Your kids are certainly the center of your world, but sometimes you have to make time to spend time together! After all, you're handling work and home; they're handling homework. So, we asked Liz Lange, our family style expert, to tell us about some of the daily activities that bring her family closer ‑- and we learned that making time for each other might be easier than you think. As Liz points out, when you make those everyday tasks a family thing, you can make memories out of the mundane!

Activity: Water Fights at the Car Wash Corral
Best way to sell it to the kids: Tell them they can get as messy as they want to ‑- and challenge them to a water fight while you all wash the car! Kids love any excuse to throw water and soapy suds at each other. Let them get messy doing something that's fun and feels a little bit forbidden. And it's always a relaxing, stress-reliever for parents to let their silly sides out. Remember, when your kids enter school ‑- even at very young ages ‑- they're under pressure to keep it all together, to behave, listen, be part of a group. At home they need a way to allow themselves to relax and reboot and let it out. At school, they have to go along with rules, and that can sap a lot of their energy. It's a great thing if they can let loose after school and on the weekends.
The plan: You won't need much ‑- a bucket, water, soap, brushes, old rags, access to a hose and clothes that can get messy. Just gather the gang at a designated time of day, dressed in the soon-to-be messy clothes. Lay out the rules (if there are any). Get the car as clean as you can during the soapy water fight. Serve everyone treats when the task is complete. The kids will think they're having fun (and really, they are!). Mom will get a clean car and one more item on her to-do list done.