3 Ways To Manage Your Family's Stress During The Holidays

The holiday season is around the corner, and for many of us, the holidays can bring an increased sense of family responsibility and stress. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when advertisements sing about the joys of the season while we're struggling to budget for gifts, food, and travel.
To help you avoid turning to unhealthy stress management behaviors like overindulging in sugar cookies, here are a few ways you can manage holiday stress as a family this year.

Don't try to please everyone

According to Dr. Susan Newman, a social psychology professor at Rutgers University, one of the biggest causes of stress during the holiday season is having unrealistic expectations.
Some parents want to be sure their children get everything they want so there will be no tears," said Newman. "This is an unrealistic goal. Parents, especially with younger kids get lost in the hype."
Manage your expectations and don't try to please everyone. You can't keep everyone happy all the time. Remember that your kids will enjoy and remember the little things like playing hide and seek with their cousins or board games with you.

Toddler Life

Little ones have so much going on in their little bodies and minds. They are still mastering their body, discovering new emotions, feelings and trying to express themselves. Sometimes this comes out in repetitive words like No or Why? No can sometimes even mean Yes. Sometimes when frustrated or overwhelmed they express themselves through a good cry or tantrum. Have patience with with your little one as he/she explores new feelings, boundaries and emotions. Do your best to not personalize your toddlers behavior. Stay present with your own emotions as you guide your little one through experiencing and learning about theirs. 😉🌀🌞 ~ Carol and Stacy 🦋

3 Ways To Make Your Home A Better Place To Grow Up

Guest Post by Devin Conde

Trendy decor ideas and home designs may look nice, but for many parents, these Pinterest goals may not be very functional or even comfortable for their kids. When it comes to creating a holistic home design your entire family can love, you want to make things as cozy and fun to live in as possible.
That said, here are a few ways you can make your home not only a more relaxing place to be but also a great place for your kids to grow up.

Let the light in

It's no secret that big windows with lots of sunlight are things that renters and homeowners crave. In fact, about 45% of homes sold in Maui in 2016 were bought by out-of-state home buyers.
Moving to Hawaii may be out of your price range, but the good news is that you can still let the sun shine in your home. Consider using sheer curtains or roller shades to give your family privacy without shutting out the natural sunlight.
Hanging string lights or globe lights can also make your home feel extra cozy and magical once the sun goes down.

My Five Newest Items For Health And Wellness

1. Bone Broth - I recently became a huge fan of bone broth while doing research on what could help my husband with managing his M.S. and increasing his over all nutrition. We've tried several and even made some ourselves. I personally haven't been the biggest fan of bone broth until I discovered these two brands. LanoLife grass fed broth and Beyond Broth! I love that they both come in handy pouches that can easily be added to hot water. Perfect for on the go or to take on a trip. Beyond Broth is an Organic Vegan broth and super delicious!



2. Cold Pressed Vitamin D Capsules - Living in the Northwest we don't get nearly the amount of sun required to maintain healthy Vitamin D levels so we must eat a balanced diet and supplement. Not all supplements are created equal. I particularly like that these vitamin E capsules are made with coconut oil, are non GMO and gluten free.

Creative Expression While Being A Parent

In our parenting book 10 Ways To Parent Consciously we touch on many aspects of parenting including creative expression.

Don't lose yourself during the parenting process.

It's important to still feed your soul along with feeding your child's soul.

Continue to express yourself through crafts, sports, reading, music or exercise.

Whatever your hobbies are, don't put them on hold for eighteen years.

Incorporate them into your parenting life. Take time to hang out with your friends.

The girl with waterfall eyes children's book review

A Fantasy Children's Book About Pure Love!

Sometimes we hit bumps in the road but the earth keeps spinning, the universe keeps changing, tomorrow comes and we find our balance again.

There is a beautiful, healthy, emotional activity at the end of the book called Kaleidoscope Eyes that Andrew Newman does so eloquently, as he has with his entire conscious stories series.

We highly recommend this activity with your child to show them how to discover how to grow connection within themselves and others.

More Than Just Sniffles: Is Your Home Making Your Kids Sick?

The kids are back to school, the leaves are changing color, and the temperatures are slowly dropping. That can only mean one thing: it's officially flu season. But it may not be the flu virus that's making your kids sniffle and sneeze around the house.

In fact, there are many triggers around the average home that can bring on allergies and asthma attacks. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to eliminate your child's wheezes and sneezes and ensure a healthy, comfortable environment inside your home this fall.

We Are Circle People Children's Book Review

We are circle people really shows a child the importance of being aware of tuning into the people and environment surrounding them. The ability to make the choice to stay true to their awakened self no matter what circle they walk in to. 😀

A marvelous demonstration on how sometimes in life we get to feeling disconnected and in comes an unexpected surprise that can make us feel reconnected again.

Teen Sails 15 Days In Emission Free Yacht To Speak At UN Climate Conference

Would you let your 16-year-old stay out past midnight by themselves? If not, then the tale of Greta Thunberg may give you extreme parenting anxiety. Of course, instead of staying out late with friends, Greta is trying to spark global action on climate change.

Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish girl, has become both a loved and despised face at the forefront of climate change activism. Last year, she began skipping school at age 15 to protest political inaction in the face of the global climate crisis. Her protest began gaining attention across Sweden and burgeoned into a worldwide movement dubbed Fridays for Future.

Across the United States, some 60% of people have some form of life insurance. Her point is that the earth doesn't have such a luxury, there is no backup, nor global insurance policy if the planet is effectively destroyed by unbridled resource consumption. Additionally, future generations face that same fate if global complacency and denial continue.

How To Teach Your Kids About Plastic Waste

Countless Marine Creatures Are Tangled Up in Plastic Every Day, So How Can You Help? By Getting The Whole Family Involved In The Effort.

The world has a major pollution problem, and much of it has to do with plastic waste. Between 2004 and 2014, global production of plastics grew from 225 million tons to 311 million tons. In fact, nearly half of all plastic ever manufactured was made since the year 2000. That isn't inherently bad news on its own, but when you consider that less than one-fifth of all plastic is recycled worldwide and 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into our planet's oceans each year, then the predicament starts to become clear. And as recent data shows, our marine life is paying the price.

You may have seen one of the heartwrenching, and graphic, videos of a helpless sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck deep inside its nose. Or, even worse, your kids may have seen one of these videos and become distraught. But while it's clear that something needs to be done, it's not always easy to figure out what that "something" should be.

Here's How to Encourage Your Kids to Stay Active This Summer

School's nearly out for the summer, a fact which understandably fills American children with joy. But many parents will react with a groan. With so much free time at their kids' fingertips, boredom will certainly ensue. It's not all about learning loss, either; although a certain amount of boredom can actually be healthy, too much can often lead to excessive social media use and general inactivity. Since your child's health and happiness are likely among your top priorities, you'll want to do everything you can to keep them active over the summer. Struggling to come up with ideas?

The ones below can lay the foundation for healthy habits and allow your kids to have an incredible and memorable vacation.

Green Traveling 101: How to Be More Sustainable on Your Next Family Trip

Traveling with the whole family is a great way to make fun memories that will last forever. With 95 percent of all Americans living within an hour's drive of a navigable body of water, there are plenty of vacation opportunities available. So whether it's to the 596 square miles of Oahu or just a few hours away from home, every family should try to travel at some point. But oftentimes, traveling can result in a lot of waste, which can be harmful to the environment. So if you're looking for easy ways to travel and be more eco-friendly, keep reading for some great tips.