Fun
Love It – Ozobot Robot
Ozobot running through its course!
One of the gifts the girls got for Christmas was an Ozobot. It has been really neat seeing them learn more about robotics and create more maps for it to explore. The Ozobot is very tiny and comes with a couple maps.
You can create any number of additional maps for the Ozobot – all you need is a piece of paper and some markers. The kids have really enjoyed doing different maps for the Ozobot. One of the best ways to create new maps is to get a large piece of drawing paper from an easel and have the kids continue to add various paths to it until it is full of fun routes and activities for the Ozobot to go on.
We got the Ozobot from a deal site, but you can also find it on Amazon as well. The Ozobot helps the kids learn more about programming and coding while having fun! If you know of a kid (or an adult!) who enjoys robotics, computers, and/or engineering you may want to check it out!
We made a list with all four of our names – we ask the Ozobot after dinner who should clean up the table! He will pick someone at random…interesting way to decide who gets chosen for the task! Ha! Dad was the lucky winner this time around!
Karlie mesmerized by Ozo!
Learning how to program it and make new maps for it.
Brina designed a new map for Ozo to run on.
Really neat robot! Love that you can create new maps!
Ozobot picking the next lucky winner! Who gets to choose the next game for the family to play?!
You can learn more about the Ozobot and read some of the reviews on the Ozobot website or on Amazon.
“Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love! There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun. I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list. It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week flew by so quickly and we are now entering the middle of February. I am excited about some of the fun events coming up this week. My parents will be coming to visit us in SC for a few days. The kids are thrilled and I have to kick into gear to get my house picked up before our guests arrive. Also, this week is special because we are celebrating Valentine’s Day which is a great time to demonstrate our love to those around us. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Wonder’s Victory by Joanna Campbell to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– we did it different this week, we split up in pairs to play games one-on-one with the kids (Jake played Chess with Karlie and I played Trouble with Brina)Prepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids – working on it
Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – still going through the various items
Clean House (Focus – Dining Room)- Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet) – isn’t quite finished yet
Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)- working on it, made a small extra payment this week
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than 1 store
Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay– sold a couple items and used the money to make an extra payment on our debt
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
- Confirm my parents plans and activities for their upcoming visit
- Celebrate Valentine’s Day
- Spend Extra Time with Extended Family
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Overall House Cleaning)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Yard Clean Up)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Salt Block for Goats)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
- Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Olive Garden Teams Up With My Gym for 2nd Annual Parents’ Night Out!
On Friday, Feb. 20, Olive Garden will break down the barriers to date night for parents through a national partnership with My Gym. Olive Garden will cover the cost for kids to have a fun-filled evening at My Gym while parents enjoy an affordable Four Course Festa Italiana dinner as part of its second annual Parents’ Night Out.
A recent survey found that the overall cost, including childcare and dining, combined with lack of trustworthy child supervision are the largest barriers to date night for nearly 75 percent of parents.* Parents’ Night Out is designed to solve this dilemma. Parents can enjoy quality time over an affordable and delicious meal at Olive Garden while their kids are entertained with games and activities in a safe environment.
Couples can participate in Parents’ Night Out by contacting their nearest My Gym location to confirm participation, obtain event details and register. Space is limited to approximately 30 kids at each of the 148 participating My Gym locations in the U.S. and Canada, and reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis (deposit required).
To help parents make the most of their evening, Olive Garden is offering its first-ever Four Course Festa Italiana starting at $12.99, featuring unlimited breadsticks and choice of homemade soup or famous house salad, and choice of small plate, entrée and decadent Dolcini mini dessert.
For more about the great deals at Olive Garden, visit www.olivegarden.com or connect with Olive Garden on social media atFacebook.com/OliveGarden, Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OliveGarden.
Flashback Friday: Barnyard Theme 1st Birthday Party
Happy 1st Birthday girls!
Today our flashback event goes back to the girls first birthday party! We had a barnyard theme for their first birthday party. Our family and friends came to celebrate the special day with us. They were very excited and quite confused by all the commotion that day. Even Jake’s Mom, my parents, and my grandparents were able to come for this special event with us!
Thankful for our family and friends who celebrated this special day with us! It is amazing to see how much these families have grown and changed since this celebration over 9 years ago!
Jake’s Mom (aka Grandma Kay) made these beautiful farm cakes for the girls. She put a lot of time and energy into the cakes and they were so adorable! Brina’s was a calf and Karlie’s was a lamb. The rest of us got to enjoy the barn cake! They were super cute and delicious.
Brina demolished her birthday cake. Karlie didn’t want to touch her cake or get messy, the only frosting she got on her fingers and face was from us sticking her fingers into the frosting for her and smearing it on her face.
What’s everyone looking at!? Brina thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cake! 🙂 What a mess!
Brina’s adorable calf cake before she tore into it.
Karlie’s cute lamb cake. It looked almost the same once she was done with it!
Toenail Painting Party
Every once in a while when we get a few extra minutes the girls enjoy doing a toenail painting party. We usually make it a fun event by choosing a variety of neat colors. Sometimes we paint our own toenails and other times paint each others toenails.
We spend our time chatting and catching up with each other during this relaxing activity. A lot of great conversations and laughter usually happen during these parties (I am sure it has nothing to do with the paint fumes)! While our toes may not always be perfectly painted or we make a mess we have a lot of fun together which is the most important part of the activity anyway. Thankful for these wonderful moments that I can share with my girls!
Recipes: Classic Chex Mix in the Crockpot (Gluten, Peanut, & Dairy Free)
Classic Chex Mix made in the Crockpot!
I have always enjoyed Chex Mix! It is a great winter snack food as you are sitting by the fire or playing board games around the dining room table. There are so many amazing variations to it as well. I especially like the sweet Chex Mix recipes here are some of my favorites:
The other day I decided to try making the Classic Chex Mix out with items I already had in our pantry and in the crockpot. I added several variations to the Classic Chex Mix because we have a family member that cannot have peanuts or dairy and we have some friends who cannot have gluten. My recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and peanut free for those who do not want to use those products in their Classic Chex Mix. You can substitute regular pretzels, dairy butter, or peanuts if you would prefer them instead.
Classic Chex Mix (Gluten & Peanut Free)
- 5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 5 cups Corn Crunch Cereal
- 2 cups Gluten Free Pretzels
- 1 cup Almonds
- 6 Tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter or Margarine (melted)
- 1/2 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Place the cereal, pretzels, and almonds into your crockpot. Melt the butter (or margarine) in a separate bowl and mix in the salt, garlic, and worcestershire sauce. Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture in the crockpot and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Cover and turn the crockpot on low for 3 hours. If your crockpot does not have a hole for moisture to escape you can leave a slight gap at the lid so the moisture can escape otherwise you can place a towel or paper towel up by the lid of the crockpot to absorb any condensation from the Chex Mix cooking. Stir the Chex Mix every hour to keep it from burning. Once it is done spread the mixture out evenly on parchment paper and let it cool.
I love using my crockpot for a variety of great recipes. Plus the house smells amazing as the food cooks. The only thing I forgot to do was take a picture of the finished Classic Chex Mix. Sorry! Guess it is time to make another batch. It turned out well. I still prefer the “sweet” Chex mixes over the salty, but this was a great alternative snack to have around the house for those who cannot eat gluten, dairy, or peanuts!
Date Night With My Sweet Girl
Eating dinner at Ryan’s Steakhouse
Recently, I was able to spend the evening with my Karlie Kool Kat. It was fun hanging out with her for the evening. We had a great time chatting over dinner, in the car, and on our adventures.
She had some specific requests of activities that she wanted to do that evening. While other activities were more spontaneous. Thankful for some time with my girl. We had a blast together.
She was excited to use her 2nd & Charles Gift Card from Christmas to buy some new books to read!
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Teaching Our Children: About Solar and Lunar Eclipses
Jake teaching the girls about eclipses!
Recently the girls were learning about eclipses for their science unit in school. Even though we had studied that section for a couple days they were not consistently getting the concept. Jake came up with a great visual tool to demonstrate the solar and lunar eclipses so that the girls to remember it more easily. Thankful for a husband who is creative and invests time in teaching our kids! Thanks Babe!
The orange is the moon and the balloon is the Earth. We used a flashlight for the sun!
For kids who are visual learners this is an easy way to help them grasp the differences between a solar and lunar eclipse!
We shut off the room lights so they could see how the sun (flashlight), moon (orange), and Earth (balloon) aligned to make a solar and lunar eclipse.
Solar Eclipse:
During a solar eclipse the Moon will cast a shadow on the Earth. When a solar eclipse happens the moon is in between the sun and the Earth. You can demonstrate this by placing the moon (orange) between the sun (flashlight) and the Earth (balloon). When the Moon is between the Earth and Sun it will block some of the sun from hitting the Earth and cast a shadow. Only the people directly in the shadow can see the entire eclipse of the Sun.
Lunar Eclipse:
During a lunar eclipse the Earth will cast a shadow on the Moon, therefore no light will be hitting the Moon. The Earth will cast a shadow on the Moon because it is between the Sun and the Moon. You can demonstrate this by placing the Earth (balloon) between the Sun (flashlight) and the Moon (orange). Since the Earth is bigger than the Moon the entire Moon will be in its shadow. Anyone on Earth that is on the night side can see the lunar eclipse.
If you really want to “show” the kids more about the Solar and Lunar Eclipse you may be able to catch the next one depending on where you are located and if the weather cooperates for you!
Next Lunar Eclipse: Saturday, April 4, 2015 – It will be a Total Lunar Eclipse and will be visible before dawn from the Pacific Ocean, Americas, Asia, and Australia.
Next Solar Eclipse: Friday, March 20, 2015 – It will be Total Solar Eclipse and will be visible from Iceland, Europe, North Africa, and Northern Asia (unfortunately, we will not be able to see it in North America). It looks like the next one we’ll see from the United States will be on August 21, 2017 which will be visible from North America and South America.
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