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Planning Your Family Staycation


Does your family enjoy a fun and exciting summer vacation but the budget is tight? Are you tired of going away on a week-long trip only to come home needing a vacation from your vacation? Does the thought of crowds at the airport or gas prices make you want to just stay home? Well, you can home and still have a great vacation by having a family staycation!

Planning Your Family Staycation is full of ideas for turning your home into a place you'll want to vacation in, suggestions for activities that your kids will love and tons of tips that will make your family want to staycation again and again.

About the Author: Denise D. Witmer is a recognized writer of parenting and family books and websites including her book, The Everything Parent's Guide to Raising a Successful Child and creating About.com’s Parenting Teens site and publishing its articles and resources since 1997. Her site and advice has been featured in US News and World Report, Better Homes and Garden’s Raising Teens Magazine and USA Today online.

Ms. Witmer has been a ‘professional parent’ at a Childrens' Home in Pennsylvania from 1988 to 2006. Throughout that time, she has taken many group and family vacations and successfully put together countless staycation activities and day trips. She was very active in child and teen development and helped create their independent living programs. She is trained in PET (Parent Effectiveness Training), STEP (Support and Training for Exceptional Parents) and is the mother of three children. She also completed graduate courses at Penn State University for child and social psychology.







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DIY For Spring Gardeners

A helpful yet simple DIY for spring gardeners!


Posted by: A Journey To A Dream

Every year my hubby and I use few of these in the spring, we use them to water our seed trays, just-up seedlings and house plants. They are so easy to fill, carry and pour, they don't leak or drip back down the spout like watering cans! The other handy thing about them is that you can make one with a super fine/gentle spray by using a small needle and one with a more substantial flow by using a bigger needle. I need one for my house plants so I'll be using a bigger needle for this DIY.

DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
Gather what you'll need, I recommend using lighter because you need to
reheat the needle every second time.

DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
The needle I chose

DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
Heat the very end for a few seconds


DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
Pierce the milk bottle lid, being careful not to get your fingers in the way! Reheat and repeat, remember
you can always add more holes after if there isn't enough water coming out.

You might look at your needle when your done and be cursing me but its OK just heat the needle again and wipe it on some card or paper a few times and it'll be back shiny and clean!

DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
This is what mine looked like when I was done

DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
No drips!


DIY for up-cycled watering can from 'a journey to a dream'
Perfect for small house plants :)
We keep a 3ltr one in the greenhouse with a finer spray and this one in the kitchen, they last forever and when the bottle does get a bit old, just swap the lid to a new one! We go through so much milk in our house, I love it when we can re-use the bottles ourselves instead of sending them away to be recycled.

Happy spring gardening :)

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Staying Healthy While You're On Vacation







Don’t Let Your Travel Unravel Your Healthy Lifestyle!
Are you planning to travel for the holidays this year? Whether it is by plane, train, car or bus, you can eat healthy on the go. The best way to succeed in eating right over the holidays is to think and plan ahead and don’t wait until you are stuck in an airport terminal or a rest stop filled with drive-thru’s to begin thinking of how to re-fuel your body.
Here are some tips for the airport:
Food is allowed through security, so take advantage of it! Don’t just pack your toothbrush and favorite shoes this year; pack your layover snacks too. Just be sure to stick it in your carry-on, not your checks luggage, so that you can carry it on the plane with you.
Bottled liquids are not allowed through security; however, empty water bottles are, and you can re-fill is at the water fountain by your gate. Staying hydrated is also important when flying because the re-circulated air in the planes is very drying to the body.
Be sure to give yourself enough time in the morning to get to the airport so that you are not rushing out the door without breakfast or you may be tempted to grab a large coffee and sugary-sweet Danish to satisfy your grumbling tummy.
What you can pack:
  • fresh fruit: apple, banana, Clementine
  • low-fat cheese stick or squares
  • homemade chex mix: dry chex cereal, almonds and raisins
  • popcorn: air popped and sealed in a baggie
If you are traveling by car, do not resort to feeding the family from a drive through just because it is convenient while you are driving, plan ahead and pack a cooler for the car. Place some frozen ice packs in the cooler and hit the road!
Things to include in your cooler
  • water bottles, at least 1 per person, to be re filled at rest stops
  • veggies, like baby carrots, celery and peppers with a ranch yogurt dip or hummus
  • fresh grapes or berries
  • low fat jerky
  • mozzarella cheese sticks and whole wheat crackers
  • hard boiled eggs
  • rolled up deli meat, like turkey