It's time to get the kids ready to go back to school. What? So soon? Yes, back to school time is here and even though you are busy enjoying the last days of summer, there's work to be done to get your kids ready. No need to panic though. This checklist will help you stay in control and prepare for the new school season with ease.  First Steps Make sure your child is properly registered for school. Schedule any doctor or dental appointments if needed, to meet any immunization requirements before school starts. Get those medical forms signed by your doctor. If you don't know what immunizations …

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games begin this Friday and my family is excited. I was lucky enough to get to attend the Olympic Games in Atlanta, and ever since then I have been a huge fan of the Games. I love the athletic feats, the back stories on the athletes, and the traditions of the Games like pin trading. I was amazed at how truly celebratory the event was for athletes and audience alike.  So, my family is really looking forward to watching our favorite events during this Summer's Olympic Games like basketball, beach volleyball, diving, and gymnastics. But it's just as much fun to host our …

Are your kids counting down the hours until school is out? Do you have a family tradition of doing something special on the last day of school to kick off your summer fun? Whether you are dreading the end of school or thoroughly looking forward to summer break, the last day of school is a great opportunity to have some fun and make some memories. So parents, take the day off if you can and have some FUN! Here are some creative ideas on how to celebrate. 5 Ways to Celebrate the Last Day of School like hosting an impromptu neighborhood firepit party or cooking your kids favorite meal together…

  Moms are jumping onto the Pinterest bandwagon in droves.  It’s on one of the fastest growing sites and with millions of users a month, it’s the hot place for Moms to hang out online. According to MarketingBit.com, almost 70 percent of Pinterest users are females and 50 percent are Moms. What’s the attraction? It’s fun. But, I think what keeps them coming back is the value the site offers to help Moms simplify and improve their lives. What is Pinterest?   It’s a social sharing site that functions as a virtual “pinboard”. When you see a great blog post, recipe, article, or photo online, you …

One of our Moms Talk readers suggested this week’s topic – How to find free child care. Whether you are a Mom (or Dad) working from home and you need some focused work time, or you have an important home project to get done, or the regular sitter called in sick, or you just crave a few hours to yourself, we all find ourselves in situations where we need some childcare coverage. What options do parents have when they don’t really need a permanent child care provider or don't want to pay child care fees to get a project done? Take a deep breath because help is available. You might need to pay …

Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach and weekly contributor to Patch.com. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, newspapers, magazines, blogs, as well as her own family fun resource blog ChocolateCakeMoments.com. Now that the snow and the cold have settled in for the winter, how is your family going to stay active? With gym class at school eliminated or practically eliminated and kids spending way too much time in front of computers or TV, it's hard to make sure they will get a good 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Put some freezing temperatures on top of that and it …

Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach and weekly contributor to Patch.com. She created ChocolateCakeClub.com and ChocolateCakeMoments.com both sites dedicated to helping busy families have more fun together. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, newspapers, magazines, and blogs.  This year, instead of focusing on self improvement, I wanted to work with my husband and kids to create resolutions to improve the "health" of our family. Last year was a hard one for our family and I really wanted to work on a plan to strengthen the family bond by spending more quality time together, …

Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach and weekly contributor to Patch.com. She created ChocolateCakeClub.com and ChocolateCakeMoments.com both sites dedicated to helping busy families have more fun together. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, newspapers, magazines, and blogs.  This is the second week that kids are off from school. Are your kids bored, yet? Driving you nuts? Mine sure are, so I put together some really fun ideas for crafts, cooking together, and activities to make the kids smile and help Mom keep her sanity. Fun in the Kitchen Spending time together in the …

Family traditions are wonderful, aren’t they? The anticipation. The preparation. Knowing that your family has done this activity in the past and will continue to do so, makes an activity powerful. Hopefully, your family traditions also are a load of fun, because the Holidays are all about spending time together as a family. Although we all love traditions, it doesn’t mean you can’t adapt or update things. Variety is the spice of life! What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t like the new activity and you don’t do it again next year. You may already have a few traditions in place but I …

Thanksgiving is over and the Holiday Season is well underway. Are you having fun yet? The Holidays are a great opportunity to have fun with your family. However, the season is short and there is a lot to do – gift buying, baking, wrapping, Holiday parties, decorating, and writing and addressing cards, to name a few. Don’t let the stress of the Holiday Season overwhelm you! After all, the Holidays are all about family. To inspire you, here are some fun ideas to try with your family to relax and actually enjoy the Holiday Season.  Holiday Game Night. Pick a evening, put your favorite Holiday …

Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach and weekly contributor to Patch.com. She’s the founder of ChocolateCakeClub.com and ChocolateCakeMoments.com both sites dedicated to helping busy families have more fun together. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on ABC Chicago, WGN TV, and NBC Chicago. When she’s not working, she is CFO (Chief Fun Officer) for her family. It’s almost time to trick or treat! My kids are excited and looking forward to Halloween night. To keep Halloween night fun though, everyone needs to stay safe. Here are some helpful tips to make sure your kids have a happy …

Autumn is my family’s favorite time of year. The weather is cooler, the trees look gorgeous, we admire the neighborhood Halloween decorations, it’s football season, and we go nuts for Pumpkin Spice Donuts.  However, it's also a busy time of year. With school, afterschool activities, homework, and even upcoming Holiday plans sometimes it's hard to schedule time to enjoy the season. So, to make sure we don’t miss out on a minute of our favorite seasonal activities, we create a Fall Family Fun Plan or a bucket list of activities we want to do this Fall. We pick a night and at dinner everyone …

Kids love birthdays and they look forward to their parties with great anticipation. Knowing how important it is to them, some years I want to put on my SuperMom cape and do something special. If you want to a throw a truly memorable party for your child, consider having a fun party right at home. You can do it and not lose your sanity. Here’s 10 reasons why I think you should host your kids' birthday parties at home. Your kids will thank you! 1. You won’t just be a number on a party room door. I have been to so many birthday party places (or mills as I like to call them) where the scarce …

This column is dedicated to giving you great local deals each week that will help your family’s bottom line. You are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to our comment box. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together. Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions:   1. Popeyes - 45 N. Northwest Hwy. Palatine Deal: $2.99 2 pieces chicken, regular side and biscuit Available: Every Tuesday   2. Discount Muffler, Brake & Automotive - 620 W. Colfax Rd. Palatine Deal: Oil Change and Lube with Filter $18.99. Coupon @ …

Now that school is starting, does the idea of packing a healthy lunch for your kids make you break into a nervous sweat? Are you at a loss for creative ideas? Do your kids come home telling you that they didn’t eat because they didn’t like anything in their lunch box? Don’t fear! Getting your child to eat his or her lunch just takes a little planning and creativity. Use these ideas to make your packed lunch the highlight of your kids’ day. 1. Shake it up.Prepare an old lunch in a new way. Instead of a regular peanut butter and jelly on white bread (ho hum), make Pinwheel PB&Js by rolling up …

School starts in a few days! Getting your kids to switch from the carefree, unstructured days of summer into a Back-to-School routine can be a challenge. “I don’t want to go to bed!” “Why can't I stay up?” But with the new school season creeping closer, we need to get the kids (and the parents) back on track, so we aren't so sluggish and disorganized when school begins. With just a little advanced planning, you can get the family organized and ready for school. 1. Get Some Sleep. A week or two before school starts, get the kids back onto a school night sleep routine. No more waking up at noon…

If your child is headed to kindergarten, middle school or high school this year, they may be nervous about what to expect. These are big transitions! Whether your child is excited and eager to go to the new school or anxious and unsure, here are some tips to smooth the transitions and start the year off right.   Don’t Miss Orientations. No matter what grade your kids are entering this year, be sure to attend Back-to-School Nights and Meet the Teacher(s) events before school starts. It makes a huge difference to see a friendly face on the first day of school. Be relaxed but excited. Kids can …

The Back-to-School shopping season has officially started. Stores have swapped their summer merchandise for Fall clothing and back-to-school essentials, so good luck finding a bathing suit now. Have you started shopping yet to send your kids back to school or off to preschool? Here are some money saving and bargain shopping tips to make this Back-to-School season a little easier on the wallet.  1. Always have your school supplies list with you. You never know when you’ll run into a bargain somewhere. Start checking off the items as you buy them to avoid duplicates.  2. Only buy what you need…

According to the last U.S. census, more babies are born in July and August than any other time of the year. What does that mean? Summer birthday parties! While everyone is watching their spending these days, you still want to give your kids a memorable party, right? Good news! Here are some ideas on how to spend less on a birthday party without sacrificing the fun.  1. A Scribble is Fine. I like a beautiful invitation as much as the next person but let’s face it, it’s going into the garbage as soon as the party date has passed. For adults, a party invitation sets the mood for the event. For …

Every summer I find myself facing the same predicament: how can I keep the kids busy so I can get work done? I work from home full-time and while my job is very flexible, I have project deadlines. Some of you may have been lucky enough to arrange to work from home more in the summer time. However, with the economy still down, many families are opting to keep their kids home from summer camp to avoid the extra expense. With a few weeks of summer behind us now, I’ve learned a few tips on how to get work done. Here are some ideas: 1. Plan for the unexpected. One of the perks of working from home…