Five Ways to Have the Ultimate Family Night

Hello friends,

How are you all doing on this lovely Wednesday? Today I'm here to bring you the ultimate list of how to have an awesome family night without spending all your dough. Now I've been very fortune to grow up in a wonderful home with a family that supports me, and it's really important for me to spend time with them. But sometimes, it's hard to come up with something new to do. If you have that issue too, don't fear because Liz is here! I have a decent amount of experience so hopefully I can help a friend out.

1. explore the outdoors// Okay so if you don't already take advantage of this beautiful world God has created, then grab your family and start doing so! Living in the PNW, I am surrounded by beautiful scenery and easily accessible hikes, but I know a whole lot of other places are too. So find an interesting hike or park you and your family are interested in exploring, grab the camera, and go find a new favorite spot. Trust me, you'll be so glad you did.

2. have a movie night// This awesome idea is just a classic, and it never fails to be a lot of fun. Make a run to the supermarket, or just your pantry, grab you classic movie snacks, and pick out a movie the entire family will (hopefully) all enjoy. Personally, my family and I take forever to pick a perfect movie, but we normally find something for everyone. And don't forget about movie dialogue, unless your family forbids talking while watching a movie, in that case we really can't be friends.

So recently Pureflix.com was brought to my attention and I was asked if I'd like to make my readers aware of their free trial. If you don't know about Pureflix, it's kind of like Netflix, but provides family friendly movies about love, faith, and friendship. It's an awesome resource for families, so if you'd like to check out their free trial, click here for more information. (Seriously go check it out because it's awesome).

The Prince of Egypt. An animated classic and a childhood favorite, you cannot go wrong with this awesome movie and its amazing soundtrack. But warning: the movie will leave you with "Through Heaven's Eyes" stuck in your head for days.

October Baby. Now a completely different feel from the Prince of Egypt, this movie is an emotional heart breaker. Honestly I have cried so many times while watching this movie. The story itself is so raw, but really important. Definitely recommend. 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Another childhood classic, you can't not enjoy this beautiful tale. Fans of the book will definitely love this movie, and it's done wonderfully. The acting is amazing and the film itself is so beautiful. It's hard to believe someone hasn't seen this movie, but if you haven't, go now and do yourself a favor. 

I'm Not Ashamed. Another heavy story, it's about Rachel Joy Scott, the first student to be killed in the shooting at Columbine High School. The movie focuses on her life and events that lead up to her death, but also share the inspiring message of remembering to put our trust in God and sharing kindness to those around us.
The Secret Life of Pets. A super funny imagination of what a pet's life might be like when the owner isn't around. Totally worth the watch, even if your entire family "claims" to be too old for animated movies.

3. play backyard sports// If you have a big enough family, go outside and get some exercise. My brother's and I especially love starting a game of baseball or football in our yard. But any sport will do! The nice thing about just chilling with you family, is that it doesn't have to get too formal, you don't even have to have a super large yard, just some energy and maybe some sports equipment.

4. pull out the board games// Now this is a risky choice, because if you pick the wrong board game (cough cough, monopoly), you might be there for awhile. But there are a lot of fun board games and card games that don't take years to finish, but can still create a fun atmosphere for you and your family.

Life. This game is a lot of fun, as it's really interactive and entertaining, without taking hours to finish the game. You start off the game fresh out of high school, and through a series of events you must chose, or land on, you end the game with retirement. Basically, whoever wins with the most assets, wins. Is it the best representation of life? No, but it's still a ton of fun. 

Clue. The classic, whose done it? This is great for the competitive family, because you get to suspect each other and figure out clues. Basically, you're trying to figure out the murderer and the weapon of choice before anyone else.

Apples to Apples. Now if you have a larger family, this game is perfect for you! Bound to create lots of laughter and "friendly" debate, this will for sure entertain you for quite a bit. Plus, if you get sick of playing Apples to Apples the traditional way, the directions includes all sorts of ways to mix it up so you're really playing a game with multiple possibilities. 

5. try a new recipe// If your family is anything like mine, you probably have a cupboard dedicated to unused cookbooks just waiting for flour to be spilt on them. Plan an evening with your family to sort through those books and find a recipe you want to experiment with! Not only is it fun, but it's practical and might cause you to find a new favorite meal.

What kind of activities do you enjoy doing with your family? Did I leave anything obvious out? As always, leave me a comment down below and talk about what your ultimate family night is. I'd have to say mine is anything that means ice cream is involved, let's be real.

Have a wonderful week,

Elizabeth

How To Beat Procrastination

Hello everyone,

As you can see from both my title and the picture above, today I come to talk to you about procrastination. You would be lying if you said you don't procrastinate. We all do it, even if we may not realize it. For example, right now I'm procrastinating getting some History done by writing this post. So really, I can't yell at you for doing it. I do, however, have a lot of experience in trying to not procrastinate, so hopefully my tips might help out some of you folks. 

 1. Be Comfortable 

I am home schooled, (I take private school classes twice a week.) so I am mostly doing school at home which gives me the freedom to wear whatever I want. Normally, I like to change out of my PJ's just so I'm not tempted to fall back asleep again, but I still like to stay comfortable. It is so hard for me to focus in stiff clothes and when my hair is falling into my face, so I like to wear baggy sweater/T-shirts, leggings/jeggings, and tie my hair up. 

2. Stay Hydrated 

This is one of my favorites. If you entered my room, you would find about 2-3 water bottles, 2 glasses, and at least 1 tumbler laying around..possibly some coffee mugs too. I am always drinking some sort of water mixture, tea, coffee, or smoothie. Mostly though, I add lemon into my water. Lemon is known to help you be more alert and stimulate memory. It really does help me focus, plus it tastes super good! 

3. Don't Study in Bed

I don't care how cute your bed is, if it's made, if it is comfortable, don't do it! You get twice as much work done when you are doing it on a desk or a table. Your bed is for sleeping and your body knows that, so you will automatically be less focused and become drowsy. I highly suggest you find a nice place where you can mainly just focus on school that works for you, and leave you bed for resting and watching Netflix. 

4. Keep Your Work Space Clean 

This is another huge one! Maybe it works for you, but for most people it is difficult to get things done when everything is messy and unorganized. A cluttered desk makes for slow work, so take some time to organize everything in a practical way that will cause you to be more efficient. I have a small shelf to keep my books in; jars for my pens, highlighters, and pencils; and bins for my art supplies and folders. It is helpful to have a clearer desk and a designated place for everything.  

5.Eliminate Distractions

If we're all being honest here, whenever we try to get anything done, we look at our phones every 5 minutes...which then lead to 30 minutes and before we know it we've watched 11 YouTube videos and spammed our Pinterest followers with pins. Save yourself from that black hole, turn your phone off and take it to another room. Focus on the task that is before you and save phone time for later, you will get so much more done!

 6. Listen to Music

Okay, so this one depends on the person. If you can't focus with music, do listen to it! I love listening to music while I do school, though! Depending on the subject, I will change my music to fit what I'm doing. When I'm reading, I listen to classical. When I'm writing, I listen to music I can sing along with. When I'm working on math, I listen to music that pumps me up so I don't fall asleep. Just figure out what works best for you. 

7. Make Lists

So if you've read some of my last posts, you know I love To-Do lists, especially when they're in fun colors. Plan out what you need to get done by importance, how you're going to finish it, and when it needs to be completed. It's good to have a visual reminder of what you need to get done. Plus, whenever you check things off, it motivates you to do more so you can check off even more things. I've gotten so much done just because of that weirdly satisfying feeling I get. 

8. Take Breaks 

So I know I said before to keep distractions away from you, but it is good to take 5-10 minute breaks every hour or so. This helps you to look forward to something and not feel as if you've been working for hours. You can check your phone, read a couple blog posts, watch a YouTube video, read a chapter in your favorite book, whatever you want! Just make sure not to take too long of breaks. ;)

9. Work With Others

I love doing homework and studying with friends! Sometimes we will get together at each others houses, or we'll go out to coffee. It's nice because if one of us is stuck, another one might not be, or we'll help each other edit different papers. It's just great to have a friend to help motivate you and get it finished. Just make sure to do at least some work and not talk the entire time. 

10. Just Do It

All photos via Unsplash

Totally copying Nike here, but seriously, just do it! You can search google for hundreds of tips on how to get things done, but in the end, you're the only one with the power to motivate yourself to actually get it finished, so do it! Not everything in this world is fun, but we've just got to suck it up and do it anyway. So stop reading my blog and start on whatever project you need to get done. Trust me, once you're finished you will be so relieved! 

How do you beat procrastination? Any tips that I didn't include? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I hope you have a productive day,

Elizabeth