Author: Christine

I'm a wife and mother to 3 kids living in Denver. I'm a Vacation Planning Specialist and love to travel with my family.
Health

Quarantine Lessons

Christine

I’m trying to be positive and trying to see this as a glass half full type of situation. I know this is not permanent and I can get through this day by day.

That brings me to the first lesson I’ve learned through all this, I need to take things day by day, sometimes hour by hour. I can’t focus on the worries of tomorrow, or when this will end, it will not do me any good. I need to focus on this day and be thankful to have a roof over my head, enough food to eat and a healthy family.

We can live on less. Fewer things to purchase, fewer activities that take us away from the home. Fewer ingredients to make the perfect meal, right now it’s what we can substitute and still make the meal work.

I can appreciate the small things. A beautiful sunset, the sound of my son’s laughter, a cozy home that I get to spend ALL my time, Minecraft to occupy my kids, and a strong Internet connection to name a few. All these things make quarantine doable, am I right?

A strong family unit will help get you through the hard times. Sure my kids are fighting amongst themselves but I know at the same time they are growing closer. My husband and I can enjoy our family without all the shuttling the kids from one activity or another.

I need to be thankful for what I have and not focus on what I’m missing. A strong marriage, kids that are adaptable, my husband’s job, time to focus on myself and my hobbies. Time to find out what my hobbies are besides watching reality TV. All these blessings and more are a reason to be thankful.

Another lesson I’ve learned is my faith will sustain me. I need to lean on Jesus when I get overwhelmed, I need to trust that He has a plan

Please share somethings you have learned during this time in your life, comment below!

The Macaroni Mama Blog

A Different Type of Easter

Christine

I hope you all had a nice Easter with your families. I know it’s strange to not get up and go to church, celebrate with your fellow Christians, exclaiming “He Has Risen”!

Our Easter did look different, we were missing my mom and dad, who we celebrate with and see quite often. Attending church online was different, I’m used to hugging my church people, loving on their kiddos. sharing laughs with my fellow volunteers.

We usually go out to eat in the afternoon, have someone else do the cooking, always a nice break.

Attending numerous Easter events around town, egg hunts, egg decorating parties. Sitting down with my kiddos and painting eggs etc.

We did not paint real eggs this year because my family doesn’t eat hard-boiled eggs or egg salad and honestly, I didn’t want to waste our eggs.

We decorated paper ones and hung them around our house. We went on virtual egg hunts around our neighborhood.

It’s OK to mourn the usual, we are all in unprecedented times and our normal is not normal, it’s our current reality.

Some things that remained the same this Easter, “He has Risen!”, it’s Resurrection Day!! I got to give praise to Jesus on this day. I got to worship with my church family online, maybe not face to face but we were together nonetheless.

My favorite part of the day, making resurrection rolls with my children and listening to the children’s sermon together, on the couch, in our pajamas

We always make some sort of bunny-themed breakfast, and I will do this for my children until they are adults. This year was bunny pancakes.

I was surrounded by loved ones, were we in our Sunday best, no, were we in a restaurant, no, but we were together.

My kids got to go on an egg hunt in or backyard, thankfully, I had plastic eggs in my basement and various other Easter goodies from past years and candy from Amazon.

There is an option: the glass half empty vs. half full. I choose a half-full philosophy on this Resurrection Sunday.

The Macaroni Mama Blog

Easter Fun at Home

Christine

Easter 2020 will definitely be different than past years. We try to teach our kids that sometimes plan changes and that’s OK, so as adults we need to practice what we preach.

Parents are getting very good at being creative and making lemons out of lemonade. So how are we doing Easter 2020?

Instead of attending neighborhood egg hunts, we are going on virtual ones, as we walk our neighborhood, we can spot eggs that neighbors have colored and placed in their windows.

It’s simple, download the Easter egg coloring sheets, color them, cut them out, hang them on your windows to display and you are good to go.

Here is a link to some egg coloring sheets here.

Print, color, cut and hang, it’s that simple.

Share with your neighbors and and start hunting today!!

The Macaroni Mama Blog

Three Weeks of Quarantine

Christine

March 2020 will certainly go down in the history books. It seemed like so much changed so fast. At the beginning of the month, things were changing daily then as times went on, it was changing hourly.

Like many travelers, my husband and I were planning a trip for Spring Break and family was going to watch our kids. We’d been planning this vacation for over a year and BAM, things came to a halt.

As a travel advisor, the travel business has been and will be deeply affected by all this for some time. I know that we will travel the world again and I can’t wait to start planning client trips instead of sitting on the phone for hours on end canceling and rescheduling.

I truly believe that travel advisors will be more popular than ever, don’t you want an advocate for you if something unexpected comes up? This past month has definitely shown us unforeseen events can pop up anytime. Who do you call, where do you start, a travel advisor is there for just that and at no extra cost to you.

At this point, I am just posting virtual vacations on my Facebook business page and dreaming of the sun, sand, and sounds of the ocean. You can follow me here.

Our family has been home for almost a month now, I went out one time to help my parents grocery shop. I couldn’t help feeling anxious as I ventured out into the real world. As I approached the first stoplight, I couldn’t help but think “Am I too close to this car, do I need to be 6 feet apart from the car in front of me”. Do we need to practice social distancing while driving?

We have enjoyed our Spring Break together, cleaning, organizing, playing games, having tea parties, enjoying Disney Plus, eating ALL meals together and then distance learning started.

Movies, chalk art, piano songs, gymnastic class, lots of legos, family walks and books. thriving in our 1st three weeks.

This has been the last three weeks of our lives. What have I learned? My husband and I are still compatible, my kids each need extra hugs and a sense of normalcy right now, we are a strong family unit and it’s OK to have good days and bad days.

Mostly I’ve learned that life can slow down, we can be stripped down to the bare essentials and we will be OK as long as we have our faith, our health and each other.

Stay home, stay safe and take it one day at a time!!

The Macaroni Mama Blog

Entertaining Kids Without Electronics During Covid-19

Christine

Let’s be honest we are all trying to fill the days with activities to keep our kids busy.

My last post contained activities to use with electronics, you can read it here https://paradisetravelbychristine.com/virtual-family-fun/

Today, let’s put those electronics away and have some good old fashion family fun.

After schoolwork, chores and reading are done or if you need to break up your school day there are tons of ways to entertain your kids.

Here is a list of some of the activities we are doing lately:

  • Play a board game
  • Put a puzzle together
  • Take a family walk
  • Play in the yard
  • Looks through old photos
  • Sing some songs
  • Chalk artwork outside
  • Write a letter to a friend or family member out of state
  • Artwork-paint, color, sculpt with clay or playdough
  • Build a fort
  • Learn a new song to play on an instrument you have at home
  • Have an indoor picnic or if the weather is nice an outdoor picnic
  • Play hide and seek
  • Dress up and have a family tea party-we did this with lemonade
  • Play the alphabet game
  • Teach your dog a new trick
  • Play spa and have manicures/pedicures
  • Bake cookies
  • Play restaurant, have your kids help prepare dinner, set the table and make a menu. Then they can serve you and play waiter/waitress
  • Have a dance party

I also try to have daily quiet time, where the kids are off electronics and in their own rooms playing, reading, whatever. I think they need a break from their siblings and I need some quiet of my own, from them, to get actual work done. I did this a lot when my kids stopped napping, it’s usually after lunch and by that time, mama needs a break!!

These are just a few ideas to entertain your kids without electronics. I like to look on my Facebook feed to get ideas from my friends or browse Pinterest.

You can follow my page here .

Please don’t feel like you need to be the Pinterest perfect mother, this time in our lives and the situation we are all living in, just do your best.

If your kids are loved, well-fed, a roof over their heads then they are good and so are you. Take it one day at a time mamas, you are doing great.

Share some activities you are doing with your kids, I’d love to get some new ideas.

The Macaroni Mama Blog

Virtual Family Fun

Christine

Image if this quarantine had happened when we were kids? What would distance learning look like? Would we have to rely on a telephone chain to communicate?

How lucky are we that this happened in 2020? Social distancing is the buzz word of the moment, but in reality, we are not socially distant are we?

Facebook, Instagram, Google Hangouts, Facetime, Zoom calls, the possibilities for a social connection are everywhere. The possibilities to connect are endless.

Some great ideas to do with your kiddos during their electronic time:

  • Have a virtual playdate with a friend
  • Have grandparent read a book to your child on Facetime
  • Facetime in a family member during a meal
  • E -visit museums
  • Virtually ride attractions at Disney World
  • Fun Tic Toc videos
  • Have the kiddos make an I-movie trailer (Thanks Apple Camp!!)
  • Virtual Fieldtrips of National Parks
  • An online step by step canvas artwork
  • Take a fitness class on YouTube

Of course, we are limiting screentime until after all homework, chores, and reading are done but they are allowed more than usual right now.

Next time, I’ll post our non-electronic playtime ideas.

Let me hear what you are doing with your family in the comments below-sharing is caring.

The Macaroni Mama Blog

Our New Normal

Christine

Hello friends!! Week two of quarantine has begun as well as our distance learning programs.

I have a 6th grader, a 3rd grader, and a preschooler. The girls have been doing really well, the teacher’s plans, instructions, and guidance has been wonderful. Emails have been returned quickly when we have questions.

I must admit I enjoy working with my preschooler, it’s fun to see what he’s learning and guide him along the way. He just started reading books and it’s amazing to see how quickly he’ll be a full-on reader.

We’ve been sticking to a school schedule, getting outside time. It’s been 60 degrees here so that is helpful. All that snow has melted away.

The kids have been getting their PE time via Youtube with Joe Wick’s daily PE classes, super fun, and the kids love it. He’s a PE teacher and will post a new workout each weekday.

    My kids enjoying their workouts with Joe!

    Hang in there Mamas, you are doing great and remember to take it one day at a time.

    Health, The Macaroni Mama Blog

    Give Us This Day Our Daily Schedule

    Christine

    Hello friends, self-quarantine day three, just had to stop and check it is Wednesday, lol.

    We have not started distance learning since we are still on spring break. The weather in Colorado has been warm so we have been getting outside most days.

    I had to make a schedule for us to limit screen time and get in some spring cleaning. I’ve scheduled a few donation pickups to get motivated.

    I made the schedule for our family just to give some sort of structure. I told my husband that I feel like the movie Groundhog’s Day, the same thing over and over.

    There have been many schedules popping up online, that you can just Google. I’ll attach mine as well.

    I didn’t type it all fancy because who has time for that?!?

    I’ve told my kids things are flexible and may change but we are organizing, purging and I know I feel better when my kitchen counter is uncluttered and things are organized.

    Just find what keeps you calm and do it one day at a time.

    Health, The Macaroni Mama Blog

    Social Distancing, Self-Quarantine and Coronavirus oh my…

    Christine

    Well, friends, it has been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks so say the least. Last week my husband and I were packing to go on a 2nd honeymoon of sorts with a Southern Caribbean cruise. There was a bit of concern over this Coronavirus thing that was happening far away in China but nothing too bad, right?!?

    Cut to Friday where we decided to postpone our cruise, the kids are on a home learning program, mass panic in all the grocery stores, and a two-week quarantine for us all.

    Wait, what? How did we get here so fast? Being in the travel industry, I was constantly checking my email, business Facebook pages, cruise line Websites, Disney Websites, everything, I was on my phone constantly. It was very overwhelming, all over the travel industry, they were changing their iron-clad cancellation policies.

    I had some clients cancel, move things around and postpone including myself. I have been on hold countless hours to help my clients. Although the travel industry has taken so many hits right now, I know it will bounce back stronger and better. And I think Travel Advisors will flourish in the future. You want an advocate to fight for you, reschedule for you, be up to date on all the current news because, at times like this, the information was pouring in so quickly and changing hourly, how can my client keep up.

    I decided while the kids are home I am cutting back on social media, you guys, it was draining me. I was panicked, fearful and stressed out.

    I need to refocus on my family, our blessings and know that He has got this. My kids need to feel safe and I need to provide that for them.

    In these uncertain times, I can only pray, take care of my family, count my blessing, wash my hands and take it one day at a time. Raise your hand if you loved that show?

    Health, The Macaroni Mama Blog

    Snow Much Time at Home

    Christine

    In Denver, we have had a rough, cold winter so far. We usually get more sunny days than in Hawaii. But this winter has seemed looong, dark and cold. We haven’t had those days where you can go to the park and play. There is too much snow and ice and the playgrounds are all muddy.

    The cold and flu this year is pretty bad as well so we have been laying low so to speak and trying to avoid the germs out there too.

    This season, I am struggling with was to burn off my kid’s energy.

    My 5-year-old is a homebody, to begin with, and loves a good PJ day so he is more than happy to stay at home.

    Since he is Junior Kindergarten, we get a homework packet to do each week, so we do that daily. We also do some other type of school work, either cutting paper, writing our name or learning letters and numbers.

    He is in a huge Lego phase right now, so he loves to play with those. Our basement is like a Lego minefield at the moment.

    I also put all the many, many, many Christmas presents that Grandma and Grandpa had given my kids under my bed. My kids know whenever we are super bored, I let J pull a new toy from there. I also try to rotate toys so an “old” toy seems “new” again.

    Do you want to build a snowman? All else fails, bundle up, go outside and play in the snow with your kiddos. Make sure you have hot chocolate when you return, one of our favorites.

    A mom needs to be creative when stuck in the house. I also let him pick out 3 long books, that honestly at bedtime, I’m too tired to read. So I let J pick them out and he loves for me to read him these “special long books”.

    Some activities I’d like to try more are:

    • Homemade Playdough
    • More Arts and craft projects
    • Indoor picnic
    • Teddy Bear tea party
    • Make our own children’s book

    What are some of your favorite snow day activities? Please share in the comments below.