Take Your Family on a Treasure Hunt!

This weekend, here's a fun way to have some fun together as a family! Put together a on old-fashioned scavenger hunt for your kids, and go ahead and piratize it into a treasure hunt, matey, for added fun! You can set up clues anywhere, but this is a great opportunity to get your kids outside and enjoy a little bit of nature. 

Amanda Soule talks about a form of this in her book, The Creative Family (which I highly recommend!), specifically the activity of "questing." Here's what she says about it:

"Questing is an old tradition that is growing in popularity in the United States, and throughout the world. It combines elements of nature exploration, creativity, treasure hunting, community building, and place-based education. Following treasure maps, clues, and hints left by a network of other seekers, you travel through nature to find a hidden object. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to spend time together in their natural world, seeking and searching as a team. It provides not only a connection to the earth, but to a community of fellow seekers as well (page 123)."

  A Few Resources

• You can print out some cute treasure hunt clue cards from Family Fun Magazine!

• Melissa at The Inspired Room did a great treasure/scavenger hunt that's bound to give you some ideas!

• Check out Letterboxing.org for info on this "intriguing pastime" (letterboxing is synonomous with questing).
  

  **Also, MOMS, if you live in Orange County, you can go see and support Patricia Ann Designs this weekend (through Sunday) at the Junior League's annual Christmas Company event! It's a great place to look for Christmas decorations and gifts. 

"If you like 'jean parties', purse parties, shopping, food, amazing home decor, doggie luxuries, chic jewelry, stunning ceramics, children's clothes, toys, chic clothes for us, baby gifts, Christmas decorations, wine tasting, cookbooks, kitchen accessories, or just fun window shopping, there is so much to see and enjoy!  It's a super fun shopping extravaganza to get you in the Christmas spirit! Truly one stop shopping with affordable prices and so much selection!!!" ~ Shelley, from PAD

photo by annia316

As moms, so much of our daily lives are about our children. And that's okay! We love them, and taking care of them is a part of who we are, now that we've become mothers.

But periodically on The Lily Pad, I want to post something Just for Mom... these posts will take on various forms, be it an idea, a suggestion, a reminder, an encouragement, a story or something else. I just thought it'd be fun to focus on mom every now and then, amidst all the fun and cute baby/family/parenting/etc posts.

Today I want to encourage you to take back the morning, mom.

I know, I know, we're tired, we want to sleep... or maybe you're just. not. a. morning. person. I claim to be one (and I am, in comparison with my husband!), but I'm still tired, and I still often want to sleep in for just a few more minutes.

Take back the morning, mom...

Getting up just a little earlier-- I'd go with a half hour-- gives you just a smidge of "me time" that will refresh you and get you ready for when that little one (or the first one) wakes up. It's before she's up or never for me, when it comes to showering and really getting myself ready. And sleeping in until she starts stirring, makes me wake up regretting those extra few minutes of sleep. Darn it, I think to myself, I should have gotten up when my alarm went off! 

Take back the morning, mom...

 For me the best mornings are when I force myself out of bed, get myself somewhat ready for the day, make something hot to drink and just relax a little. I read my Bible, check a few emails, start a to-do list, and mentally prepare myself for those first wake-up noises coming through the baby monitor. That may not sound like too relaxing of a morning, but when my daughter is waking up and I know I've already started my day, that gives me a relaxing feeling.

Take back the morning, mom...

 I don't do this everyday, by any means. But at least a couple days a week, I make the choice to take back the morning, and it's totally worth it. I want to do it more often. I need to do it more often! Now, if only I could get to bed a little earlier, getting up a little early wouldn't be such a sacrifice!

Do you make it a habit to do certain things in the morning before the kids are awake?