Ideas For Mixing It Up This Summer

If you ask kids, summertime is awesome. THE. BEST. TIME. EVER. 

But as parents we know that, despite being fun, summer is a LOT of work! There are camps to book, activities to plan and play dates to schedule. It definitely takes some planning and organization. 

We have a few ideas that we hope will help you plan your summer, if you haven't done so already. ;)

1. Make a Boredom Buster Jar - have each family member make a list of things they'd like to do, then mark them on pieces of paper (or decorated craft sticks like these) and put them in a jar. Each day (or week - whatever you've decided on) a new activity is chosen from the jar.

• Some ideas we like: picking berries, visiting a local farm / splash pad / pool, going on a picnic
• Tip: be sure to set boundaries so there's no disappointment, i.e. a trip to France might not be in the budget!

2. Let kids cook - ask them for help in creating the weekly meal plan, and set up a rotating schedule for them to prep and/or make dinner (this is dependent on the skill level and age of your kids). If they prepare the meal, you know they'll eat it! Plus, the added responsibility will build confidence and empower them to try new foods. 

• Tip: keep an open mind! If your kids have a wacky meal idea, indulge them. :)

3. Surprise your kids - there's nothing better than taking kids on a completely unexpected family outing. If the budget allows, take advantage of last-minute discounts by booking a night at a hotel, tickets to a theatre show or an excursion to a waterpark. Those are the kinds of things kids remember well after the summer is over. :)

4. Have a movie marathon day - I'm a big supporter of being outside and active, especially during the summer months. But there's something to be said for mixing it up with a day of staying in your pajamas, watching movies, eating popcorn and bonding as a family.

• Tip: consider letting your child(ren) invite a friend or two to join in the fun. The more, the merrier!

What kinds of things does your family like to do in the summer? We'd love to hear your ideas, so let us know by commenting below or on social media! Be sure to tag us @oliverslabels. :)

Wishing you a great start to the summer season!

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Ways To Beat The Summer Heat

We've had a hot spell here the past few weeks and, now that school's out, the days can be tough to fill with activities. Who wants to get active outside when it's so hot?

There are lots of fun ways to keep cool in the summer, so why not turn them into special events for the kids to look forward to on the hottest of days?

Simply grab a mason jar and write down your family's favorite fun summer activities onto strips of paper. You can make it as budget-friendly as you wish, determining in advance how many days each week you'll do a special activity, and what those activities will be. They can range from simple, stay-at-home activities, to more extravagant adventures. 

Then check your local weather listings to find out which days are slated to be the hottest each week, and let your kid(s) choose an activity from the jar on each of those days.

Some ideas to get you started:

• making homemade ice cream (you don't need an ice cream maker!) or popsicles
• hosting a Hawaiian-themed sprinkler party in the backyard, complete with homemade hula skirts and leis (don't wear them in the sprinkler, though!)
• a day of fun at a waterpark
• making homemade edible peanut butter play dough with your kids - a great, unexpected treat!

Get your kids involved and let them have a say in what goes in the jar - you'll be assured of having active, involved participants in any activity that's chosen.  Make it a special treat, allowing each of your children to take turns picking from it.

Have any other fun ideas? Comment below or share them on our Facebook page, Twitter or Google+ page. And, if you've got some more ice cream recipes or popsicle ideas, our Pinterest page is just the place to show 'em off!!

Here's to a fun-filled summer!

Summer Adventures

It's officially the end of the school year and I'm feeling nostalgic.

My "baby" isn't one any longer - she has leaped into the world of school trips, summer vacations and after-school play dates. For me, the start of this summer signifies her burgeoning independence, and it will be put to the test when she goes to full-day camp this summer. What a milestone! I'm excited for her and I know she will love it.

Camp plays such an integral role in helping children define themselves and build self-esteem. As a kid, I was lucky enough to go to camp a few summers in a row; they were some of the best times of my childhood. Camp was a place where great memories were made, friendships were nurtured and life lessons were learned. For my daughter, this summer is filled with the promise of new adventures and memories that will last a lifetime.

Now all I need to do (aside from keeping tissues close at hand in case I get emotional), is to make sure she's prepared. Needless to say, we'll be ordering some new labels with Found-it on them for all her camp "must-haves" (water bottle, swimsuit, towel, shoes, etc), and she will customize them herself - picking her favorite design and font make her feel like a big kid, which she officially is now. There will be a few safety talks as well because, after all, she's only five... and five-year-olds need a lot of reminders! Last but not least, I will tell her to be herself, have fun and enjoy her first camp experience.

Whether you have a child heading off to camp for the first time this summer, or are a seasoned camp vet, all of us at Oliver's Labels wish you and your family a fun, safe camp season.

Getting Their 5-10 A Day

Some days it seems like my kids will only eat bread, pasta and crackers. Other days my kids want meat, little carnivores that they are! To be fair, my kids love certain fruits and vegetables... but I keep thinking about the other amazing vitamins and minerals they're missing out on because they refuse to eat (or even try) the rest of the food I offer them.

While I'll admit that I could've been a bit more adventurous with the foods I offered my older child in her early years, one habit I'm glad we got into was making smoothies. On those days when it seems I will never get more than one or two fruits or veggies into my little ones' tummies, I can always count on a smoothie to do the job for me. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!  They are delicious, and despite the fact that there is a large handful of baby spinach in each one, my kids eat 'em up! My daughter even helps make them and thinks it's fun.

Smoothies make a great breakfast on-the-go and are fabulous at snack time. With the hot summer weather, they are very refreshing, too!

Enjoy!

Recipe for kid-approved smoothies:

plain yogurt
frozen blueberries (I like wild ones best... small and sweet!)
frozen raspberries
frozen strawberries
handful of baby spinach (I buy the triple-washed, ready-to-go kind)
orange juice

*We make ours using the Magic Bullet because it's fast and easy, but you can do this in any regular blender, too. If using the Magic Bullet, put the ingredients into the cup in the order stated... for some reason it turns out best this way (we've tested it out a LOT!).

Planning for Summer

June is a busy month! I hear all my friends with school-aged kids say that the summer is a nice break after the craziness of June.

With standardized testing happening in many school districts, school fundraisers, graduation (for some), summer birthdays, end-of-year events for cubs/scouts/brownies/guides… well, it’s a lot of work! Then, we get busy planning excursions, registering for camp & booking play dates in the hopes of ensuring our kids are sufficiently stimulated – mentally & physically – during the summer. It’s practically a full-time job!

It can be quite overwhelming and we, as parents, can tend to over-schedule our kids. It’s a very fine balance between planning too many activities and having bored kids. So, in an attempt to save your sanity (!), here are a few tips to help you plan your family’s summer.

• Plan activities or outings with other families
If you’re a parent who works outside the home, this can be a great way to allow your kids to get out more often, by trading off child-minding duty with other parents. You may choose to lead an activity on the weekend, while your kids enjoy an outing with friends during the work week.

• Let your kids plan one special outing per week
This could be a trip to the water park that your daughter has been talking about or a barbeque at the beach that your son is keen on… whatever it is, make it special by letting each child choose a special outing (alternate weeks between children).

• Plan family movie nights and unstructured play days
Movie nights with popcorn and snuggles are the best – and they’re practically free, to boot!! And what's better than letting kids play in the yard or at a park, maybe bringing a picnic or snack, laying down a blanket and gazing up at a cloudy sky. ☺

• Don’t underestimate the value of rest and free time
It’s okay to let your kids have some time to “veg” out… that’s what summer is for!

Whatever you choose to do with your family this summer, remember the number one rule – have fun!

Sun Safety - what's in YOUR sunscreen?

Summer is in full swing and there’s no better time to take a good look at what we slather on our kids (and, hopefully, ourselves too!) every day – sunscreen.  With all the information out there about what types of sunscreen are best, how often you need to re-apply it and the myriad brands to choose from, are you ever dumbfounded?  I am! 

So, when I stumbled upon a website a few years ago that helped me wade through the sea of information on this topic - and much more - I jumped for joy! Finally, no more trying to decipher labels by spending hours on the internet researching each ingredient.

This amazing website is from the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization whose mission is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. They specialize in providing useful resources like their Skin Deep database, which scientifically analyzes ingredients in many of the products we use every day and, in turn, attributes a safety ranking to each. And, the database keeps growing!

So the next time you want to know how “natural” that sunscreen really is, check out their sunscreen guide! 

Some of their other helpful resources are listed below.

Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Chemical Index

Children’s Health (Toxics)

Health Tips