Kayla I. Shown-Dean's Blog, page 60
July 7, 2016
New Theme: Karuna
It’s Theme Thursday, and I’m excited to present a new free theme called Karuna!
Karuna
Karuna, designed by Mel Choyce, is a clean business theme designed with health and wellness-focused sites in mind. With bright, bold colors, prominent featured images, a sleek responsive design, and support for customer testimonials, your business’ brand is sure to shine with Karuna.
Want to explore Karuna? Head over to the theme’s Showcase page!
Filed under: Themes
May 29, 2015
7 Simply Fun Summer Activities to do with Your Child
In my last post, I talked about making summer sweet for your little ones; however, many of you may be wondering–like I did once–what in the world am I going to do with my kids for THREE WHOLE MONTHS?!
While some may look toward these months with dread and bewilderment, others may just feel clueless as to what to do to keep their child healthy, happy, and entertained for the summer. Still, there are several free or cheap activities that you can do with your child to make their summer fun and memorable.
1.) Find a Summer Carnival
You don’t have to wait for the fair or go to a big theme park like Six Flags to enjoy riding rides. You can often find smaller carnivals popping up in various places during the summer. Keep your eye out for community flyers and events around town. Also, watch parking lots for these traveling carnivals. I often see them in my area either in a Wal-Mart parking lot or a JC Penny’s lot.
2.) Visit a Local Park or Library
Parks are open twenty-four/seven and guess what? They are absolutely free! Because of their cost-effectiveness and their ability to adapt to my personal schedule, parks are my go-to in the summer, and my son LOVES them! If you want to make your trip to the park extra special, try packing a picnic lunch to take with you or even just a snack. There is something about eating outdoors that just excites children. Picnicking at parks gives you a great opportunity to indulge that.
In addition, many public libraries offer a free summer reading program to children in their community. Even if you’re child doesn’t like reading, this may be something to look into. Our reading program features concerts, special guests, and a traveling petting zoo.
3.) Cook Up Some Fun in the Kitchen
Get your kids involved in the kitchen. This is a great opportunity to teach them about making healthy eating choices and have a lot of fun in the process. Sure, you will make a mess, but let’s face it, you were going to mess up that pristine kitchen when cooking dinner anyway. Now, you’ve made a memory to go along with the mess–and those chubby little cheeks look even more adorable covered in flour.
4.) Get Artsy
Let your child tap into his (or her) creative side. Find an art class for them, or purchase some water colors or acrylic paints and let them go to town. If you’re worried about them ruining their clothes (or the furniture) take the paint outside and put them in an apron (or cut a hole in a garbage bag to slide over their heads). Again, they will make a mess, but on the bright side, it’s summer: just spray them off with the water hose or take them swimming to get the paint off.
For older children, you can also break out your Halloween costumes and encourage them to put on a play. You can invite the whole neighborhood over to watch or just have them perform it in the living room. Make it as big or as small as you want. If your kids are more into singing, put on a concert or a talent show. Afterwards, give everyone a Popsicle prize or have them make their own medallions.
5.) Get Physical
Don’t underestimate the power of good, hard play! Take your kid out the backyard to play a game of tag or baseball or just to wrestle. This is a good way to get all their energy out~and makes for a great nap time later!
6.) Visit with Friends
When all else fails, just get out of the house. Take your child to go visit a friend or some family members. A change in scenery can do wonders in curing boredom. I’ve often found that a trip out of the house can help with little tempers and bad attitudes–for my son as well as for myself. Come on, we all know how some much needed adult conversation can soothe our soul–kids need this social interaction with their peers just as much.
7.) Just Relax
Please understand that my son only sat still long enough for me to snap this picture, and it took some ice cream to get him to calm down that day–you can actually still see it smeared all over his face. However, this last one is for us, moms. Don’t forget to relax. Be patient with your little one, and don’t run such a tight ship–it is summer after all. And while it may be hard to set aside that load of laundry or push that pile of dishes out of your memory, your child needs you right now and one day they won’t. One day, you’ll have to beg to spend time with them, so cherish the time you have now. Let your house fall apart and your to-do list collect dust. These days take priority. And if you feel like you’re going to pull your hair out if you don’t get 5 mins alone, remember: you can always put them to bed early and veg-out on Netflix.
May 26, 2015
Blogging About Beebe’s Project Graduation
Beebe’s Project Graduation is a wonderful program that either my husband or myself try to attend every year. To learn more about it, check out my article on Only in Arkansas.
May 22, 2015
Sweet Summertime
That’s right folks…it’s sweet, sweet summertime once again. Schools are out; the kids are home. There are barbeques and pool parties, camping trips and late night Netflix marathons. It’s a wonderfully relaxing time…right? Right?
Not anymore.
Now the summer is filled with leftover projects that we attempted during the school year and left in half-complete heaps around the house. It’s filled with to-do lists a mile long and broken News Year’s resolutions and that haunting voice in the back of your head that says, “You’re not working right now; you have time.”
So you say, “yes”
“Yes, I’ll chaperone the youth overnight.” “Yes, I can look through the shed and round up a few things to put in a yard sale with you.” “Yeah, I should start exercising more, and now, that I have some free time, yeah, I’ll go to the gym with you.”
And it’s not that you don’t enjoy those things…you really do.
You get to see people that you haven’t had time to visit all year long. You accomplish so much on your to-do list that it’s almost a ta-done list, AND you completely reorganize and de-clutter the house restoring it to immaculate perfection.
But in all the chaos, the obligation, the thrill of accomplishment, the excitement that goes along with checking each item off my list–there is still two darling blue eyes staring back at me saying, “Mommy…will you play with me?”
While it’s so easy…so tempting…to say, “Just a minute, son.” “Let Mommy do the laundry first. Then, we’ll play.” or the frustration gripe of “Son! I said in a minute. Just go watch TV.”
Remember: it’s their summer too.
Do you want to be remembered as the mom who worked on the house or her blog or her crafts etc. or do you want to be remembered as the mom who built sand castles in the mud, who made picnic lunches and built blanket forts, the mom who made time for her son? I say “son” here because this is just as much a reminder for me as it for all of you.
While our lazy summer days may be long gone, theirs are just beginning, and don’t we owe them the magic of a sweet summertime?
May 14, 2015
You’re Invited to Celebrate!!!
On this day in history, I was permanently expelled from my high school. To this day, I’m still not certain of the reason—something about not being age appropriate. Thankfully, I didn’t have to endure the torture that ensued alone; several of us were deemed as such. But still, years later, my last day gives me goose bumps.
As punishment, we were required to dress alike in black garbs, all wearing a modern take of the dunce hat with a tickling tassel dangling in our faces. Then, they paraded us down the football field, a spectacle for the entire town. If this wasn’t shameful enough, they then filled the stands with underclassmen, friends, parents, and other family members to bask in the essence of our complete and utter failure—the last day we’d ever haunt the steps of our high school home.
But nothing compared to the horror that came next. One by one, they called us to the stage—using our full names, so we knew we were in trouble—and had the school district superintendent, himself, provide us with the necessary documentation for our expulsion. All the while, the crowd roared, stomping their feet, and thrashing about in the stands. Some even brought noise makers and fog horns to amplify their indignation. Their seats could not contain their outrage. Still, the superintendent just stood, statuesque, with a devilish grin as he extended his cold hand for a lifeless handshake; our papers of dismissal he thrust into our hands shortly afterward.
Once the spotlight left me and I descended the stairs to return to my seat, I felt the flush leave my face, but it returned the moment I received their invitation in the mail this past week.
Has it really been ten years?
Come join us at the reunion as we celebrate the class of 2005.
We’d love to see you again.
“Has it really been ten years?” Of course, it has; not one day have I forgotten. How could they?
Today marks the ten year anniversary of this, my banishment, from which they took from me my friends, my comfort, and my innocence, and they want me to celebrate? To heck with them!
May 10, 2015
The Best Woman
At every wedding I’ve ever been to, the best man always delivers a speech. I’ve been the maid/matron of honor in three weddings now, and I’ve yet to say anything about the bride on her special day. In the past, it’s been because either I wasn’t asked/expected to do so. This weekend, however, the honor was bestowed upon someone else. Still, I couldn’t let my best friend’s wedding go by without saying something, and since I’m more of a fan of the written word–well, here it goes.
I’ve known Chrissy since the sandbox days, the days in which we used to parade around in my mom’s old poodle skirts and pretend to throw our own weddings. We went to church together, played tag and hopscotch, and stayed up late listening to N’SYNC and Backstreet Boys. When she moved to Alabama, I was devastated, but our friendship survived through letters, photos, and phone calls. When she returned, I was elated! But our letter writing continued. We passed notes in the hallways and under desks in study hall.
As we got older and entered the dating world, we watched out for one another. We ran our own background checks on each other’s boyfriends. We set each other up on blind dates (some more successful than others **wink wink**). We caught people in lies, but swore honesty to one another. We went on double dates and held each other when we cried over our latest heart breaks. I remember the days when a certain young man moved to Arkansas and then packed his bags and left while Chrissy was at school one day. I held her then. I remember when Preston broke up with me on my aunt’s lawn. That’s when she held me.
Since then, we’ve added to our sisterhood.
Ava entered our lives when we were nineteen and twenty. She stood in for me when I was away at college. I appreciate her so much for her role in your life. She keeps us organized, energized, and laughing and for that she deserves a standing “O” (BIG WINK). And from there, we’ve continued to grow our sisterhood with lots (and lots) of new friends.
And we’ve added to our families. You–with your daughter. Me with my son. Both of whom, I know, make up our whole world.
And still, we’ve been there together through it all. You were there, standing right next to me on my wedding day. You held my hand and supported me when no one else would, and you took off running after me when I was too afraid to stand.
And on Saturday, I was right were I belong–standing next to you on your big day. Chrissy Lynn, I’ve seen you at your best and at your worst, but on that day you were the happiest I’ve ever seen you. Your groom, Mike, was just as smitten, as I watched him tear up when he saw you, his future, walking toward him, down the aisle. I love you, girl, and I wish you both nothing but love and happiness for the rest of your lives. And Mike, I hope you know that you truly got the best woman.
May 1, 2015
#Ferocity: the characters, scenery, and inspiration behind it all.
I plan to keep you all updated with any and all publication information concerning The Ferocity Series in the future. In the meantime, I leave you all with some images that I hope leave you aching to learn more about the siblings: Rune, Judson, and Abel.
The three siblings grow up on a rather sizable island. In the photos below, you will be able to get an idea of how I visualize their tropical home.
Follow the link to finish reading.
http://www.kaylashowndean.com/ferocit...
April 24, 2015
Meet Christopher #Ferocity
Name: Christopher
Age: mid-to-late twenties
Gender: Male
Siblings: None
Likes: Sailing
Dislikes: Improper English
Christopher was born and raised with a silver spoon in his mouth; however, he rejects his birth rights to his father’s company all for his love of the sea. Christopher is adventurous; however, because of his sheltered childhood, he comes off as a little green, new and in shock of the world before him. While this may make him seem weak, he thrives in his own element, upon the open seas.
Inspiration for this character:
Michael Caine
April 17, 2015
Meet Feronica #Ferocity
Name: Feronica
Age: mid-twenties
Gender: Female
Sibling: None
Likes: Animals
Dislikes: Complaining
Having graduated with a degree in Biology, Feronica seems to be well-educated and ready to tackle the world. However, her impoverished childhood has given her an invaluable asset, especially for the current times: the will to survive. Feronica is strong, competent and a force to be reckoned with. Still, she has compassion and values that set her apart from the world in which she lives in.
Inspiration for this character:
Gabriella Anwar
Evangeline Lilly
April 11, 2015
Meet Abel #Ferocity
Name: Abel
Age: 18 years
Gender: Male
Sibling: Twin brother, Judson and sister Rune
Likes: Running and making fishing lures
Dislikes: Planning
Judson’s twin brother, Abel, is nearly his polar opposite. While Judson takes pride in his strength, Abel is better with agility and endurance. His thin frame and toned physique enables him to run incredibly long distances and climb trees without tiring easily. Abel is just an all-around good guy. He seeks to please others and doesn’t like it when others are angry or upset with him. However, he struggles with his pride and competitive nature.
Inspiration for this character:
David Jones
Justin Timberlake
Photo taken from imdb.com
