Three Things : Weekdays + Creative Family Giveaway

We love reading books before bedtime! Love your blog-there's always something inspirational to come see!

I am a big fan of the super simple "eating dinner together" as one of the best ways for us to stay connected. we try to eat together at least 5 nights a week. It really is a great way to unwind, hear a bit about everyone's day and truly feel like a family.

We eat dinner together every night as a family and on the weekends we watch cartoons in mommy and daddy's bed before we go down for breakfast.

This looks like a great book!
Amber
California

Last year my husband and I bought bikes and a kiddie trailer and go for bike rides all summer long, checking out all the paths and taking the bikes with when we go camping.
Been eyeing this book, and would love to win it! --Rachelle B.

We play a lot of games together in the evening after dinner. When the kids were younger, we played a lot of hide-n-go seek, especially in the winter -or hot-n-cold. In the summer we like to play wiffle ball baseball or kickball. Board games and card games have had there places in the mix as well. Fun and it gets conversations going.

I love just being with my family and hanging out. Having Sunday dinner all together is a great way to stay connected- we prepare the meal together, eat around the table, enjoy conversation, clean up, and relax! Often there is a board game or two afterwards or playing in the backyard with the grandkids.

I have been yearning for that book!
I enjoy everything we do together as a family. We love to watch Planet Earth with popcorn & m&ms, we read together, we pray together. I recently decided to suck it up and do the necessary work for more family dinners, all together. My family has resisted this in the past, but I just decided to plow ahead. And you know what? Now they won't even let me get away with one night without doing it! Everyone talks about what's going on in his/her life, everyone is heard, everyone knows more about everyone else, everyone jokes and laughs. It pretty much rocks.

We all just stop what we are doing at night and make an ice cream run to our local shop...the kids love that we will stop on a dime and run out for a treat! And they never know when it's going to happen either.

wow, Ali thanks for the question I always love perusing the ideas of your faithful readers! For us daily we do High/Lo at the dinner table --each person tells one of each from the day. Some of our favorite times though are summer--my husband and I both are in education so summer means lots of together time--swimming, traveling, trampoline jumping (daily), visits to the zoo etc. When my kids are visiting gma/pa...I find that I really miss our daily talk/silly time we have in the car. The book looks fabulous!

Last year my husband and I bought bikes and a kiddie trailer for the baby. We go ride the local paths and take them with us when we camp, that way our little one can go too and we get our exercise. Been eyeing this book and would l♥ve to win it! --Rachelle B.

While there are many favorites that our family enjoys together, the one favorite activity we seem to be able to do most often is eating dinner together outside on the porch. With the cool breeze, outdoor sounds and limited distractions, all the stress of the day melts away and we always end up relaxing and lingering longer than any meal indoors and it gives us more time with each other to connect. Definitely a fave!

Our Favorite thing to do as a family is to go to our local Forest Preserves and go for a nice long walk. Look at plants, flowers, trees, leaves, ducks, geese, birds. just simply talk and walk and enjoy the quiet and each other.
tara

I think the boys enjoy any activity we do all together as a family. Playing baseball is a favorite, swimming in the pool, running through the sprinklers (they love it because my husband and I run through too!)Going to the museum at Green Feild Villiage, riding the train in the park,etc. We are apart so much do to work, school, sports, that anytime we are all together is special! This past weekend-we were all together for two whole days, I can't remember the last time that has happened-it was nice and we even went for ice cream!

I think our favorite family activity is dancing and being silly. My husband plays his electric guitar and we all sing along and dance like crazy. Its a ton of fun and a great way to use up energy.

My great niece and great nephew love to sit down with pictures and ask me questions about their family that have passed before they were born i.e. my mother and father.
We talk about the way they resemble each other and things that are alike about them. I believe that it makes the children feel that they are connected to their relatives.

during dinner we have xm playing (usually 80s music) and after dinner dd and oldest ds love to dance to whatever is playing. me and the baby, along with dh will join in most times.

It looks like an amazing book! I have the little table that I used as a child (my dad made it!) all ready for Crosby,my 18 month old son,in my studio so that we can work side by side on our respective projects. Unfortunately I think it will be a bit before he is ready for that. Right now when he comes into my studio he's pretty much on a search and destroy mission.....:)

We love to go for bike rides and hang out together. But my favourite time is right before bed, when we have a snack and we read a Bible story together, say our high and low of the day, and then pray together. A great way to connect as a family.

Right now my family is just my husband and me, but we've started traditions already that we hope to continue when we have kids. One of our favorite things to do is make homemade pizzas together on Friday nights. We make whole wheat crust and each person gets to pick their toppings! Yum! After we make pizza we will either play a board game, play the Wii or watch a movie. SO fun!