Hip Hop Happiness

Just one of our responsibilities as moms is keeping our families healthy- choosing the right foods that the kids will eat or the right activity to burn off some energy.   What activities do your kids enjoy? Are you a soccer fam, or do you call the baseball fields "home" every weekend?

It's not just about the kids, though. We also have to de-stress and take care of ourselves. Maybe you love to run at the end of your day or hit yoga after dropping the kids off at school. I personally love walking with a friend, as well as riding bikes with the kids around the neighborhood. Do you love Zumba?  Are you into CrossFit? Do you or your kids train for the next 5K together?

It can be challenging to find the right fitness trend or sport that fits your family's tastes and schedules, but when we do it can be a lot of fun (and what mom doesn't need a little more of that?)! 

 

For our family, we're all about HIP HOP these days!

When we moved here almost a year ago, we looked for a quick way for the kids to make friends and get connected.  It turned out that there was this fun hip hop studio just opening about five minutes down the road.  My oldest two watched videos over the summer and couldn't wait for classes to start in August.  They've been hooked ever since!

My daughter decided to try the competition team and hasn't wanted to skip a single practice!  My son works on his dance moves around the clock, which of course means my 3-year-old is preparing for his own hip hop debut. Even Mom tries to hit an evening dance workout for the grownups once a week. It's become a family affair (with the exception of my 6'4" husband who's waiting for my kids to join the basketball team)! We all have a blast cranking up the beats and tearing up the family room dance floor at home (Please, no videos).

I feel so lucky to have found a place that we all love to be.  The happiness is infectious at this studio, which is why we keep going back.  Every week, the kids are inspired to work on something new and dance their cares away.  I can't count the times my daughter came home crying about some school day drama only to leave her dance class in a completely better mood.  And of course, I love that it keeps everyone active!

So this post is a shout out to our new favorite activity...and to my daughter's dance crew, who keeps bringing home first place!

What's your family's favorite activity?  SHARE!

My First Ever Giveaway & My Top 10 Favorite Preschool Books!

At the library. No, he is not usually this still and quiet.

 I love reading with my kids.  It's the blissful part of our routine that I enjoy. It's a happy, Polaroid mental snapshot for me- all the moments when my little chicks are quietly cuddled around me listening to my narration of whatever rhyme or adventure we're reading together (I try to do voices, after all.  Who doesn't like voices?).

Before nap time today, I read a certain book with my two-year-old for the umpteenth time and thought, "You know, this is definitely one of our family favorites!  I should make a list."  But then, I thought it would be even more fun to share it with you!

 So without further ado, in no particular order, here are ten of our kids' favorite stories from the preschool era:

1. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
2. Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Nathaniel Hobbie
3. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
4. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa Mccourt
5. Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
6. Where the Wild Things Are by Maruice Sendak
7. Only In Dreams (Julius!) by Paul Frank Industries
8. Five Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth
9. Princess Bella and the Red Velvet Hat by T. Davis Bunn
10. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

I wish I could tell you why each of these books mean so much to us, but it would take forever!  Bella had #2 memorized at one time.  My husband has a funny ditty he sings when he reads #6 with the boys.  And each tiny pair of hands wore out the cover binding on #8 just because they loved running their fingers over the ladybugs as we counted them. Such sweet memories for their mommy!

I would love to hear who else has any of these in their collection.  

Also, what titles would you add to the list?  I'm always looking for new books to read.

Since this is a GIVEAWAY, if you comment on this post, I will announce a winner on Friday.  Then, I'll order the lucky person their very own copy of one my favorites from the list! 

This will be fun! 

So...

Happy Monday.

Happy commenting.

Happy reading.

And Good Luck!