This post is sponsored by © Nature’s Recipe, LLC., all opinions are my own.

Our Pit Bull, Winnie, has always loved being outdoors. Even though she is almost 5, she still acts like a puppy most days.  She loves to play, run, and be around other dogs and humans. As fun-loving as she is, getting her to calm down when it matters has always been challenging. Unfortunately, my 81-year-old grandmother doesn’t always like to be jumped on when she comes to visit, so we needed to find a way to channel all that energy Winnie has. We had always taken our other dog, Sammy on walks, but the older he gets, the more he likes to be walked in the morning alone. We call him Old Man Sam because he really enjoys his quiet time 🙂 Since Winnie is younger and has more energy, we knew the kids would love to start taking her on walks. After some trial and error, we finally have a routine down! Here are some tips that have helped us have successful family walks!

1. Plan out your route. This is especially important when you’re bringing along young children. You want to make sure the terrain can easily be walked for kids and dogs. If it’s uneven or in a remote location, I can almost guarantee someone will have to use the bathroom, or will fall and scrape their knee 30 seconds into the walk. Luckily, we live in a subdivision with wide streets so our route is the same most nights. Following a route helped Winnie get accustomed to walks, our neighbors and neighborhood, and learning obedience. Now, we feel confident that we can take her on new paths and trails.

2. Let your dog lead the way! From the moment we started taking family walks together, we always told the kids that the dogs were the leaders of the walk. Dogs need mental stimulation and they get this from sniffing and exploring. After all, if your dog has been in a crate or indoors for most of the day, this may be their only time to enjoy the fresh air. Just make sure to know such important details like dog leash laws so you’re rest-assured that your dog is safe.

3. Be prepared to take lots of breaks! This is especially true for family walks involving kids. Not only do Henry and Evelyn like to stop frequently, but Winnie also likes to rest about every 10-15 minutes. Follow your dog’s lead and also have realistic expectations. If your pup tires easily from a walk around your neighborhood cul-de-sac, then he probably isn’t up for a 3 mile hike in the woods.

4. Make sure pups & kids have a full belly! We love taking our walks in the evening after dinner. Living in Atlanta, the sun, heat and humidity is absolutely brutal during the day. Aside from wanting to be comfortable, I don’t want the kids or dogs to overheat and I also don’t want the pavement to be too hot for the dogs. We head out usually about 30 minutes after we finish eating. This gives everyone enough time for food to settle and to get hydrated. Recently we switched our dog’s food to Nature’s Recipe^® Grain Free premium dog food. There are several reasons why this switch was a no-brainer for us. Nature’s Recipe is grain, corn, wheat and soy free and contains no artificial flavors, preservatives, or poultry by-product. It is made with real lamb, chicken, or salmon as the #1 ingredient. I never thought my dogs would be a fan of salmon, but that is their favorite out of all the Nature’s Recipe flavors! You can purchase all of the grain free products at your local Walmart. I love that there are options for small breeds, puppies and larger dogs so every pup can enjoy it!

*Pro Tip – My husband carries a small baggy in his pocket with some Nature’s Recipe kibbles just in case we need to reward the dogs for good behavior. To increase the appetite of the dogs, items like a lick mat would definitely be beneficial so they will have a full belly.

5. Teach & Have Fun! No matter what, family walks should be a time to wind down and enjoy each other’s company. No iPads, cell phones or video games. No work calls, email checking or social media stories. This should be a time not only to have fun together, but to also teach kids the importance of safety when it comes to being outdoors.

Do you take regular walks with your dogs and family? What tips do you follow to make them easier?

This post is sponsored by Bona but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

No matter what your parenting style may be, I think we can all agree that raising responsible children is important. After all, when they’re grown up and out of our house, they will need to function in and contribute to society. Easy, household jobs that are safe are a great way to teach a young child responsibility which will help them in the long run. My kids need tasks at home or else they will literally run wild. My husband and I decided to start implementing chores when our oldest was 3, and we’ve done the same with our daughter. In addition to teaching them to follow rules and be motivated to help, it’s also been rewarding to them to feel accomplished by helping others. Here are the 5 chores which the kids do on a daily and weekly basis.

1. Helping with Pets – We have 6 pets in our household. That is 6 extra mouths to feed, twice daily. Around the age of 4, Henry started feeding the pets breakfast and dinner. It’s a super simple chore that kids can do and all our pet food has a scoop next to the container to avoid over-feeding. Henry also loves to help his dad clean the fish tank, using the aquarium test strips to balance the pH and water temperature, and this allows them some time to bond one-on-one. I love that they’re learning how to care for another living thing and it also teaches them empathy.

2. Putting Away Their Laundry/ Tidying Their Room – By the time both my kids were 3, they knew where all their clothes went in their room. Even though I still fold everything, the kids each put away all their clothing. Henry is 6 and has been practicing hanging up his shirts on hangers however Evelyn is not quite there yet. I’ve found that teaching them to care for their belongings has helped them value and appreciate the things they have.

3. Sweeping The Floors – Our hardwood floors have taken a beating since our house was built in 1985 but luckily we have the best steam mop for tile that keeps the floors looking good. The floors are still original and we probably won’t refinish them until the kids are a bit older and our dogs mellow out a bit. Until then, we try and keep them as clean and polished as possible. The kids absolutely love to use our Bona Microfiber Mop for Hard-Surface Floors. Ever since they were small toddlers, they loved pretending to sweep the floors with anything they could find (a hanger, the dog leash … the possibilities were limitless, haha). Now that they are old enough to actually sweep floors properly, and love doing it, we wasted no time in having them help us. Wood floors run throughout the main floor of our home, so they are the first thing anyone will notice if they’re dusty with pet hair or dirt. Bona offers a family of mops for every surface. There is also a variety of Bona hardwood cleaner products, depending on what you prefer. Bona is definitely the next generation of wood floor mops and cleans my floors unlike any other mop on the market today. It has the largest base plate out of any similar mop which makes cleaning fast and easy. The assembly of the mop takes less than 2 minutes, the cleaner dries in record speed with no dulling residue, and the retractable handle hook allows for easy storage. What I love most is that the pads easily come right off and can be tossed in the washer. My days sometimes feel like they blur together, and life comes at me fast. With Bona Quick Clean, I can embrace life’s surprises and carry on with my day, no matter how chaotic.

4. Wash The Car – This “chore” is really like playtime for the kids. Both of my children are born water babies and love water of all kind. Our cars get cleaned in no time with four extra hands helping out. They pay so much attention to detail and feel really good about themselves knowing we trusted them such an important job!

5. Bathe the Dogs – We usually do this after we wash the cars since the kids are already in their swimsuits. They love when Winnie & Sammy shake off all the water and get them wet. Bathing the dogs goes back to teaching empathy and our dogs look at the kids so lovingly. It really is heart warming. This chore can be practiced at any age. Before our kids could participate they loved watching us bathe the dogs and would burst out with laughter.

Do you practice chores at home with your kids or teach any other responsibilities? Let me know in the comments and Bona will give away a Quick Clean Kit to one lucky winner!

The “Quick Clean Kit” will include:

• Tools – Bona® Premium Microfiber Mop for Hard-Surface Floors
• Dusting Solution – Bona® Disposable Dusting Cloths
• Cleaning Solution – Bona® Wet Cleaning Pads