5. Make a plan for success.

As students progress from year to year, their workload gets more and more intense. What worked last year (in terms of homework and studying) may not be a perfect fit this year. Perhaps this year, your child requires a computer, or a dedicated workspace or desk in his or her room, or more time at the library, etc. Be open to new ideas and be willing to make adjustments as necessary. Likewise, the same disciplinary actions that worked last year may not be as effective this year. Remember to keep your eye on the prize: raising a successful, well-rounded, happy child.

6. Update at regular intervals.

Once the family survives the first week of school, you might be tempted to breathe a sign of relief and return to your old schedule and familiar ways. However, by taking just a few minutes to check in at regular intervals, you can keep grades soaring high, keep wardrobes updated, and keep rooms and closets clean and organized. (After all, you don’t want to have to repeat all these steps again during the winter break, do you?) It only takes a few minutes to ensure that things are running smoothly and to make any necessary adjustments. It doesn’t have to be anything as formal as a “family conference,” rather, it can be as simple as a five-minute conversation with your student and a quick room inspection.

Got great back to school tips of your own? Share them here by posting a comment on this blog.

Ready to say good-bye to summer and ring in a new year? What better way than with a back to school party and a rental projector from Projector123.com. Projector rentals are great for much more than just watching DVDs – you can show home movies, create your own film fest, throw a block party, or host a Wii gaming competition. Click here to rent a projector now.

+ Film Festival

Who hasn’t wanted to host their own film fest? Whether you choose to critique films, or just enjoy them, everyone loves family movie night. Pop some popcorn, pull up the ottomans (or break out the sleeping bags) and snuggle together on the sofa.

+ Create Your Own Film

With a simple hand-held video camera, you can create your own films. From home movies to character actors, the possibilities are unlimited. Drop your creations down to DVD and showcase with a rental projector for your very own “opening weekend” celebration.

+ Grab a New Game

Nothing keeps the kids entertained like video games, and what better way to bring the whole family together than with the fun and friendly competition of video games? Renting or buying a brand new game certainly levels the playing field — especially if you’ve got kids that quickly dominate any game they attempt!

When you rent a projector and keep yourself cool, you’ll find it much more cost-effective (and eco-friendly) than spending the whole weekend playing in the sprinklers on the lawn!

Ready to enjoy the cool, comfortable air conditioning and beat that nasty heat wave? Click here to rent a projector from Projector123.com and let the cool times begin. Projector123.com is your number one choice for in-home rental projectors — we’ll overnight a projector to you, complete with quick start setup instructions, and when your rental is complete, just affix the prepaid FedEx shipping label, pop it all back in its container and call FedEx for pickup (or drop it into the nearest FedEx drop box). It really is that simple!

1. Make it a movie day.

What kind of movies does your dad enjoy? Rent a projector and make your own movie fest filled with dad’s favorites. Whether he prefers Dirty Harry or the Godfather series, the whole family is sure to love watching these classics projected larger than life onto the living room wall. Add some of dad’s favorite snacks, and you’ve got the ultimate “good-news-dad-you-don’t-have-to-shave-or-even-get-dressed-today” kind of celebration.

2. Fun for sports nuts.

Is your dad a huge sports fan? A rental projector is the ultimate way to celebrate dad’s favorite spectator sport. Why not buy him a copy of the latest Sports Illustrated “Best of” or bloopers reel? Better yet, give dad a gift certificate for a future projector rental so he can watch the finals of his favorite sport in style.

3. Sweet memories for the sentimental type.

Perhaps your dad is more of the sentimental type? It doesn’t take a huge amount of time or know-how to put together a spectacular highlights reel of favorite family memories. From those first days of birth to that road trip to the Grand Canyon to all those times you and your dad went fishing, there are plenty of memories that are sure to make your dad smile. Compile them all onto a DVD (or two), pop some popcorn, and start the show with a rental projector and a trip down memory lane.

4. For the grill junkie.

If your dad would rather be wearing a goofy apron and standing behind the grill surrounded in a giant pillar of smoke, then why not let him do what he loves most this Father’s Day? You can spring for all the fixings and maybe throw in a new grill set and a manly apron and let dad get to work on those steaks. Make sure you remember to pick up some of dad’s favorite beverage to set the mood properly.

5. Dad’s choice.

Some dads are just too complex to be categorized as simply as others. If your dad is hard to read (or hard to please), why not make it dad’s choice and ask him how he would most love to spend Father’s Day? You could even offer some suggestions, like camping, fishing, hunting, relaxing, sleeping, grilling, watching movies, or none of the above. You never know, he just might surprise you.

However you choose to spend Father’s Day this year, you can make it a hit with a rental projector from Projector123.com. With weekend rentals starting as low as just $99, there are countless ways to celebrate the guy who’s always been there for you. Click here to get started now.

New traditions aren’t necessarily meant to replace old or long-standing traditions; rather, they are meant to breathe new life into our favorite holidays. Here are some quick tips for creating your own traditions.

1. Improve upon an existing tradition.

Take any tradition (regardless of whether or not you’re currently upholding it — you might even choose to “borrow” someone else’s holiday tradition) and personalize or update it to make it more “you.” For example, in many households, a baked ham is the centerpiece of a traditional Christmas feast. But what if your family isn’t particular fond of ham? Why not create some other special “feastly” tradition, from cornish hens to roast duck to Grandma Josephine’s famous lasagna. It’s your holiday — make it your own by choosing something everyone in the family will enjoy.

2. Begin with the end in mind.

If you are young or have young children, imagine your grandchildren (or great-grandchildren) many years from now. What tradition would you love to see them continue to carry on for generations to come? What meaningful holiday legacy would you love to leave? All traditions were started because someone somewhere did something…and then repeated it the following year. That means you can create any tradition you like, beginning this year.

3. Get input from your loved ones.

It’s easy to get enthusiasm and buy-in from others when you include them in the decision-making process. Ask for input from those you’ll be celebrating with and you’ll see a lot more participation in the tradition itself (as well as a tendency to remember the tradition next year!)

4. Break tradition and create something new.

Why not get totally creative and do something that no one has ever done before? It’s your holiday — celebrate in your own unique style.

5. Allow it to unfold naturally.

Some traditions are borne simply from the joy that comes from the act itself. “Let’s do that thing we did last year” is how traditions are spontaneously created. Ask your family: What did we do last year to celebrate, that you would love to do again this year? The answers may surprise you.

Here’s an easy tradition to start: rent a projector from Projector123.com and spend a couple of evenings watching your favorite holiday flicks. It brings the family together in a non-traditional way, and keeps everyone out of the hectic pace of holiday traffic and shopping malls.

After all, isn’t togetherness what the holidays are really all about? Click here to order now.

Digital projectors aren’t just for passive viewing. They can provide an engaging artistic opportunity, especially for those who aren’t as gifted at painting and drawing. That’s because projectors let you cheat! You can easily trace an image from a projected one — and make it larger than life in the process.

Many artists use what’s called an “opaque projector” which is designed precisely for this task. But if you already have access to a digital projector, there’s no need to invest in the costly art hardware. A digital projector will work just as well.

The setup is simple. Pull up your image on the projector, hit the lights, affix your canvas to the wall, adjust for size and trace away. Be sure that your projector is on a stable surface — even the slightest nudge of the projector could cause your work to look like Picasso’s. Take the same care in making sure the projection is flat to the wall and square. You don’t want distortion.

Image via Creative Commons 2.0 license courtesy of Flickr user FeatheredTar.

Leaf Collage

Take children on a leaf collecting hunt and when you return home, glue the leaves onto a posterboard. Talk about the shapes, colors, types, and what kind of tree each leaf likely came from.

Acorn People

Collect acorns and glue on wiggly eyes, pom-pom noses, or bits of construction paper to make faces.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

Not all birds fly south for the winter, and those who don’t often have a tough time finding food. This easy craft helps sustain non-migratory birds in your area, and kids love to make useful crafts that serve a purpose. Simply tie a string or piece of twine onto the top of a pinecone. Spread peanut butter all over the pinecone, then roll it in birdseed. Hang outdoors for the birds to enjoy.

Leaf Rub

Collect fall leaves and place vein side up on a white sheet of paper.  Place another sheet of white paper on top.  Rub the side of a completely peeled crayon over the top sheet of paper to make a design.

Pressed Leaves

Place fall leaves between two sheets of wax paper.  Place heavy book on top of wax paper to flatten the leaves.  Cut two pieces of brown paper out of a paper bag.  Place wax paper on top of brown paper, then a layer of leaves, then wax paper, and last another sheet of brown paper.  Have an adult iron on top of the brown paper with the iron set on the medium setting.  Make sure the wax paper has stuck to the leaves.  Cool.  Trim edges of wax paper if necessary.

Not the crafty type?
Why not consider a projector rental from Projector123.com. You can rent some fall DVDs such as “Let’s Explore Autumn and Winter,” “Tractor Ted in Autumn Time,” or “Weather for Children: All about Climate and Seasons” and teach your kids about fall in a fun, visually stimulating way. Rent a projector, have it delivered to your home, set-up it up, gather the kids and let the fun begin.

Making your own audio book is easy — here’s all you need to get started.

- one or more age-appropriate children’s books. You can choose from your child’s favorites, or even new stories he/she hasn’t heard yet. This is also a great opportunity to record longer books that may not be suitable for bedtime stories.

- a recording device. Many discount stores and office supply stores carry a variety of hand-held recording devices, or you can even use a built-in or plug-in microphone on your computer or laptop. Alternatively, services like AudioAcrobat.com feature easy ways to capture your voice into an MP3 using any telephone.

- a glass of water. It’s a good idea to have some water handy, as your mouth or throat may become dry during long periods of speaking and reading.

- a blank audio CD or a child’s MP3 player. Depending on the age, maturity and physical skill level of your child, you might want to choose an inexpensive or kid-friendly MP3 player with or without headphones for your child. Alternatively, you can burn your audios to CD and assist your child in using a CD player with or without headphones.

Once you try it, you are sure to love it and your children will appreciate having their very own audio books to use whenever they like. (You even might find a lessened demand for television once your kids get used to using their audiobooks!)

Enjoy it and have fun! Got great ideas for family fun? Post them here as a comment — thanks!

1. Talk it up.

Talk to your kids about what it is and why it’s fun — build excitement. Take a gander at geocaching.com and see what the fuss is all about.

2. Get a free account at geocaching.com

A regular account is free and it only takes a few minutes to sign up and get started geocaching. If you like the game, you might want to sign up for the premium package, which is only $30 per year per family.

3. Get a GPS.

If you’re not sure or want to try out the sport, ask around and see if you can borrow a GPS from a friend or neighbor. If you and your family love geocaching, you can find a good hand held GPS at any sporting goods store or online at EdgeGPS.com.

4. Go exploring.
Once you sign up and create a free account at geocaching.com, let the hunt begin! Use the online tools to search for geocaches near your home, gather the family and set out to begin your adventure. Here are some items you might want to gather to make your geocaching even more enjoyable:

- pen or pencil (for signing logbooks in smaller caches where a writing implement isn’t included in the cache)

- trinkets for trading (can be small toys, flashlights, keychains, gadgets, etc.  Typically items of small value and size are best. Once you’ve seen a few geocaches, you’ll get the idea)

- extra batteries for your GPS

- small flashlight

That’s it! You’re ready to get started — have fun geocaching!

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and it refers to the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) developed by the United States Department of Defense and managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing.

Shortly after President Clinton declassified the GNSS, a man named Dave Ulmer of Beavercreek, Oregon decided to hide a “stash” (later referred to as a “cache”) and see if anyone would bother to find it. He was surprised to find that just a few days later, several people had found the cache and a buzz soon developed…thus a sport was born.

Today, geocaches are located all over the world (usually in the form of waterproof containers, from pill vials and film canisters to small plastic ware containers to ammo cans and 5-gallon buckets.)

Geocaching is fun for people of all ages and abilities, and a central website at Geocaching.com provides a place to find nearby geocaches and to record participants’ “finds.”

Essentially, to participate you would simply visit geocaching.com, find a cache near your location, enter the coordinates into your GPS, and use your GPS to find the cache. Depending on cloud cover, foliage, location, reception and GPS specifications, your GPS might display an accuracy of anywhere from 3 feet to 50 feet. This means you can expect to hunt around a bit once you get near the cache’s coordinates.

Upon finding a cache, you would open it and sign the log that is typically included in the cache. Additionally, many caches contain objects, traveling coins, or trinkets that can be traded. The container would then be re-sealed and returned to its hiding spot for other geocachers to find. If you like, you can then return to geocaching.com to log your find online. (Many cell phones, such as the iPhone and Blackberry, allow you to do this remotely on-site.)

Intrigued? In our next post, we’ll explore how to get started geocaching.

1. Learn about Columbus Day

There are lots of crafts and activities for the kids to enjoy in honor of the day. To learn more, check out Columbus Day 2009. Or see if your community is having a Columbus Day parade.

2. Get outdoors

Go for a hike, go camping, rake the leaves and take turns jumping into the pile, go for a walk, explore nature, go for a bike ride — you get the idea. There’s so much to do during this wonderful season when the weather is cooler and the great outdoors beckon.

3. Stop procrastinating

Where have you been wanting to take the kids, but haven’t yet? This is a great time to visit the zoo, the children’s museum, the art museum, story time at the library, the craft store, and more.

4. Make a big screen at home

A sheet or a wall can serve as the canvas for an in-home movie fest. Rent Christopher Columbus: The Discovery on DVD or for a different “journey”, rent movies by Chris Columbus, the director.  A projector rental from Projector123.com makes it fun, easy, affordable and sure to please the whole family.

5. Talk to the kids

Here’s a great conversation starter: What do you think would be the most fun thing we could do on Columbus Day? Their answers just might surprise you — and it pays to get some input from the participants before you go planning something too elaborate.

What will YOU do? Post your comments below or share ideas.