole family. My toddler is growing by leaps and bounds, now a touch older than 3 1/2, and one of her summertime accomplishments was learning how to use scissors – properly and safely. While in France last year I bought her the cutest pair of kiddie scissors with a bunny holster that, with the help of a magnet, sticks to the refrigerator. They wound up being a stocking stuffer last Christmas, but she did not start using … Continue reading →

Dad’s Losing It: The Small Stuff

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Whoever said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” was out of their mind. In life, it’s the small stuff that makes a good day great and a great day remarkable. In my experience, it is the little things in life that makes that life worth living, after all life is really just a big collection of tiny moments, glances, statements and memories – all of which are smaller parts of the collection body of work we call a life well lived. As in life as a whole, the little decisions and challenges matter greatly in the course of a weight loss … Continue reading →

Dad’s Losing It: Best Week Ever!

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This has been the best week for me! I finally, after months away, found my way back to the gym. On three consecutive afternoons, from Wednesday to Friday, I worked out for a full hour. I walked briskly and slightly uphill for about half of that time on the treadmill and then spent the remaining time using individual resistance machines for my abs, arms, thighs, legs and other long-neglected muscles. Needless to say, I feel extremely tired. I have not quite arrived at the point where a workout gives off energy but I feel great about myself and hope that … Continue reading →

Walk a Mile in Their Little Shoes

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For most youngsters, and in all likelihood a fair number of adults, taking a walk may not be the most pleasing of activities. A proclamation such as “Hey kids, forgo those cartoons this morning and lets go for a walk in the park!” made after breakfast on a Saturday is not usually met with a enthusiastic response nor is the suggestion to put away the Nintendo DS after dinner for a stroll around the neighborhood. But as my family’s recent 2 ½ hour saunter along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia proves – a walk can indeed be a fun time … Continue reading →

Five Cool Ways to Beat the Heat!

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Boy-o-boy is it hot here on the East Coast and I see that the rest of the country is also baking under the summer sun. Oppressive heat is just no fun at all for families, as being outside for long stretches becomes increasing difficult and kids wear themselves out more easily so extended sightseeing or playtime itineraries are nearly impossible to manage. It is important then to find fun things to do with your kids while staying cool. Here are five tips for having fun beating the summer heat as a family. Play in a sprinkler. Sprinklers are cheap, easy … Continue reading →

Dad’s Losing It: The Start of Something

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Finally! After weeks of incomplete shopping trips, take-out meals and cereal dinners we finally found the time on a weekend to menu-plan and execute a well thought out and near-perfect shopping list. Last night I made bone-in pork chops with a baked potato and applesauce. It was terrific. Tonight was crumbled sweet Italian sausage with red sauce (a can of diced tomatoes with a spoon full of tomato paste in with the sausage once cooked) over penne pasta and a salad (Yes, something green!) The great start to the week feels wonderful, even if it has been two months since … Continue reading →

Sequence for Kids – Game Review

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I bring absolutely no knowledge of Sequence to the (game) table. I have heard of, but had never played, the standard edition of the well-known board game and until it was given to my daughter as a 3rd birthday present I had no idea there existed a Junior or “Kids” version. Despite the box entering our home nearly four months ago (my girl turned three in early March) we have just recently started to play Sequence for Kids. I am already at the point where I am requesting that we play Sequence for Kids – I love this game that … Continue reading →