Free Easter Coloring Pages


Just in time for Easter I have three free coloring pages for your kids! Print as many of these as you like; there is an easy Easter Egg page for little ones, an Easter basket coloring page for elementary ages and a pattern egg page for older kids. But, really all 3 would work for any age!



Share these with a friend, or pin them for later.

These free coloring pages would be great for keeping the kids busy on the rainy days before Easter, or to keep them occupied at the table before Easter dinner.

If your kids color any of these pages, I would love to have you snap a pic and share their artwork with me on facebook. Rolf and Harp will color a dozen of these each in anticipation of coloring easter eggs!










Explore the Flavors of the Land Down Under


As the kids get a little older, they are more adventurous. They can handle road trips like semi-professionals. Both love to watch travel videos and learn about new areas. More than once they have hinted that they want to take a big trip in the near future.

Australia is on our travel bucket list.The wildlife, the bush, and the coastal views make it an obvious choice for a destination,but what really appeals to my adventurous kids is the food!



Australian cuisine is more than just sausages and meaty pies. A wide assortment of fruits and vegetables are grown in the land down under, making it a total foodies destination.

Did you know that granny smith apples were first grown in Australia? But that isn't all. You can find well known fruits like plums in the land down under, but also bush fruit like quandong, which is a native peach and muntries,which are a native cranberries.

Exploring native versions of fruit we already know makes it a exciting culinary adventure for the entire family, but we want more than fruit. We want to try all of the native foods!

Australia has many unique meats that we wouldn't be able to try as easily. Emu, kangaroo and crocodile meat are available for consumption, while they are not common, you can expect to find kangaroo in sausages. Lamb is a popular meat in the land down under, as are many varieties of seafood. By all accounts, Australia is a land of culinary delights.

Traveling with the kids to Australia would be an unforgettable adventure. There are so many things to see, do and taste that it could be easy to exhaust the family while immersing them in the culture. As a seasoned traveler, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to keep everyone happy.

First, I always recommend finding a private tour guide. This gives you a chance to gather info, check out hotspots and avoid crowds and lines. The price of private destination tours is often more affordable than taking a tour with a group of strangers, and it gives you a chance to talk one on one with your guide to learn all of the history and mystery of the area.

My second tip is have dinner prepared for you, instead of heading out to a restaurant. Having the chef come to you is the best way to learn about what you are eating, and see the meal being prepared right in front of your eyes. While having dinner in on an international trip might seem like an additional expense, it is one that is well worth it. Being able to relax and stay in for an evening gives the family a chance to recharge their batteries for further adventures. Your personal chef will entertain your with delicious food, rich stories and leave you hungry for more. Lucky for you, the chef is likely to share recipes with you so you can bring the flavor of Australia to your friends at a later date.

If you have traveled to Australia, I would love to hear about your culinary adventures in the land down under in a comment.




7 Helpful Hacks That Speed Up Cleaning Your Car

Whose car remains in pristine condition day in and out with the kids and pets? Cleaning your car is probably not something you enjoy regularly doing. While you can’t and shouldn’t skip car maintenance, viable shortcuts make this task less tedious and time-consuming.

Go over these hacks, some of which take a break from the traditional methods but still provide the same results: a clean, fresh-smelling car. Applying these tricks may save you from deep-cleaning your vehicle or at least give you a good head start if it comes to that.


Depreciation Is Real

Your brand-new car depreciates the moment it leaves the premises of the dealership. There are other factors involved in depreciation that can vary by car model. One way to combat this car-value killer is to keep your car well-maintained, according to the AAA.



And the preliminaries to your cleaning project include giving your car a good bath using the appropriate soap to protect its finish. Once you are done with the exterior, work on the inside of the car with the dashboard, vents, and pockets as the starting point. Then vacuum all that’s collected on the carpet.

Additional tricks are here.

Keep Your Seats Covered and Clean

Car seats are a magnet to dust, oil, sweat, grime, dirt, human hair, animal fur, and dirty feet. Seat covers are thus created to be the first line of defense from these invaders. To clean these seat covers, vacuum, spray the appropriate conditioner or cleaner to the fabric, wipe, and dry. Find a NYC Cleaning Service that can handle your car care as well as your home.

Clear Your Glass Surfaces

What’s a quick way to clean your windshield, windows, and mirrors and lose the streaks? Scrub these glass surfaces with a magic eraser or a similar product made of melamine foam and the cleaner of your choice. This process applies to the glass’s interior and exterior. You can also use a sealant on your windshield to keep water from seeping through the gaps.

Spray, Don’t Scratch, Bug Residues

Bug stains, splatters, and residues are not a sight to see on your car’s body. Don’t scratch the surface, or you’ll damage your car paint. Instead, get your can of canola oil or other types of cooking spray, and apply it to the affected area. Then wipe the area with a microfiber cloth. To finish it off, wash the area with soap and water.

A Trash Can Does It

Always have a trash can with a recycled or old plastic bag. You can dispose of the garbage easily and immediately. Keep your portable garbage bin small so you can empty it as soon as it fills. Don’t wait for clutter to invade your car space and make it harder for you to clean your car next time.

Wet Wipes Are Handy


Wet wipes are your ally from spills, sticky hands from Cheetos, drips from grease and pizza sauce, or dirty surfaces. These wipes are only for those little accidents or quick cleanups. Food can stain your carpet, so you need to act fast and come up with long-term solutions.
Invest in Heavy-Duty Mats

Food stains, as mentioned earlier, are your carpet’s foes alongside mud, sand, water, and snow. You can routinely remove your mats and clean them. Better yet, buy floor mat liners that are custom-fitted so they don’t move around and can contain those messes from getting through your car floor. WeatherTech nonslip floor mats, for example, have rubber surfaces that are easy to clean with a hose or a soak in the tub.

Freshen Up the Air

Car fresheners can serve a dual purpose: to neutralize the smell and to calm your mind and body. Take your pick from various aromatherapy pouches, sprays, and fresheners that you can make at home. You can also buy them directly from sellers of essential oil and natural plant dehumidifiers. These tricks combine painless, quick, DIY, and tried-and-tested commercial products.

What’s the best car cleaning hack you’ve discovered? Come clean in the comments section.

Ladybug Craft

Paper, glue and a few fun craft eyes come together to create a cute ladybug craft your older kids will LOVE to make!




Partner, sponsored or affiliate links may be included!

I made these with Rolf, who is 8. We quickly discovered that a hot glue gun is a necessity for creating these!  

Otherwise, the supplies are quite common, making these perfect for a quick afternoon craft, or a way to make something worth bugging out over on a day that is maybe rainy, or too hot to get out and play! 

Supplies
Directions

  • Cut a circle in the size of your choice from the red paper.  With the leftover paper, cut 4 strips that are about 1" longer than the circle you just made. This will be your body.
  • Fold all of the ends of red strips over, then begin gluing them on the red circle. Glue the "tabs" you just created by folding ends. As you can see, I started with one strip going across the circle, then I continued until the strips had formed a shell.
  • Cut an oval-ish shape from the black paper, glue this under the shell you just made to form the head.
  • Add 2 craft eyes to the head.
  • With a marker, carefully add black dots.
  • Allow to dry, and you have a fun 3D Ladybug!






3d Paper Ladybug

You might also love this other fun 3D Ladybug that we made a while ago!
If you are looking for even more buggy fun, we made ladybug valentine cards . Don't forget about our B is for Butterfly craft and coloring page too!

These Are The 3 Best Beaches In Florida

If good weather is top of your list of priorities when you’re planning your next trip, Florida is one of the
best places to go. After all, it is called the sunshine state. This beautiful state is probably best known
for the theme parks in Orlando but people also head there for the great beaches. You could always fly
out to somewhere like the Caribbean to find a beautiful beach but there’s no need to spend that much
when you’ve got plenty of amazing beaches in Florida. If you’re planning a trip out there soon, these
are some of the best beaches to visit.




Miami


Miami is one of the most iconic beach destinations on the planet and tourists flood the place all year
round. It’s a favourite destination for party-goers who want to visit the many clubs and bars in the area.
But if you’re not looking for a party experience, you shouldn’t write off Miami just yet because it’s got so
much more to offer. There are some great yacht Miami rental companies who will hire you a boat so
you can take to the waters and relax in the sun. It’s the best way to experience this beautiful coastline.
There is also a great food scene in Miami with plenty of seafood restaurants serving delicious local
seafood as well as great food stalls offering cheap eats. If you want to avoid the party areas, steer
clear of South Beach and head for some of the smaller beaches.


Grayton Beach


If Miami Beach is a bit too loud for you and you want a peaceful beach getaway, Grayton Beach is ideal.
It doesn’t attract anywhere near as many tourists and it’s mainly filled with locals. If you’re looking for
an all natural beach that hasn’t been spoiled by tourism, this mile long strip of shoreline is the best place
to go. You’ll have plenty of beach space to yourself and if you’re a nature lover, there are lots of great
hiking trails that are good for bird watching. The food options aren’t anywhere near as extensive as
they are in Miami but you can still grab a burger and some seafood, just be aware that it’s cash only.


St. Andrews Beach


Grayton Beach is fine for a quiet, relaxing getaway, but there isn’t much to do there for kids. If you’re
taking a family trip, you’d be better suited to St. Andrews beach. There is a small tidal basin where
the waters are calm, which is ideal for swimming with the kids. There are also 50 artificial reefs where
you can go diving and there are plenty of places to rent paddleboards and kayaks to take out on the
water. It’s not as quiet and peaceful as some of the other beaches but it has plenty of things to keep
everybody entertained. Do keep in mind that it’s a popular spring break destination so it’s best to avoid
it between March and April.

These are just 3 of the amazing beaches that Florida has to offer, but if you look around, you’ll be able
to find somewhere that suits your needs.