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Holiday Gift Guide 2019

November 28, 2019 By Marijean 1 Comment

Welcome to Mommy Has To Work’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide! This year we are focusing on fun gifts for children. Check out our tops picks below for the holiday season.

Feature Talking Dobby

Now you can take home your very own Talking Dobby plush from Wow! Stuff. Standing at 40cm tall, simply press on Dobby’s belly and hear as he recites 6 classic phrases from the Harry Potter films. Complete with poseable arms and legs, Dobby can sit or stand in any position.
Age: 3+

MSRP: $34.99
Availability: Fall 2019 on Amazon

Tom Riddle’s Diary Notebook

Tom Riddle used his diary notebook to invisibly store all of his secrets and memories. Now you can do the same! This all new diary set allows Harry Potter fans to leave mysterious notes and messages, just like the ones seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Slytherin House pen included is filled with invisible ink, which can only be seen under the glowing wand’s UV light. The wand is designed to be attached to any of your favorite keyrings (keyring or key fob not included), so keeping it safe and hidden from Muggles should be no problem.

Age: 8+
MSRP: $17.99
Availability: Fall 2019 on Amazon

Rubik’s Cage

Rubik’s Cage is a fast-paced game of strategy and competition you can enjoy at your next family game night over the holidays. You can twist, flip and turn the Cage to knock your opponent’s Cubes out of place to win the game! Will you be the first to get three of the same color in a row before your opponent’s shake up the game?

Available: Walmart

MSRP: $16.99

Splashlings Princesses

Splashlings© is a Splashlastic world of collectible characters filled with tiny mermaids and ocean friends who love to discover new underwater realms! The newest Princesses Collection offers all-new realms and royal Princesses along with new sea creatures and friends to collect.

Age: 5+
Approximate Retail Price: $13.99 Availability: Specialty Stores and Amazon

The Giant Color Morph Bubble Ball

The Giant Color Morph Bubble Ball is your answer to stress relief. Squeeze this giant ball and watch the bubbles and watch the bubbles burst through the netting to reveal the bright green color inside.

Age: 8+
MSRP: $19.99
Availability: Specialty Stores and Amazon

Foam Alive Make ‘n’ Melt Ice Cream Kit

Melt your worries away with the satisfying new addition to the Foam Alive collection! The Foam Alive Make ‘n’ Melt ice cream kit is the latest compound toy that will make any regular ice cream cone flow as if there is something magical flowing within in! Includes three different colors, cones and scoops. Fill the cones with Foam Alive and watch them melt!

Age: 5+

MSRP: $19.99

Availability: Specialty Stores and Amazon

13 Dead End Drive Board Game

13 Dead End Drive first hit the scene in 1994. Now this fan favorite is back, by popular demand, to entertain a whole new generation. Your goal is to be the last surviving heir and inherit Aunt Agatha’s fortune. Which one of her motley crew of friends and employees will it be?

Age: 8+

MSRP: $30.95

Availability: Winning Moves

Scattergories

The game of Scattergories took the country by storm when it was first launched in 1989. This classic reproduction features the components and categories found in that original Scattergories game. The mechanical timer has 3 different settings so players can set it for more time (for an easier round) roles time when they want more of challenge.

Age: 12+

MSRP: $40.95

Availability: Winning Moves

No Stress Chess

Unlike any other Chess teacher, No Stress Chess teaches you how to play using illustrated cards and an illustrated 2-sided board.

Age: 7+

MSRP: $18.95

Availability: Winning Moves

Adventure Force Max Morpher

The Adventure Force Max Morpher by Buzz Bee Toys is a 4-in-1 dart blaster that will transform right before your eyes! Fold out the stock or fold out the barrel to use the blaster in either pistol or rifle position. With blasting power up to 100 feet, you can easily keep the competition away!

Ages 8+

MSRP $19.97

Available exclusively at Walmart

Air Warriors Mutator

The Mutator by Buzz Bee Toys offers unparalleled versatility that allows users to expand the barrel, transform the blaster and select distance blasting up to 100 feet or extreme accuracy with PrecisePro darts.

Ages 6+

MSRP $34.99

Available exclusively at Target

Baby Secrets Series 3 and Merbabies Series 2

These cute babies have a secret for you to discover in the Baby Secrets Series 3 Mystery Tubs! Dip the diaper in the water filled bathtub and it will change color to pink or blue to reveal the baby’s gender. Once the secret is out, you can name your baby on the birth certificate. Will you find all 50 new babies?

Now you can also discover the secrets of the Merbabies! Dip and reveal to see if your Merbaby is a boy or a girl. You can even make them swim in the water! There are 24 Merbabies to collect!

MSRP: $2.99 and $5.99

Series 3 Available at: Walgreens, HY-Vee Inc, KVAT Food Stores, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Sheetz Distribution Services, HEB, Amazon, Blain Supply, Toy Wiz, Nexcom.

Merbabies Series 2 available at: Target, Cracker Barrel, Party City, Joanns, Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, The Paper Store, Scheelds All Sports, Matty’s Toy Stop, Kalahari Resorts, Toy Wiz.

Hairdooz- Minidooz

The Hairdooz are now mini! Collect Pixie, Sparkle, Crystal, Lilly, Skye and Candy in their mini versions with their new fuzzidooz! Spin the super cute nail polish capsule to reveal your Minidooz doll and hairstyle. Stick your Minidoo on the suction cup or stick her on the end of your pencil! Create your own Hairdooz salon and give yourself a manicure with the cheeky mark nail stickers!

MSRP: $5.00

Available at: Five Below & Toy Wiz

Which toys are you going to get for your kids? They are all so great!!

* I was given some of these items in exchange for this holiday guide. All opinions are my own

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Tips For Surviving the Sandwich Generation

November 17, 2019 By Anne Leave a Comment

If you are currently responsible for caring for your elderly parents while trying to look after your own children, you’re officially a part of the sandwich generation. This is a time in almost every adult’s life that can be challenging, emotional, and frustrating. You are being pulled in all directions, are carrying the responsibility of two (if not more) people. You might not have time to catch your breath.

Here are some tips to help you get through it.

Plan ahead

If you are not quite in the sandwich generation period of your life, but you can see it looming on the horizon, start planning now.

Save up money for childcare or home care. You can find quality assistance throughout the contrary, from assisted living in California, to home care in League City. There is no doubt that you are going to need a helping hand, so you might as well ask for assistance in advance.

It may sound bleak, but it is also worthwhile speaking to your parents about their estate planning needs and their wishes for their care in case they become mentally or physically incapacitated.

Communicate with your employer

The worst thing that you can do is try to conceal your home-life situation from your boss. Be upfront and honest regarding your responsibilities. In this way, you are almost certain to have his or her support if ever you need to leave work early in an emergency.

Seek out support

Taking care of your children in conjunction with an elderly loved one can take a lot out of you. It is mentally and physically exhausting, and definitely isn’t something that you should do alone.

Luckily, there are multiple support groups out there specifically for individuals that are trying to survive the sandwich generation. These support groups are either in-person or online. You are likely to be surprised at just how big of a difference talking to others in similar situations will have on your overall mood and outlook!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Ways To Help Protect You And Your Family In Life

November 1, 2019 By Anne Leave a Comment

Looking after your family is going to be important to you as a parent and partner. We want to do all we can, and that is in our power to keep them safe. Although life is unexpected and sometimes cruel, here are some ways to help protect you and your family in life.

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Protect Your Children When They’re On The Web

Protecting your children is essential when they’re on the web. Unfortunately, as the digital age and the internet itself advances, you will likely become less aware of what’s on the internet and what’s easily accessible. It might come as a surprise that your children find ways of getting onto sites that they shouldn’t be on or having conversations with complete strangers. This might seem scary, but it’s a small fraction of the internet that’s dangerous, otherwise, it can have so many benefits. To help protect those who are young and use the web, try installing software to put a time limit on how often and when they can use it. You may also want to look at getting some parental controls in place to help block any sites that you know exist or may contain things that are not supposed to be viewed or used by young children.

Boost Your Home Security

With your home, it’s a place that’s meant to keep you safe from harm. However, it’s not like a prison or vault, where it’s virtually impossible to break in or out. Therefore, you want to add some security measures in this regard to help boost home security. This could be adding CCTV to your home and having access to this on your phone or electronic devices. A lot of these new systems will have the ability to do this, and so you can keep watch over your home even when you’re not in the property. Whenever you’re in your home, keep the front and back doors locked unless the outside areas are completely fenced and not possible to climb over or come through. Remember to lock windows and doors whenever you leave your property and have someone you trust come around your property whenever something gets flagged on your CCTV, and you aren’t available to check on it yourself.

Improve Your Driving When On The Road

One of the most dangerous things that can affect you in your life is driving. Unfortunately, you can be the safest driver, but if you get distracted or you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could find yourself in a car accident. This is something you’ll then want to get help with, and speaking to The Derrick Law Firm might be a good way of solving these accidents and getting financial rewards for it too. But no one wants to ever get into a car or vehicle accident. So to avoid this, try to improve your driving when you’re on the road. Obey the speed limits, and if you have any concerns about having to drive faster on particular roads, try to choose alternative options so you can keep to a speed that you’re comfortable with. It’s important for the safety of yourself and others who are on the road too.

Look After Your Money With A Budget

Getting yourself into debt is dangerous, and one thing that you don’t want happening when you have a household and children that rely on you for food, shelter, and other things that cost money in life. Being able to look after your money is important, and one way to do that is by managing it with a budget. Budgets are easy to make up when you have a spare moment, and they can be helpful when you’re trying to save on your finances. Create a budget on a spreadsheet and note down all those things that cost you money and come out of your household account each month and then be sure you’ve got enough money coming in to make those expenditures and to at least have some money left over in order to save where you can. Having savings is always important because it can come in handy when you have emergencies happen, and it ends up being a financial problem that needs paying as soon as possible.

Looking after your household is done in many ways, and if you can at least follow through with the tips above, then the protection of your family will be in a much better place because of it.

Anne

Keeping Your Family Going After An Accident Or Emergency

November 1, 2019 By Anne Leave a Comment

When you’ve had an accident or emergency, because you’ve been taken ill or been injured recently, your family life can feel a bit up in the air. You’ve got yourself to focus on, and you need to get better, but you’ve still got your partner, your parents, and your children to look after at the same time. It can feel like you’re in an impossible situation!

Of course, we’ve talked before about what to do if you’ve been injured in the workplace, and how to stay afloat when out of work due to illness or injury, but we want to touch a little more on keeping family life stable when one or both of these two things are happening. After all, the kids always know when something is wrong, no matter how hard you try to hide things from them!

So, without further ado, here are some of the key steps to keeping family life stable and ongoing whilst you’re out of work and trying to heal up. There are quite a few changes you’ll have to make, but that doesn’t mean you have to be unhappy at the same time.

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Have Plenty of One on One Time

Your family are going to know something is up; they’re going to react accordingly, and there might be a lot more noise and upset in the house at the moment. Of course, this isn’t good for your recovery period! And it’s certainly not good for the wellbeing of your entire family.

Which is why it’s important to have plenty of one on one time. If you’re able to pull your children aside, one by one, and spend a good couple hours with them and only them alone, you’re going to prove to them that you’re still OK! You’re going to show them you still love them, and that things haven’t changed for the worse. Most of all, you’re going to dedicate a bit of time to them, in a calm, slow paced environment, and show them things are still stable and loving.

Children don’t go along well with uncertainty, and you never know how they might lash out because of it, so take the time beforehand to stop tantrums and meltdowns in their tracks.

Take Some Time to State Your Rights

If you have recently had an accident in which you sustained quite a serious injury, and you’re still living with and recovering from it a good few months later, you have the chance to state and asset your rights here. And by that we mean it’s time to get compensation! Because maintaining a normal sense of family life doesn’t come cheap, and there’s a good chance you’ve been out of work for a good while now.

Contact a company like Hupy and Abraham to help you out with a case like this. You’re suffering from a personal injury, and you know for a fact that it wasn’t your fault, and now’s the time to get someone on your side to fight your corner properly. Of course, it won’t be cheap to hire a lawyer, but the ensuing damages you’ll win will more than cover any expenses you’ll have to deal with during a process like this.

And if you have a bit of time to spare right now, you might want to look into legal expenses insurance, and see if it’s something you might be able to apply for.

Immediately Update Your Budget

And finally, you’re going to need to change your budget around a little. You might be out of work for a while, or any benefits you receive might not cover such a period like this, and you’re going to need to update how you spend the money you still have coming in.

Things might have to be cut out for the time being, and you might have to start buying off brands and knockoffs more than the branded stuff you know the kids actually like. Well, if you don’t tell them there’s been a change, there’s a good chance they won’t even know the cereal they’re chowing down on is different!

If you’ve recently had an accident or emergency, don’t let your family life go to pot. Don’t let things continue as if your illness/injury never occurred, and always be sure to address the elephant in the room. It’s for the good of your children, after all, and they’re going to need to be clear over what’s going to happen from now on.

Anne

Vacation Activities the Whole Family Will Love

October 15, 2019 By Anne Leave a Comment

There’s a lot to look forward to when planning a family vacation. Unfortunately, many families get to their destination and wish they never left home. Without careful planning, members of your family will be bored, which can make you feel frustrated.

It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling with a toddler, a teen, or if grandma decides to tag along, you can find fun things to do nearly everywhere that the entire family will love.

Catch a Show

One of the best things you can do when traveling with other family members is to catch a show. When you choose the right one, you can ensure even the youngest and oldest members of your family are entertained.

A play in a local theater or a musical concert in an outdoor amphitheater will do, but if you think outside the box, you can make sure everyone makes memories they will never forget. For example, “The General Jackson Showboat Lunch & Dinner Cruises provide an amazing adventure to those visiting Nashville, TN.” Because shows take place on a riverboat and dinner is served, everyone is sure to have a good time!

Have a very young or very old family members with you? Avoid buying tickets for shows after 8:00 PM. Instead, choose a matinee.

Visit a Museum

It doesn’t matter where you go, chances are, there’s a museum nearby. There are museums of history, museums of art, and funky museums full of collections you would never expect. There’s a lot to look at in a museum, which makes it perfect for the whole family.

Another benefit of scheduling a trip to the museum on your next vacation is the fact that many museums are free, or admittance is granted with a small donation. It’s an affordable way to spend the afternoon when you’re traveling with a large crew, and you will all will reap the benefits a trip to the museum has to offer.

Get Outside

You probably spend a lot of time thinking about the places you’re going to go when you’re on vacation. If you’re traveling with multiple family members, you should rethink your strategy. Instead of focusing on shows, theme parks, and restaurants, consider making the outdoors your destination instead.

Getting outside comes with many benefits, including health benefits. It will reduce stress, which is a good thing for a family vacation, and the entire crew is sure to have a great time. A few ideas for spending time outside on vacation include:

Bring a picnic lunch to a local park.
Find a nature trail and go for a walk.
Spend the day sitting on the beach.
Rent bicycles and go for a ride.
Go camping in a tent or an RV.
Buy fishing licenses and go fishing.
Rent a boat and let the kids water ski or kneeboard.

Go Shopping

Going shopping can be a lot of fun when you go on vacation! You just have to mindful of the ages of the people coming with you.

For example, if grandma and grandpa are coming along, make sure you plan plenty of time to sit and rest. If you’re bringing the kids, especially if they’re little, come prepared with a comfortable stroller and all the supplies you’ll need for the day. Older kids will have a fun time shopping if you provide them with a budget so they can buy a few things to take home.

No matter who you’re shopping with, it’s a good idea to choose places that aren’t very crowded. Avoid big sales and the busiest shopping times so you don’t lose your toddler or grandma in the crowd.

Get Hands-On

Vacations can do a lot of things, which includes making you smarter. Although some locations are more likely to boost your brain than others, you can find ways to learn and get hands-on, no matter where you go on vacation.

For example, the kids will love taking paddleboard or surfing lessons, and grandma and grandpa will love watching them learn. Craft classes are especially fun for the whole family. Let the kids take turns on a pottery wheel or learn how to use a loom to make a family rug. You can find painting classes, cooking classes, and much more that will be fun for the whole family!

The more people you travel with, the harder it is to keep everybody happy. That’s especially the case if you’re traveling with very young or old family members. With these tips, you’ll be able to find at least one thing to do that everyone will love!