Friday Pizza Movie Nights

Several years ago, Peter and I began a Thursday night tradition that has transformed literally our week and our marriage. Thursday date night is a time we look forward to every single week. It’s our motivation to hang in there and make it through the first part of the week. I’ve shared before my tips on how to make it doable and affordable, and it’s been so fun as the years have gone by to hear from friends who have taken our idea and now have their own weekly date nights. Just yesterday a therapist proudly told me they’ve successfully had 3 weeks of date nights and her husband was so thankful I encouraged her to give it a try.

Well I’M BACK! This time to motivate you again and hopefully spark an idea into your family routines. Fridays have become just as sacred as Thursdays, a “can’t miss” kind of tradition in our home. Friday Pizza Movie Nights is the one night of the week our kids look forward to and talk about throughout the week.

It doesn’t have to be fancy - we keep the whole evening incredibly simple and it may seem obvious and boring to an outsider. But trust me when I say it’s a highlight for our family. Dinner is always pizza, mostly homemade, although I’ll admit some weeks I’m just too exhausted and we find a coupon for takeout. We eat, chat it up, clean up, lock the doors, close the curtains even before the sun has gone down, put on our pj's, and pull out the bucket of blankets. 

Friday nights feel like a sacred evening of hiding from the world and just being together. Our kids chat throughout the week about what movie is next and look forward to the evening as much or more than we do. Now that we’ve been at this a while, we’ve gone through so many movie series’ together - Harry Potter, all the Marvel movies, just to name a few! Much to my excitement, we’re currently introducing our kids to the Star Trek movies. (Sci-fi nerds over here!) 

I could get all sappy and talk about how the years are flying by and before we know it there won’t be all 6 of us on the couch and under blankets watching a movie together. We all know life is so busy and moves at what feels like lightning speed. For our family, Friday pizza movie night is our “stop the crazy and just be together” kind of tradition.

Here’s just a fun fact about how important these nights have been for our kids - there have been MANY weeks where my kids have TURNED DOWN events with friends because missing Friday nights at home is that important to them. That tells me we’re on to something here. Give it a try! Honestly, these nights have become as non-negotiable as Thursday date nights. We’ll make it happen. 

So here we go. It’s Friday! I still need to buy yeast for the dough and a few toppings. And don’t try to contact us. Our phones will be off, curtains will be pulled, and it’s Star Trek Insurrection for us tonight!

I can’t recommend enough trying a weekly family evening at home. Phones off, no distractions, time with the ones who matter most. Show them how important they really are to you!

Low Cost Fun Family Outdoor Games

There’s not much I like more than quiet evenings and weekends with just our little family hanging out together. Now that the weather is warming up, we’re ready to bust out of the house and be outside after school and on the weekends.

Here are 2 fun games we have enjoyed playing in the backyard and at the park with simple supplies we purchased at the dollar store and Walmart. You may even have several of these supplies already hiding in the playroom or your garage!

Balloon Ring Toss

Supplies:

Hula Hoops

Helium latex balloons

Black permanent marker

Attach each balloon a heavy object to weight it down. (We used some bigger toy cars)

Write different point values on the balloons with a black permanent marker.

This game really needs no explanation. Take turns throwing the hula hoops trying to “ring” the balloon. Take score (we used sidewalk chalk), and have fun!

Hula Hoop Frisbee Golf

Supplies:

Several hula hoops (Dollar Tree)

Frisbees of different colors (We got ours at Walmart for .97 each)

It’s simple - toss the hula hoops into an open field, and keep score similar to miniature golf, trying to get your frisbee inside the hula hoop in as little turns as possible.

We went to an open field at a huge park and had a blast.

What are your favorite cheap but fun family games? Share below!

8 Super Cheap Family Fun Ideas

As the family grows, so does the amount of money it takes to do fun things with your kids. Our family has taken 1 family vacation in our 17 years of parenting. Unfortunately we just can't afford the big trips some families take. But I will say we still have all the fun. Finding fun family activities that cost nothing or very little has been a fun little challenge. I'm excited to share 8 of our favorite ways to have family fun for little or no money!

8 Cheap Family Fun Ideas

1. Dollar store games at the park

Some of our favorite Saturdays at the park have been with cheap dollar store supplies. With simple hula hoops, frisbees, and cheap helium balloons we have a blast at the park.

*How-to post for these fun games coming soon!

Hula Frisbee Golf

Balloon Ring Toss

2. Bike rides and ice cream

Let the kids ride their bikes, throw the baby in the stroller, and get outside! We love to walk to our little ice cream parlor for cheap ice cream cones. Don't have an ice cream parlor nearby? Stopping at a nearby gas station for a large fountain drink to share can be a treat they'll love. 

Hey - if the kids are riding their bikes just a little ahead, you kind of get a nice quiet walk to chat with your spouse! It's like a little date! :) Well - kind of. 

3. Backyard campfire

I just love evenings when we light up the campfire pit on the back porch after dinner. We roast marshmallows, sip on coffee and hot chocolate, and just hang out together. Make a "foil dinner" or roast hot dogs in the fire for a super easy meal!

4. Outside dance party

We have a couple afternoons a week when the after school hours aren't filled with appointments or meetings. I try to take at least 1 of those afternoons to come up with something fun for the kids and I to do before dinner prep needs to take place. 

Honestly, if I ask what they want to do, they usually ask for this fun idea. We simply take our bluetooth speaker and my phone outside and blast the music. If you dropped in unannounced yesterday, you would have found us jumping on the trampoline and dancing to our favorite album, the Trolls soundtrack. Don't have a trampoline? Turn up the music and play with sidewalk chalk!

5. Amazon Prime or Netflix movie

Last night was a Friday night at home and we were trying to decide on something fun and free to do. Peter and I were beyond tired after a busy week and were definitely happy to just sit and chill out with a movie. We found a fun family movie that was included with Amazon Prime. It cost us nothing, the kids loved it, and we didn't have to move off the couch! :) Both Amazon and Netflix are constantly adding to their family movies, so find a good one, pop some popcorn, and stay in tonight!

6. Board game night

We absolutely love board games. Now that the kids are getting older it's extra fun to be playing "big people" games but of course pulling out Candy Land is fun too. After dinner, have everyone put on their PJs, brew coffee for the parents, and pick a game! 

(By the time the game is done, it's probably bedtime. Win!) 

Here's a few of our current family favorite games...

Catan

Quirkle

Farkle

7. Zoo Membership

Hang with me for a second - I know buying a membership to the zoo or aquarium isn't cheap. BUT we make it possible by using our Christmas and birthday money to purchase annual family passes to the zoo and aquarium. When we have a free day on the weekend it costs us nothing to load up the car and head out for a day trip to our local zoo or head out of town to visit the nearby aquarium. 

Peter's tip? Try dancing outside the aquarium and embarrassing your kids. Ha! Okay - maybe not.

8. Birthday clubs = food and fun

I sign up for every possible birthday club I come across. April is my birthday month and we already have a free hour of bowling for the family and free food from restaurants. The kids get free coupons for trampoline places, bowling, roller skating, etc. on their birthdays. Use those coupons for a cheap and fun day out!

What are your favorite cheap or free family activities?

Check out our family's adventures on our Newland Chronicles YouTube channel!

Family Nights

“Can we have a family night?” 

I hear it ALL the time. One thing our kiddos love are family nights. Typically what they mean when they ask for a family night is “Can we stay up late and watch a movie?” 

There’s not much I love more than evenings in the family room on the couch watching a cartoon with my kids. Piles of pillows, blankets, popcorn, a cartoon, and my family of 6 making memories that will last a lifetime. (Of course a certain 8 and 12 year old love to take advantage of family nights as an excuse to stay up late and watch a movie any day of the week. They aren’t always granted their wish!)

Filling the dining room table with board games and late night trips to the ice cream parlor or coffee shop also top my favorite “family night” memories to make.

I’m sure you too have those favorite moments with your family, enjoying these kiddos while they’re young. As a mom of a now junior in high school I believe it more than ever - these years go WAY. TOO. FAST.

Need a new family game? Here’s some of our favorites! 
(Click on the images below to check them out!)

Our growing children remind me to truly savor every moment and take time to stop. To stop sitting at the computer, turn the phone off, internet distractions, and just BE. 

Disconnecting is SO hard in the cyber world we live in. We have so much constantly available at the click of a button on a screen. 

It’s hard for me to shut down. I struggle to sit and watch a movie without thinking I need to check my phone. I fail at this again and again. But when I do turn it all off, I’m so grateful I made the choice to unplug, look in my children’s eyes, and see and hear them with nothing else to grab my attention.

So turn it off. Make those family nights happen!

And I’m happy to have you help me be accountable to shut down the screens. Every day. Every week. To just stop it all and make time to just BE - our family of 6 who sees and hears each other.

Each Monday I participate in the #SimplyBloggers Blog Hop! This week we are talking family nights. Check out more fun ideas...

Allie is sharing a Scavenger Hunt idea!

Heather is sharing 5 Naturally Fun Family Activities

Melissa is sharing Top 10 Family Fun Night Ideas

-Jessica

Follow our family's stories in our daily vlogs on YouTube HERE!

Jessica Newland is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I Said Yes...

I am busy.  I get easily distracted.  I don't always take time to be with my kids.  Some days I could waste hours on the computer if I let myself.  

There.  I said it.  I'm human, and I've been realizing once again how quickly time flies.  This week I have been contemplating how I spend my time, and realizing how often I postpone things my kiddos ask.  I get tired, busy, and frequently answer "not now" or "maybe" and never really intend to follow through.  While this thought has been following me around this week, I read a post from Kristen at Little House Joy today.  Go ahead.  Read her thoughts, and then come back.  Has she been reading my mind?  Serious.  I couldn't believe what I was reading. That's exactly what I've been thinking about.  

I've frequently wondered lately "what will my kids remember me as when they look back on their years at home?"  Will they remember a mom who was too busy cleaning or on the computer and didn't have time to listen or play with them?  Oh how I hope not.  I do think though that I need to be more aware of this & focus on them.  While I still have them under my wing I want to make the most of every opportunity.

So today I said yes!  I was baking the most delicious muffins ever (more on that later this week!) and Daniel asked to help.  Oh how easy it is to say "not this time" and quick get them in the oven.  But I said yes and allowed him to help.  After the muffins were in the oven, he asked me to play a board game with him.  He asks this a LOT, and I usually say "later."  But later rarely comes.  So right then and there I said yes.  Before I knew it the older two were joining in.  And although the kitchen and dishes didn't get cleaned before the muffins came out of the oven, I don't regret saying yes at all.  

It's not always easy to say yes and I think it takes a daily effort to put my selfish wants and desires aside & put them first.  Lots to ponder. (of course this doesn't mean I'm going to give them everything they want and spoil them!)

And now just a little teaser.  I am so over the moon for these muffins that I need to gather my words & pictures to tell you about the little beauties.  They were wonderful.  Do you see that delicious glaze on top?   Yummo!

My eyes are ever on the Lord,
Jessica

Bowling - for free!

I was asked by one of the friends in my online Hello Mornings accountability group what the best and worst part of this week was.  The best came to mind quickly.  We joined the website Kids Bowl Free this summer and went for our first time yesterday.  (Kids bowl free allows each child 13 and younger to bowl 2 games free every day this summer.)  It was AWESOME!  This is the first summer where I have really noticed the large age span affecting our activities.  My oldest son who is 12 is not always eager to join in on some of the things my younger kids would like to do.  But this was fun for ALL!  I know we won't go every day like it offers (we still paid $7.50 total for shoe rental) but even once a week will be a nice activity to break up the mundane.  I didn't pay for myself to bowl - I sat with little Z and fed him his bottle and cheered the kids on.  They're already asking when we can go again.  The only drawback I saw is the deal isn't offered on the weekends and of course my husband is working every weekday.  Hopefully he'll be able to take a day off and join us sometime as the kids were already asking when daddy can come with us.

What activities have you found that are enjoyed by a wide range of ages?!  Any extra cheap ideas?

Choosing Sabbath

I am choosing to change my day.  Today I am stopping and resting.  Today I am putting God and my family first.  I find myself even on the weekends putting housework above my family.  I can be such a perfectionist that it cleaning and stressing about it consumes my entire day.  We attend church on Saturday nights and then on Sundays my husband works at both services.  So I "could" have the entire morning to let the kiddos watch TV and I could clean and do laundry.  That's what I did last week and I admit, it was nice!

But instead we are going to leave the house for the morning with library books in hand.  The 4 of us are going to sit and sip at Panera and spend time reading books together and talking.  I don't know how long my 4 yr. old and 11 month old will last.  But then we'll walk the nearby shops.  I need to learn to relax, rest, and take a Sabbath from the normal routines and chores.

School Morning Rush

I have a love/hate relationship with mornings.  One of my favorite times of day is my 5:30 appointment with God.  Everyone is still asleep and it's just me with my Bible and a hot cup of coffee.  This always helps me start my day on the right foot.  After my quiet time and getting myself ready, it's time to wake the troops.  I have a 6th grader and a 2nd grader and two kiddos still at home.  It amazes me how I can go from calm and peaceful to rushed, barely making it out the door, and frustrated words tend to get spoken.  Once my kids and husband head out the door I don't know how we once again survived the rush!

My 12 year old and I sat down and brainstormed.  How can we make the mornings more peaceful?  We started by making a list of all that had to be done before they left in the mornings.

Our list:
Get dressed
Make Bed
Brush Hair
Belt on
Socks and shoes on
Breakfast eaten
Lunches packed
Teeth brushed
Bag packed
Coat on
Devotions/prayer together
Out the door

We made a morning schedule where we wrote down the time they needed to be out the door and worked backwards figuring out what needed to be done when.  Family devotions was a big thing that usually got shoved aside because of running out of time, and I was happy to see when we scheduled every activity we had time for morning devotions and the kids were ready EARLY!  Yes!  This has worked wonders for us, and has made our mornings much more peaceful and calm.

What do you do to get everyone out the door for school on time? I'd love to hear your ideas!

What's Really Important?

This week is Spring Break, and I’ve loved having the kids home from school.  Unfortunately the week has flown by!  I began the week with big plans.  I had a big list of spring cleaning and doing some extra housework.  Why not?  The kids are home, lets crank it out!  But then I began to look at it through their eyes.  This is a BREAK from the mundane of school.  What’s more important?  Getting the house squeaky clean?  Or being together, enjoying one another, and having some fun!  I’ve set my lofty goals aside, and even though we don’t have the money for a big vacation, we have had fun outside enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather, visited a park, went to the library, and even spent some time at the McDonalds play area. (Germ infested play area, I’m sure, but they had fun!)  The dirty baseboards will still be there next week.  I’ll get to it eventually!

I don’t want to not miss these moments with my kids while they are young.  I don’t want to be so distracted with the housework and time spent on the computer that I miss out on really listening to them and spending time together.  I fall short ALL the time.  I’m ashamed to admit that sometimes I hear them repeat “Mom, are you listening to me?”  OUCH!  No – I was distracted with facebook or blog reading.  Sorry honey, what did you say?  I don’t want to be that woman.  I want to give my kids my entire focus and love. 

So I’m shutting down the web browser.  I won’t fold another basket of laundry today.  We are going to enjoy today, and not miss any moments together!  Monday morning school will be here soon!

Fun Pancakes

My middle two kids favorite meal is pancakes.  They want pancakes for breakfast.  They want pancakes for snack.  They want pancakes any time they can get them!  We've made up a new phrase in our house.  When Daniel (3) wants to snack on a pancake during the day he asks for "pancake like a cookie."  I guess the good thing is they're not necessarily going to leave crumbs all over my house like a real cookie would!

My favorite way to make pancakes is to put the batter into a squeeze condiment bottle.  I think I got mine for .99 at Walmart.  We make fun shapes and today we even spelled out the kids' names.  I'm going to get brave and show you my kitchen.  Before I started making pancakes this morning I was sitting at the table doing my morning devotions.  I looked at my clean kitchen and inside applauded myself for getting it so clean the night before after dinner.  Now, after making breakfast, it looks like this!

I guess it's time to get busy cleaning!  The smiles on my kids faces this morning with their own "name" pancakes were worth it.  What do you do to make meal time fun for your family?