• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Things I Do All Day

Things I Do All Day

A Mom Blog

  • About
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Parenting
    • Daily Parenting
    • Kid Activities
  • Money
    • Making Money
    • Saving Money
  • Free Printables
  • Travel
  • Contact

Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?

February 9, 2023 by KT Leave a Comment

Is Kindle Unlimited Worth it for Book readers and book worms?

Is Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited Worth It for readers, bookworms, and the average reader?

The answer is: Maybe. It really depends on how much and what you read in a month and if you already have a Kindle or e-reader.

If you are unfamiliar with Kindle Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited is a service that allows you to read as much as you want on your e-reader, and you can choose from over 3 million titles. You can have up to 20 books “taken out” at a time to download on your device, but you can read and take as many books out as you want a month.

Kindle Unlimited is great if you DNF-Do Not Finish- books often. I love KU because if I’m not feeling a book, I can just stop and move on to the next one. I have zero guilt because I spent zero dollars on buying the book, and I can return it and pick another one.

Kindle Unlimited is a great way to discover so many different books as well as so many different authors!

If you read often, Kindle Unlimited is awesome. It is $10/month and you can very easily cancel your subscription whenever you want. They usually offer a free monthly trial to see if you like it first, and you can easily cancel. Amazon will often have deals so you may even pay less than $10 a month.

Kindle Unlimited is not included in a prime membership, however, if you do have a prime account you will get some free books with prime reading but the selection is much more limited.

I find that Kindle Unlimited is worth the $5-10/month, pay on membership because I read several books, and one book in itself could be $10 depending on what it is. I figure if I read two or three books a month through KU, it pays for itself.

However, if you don’t read as much, I’d start with the library books that you can easily download to your kindle. All you need is a library card, and you can start downloading books on Overdrive, Libby, Hoopla, or whatever your library uses. Also, you may be able to sign up for a card online instead of going to the actual library!

Certain Books Are Only Available On Kindle Unlimited

However, if there are certain books that you are looking to read and they are offered through KU to read for free, your best bet is to sign up for a Kindle Unlimited membership whether it’s a free trial or paid membership.

That is because if an author is using Kindle Unlimited for their books to read for free, they are exclusive to KU– at least at the moment. You won’t be able to borrow it from your library or another online source. You can only find some author books only through Kindle Unlimited.

Keep in mind, you may be able to find a printed book at the library, but KU will be the only place where you can read the book online for free. You could always buy the e-book, but the $5 you spend on the book, could be put towards a membership, especially if it’s a series with multiple books to read.

Kindle Unlimited members can also cancel their membership at any time, so it’s easy to pay for the month’s trial, read all the books, then cancel. (I do this often because it’s easy to cancel and then I get caught up with other books and then go back.)

Keep in mind that an author can always take a book off Kindle Unlimited at any time, so if there’s a book you want to read, you may want to claim it and read it soon but you’ll find that other books will be there for years! It kind of depends on the author and publisher. Some authors are known for only offering some of their selection on KU or just briefly and others really use KU as their main source of income.

I really enjoy having a Kindle Unlimited membership because I read a lot of books and some of my favorite authors are exclusively on KU.

I also mostly read the romance genre so I find that there are A LOT of romance books on Kindle Unlimited with a wide variety of options! I’m not sure about other genres though and can only speak for the romance genre!

However, if you do not read a lot of books in a month or if you find all the books you need through Libby and the library, Kindle Unlimited may not be for you! Also, if you love a physical book and don’t use or have an e-reader, KU is not for you!

Do you have a Kindle Unlimited membership? Do you find that it is worth it or not? What are your favorite books offered through Kindle Unlimited?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: kindle unlimited

How Do I Read So Much as a Mom?

October 25, 2022 by KT Leave a Comment

How to read more, hacks to read more books

How do I read so much? I get asked this a lot.

I read anywhere from 20-30 books a month, which is definitely more than a lot of people but also a lot less than others.

Yes, my past self would also like to know how I now read so much because I didn’t read much at all in the past and felt like I never had the time. I think a big reason why I read so much now is that I make the time. It also helps and improves my mental health by escaping into books.

Below is how I read so much as a mom to two young kids. Also, this can apply to anyone– not just parents to young children! I know everyone can be busy and everyone can find times in their day if they really do want to read a book.

Here is how I read so much as a mom:

1. I Don’t Watch TV

This is a big one. I don’t watch TV. Yes, I have a TV in my house, and sometimes I’ll watch what the kids are watching, or I’ll watch football with my family in-season but for the most part, I don’t watch TV.

The average American watches 3 hours of TV a day, so I’m basically saving those three hours and using my entertainment in book form.

2. I Read After the Kids Go To Bed

I guess this ties into the first point of not watching tv, but after the kids go to bed, I read. My kids go to bed around 8 pm at night (sometimes a little later, unfortunately) but that usually gives me a solid two hours of reading time, sometimes longer before I fall asleep. I like to read once the kids go to bed, as it’s finally mom time!

Nighttime is my time to settle down into a book before I go to bed.

I Read Everywhere

Not only do I read after the kids go to bed, but I also read whenever I can. My kids are finally at the age (thank goodness!) where I can go to the playground and just sit on a bench and watch them play. I can chill and watch them play while reading at the same time without having to follow them around or watch them closely.

I also have the kindle app downloaded on my phone, so I’ll read on my phone when I’m waiting at the doctor’s for an appointment, in the car waiting for someone, or even in line at the grocery store. I’ll open up my kindle app and read in public a lot, and I find that it helps settle my anxiety in public a little too.

Whenever I can find a little pocket of time, I try to read whenever I can. Look for those extra moments in the day where you can open a book, you may be surprised.

I Listen When I Can’t Read

I like to read wherever I can, but I also listen to audiobooks when I can’t read. Everyone is different, but I do prefer reading to listening to audiobooks, but I’d rather listen to a book than not read a book at all, if that makes sense.

I like to choose books where I can actually easily switch back and forth from listening to reading so I can read when I have time, but can still listen to a book when I don’t have time to read.

The amazing thing about audiobooks is that you can read a book when you are folding laundry, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, etc. I find boring tasks more tolerable when I’m reading a book and tend to last a little longer on my feet doing them.

I know a mom who listens to her book in the shower, while she works out in the morning, and then on her drive to and from work. It definitely gives you a lot more reading time while you are doing something else as well!

It sometimes can be a little harder to find books that have the audiobook and reading option, and sometimes can get a little expensive to do both. I love when I can easily get the audiobook and book from the library, but it’s not always possible.

My favorite way (and I find the easiest way!) is through Kindle Unlimited.

If you read often, Kindle Unlimited is awesome. It is $10/month and you can very easily cancel your subscription whenever you want. They also have a lot of great deals for half-price or sometimes cheaper, and you can even get a free trial to see if you’d like it.

There are some books on Kindle Unlimited that say Read and Listen! and you can easily switch back and forth between the two so easily! I love that option so much, and I’m really hoping that more authors will do the read and audiobook option in the future.

To find books that you can both listen and read to and easily switch back and forth to on Kindle Unlimited, please head to the audiobook section on Kindle Unlimited. If you are searching through all Kindle Unlimited books there will be a picture of headphones next to the KU logo, or you can just click on the book and see if it’ll say Read and Listen for free.

If you are looking for some recommendations for some listen + read books, here are a few. They are all romance books because that’s all I read.

  • The Miles High Club Series by TL Swan (4-book series)
  • Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills
  • The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn
  • Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

The library is also a great option to get audiobooks and books for free. I do a mix of library books and Kindle Unlimited for my 20-30 reads for the month.

I find that Kindle Unlimited is worth the $5-10/month I pay on membership because I do read several books, and one book in itself could be $10 depending on what it is. However, if you don’t read as much, I’d start with the library books and audiobooks. All you need is a library card, and you can start downloading books on Overdrive, Libby, Hoopla, or whatever your library uses. Also, you may be able to sign up for a card online instead of going to the actual library!

There are also some authors that I can’t find through the library because they are exclusively on Kindle Unlimited so I like to do a mix of both.

Do you have any hacks or tips to read more books? How many books do you read in a year? What’s your favorite method in reading more?

*This post contains affiliate links to help the costs of this website, but we use all products we recommend.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: read more books

Fantasy Football Team Names for Girls 2022

September 14, 2022 by KT Leave a Comment

Fantasy Football Team Name Ideas for Girls and Women


Fantasy Football
 Season 2022 is almost here and time for a fantasy team name!

I love looking at Fantasy Football Team name idea lists for unique, creative, and funny fantasy football team names! 

I’ve updated this list from years past so some of the names may look familiar, but there are some new ones in there as some players obviously enter and leave the league.

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite team names and included some of my own too! Some fantasy football names are just for girls and some team names can be for both men and women!

Personally, I like picking a team name after I draft and using a player or players to make a witty name.

I won’t judge you if you draft a player just for a fun fantasy team name!

Here are some popular and funny Fantasy Football team names for girls and boys for 2022: 

Popular Fantasy Football Names for Girls

Fantasy Football names for girls, ladies, and moms that are popular and can be used any year, but are definitely female specific!

  • Victorious Secret
  • Sacks in the City
  • Gridiron and Wine
  • Cleats and Cleavage
  • Watergirl
  • Glitz and Blitz
  • Fantasy Goddess
  • Hail Mary (especially good if you’re Mary)
  • Friday Night Tights
  • Women Who Score
  • Show Me Your TD’s
  • Bloodbath and Beyond
  • Minivan Mavens
  • The Watergirl
  • Junk in the Trunk
  • The Brains of the Game
  • In her Endzone
  • X and O’s
  • Leading Lady
  • TD Master
  • Running Back To Me
  • Blondes Have More Run
  • End Zone Divas
  • Back That Pass Up
  • Field Goal Diggers
  • Better At This Too!
  • Trophy Wife
  • Get Ovary It
  • Here Comes the Run
  • Lady Luck
  • Wrecking Gals
  • She’s The Man

Player Inspired Fantasy Football Team Names

Fantasy Football team names inspired by a football player on your own team. Some are just for girls, but most of these could be used by male and female owners. Some of the guys in my league have inspired some of these too!

  • Brady Got Back (Tom Brady)
  • Call Me Brady (Tom Brady)
  • Luck Be A Brady (Tom Brady)
  • Nobody Puts Brady in a Corner (Tom Brady), May be too long though
  • Brady Gaga (Tom Brady)
  • Take Mahomes Tonight (Patrick Mahomes)
  • Baby Got Dak (Dak Prescott)
  • Dakstreet Boys (Dak Prescott)
  • Dak to the Future (Dak Prescott)
  • Dak and Yellow (Dak Prescott)
  • Hit Me With Your Prescott (Dak Prescott)
  • Baking Bad (Baker Mayfield)
  • Mayfield of Dreams (Baker Mayfield)
  • A Kiss from a Rosen (Josh Rosen)
  • Jimmy G-Strings (Jimmy Garoppolo)
  • Mariota Had A Little Lamb (Marcus Mariota)
  • A Carr is Born (Derek Carr)
  • Mercedes Wentz (Carson Wentz)
  • Just Say Wentz (Carson Wentz)
  • All I Do is Winston (Jameis Winston)
  • Shake it Goff (Jared Goff)
  • I Gotta Theilen/Can’t Stop the Theilen/More than a Theilen (Adam Theilen)
  • O-Dell No (Odell Beckham Jr)
  • The Farmer in the Dell (Odell Beckham Jr)
  • Lights, Kamara, Action (Alvin Kamara)
  • Instant Kamara (Instant Kamara)
  • Kelce Lately (Travis Kelce)
  • Diggs in a Blanket (Stefon Diggs)
  • Dalvin and the Chipmunks (Dalvin Cook)
  • Too Much Landry (Jarvis Landry)
  • Stairway to Tevin (Tevin Coleman)
  • Fuller House (Will Fuller)
  • Kittle One (George Kittle)
  • Kittle Caboodle (George Kittle)
  • The Baby-Sitters Chubb (Nick Chubb)
  • Golladay Inn Express (Kenny Golladay)
  • Zay It Ain’t So (Zay Jones)
  • Giorgio Amari (Amari Copper)
  • T.Y. Next (T.Y. Hilton)
  • One Crabtree Hill (Michael Crabtree)
  • DJ Chark DooDooDoo (D.J. Chark)
  • Hot for Watt (J.J Watt, defense player so any J.J fans can use)

Team Inspired Names

Fantasy Football team names inspired by your favorite Football teams!

  • Dallas Cowgirls
  • Chicago Mama Bears
  • Green Babe Packers
  • Mile High Heels
  • Save a Bronco, Ride a Cowboy

GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR!

What other Fantasy Football team names for girls and guys have I missed? What is your fantasy football name? Do you play?

Also, feel free to check out my older post of Fantasy Football Team Names for Girls for even more fantasy football team name ideas!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How to Survive a Long Car Ride with Kids

August 22, 2021 by KT Leave a Comment

Car Ride Travel Hacks for Long Car Rides with Toddlers and Kids

Are you looking to do a long car ride with babies, toddlers, and/or kids soon? Are you looking for some car ride travel tips? Well, I have some tips on how to survive long car rides with toddlers and kids.

We have done a lot of car ride travel lately thanks to the pandemic, and it’s honestly not as bad as I thought it would be. Our longest trip was a 24-hour trip to visit the in-laws and it was more enjoyable that I thought it may be.

So here are a few ways to survive long car rides with children because there’s definitely better ways to make the long hauls than others!

Drive Overnight

Driving overnight is the best when traveling with babies, toddlers, and kids.

I know it’s not always possible, but when it is, it is so much easier!

We drive from New England to Florida, and we leave at 6-7PM at night, and arrive in the later afternoon/early evening the next day. We go straight, and we find it preferable from driving two full days and a hotel stay in between. (But we are also crazy.)

It’s exhausting for the parents, but you get quiet kids for a big portion of your trip if you travel overnight! My husband and I have a system… 6 hours each back and forth until we arrive, when humanly possible.

We are EXHAUSTED, but it’s so much better! Especially when the kids are sleeping for half the drive!

We have also done half overnight where we will go to bed at home early and sleep for awhile and then wake our kids up in the middle of the night to get an early start. They will go back to bed (usually) and we get to sleep in our beds and get a few hours of shut eye before we begin our journey.

Whenever possible, try to do some or most of the drive during the overnights. The road and the car is more peaceful and you’ll make better time because you’ll have less rest and food stops and you’ll need less mental breaks too!

Be Boring Beforehand

I think one reason why my kids do so well with long car rides is that they are use to being bored. We don’t always entertain them– especially during car rides. We never had a DVD player or any screens in the car, and don’t really entertain them during short or medium car rides.

Keeping kids bored can be such a blessing because they can figure out how to entertain themselves and enjoy the little things.

Start training your kids now to be bored and entertain themselves so they will do better in the car for future car rides!

Take Breaks Wisely

We like to plan out our breaks and use them wisely. We usually start at the evening, and plan to go through until we need gas (and pee), which is usually six hours in our case. And then in another six hours we get gas again and then get out and grab breakfast.

We usually take our breaks only when needed. Sometimes we just do McDonald’s or other foods to go and eat while we are driving, because the kids keep busy eating their meal in the car for a half hour while we don’t waste any driving time, and sometimes they need that time to get out and run wild for a half hour out of the car.

You’ll kind of know when you can get away with more travel or when you need to just stop. And sometimes just bringing them into a gas station and picking out snacks will do the trick, and other times, you may need to find a playground or restaurant or something else to break it up.

We like to stop only when we all need it, because sometimes we’d rather just get to our destination and other times we need more time.

Plan for Anything

One thing I didn’t realize when we started our road trip adventures was how interesting it was driving in other parts of the country was.

I didn’t realize that the South didn’t have the convenient travel plazas that the northeast has with gas, bathrooms, and food right off the highway. Once we hit Virginia on i-95, I realized we would need to get off the highway everytime.

We would try to find big gas stations attached to restaurants to help us save time, but sometimes it was hard to read maps to make sure we would pick correctly.

I found that we made a lot of mistakes our first go around. When we first started our road trip adventures, we wasted more time on our breaks, just because we didn’t have it planned out as well as I thought.

We’d arrive at 24 hour gas stations, but the inside would be locked because the gas was credit card only, so we wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom, and would need another stop.

We also would hit more traffic or make better time and not be where we thought we may be on the road.

I would try to plan for everything or as much as possible and try to be flexible.

You may want to keep a travel app like Priceline on your phone so you can book a hotel on the road if you need it and other handy apps on our phone like gas apps and such.

I also made a list of playgrounds right off the highway and other short travel stops if we needed a break for my kids.

You never know what can happen when you travel, so I always find that planning for different scenarios can be helpful.

Dollar Store Finds

I love going to the Dollar Store beforehand and getting some new toys and new finds. I find it’s a great way to keep the kids busy with something new without spending a lot of money.

It’s amazing how something new can keep someone busy for a little while. I also like to bring in some of my kids favorite toys that I don’t let them play with as much for the sake of keeping them busy when I really need it.

Some other toys that I like for road trips besides dollar tree trinkets are:

  • Tegu Blocks
  • Wikki Stix
  • Melissa & Doug Water Wow!
  • Etch A Sketch & Drawing Boards
  • Paper and Markers

The Best Snacks

Snacks. Snacks. Snacks.

Snacks can be a lifesaver when traveling. My kids get the best snacks when traveling. Usually new snacks to try or their favorite snacks they don’t get often.

I usually try to go with less messy snacks and snacks that take a long time to eat like fruit roll-ups.

You may also prefer to have them pick out their own snacks beforehand or at a truck stop so they have something to be excited about too.

Movie Time

It’s one of my last moves, but movies or tv shows can be great for long car rides with toddlers and kids. We usually do so to either reward very great behavior or to save our own sanity.

I especially put a movie on when I need to sleep and everyone is wide awake and making many requests to me while I’m riding shotgun.

Because I’m cheap, I never invested in a portable DVD system or anything. I usually just put my kindle fire on the arm rest and let the kids use that, but there’s so many different ways to use movies and screens as entertainment.

Bring a Potty with You

If you have new potty-trained children or children that need to go quickly, you may want to bring a potty with you.

I have a fond memory of my son always picking the worst times to need to go the bathroom, so the potty can come in handy for those emergency stops in unideal places.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you travel, the easier it gets. At least, that’s been my experience. Our kids have gotten so much better with driving in the car. I remember feeling so defeated when it took us DOUBLE the time it would normally take, but now with my kids 4&6, we don’t take nearly as long when they were younger.

We’ve been better at picking places to stop, and we’ve learned when we really need to stop and when we can push it a bit. Also, the older they get, it’s gets better too because you can stop less and they will be more comfortable with longer trips!

Good Luck on your road trip travels with young kids!

Filed Under: Travel, Uncategorized

Seashell Letter Art for Kids

July 23, 2021 by KT Leave a Comment

Seashell Letter Art, a great seashell craft with kids for some free home decor!

Collecting seashells with toddlers and kids is such a fun summer activity. My kids love bringing buckets to the beach and bringing home seashell treasures!

I also love when I can turn one fun activity with the kids into another!

There are so many fun seashell crafts and projects you can do with seashells after collecting!

We ended up turning our seashells into artwork– letter art to be precise!

It’s pretty easy to do….

First collect your supplies:

  • Seashells
  • Letter(s) (Cut yourself or buy pre-cut from an art store like Michaels)
  • Glue Gun and Glue
  • Hanger for the back

After you have your supplies, wash and dry your seashells. We used a hose to wash all of our seashells and then left them to dry overnight on a beach towel when the weather was really nice.

Seashells on a blanket from the beach getting ready for seashell art and crafts

After the seashells were ready to go, decide where you want your seashells on your letter of your choice. You can also use a canvas or something else if you don’t want to use a letter.

We used a letter for each of our children’s name, and then used their letter for their seashell artwork.

After you layout the shells how you want them, carefully glue each one with a hot glue gun.

Creating Seashell Letter Art, a great arts and crafts with seashells for kids

My kids put the shells how they wanted them, and then my husband did the hot glue gun part so our kids didn’t burn themselves.

Let the glue dry… and then hang it up and enjoy!

It’s pretty easy to do and it’s a great way to have pretty artwork from your kids and the beach!

Have you done any fun seashells arts and crafts with kids?!?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Easy Gluten Free Playdough with 3 Ingredients!

July 12, 2021 by KT Leave a Comment

Quick and easy gluten free playdough recipe with 3 ingredients that is edible and no cook, perfect playdough for babies and toddlers!

Are you looking for a super easy playdough recipe for babies, toddlers, and kids? Well, I have a great one for you!

Okay, so I wish I found this great playdough recipe when my kids were younger because this is a great first playdough recipe! It’s simple to make with just 3 household ingredients and it’s edible just case those little hands get curious!

This is such a great playdough recipe for babies because it’s edible, no cook, and super quick and easy to make!

Here’s what you need to make this super easy, gluten-free playdough recipe:

  • 1/3 Cornstarch
  • 2 tsp of Coconut Oil, overflowing
  • 6 Marshmallows, regular sized
  • Drops of Food Coloring, Optional

Add the cornstarch, coconut oil and marshmallows in a microwavable dish.

Microwave for 30 seconds on high.

Add the drops of food coloring of your choice, target the marshmallows.

Combine all the ingredients. You may have to use your hands toward the end. (A parent may want to do this part as the dough may be a little warm.)

Then, have fun when it’s all mixed together!

If the mixture is still a little sticky, add a little more cornstarch and if it’s still a little sticky, add some more coconut oil.

I placed some cornstarch on my hands when I hand to mix with my hands so it wouldn’t stick at first, and it worked liked a charm! It’ll get less sticky once you mix it really good!

My boys really liked this playdough! It was more of a mix of playdough and strechy putty, which was nice because it wasn’t as messy as some playdoughs!

It was also great for certain allergies because it does not contain wheat/flour like most playdoughs! Just make sure you use gluten-free marshmallows and gluten-free cornstarch if you specifically need gluten-free playdough! This Celiac mom loved that she could play with it too!

I hope you love this recipe and have fun! Enjoy!

Filed Under: Kid Activities Tagged With: kid activities, playdough recipe

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Stay Connected!

Drop your e-mail below for updates, special offers, and more! 

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.



Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Sample on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in