Events & Holidays

  • Book: “Space – The Ultimate Guide To The Universe”

    One of our girls loves planets, space and astronauts.  A family member gave her the “Space: The Ultimate Guide To The Universe” book a few years ago and it has been a huge hit!  It has been carried all over the house and gone on several road trips with us.  The book has pictures and information about space travel, astronomy, universe, solar system, stars and galaxies as well as posters of the universe and glow in the dark stars.  It has a lot of information packed in the variety of descriptions and colorful pictures.  The recommended age for the book is for 8 and up but if you have a child that loves space, astronauts, and planets then I would recommend it for them even at a younger age.  You’ll have to read it to a younger child but if they enjoy space as much as Karlie does then it will be a hit, not to mention educational!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Purple Grapes, Blueberries, Bananas, Green Grapes, & Strawberries

    Freezing Seasonal Fruit - Blueberries, Bananas, Strawberries, Purple & Green Grapes

    This summer we were able to stock up on some fresh produce, including fruit.  Thanks to friends sharing their goodies, time picking produce as a family, and clearance items at our local grocery store we have been able to fill up a section of our freezer with delicious fruit.  The girls have been enjoying Smoothies the last couple of months and were super excited to stock up on some of these great items.  They are already planning on having smoothies after school because they will not be able to share them with me over lunch.

    Here is a great Smoothie Recipe:

    There are many variations to smoothies, may be sharing a couple more favorites over the next few weeks.  Add a handful of fruit you have on hand, a little cream (milk or yogurt), blend,  and you have a smoothie.  If you want a little extra sweetness you can add a touch of honey.  Usually after adding the fruit that is plenty sweet for us but we have tried a variety of different ones.

    Another great use for strawberries is as a healthy sauce!  When we have pancakes or waffles we blend up a cup or two of fresh strawberries to use as a dipping sauce in place of the traditional syrup.  It is healthier and fresher plus the whole family enjoys it.

  • Yard Sale Deals: Clothes & Shoes

    Some of the coordinating items we picked up at a local yard sale!

    I was thrilled at the neat people I met during some of my yard sale adventures.  One yard sale I went to this summer had twin girls that were a year older then my girls.  The best part about shopping at their yard sale is I was able to stock up on some coordinating clothes for the girls from sweaters to jeans, shirts, skirts, boots, and even clogs!

    I purchase 63 pieces (including shoes) for $12.00 making them approximately 19 cents each.  The red clogs are super cute too, we’ll see how well the girls like them!  These items are perfect for the upcoming school year and are in good condition.

    The day I went to this yard sale was overcast and raining until after 7 am that morning.  Half of the places I went to never even brought out their items so it was a slower day.  The yard sale where these items were discovered was just starting and it was after 10:30 am on Saturday.  They were just pulling out their items and setting up.  I am glad that we took a few moments to check this one out, it really was a great way for me to stock up on clothing for the girls.

  • Gift for the Teacher on the First Day of School

    Over the summer we picked up goodies for the teacher.

    Items we packed in the goodie bag for the girls school teacher.  We did get a list of items that she requested for the classroom and added a few more to fill up the bag.  The girls had a lot of fun picking out the items and packing it up.

    • 2 boxes of Kleenex
    • 1 bag Animal Eraser
    • 1 Notepad
    • 1 pack of 3 reptile Sticky Notes
    • 2 packs 8×10 Filler Paper
    • 18 Glue Sticks
    • 2 bottles Germx
    • 1 box 24 Crayons
    • 1 package Fall “Reward Sheets”
    • 1 package “Certificate of Recognition” Sheets
    • 1 bag Candy Bracelets, Rings, and Lipsticks
    • 2 boxes of pencils
    • 2 pencil containers
    • 2 Spiral Notebooks
    • 2 Capsule Animals
    • 1 Mini Story Book
    • 5 Clip Bracelets “Kids Doing Good”
    • 4 Sandal Notepads
    • 1 package Highlighters
    • 1 box Paperclips
    • 1 package “Great Work” Certificates
    • 1 package “Star Student” Certificates
    • 1 package “No Homework” Certificates
    • 1 package “Free Time” Certificates
    • 1 package “Note From Your Teacher” Rocket Postcards
    • 1 box Bandaids
    Teacher goodie bag ready for the first day of school.
    Rocket Postcards for the teacher!

     You can probably guess which one of the girls picked out this goodie to put in the bag.  They were very excited to put together items for the teacher.

    Teachers goodie bag

    The teachers goodie bag was ready and packed on the first day of school complete with a note from us.

    Thankfully most of the items we found on clearance over the summer, from the Dollar Tree, or had in our stockpile from shopping at a variety of stores. So far the only item(s) that we have seen come back home from the goodie bag has been two band aids from Karlie’s nose dive on the playground the first week of school.  Luckily it was just a surface wound.  The teacher already sent us a note thanking us for the items, which was really nice too.  Did you send your teacher any goodies?  If you did what did you put in the bag or box?

  • Book: “Farms ABC: An Alphabet Book” by B. A Hoena

    We read this book “Farms ABC: An Alphabet Book” by B. A. Hoena to the girls when they were really little and after the Grandparents were here visiting us from Kansas a couple weeks ago the girls picked this book out again from the library.  As we were reading it again I was impressed with how well the author incorporated many aspects of farming / ranching into the small book.  It is an excellent beginning readers book filled with information about farms (including Irrigation, Oats, Tractors, Planting Seeds, Repairs, Harvest and more).  The author goes through the alphabet highlighting each letter and describing the highlighted word in more detail.  In the back they add additional fun facts about farming for the kids to read.  For example:  “A dairy cow produces about 100 glasses of milk a day” and “Did you think that only cows eat grass?  Wheat is a type of grass that people eat.  It is used to make bread.”  Our girls know their ABC’s already but were fascinated by the pictures and descriptions.  This book would be a great addition to your library especially if you have  family in the farming business or your little one is fascinated by farm animals and equipment.

  • Vacation & Travel: Exploring History in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Part 2, Pictures)

    One of the congress buildings in San Juan.

    During our tour of San Juan, Puerto Rico we stopped by this beautiful congress buildings.

    Ceiling inside the political building, amazing art work.

    They had beautiful marble and artwork inside the senate building.  It was really neat to see the art and read about the history of San Juan.

    In their Senate building looking down into foyer at their Articles of Constitution

    The circular item in the middle of the foyer is San Juan’s “Articles of Constitution”.  You can actually read the documents and sign the signatures.

    Exploring Fort San Cristobal

    We had a blast exploring the Fort.  The Fort had many amazing views of the city and a lot of neat history regarding the city of San Juan.

    Following Dad through one for the long tunnels in the Fort.

    The fort had a maze of tunnels you could walk through.  If you look to the right you can see a glow of a light.  When the fort was built they used candles in those sections to help light the tunnels for the soldiers to see, (thankfully they use traditional lighting these days).  I wouldn’t want to be in one of the tunnels when all the lights went out!

    A large courtyard inside the fort.

    Inside the fort they had a couple large courtyard areas.  You could stand in the middle of the courtyard and see people touring the fort in about every direction.  I could only imagine what it looked like if the fort was buzzing with soldiers during it’s active days.

    An upper section where they placed cannons to defend the fort.

    The fort was built approximately 150 feet up from sea level.  On the upper sections of the fort the walls were huge!  Most of the places we above your head but when you looked out where the cannons were located you could see a great distance and get more of perspective of how high you truly were.

    Looking out of one of the cannon notches to the city of San Juan.

    It was amazing looking out the various cannon portals and seeing the city as well as ocean around the fort.  In some ways it is hard to believe at one time that there were cannons sitting in these notches.

    Gazing out at the beach and city around the fort.

    We are looking out of a “window” in the fort at the city and beach below.  If you look in the upper left hand corner of the picture you will see a piece of the fort sticking up with two horizontal slits in it, that is similar to the “window” we are taking the picture through.

    In the background of the picture you can see another piece of the fort.

     The fort is very long with houses and businesses along the outer walls of the fort.  There is area between the larger pieces of the fort are longer and narrower which follow the coast line of San Juan.

    As we were walking through the fort we found a friend on the grassy area.

    A large iguana (at least I think that is what it was) was stretched out on the grass right next to us.

    We had a lot of fun in a few hours exploring San Juan, Puerto Rico.  My personal favorite was touring the fort and learning snip-its of history about it.  I am thankful for the opportunity to not only spend time exploring other parts of the world on our trip but also spending extra time with family.

    A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Yard Sale Deals: Children’s Books

    I only had the opportunity to go to a few yard sales this summer with all the traveling, however, a couple of the ones I went to were awesome!  Our family LOVES books!  I have always encouraged the girls to read both with us and without us.  They enjoy reading and we do our best to read to them every day as well.

    One Saturday I went to a yard sale that was being given by a retired elementary school teacher.   I didn’t get there until about mid-morning and she still had a couple big boxes of books.  I picked up 49 children’s books for $3.50, making them 7 cents each.  Most of the books were paperback, one was a Veggie Tales Devotional, a few hardbacks, and several beginning readers ones that are perfect for the girls as they continue to improve their reading skills.

    The girls were VERY excited about the book on top, “Apple Trouble” because it was a book we read together a couple years ago from the library that they really enjoyed.  Of course it was the first book I read to them when we got home from the yard sales.  Other than removing the stickers with the teachers name on it and a few disinfectant wipes the books were as good as new.  I purchased a couple crafts and some brown paper bags for activities from that yard sale as well which have come in handy over the summer with the girls. What great deals have you found at yard sales recently?

  • Vacation & Travel: Exploring History in San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Picture taken from inside Fort San Cristobal

    A few months ago my husband and I along with several extended family members had the opportunity to take a vacation and we flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico.  (I know, I am a few months behind and trying to catch up on all the fun activities, trips, and events that have been going on this year.  Bare with me I hope to get there eventually).  The day we flew into San Juan we weren’t able to explore but we were able to see the city on the way back threw.  After several days of fun cruising on the Royal Caribbean’s, Serenade of the Seas we had the a few hours to explore San Juan, Puerto Rico.

    We were able to see both the Old and New San Juan.   During our time in San Juan we were able to see and explore several historic landmarks such as the San Jose Church, the Governor’s Mansion, the Cristo Chapel, El Convento Hotel, visit the Condado section of New San Juan and we took a quick tour of Fort San Cristobal.

    Jake and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through Fort San Cristobal.  It would have been awesome to take a guided tour through the fort to learn about all the history behind it but since time was limited we soaked in all the information we could as we toured the Fort with our group. Fort San Cristobal is a large fortress on the island of San Juan that was built by the Spanish starting in the mid 1600’s but not complete until late 1700’s.  The purpose of the fort was to protect San Juan from attacks.  Fort San Cristobal was approximately 27 acres and stretched along the edge of the city.  This fort was one of the biggest built in America by the Spanish.  The fort was built to not only protect the city from attack on sea but from attack by land as well.  I was impressed with the number of tunnels within the fort.  One of the oldest pieces of the fort is the “Garita del Diablo” (the Devil’s Sentry Box) because sentinels would disappear from this post over the sea.  The first shots of the Spanish – American War between Puerto Rico and a US Navy ship were fired by the cannons on top of Fort San Cristobal in 1898.

    It was wonderful learning about all the history in San Juan while we were touring the city.  One of the neat parts about going on a cruise is we had a chance to visit a variety of different islands and learn about their history.  We were simply amazed and grateful for the time to soak in all the history in these islands.  San Juan was very fascinating, and like many of the other islands we visited, it would have been nice to stay a few days to learn more of the history and experience the culture.

    The island of Puerto Rico is approximately 100 miles long and 35 miles wide with almost 4 million people.  It is nicknamed the “Island of Enchantment,” and has a modern multicultural society which has been influenced by the Spanish, African, Native American Tainos and United States.

    Facts about the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico:

      • Land Area:  47.5 square miles
      • Water Area:  75.4 square miles
      • Population:  420,326
      • Density:  2,110 per square kilometer
      • Housing Units:  182,101
      • Per Capita Income:  $12,437

    Another interesting fact of Puerto Rico – “While Puerto Rico is the oldest city under U.S. jurisdiction, most people consider St. Augustine, Florida the oldest city in the continental.”   Informational facts received from To Puerto Rico

    I will be posting more pictures in a few days explaining and showing more about our adventures in San Juan.  It was a wonderful trip through the city filled with neat history.  The piece that made it more enjoyable is that we spent with with extended family.  What a blessing it is to have a chance to explore areas with family.

    A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Summer Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes

    Earlier this Summer we started stocking up our freezer with Fresh Produce - Summer Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes!

    One of the joys of having a garden and finding fresh produce on sale is being able to freeze the in season items so you can utilize them throughout the winter.  This summer I have been able to stock up on several great vegetables through growing our own family garden, participating in a local Community Supported Agriculture program and shopping the seasonal clearance items at our local grocery stores.  We now have a section of our deep freezer full of fresh veggies to eat through out the Fall, Winter, and Spring.

    What works for me is freezing the vegetables in quart (or snack size baggies for the onions) size bags and putting four individual bags into one gallon bag.  I pull the gallon bag out of the deep freezer put it up into the refrigerator / freezer upstairs and pull out one bag as I need to use it.  When I have used all four bags I pull another gallon bag of the vegetables I need out of the freezer.  I have been toying with the idea of getting the fresh seal bags but since I get the bags on sale usually for a great price and they work, I am not yet convinced it is worth the cost for our family.  I am already looking forward to enjoying these over the next several months!  What vegetables to you always try to freeze a little bit extra of for the winter months?

  • Magazine: “Family Fun” Magazine

    We have been receiving the “Family Fun” Magazine for awhile now and love it!  The girls have enjoyed picking out a variety of crafts and fun activities from the magazines.  Each issue contains information and “how-to” demonstrations on crafts, recipes, activities, parties, family friendly articles and much more.   If you are looking for a great family magazine packed full of ideas for the kids check this one out.