Holidays

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Well last week we were back home from our cruise vacation but the week didn’t go quite as smoothly as we were hoping it would.  We ended up going through the nasty sickness crud that’s been going around.  One of the girls had a double ear infection and the rest of us had sinus infections.  Before the week was up all of us had made a trip to the doctor.  The good news is we are all starting to feel better again, just in time for the next adventure, ha.  It is hard to believe we will be celebrating the Valentine’s Holiday this week and the girls birthday next week!  Time flies by when your having fun.  I didn’t get everything I hoped accomplish last week so hoping this week is more productive.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – I started reading Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume to the girls on the trip so we have been going through that one more this week
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family – we decided with all the sickness it would be better to have time for everyone to recover
    6. Unpack & put everything away from Cruise Vacation

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – with the fever, aches, and sickness this didn’t get done, hoping to get back into the swing of things this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – it was more gatorade this week but I keep up with drinking fluids
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s) – I was able to catch up from being gone last week! Yay!
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – got through more of this great book but didn’t have as much reading time this week
    5. Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan- going through this book with a group of friends

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I had soooo much laundry, it was scary, it took me two days to get through everything (and yes I went over my 4 loads a week average too)
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. For my January Grocery Budget I am replacing my typical Groceries $40 for 4 with my Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping in order to use up some extra items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
    2. Payoff the Van – working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – started making payment

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls
    2. Read Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume to the girls
    3. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    8. Girls Dentist Checkup
    9. Pick up Brina’s Glasses
    10. Celebrate the Valentine’s Day Holiday
    11. Prepare for the Girls Birthday
    12. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan- going through this book with a group of friends

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. For my January Grocery Budget I am replacing my typical Groceries $40 for 4 with my Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping in order to use up some extra items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Travel & Vacation: Kennedy Space Center (part 2)

    We got to hear, Bob Springer, an astronaut that has been in space more than once speak and take a picture with him afterward! The girls were very excited to meet someone who has actually gone into space!

    I shared a little bit about our trip to Kennedy Space Center earlier today.  Here is a little bit more about what we did during our adventure.  Thankful for the opportunity to spend some time in Florida, tour Kennedy Space Center, and spend some time catching up with our friends too.

    Live feed of them docking!  So neat to watch it before it is posted to the public.

    After talking with an astronaut for a few minutes the girls wanted a picture in front of the live feed so they took a seat on the edge of the stage.

    Two little chickies are ready in their 3D glasses for the NASA show!

    Pausing for a moment to relax while waiting for our food.  Karlie is processing it all and so THRILLED to be finally exploring Kennedy Space Center!

    Having a BLAST at Kennedy Space Center!

    Brina having fun and enjoying her Icee treat!

  • Travel & Vacation: Kennedy Space Center

    Karlie has had a fascination with anything space related for several years now.  She loves to talk about rockets, planets, astronauts, and more!  Back when the girls were in preschool (more than 3 years ago) she received a Chic-Fil-A Kids Meal from school and inside it was a coupon for Kennedy Space Center.  She asked if she could hang the coupon up on the refrigerator so maybe sometime when we go to Kennedy Space Center we can use it. The coupon was on the refrigerator for a long time (even after it expired).  We did get a great deal online for a food package while at Kennedy Space Center (buy one get one free coupon) which covered all our food and snacks for the day.

    A few months ago we made it to Kennedy Space Center.  I still remember the day we told her we got tickets and were going to Florida.  I think she jumped up and down, clapping, and giggling for several minutes.  She was over joyed and immediately counting down the days until we would leave for Florida.

    Our whole family had a blast exploring Kennedy Space Center.  It was really neat to see all the history and learn so much about space, rockets, and everything else we could soak in that day.  We arrived at Kennedy Space Center a few minutes before it opened and left as they were closing the gates.  It was a neat experience!

    We are getting closer!

    Starting to see some cool  stuff – United States Astronaut Hall of Fame

    Karlie is on-the- edge-of-her-seat excited her dream to visit Kennedy Space Center is coming true!

    We made it!

    Daddy and girls strolling on into Kennedy Space Center, so cute seeing the girls excited and holding hands.



    They look so tiny next to the base of this rocket!

    Daddy and the girls trying it out!

    Karlie is soooo excited and has looked forward to going to Kennedy Space Center for YEARS!

    Sweet Brina had a grand time.  Even though rockets are more of Karlie’s love she had a lot of fun exploring the area with us.

  • Go Ape by Patch

    I picked up the Go Ape game by Patch at the grocery store on clearance for the girls for Christmas.  It was a huge hit!   Our family has already played this game several times since Christmas.

    The Go Ape game adds a fun twist to the traditional game of Go Fish!  Instead of asking another player for a card you act out the funny monkey picture on the card!  The person who collects the most monkey matches wins the game.

    It is hilarious watching the girls act out the various monkey faces!  The girls is for 2 to 6 players and for ages 4 and up.

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 4)

    We had a blast playing the 5 Second Rule game by Patch with extended family today!

    We just finished our fourth and final short week of  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).   It was a really busy week and I didn’t have as much time to take pictures (and a couple of the ones I took didn’t turn out).  It has been an awesome doing the daily activities and finding ways to be a blessing to those we meet.  Seriously, I feel like we walk away from an activity feeling more blessed then we did going into it because it is so much fun bringing cheer to the people around us.   What a joy it has been participating in intentional acts of kindness during the Holiday Season.

    In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.  Throughout the week we also try to find additional ways to brighten people’s days so sometimes we do multiply activities during the day.

    Our B.L.E.S.S. Activity Adventures:

    • Day 22 – went to the store to purchase a couple items for Christmas Dinner.  Spent some time talking with the cashier and person bagging our groceries, including asking them about their families and Christmas plans.   She thanked us for waiting to check out and for asking about her family.
    • Day 23 – went to church with the family and ran a few errands afterward.  We were able to run in and pick up a couple things we needed, but towards the end of our errands Jake got a phone call from work and had to head home to handle some work issues.  Every where we went we made a point to smile at everyone we met and ask them how they are doing.  A smile and kindness will go a long way during a busy day.
    • Day 24 – was able to spend some time with extended family today.  We ate a delicious dinner, played, and had the kids exchange gifts.  Thankful for our family and the opportunity to spend time together.  Sometimes the best gift or blessing you can give to others is the gift of time. 

    Shortbread cookies ready to go into the oven!

    • Day 25 – Enjoyed some time with my family.  I actually didn’t go out at all on Christmas Day so today I decided to make a special treat for my sweet, hardworking, kind, loving husband. I am thankful for him and all he does for our family.  He is my best friend and I always love my time with him.   I made him one of his favorite Christmas cookies – shortbread (with sprinkles on top)!  🙂

    It has been a lot of fun working on ways we can be a blessing to others.  This verse talked about “humility” which can be difficult at times because sometimes we want people to notice us.  We talked about why it is important to demonstrate humility.  One of the ways we decide to practice humility was by leaving gifts anonymously if we don’t know who was on the receiving end of the B.L.E.S.S. it is a lot easier to not be proud.  We all agree that leaving “surprise” gifts are one of our favorite activities because we completely leave-it-up-to-God to choose the person to get the blessing.

    It is fun be to be a blessing to others not because we anticipate any rewards or benefits from it, but because we were given the greatest gift of all.  God’s love, grace, and mercy.  He wants us to give cheerfully from the heart.

    I am super excited to see how great this B.L.E.S.S. activity is going already.  It has been a true joy sharing with others (many of whom we’ll never meet).  It has been a great experience and I look forward to seeing what will happen with our fun adventures this week.

    The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.  I plan to do another update on our fun B.L.E.S.S. adventures next week.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  I would love to hear how you are spreading the Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

    Below are the printable versions of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Easy Saltine Toffee Candy

    The Easy Saltine Toffee Candy is one of our favorite treats to make around the Holidays.  It is delicious and super easy to make!  This year we included a bag of Easy Saltine Toffee Candy in our gifts to our  neighbors!  After making it we placed the candy in decorative bags and put a bow.  The Easy Saltine Toffee Candy is always a hit and you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen.

    Easy Saltine Toffee Candy

    • 1 sleeve salted Saltine crackers
    • 1 stick butter
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 2 cups chocolate chips
    • Sprinkles (optional)

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.  Place a single layer of saltine crackers on the jelly roll pan (1 sleeve).

    Melt brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once boiling, let it boil for 3 minutes.   Immediately pour over crackers and bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes (or until bubbly).

    Remove from oven and spread chocolate chips over the top of the crackers.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate.  Shake some sprinkles over the top.  Cool completely in the freezer for 1 hour or until the chocolate hardens.

    Remove from freezer, break into small pieces, and serve .  Store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

    The sprinkles are optional.  You can leave the top plain or add many other great items on it (such as nuts or a drizzle of white or red chocolate) to give it an extra special touch.

    Side view of the Easy Saltine Toffee Candy

  • Teaching Our Children: How to Wrap Gifts

    Letting the kids wrap their own gifts

    As I sit in the middle of the floor with little scraps of Christmas wrapping paper around me I have to smile…..  The girls LOVE going to the store to pick out the perfect gift(s) for each person.  They also really like to wrap the gifts!  While they have a tendency to make a mess, use more wrapping paper, put on too much tape, and take a long time wrapping they have a blast doing it.  Although, I have noticed that every year they get a little better and more efficient.

    Each girl starts the gift wrapping activity by picking out their own roll of wrapping paper to use for their gifts.  They use that roll of wrapping paper on all the gifts they have to wrap until there are no more gifts to do or the wrapping paper is gone.  They do the entire wrapping process on their own from cutting the paper to taping and even labeling the gift.

    While we still have the occasional – “Mom, I didn’t cut the wrapping paper big enough” overall they are getting better at the whole process.  At times, I’ve even had problems not cutting the paper big enough!  Typically, we spend an evening or two (depending on the amount of time we have) doing a “wrapping party” while listening to Christmas music.  As they wrap their gifts I will tackle some that I need to do as well.  Everyone has fun and we get a lot accomplished at the same time.

    I love that they take the extra time to not only wrap the gifts but label, add little notes, or draw pictures on the outside of the gifts.  They started doing this on their own last Christmas.  It was so cute reading their notes and talking about their drawings as we opened the gifts.  They were so proud of the gift and the wrapping which they did from start to finish.  Here are some of the sweet drawings and notes we found under our tree last year:

    Silly notes written on the gifts…..made me smile

    Brina even picked out turtle food at the store for the turtles and wrapped it for them.

    Karlie drew a planet, specifically Saturn, on this gift

    I Love You note on the gift

    Brina drew little “heart” people on the outside of this Christmas gift.

    Picture of the sweet sisters on the gift

    While the gift wrap my not win a decorative prize the girls are proud of their work and are excited to share.  They are learning many lessons during this too (hand-eye coordination, measuring, sharing, giving, etc….).  Pretty soon I will have to start delegating more gift wrapping tasks to them! 🙂

  • Gift Giving: Christmas Cookies in Decorative Tins

    Christmas Cookies in a tin with Candy Canes on top

    Our family loves baking Christmas goodies!  In the past we have made large batches of goodies and delivered the items to our neighbors, family, and friends.  Other years we do one or two tins whenever we are baking to give away to friends, family, or to who ever we think it may be a blessing to that week.

    It is a simple gift that has been a big  hit (and fun for the kids to help with too).  All we have to do is bake our favorite cookie(s), put them into a decorative tin, add two candy canes on top, and deliver them.  The girls love putting two candy canes on top of the tin in the shape of a heart.  Making these treats bins are really easy and they always great reaction from those we have delivered the goodies to in our area.

    Christmas Tins

    • 1 Tin Container
    • A  batch of your favorite cookie(s) or candies to fill the tin (or you can do a variety of recipes)
    • 2 Candy Canes
    • 2 pieces of Tape

    You can get any tin or plastic container in any size, shape, and color at your local dollar store this time of year.  I used double-sided tape but regular tape would work too. If you are wanting to make up several tins this is a great gift to do because you can make a large batch of cookies to fill them and do an assembly line with your kids.

    When we deliver items and Christmas cards to our neighbors we bundle up in our coats, put all the goodies in a big basket and walk from door to door (great exercise and fresh air for the whole family).  By the time we walk door to door and spend a few minutes catching up with each neighbor an hour or two or more has gone by but we have had a blast and hopefully were a blessing to those living on our street too.

     Here are some cookie recipes we have used in the past:

    Sour Spiral Cookies

    Oreo Truffles

    Chocolate Crackle Top Cookies

     

    Peanut Butter & Candy Cane Cookie Cups

    Super Chocolate Cookies

  • Crepe Paper “Surprise” Barricade


    A surprise barricade in the kids doorway on Christmas morning

    It is a lot of fun doing something little to get the girls attention on special days.  Last year on Christmas Eve after the kids were in their room and sound asleep we added this crepe paper surprise barricade across their doorway.  On Christmas morning we woke up to GIGGLES and “MOM! DAD!  WHAT DID YOU DO?!”  They thought it was hilarious! 🙂

    The first time they got out of the room by popping off the bottom row and crawling underneath (they wanted to see what it looked like from outside the room too I guess).  Then they busted through it…..laughing as they ran.

    The whole set up took about 5 minutes and the girls still talk about it!  All you need is some crepe paper (we used three rolls we already had at the house) and tape or sticky tack.  We crisscrossed the crepe paper in front of their closed door using tape to stick it to the door frame and went to bed!

    Jake putting up the crepe paper “surprise” barrier on Christmas Eve

    Adding the final color of crepe paper to the doorway

  • Born In Me by Francesca Battistelli

    Everything inside me cries for order
    Everything inside me wants to hide
    Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
    If God is pleased with me, why am I so terrified?
    Someone tell me I am only dreaming
    Somehow help me see with Heaven’s eyes
    And before my head agrees, my heart is on its knees
    Holy is He. Blessed am I.

    Be born in me, be born in me
    Trembling heart, somehow I believe that You chose me
    I’ll hold you in the beginning, You will hold me in the end
    Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
    Be born in me

    All this time we’ve waited for the promise
    All this time You’ve waited for my arms
    Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
    So we might know that Love would go that far?