Monthly Archives: October 2013

Sensible screen time for kids

Do you have a media strategy in place for your kids?

That’s what the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending, according to a recent USA Today article.

In our home, we’ve set rules for our kids, but the article has me thinking that we may need to make some adjustments and do a better job monitoring how well our kids are following those rules.

I was shocked at the statistics quoted from the AAP policy statement: children 8-10 years old spend almost 8 hours a day with various types of media, and that number rises to over 11 hours a day for older kids.

Those numbers seem high, and I guess it depends on how you define media use.  But it underscores the need for parents to be vigilant about how kids are spending their time and the types of influence media consumption has on their lives.

I’ll definitely be thinking through our family media use and whether there are areas that  need any changes.

Desperately seeking boots that are made for walking

I love wearing boots this time of year!  Although I’m always a bit sad to put away my summer sandals, it’s fun to pull out my boots when the days turn chilly.

Since I’m short, I typically buy boots with heels – I like to add some height!  I can’t walk in stilettos, so I don’t buy them too high, but every little bit helps.  Unfortunately, my pretty boots with their three-inch heels are not super comfortable.   They’re best worn when I’ll be doing a lot of sitting, and definitely not when I’ll be walking a lot.Boots

So I went on a mission to find boots that are more practical for everyday wear.  I looked through row after row of boots and was getting discouraged.  Then I decided to look at the clearance rack just for kicks.

I was so excited to find a beautiful pair of boots on clearance in my size!  The heels are about an inch so I gain a little height, but most importantly they seem comfortable.  I haven’t had a chance to wear them much yet, but I think these boots may be made for walking!

Have you found your perfect winter footwear?

DIY bronzed pumpkins

Fall vignetteI had some inexpensive little styrofoam pumpkins from Walmart (just 97¢ each) that were fine on their own, but I wanted to unify the look for a fall vignette.  I decided to try some metallic aged copper spray paint on them.

Before

Before

It was a fast and easy project. 

The paint dried quickly, so I could rotate the pumpkins and cover each side without much down time.  I learned to use light layers, as the paint ran a bit when I sprayed it on too thick.

I like how they turned out! 

I paired them with a Better Homes and Gardens plate from Walmart to fill in a corner that needed some fall cheer.