Kids

  • Be My Valentine: You Make My Heart “Pop” Valentine!

    Make My Heart “Pop” Lollipop!

    (Use one lollipop or a bucket full of lollipops)

    As I was thinking about ways to show love to my family over the Valentine’s Holiday I came across a picture I took recently of a gift I did for some friends and the idea hit me.  Why not a fun phrase for Valentine’s Day lollipops that I picked at Staples marked down on clearance and with a coupon.  That’s when I came up with the phrase….”You Make My Heart ‘Pop’ Lollipop!”

    This would be a fun one to put together the night before Valentines Day and have sitting out on the table for your kids for breakfast or to take to your spouse at work or have your kids take to share with their classmates.  Here’s what I did:

    • Red Metal Bucket
    • Green Shredded Paper
    • Lollipops

    Fill the bucket up with the shredded paper and add the lollipops!  You can add a saying like “You Make My Heart Pop Valentine” or “You Make My Heart Pop Lollipop” or something along those lines.

    I already had the bucket from a previous event, the green shredded paper was in my gift giving basket, and I bought the lollipops on clearance with coupon so the entire gift didn’t cost me anything but time.  You could do this with other lollipops as well (see below).

    Bucket full of lollipops to share!

     

  • Be My Valentine: “Bulls Eye Heart” Cookies

    Bulls Eye Heart Valentine’s Day Cookies

    You can use any cookie recipe you want to make these fun cookies.  We did a sugar cookie base, but chocolate chip would work great too.  The best part is you make your favorite cookie recipe and add frosting in the shape of a heart to make it special.  You could even do store bought cookies and add the frosting  to make it even easier if your tight on time! 🙂

    Our family likes picking up the writing frosting that sets up after a few minutes so you can stack the cookies without them sticking together.  The two brands we have used most often are Betty Crocker Writing Icing and Wilton Icing Writer (see picture below).  You can often find them for $0.99 (or less) for a box of 4 colors at Bargain Foods if you are in Upstate, South Carolina area or a couple dollars at Walmart or your local grocery store.  I have found that these tubes of frosting are easier for the girls to use as well.  Plus since you are not icing the entire cookie they get less frosting which means less sugar!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was a busy week and I got sick (that doesn’t happen very often) so that slowed me down a little bit but I was able to make some headway on my goals.  Thankfully I was able to get some rest and don’t have to postpone too many items.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday – I fell asleep early one night and didn’t wake up until after the girls were in bed so the book didn’t get read
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Schedule a Date Night with the Girls & Re-Schedule My Date Night with Jake
    5. Finalize the Girls Birthday Party Items – working on it
    6. Set up a dentist appointment for the girls – scheduled and went to the dentist, no cavities!
    7. Pick up the girls new glasses – picking them up this week

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – with being sick I didn’t get this one done this week hope to get back on track soon
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – not every night
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Set up an appointment to get updated on shots / vaccinations – went to the doctor and got my shots, wasn’t too excited about this one, but it was necessary for upcoming travel!
    6. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – dates set / plane tickets purchased / visa – my visa has arrived and tickets are purchased, waiting on Jake’s visa!

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom – the time I had allotted to do this was taken up with being sick and trying to get better, hope to get this done next week

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post – deadline was postponed with sickness
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes – scheduling this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team regarding our upcoming meeting
    4. Put together the Alms & Legs Meeting Agenda

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – working on it
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes – we have started the taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips – putting aside some of the money

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with the Girls
    5. Celebrate with family and friends at the Girls Birthday Party
    6. Pick up the girls new glasses
    7. Schedule Appointment with Chiropractor

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading Everything Romance by Todd Hafer
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team with the Meeting Notes

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips
    5. Pay for Jake’s College Classes

    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

  • Book: “God Gave Us You” by Lisa Tawn Bergren

    This week one of the books I read to the girls before bed was God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren.  Several of Lisa’s books have become family favorites over the past couple of years.  The girls love the illustrations as well as the story and I like that Lisa’s stories stimulate conversations about God, creation, love, and more.

    The story starts as Mama Bear is tucking Little Cub into bed when Little Cub asked “Mama, where did I come from?”  Mama Bear goes through a simple version of how Little Cub was created, including pregnancy and the excitement of preparing for the new baby.  I love that the book mentions how the parents prayed for Little Cub even before she was born.  Lisa did a great job answering a common question little kids ask parents in this short and sweet book.

    Overall I think Lisa Tawn Bergren provides a good story with beautiful illustrations by Laura J. Bryant.  The story gives nuggets of valuable information about pregnancy and babies.  The only thing that I didn’t “like” in this book (which was minor) was the author used the word “borned” during the conversation between Mama Bear and Little Cub.  Even though I know Little Cub was asking the question it distracted from the overall rhythm of the book a little bit.  This would be a great book for those who are having a second child or a young child that is asking a lot of questions about where they came from.

    Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY!   The rating is a two step process.

    Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

    Step 2:  Check your email account for a message from Blogging for Books and click their link to verify your email.

    Once you rated my review AND confirmed your email, you will automatically entered in a giveaway for this book by WaterBrook Multnomah!!!  They will pick one person to receive a copy of the book for themselves!  WaterBrook Multnomah will contact the winner directly.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Be My Valentine: Memory Jars, Cookie Surprise, Scrapbook Highlights, Romantic Dinner for Two, & More!

    Last year I started the “Be My Valentine” series to help celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day Holiday.  Here are some fun ideas from last year that our family enjoyed:

    Be My Valentine: “I Love You” Memory Jar

     

    A unique Valentine’s gift this year packed full of love and memories!  I have created jars (or containers) full of memories for various occasions in the past and they have always been a huge hit with both kids and adults.

    Be My Valentine: Cookie Surprise!

    Surprise Valentine's Cookie - this one had three different flavors!

    A fun cookie to make with your kids.  It is a sugar cookie with crushed hard candies to make window panes.  Fun activity and delicious!

    Be My Valentine: Scrapbook Highlights

    how your spouse and family you love them on Valentine’s Day by doing a Scrapbook highlighting the big events over the past year.  (Photo by shimelle)

    Be My Valentine: Romantic Dinner for Two!

    You can go out on Valentine’s Days (or any other Date Night) for less when you pack a picnic for two.

    Gift Giving: 12 Days of Appreciation

    I did this 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation for Jake at Christmas time but it would be a great one to do for Valentine’s Day, your Anniversary, or birthday! 

    A picture of one of the 12 Days of Appreciation for my husband to help get you started on ideas!

    I would love to hear some of your ideas of how you are planning to make Valentine’s Day special with the one(s) you love!  Feel free to share you link below in the comments! 🙂

     

  • Be My Valentine: “Heart to Heart” Cookies

    Heart to Heart Cookies

    We made these cookies by using cookie cutters.  The girls had fun taking these cookies to school for their lunches.
     “Heart to Heart” Cookies:
    • 3/4 cup Butter
    • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
    • 1/4 cup Sugar
    • 1 package instant White Chocolate Pudding
    • 3/4 cup Cake Mix (any flavor)
    • 2 Eggs
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 2 1/4 cups Flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • Sprinkles
     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet and cookie cutters.  Mix flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside.  Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar together.  Stir in the pudding and cake mix until well blended.  Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and mix until smooth.  Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until mixed well.  Stir in the sprinkles.  Use an ice cream scoop to place the dough inside the cookie cutters.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
    Cookie dough inside the cookie cutter

  • Be My Valentine: “Steal My Heart” Cookies

    “Steal My Heart” Valentine Cookies

    Last year I picked up this Valentine Heart pan on clearance after Valentine’s Day.  The girls were very excited to try it out this year.  We made these fun “Steal My Heart” Cookies together.  The girls had a blast mixing up the cookie dough and they thought the cookies tasted pretty yummy too.  You can use a variety  of cookie mixes with this cookie sheet.  Below is your basic sugar cookie mix, you can add in a few sprinkles for an extra special touch.

    Sugar Cookies

    • 1/3 cup Butter or Margarine
    • 1/3 cup Shortening
    • 3/4 cup Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 Egg
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
    • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
    • Sprinkles (optional)
    • Icing (optional)

    1.  Beat butter and shortening on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder, and a dash of salt.  Beat till combined, scraping the bowl so everything is well blended.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Gradually add the flour into the mixture.

    2.  Cover and chill dough for 1 to 3 hours to make it easier to handle when making cookies or cutouts.

    3.  Lay down wax paper and lightly flour.  Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness.  Use a variety of cookie cutters to make the shapes you want.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.

    4.  Cut out a heart shape in the middle of the cookies.  Fill the hole with a crushed hard candy.  The candy will melt during baking creating the glass window pane hearts in the middle of the cookies. *We tried using up extra candy canes but they didn’t melt well (they tasted good) but I would stick to the one color hard candies like life savers!

    5.  Bake at 375° for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are firm and light brown.  Cool until the middle window are set then transfer to a platter.

    Heart Shaped Pan

    Plate full of Valentine cookies

    Heart shaped Valentine cookies

    For more fun Valentine’s Day ideas go to Living in La La Land!

  • New Upromise eCoupons for February 2012

    Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of February 2012. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.

    This month they have 22 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!

    You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    Lunch Box – Chicken Salad Sandwich, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Banana, Yogurt, Lime Jello, CheezIt Crackers, and Boost

    With the second semester of school in full swing I am back to doing school lunches again every day.  Someone asked me what I send with the girls in their lunch boxes and asked if I could share some of my ideas.  Their lunches are not fancy, but I try to make them well balanced and fun.  Here is another post on school lunches.  In every lunch I pack a meat or protein, diary, fruit, vegetable, snack, and drink.

    Lunch Box – Chicken Salad Sandwich, Banana, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Yogurt, Lime Jello, CheezIt Crackers, and Capri Sun Juice

    Occasionally I will pick up some character sandwich bags at the Dollar Tree or other stores just for fun to add to the girls lunches.  The girls love getting Princess, Dora, Tinkerbell, Lightening McQueen, and a variety of other character lunches baggies in their lunch boxes.  Sometimes I will get great sandwich bread on clearance at the store and make what the girls call “football sandwiches” for an special treat as well (pictured below).

    Princess sandwich bags