If you are planning a vacation with your tween or teen and want to find a few ways to spend a little quality time with them, why not try a few apps that you and your kids can play together. From puzzles, games, and even a few brain teasers, these apps are perfect to play with tweens and teens when you are close to home or even on vacation

If you have a kid that loves to code or create, try Minecraft. While your tween or teen probably already knows all about Minecraft, get them to teach you how to play. From building and creating new worlds to finding ways to survive in their newly built world, you can get some serious quality time playing Minecraft.

If you have a kid that loves puzzle games and brain teasers, try The Room Three. This game has players solve difficult puzzles and is all tied together with a mysterious narrative. Players have to prove themselves to the Craftsman by solving the puzzles. The game starts on a train, but you’ll quickly find yourself in other locations. As you solve puzzles, you’ll create objects that you’ll need in other worlds. If you and your kids get stuck on a particular level, there are hints to help you solve the puzzle.

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While you may have the days packed with family fun, everyone needs a good night’s sleep on your family vacation. As any parent can attest, sometimes it takes more than a comfy bed to get everyone off to dream land during a vacation. So before you pack your bags and leave for a trip, here’s a few hacks to help your entire family sleep while you are away from home.

· Download a white noise app and pop your phone into a glass on a nightstand. The app will drown out noises outside your hotel room-I’m looking at your noisy spring breakers and ice machine that never stops-and the cup works like a DIY speaker so the whole room is bathed in sweet white noise that is perfect for a peaceful slumber.

· It may be sunny outside but your little one needs a nap. So grab a few hangers from the hotel closet and use the clips to hold the curtains closed. Still too much light? Aluminum foil works in a pinch as blackout shades-plus it’s super inexpensive. Just roll onto the window and secure with tape for perfect napping conditions.

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If you are a parent-on-the-go that never seems to have time to take part in one of your favorite pastimes, reading-it’s time we change that! During the day when you are rushing around with your kids, you may find that you have a few extra minutes in the school pickup line or even while your kids are at an after-school activity. For those times you have a few minutes to yourself, try one of these five apps to catch up on a little reading.

Audiobooks From Audible– Perfect for all those times that you want to read a book but you don’t have the time, Audiobooks from Audible is an awesome app to download audio books. If you are driving or you are at home, you can listen to your favorite mystery or that hit novel you’ve been dying to read.

Goodreads– The Goodreads app is perfect for readers that want a little help finding new books and authors that interest them. With the app you can quickly scroll through reviews, recommendations, and more.

Overdrive– This app will give users access to over 30,000 public libraries worldwide, and it has the ability to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and video from their catalog. For this app you will need to belong to your local library.

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We know you are busy. From taking care of your kids and you home, to the one million things on your to-do list, you are crazy busy. So, if you are looking to save a little time and a little sanity, then you need to put a few amazing apps to work. Here are five apps to help you with paying bills, saving money, and making sure you always remember your kid’s busy schedules.

Venmo- If you never have cash on hand and need to pay someone in a hurry-like a babysitter or the room parent for your kid’s class, Venmo is the app for you. This app allows you to transfer money from your bank account to the recipient’s in just a few clicks. It makes paying just about anyone super simple.

Waze-This app has quickly become my favorite car app and I use it on long road trips and even when I am just running errands close to home. The app provides turn-by-turn driving directions on a live map. So, Waze automatically checks for the latest traffic information and re-routes you if there are poor traffic conditions or an accident up ahead. Waze works by connecting you to its network of local drivers who contribute traffic info and road reports on things like accidents, construction areas, and police traps. Basically, this app will save you time and a little bit of sanity.

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Do you remember when packing for Spring Break meant a few changes of clothes and a pair of flip flops? But those easy packing days are gone when you are packing for a spring break trip for your family. So, if you are headed out for a spring break trip with your little ones, try these packing tips to make getting to your destination a whole lot easier.

1. Bag it up

For each day of your trip, lay out your child’s entire outfit- include underwear, socks, and any accessories like hair clips or bows. Pack each outfit, in its entirety, in a plastic Ziploc bag. When you’re getting kids ready for day, take out everything out of the bag and go! This packing hack cuts down on packing too much, losing small pieces, and will help you keep your suitcases organized.

2. Create a toddler work space

If you’ll be traveling by car, give your kids a place to play, create, and snack all from their car seat. Create a toddler workspace out of a small, plastic serving tray (you can find these at the Dollar Store). As you are driving to your destination, your child can color, look at books, play with smaller toys, and eat snacks all on the tray. When the trip is done, you can easily store the tray under the seats

3. Take a doggie bag

Even if you don’t have your own pooch at home, grab a roll of dog poo bags for your trip. Trust me on this one! These small bags are the perfect size to wrap up wet bathing suits, make the perfect bag for kid friendly souvenirs like seashells, can handle a sunblock explosion, and can hold any sort of mess your toddler gets into.

 

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Winter is over and it’s time to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. So if all of your date nights have just been dinner and a movie inside-now is the time break those winter habits.

· You’ve got to eat, but instead of just choosing any restaurant, find a restaurant where you can eat outside. Even if you have to pack a blanket and bring a light jacket, make that reservation and enjoy some fresh air dining al fresco.

· Go to a baseball game. Whether it’s a major league or a minor league team, grab a few tickets and head out to a baseball game. Enjoy the food, the beer, the weather, and of course the game.

· Plan a sunrise picnic. Fill a picnic basket with coffee and a few breakfast goodies like fresh fruit and bagels and enjoy a few quiet moments outside with your significant other.

· Take in a round of golf. Even if you’ve never golfed before or if you consider yourself a pro, use a gorgeous spring day to take in a round of golf together. It will give you plenty of quality time and a little competition is fun for everyone.

 

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It’s time for spring break, but if heading to a tropical location or amusement park is not in the budget for you and your family, you can still have an amazing spring break full of fun memories and tons of fun. Instead of planning a spring break trip, plan a spring break staycation. If you need inspired on how to celebrate each day of your spring break staycation, here are 24 ideas.

1.       Explore local parks near your home. Do a little research before you leave and don’t forget to pack a picnic lunch or dinner.

2.       Get crafty and have a day where you make crafts with your kids. Head to your local craft store for kits or get inspired on Pinterest for a few spring break crafts.

3.       Camp out inside your home. Break out the sleeping bags and camp indoors.

4.       Go bowling!

5.       Take everyone to a baseball game. Minor league games are always family friendly and often cheaper

6.       Try Geocatching. Your entire family will love this activity and will love being outside.

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Spring is a tricky time of year. We’re all ready to say so long to winter and hello to spring, but sometimes, we get thrown for a loop with some wacky weather. Chilly one day, snow another, and a beautiful sunny day the next. So, if you are looking to keep your kids entertained this month despite the crazy weather, here are five fun activities for you and your kids.

• A lot of schools and local colleges put on spring productions and March is a great time to see some of Broadway’s finest shows without the Broadway price tag. Check to see if there are matinee hours-which will be perfect for younger kids who might have a hard time sitting through an entire musical or play. You can even do some quick research before the show and share some of the plot points and music with your kids before you attend.
• March is National Craft month so it’s the perfect time to get crafty with your kids. From St. Patrick’s Day crafts to spring time crafts, you can find easy and inexpensive crafts that you and your kids can whip up at home. With a little paint and mason jars you can make adorable animal that are perfect for holding flowers, candy, or your kids favorite treasures. You can get the directions right here. Not feeling crafty? You can even find craft kits that contain everything you need to celebrate National Craft month.
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