Brigette Danielle: family

Summer break will be here before you know it and that means the kids will be either bored, hungry, bored or bored lol. It never fails! Every year our kids beg and plead to do fun things that cater to their interest. And 9/10 times we do! However it's never enough unless you spend an arm, leg, a kidney and bone marrow. So, that's why this year my main focus is how much fun can we have this summer for FREE!
There are many free activities around town you can do with your kids during summer break. Here are some of my favorite ideas on how you can have a great summer break with the kids for free.
First thing on the list, visiting local parks and playgrounds. The Dallas metro area has a lot of great parks, splash parks, and playgrounds. Even though my kids are part of the older crowd now, they still can have fun at the park. We like to focus more on things we can bring to the park like a football, soccerball, volleyball and so on. We also keep an eye out for splash parks for Italy since she still enjoys playing in them.
Nature Hikes. One thing I want to incorporate more is going on nature hikes. Along with beautiful parks, the DFW metro has beautiful trails to explore. Our old apartment had a trail at the local park and we loved taking a small walk along the trails and hanging out in the trees. There were even some hidden paths and a stream as well. This summer I plan to explore more nature trails around our town.
Having a picnic. Most of my family despise picnics lol. But a nother great way to spend summer break with the kids for free is to plan a beautiful picnic. It can be in your backyard, driveway, park.. really anywhere you want. Grab those favorite snacks and make something delicious and enjoy them outdoors.
Have a movie night at home. Break out the dvds, or scan through your streaming services and curate the perfect movie night! Create a drive in experience in your backyard or camp out in the front room. Movie nights can be made special in so many ways. Get really creative and create a movie night theme.
Crafternoon. Dig out all that craft and art supplies you already have at home and get creative. You can have an art gallery night where everyone creates pieces of work to be displayed. Set out fancy finger foods and special drinks then have everyone dress up to attend the Chateu Home Art Gallery!
Free events and programs at the library. Alot of people don't know this, but the library hosts great events for all, DAILY, and even more events during the summer. check your local library for upcoming free summer movies, family events and more.
Community events. If your community is like mine, then they will also have free events for the family during the summer. From movie nights on the lawn, outdoor concerts, fireworks and markets, your commuinty is a gret resource to check for free summer break activities.
These are great things to do with your family during the summer, however I know there are waaayyy more things to add to this list. What else do you plan to do with your kids this summer? Anything on this list? Let me know in the comments below.

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Hey y'all
It's almost Black History Month!
It's almost Black History Month and that means there is a lot to learn, reflect on and celebrate. This Black History Month craft is great for kids and anyone that loves to be creative. Plus, it doesn't require to many materials, a lot of time or create too much of a mess. Thankfully!
This year in our studies, I wanted to try and incorporate as many learning and creating opportunities around our history as possible. We started our school year off by visiting the African American Museum in Dallas followed by many, many videos and library books that teach our history from many different time periods and perspectives.
I finally decided for MLK Day 2022 that we needed a creative way to celebrate our culture and Dr. King. It just so happened this project was also very fitting for Black History Month as well.
This craft is called "Hands of Many Colors". This project represents Dr. King's dream of equality and brotherhood as well as a great opportunity to celebrate his legacy during BHM.
For this Black History Month craft- all you need are a few art supplies (most you may already have)
- Heavy duty sketch paper-Paint brushes-Water colors-Pencil-Black marker.
First, start off by tracing your hand and wrist on the sketch paper in various positions causing them to subtly overlap. You want to aim for 3-5 hand outlines (depending on size) to make sure your paper is covered and parts of the hands are overlapping.

Next, take a sharpie or black marker and trace each handprint fully. Don't worry if the marker is not perfectly on top of the pencil. Just simply erase the visible pencil.

Then, take your water colors and paint each hand a different shade. The parts that are overlapping will begin to create a new shade that will make this project even more colorful.

Finally, once you paint the hand prints, you can add a solid color to the remaining areas of the paper or leave it blank. You can also add a special quote or picture and blurb about a special person you are learning about for BHM.

That's it! This super easy Black History Month project is quick, fun and creative. The perfect trifecta for a great craft project.
I hope you enjoyed this post and project idea. Let me know in the comments if you plan to have your kiddos make one.

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Hey y'all!
Do you want to improve your relationship with your teen? Then keep reading to see 5 ways you can improve your relationship with your teen.
Do you remember what it was like to be a teen? Do you remember that awkward phase of your life where you can't quite figure out which way is up but you think you know the way lol. Being a teenager is already tough enough- adding a tough relationship with their parents can make it even harder. But how do you keep it from going sideways? How can you improv your relationship with your teen?
After having two teens for a while now I picked up a few things along the way. Sure we have rough moments but after a lot.. and I mean A LOT of practice, patience and conversations I have found the best ways to improve your relationship with your teen.
Once again, I am NO EXPERT. However, I have almost 16 years of parenting experience so I am bound to learn something lol.
So, how do you improve your relationship with your teen?

1. Pray- Prayer can literally change your life. There have been many of trials in my life and whenever I prayed through it- God was there. Pray for your relationship with your child. Ask God to help you be the best parent you can be and to allow your child to draw close to you. Prayer works alongside actions.
2. Listening- Your teenager has a voice and while it may be right or wrong it is important. Giving your teen the confidence to speak openly and freely (but respectfully) allows them the time to mature in their thoughts and ideas. They may feel like they know everything and will want to fight, but they know deep down they can come to you with anything. Another part of listening is also learning more about their interests. Maybe try a show they like, listen to an artist they listen to.. anything that requires them to talk and you to listen!
3. Meet them at their level- If your child feels like they are "grown" then treat them as such. Of course they still have a lot to learn so you don't just throw them to the wolves. Allow them to make choices that could possibly have big consequences but still set up boundaries. For example, if your teen thinks they can go a whole week with only a few hours of sleep each night, let them see. They will quickly learn to appreciate rest lol. In our house, we show our kids the good, the bad and the ugly side of life. They know that every choice they make will create the path their life follows.

4. Have Dates- Once I started having regular dates with my teen our conversations changed for the better. She was more open with her thoughts and interests. Spending alone time with your teen will gently force your bond into something more. Try having a date with them once a month.
Need some date night ideas with your daughter? Read this "Mother Daughter Dates"Need some date night ideas with your son? Read this ""Mother Son Dates"

5. Compromise- Of course there are some things in life you should never compromise on. However there are times when you should. The same goes for dealing with your teen and building your relationship. You have to compromise from time to time. Recently I was able to make a compromise with my teen that actually gave us what we both wanted. I wanted her to read more books that were a bit challenging and classic. She wanted to read more anime and manga. So I found manga adaptations of classics like "Romeo & Juliet", "Pride & Prejudice", "The Scarlett Letter", "Anne of Green Gables" and much much more. We checked out about 10 of them lol. Boom. Compromise.

BONUS * Admit When Wrong- Building a great relationship with your teen is letting them know that you are human and you make mistakes. Admitting when you were wrong will allow them to see you in a vulnerable way that will provoke empathy. Being open and honest with your teen are the stepping stones to improving your relationship.
I used to be afraid of the teenage years. The first one was a bit bumpy, the second was a roller coaster and the third has turned it's head to the light. We are at a place that is full of love and understanding. When I started implementing these tips daily I have found the teen years to be exciting full of great moments.
How do you plan to improve your relationship with your teen? Any advice you would like to share? Leave a comment below.

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Hey y'all

Happy March! It's hard to believe that spring break is practically here with summer quick to follow. During this time, you may be dreaming of a fun filled vacation for two or a vacation for the whole family. I know I am already planning our next trip lol.

Going on vacation doesn't have to break the bank- you can actually vacation on a budget and still have a great time.

But how? How do you vacation on a budget and still have a great time?

Well it's simple tbh... you plan for it.

Taking a vacation on a budget is something you should plan for for about 5-12 months depending on how tight your budget is, how many people are going and what you expect to do. Obviously the tighter the budget and the more people, the longer it may take to plan that vacation.

Over the years, I have learned a few tips to make our family trips enjoyable and loaded with fun. So, obviously I had to share what I have learned with y'all. :)

So, just how do you plan a vacation on a budget?

#1 Pick a place- When picking a vacation spot you want to pick a place that has something for everyone. If you are wanting to go to a theme park you will want to be near a city that has exciting ones. Same with water parks or unique places you will want to visit. A lot of these cities know that and tend to charge more. So when planning your vacation, book a place a little ways out from the city and you will see that most of the rentals are cheaper.

#2. Ditch the Hotel- A lot of people tend to go straight to hotels when planning a vacation. Do yourself a favor and ditch the hotels. Find amazing rentals on sites like VRBO.com or Airbnb.com. You will more than triple your space, and save when it comes to groceries. Staying in a hotel you will eventually have to spend extra money at restaurants or try to stock a mini fridge less than ideal foods. When you book a house, you can cook full meals and cut your grocery bill significantly by having leftovers. If you are planning a one night trip I would definitely calculate the costs beforehand. If you are staying for one day and there is only 2-4 of you, a hotel might be better.

#3. Negotiate- When booking a house, owners are usually willing to negotiate prices for extended stays. My most recent trip with friends forced us to have to relocate to a new house on our 2nd day. We found an amazing house but it was a little out of our budget. So, I sent a message to the property manager and explained the situation. I kindly asked them if they were willing to take our rental down from $275 a night to right around $200 a night for so many nights. They were more than kind and offered it to us at that price. Since we were staying for 8 nights, they were willing to knock off a few bucks to lock in a solid week.

#4. Split It- If you are planning a family vacation, couples vacation.. whatever, split the overall costs by pairing up with another family or couple. Having a big space and extra people to split it with will definitely make for more fun at a budget friendly cost. You can also vacation on a budget by splitting the cost of food, gas and more when splitting the costs.

#5. Do the FREE stuff- Every city has free attractions. Another way to have a budget friendly vacation is to find out about all the free things your area has to offer and pack them in your itinerary. Vacationing on the coast? Visit a different beach every day? Heading to the Midwest? Check out historical landmarks and hidden gems around town. Visiting a big city? Check out all the hot areas around town and take a stroll to take in the sights. You can always find something free to do no matter where you vacation.

#6. Shop for discount tickets- There are a lot of travel agents and places that offer tickets sales during the year. Some theme parks have huge end of summer sales. Grab some tickets for a later trip and save. Make sure you read the fine print for blackout dates and expiration dates. You can also stop by a travel center for special rates on tickets and attractions as well.

Are you planning a trip with your family any time soon? Where is your dream vacation? Favorite vacation place? Let me know in the comments below.

*Check out these two video tours from two of our most recent trips*

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