PHS Weekly Review

PHS Weekly Review

Feb 13, 2022 | PHS Weekly Review, Just for Moms, Transitioning Teens to Adulthood

(PHS) Week In Review!

How are you this week?

Parenting Wisdom

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all.” — Dale Carnegie

Here is some wisdom…
When we think about the Olympics, this quote really hits home for me. My family loves watching all the events, and boy are some of them crazy!
These athletes have trained for years, if not most of their entire lives just to compete at these games. The time, dedication, and hard work is overwhelming. Some have won medals before, and some have had spectacular failures.
Failure is always a possibility. But, so is success.
As we talk with our teens about what success looks like, we need to remind them of the old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.” Because it’s true. Does it mean that you will win or succeed the next time, but can you be a little bit better next time? The answer is yes.
In the book, Atomic Habits, which I have been reading a little at a time, James Clear makes so many points about the process of adding in good habits, and continual work towards better success.
Are you an Olympic nerd, too??

 

Random thoughts on a cold Saturday morning in February:

•How is it Valentine’s Day tomorrow?? Do you have fun plans?

•And, tonight is the Super Bowl! Who are you rooting for? Or are you just in it for the food? -that would be me!

•Do you have a boy or girl scout? I am thinking about writing a blog post on scouting moms. Our third son is having his Eagle Board of Review in a few days, and we have been on the scouting road for the past 18 years from the year our oldest became a tiger cub to now.

What advice would you share as a scout mom? What would you like to know if your son or daughter is thinking about doing this? Let me know in the comments below!

•Read on for more great info on scholarships, parenting challenge, and lots of other helpful links! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

This week’s challenges, scholarships and helpful resources!

Connection Corner:

It’s Valentine week, so this is a great time to connect with your teen. Find a way: food, time, a short walk, watch a movie… Remember to communicate with your teen. Listen. Ask them what they need. Tell them you love them no matter what. Let them know you are there for them.

Scholarship of the Week:

Science Without Borders Challenge -This is a great one for the younger students!

Deadline: March 1, 2022

Award amount: $200-$500

Eligibility: Open to all students 11-19 years old. Students must be enrolled in primary or secondary school, or the home school equivalent.

Submit: A a piece of art that illustrates how mangroves are important.

Helpful Links:

•What are your plans for tonight? Are you watching the Super Bowl? Here are 10 last minute snacks to take or make for a party!

•Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! Here are 7 Things to Know If You Love a Teenager

•Are you looking for new bedding? Here are some incredible deals on comforters!

•Is your teen or young adult working on their resume? Are you wanting to make sure that it is a robust as it can be? Loren Kelly is your answer! This is what she does, and she is great! I have gotten to know her over the past couple of years, and I encourage you to reach out for a free consultation with her!

•What I am reading this week… I finished The Sisters of Auschwitz by Van Iperen, and I liked it a lot. I will say that are a lot of names to keep track of, but the story was so compelling, and so cool that these two sisters knew and were friends with Anne and Margot Frank!

I have just started The Rules of Magic by Hoffman, and I am hoping that I like it as much as it’s prequel (which was written later) Magic Lessons. I am still reading Atomic Habits ~ a little a timelaughing.

•Are you worried for your child’s mental health at college? Here is a sobering article about the shortage of therapists making it difficult for colleges to hire them. I will say that I had a son struggling last year, and he received help online. He is doing so much better now, and since he had never seen anyone before, the online aspect did not bother him, in fact, he said that was what he was comfortable with after taking so many classes online.

If you are at all worried, please insist that your child get help. This was the best thing that could have happened in this situation. Check in regularly!

Here are some ways that you can help. #1 way and #2 way.

•You had me at the word soup! There is nothing more heartwarming than a yummy soup on the stove for dinner, so check out these 5 delicious soup recipes!

•3 things that parents need to know about college admissions from the Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech…

•Does your teen have their own stationary? It’s always a nice thing for them to have, especially those seniors who will be getting graduation gifts…

•Our middle son is home this weekend from CDL school. He wanted to watch Miracle- the movie about the 1980 US men’s hockey team. Such a great movie, and how can I still get the chills when Rizzo finally says he plays for the US?! Here is a great list of sports movies!

•See more links below the video!

YouTube Video -Finding a part-time job… It’s time to start looking for a summer job!

•A post that gets hundreds of hits a month is this one –do you have an 18 year old?

•Here is a blog post about showing love to your teen.

Thanks so much for being a part of my life, I am such a fan of parents of teens -we need to stick together!

Have a great week!

❤️

Mel

PHS Week in Review

PHS Week in Review

Feb 6, 2022 | PHS Weekly Review, Just for Moms, Raising Teens

(PHS) Week In Review!

How are you this week?

Parenting Wisdom

“When I say I love you more, I don’t mean I love you more than you love me. I mean I love you more than the bad days ahead of us, I love you more than any fight we will ever have. I love you more than the distance between us, I love you more than any obstacle that could try and come between us. I love you the most.” – Unknown

I think that this quote was maybe not about the love of a parent for their teen, but it applies. There will be bad days. There will be fights. There will be hurt feelings on both sides. Hang in there.

Love on your teen -even through the hard and ugly days. Our teens don’t know how to manage a lot of the emotions, hormones, and just life in general as teenagers. Give them guidance, love, and time to grow.

It won’t always be easy, but, in the end, it will be worth it -I promise!

Random thoughts on a cold Saturday morning in February:

•Did you get snow this week? We got about 8 inches, and didn’t have school Wednesday through Friday! We had fun just relaxing mostly, but did get a few random chores accomplished.

•On Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to The Prom with a good friend in St. Louis at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Always a treat!

•Could you do me a favor? If you like my emails, please share with a friend. I would love to help as many parents of teens and young adults as possible!

•Read on for more great info on scholarships, parenting challenge, and lots of other helpful links!

This week’s challenges, scholarships and helpful resources!

Connection Corner:

Talk with your teen about contacting a college or two. If they are at all interested in a college, this is a great strategy for getting monies down the road during the admissions process. Which student do you think the college will actively pursue? The student who is just now applying as a senior out of the blue or the student who had formed a relationship with the college earlier as a freshman or sophomore?

Students can greatly increase admissions chances by showing “demonstrated interest.”

If your son or daughter would love to attend a college, have them call the college admissions office, ask three or four interested questions about the school, and express excitement about attending. If they do this, they’ll greatly increase their chances of being accepted (and being awarded free money merit aid to boot).

Some questions that your student could ask:

•What are the most popular activities at the school?

•How involved are the professors in the student’s lives?

•When is the best time to visit campus?

I am here to tell you that this worked for our oldest son. He reached out to his dream school in 8th grade. He and the admissions counselor for our region formed an online friendship through his senior year. This college was literally throwing money at him by the time he was making a decision. He did not end up going to this school, and it was a tough decision.

Schools keep track of all demonstrated interest! Reaching out is NOT a committment. *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

Scholarship of the Week:

Google Doodle Contest!

How to enter:

We’re excited to see some great Doodles this year! Students can work with any materials they want, but all Doodles must be entered using the entry form. Parents and teachers can mail us the completed entry form or submit it online as a .png, or .jpg. The contest is open for entries until March 4, 2022 11:59 p.m. PST, so here’s some information to help you get started:

  1. Download or print the entry form.
  2. Doodle: Artists create their Doodles using any materials they want. From crayons to clay to found objects.
  3. Write:

    1. Artist’s statement – Tell us about what you have drawn and how it represents how you care for yourself.
    2. Fill out the rest of the required information and have a parent or guardian sign the entry form.
  4. Submit:

    1. Enter the contest online (recommended) or by mail (see step 3 on the entry form for details).
    2. Entry form Doodles: If the Doodle is created directly on our entry form, you can either upload them to our site as a .jpg or .png (visit the enter tab) or mail them in (address listed on the enter tab).
    3. Other Doodles: If the Doodle wasn’t created directly on our entry form, take a high-res digital photo or scan of the Doodle in good lighting and combine it with the entry form.

    4. Doodles will be grouped and judged by the following 5 grade groups:

      • Grades K-3
      • Grades 4-5
      • Grades 6-7
      • Grades 8-9
      • Grades 10-12
  • There is a lot more info on their page, so go there to read more about this!

Helpful Links:

•Just for today, you can still go to this link to get the All-Access Pass for the Next Phase Parenting Summit from January. Go now while it’s still just $21 -until midnight tonight! And, the Action Pack will disappear forever after midnight.

•Do you have a student athlete? Have you heard of the “broken leg test”?

•Speaking of sports… The Superbowl is next Sunday. My Chiefs didn’t make it, but I know it will be a great game! If you have a student living away from you, here is a great ideas for a care package!

•I forgot to talk about what I was reading last week! So, here goes… Still working on Atomic Habits, and there are so many nuggets of gold in it!

I just read a quick book -would be a great beach read for spring break! (Will it ever be spring?) The Inheritance by Ross, I loved it, fun read about 3 sisters, a vinyard, handsome men, and a grandma with a story to tell about WW2.

Finally, I am currently reading The Sisters of Auschwitz by Iperen, and I am liking it very much -based on information the author found in an old house. I promise my next book will not be about WW2 -it just keeps happening! Here is the link to the author’s story of finding so many hidden rooms, documents and photographs.(It was originally called The High Nest -the name givent to the house.)

A picture of the original book

•Are you affected by SAD? Seasonal affective disorder… This affects me every winter, and here is something that was recommended to me. I am here to tell you that it helps so much. After so many grey days, I look forward to my 20 minutes in front of this each day. I drink a cup of tea and go through my emails for the day!

•It’s Black History month… Here are some great books to check out for better understanding.

•I was on a podcast! Joyfully Raising Grands with Laura Leigh is a wonderful podcast for grandparents who find themselves back in the parenting role with their grandkids due to one circumstance or another… We had a great talk about raising teens today.

•Do you take collagen? My good friend recommended this to me on a girl’s trip last year. I put the unflavored in my coffee each morning, and I have seen such a difference in my nails and hair! I want to try the strawberry lemonade to add to water sometime! (I will say the scoop has gotten bigger, so I use the original one -probably a teaspoon less. I have this on my Subscribe and Save order!)

 

•Have you heard of forest bathing? Very cool concept, and one that I appreciate as a the teacher of preschoolers. Free play outside is such a positive experience! This is true even in winter…

•Did your student take the December ACT? If not, this advantage is also true in April and June! Order the TIR!

•Is your senior pulling away from you? I know how you feel having gone through this twice now, and next year will be number 3 for me. It is a truly a bittersweet time. Here is some advice…

•Do you know someone who is grieving? There are many types of loss, not just death. Here are some easy and useful ways to help someone going through this process. This is something we need to help our teens know how to do…

 •Are you looking for scholarship help? I often link to things by my friend Monica Matthews. She has an amazing free Facebook group that is very active that you should check out!

•See more links below the video!

YouTube Video -all about dating for teens in this month of love…

•Still looking for Valentine fun? 49 Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s

•A post that gets hundreds of hits a month is this one –do you have an 18 year old?

Thanks so much for being a part of my life, I am such a fan of parents of teens -we need to stick together!

Have a great week!

❤️

Mel

PHS Weekly Review

PHS Week in Review

Jan 29, 2022 | PHS Weekly Review, Just for Moms, Raising Teens

(PHS) Week In Review!

How are you this week?

Parenting Wisdom

“Moving on is easy. It’s staying moved on that’s trickier.” ― Katerina Stoykova Klemer

Isn’t this the truth? It’s hard to move on sometimes, but once you have, it’s almost harder to keep moving without looking back and thinking, “What if…?”

As we learn more, gather information, and try new things, it’s important to make sure that we don’t get bogged down in what has happened before. Just because something happened before, doesn’t mean that it will happen again.

I encourage you to not look back.

Our teens need the chance to mess up, and then prove that they can learn from their mistakes. If they don’t learn, then it’s time to intervene. I think back to growing up, and I am so thankful for the chances I had to prove that I had learned a lesson. I wanted, needed the chance to move forward and prove to myself, and them, that I could do it!

*This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

Random thoughts on a cold Saturday morning in January:

•My friend Laura and I had such a great week together in Springfield, MO during our summit! Did you attend? SO MUCH GOOD INFO!

•Coming home was really nice though! Got to see my preschoolers on Friday for the first time since I had Covid on January 12! I missed my little people…

•The Chiefs played an amazing game last Sunday, and they play the Bengals this afternoon! I am hoping that they can play well, but not give their fans heart attacks like last week!

•Have you watched The Gilded Age? I had it recommended to me from several people. I watched the first episode. I didn’t like it. I LOVED Downton Abbey, and maybe my expectations were too high. What are your thoughts?

I have rounded up some great things for you this week, so….

Read on for more!

This week’s challenges, scholarships and helpful resources!

Connection Corner:

This is the final Sunday in January! Are you ready to show your teen some love?

There are so many ways that you can do this.

Each day you put a post-it on their door with a reason you love them. You could make a list that is private and put it in a card for Valentine’s Day. You could think of 14 simple things to do to show your love: do their laundry one day, cook a favorite meal, give them a little cash -just because…

The ideas are endless. I challenge you to find 14 things you love about each of your children, no matter how old they are -and while you are at it, your spouse or significant other as well!

Scholarship of the Week:

Hispanic Scholarship Fund –

Award Amounts:  $500 to $5000

Deadline: February 15

Eligibility Requirements

•Must be of Hispanic heritage

•U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA 

•Minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for high school students; minimum of 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for college and graduate students

•Plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public or not-for-profit, four-year university, or graduate school, in the US, for the 2022-2023 academic year

•Submit the FAFSA or state-based financial aid forms (if applicable)

Helpful Links:

•Were you able to stop by our Next Phase Parenting Summit? 

We had over 600 participants, and our Facebook group was so much fun and interactive. The speakers were amazing, and so much good information!

Laura and I are going to move forward with our plans for what is next soon. I will keep you in the loop!

If you would like to be on the list for information about the next summit, sign up here! And, for the next week, you can still go to this link to get the All-Access Pass for this one. Go now before it disappears!

•Are you looking for a fun graphic tee for yourself or your teen? Here are some fun choices.

•Here are 49 ways to love on your teen for Valentines!

•Speaking of love on Valentines’ Day -here are some fun “date night in” activites for you to do with a loved one!

•Have you got a teen athete? A new favorite author and encourager that I have met on Zoom is Tami Matheny! She has a great group on Facebook to support parents and their athletes!

•My recent reading… I gave The House in the Cerulean Sea a good effort, but it just wasn’t for me. If you like fantasy, you would probably love it! I just started The Sisters of Auschwitz, and I am loving. Still reading Atomic Habits one chapter at a time… and still loving it.

•Look at these easy and pretty ways to update your entryway

•Have you seen the Pantone color of the year? I LOVE purple! Here are the cutest little boots -and they are on sale!

•Are you in the college prep mode? Here is a great new resource from my friend, Christen Arafeh! College Prep Project 2021-2022: The Ultimate Guide to Navigating College Admissions –This 35 page workbook was designed to help college bound teens and their parents navigate college admissions, applications, scholarships, and everything in between. 

•Did you know that 75% of us are under-hydrated? Or that women need to drink 11 glass of water a day and men a minimum of 15? Here are 5 easy tips to get more water into your day.

•See more links below the video!

YouTube Video -how to start conversations with your teen

•Great movies to get into the Olympic spirit!

•The newest blog post for college prep I published earlier this week…29 Ways to Prepare for College

Thanks so much for being a part of my life, I am such a fan of parents of teens -we need to stick together!

Have a great week!

❤️

Mel

PHS Week in Review

PHS Week in Review #5

Jan 21, 2022 | PHS Weekly Review, Just for Moms, Parenting Teens, Raising Teens

(PHS) Week In Review!

How are you this week?

Parenting Wisdom

“Action comes about if and only if we find a discrepancy between what we are experiencing and what we want to experience.”
—Philip J. Runkel

As parents, we are on constant alert. On guard for problems, dealing with problems, preventing problems… We are always trying to stay ahead of what is happening and what might happen. This can be exhausting.

I am here to say that I believe there is help -free help for you to utilize. Our summit begins tonight, and there are 17 speakers to help you. To help you know what to look for. To know how to help. To make your parenting journey easier.

This FREE online summit has been put together by my friend Laura and I because we know what it is like to parent teens. Her kids are older, and her nest is emptier, and there is great info for empty nesting too!

*This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

Random thoughts on a cold Saturday morning in January:

•Tonight we will be watching the KC Chiefs play! Do you have a team that you follow?

•Our summit begins tomorrow morning! We will be live in our Facebook group, so be sure that you register below so you are ready in the morning!

•It has been a long cold week for me. The weather is freezing, and my post-Covid symptoms have been fatigue, fuzzy brain, and I cannot get warm. But, thankfully, I had a mild case, and really only was barely sick for about 4 days.

•I will be spending most of this week with my business partner, Laura from Almost Empty Nest, in Springfield, MO for our summit. I am so excited to get away from home and be with a friend! Have you ever met a friend online? We got lucky and have hit it off from the beginning!

I have rounded up some great things for you this week, so….

Read on for more!

This week’s challenges, scholarships and helpful resources!

Connection Corner:

Have you seen the movie, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? With my Covid quarantine, I watched this last week, and was stunned by this wonderful movie. This was based on the book by Foer about 9/11 and a boy, Oskar,  grappling with the fact that his dad died in one of the twin towers. I haven’t read this book, but it is now on my list.

I have read The Memory of Things which was set starting on the day of 9/11 and follows a young man through the aftermath that occurs. I remembber really liking this book!

Why is this the connection for the week? I think because the movie shows this boy dealing with a problem in the only way he knows how.  He uses the tools that he has at hand, and he moves forward. He doesn’t stop. This would be a great movie to watch as a movie to start some great discussions about love, loss, perseverance, frustration, and so much more.

Scholarship of the Week:

Here is an entire list of scholarships for February that my friend Monica Matthews over at How2winscholarships has put together! They are arranged by date, and they have award amounts listed as well as requirements.

Helpful Links:

•Have you signed up for the Next Phase Parenting summit yet? We have so much great info for parenting teens, life and college prep, and empty nesting!

•Looking for fun and easy Valentine gifts to give?

•Here are great ideas for a Valentine care packages -guy or gal!

•Are you excited for the Olympics? We are huge sports fans here, and to get in the mood, here are 60+ sports movies to watch and get excited!

•I finished reading  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and was underwhelmed. I really wanted to like it more than I did. I think I would have been good with just 5 husbands, it just got a little long. Also, I’m still reading House in the Cerulean Sea, and it’s a fantasy -not my usual -I will keep you posted.

•Love these re-usable hot/cold eye pads!

•Do you have a teen that has ADHD? Or a teen that is distractable in general? Here are some suprising toys and games that can help your teen with school!

•From one of my favorite websites, Good News Network, here is a post about the developer of completely recyclable masks. What a great concept!

•And, finally, have you heard of Baby Foot? This is something that I do about twice a year. They are little sacks for your feet with goop in them. You put them on and leave them on for about 15 minutes. Then you rinse off. Over the next week or so, all the dead skin peels off in sheets. Then your feet are soft like a baby’s!

Sounds gross? It is amazing! (Tip #1: soak your feet for about 15 minutes in the hottest water you can stand. This will help soften them up first. Tip #2: Do this near your shower or tub so that you can quickly get the little sacks off of your feet without having to walk very far.) Let me know if you try this -your feet will thank you!

YouTube Video -Do you have a senior? They may be pulling away from you, and it’s so hard…

•A post that gets hundreds of hits a month is this one –do you have an 18 year old?

Thanks so much for being a part of my life, I am such a fan of parents of teens -we need to stick together!

Have a great week!

❤️

Mel

PHS Week in Review

PHS Week in Review #4

Jan 15, 2022 | PHS Weekly Review, Just for Moms, Parenting Teens

(PHS) Week In Review!

How are you this week?

Parenting Wisdom

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home.” – Edith Sitwell

Such truth in this quote. Winter is such a great time to be home. To hunker down. To enjoy family. Create good memories. Play games. Watch a great movie.

Covid has been a time of stress. Of uncertainity. Of tension.

Try to focus on what has been good about it. The slow down. The reconnected family. The down time.

As an introvert, for me, this time has been mostly rewarding. I have been able to recharge and settle in without making excuses. Without feeling bad. This has been very freeing! I am sure for the extroverts out there, you are going crazy not being able to get out as you would like.

Random thoughts on a Saturday morning in January:

•My Chiefs won, so they play the Steelers tonight!

•I tested positive for Covid -thankfully, it’s a very mild case, I was actually surprised.

•My friend Laura and I are gearing up for our online summit starting on the 24th -more on that below!

This week’s challenges, scholarships and helpful resources!

Connection Corner:

Find a drawer to declutter. This was actually a fun thing I did with my youngest son recently. We both brought a junk drawer to the family room, and we we dumped them out. Then, we went through all the things. This was hilarious. He could not believe some of the things that I had saved. There were a couple of old love notes from him, and it was fun to see him read them, and know how much they meant to me.?

Take an hour to do this alone or with one of your teens. They might have a drawer in their room that needs going through. I will say that it was much more fun to do with my teen!

Speaking of decluttering, here is my friend Shannon at Skiptomylife with her latest YouTube video about guess what? Decluttering… She also often shares fun ideas from the Dollar Store. *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

Scholarship of the Week:

Scholarship: AFA’s Teen Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship

Award Amount: $5000

Open to college-bound high school seniors who have been impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.

Deadline: February 15 March 1 for 2022

Helpful Links:

•Join me at the 3rd Next Phase Parenting Summit: January 2022 Edition, where you will experience sessions with experts in teen parenting, college and career preparation, and transitioning to an empty nest. This is an event you’re not going to want to miss! Afraid you can’t “be there”? Don’t worry!

The Next Phase Parenting Summit is a FREE, VIRTUAL online conference! No travel – we bring the summit to you! You can watch from anywhere you have an internet connection. So, what are you waiting for? Join me and 15 other speakers at the Next Phase Parenting Summit. Grab your FREE ticket today!

•Is your teen like mine? Won’t wear a jacket? Here are some Simply Southern long sleeve tees on sale. This is a win for me if he at least has his arms covered!

•Speaking of tees -here are the cutest vintage Valentine shirts!

•Here’s a favorite blogger of mine over at Fountain of 30. She does a great series Splurge or Steal. I have seen a few of these, and am glad to know the brands, and I will now wait for a sale!

•Do you have a student athlete? Here is an interesting article about why a coach who seems interested might all of a sudden not be anymore…

•Do you have a high school freshman, sophomore or junior? You need a game plan. This helps so much in the long run. Course selection, test planning, and college search are all easier when there is a plan in place!

•Social justice books for teens are a great way to teach real world lessons that they can continue to learn through their lives. Social justice is an ongoing issue in real life. Here are some great picks for the long weekend. 

•This is the cutest timer ever. It’s a cube with different time settings on each side. You can choose either the one with seconds or minute increments. This would be great for a kitchen, desk for using the Pomodoro work/study method, or the family room for quick clean ups! Fun for interval workouts, too -and don’t we all need some kind of motivation? Here are lots of other options.?

•Are you constantly on the lookout for super comfortable sweatpants that look great too? I found some a couple of years ago at Ann Taylor Loft. The brand is Lou and Grey -everything they make is uber soft! I have 2 pairs of these in black, and put them on the minute I get home from work. They fit well, and can be dressed up if you do need to go out… Super on sale right now, and they now come in so many other colors!

• I finished Apples Don’t Fall. I liked it a lot! Much better than Nine Perfect Strangers -if you like this tell me what I missed?! I have started two new ones, The House In The Cerulean Sea -fantasy, so I am not sure about it yet… I also started The Seven Husbands of Eleanor Hugo -loving! And, I am reading one chapter a day in Atomic Habits-get it? So many easy tips for getting things done!

•This Greek layed dip in little jars looks yummy and so much fun for a party for friend or family!

•Looking for an Olympic t-shirt? This one fits the bill…

•Do you have a high school senior? Here are some uplifting verses for them to think on this spring.❤️

YouTube Video -are you concerned about the amount of time your teen is spending alone?

•A post that gets hundreds of hits a month is this one –do you have an 18 year old?

Thanks so much for being a part of my life, I am such a fan of parents of teens -we need to stick together!

Have a great week!

❤️

Mel

PHS Week in Review

PHS Week in Review #3

Jan 8, 2022 | PHS Weekly Review, Just for Moms, Raising Teens

(PHS) Weekly Review!

How are you this week?

Parenting Wisdom

“I love the scents of winter! For me, it’s all about the feeling you get when you smell pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread and spruce.” –Taylor Swift

Isn’t this true? I am much more likely to light scented candles in the winter, and I really enjoy it. What about you? Are you a candle person? I have been trying to add in comfort to my days where I can find it, and this is an easy way to do this.

What is your winter comfort go-to?

Random thoughts on a cold Saturday morning in January:

•Did you know that yesterday was Bubble Bath Day? Make this your excuse to do something for yourself, whether it’s taking a bath or not! Here are some ideas for you! 

•Can I just say that it is so fun to have older kids? My middle son is starting an online fitness business. He has been getting up to work with me in the early mornings. I am not getting nearly as much done myself, but I love the companionship, and his work drive!

•Have you got any plans for the weekend? We are going to watch my Chiefs play this afternoon, as well as some Baylor and Mizzou basketball. All the years of our boys growing up, we never really watched many sports -too busy I guess. But, this has become an activity that we love to do together.

•And, ugggh, I need to be better about sorting and packing up this house. So hard to get motivated. Have any of you downsized recently? Please send me encouragement and tips for getting things accomplished! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

I have rounded up some great things for you this week, so….

Read on for much more!

This week’s challenges, scholarships and helpful resources!

Connection Corner

As you start this year, I encourage you to find ways to take care of you. I also want you to share those ideas with your teens. They are still learning self-care, and maybe some of your ideas will work for them! I still use my 4:15 system as a minimum.

Here is a post regarding teens and stress.

Here are the cutest printable habit trackers that I found! I don’t track my habits, but these are so cute, I might have to start!

Scholarship of the Week

Nellie Love Butcher Music Scholarship

The link above connects to 9 DAR scholarships, so if this doesn’t apply, check out the others!

Deadline: February 15, 2020
Award Amount: $5,000
Eligibility: Music students who are pursuing an education in piano or voice.

Helpful Links

•Betty White was a treasure! So sad when she passed, but I know she partied with her much beloved husband and friends for the New Year. Here are some fun Golden Girl t-shirts!

Speaking of Betty, did you know that with the reboot of Sex In The City, the actresses are all in their mid-50s, just like the women were in Golden Girls? Mind blown!

•Look at these beautiful snowflake pictures! They were taken in high-res with a special light that would not melt the snow. Wonderful!

•Are you looking for a great book to read? I just wrote a new post about books I have loved in the last year.

•Is your teen’s car prepped for the weather?

•Guess what? Our 3rd Next Phase Parenting Summit is right around the corner! It is January 24-27th, and my co-host, Laura and I are so pumped to do this again. We have had such success in our other two, and we have received such great feedback! It’s FREE and perfect for the parent of teens looking for more help with the college process, parenting strategies, and things to think about for your future empty nest.  Sign up here!

•Thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day? Here is a post that covers advent calendars, decor, gifts, and more for teens!

•Speaking of great books, I am reading Apples Never Fall by Moriarty. I am dying to know where the mother is. I know many people loved her book Nine Perfect Strangers that is now on Hulu. I did not like it though, did you? Thoughts?

Aerie is having a sale –50% off sweaters and sweatshirts.

•This sweatshirt would be so cute for Valentine’s Day!

•60% off at Sperry this week -my boys love their shoes.

•Did you hear about this 80-year man who was reunited with his siblings because of his dog?

•Are you a Twitter person? I don’t know that I am necessarily, but I do post teenager-y things for parents. So, if you are a Twitter-y person, follow me here!

YouTube Video –

As your teen begins this new semester, this would be a great time to go over some of these ideas for routines for best school success.

•A post that gets hundreds of hits a month is this one –do you have an 18 year old?

Thanks so much for being a part of my life, I am such a fan of parents of teens -we need to stick together!

Have a great week!

❤️

Mel