New Year = New Fun!

The holidays are over…what now? If you’re like my family, we love the “reset” the new year provides. Endings and beginnings are kind of our thing, and I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have markers like the new year to keep me refreshed and motivated. If your family experienced a present-fest similar to that of a toy store dump truck, you may be swimming in new and old belongings while reading this. Here are some ideas to refresh your house and yourself as you start your new year.

Out with the Old

It’s no secret that this gift-giving time brings a whole new collection of toys. If your kids are like mine, you know that rooms can overflow with with Fisher Price fun by January. If you didn’t get to de-clutter your child’s room before Christmas, now is a great time to do so. I am proud to say my daughter and I cleaned out her room together, and our relationship is still going strong. She is sentimental and a little unreasonable when it comes to weeding out the old, but this year, I told her she was going to help me donate toys she never plays with. We went through each piece together, and she admitted some hard truths but seems to be comforted in the fact that other kids will get as much pleasure from her unused toys as she did. By the end of our negotiation process, we had three piles: keep, throw, and donate. We donated the toys together to the Goodwill, and she smiled all the way back to the car.

Tips for cleaning out a child’s room WITH said child:

• Have them recall the last time they played with an item.
• Let him or her keep two sentimental items. This way you feel like you’ve won and so does your kiddo.
• Categorize the piles: keep, throw, donate.
• Categorize the keep pile: art supplies, toy box, top of closet for a surprise play in the dark days of January.
• Have them help you take the donations to the center. Seeing their items going to a good cause helps them realize you aren’t just throwing them away.

OR you can always choose my favorite option of doing this when they aren’t at home. Not many of us have that luxury, so try the tips above for realistic cleaning.

New Paint = New Room

I love other people’s houses. I love the decor they choose, the fact that they have pictures on the walls, and their creative paint colors. I know what I like when I see it, but I don’t really have a skill for decorating my own home. That’s why it takes me so long to paint a room. (That and I’m 5’1 and never feel more at a disadvantage as when I’m holding a paintbrush in a big space.) That being said, a new color or a new picture is a great way to bring in a new year. My husband and I just tackled one of our many rooms that needs attention. Although painting is hard with kids, it can also make it way more fun. 

Your new color might mean the pillows, rugs, and pictures all needed refreshed. What perfect timing! The stores have mega sales after the holidays, and I find deals all over. My favorite places are The World Market, Amazon, Wayfair, and good ol’ Walmart. 

Tips for painting with kids:

• Give them a brush. Just do it. You can paint over what they’re done and life is too short not to let them help you.
• Have them help choose the color. Narrow it down to your favorites, and then let them pick. Having some control of their house decor can be pretty empowering.
• Let them take off the painter’s tape. It’s so satisfying to remove the paint, and kids should be allowed to feel that too.
• OR paint when they aren’t there. This isn’t realistic, but what a fun surprise to find when your kids come home.

New Year: New You

Finally, nothing beats shaking out of a normal physical routine and trying something new. If you’re used to yoga classes, kickboxing, or spin class, why not try a rock climbing gym, a ninja warrior course, or an aerial yoga class? Most places have beginner classes, and it’s a way to make working out fun again. If you’re stuck inside like my family, getting out to a new class may be just what you need. 

Tips for involving kids in your fitness plan:

• Check out your new place with your kiddo. Maybe they have classes for children or better yet, classes for parents and kids.
• Talk about your attempts at your new class or gym with your kids. Tell them when you fail or succeed at something so they can see this is a process we all go through when learning something new.
• Teach what you’ve learned to your kids at home. I know my daughter would love to Zumba, yoga, or ninja with me at our house. Maybe not so much the middle schooler, but you never know.
• Let them know when you are feeling stronger than before you started. This will show them that hard work does pay off, and results don’t have to come only after pain.

We at Family Footnote wish you the best in 2019. Join us and get playful this year. Let us know what you have planned!