Happy New Year to all of The Lily Pad Blog readers and our P.A.D. customers, friends and family!

Have you made any New Year's resolutions? The beginning of each new year feels wonderful... the cares and challenges of the past year are behind us and we can begin again with a clean slate. It's tempting to dream up a long list of promises about the plans we envision, the projects we will complete, or the pounds we will lose. But those resolutions seem to fade as the weeks and months go by.

Maybe we should rethink our resolutions, and make them less about plans, projects and pounds, and more about people... how we can love our children better... how can we serve our families with renewed commitment. So let's not measure our resolutions by the calendar, but by the clock. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day... being, and yet still becoming, the best moms we can be.

What are your hopes for your family in the coming year? You can record your family's hopes and goals for the coming year on iMom's Top 10 in 2010 list.

Visiting relatives during the Christmas holiday? If you're making a road trip, make plans now to keep the kids entertained along the way. If your vehicle is equipped with a DVD player, you might stock up on some family favorites before you leave. But if it isn't, or you want something a little more fun and interactive, we've got 10 great ideas on how you can pass the time on family road trips.

1.  The Alphabet Game. Pick a topic – animals, for instance – Start with A, and let each person in turn name an animal that begins with a letter of the alphabet. To make things more challenging, ask each person to recite all the animals that have been named so far, as they go along. When you reach Z, begin again with a different topic.

2. The License Plate Game. See how many different state license plates you can spot on your trip. Keep a list of your sightings or before your trip, print out a map of the U.S., and check off each state when you see a vehicle with that plate.

3. Picture it. Give each child an inexpensive disposable camera, and allow them to take photos of anything of interest they see along the way. After the trip, have the photos developed and let each child create their own homemade storybook about their travels.

4. Aluminum foil art. Take along a roll of aluminum foil and let your kids use it to craft their own creations. They might try making jewelry, animal sculptures, hats, cars… the possibilities are as endless as their imaginations!

5. Travel bingo and other games. Pick up a set of travel bingo boards at the local dollar store… the ones with the little red windows that slide across each square as the letters and numbers are called. Or look for other travel games with magnetic pieces that won't get lost.

6. Counting games. Assign each member of the family something specific to count along your route. Think cows, fire trucks, trains, police cars, horses, American flags, etc. Tally up each person's score at every rest stop to see who has the most points.

7. The Drawing Game. Pass around a piece of paper, and let everyone add one line until it forms a picture. When the picture is complete, let the kids color it in.

8. 20 Questions. In this classic game, Player 1 thinks of an object; then the other players, in turn, ask one question at a time to try and guess what it is. But the limit is 20 questions. If they haven't guessed by then, Player 1 wins!

9. Travel totes. This one takes a little advance planning, but it's worth it! Pick up an inexpensive tote bag for each child and fill it with books, crayons, coloring books, a note pad, their favorite portable snacks and treats, and a favorite toy. Each child having their own bag will eliminate back seat battles over whose turn it is to use the crayons next!

10. Roadside attractions and tacky tourist traps. Factor in a little fun along the road by stopping at one offbeat spot: a quirky souvenir stand; a local advertising oddity like a gigantic chicken statue, an unusual roadside museum, or maybe even a diner in the shape of a hot dog. Even a quick pit stop in a fun spot can refresh and revive everyone, and inspire lively conversation for the rest of the trip.

What are some of your family's favorite road trip activities? Share them with us below.

{Thanks to iMOM for the great article}

Hi friends!! Our showroom is closed this weekend, as we are exhibiting at the fab Sugar Plum Festival at the OC Fairgrounds!! The show is Thursday - Saturday! Click on the Sugar Plum picture below for more details. We'd love to see you and we have NEW products!! When you stop by the booth, mention this email and we'll give you $10 off your purchase of $50 or more!

Click on the above image for more info on Sugar Plum Arts, Crafts, Antiques and Collectibles.

bTrendie is a mom-approved shopping network that brings a world of trendy boutiques right to your doorstep. bTrendi has exciting weekly sales events that feature the most sought after mom and baby brands at up to 60% off. bTrendie is by invitation only, but you can get on their waiting list by signing up here...

Patricia Ann Designs is currently one of bTrendie's featured products. P.A.D.'s products are currently 60% off until November 2, 2009 at 10:00am EST. If you are already part of the bTrendie community, shop now...and if you want to join bTrendie and get notified of upcoming sales, click here.

Patricia Ann Designs will be at Sugar Plum Arts & Crafts Show starting tomorrow 10/15 through Friday 10/17 at the OC Fair and Event Center in Building 10.

Stop by and say hi and enjoy all of the wonderful vendors that Sugar Plum has to offer. You are sure to find great holiday gifts! ADMISSION IS FREE! Mention this blog entry and get a free $10.00 gift card to spend at Patrica Ann Designs in the month of November.

Glow Baby is dedicated to providing unique and user friendly scheduling tools for today’s busy parents. As a mother of two young daughters, Lindsay quickly came to appreciate the difficulties of caring for a toddler while at the same time making sure the needs of her newborn were met.

“Baby’s First Journal” provides a place to track all the important details of your newborns schedule to better understand your baby’s patterns and to support a schedule that works best for your family.

Glow Baby will be launching a full suite of scheduling tools designed to help families simplify their lives.

For more information on Glow Baby, click here.

Braelyn Bounty Bug is an innovative maternity and baby essentials design company who has brought to market a unique and fashionably functional pregnancy organizer – the Prego Planner. Award-winning and conceived to be a distinctive organizational tool for the expecting mother, there are many things to love about the Prego Planner such as its style, size, the colorful/whimsical pages, its unique functionality, and so much more. With approximately 6 million pregnancies throughout the United States every year, the Prego Planner will add an adoring touch to your current collection of products. Also be sure to take a look at the ultimate diaper bag tag by Braelyn Bounty Bug – the Tot Tag.

For more information on Braelyn Bounty Bug click here

Are you following The Lily Pad Blog on Twitter? Start following us now and you may get a sweet tweet from us at The Lily Pad Blog.

Happy Fall! Fall has officially begun and I am excited about all of the fun fall family activities. With the ushering in of fall's cool weather, this makes it a great time to get outside with the kids and have some fall fun! I have gathered a variety of suggestions to help your children learn and keep your children entertained during the months of fall. These activities also help you and your children spend quality time together.

• Take a nature hike with your children. This is a great opportunity for your children to collect leaves for a special leaf project. It's also a perfect time for you and your children to talk about their day/week at school. 

• Plant bulbs with your children to enjoy next spring.

• Go on a hayride to a pumpkin patch and have your children pick their own pumpkins.

• Make corn husk puppets with your children.

• Go horseback riding on a scenic trail.  

• Wander through an apple orchard or pumpkin patch.

• Make homemade applesauce, caramel apples or apple cider.

• Check out fall-themed books from the library and read with your children.

• Create a scarecrow from leaves, straw and old used clothes. 

• Help your children press fresh fall leaves and make a pressed leaf scrapbook. 

• Bike through a national forest with your children.

• Visit a local fall craft fair, Oktoberfest or farmer's market.

• Show your children how to create a summer memories scrapbook filled with photos and mementoes from last summer.

• Have your children rake leaves from your yard into a big pile and jump in them!

• Let your children finger-paint a fall scene on construction paper. They can even make fall-themed cards for friends and family. 

• Make a fall wreath using collected leaves, pine cones, acorns and paper plates and hang it on your front door to greet visitors. 

• During a walk in the woods, look for animal tracks and help your children identify them.

• Take your children to a football game.

Don't quench your child's generosity. There may come a time when your children want to give away something you think they should keep. If at all possible, let them be generous. Recently one of our sons wanted to give his favorite book, which he had recently received, to another friend as a birthday present. I talked with him, making sure he knew he wouldn't get it back afterward. He understood, and he really wanted to bless someone else. I let him, and he hasn't regretted it.

Some families require their children to set aside part of an allowance for giving. This can be a good exercise in teaching the discipline of giving. But generally, I think mothers should focus on inspiring generosity instead of requiring it. A child's personal motivation will produce longer-lasting results than a parent's force. When giving is a lifestyle, it becomes a natural way for a child to interact with the needs he or she notices in the world.

In the process of nurturing generosity in our little ones, we find ourselves blessed. Through the act of giving away, we gain infinitely more - depth in our relationships, our marriage, our children, and our faith.

How do you attempt to instill a generous spirit within your family?

Read more of this article by Jamie Martin of Steady Mom here