Tag Archives: visiting

More Cool Places to Visit Santa

I took my preschooler to see Santa at the mall yesterday. It went about as well as our visit with the Easter Bunny. Needless to say our family Christmas card will not be featuring a smiling tot perched on Santa’s lap… again. It makes me wonder if I would have more success if we switched venues and caught up with the rotund red-suited gift giver at one of the following locales: NEW HAMPSHIRE Santa’s Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire is a must-visit destination if you are in New England during the holiday season. The outdoor theme park is a virtual … Continue reading →

When Kids Have Trouble Sleeping While Away from Home

Some of us are blessed with children who can sleep anywhere—they just snuggle down and manage to tune out the world and get some good rest whether they are at home or away. Many children, however, may sleep just fine in the comfort and routine of their own home, but find that spending the night at grandma’s or staying in a hotel or any other type of away-from-home sleeping is impossible. What can a parent do when a child has a hard time sleeping when not in his or her own bed? Some of us adults have a hard time … Continue reading →

Camping Out

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I just came home from an awesome Relief Society activity. We had a campfire right in the middle of the Primary room, told scary stories, and had an awesome time bonding. And we managed to host a visiting teaching seminar, as well. I’d like to pass on this great idea, courtesy of our President. First, the setting. We were originally planning to host the campout in the chapel, but we decided that the Primary room was more cozy – and it was. We built a campfire right in the middle of the floor. Not a real fire, of course (although … Continue reading →

Travels as a Single Parent

I’ve been gone since May 31st visiting my niece at Craig Hospital in Colorado, thus the lack of post, and my apologies for that. This is the first time I’ve actually “traveled” since I had my son. I’ve gone to visit friends a state away, and relatives a state or two away always driving there, but not actually traveling. Let me tell you, traveling, especially as a single parent, is not the same. It is not always easy, but it can be enjoyable. I went on two vacations before I had my son. Once to Los Angeles, CA., and once … Continue reading →

Single Parent Travels: Set Expectations

My son is usually a pretty well behaved child. Now I’m not saying that he doesn’t have his moments, because he does. He can get loud and obnoxious, or over excited and rambunctious, lippy and rude; however, that is not he norm. I can usually tell how he will behave on any given day by three things. First, how much sleep he got the night before; second, how he reacts when I wake him up; and third, how he behaves in the first 10 to 15 minutes. Due to the reasons for our travels, where we were going, the stress … Continue reading →

Make Your Guests Feel at Home

I’ve found that one of the best ways to make your guests feel at home is to put yourself in their shoes. How do you feel when you stay at someone else’s home? Are you relaxed, or is it sometimes awkward? In which homes do you feel the most relaxed? I know that even when I stay with close relatives or friends, I tend to feel a little awkward no matter how hard they try to make me feel comfortable. I presume that my guests feel the same way, so I try to make sure they don’t have to ask … Continue reading →

Making Guests Comfortable in Your Home

When you have guests staying in your home, you may be as uncomfortable as they are at first. In order to relax, and to help your guests relax, do whatever it takes to make them feel at home. With some people, it may be as easy as saying, “Make yourself at home.” With others, it takes more effort. Think about how you feel when you are visiting someone else’s home. It can be awkward to keep asking where things are located or to ask for help. Make sure your guests know where everything is and that they are welcome to … Continue reading →

Visiting Israel for the First Time

Growing up, I remember friends asking me about my family background; where did my ancestors come from and the countries. I remember my answer was, “I am Jewish.” My friends would always be confused as being Jewish was my religion, or so we thought. As I became older, I found I was not the only one who would answer this question this way and began realizing that the religion I was brought up in was Judaism but the ethnic and cultural background had a lot to do with being a practicing Jew. For Jewish people, besides the religion of Judaism, … Continue reading →