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}

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

Ready or not here it comes - it's time to go back to school!  For most of us, that might mean it's time to get back to a consistent routine. One of the most important daily routines that can be either a relationship-builder or relationship-breaker is bedtime. To make bedtime a relationship-building and bonding time for you and your child, try to do three things:

• Build time into your evening so that you are not rushed to get your child in bed.
• Build independence by training your child to be organized.
• Build relationships as you close the day by sharing thoughts and encouraging words.

iMom has some great "Pillow Talk Discussion" suggestions. Read their suggestions here.

These were super easy to make and so much fun for my little ones!

• Butter two slices of bread on one side with 1 teaspoon butter (or coat the iron with vegetable cooking spray)
• Place 1 slice of bread in the iron, buttered-side down
• Top with 1 1/2 to 2 slices of cheese (you can also add tomato if you like)
• Cover with the remaining slice of bread, buttered-side up
• Close the lid firmly and cook until golden brown (about 2 to 4 minutes).

For all of you that have been wanting to know more about who's behind Patricia Ann Designs, here is a post from none other than Shelley Bostrom, co-owner and founder of PAD! Kelley, our graphic designer and one of our blog contributors, posed this question to Shelley... 

“How is Shelley Bostrom able to…run 2 businesses (Patricia Ann Designs and the PADShowroom), be room mom to her three grade-school children’s classes (Kindergarten, 2^nd grade and 4^th grade); be team mom to her boys with their base ball and football activities, be the Daisy Scout leader for her daughter, be the snack bar coordinator for her daughter Cheer team; volunteer in her children’s classes every week, be an active member of her children’s school PTA, be the neighborhood party coordinator; be the bunko leader for her group of ‘moms’, be a positive mentor to her circle of Mom-Preneurs of the PADshowroom, be a devoted wife to her husband of 13 years, be a loving mom, daughter, sister, friend, etc, etc….?” 

So here's Shelley!

I actually have one more activity to add to my list...  I know…. you think I’m crazy…. I’m so excited to start singing again at my church ~ Saddleback Church of Lake Forest!! I had to give up this fulfilling ministry 5 years ago when Faye was born and I started Patricia Ann Designs.  It required too much time of me I wasn’t able to go back.  Being involved in a ministry or volunteer platform or something was really tugging at my heart…..and the opportunity presented itself when I received an email from my church last week.  The email was letting me know about a new choir that didn’t require as much of a time commitment.  Now, we are just meeting one night a week and only perform one weekend a month! Whoo hoo!! …‘cuz you know that I had an extra 2 hours a week in my life, so I am now all full!! Ha ha!! But truly, this outlet will give me renewed strength to do all that I have to do in my incredibly busy life. ….

...and that is really the key to my sanity with all that I do…giving myself a little ‘time’ to renew my strength.  I start every morning waking up an hour before the rest of my family wakes up.  I take this time to start a pot of coffee ~ enjoy a cup or two, watch the news or read, enjoy the sunrise, reflect on my week, re-group, breathe, enjoy rare silence, recognize my blessings and give thanks…. This time in the mornings is really so special to me and really does give me vitality to start my day and live it to the fullest. 

I have another funny secret that works for me….I take a 10 minute bath at least every other day. It’s almost like meditation for me. If I know I’m going to be up late working or am feeling some anxiety, I’ll take a quick 10 minute hot bath and it quickly rejuvenates and renews me.  ….well those are 2 little easy tricks that work for me.

But in answer to Kelley’s question on how I do what I do…..it’s really it’s just a matter of giving some much deserved time to yourself…you need to make yourself count and you need to start your day off right!  …whether it’s spending your lunch hour at a local park by yourself; going on a morning walk with your dog; reading your Bible or favorite book for 15 minutes; waking up 30 minutes early to have a cup of coffee or write in your devotional; taking a 10 minute bath; joining a club or women’s group; volunteering…..something that you’re passionate about or enjoy….. 

Another important part of my ‘survival’ is my incredible partner …. My mom!!  Our businesses would not function if it wasn’t for her. She is my rock, my right hand, the best partner, the hardest worker, my best friend, a huge blessing to me and my family. 

Well, that is a little snip it about me.  I’ll write more soon….. I  promise!! Hope you all have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by at The LilyPad. Ya’ll come back soon!

Don't forget about this week's giveaway! 

Looking for something fun to do in your area this weekend with your family. Have you checked out The Mommies Network? This is a great resource for fun family activities going on in your area. Just click here and see if there is a Mommy Network in your area. Let us know some of the fun things you and your family did that you found out about on your Mommies Network site. 

This is the last post in a series; read our little journey in Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed them!

After receiving many good tips and suggestions on dropping the paci at naptime (which is usally the only time our Chiquita uses it right now), we decided to just try napping without it and see what happened! Sort of the "cold turkey" method, although I had a feeling it would take a while before she's totally done with it.

Almost all of last week she was able to go down for a nap without it. I could not believe how quickly she fell asleep without her beloved paci! By the end of the week she wasn't even fussing; she would just roll over with her blankie, I would pray for her, then she would say "amen" (or something close to that), and start wiggling her litle tush like she does as she's settling in for bed. 

She still had short naps though, so I would usually give her paci when she woke up and cried a little, so as to keep her in bed a little longer and try to entice her back to sleep. I did this in the mornings after we dropped using the paci to fall asleep at night, and then eventually stopped giving it to her in the morning, so I think giving it to her for the second half of her "nap"-time is a good transition for us.

Unfortunately, this past week we've each been sick, with the flu or something similar, and a cold.  So today, the first day Chiquita's cold really set in, I ended up giving her the paci for her nap as she was fairly inconsolable. 

Overall though, I think she will gradually stop needing it for her nap. Once she's healthy again, I plan to continue to lay her down without it and then give it to her as needed when she wakes up earlier than she should. I'll call it the Gradual Cold Turkey method, if that's not a complete oxymoron. :)

I hope my journey with the Pacifier Addiction and all of my Twitter friends' suggestions help you if you're dealing with a similar situation! I'll let you know when we ditch it for good. I'm not in a rush, but I'm glad we're working our way there. 

Happy Halloween!

I hope you all have a great weekend devouring all that candy goodness.

For those of you readers who are trick-or-treaters, I've compliled a little list of safety tips to keep in mind as you go out tonight! 

• Visit familiar neighborhoods
• Stay in a group, preferribly with an adult
• Use a flashlight
• Stay on the sidewalks
• Wait until an adult at home as checked out your candy before eating it
• Don't accept unwrapped treats
  
• Remain on well-lit streets and don't go through alleys
• Only visit houses with porch lights on
• Try to wear a costume that has something reflective or brightly/lighty-colored on it so cars can see you better
• Watch out for candle-luminaries on the ground (my friend almost got her hoopskirt stuck on one once, that would be bad news!) :)