10 Fun Photo Scavenger Hunts

Looking for ways to get your kids out of the house on the weekends? From long road

trips to adventurous hikes or zoo days, there are many options to get your kids involved

in a photo scavenger hunt! They’ll love a scavenger hunt since it allows them to search,

discover their surroundings and snap photos of what they find. 

Before you begin, double check to make sure you have the following supplies:

• A smartphone or camera 
• Pencil or pen
• Scavenger hunt lists 
• A grand prize for the winner

The rules are simple, but you’re also free to be as creative as you want. For example,

will you set up groups of teams? Will you add on bonus items to your

scavenger hunt list?

Give each person the list before you start so they have an idea of what to look for.

The first person to find all the items and take a photo within the allotted time is the

winner!  

Step-by-step:

1. Select a place and a theme.
2. Assign a person to be the moderator or judge.  
3. Decide if you want to separate into teams
4. Set boundaries within the decided location. 
5. Set your timer for thirty minutes to an hour.
6. Award the winner the grand prize!

For scavenger hunt themes, find your favorite printable by Shutterfly below. From the

farmer’s market to the beach or even the airport, there’s an option for everyone. Beat

the boredom with this fun activity. They will love spending time together and at the end

of it, they can even create an adorable photo book to compile your photos, look back

on and remember the fun times! 

56 Money Conversation Starters to Teach Your Kids About Money

Financial literacy is a difficult subject to teach to your kids at any age, but it’s crucial that your kids
understand the basics early on so they can form better habits as they age. For example, budgeting
and saving are concepts that kids typically learn by observing you over time, but you can streamline
the process by discussing these principles with them and actually let them take part in the process! 

However, money is not something most kids want to talk about at all! In fact, most kids don’t really
want to think about earning money until they realize they can buy stuff they want with it. Fortunately,
there are ways you can trigger conversations about money so that your kids are at least thinking and
talking about it early on, such as these money conversation starters. 

Wikibuy compiled 56 questions covering financial topics for young kids and teens. All you need to do
is print them out! You can pull them out anytime you’re at the table together, or keep handy in the car
to keep your kids occupied while you drive. The choice is yours, but the important part is that you’ll
discuss money together! These can be especially useful when you’re taking care of financial errands.
For example, if you run to the ATM, it’s a great time to explain what an ATM is and segue into why it’s
important to earn money. 

There are plenty of opportunities to start teaching your kids about money, but the important thing is
that you discuss it regularly. This will build a solid financial foundation and help your kids make better,
smarter financial choices when it really matters later in life. You can download the full list
of money conversation starters here. 

5 Budgeting Printables and Stickers

Though most of us are stressed about our finances, starting a household budget can be a daunting task. Tracking every little expense to see where you can cut back sounds exhausting! 

However, it's important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to budgeting, and many families to choose to spend and save on different activities. 

In order to make the budgeting process easy and fun, the finance experts at Credit.com have created these customizable budgeting printables to help get you started. You can download the envelopes, expense trackers, stickers, and more below:

DIY Natural Bug Remedies

Now that summer has reached its peak and the kids are getting ready to go back to school, if they haven't already, you may be looking forward to some much-earned relaxation indoors. However, these last few weeks of the season can be much less relaxing if you’re dealing with a bug situation in your home. 

The warm weather tends to bring out more of these pesky critters, but you need to find a healthy way to get rid of them. Pesticides contain chemicals that are harmful to humans and pets as well as bugs, so instead take a look at these DIY bug repellent tricks from TurboTenant  Each of the 8 recipes has been tailored for individual summer pests and uses natural ingredients found in the home! Happy debugging! 

Flat Stanley Adventures in Europe

Our family was sent a Flat Stanley 2 years ago and boy did we have fun showing him around Europe for a few weeks before sending him home! Below is the letter we sent back with him to let his class know all the places he traveled with us! 

____________________

 "Overlooking a stream in a cute German village"

___________________________

Dear Class,

We had so much fun with Flat Stanley we decided to let him stay with us a bit longer so he could enjoy a few more sights in Europe.

Not only did Flat Stanley get to fly over the North Atlantic Ocean to arrive in Germany but we took him on his first train ride to go downtown Stuttgart for "family day" at Oktoberfest. Flat Stanley was a little nervous to go on a few of the rides but we did convince him to go on the ferris wheel during sunset. He enjoyed some chicken in one of the big noisey tents and then took a nap on the train ride home. (october 4th)

"1st train ride in Germany"

"on top of the world ferris wheel"

"train ride home from Oktoberfest"

October 5th we drove to Garmisch, Germany and when we woke in the morning we saw fresh snow had fallen on the Zugspitze, the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains, also the highest mountain in Germany!

"Zugspitze"

October 6th, we drove to Verona, Italy and Flat Stanley brushed up on his Italian by reading in the car. He also took a nap (or 2) with our yorkie, Satine. In Verona, Flat Stanley saw Juliet's balcony and the Roman Amphitheatre, which was built in the first century and is still in use to this day. A pretty fountain caught Flat Stanley's eye outside the amphitheatre but I caught him before he fell in and got all wet!

"brushing up on his Italian"

 "napping with Satine"

 "the view from our balcony in Verona, Italy"

 "Juliet's balcony"

 "Roman Amphitheatre in Verona"

 "Fountain in Verona"

October 7th, we piled back in the car and headed to Venice, Italy. We stayed just outside the city and took a 20 minute train ride to and from our hotel each day. Venice was beautiful! Flat Stanley was impressed with all of the boats and couldn't believe the streets were made out of water!

"gondola in Venice, Italy"

The train station even had Flat Stanley's initials on it "FS". He stood on a few bridges, tried to hop on a gondola ride and enjoyed when we sat down for pizza - a well loved food in Italy!

"Train Station in Venice, check out FS initials"

"Ponte degli Scalzi Bridge in Venice"

October 8th, we wandered around Venice for our 2nd day...took a Taxi boat ride from the train station to the PIazza San Marco, which is a large iconic square and gathering place dating back to the 12th century. There's a large bell tower and a beautiful Basilica in St. Mark's Square as well.

"Piazza San Marco"

 "Piazza San Marco"

We stopped for gelato and pizza, "when in Italy!" and then headed back to Germany the next day.

Again thank you for trusting our family to take care of your Flat Stanley. I hope you enjoy reading about all of his travels and reliving them with all of the photos I've emailed your teacher.

Have a wonderful school year!

Cheers, 

Our Traveling Family

1 Month No-Spend Challenge Tracker - Free Printable

Whether you had a month splurging on birthday gifts or shopping trips, or just want to work on balancing your finances better, it's no secret that tackling these challenges can be tricky. With social media tempting both us and our kiddos constantly to splurge the temptation can be all too real. That's why taking on a no-spend challenge for a weekend, week, or even a month is a great way to fix your budget. Before you freak out, a no spend challenge isn't as drastic as it sounds. It doesn't mean you won't be spending anything, but instead that you'll be spending only on necessities like groceries, bills, etc. AKA, all the less fun stuff.

But just because you're monitoring your spending, doesn't mean it doesn't need to be fun! Credit.com created these helpful (and cute!) no spend printables to make saving easy. The best part about these challenges (and challenges in general_ is that you can share them on your social profiles with friends to help motivate both you and others! In this workbook, you'll run through a series of questions on how to prep for the challenge, then from there begin! We've included a wish list where you can add any temptations/things you almost bought, so that at the end you can calculate how money you would have saved. There's also a calendar to check off each day you achieve your no-spend challenge, and a worksheet on reflection so you can make long term changes!

4 Budgeting Tips for Couples to Build their Relationship

Whether you’re still in the honeymoon phase or have been together for ten years, all couples can
benefit from communication. Being together means spending a lot of time together, which can also
mean spending money together. The truth is that money issues can cause a lot of conflict in any
relationship, whether it’s a family member, friend or spouse. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to
build a strong relationship together that can help you avoid money problems. 

Like with anything, being open and honest is always the best policy. If you try to avoid discussing
bills or money with your partner, it’s time to sit down and have a “money talk” together. There are
some fabulous free printable budget templates (created by Self Lender) to help ease into the
conversation and set your relationship up for success. Make it a date night and have fun with the
questions about childhood, memories, goals, and aspirations. You might be surprised to find that
digging deeper can help grow you closer. 

1. Have a ‘Money Talk’ Together

These money conversation starters are meant to give you a better understanding of the role
finances will play in your relationship and future. You don’t necessarily have to agree on every
stance, but knowing your partner’s view will help you work together. 

• What’s more important: liking your job or making a lot of money?
• Do you want kids someday?
• When would you like to buy a house (or not)?
• What’s the next big purchase you want to make?

2. Set Some Financial Goals Together

Goal planning is a common practice but have you ever sat down to list out financial goals? These
sleek templates can help inspire you to save more, make more, spend less, or grow your credit to
increase your financial stability. These could be anything related to your lifestyle or budget. Are you
saving up for a vacation? Do you want to reach a certain amount of savings? Are you working
toward a promotion? 

3. Budget As A Couple

Even if you have separate personal budgets, taking time to sit down together and make a habit
of accountability and responsible spending. If you split expenses, budgeting together is the best
way to make sure your beliefs align. 

4. Stick to Your Budget

Budgets can be flexible, believe it or not. There will be times that unexpected expenses that come
along. The best way to react is with flexibility. Work with each other and learn what helps and what
doesn’t. Use a calendar to help keep track of expenses and income to always be on top of your
finances. 

No one said budgeting is easy and it definitely gets more complicated with two people in the
picture. Be open, trust each other, and communicate with each other to build a financial foundation
that sets you up for a happy future together.

Inspirational Wallpapers to Spread Positivity

We’re all guilty of taking our phones with us everywhere we go—whether we are checking the time or scrolling through social media, it is usually attached to us at all times. What if we could turn the time we spend on our phones into a moment of encouragement?

Even on the best of days, sometimes all it takes is one small problem to alter our entire attitude.
It can be tough to shake off, but thinking positively can turn our day around (in a good way).
To help you remind yourself to not get discouraged, take one small step in the right direction and
start by changing your phone background. 

Changing your phone or computer wallpaper may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things
but just think about where you spend a lot of your time. If you had a gentle reminder about how
awesome you are or all that you have to be thankful for every time you glance at your screen, it may
change the way you think. 

To give you a little inspiration, check out these beautiful designs from Mint centered around spreading
positivity and reaching your goals. Whether you just want to have more confidence or even reach a
fitness milestone, revamp your wallpaper with a little dose of positivity. 

New Home Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Moving to a new home, no matter how close or far away, can put a strain on the entire family. And while studies have shown that children 6 and under adapt the best to moving homes in comparison with older children, there are still steps parents should take when moving homes to make sure their children are as comfortable as possible. 

Over at The Zebra, they have put together expert tips for parents to follow before, during and after the move to keep communication open within the family and focus on the excitement a new home can bring rather than anxiety that can occur during the moving process. They also created new home scavenger hunts to help kids of all ages get more comfortable in their new home.

By following these tips while moving, putting the children's questions first, playing games in the new home and establishing new family rituals, parents can be set up for a successful transition into their new life. Of course, no home is complete without new home insurance, so make sure to get the best quote possible to protect the home your family will create brand new memories in for years to come.

30 Waterfalls to Chase on Your Summer Road Trip

Summer is in the air and we are all itching to take some time off to relax, recharge, and refresh. We all want to make our time off from work the best and get the most out of it! If you are searching for that wanderlust feeling, look no further. CarRentals has created a guide on 30 waterfalls to chase this summer while road tripping across the United States. This guide details falls from each region around the US, while also giving information on which falls require a hike or fee, allow swimming, and even the type of falls to expect! Start planning your trip today, happy waterfall chasing!

Click Above to View Full List

__________________________________________________

Southwest Region Waterfalls

Did you know there are numerous tall waterfalls in the Southwest? Most tower over 50 feet, giving your neck a stretch while looking up. Nambe falls in New Mexico stands at 100 feet, and people will even climb a thin strip of rock to be able to stand almost directly under the flowing stream! The South is also known for some amazingly delicious BBQ, which will hit the spot after a long waterfall hike. When traveling to waterfalls around the Southwest region, be careful of spiky cacti and snakes.

What to Expect:

• Hot summer:
  • You’ll need to pack lots of water and sunscreen to make sure you don’t overheat or burn. We also highly advise bringing cool clothing and a hat.
• Dessert surroundings:
  • Watch your step! There are plenty of spiky cactus plants and snakes, which can all be avoided by staying on designated trails. As an allergy warning, there’s lots of dust which could potentially trigger your symptoms.  

Fun Fact: When swimming in the Hamilton Pool Falls, you can swim underneath the 50-foot waterfall because of the cave the falls rushes over.

________

When traveling from falls to falls, make sure to pack accordingly (water, sunscreen, and proper shoes) and double check the weather that day to make sure you are all prepared. Have a wonderful, refreshing trip chasing waterfalls!