Open Your Child's Eyes to Poverty- 5 Ways You Can Get Started

I'm raising three white children in a middle class home in a suburb of Seattle, WA. We live in a gated neighborhood where there is nary a sign of any real want. Sure, we see tents along the highway in the city where homeless camps have been set up and we pass by, make eye contact and smile at those men and women holding signs at the intersection, but how do we really help our kids grasp the reality of poverty when we are so far removed from it.
Several years ago, I read a quote by Shane Claiborne, in his book Irresistible Revolution that says "the problem is not that American Christians do not care about the poor. The problem is that American Christians do not know the poor"
How true is this! We care when we know. When we hear about true need and crisis, American people are quick to step up and help when they can. But how do we get to know the poor and the needs of those in poverty?
Poverty in America looks very different than poverty in developing and third world countries. My hope is that our children will have a larger world view that includes people to the ends of the earth. So how do we open our children's eyes to poverty? I'm sharing five ways today that I hope will help you know where to start.

I've been fortunate enough to have traveled to several developing nations like Uganda and Zambia with World Vision and have seen the work being done in communities that are dealing with extreme poverty {those living on less than $1.25 a day}. When I've come home, I've shared stories of the people that I have met and my children have heard from me how different their lives are from those children on the other side of the world. 
But it doesn't take traveling out of the country to have a conversation with your children about poverty. 

Be Prepared

Kids ask questions all the time. Sometimes those questions come when you are least prepared to give an answer. When my kids were much younger, I was approached by a homeless man outside of the store asking me for a few dollars. I smiled at the man as I juggled bags of groceries and kids in my arms and responded that I don't carry cash. When my kids and I got in the car they asked why I lied to the man. 
Be prepared for a response. If we tell our kids to help those in need, but when someone in need asks for help and you don't help them, what explanation are you going to give to them. I could have been taken off guard and launched into a whole explanation about bad choices and addiction {which isn't always the case} but instead I told them that we don't give money directly to someone on the street, but that we do give money to community programs that can help those in need. 

Talk About It

Don't be afraid to have a discussion about poverty. None of us has all of the answers, if we did, there wouldn't be poverty. The goal of talking about poverty is to encourage empathy. Express how it makes you feel sad that those people living in a tent don't have a warm bed to sleep in at night. Talk about how happy you are that your children have a doctor to go to when they are sick and that they have clean water to drink and that not all children have those things.

Do Something for Someone Else

Last year, I wrote Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Volunteer as a Family and Where to Start. It's always been very important for us to serve together as a family. Your kids may have their own ideas of how they want to help. Be open to listening to those ideas. Maybe they want to donate some of their unused toys to a homeless shelter or while they are school supply shopping they want to buy supplies for a child at their school who might not otherwise have any. 
Maybe you want to put together blessing bags as a family so that when you see a homeless man or woman on the side of the road, you have something to give to them. A blessing bag is a Ziploc bag and can include non perishable food items like granola bars and water bottles as well as personal care items like a toothbrush and shampoo. Or you might want to spend an afternoon as a family at a food bank sorting items or make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that you can distribute to the homeless nearby. 

Experience It

Turn off your water for the day and see how difficult it is to not have a home with running water. Take a walk with buckets to your local water source {it could be a drainage pond or a puddle nearby} and walk home with the water. Eat a simple meal of beans and rice or even consider skipping a meal {elementary age kids can skip breakfast} to see what it really feels like to be hungry. Consider getting your older kids involved in the 30 hour famine. Spending some time experiencing the effects of poverty can help open your kids heart and mind to a new understanding of the poor. 

Our sponsored child Moses at his home in Uganda

Sponsor a Child 

One of the greatest things we have done as a family is to sponsor a child through World Vision. We started sponsoring Moses more than 5 years ago and we now sponsor a young girl named Sheila as well. World Vision has children available for sponsorship in nearly 100 countries. 
When we started sponsoring Moses we got a packet of information about him and his family and the area that he lives in. There was also information and even videos of our sponsored children on the website that we could watch. We write to our sponsored children and they write back to us. We love to receive pictures and letters and hear how their life is improving because of our monthly donation of $35. It's been a great way for our children to think about someone their age that is growing up in very different circumstances. You can find out more about child sponsorship here.
We have also found these books helpful to share with our children as they have gotten older.  
Under the Overpass is a book about two guys who decided to break free from their middle class lifestyles and see what it was really like to live on the streets for five months. It was an eye opening view for how we respond to those men and women that we see on the streets.
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore A story of two men from two very different backgrounds forming an unlikely friendship.
Interrupted by Jen HatmakerThis was a great book sharing how to live on mission right where you are.
The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich SternsThe message in this book challenged me to live differently and opened my eyes to change my world view.
We enjoyed watching this documentary on Netflix as well.
Living on $1 a Day Follow the journey of three guys living on $1 a day in rural Guatemala. 
I would love to hear about some of the ways that your family helps to open your child's eyes to poverty in your backyard and around the world. 
dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!

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The Essential Guide to Going Out of State for College

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

My husband did it, and now my son is following in his footsteps. After high school graduation, he's packing up and moving thousands of miles away from home to attend college. There are a few reasons he’s decided that an out of state college is right for him and I have to agree that they outweigh the reasons to stay, but don't think for a second that I didn't try to talk him out of it! One of my biggest attempts to convincing my son to stay in state for school (or at least in driving distance) was how logistically easier it would be to live part time in two places. As a college student, you are a resident of the university for the majority of the year, but most kids wander back home to the comfort of their old bedroom and the posters they tacked up on their walls back in junior high for a few months as well.

In my head, it's far easier to pack up the minivan and take a few hours drive than it is to figure out how to pack your earthly treasures in a few suitcases. In my heart, I know that the school he's selected is by far the best option for him and even though we will be thousands of miles apart, those logistical details are easy enough to work through.

With my husband's past experience, and with us currently ironing out the details of what it looks like to move out of state for college, I've created an essential guide to moving out of state for college with six tips for you to help ease the stress of that transition.

1. Sort out What You Want to Bring

If you are flying, you are limited in the amount of luggage that you can bring. You have to really pick and choose what is important to you. Start a list a few months before you move out with items that you think might be helpful to have with you. When you think of something, add it to the list. Writing this list gives you time to really think about the item and then decide if it's really worth the limited luggage space that you have or if it's something you can box up and keep at home. 

Once moving day nears, start a pile with those items and reevaluate. Ask yourself a few questions. Are they going to be useful to you in your new home? Will you use it more than one time? Will it cost more to replace than it will to bring? 

2. Coordinate with Your Roommate

Chances are you are going to be sharing a living space with someone while you are in college. Spend some time coordinating with them ahead of time about what items you plan on bringing or providing and which communal items you can share. 

3. Familiarize Yourself with Sites That Offer Free Shipping 

My husband tells the story about how he shipped a huge bottle of laundry detergent from his home to campus just before the start of classes. The bottle exploded en route and made a huge mess causing several hours of clean up. That's when he realized that he didn't have to ship everything from home! 

Ordering on-line is so easy and many sites offer free shipping. This is beneficial to those of you that don't have many transportation options.

4. Know Your Area

I grew up in the Midwest and spent my elementary years learning what to do in case of a tornado. Not even six months after moving to the west coast, we had a 6.8 earthquake. I had no idea what to do in an earthquake! A tornado, sure, earthquake, nope. My husband tells the story of watching his first tornado warning unfold on TV his freshman year. Again, he was caught off guard. Familiarize yourself with your area and know what to do in an emergency.

5.  Consider Furniture Rental

Calling two states home requires some flexibility. We don't have the luxury of storage space during the summer months. What our son can't fit in a suitcase under 50 pounds, just won't make the cut. That bed? Nope. A sofa? No way! But that doesn't mean we don't want him to be comfortable while he's living at school. CORT Furniture Rental provides furniture on-demand. It's there when he needs it, gone when he doesn't. CORT has student packages starting at $119/mo.

Trust me, I'm not against used furniture. Craigslist is one of my favorite buying sites, but when you have limited time as a student to get adjusted to a new living space, not to mention limited transportation options, this is a no brainer for me. Plus, at the end of the year, he can simply call them and have the furniture removed. That's one less thing he needs to worry about when he should be studying for finals. I'm all for exploring your options to rent furniture.

6. Work Smarter Not Harder

College kids have enough to worry about. The kids going to school out of state have an added layer of responsibility. They are learning to be independent in totally new territory.  Sign up for apps that can help organize and take on the burden of some of those new responsibilities. CORT has a partnership with SimpleBills that is pretty amazing! SimpleBills has an app and on-line feature that allows you to split and pay bills easily with roommates. SimpleBills receives the utility bill, can pay it and will invoice your roommates for their portion of the utility bill once a month. It's as easy as that!

This time of life is exciting! It's full of possibility and the future is bright. Best of luck to you on this next chapter.

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Summer Fun! Summer Activities for Kids

I used to break out in cold sweats when I would think about the last day of school. The kids were going to be home for weeks straight and unless I wanted our home to turn into The Hunger Games where only the strongest survived {and I'm fairly certain that wouldn't have been me}, then I needed to come up with a plan. I needed activities, I needed play dates, I needed things on the calendar that we could look forward to.

Those activities didn't have to be elaborate, they just needed to be something I could break out of my secret stash of mom goodies if I heard the words "I'm bored" or if I started to hear the rumblings of fighting between siblings. 

I've collected a few of those activities that you can have on hand to put in your back pocket to help you stay sane and to give your kids some fun activities this summer.

I find the best way to keep all of my kids activities in one place is to create a Pinterest board. I have two. You can follow them here and here. I'm always adding new kids activities. Happy summer!

1. Water Balloon Baseball - Over Stuffed Life
2. Kids' Music Sensory Activity - Home. Made. Interest.
3. Pool Noodle Activities Fine Motor Fun - Learning 4 Kids
4. Squirt Gun Painting - Fireflies and Mud Pies
5. Summer Activity Paper Chain - The Pinning Mama
6. Bubble Blower Painting - Childhood101
7. Painted Shells - The Seasoned Mom
8. DIY Moon Rocks - The Crafting Chicks
9. DIY Solar Oven Smores {Kids Science Experiment} - Desert Chica
10. Shaving Cream Rain Clouds - One Little Project
11. Homemade Ice Cream in a Can - Home Cooking Memories
12. Bubble Snack Maker - Mum in the Mad House
13. DIY Pinwheels - Home. Made. Interest
14. Easy Summer Craft for Kids: Garden Critters - The Seasoned Mom
15. Giant Outdoor Memory Game - 123 Homeschool 4 Me
16. Kid's Coloring Page Windsock Craft - The Pinning Mama
17. Squirt Gun Races - Made from Pinterest
18. Minion Flip Flops Summer Kids Craft - One Creative Mommy
19. Soap Foam Sidewalk Paint - Teaching Mama
20. Painting a Birdhouse - The Seasoned Mom

 
dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!

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Five Tips for Planning the Perfect Senior Photoshoot and What You Should Do With Them

My oldest son is a senior in high school this year. It wouldn't be a senior year without senior pictures! I went back and forth on when to do them. My kids grow and change {yes, even the senior!} so much during the year, that I decided to wait until the spring to have him meet up with a photographer. But sometimes, seniors meet up with a photographer as early as the summer before their senior year, so I want to make sure you are prepared with some tips from our amazing photographer Rebecca Anne. Rebecca has far more experience than I do and can give you her five tips for planning the perfect senior photo shoot.

Prepping for your senior session can sometimes be overwhelming and you do not even know where to start. Well I want to share a few tips to help get you started to have the best senior portrait shoot possible with five of my favorite tips.

1. Plan your outfits

The number one question I get asked when starting to plan a senior session is what to wear?!  A few quick tips would be to start out with an outfit that makes you feel comfortable.  Maybe it's your favorite pair of jeans and a shirt you know you know makes you look great.  That way you start off the shoot feeling relaxed and yourself! Then take it up a notch.  Ladies, bring out that dress that just fits you perfectly along with some statement jewelry and fun shoes!  Gentlemen, layers are always so complimentary for you!  Don’t forget you can have fun with shoes too.  And you can never go wrong with a formal outfit.  

A couple notes on what to avoid: neon colors close to your face, clothes that are too tight (or way too loose) or clothing that is very short that might limit your ability to pose.  Overall, don’t overthink it and go with what you know you look good in!

2. Pick an epic location

The location of your shoot really depicts the feel of your images.  A city shoot will feel more modern and edgy. Woods or mountains will feel more adventurous.  Or the beach shoot may feel more relaxed.  

3. Bring fun props

It is always great to have props that help represent where you are at this stage of life.  Maybe playing that instrument for your school band or church worship team was one of your favorite parts of high school.  Or how about meeting your best friends on that team sport?  Your dog might be incredibly special to you and you want to remember them.  There are so many fun options to help show who you are right now and…well, they are fun!

4. (For the ladies) Have professional hair & make up done

Ladies, you can never go wrong having your hair and makeup professionally done!  It will make you feel special and pampered and plus you’ll look extra great!

5. Have fun!

Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the photoshoot!  Be yourself and just go for it and let yourself have fun!

Such great tips! Thanks Rebecca! If you are local you should definitely check her out. If you aren't local, go like her page on Facebook or Instagram or search her blog and website for some great eye candy! Her photos will inspire you.

Now that you have your senior photos, what should you do with them? 

That's always the next question isn't it? We had the option to buy some very impersonal graduation announcements from a company that the school uses every year. You know the ones. They have the school colors on them and are printed all fancy, but there is never anything unique about them. 

Why not use your senior pictures to create your own graduation announcements?  They are far more unique and provide the exact same information. In fact, they probably provide even more information. I used Mixbook to easily mock up several different designs that my son could choose from. Then, I put the information on the card and now we have a personalized graduation announcement that is not only a keepsake but an invitation for his graduation open house as well. I love killing two birds with one stone, especially right now since it's such a busy time!

Mixbook could not be easier. You literally upload your images and then drag and drop them in. You can find all of the fully customizable graduation designs right here. If you are feeling creative you can even design your own from scratch. 

Since I already uploaded my son's senior photos into Mixbook, I thought that I would create a photo book that we could have at his graduation party. It's so fun to have all of his pictures in one place. 

At the end, I left a few pages blank so that we could also use the photo book as a guest book at his open house.

I love one stop shopping, and while I was on Mixbook.com, I also created these graduation thank you cards. I could not tell you how relieved I was to be able to get nearly everything I needed for graduation in one spot. Not to mention, everything came shipped to me that week and it was such high quality that I am so excited to send it out to all of our friends and family.

Senior year is an exciting time. Now you have 5 great tips in your back pocket that you can use when you are ready to snap those senior pictures. And of course, once you have those pictures in your hands,  you will know just what to do with them!dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links or links to products that I received in exchange for a review. These small purchases on affiliate links or product help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!

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How to Create a Family Year Book

In 2008 I created our first family yearbook. The cover was plain black with a frame where a picture should have been. I had left the space blank unintentionally and the book printed and was sent to me. It wasn't all a fail because through the years I have learned a few things. 

We love having a family yearbook. Quite often I will find a kid or two curled up on the couch flipping through the pages. They love to look at how much they have grown and changed over the years laying the books side by side. Sometimes we go back to reference when one of our family vacations was or when an event happened. It's like our own family time capsule.

I'm excited to be able to share with you how you can create your own family year book. If you are already making a family photo book, perhaps you can still learn a tip or two. I've made a few mistakes and learned a few things through the years!

Through the years I have used several different companies. My favorite books though, all have these black linen covers with a small cutout in them. Most recently I used York Photo and I loved the quality and the ease of ordering and creating. They were actually much more inexpensive than some of the other companies that I have used in the past and side by side, their books are nearly identical. I would most definitely use them again.

1. Be Flexible

While this is called a family yearbook, sometimes it's easier to not get caught up in the process of documenting a years worth of photos. It's been about five years since we had professional family pictures taken, so the most current family photo book is a collection of all of those images.  

I have found that sometimes when I create a photo book, I have a huge amount of pictures that I want to use from family vacations. It's OK to create a photo book with just those images from your family vacation in them. In fact, it's probably going to be much easier for you to have them all in one place rather than to have to narrow them down to fit on just a few pages.

2. Be prepared

Find a system that works for you to compile all of your photos that you want to use for your family yearbook.  We have an album in our shared pictures called current pictures. This is where we put pictures from the current year. Then, when I go to make a book, I just upload the whole year of pre-selected pictures. You can also sort out your images. If you find it easier to upload your images every month to your preferred photo site, do that.  

You and I both know that there are always photo book deals to be had. Being prepared enables you to jump on those great photo book deals when you see them. If you aren't in a rush to compile an album, make sure your images are upload to the site and perhaps even made into your album and then save it. Once that sale happens, hit buy and reap the savings.

3. Customize your layout

This is much more time consuming, but I find that in order to get all the images into my family yearbook that I want, sometimes I need to customize the layout to allow more images to be used. 

Don't get sucked into adding TOO many images to a page though. I have done this with some family pictures, particularly those from family vacations or events and in the end, I wish I had just given them their own book. It would have made looking at those images more enjoyable.

4. Autofill and adjust

Once you have all of your images, select auto fill. Some photo sites will automatically do this. I have never hit buy after an initial auto fill. I always go back and tweak my book to my needs and wants. Start at the beginning and work your way back.

5. Think beyond family photos

Just because you are creating a photo book, doesn't mean that it has to be just photos. Include letters, special newspaper clippings, pictures of the kids drawings or artwork. Include whatever is special to you and your family that year.

6. Keep it simple

While there are lots of layouts out there, my preferred layout is always black and white backgrounds without text. I have added text before and just find that detail cumbersome and it cuts into the space that is available for my images.

7. Don't get hung up on the details

There have been years where I obsessed over the exact dates of events. Your family yearbook is about your year as a family. The detail of Aunt Ruth's party happening before or after the beach trip won't matter. If you think of your book in terms of seasons that usually helps. I can almost always remember what season an event happened in rather than a date.

8. Give some events more space

It's OK to buy extra pages for your family yearbook. I don't pay extra for a lot of things in life, but I will almost always buy extra pages for our family books. I make sure that each child's birthday and their party or event has it's own page and Christmas or other seasonal events like our annual family Turkey Trot gets a few pages of their own as well.

9. Buy extras

I haven't done this yet, but as I prepare to launch a kid off to college I have started thinking more and more about who will get our family yearbooks when the kids move off and leave home. I don't want them to have to wait to inherit them. I want them to each have their own. So from now on, I'm going to start ordering four copies of each family year book. That way, each of my kids will have their own family photo book from that year and I will have a copy for our home.

Hopefully you got a tip or two and are inspired to start thinking about making your own family yearbooks. It's not too late to get started saving those memories!If you are local, we recently had family photographs done by the amazingly talented Rebecca Anne Photography. All photos seen in this post were taken by her. Thanks Rebecca!dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. This post is sponsored by York Photos. Thank you!

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How to Know if Your Child is Ready for a Pet

This post was sponsored by PetSmart through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about PetSmart, all opinions are my own.
I don't know what it is, but there is a certain age that kids hit that they just start begging for pets. Maybe there is a class in school that they teach called "you need a pet or your childhood will be ruined" or maybe it's just something that is innate, but whatever it is, I think every child at some point in their childhood asks for some kind of animal.For my youngest son it was a fish. Which really is quite fitting because we joke that Owen is part fish anyway. Owen is drawn to the water. He just seems to find comfort there. 

Last summer we couldn't deny his desire to have an aquarium and after promising that he would take care of the tank himself, we realized that he did indeed seem like he would stand true to his promise and we allowed him to get a fish tank. Not one to be excluded, my daughter set up her own much smaller tank with a Betta fish. 

So how will you know if your child is ready for a pet? I have a few questions that you can ask yourself that might help you decide if your child is ready for the responsibility of a pet.

About six years ago we got a family dog. Sophie has taught us many things and I see great value in having a family pet. I knew that when we got a dog, she would be a loyal member of our family. No one person would "own" her, she would be all of ours and while the kids promised lots of things {they would always clean up the poop in the yard-HA!}, we would all take care of her. 

When my son was asking to get fish as pets, those would be his responsibility. Something he would take care of, with our help as needed. So how did we know that he was ready for taking on that responsibility on his own?

Well, we had seen him with our dog. You may not have a family pet already, but you may have seen your child exhibit signs of responsibility in other areas. Do they handle their belongings with care? Do they take their current responsibilities seriously? Is your child able to remember and follow through on daily tasks like brushing their own teeth?  

You want to make sure that your child can remember the daily task of feeding their animal the correct amount {this is so important, especially if you have fish!}, and that when it's time to change the water or clean a cage, your child can handle most of that task on their own and they do it in a timely manner.  

my daughter's set up for her Beta fish named Luna

Another thing that your family should take into consideration is the amount of time you have to invest in a certain animal. We spent a lot of time at our local PetSmart before we set up the tank to find out what would be involved in taking care of a fish tank. The employees were super helpful. Every one we talked to had a tank of their own at home and had lots of experience to draw on. We had a dog sitter for our puppy, but if we left on vacation what would we do if we had a 10-gallon tank full of fish? 

The PetSmart staff assured us that there were feeders that we could buy if we were going to be gone for a few days. If your family is often gone or if your child has a sleepover, who will take on the responsibility of the animal when your child can't do it? My kids take turns helping each other out if they have sleepovers. They take great care in turning off the tank light at night to allow the fish time to unwind and make sure that they consistently feed the fish at the same time every day.

You also want to make sure that you have a helpful resource to turn to if you have questions regarding your new pet. Of course we have a vet for our dog, but we rely on the helpful support and knowledge from the PetSmart team. They are our go to source if we have any questions. Who can you turn to if you or your child have questions about the care of your pet?

We had never had a fish tank before and there was a lot more to it than just making sure that the fish had clean water and fish food. The PetSmart staff helped us figure out what kind of fish would work best in my son's aquarium, and which fish would be happy together and then gave us all the details we needed to know how frequently to change the water {every two weeks} and how much water to change. They even pointed us in the right direction for what kinds of chemicals to use to keep the fish water a happy, healthy place for my son's fish.

A fish ended up being the perfect pet for our kids to have. Not only does it create a really relaxing environment in my son's room {there is nothing like hearing that soft swoosh of those aquarium bubbles}, but it's also helped our kids exhibit responsibility. Pet ownership has a lot of benefits. Making sure your child is ready for it will only increase the overall satisfaction of pet ownership for your whole family. 

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How to plan the perfect college visit for your high school student

My oldest son is a senior in high school this year and while it feels like just yesterday I was holding his hand walking him into pre-school, it won't be long before I'm packing him up and saying goodbye for months at a time.

Let's not talk about that part though. Let's talk about the fun part where we get to travel and spend time together and make memories and plan futures. That part is fun and not as scary.

If you are in this phase of life with a junior or a senior in high school and college looks like it's in their future, this guide will help you plan the perfect college visit.

1. Start local

My son knows that he's not interested in attending school locally. And by locally, I mean anywhere in our great state of Washington. That hasn't stopped me from  a) trying to convince him {heck, in state tuition is so much more reasonable!} and b) taking college tours at local schools.

Most kids don't know what they like and what they don't like about a college campus. They may not even know what they should like or be looking for. Going to some local universities for a tour gives them the barometer they need to start comparing one school with another, and it may just help them narrow down where they want to apply when the time comes.

Does your son or daughter want a big school or do they prefer a smaller university? Do they want a rural campus or do they prefer something more urban? Hitting up a local college or university is a great way to get an idea of what type of school that your child is interested in and give them an idea of what a campus tour is like, what kinds of questions they have and gives them an opportunity to find out what's most important to them in a college.

2. Schedule your visit

Once you have your list of schools that you want to visit, go to their website. Most will have a tab that has more information on planning and scheduling your visit. I have found that you really need to give a college visit at least four hours. 

In my experience, starting your campus visit is best if you start it with a guided college tour. The college tour guide is usually a current student not much older than your son or daughter but they can answer questions about college life and point out the highlights of the campus.

If touring a residence hall is important, make sure you schedule a tour of them. There is so much information on-line now that many websites provide virtual tours of dorms and living spaces. 

3. Make time to sit in on a class

Many universities have an open door policy for perspective students. While I haven't had my son sit in on a class at every college we have toured, I do think it's important that he's had that opportunity. At nearly every college you will visit you will hear the mention of class size. Just knowing what your son or daughter is comfortable with in terms of class size is important. 

Have them sit in on a class with 100+ students if they plan on attending a large university where that is the norm. Let them get a feel for what that is like. On the flip side, have them also sit in on a smaller class. Your college visit is all about being able to compare and contrast and use their findings to narrow down the best fit for their future education.

4. Make an academic appointment

While your college bound student may not know exactly what degree they want to pursue just yet, have them meet an advisor {or two} in the college department that they seem to be interested in. Most college applications will make you narrow down what department you want to apply to, so now is a great time to get a feel for what it is that your son or daughter may be most interested in. 

When my son has had these appointments, I have sat in on them but it's important to let your child take the lead on asking the questions and steering the conversation.  If you need to, role play with your child ahead of time so that they are comfortable engaging in conversation.

If you know ahead of time the advisor or professor that you are meeting, it's probably not a bad idea to take a second to google their name.  Read some of their published works, get to know what their interests and specialties are. Just taking this time will make your child seem more prepared and will give them a talking point that will probably take the heat off of them in a conversation. 

5. Meet with the admissions advisor

Not all schools require an interview, but if your child has strong interpersonal skills, the opportunity to meet with an admissions advisor while you are on campus may be very beneficial during the application process.  

The few schools that we visited my son's junior year all made notes of the interactions he had either through information sessions, college fairs and most importantly the time spent face to face with the admissions advisor.  These interactions gave him opportunities to apply early decision, sometimes without fees.

6. Stay local

When you are visiting a college, try to stay local. If you need to spend the night, try to stay on campus or on the outskirts. Walk around campus at night, eat dinner at a local hot spot. If you can, have lunch at a dorm or in the student union. This gives you the opportunity to see what college life on the campus is really like.  

Don't be afraid to strike up conversations with the students. Ask them what they think of the college and why they selected it. My son is interested in being a part of the greek system. We happened to be at lunch and saw a group of students with fraternity and sorority shirts on. We struck up a conversation with them and got the inside scoop on greek life at this particular university. My son even made a connection with one of the fraternity members and has his number should he attend the school in the fall. 

These conversations are usually the most honest conversations that you will have. The campus tour guide, the college admissions advisor, the visitors staff are all doing their best to sell you on the university. You will only ever hear the positives. Candid conversations with students on campus usually gives you a different perspective into college life that you might not have gotten otherwise from those people you have come in contact with so far since they are trying to sell you on their university. Don't be afraid to stop college kids. It may be the most insightful conversation you have on your whole tour.

7. Make a list

We visited 3 universities in 5 days, they all started to blend together. Have your child keep a list of the pros and cons of each school. Use the time after your visit to talk together about what they liked and what they didn't like.  This chance to debrief after your visit is the best time to find out what's really important to your child in a college or university.

8. Follow up

Make sure that your child follows up with the college staff that he or she has met. Most of the academic advisors and admissions officers are quick with their business cards, but if they aren't make sure that your child made a note on their list {see #6} of the person who they spoke to.  This follow up is a great way to prepare your child for future job interviews.

This is an exciting time! Make the most of the opportunity and enjoy the preparation. If you have anything to add, I would love to hear it! Simply comment below or send me a message rachelholycraft@gmail.com

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5 ways to keep your teeth clean if you have Invisalign

I've had Invisalign for nearly a year and the end is near! I am on the last leg of my orthodontic treatment. I never had braces as a teenager and while I was thankful to miss out on that rite of passage, the older I got, the more my crooked teeth started to bother me. I was spending a lot of time in the orthodontists office with my three kids and while I was in for a consult with one of my them, I decided to get a consult for myself.

Thankfully, I had healthy teeth and dental insurance that would help pay for some of the treatment and now a year in, I'm so glad that I got braces as an adult. If you are considering getting adult braces, in particular Invisalign, I wrote a post with 15 things you should know before you get them.

Once you have them, you are going to want to know how to keep your teeth clean and fresh while you wear your aligners. I've got 5 tips for keeping your teeth clean with Invisalign.

1. Brush your teeth after you eat

I was much more religious about this when I first got my aligners, less so nearly a year in. My teeth feel so much fresher when I take the time to brush after I eat, though it's not always possible. With Invisalign, you have plastic aligners that fit snugly on your teeth. Those aligners are taken off when you eat. Normally, your saliva will clean off your teeth naturally between meals, but with Invisalign you put your aligners back in and you trap in all that gunk.  Taking the time to brush after you eat is the best way to keep your teeth clean when you wear Invisalign.

2. Rinse with water

If I don't have time to brush, I try to at least rinse my teeth with water. I do this especially if I have had my morning coffee. You don't need to remove your aligners when you drink water, you do need to remove them if you drink coffee. I keep my aligners out for a few more minutes after my morning coffee and try to chase it with an 8 ounce glass of water.

3. Clean your trays

My orthodontist gave me a denture bath when I first got my Invisalign. You can find a similar one for under $10 on Amazon. Your aligner trays get gross and they need cleaning too. Not only do I take my toothbrush to them every time that I brush, I also soak them in the denture bath once a day, usually during dinner.

4. Visit your dentist for regular cleanings

Good oral health affects your overall health, which is why it's important to keep up on those dental appointments every six months.  You are spending a lot of money getting straight teeth, it's so very important to make sure your teeth are healthy too. Those cleanings and regular check ups are imperative!  If you don't have dental insurance, you can find easy affordable dental insurance through Guardian Dental. A trip to the dentist costs money and if you have a family those costs quickly multiply. I can't imagine not having dental insurance to help us cover the costs of our routine dental appointments and any not so routine procedures that may occur.You can brush your teeth and keep your aligner trays as clean as you can on your own, but there is no substitute for a regular cleaning. Make those appointments every six months with your regular dentist and make sure you are prepared with dental insurance.

5. Smile!

In the wise words of Jimmy Fallon, everyone looks so much better when they smile! Keeping those teeth clean will give you the confidence you need to smile.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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