WINNER WINNER: happyenchilada THANKS! xoxo
This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Sprint
We are all busy.
BUSY is a word that we throw around without much thought in life...
It is important to find the time for family no matter how BUSY we are.
It is important to connect and feel tethered to our lives.
How do you do it?
Here are some cool ways we are trying to stay connected
and some awesome ideas I have noticed in the blogosphere:
The family meeting:
Seriously. We need a come to each other night once a week. Family dinners are ace but I think one night a week as a family is so important. Make it a movie night or a round table meeting with ice cream at the end. Just do it.
Smartphones:
For reals. Mom and Dad can stay wicked in touch with what is going on with smartphones. If We did not have blackberries in our house we would not be as in touch as we are.
Life is easier with the technology we have.
For real.
The family notebook or sketchbook:
Love the idea of a family notebook to write to each other- leave messages, ideas, problems. Questions...OR just cool art like this family.
Ownership is a big thing here. Buy in comes from use.
It is awesome.
The calendar of Life
Buy a gorgeous calendar and display it prominently in your home.
Even little ones can see their names and start to understand the concept.
Busy Body Books are great because they separate everyone
and make it a at a glance station for the family.
Little Love notes in lunches
Don't forget to woo your mate. Woo your kids too. Love. Spread it around in wee notes tucked in lunches or pockets. It means the world to them. Leave a word of the day written on lunch bags. Tell a joke on a napkin. Tell yr spouse little saucy sentences on a tiny slip of paper. GO!
Blog it baby!
The big and small parts of life can be documented and shared with loved ones near and far.
We all know the power of the blog. This year let younger members of the family start a blog or teach grandparents how to blog to tell the history of their lives to the family. Blogging is powerful.
Harness it.
Staycations local love affairs:
Explore the local amazing place you live together! Make memories by visiting one new place nearby each month. Make a scrapbook or take photos and make memories. Stimulate the economy where you live. Learn! Live!
The family that gives back together:
Find a charity and work it in 2010.
You will bond over giving back.
There are so many charities that need you!
Sykpe Time:
Faraway family no longer means huge phone bills and stress.
We skype all the time to our UK family and love it! It is simple and so MUCH FUN!
Hobby Time:
Take a leap into a new year of learning.
Photography is a great hobby for kids and adults.
Try something new together! Sushi making? Art? Sports?
Check out the Family Connections Group at BlogHer for more ideas!
OK Wanna WIN a $200 Visa gift card?
To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me What are your best tips for keeping your family connected in the New Year? - or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at 1/13/2010` and will end 2/9/2010. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
Rules:
- No duplicate comments.
- You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
- You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
- This giveaway is open to US-residents, aged 18 and older
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
- You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
- Please see the official rules here: Official rules
126 comments:
Hello! Thanks for the contest - it is a great one! I have quite a few things that I do to keep my family in touch! There are four of us, Me, my husband, and my 2 boys (7 & 3).
1.) We keep mini-mailboxes in our bedrooms. Everyone is required to write a letter or draw a picture to every family member, once a week and leave it in their mailbox.
2.) Once a week we make popcorn and crawl into my bed and watch a movie. (kids choice)
3.) Date night: We have a family date night twice a month. We have an ongoing list of places where we would like to dine. So we choose one and off we go!
We also do the usual: eat dinner together, read books together, etc..
nvarrent(at)twcny(dot)rr(dot)com
Hello! Great contest, lovely post. My family are all in the UK and I live in the US and have a 2 yr old and a 4yr old. In addition to sending back photos and videos of the kids to the grandparents, I have taken to recording snippets of them on my iPhone and emailing them to the family. Then the grandparents get spontaneous bursts of singing or discussing (or arguing!) which give them a glimpse into the daily life of the kids, without the performance that inevitably takes place when I take out the camera. Also they love to hear that the kids talk about them, unprompted.
My family plans meals, vacations, and weekends together. I love including my four year old especially because she has great ideas that break us out of our usual routine.
Reading together as a family, for sure. As my daughter gets older (she's 11) we've started some of the classics.
Reading gives common references, great conversation, and snuggle time (increasingly rare).
I'm going to try my best to get my family together for dinner as often as possible so we will have time to discuss our days!
jillk77 at aol dot com
We eat dinner together every night, and my husabdn and do a date night often.
micahandkelsey1@cox.net
Family movie night is a fun way for us to stay connected.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
I blogged about this:
http://grandgiveaways.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/sprint/
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
Tweet:
http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/7748871283
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
I'm a techie, so my tips revolve around using technology to stay connected with family. We don't live real close to our family and we often feel out of the loop on important news in the family. I've found the following tools to be a great help in staying connected: Myfamily.com (forum based), Facebook (quick status updates), Skype (voice and video), and Email (quick way to send messages).
mattschmunk at hotmail dot com
I like the idea of a shared hobby. My sons 16 & 20 share gaming and a few pursuits, and in previous years I felt too busy to join them, and happy they had an awesome sibling thing going on. But as they pull away, older (sob), I wonder if we could craft a shared hobby? One thing we are doing is that we had so much fun playing board games over the holidays that we are having a family (and invited friends sometimes) game night on Wednesdays. Last night, Monopoly. I totally lost, with only the light blues and one "Get Out of Jail Free" card as my lucky breaks. 16 yo friend kicked our poor socialiast booties ;)
I plan to start a game/movie night once a month, and family dinners are a DEFINITE!!!
mjf926 at gmail dot com
Since I live far away from my parents, I've found it harder to keep in touch. I talk to my mom on the phone almost every day but my dad is not a phone person. I've started emailing him every day with a fun link or article, which usually prompts at least one reply (or a whole email chain). As an added bonus, I'm way more up-to-date on my current events!
thisris at gmail dot com
My best tip is to schedule time on a calendar, like I have resorted to, to keep in touch with family. Life gets hectic and time flies, so to stay connected I have time scheduled on my calendar to call, email and Facebook my family.
With my immediate family (my husband and kids) we make a point to call and text in every few hours or so throughout the day. We also have family movie nights once a week to unwind together.
Tweet
http://twitter.com/HeartnSoulmom/status/7775101385
Through blogging!! Now everybody in my family keeps up with what i'm doing through my blog! :)
Facebook helps keep extended family up to date and we sit down for family dinners together almost every night.
To keep the family connected, pick atleast one night a week to do something fun as a family – go to a movie (or rent one), have a family game night, etc. And make sure to spend time together talking everyday.
oldnavyash@aol.com
Tweeted http://twitter.com/smash906/status/7800754847
oldnavyash@aol.com
since my family lives a long way from me I like to use Skype to call them from my computer- that way i can use my webcamera and we can talk forever without worrying of any fees
ann.altima at gmail dot com
We meet at a local restaurant on Sunday nights when everyone is in town and have a smorgasboard of appetizers and catch up. Love having family night to keep up with everyone now that the kids are older and moved out.
Alon the lines of hobby time, see if you have (or can develop) shared interests. Go fishing, or make a dress. Watch the game, or a cheesy musical.
If your family has been in the same area for a long time take a ride (gas prices permitting) and share stories. Have them help you put together a photo album.
Go thru their yearbook and your yearbook from the same year in school together (just going thru theirs may seem a bit nosy.)
We try to eat dinner together every night and TALK to each other. So many people are so busy that they don't even have time to sit down and talk to their family members. It is so important to talk to your kids to find out what they are doing, what they are thing about and what their hopes and dreams are.
jedoggett@embarqmail.com
1) Eat meals together
2) Game night/movie night
3) Read before bed
4) Vacation
5) Go to Church & pray together
mdmerenghi@gmail.com
Tweeted
what a great contest!
We love to prepare and eat meals together at our dining table. I read recently that dining rooms were going 'out.' I love mine. It is really a place to bring the family together.
My brother and sisters and I decided that it's not enough for all of us to just get together on the holidays and that we want our children to develop relationships with their cousins that go beyond the holidays.
Once a month we're all getting together and having a movie/dinner/game night. Everyone brings a dish to share and their favorite game or we rent a movie to watch as a family.
We have a blast together and so many laughs..even my teenage son is making sure he schedules himself off from his part-time job on "family" night.
While its great to talk on the phone and connect with Facebook, seeing each other face-to-face makes us a much closer family.
For February we're planning a Valentine's Day family party. We're all buying each other those cute Valentine's cards like the kids hand out in class. We have to write down two "nice" things to say about the other person and we're all decorating our own Valentine's day card boxes. We're planning on renting some "chick-flicks" much to the horror of my son, husband and brother.
shel704 at aol dot com
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/7870070924
shel704 at aol dot com
we sold our TV, which really encourages family-togetherness
artisticbaker at gmail dot com
blogged!
http://artisticbaker.blogspot.com/2010/01/win-200-visa-card.html
tweeted
http://twitter.com/artisticbaker/statuses/7909738986
Here are my plans:
1) family plan on the cellphone
2) regular dinners as a family
3) outtings
Tweeted http://twitter.com/LisaSVance/status/7918001351
A family that eats together, stays happy together.
I think it is a good idea to try and always eat at least 1 meal a day together to connect and talk about each others day.
sarahjd766 at yahoo dot com
I stay connected with my sister who lives in another state through Facebook. We can just jot down our thoughts to share with each other immediately and there's no pressure to answer right away. We chat back and forth all day long, but in little bits. Of course, when we really want to chat, we pick up the phone!
Kim
turtles8861(at)gmail(dot)com
we have a family website that we use all the time to keep everyone in the loop with pictures and news. But our favorite way to stay close is to go on trips. Although it takes a lot of work with our 2 yr old quadruplets, it's worth it so they can get to know their grandparents, great grandparents and great great grandma better everytime!
jennyhasquads (AT) yahoodotcom
Love it! One of my favorite ways to stay connected is taking trips together. In fact, next week my husband and I are traveling to FL to visit his grandmother. And I'm totally excited about it!
carmensechristjunk at gmail dot com
We love to eat supper together as a family. Whenever possible, we try to travel in the same vehicle. Saves on gas money, gives us more family time! Also, it allows us to just talk and catch up on the day. I love to hear from my family all about their days. When the weather is nice, we love to go on walks together.
joyful[dot]too[at]gmail[dot]com
We try to have a family night once a week. We aren't always successful but we feel it is important enough to keep trying!
I am texting my college kids and also keeping up with them through facebook. I love family dinner time with my two that are still home. Plus, we love to play games together.
tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/status/8011928553
jedoggett@embarqmail.com
Very best tip for keeping my family connected in the new year...SKYPE!! Set up a time each week to video chat with all the family is fun and the best thing to do, next to being physically in the same place, which can be hard. I love video chating with my family. Also, keeping instant messenger open all day, so family can leave messages as well as chat through out the day when we are lucky enough to be around at the same time.
tweeted!
http://twitter.com/EpicTegan/status/8015424894
On the weekends, we like to go for family bike rides or hikes. We haven't done as much of that this winter, but I vow that we will get back into it. Not only do we get to spend time together, but it's also a great way to stay in shape and burn off some energy for the kids.
cookincanuck@hotmail.com
My son's only two, but I have always asked to 'speak' to him while I'm at work and he's at daycare/grandma's house/with my husband. Now he's actually talking back like a real conversation, but I think it's important for him to always know I'm thinking about him even if I'm away. Plus I miss his tiny voice!
samanthajocampen at gmail
We try to have our kids friends over as often as possible and then watch movies, play games, or do special stuff. The kids are more willing to do stuff with us if their friends like it.
jberntson@back2basics4kidscom
we like to play games together
All of my family live across the country. In keep in touch with them with weekly phone calls and Facebook. Facebook is great for getting daily updates.
weekly dinners as a family - crazy as it sounds I don't know a lot of people who do this frequently and a lot of good connections and conversations spring from family meals :)
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com
https://twitter.com/DeeGee13/status/8103511161
tweeted!
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com
Family dinners and a date night for mom and dad!
My family knows the importance of keeping in touch. We make a point to reach out at least once a week, if not more often. Sometimes there is no news, or nothing much to say, but just hearing that person's voice lets you know they are safe and sound. With the kids, texting is the way to go. I've found that my children reach out to me more in texts than they ever do by actually talking.
tweeted http://twitter.com/tnshadylady/status/8116073458
My family and I are always trying to find ways to keep "connected" it is hard and easy in a way with all of the technology.
I am a firm beleiver in having our family around the dinner table, even though it is only my son and I we will sit and eat and talk about how are day is going and if we are done talking about our day, we laugh and joke about other stuff;}
Dine together every day! Take advantage of technology: facebook, skype, email, etc. are all useful tools for keeping in touch.
WE get together for bowling once a month and do movie, game night on Sundays
And of course there is all the conversations we hold on Facebook.
http://twitter.com/Nightowlmama/status/8222855259
For the first time since college, I once again live in my hometown -- where I was born and raised. Theoretically, this makes it much easier to stay connected with family. However - as we all know - life can get in the way. In 2010, I have resolved to do a better job at staying connected with all of my family. I will make more time to visit with my loved ones...no excuses! Additionally, we plan on hosting a big family dinner at least once a month.
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com
Tweet:
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/8240469370
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com
After being cooped up inside all winter, we plan on taking nightly family walks once spring gets here. Instead of plopping in front of the tv, we can get out and enjoy conversations with each other!
tweeted: http://twitter.com/happyenchilada2/status/8250978139
kessandcrystal(at)aol.com
i am keeping in touch with family via phone, e-mail and blogging! facebook is also a HUGE way i keep in touch with both family and friends. i love being able to share pictures on there!
My sister and I tend to have trouble catching up, so we've been making an effort to facebook chat once a week to catch up and keep informed on each others lives and families.
make time for eachother- plan family nights- movies, games, making pizza
Because I still have 2 children at home, and 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren who live in their own homes (thankfully, still in the same city), we keep in touch by visits and by almost daily telephone calls. I also have a get together each week: craft day, family game night, movie night and everyone gets together and has some fun!
My husband and I have family night every Monday. Games, talking, eating, fun
One way we connect is by cooking together and inviting friends to come taste the results.
Our schedules are so random we can't have a set "family night" but we do pick projects to do with the kids once a week. This week is cleaning out the basement week. Last week was make pizzas with faces. Just random stuff.
We make certain that we eat a meal together. This is at the dining table, with place settings, courses, and no tv.
I like to use Skype to call them from my computer- that way i can use my webcamera and we can talk forever without worrying of any fees
For Christmas 09, I bought my mom (who lives in another state) a netbook, to encourage her to email. We now email each other several times a week, in between our weekly phone calls.
Clara B.
cboza@vna1.com (that's a numeral "1," not a letter "l," in "vna1.")
Definitely write and call for overseas family members. Email, Skype, Flickr...etc. I basically use every technology you can think of. For family nearby, we'd visit and get together during holidays.
tweet.http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/8694421518
Blogged.http://tcarolinep.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway-cheeky-monkey-play.html
Choose a hobby that you can all enjoy! I show and breed dogs, and that really keeps us together. The boys are involved with caring for the dogs, socializing pups and Junior Handling. It began as my hobby, but it spread through the family like wildfire. It has really brought us all closer!
spitfyr323 at hotmail dot com
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/spitfyr323/statuses/8721653637
spitfyr323 at hotmail dot com
I have family and friends all the world so it's tough to eep in touch but we have moved into using technology to do so. We use Skype, blogs, emails, facebook and twitter to keep connected.
tweeted http://twitter.com/carogonza/status/8729560506
blogged http://theartofrandomwillynillyness.blogspot.com/2010/02/v8-fusion-blogher-ends-29.html
We have weekly routines when we spend special time together.
jennifercausby at hotmail dot com
I tweeted. http://twitter.com/JCausby/status/8729612947
jennifercausby at hotmail dot com
What a great contest! Both of our parents are Winter Texans and we do communicate through Chat on Facebook. We also have two websites through MyFamily.com that several family members visit regularly- photos, recipes, family news, etc. With all of today's technology it's very easy to stay in touch. Oh yeah, and our handy dandy cell phones with text messaging- it's a techy world we live in.
saramomof2ia(at)yahoo(dot)com
Make dinner as a family together, it makes the meal that much better :) Social networking is great too for family that lives far away.
Thanks!
shevilkenevil1 at aol dot com
Tweet:
http://twitter.com/lipstickncandy/status/8729901046
shevilkenevil1 at aol dot com
We have a big calendar with all of different events on it and we all text each other! We also love going to the movies together on Saturday afternoons. utgal2004[at]yahoo[dot]com
We spend our weekends together, eat dinner together, and we email pictures to our family afar so they can keep up with our life.
One tip I have to keep family connected is to take about 1/2 hour each and every night to touch bases and see how everyone is doing...if they need to talk, etc. Of course more time is good too, but to insist on this really does help.
mandjregan at gmail dot com
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/EightyMPHMom/status/8776700265
My best tip is to make sure to have at least one night a week reserved for family time. If a family can't commit to this than one night every two weeks. Each member of the family gets to take turns picking out the activity. It doesn't have to be expensive; it could be playing family games on the wii or renting a movie together. It is all about making the time together! This will maintain closeness.
We use Skype video chat when we are away from each other and have as many meals together as possible!
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/princessla66/status/8788854591
This year we are making a concerted effort to watch TV a lot less and actually talk to each other!
Angie
one 4 earth at aol dot com
I tweeted this giveaway here: http://twitter.com/FotoMacro/status/8809526565
Angie
one 4 earth at aol dot com
One thing we are doing differently this year is to have more meals at home and have them at the dining table instead of at the computer and TV and that way we are not so distracted and can actually catch up with each other every night.
Scott
nynekats at aol dot com
tweeted http://twitter.com/RePurrPussed/status/8809637981
Scott
nynekats at aol dot com
I blogged about the giveaway here:
http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-1-2010-monday-giveaway-roundup.html
Family dinner is a big way for us to stay connected, and we eat together almost every night and talk about our days.
ajolly1456 at gmail dot com
We have dinner together & I try to find movies that appeal to both a teenager & a preschooler.
gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com
tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8818844641
gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com
My family has discovered video chat via oovoo (which allows for multiple video screens at once) or skype. Since we are spread across the country from Hawaii to NYC and in between it helps us keep up with the rapidly growing little ones.
kristilynngibson (at) gmail (dot) com
We eat breakfast and dinner together every day. We have a family game night. I try to have one of my kids cook dinner with me every day.
Thanks for the giveaway.
s.mickelson at gmail dot com
My best tip to stay connected is to spend quality time with each child individually. Find out what interests them and spend time doing that activity. To stay connected to your spouse it is definately important to have a nice weekend getaway w/o kids or at least a date night w/o the kids.
candaceotto32 at yahoo dot com
My best tip is to not have earbuds or headphones on while we are in the car or working together as a family, so no one is in their own little world. We also do not have television so that helps us stay connected by just spending time together in the evenings.
I am trying to get all of my family on facebook mobile and texting!
Our kids are grown, and 1 lives out of state, so cell phone calls, texting, emails, and facebook helps us stay in touch on a daily basis. We’re all busy, but we keep up-to-date with each other’s lives, so we feel like we’re never far from each other.
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/amylou61/status/8839626300
My kids are 6, 3 and 6 months so I stay connected with them by getting down on the floor and playing with them. We always have a blast!
ag1414@hotmail.com
Blogged:
http://fibrofoggy.blogspot.com/2010/02/9-chances-to-win-200-from-blogher.html
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/ag1414/status/8840914817
ag1414@hotmail.com
My son is grown and the family is scattered. I have a personal blog and a personal Facebook account. We keep in touch using those, email and the phone.
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/8842706357
blogged http://vickieb52.blogspot.com/2010/02/win-visa-gift-card.html
we keep connected through emails, social networks, and phone calls.
shopgurl101 AT gmail DOT com
blogged http://sweetqt.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/sprint-and-blogher-ends-29
shopgurl101 AT gmail DOT com
tweet:
http://twitter.com/shopgurl/status/8845600446
shopgurl101 AT gmail DOT com
We try and keep connected through phone calls and emails. Hate to say it, but email seems so much easier with everyone's busy schedules and the different time zones we live in.
I think nightly famiy dinners are the best way to keep the family connected!
I stay in touch via cell phone. When my family is apart this is the quickest way to get in touch with anyone, plus its always nice to hear someones voice rather than through something like email.
-annalene
email address is visible in blogger profile
I am going to make it a goal to use webcam a lot more with my parents, sisters, and friends. I'm also going to make more of an effort to IM them and talk on the cell phone. :)
themommyfiles (at) gmail (dot) com
We can't always have dinner together but my family eats at least one meal together a day. Sometimes my husband works late so we have breakfast together before he has to go. Its a great way to stay connected.
I tweeted
http://twitter.com/lunaj1456/status/8872290730
ajolly1456 at gmail dot com
I have lived out of state from my mom,sis and immediate family for over 25 years. We stay connected through phone calls, emails, cards and visits 3 times a year
aunteegem@yahoo.com
family far away we send cards and emails the hubby kids and I go far a walk every week with no distractions it makes great family time and it is free! eaglesforjack@gmail.com
i tweeted
http://twitter.com/eaglesforjack/status/8874425690
we stay together by cooking together at least once a week
the texting: we stay connected by texting
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