Movie Night: Alex & Me

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We stumbled across this movie and it is just darling.  If you have any soccer players in your home, this is for you!

Alex & Me features real-life soccer star Alex Morgan as herself in a story of a young player trying to find her way.  I love that it's rated G, but definitely not something my kiddos would consider a "baby movie."  You can rent it on Amazon Video here or buy the DVD here.

I was excited to roll out my turf I bought for my Father's Day Brownie Sundae Bar.  It was a perfect "tablecloth" for this movie night.

I didn't want to put a dirty soccer ball on the table, but my son's jerseys made a fitting addition to the centerpiece.

Soccer ball plates and paper napkins tied around the flatware with a little ribbon finish out the table.

No movie night is complete without an after-dinner treat.  We just love mixing popcorn and Caramel M&M's for that delightful salty and sweet combo.  A friend gave me these Kate Spade popcorn bowls for Christmas.  Aren't they cute?

This little gem of a movie is fun for boys and girls alike, and suitable for all ages.  In other words, it's a winning strategy for a successful family movie night!

Flamingo Fun Cereal Station

It's no secret I'm flamingo crazy.  When I spotted these bowls at Homegoods I knew I had to have them and they would make a darling addition to our cereal station.

My patient and kind husband went along on a mission for "pink cereal."  We found plenty!

Our jars are filled to the brim with pink cereal goodness.

These handy scoops make it easy to serve and I find my kids do much better with these than trying to dump cereal out from the boxes.

The bowls are both darling and made of melamine, so they are extra kid-friendly.

Our family goes through plenty of cereal, especially with a growing boy in the mix.  

Check out my other cereal stations for: 4th of July, Fall, Christmas and Valentine's Day.

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Summer Snail Mail: Why Your Kids Should Write Letters

I absolutely love to receive mail... in fact I get excited every time I see the postal delivery truck at the end of my driveway!  I also love to send mail and I'm doing my best to pass that joy on to my kids.  For as long as I can remember, I've tasked them with writing letters in the summer time.  Here's are my top reasons why this is a great practice for children...

Keep those writing skills up

Letter writing is a fun way to keep up their handwriting, spelling, grammar and creativity.  All those skills they use in school can easily fade during the summer months and writing a letter keeps them in practice.  Before my kids could write, I had them draw pictures to mail to others.  Whatever their skill level, put it to use.

Be a blessing to friends and family

My kids have three great grandparents who are still living and they are all out of state.  They are always thrilled to get a letter from the kids.  We also write to other relatives near and far, as well as friends.  My daughter actually has a friend from preschool who moved away several years ago... they still exchange letters now and then and it's so fun to see that friendship endure through elementary school.

Give and you will recieve

Once you start mailing letters out... you'll see letters start to come back to you!  It's a joy when the recipients of our letters return the favor.  My children are always overjoyed to see something addressed to them in our mailbox.

Preserve a charming part of the past

I love to text as much as the next person, but you can never replace the delight of a handwritten note.  In a world of "LOL" I want my kids to know how to write someone a meaningful letter or card.  Our summer letters are my way of keeping the fading tradition of snail mail alive in our family and for others. 

I encourage you to pick up some stamps, print out some addresses of those you love, and get your kids writing.  They'll soon be racing to the mailbox awaiting those sweet replies!