Family Activities »

[16 Oct 2012 | 2 Comments | ]
Tech tipsComputer Tricks

Have you visited Mattito’s lately? If not, then you should. Mattito’s will bring you an exceptional Mexican food dining experience. Family recipes will bring up memories to those eating there. Mattito’s has received several awards during its existence:

  • Top ten tequila Bars un the United States
  • Dallas’ Best Sunday Brunch
  • Dallas’s Best Tex-Mex
  • among others.

Mattito’s can be found in Uptown Dallas, Forest Lane, Las Colinas and Frisco.

You can also take advantage of the catering service. Costumized menus are available according to the ocasion. You can request the catering service for wedding reception venues dallas, rehearsal dinners, birthdays, corporate events, holiday gatherings, etc..

Use the Sunday brunch and show up between 10:00am and 2:00pm in Dallas or Frisco.

You can follow up the Mattito’s blog at: http://www.mattitos.com/blog/.

You can also visit west end dallas restaurants and eat an excellent steak.

Family Activities »

[25 Sep 2012 | Comments Off | ]
Tech tipsComputer Tricks

To compete with video games, movies, and scheduled group activities, as families we need to make sure we are saving time for to be together. There is no way to replace family time. These are the times your children will cherish and remember for the rest of their lives. Think back on your childhood and recall what produced the best memories from your youth. I imagine if you do you will find that the best memories were from times spent with your loved ones. I thought I would share just a few ideas for spending time with your family.

  1. Go to a Local Farm or Orchard – We live in a large city but there are farms and orchards which are open to the public on certain days. The children love this experience. The petting zoos are nice but being on a farm or out in the orchard picking fruit is like being in a whole different world. At the farm they allow you to try your hand at milking a cow. There are barns full of hay that you can climb on with families of kittens to play with. They have tractor rides, fishing ponds with all the bait and tackle, hay rides, and pony rides. They have pumpkin patches in the fall and let you pick your favorite pumpkin. Some farms even offer a barbecue lunch as part of the package. If you go to an orchard you can have fun with your family picking fruits or you can even go berry picking!
  1. Visit a Local Fire Station – Check with your local fire station to see when you can take your family on a tour of the station and fire trucks. Most children and even mom and dad love to see the fire trucks and find out how they fight fires. They can also give your family safety information in case a fire would break out in your home. They do an especially good job in teaching younger children not to play with fire.
  1. Go to an Athletic Event – It’s a wonderful way to spend time with your family.  It’s a unique experience if you have never been to a big league event to take your kids to one of the league games in your city. All the excitement and sounds of a big game, watching the super fans that are painted up, seeing the vendors throwing peanuts, or just walking around the stadium is a great way to spend some time with your family.
  1. Festivals – There are often festivals within driving distance. Just look for festivals in your area or within an hour or two from your home. Check the dates and make a plan to attend. There are festivals everywhere here in Texas where we live. Festivals for flowers in bloom, festivals for crops that are producing, festivals for summer and fall, you name it there’s a festival. They often have face painting, yummy kid friendly foods, and unique items to see or to buy.
  1. Volunteer – There are always volunteer opportunities in any community. Look for volunteer opportunities in your area that you can do with the family like cleaning up a park or neighborhood. You could even go out on your own as a family and look for areas to pick up trash, plant a tree, or flowers. Help an elderly neighbor with their yard or painting their house. The United Way is always looking for volunteers and I’m sure would give you many options to choose from. It’s a great way to teach your children to help others and give them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
  1. Cloud Watching or Star Gazing – I remember laying out on a blanket as a child having a picnic in the back yard with my mom and looking up at the clouds. We would all tell what we saw, a puppy, a bunny, an airplane, or whatever. What fond memories of lazy times spent doing nothing but looking at the clouds. The same thing goes with star gazing. So many nights laying on the small hill on the side of our home and talking about the stars. We loved to try and find the little and big dippers, discuss which ones we thought were probably planets, and occasionally see a falling star! These are also wonderful times to talk about many other things that may be on your children’s minds. When things are so relaxed and happy children seem to open up with their feelings, thoughts, and desires in a greater way than usual.
  1. Go Camping – I know camping isn’t for everyone but I can tell you in all honesty I cannot think of a more bonding experience. Being away from home without all the luxuries and stepping out into nature will bring you closer together. We have some memories that make us laugh and some that make us cringe. Depending on your method of camping. The tent method is the most bonding because not only are you all sleeping together on the ground but you are hiking to the nearest bathroom together. You are closer to being in the survival mode than you probably ever will be in the real world. This tends to bring folks together. It’s always so much fun for the kiddos to sleep in tents or cabins and cooking over the camp fire is so much cooler than mom cooking at home. Besides you get to eat really great food, like hotdogs and marshmallows! Sing camp songs, tell stories, and take hikes together. Most camp sites have lakes you can fish in or swimming holes if it’s warm enough. If you aren’t that adventurous you could always get a pricier cabin with all the amenities or rent a recreational vehicle. The kids will enjoy this time with you no matter which form of camping you choose.
  1. Cook Together as a Family – Children generally like to cook, even when they get older. We’ve had a lot of fun at home making homemade pizzas with everyone making one with toppings to suit their tastes. We also make cookies together, sometimes a couple different kinds. Another thing we make at our house, which everyone loves but sometimes I am met with cringes when I mention making it, is popcorn balls. They are not really difficult if you have a candy thermometer but the final part of actually making the balls calls for buttering up your hands so they don’t stick and quickly putting them together before the candy hardens. Sometimes this means it gets a little hot so you have to be quick! We tend to lose popcorn and have a bit of chaos going on during these times but it’s always fun and yummy when we finish. Tacos are fun, just cut up the veggies, whatever you like in your tacos, a little ground meat, and have a taco party.
  1. Cards, Board Games, and Old Movies – I know we’ve all heard about having game nights at home but I’m repeating it. When my nieces and nephews visit they love to play Pictionary, so do my kids. They also like card games and trivia games. Depending on your family and how competitive you are you may want to stay away from certain games. We had one in particular that we quit playing, I can’t even recall what it was but I know too many arguments came with this game. If you are a lively family you can even try a game of Twister! I would also recommend older movies, like Swiss Family Robinson, or Shirley Temple movies, or some old swashbuckling movie. The Prince and the Pauper with Errol Flynn is a favorite movie of my kids.

These are just a few ideas of ways to spend time with your families. Children grow up so fast and time is so short that we must plan family time. In days gone by it wasn’t as difficult and it didn’t take so much planning because of the lack of technology, there were far less demands on our lives. That is not the case any more and we need to be more alert to opportunities to build memories with our children. Our families are an investment that is well worth the time!

Author Byline:

Ken Myers the editor in chief is a frequent contributor of http://www.gonannies.com/ Ken helps acquiring knowledge on the duties & responsibilities of nannies to society. You can reach him at kmyers.ceo@gmail.com.

Entertainment »

[22 Sep 2012 | Comments Off | ]
Tech tipsComputer Tricks

If you are like me you like to read several magazines. Where do you buy them? At your local magazine store? If you do so, you might want to consider the following site Magazine Deals.

Magazine Deals is an excellent site for you to look, as the names says, magazine deals. If you are looking to make a new subscription or renew a current one you should take a close look at this site and compare prices. Here you will find the cheapest prices on all your favorite magazine subscriptions. Whether you are looking for automotive magazines, comics or even family & parenting magazines, here you will have the opportunity to check which merchant is selling at the lowest price.

Magazine Deals also informs you which merchant is offering coupons or special discounts. Take advantage of the great deals on magazines and fill you life with interesting magazines.

Services »

[19 Sep 2012 | Comments Off | ]
Tech tipsComputer Tricks

For sure you have already heard about dyslexia. But do you know what it is? The A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia describes it as:

“Developmental reading disorder, also called dyslexia, is a reading disability that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols.”

The Kildonan School offers Orton Gillingham programs specially for those suffering from dyslexia. This school has a specific academic program that provides students with all the instruments to suceed in their academic life. One-to-one lessons are a major advantage of this school because it allows students to have a personalized education and keep up with their individual pace.

Each student is taught in different ways depending on the individual needs. In one day one student might learn reading and spelling while another might be reviewing the major spelling rules. Each student follows a different teaching plan.

The Orton Gillingham ny method is used as a teaching method for many years and it has been very successful.  Teachers are high skilled and follow strict tutorial programs throughout the year so that they are prepared with all the tools to teach students with dyslexia.

Services »

[13 Sep 2012 | One Comment | ]
Tech tipsComputer Tricks

If you are looking for an excellent printing service than you should consider PressLink. Presslink offers services such as:

  • Barcode Solutions
  • Promotional Products
  • Graphic Design Services
  • Creative services
  • Green Printing Solutions

PressLink will help you implement Barcode Solutions. Finding the right software is crucial as well as finding the hardware and supplies that is suitable for your business.

Promotional products are excellent to put your brand out there therefore promotional messages that really work are expected. Presslink will provide products such as pens, magnets, drinkware, mousepad among other products to help your business grow.

At PressLink you will have a group of people namely art directors, copywriters, graphic designers, etc. at your disposal to create marketing ideas for your business. Delegate all the printing services your company needs to them and you will have time to spend in other areas of your business where your attention is more required.

Havind the environment in mind PressLink is FSC certified. Shipping hazardous materials is not a problem because all products are eco-friendly.

With Presslink printing services you have at your disposal almost every type of work. From conventional business printing to pocket folders, from envelopes to vehicle wraps here you will have the best to market your business.

Family Matters »

[9 Sep 2012 | Comments Off | ]
Tech tipsComputer Tricks

Last night it was the first night my daughter slept in her cousin’s house by herself. She had already slept there other times but always with her brother. Now, it was her first time alone. So excited to see her today.