Fall Activities

  • Travel & Vacation: Charleston History & Sites to See

    Karlie and Brina standing at the pier with Patriots Point and USS Yorktown in the background.

    Brina and Karlie love going to Charleston with us.  One of their favorite things to do in Charleston is to explore and learn tidbits of history.  Charleston has a lot of history so it has provided many opportunities for us to learn and appreciate our country’s history.  We always visit Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant whenever we go to Charleston.  Near the pier is an area with a fountain, monuments, and plaques honoring our military.  You can also see the USS Yorktown from that area too (see picture above).  There are other areas in Mount Pleasant, Daniel’s Island and Charleston with a lot of history as well.  Here is a few we enjoy visiting when we are in the area.

    A sign near the monument

    Monument….”on behalf of a grateful nation”

    Department of Army (1775) monument

    Throwing their coins into the fountain.

    United States Coast Guard (1790)

    South Carolina state flag flying in the wind next to the monuments

    United States Air Force

    Fountain near waterfront park

    Department of the Navy – United State of America

    This one is on Daniel’s Island and says “By 1680, Charleston had moved to its present location and was growing rapidly.  It attracted French Huguenots and others drawn by the promise of religious tolerance and available land.”

    Department of Navy – United States Marine Corps

    In Peace and War – United States Merchant Marine (1775)

     The neat part about reading these monuments with the girls is that it gives us an opportunity to discuss our country, its history, and show appreciation for the men and women who have served and those who are currently serving.  We have many amazing blessings living in the United States.  No country is perfect, but we have a lot of great things to celebrate in our history.

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  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!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I was able to tackle some of my goals for last week.  Although it was busy and a few extra activities were added to my list I made some head way.  Hopefully this week I will be able to tackle more items on my list!

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    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 took some time to rest & recharge as a family
    6. Go on a Field Trip with the Girls Classes – we went Hartwell Dam and a Sailboat Educational Field Trip

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (I got a pre-release copy to read) – didn’t have as much time to read this week
    4. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – wasn’t able to finish it

    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. Start tackling my Fall Organizational Schedule – got a little bit done this past week
    4. 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. Get caught up on 5 blog items
    4. Complete the Website Blog Update – working out the last few glitches, so thankful for all my husbands hard work on the website! 🙂

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Work out the details of our Community Group Camping Adventure – made a few calls last week
    4. A Friend Challenged me to read / listen through the entire Bible – since I am already through the majority of the year I am working on a plan where you can read through the Bible in 90 days by YouVersion – been faithful to listen to my chapters everyday

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – stayed within budget this week
    2. Payoff the Van – putting any extra money towards paying it off
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – working on it

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    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
    6. Go on a Field Trip with the Girls Classes

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (I got a pre-release copy to read)
    4. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith

    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. Start tackling my Fall Organizational Schedule
    4. 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. Get caught up on 5 blog items
    4. Complete the Website Blog Update

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Work out the details of our Community Group Camping Adventure
    4. A Friend Challenged me to read through my Bible – since I am already through the majority of the year I am working on a plan where you can read through the Bible in 90 days by YouVersion

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)

    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.

  • Recipe: Candy Corn Cookie Pizza

    Our family enjoys candy corn, cookies, and pizza so this dessert is a great combination.  If you are looking for a festive Fall dessert recipe this one is always a hit with our family.

    Candy Corn Cookie Pizza

    • 18 oz Sugar Cookie Dough
    • 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
    • 1 cup Candy Corn
    • 1/2 cup Raisins
    • 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
    • 1/4 cup Vanilla Frosting

     
    Preheat oven to 350°F.   Grease a 12-inch pizza pan.  Roll the cookie dough into a 1/4 inch thickness.*   Bake cookie dough for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust turns golden.  Allow to cool completely.  Gently remove crust from pan and place on a serving platter.  Spread the peanut butter over the crust.  Sprinkle candy corn, chocolate chips and raisins evenly over the top of the peanut butter.  Put the vanilla frosting in a microwavable bowl and microwave 10 seconds or until thin.  Drizzle frosting over the cookie pizza.  Cut into wedges and serve.

    *You can also use rolled refrigerated sugar cookie dough.  Here are the directions:  Cut cookie dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Place the slices on the greased pizza pan and press down with floured hands. (the rest of the recipe above is the same).

  • Exploring Roper Mountain Science Center

     

    Getting ready to watch the show at the Roper Mountain Science Center

    The first time I took a tour of Roper Mountain Science Center was with the girls class earlier this year.  It was a blast watching a space presentation, going on a nature trail, seeing the wildlife, having a picnic and more.  The girls had so much fun.  I always knew that Roper Mountain Science Center had some activities for the kids but until I went with the girls I had no idea how much!

     

    Karlie entertained by the show, anything to do with space is always a hit with her!

     

    Brina having a fun time! I got to sit next to Brina for the show.

    What are they looking at?   Don’t fall in the water!

    Red Eared Slider Turtles (of course)!  The girls were super excited to see the turtles, these are the same kind as Shipwreck and Overboard!

    Beautiful flower garden and butterflies near the butterfly crossing.

    The girls had a lot of fun exploring Roper Mountain Science Center and learning a lot of great stuff.  Roper Mountain has since become one of the girls favorite places to visit.  We try to go every month or two.  It is a great learning environment if you have kids.

  • Left Center Right Dice Game

    Our family loves to play games!  The problem now that school, homework, and all the extra activities have started we do not have a lot of free time to squeeze in long games.  One great game that doesn’t take a lot of time but is still fun for the whole family to play is Left Center Right Dice Game by Koplow Games.  Left Center Right is fast-paced dice game with 3 cubes, the player rolls the dice and distributes their chips based on what the dice are showing (left, right, center, or keep).  The last player with chips is the winner.   The game is designed for 3 or more players.

    Another positive is it helps teach younger kids the difference between right and left.   It is easy to play even for younger kids and is a relatively short so we can play it after dinner.   Since the game is small we have taken it with us to road trips to play as well.  Sometimes just taking a few minutes to play together helps everyone relax after a busy day.  What quick and easy games does your family like to play?

  • Recipe: Indoor S’mores

    During the summer months we spend as much time as possible outside playing, mowing, picking up fallen tree branches and of course one of the favorites building a bonfire and making S’mores.  Since it has been so wet and we have been traveling a lot over the last couple of months we haven’t had an opportunity to build any bonfires.  The girls are determined to have one this fall.  A couple weeks ago we were hanging out together as a family inside because it was raining and one of the girls mentioned eating S’mores around the fire.  Instead of going out in the rain we made indoor S’mores and ate them while watching a movie together.

    I have done these a variety of different ways with the S’mores maker, in the oven or toaster oven.  Since we were only making a couple at a time I choose to use the toaster oven to make our indoor S’mores on this particular night.  The girls love watching the marshmallows “grow” and turn dark!

    Indoor S’mores:

    • 1 box Grahams Crackers
    • 1 bag large Marshmallows
    • 1 package Hershey Chocolates

    Take a whole graham cracker and break it in half.  Put one half in the toaster oven (or on cookie sheet) and set aside the remaining half of graham cracker.  Stack a piece of Hershey’s chocolate and a marshmallow on top of the graham cracker.  Turn the oven or toaster oven on broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the marshmallow has started to melt and turn dark.  The chocolate will start to melt as well.  Carefully remove the graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow out of the oven and transfer them to a platter or individual plates.  Put the remaining half of the graham cracker on top and press down lightly.

     Put on the top graham cracker and you’re ready to ENJOY your delicious Indoor S’mores!

  • Recipe: Apple Peel Confetti Crisps

    Making Apple Peel Confetti Crisps with a variety of different apples

    This past fall we went apple picking with the family, even though we have eaten all the apples from that day (we picked a bushel of apples which is approximately 40 pounds) whenever I pick up apples at the store the girls have several favorite recipes that we have tried and enjoy.   One of their absolute favorites to eat and take to school is their Apple Peel Confetti Crisps.

    It was one of those recipes that pop into my head at the last minute and turn out really well (not all of them turn out so well).  As I was peeling some of the apples to make applesauce I noticed we had quite the accumulation of apple skins.  I didn’t want all the skins to go to waste so I threw all of them into a big bowl, sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon and sugar on them, stirred and put them into the dehydrator for a few hours.  What came out were what the girls named Apple Peel Confetti Crisps, a delightful sweet and crunchy apple peel snack.

    • Apple Peels
    • Dash of lemon juice
    • Dash of Cinnamon & Sugar

    Put the apple peels into a bowl.  Stir in a little cinnamon and sugar for flavor.  Put the apple peels into the dehydrator and cook until crispy.  Remove from dehydrator and put into a ziplock bag.  If you do not have a dehydrator you can set your oven at 250 and stir occasionally (works great if it is a convection oven).

    We stored ours in the refrigerator but they should be fine at room temperature too since they are dried.  Several kids in the girls class at school wanted to know if I could pack extra Apple Peel Confetti Crisps in the girls lunches so they could have some too.  I was happy to hear the girls did share with their friends.  One little boy said it was the best apple skin he had ever tasted and the only thing he would do different is add a little more sugar, ha!  Loved that the rest of the first graders enjoyed the goodies as much as my girls.

    Start with fresh apples

    Peel the apple – Karlie taking a turn at peeling the granny smith apple

    Stir a little cinnamon & sugar in with the apple peels

    Put the apple peels in the dehydrator and let it run for 4 to 6 hours (or until the peels are crispy like the ones pictured above)

    Apple Peel Confetti Crisps ready to eat!

  • What Do You See – a Mess or a Race Track?!

    After lunch one Sunday the girls were instructed to pick up the newspaper after they were finished looking at it while Jake and I worked for a few minutes on our schedules for the upcoming week.  After about thirty minutes or so I came back into the kitchen and this is what I saw…..my first thought was “seriously, what a huge mess!”  Instead of picking up the papers they had spread all of them over the kitchen and dining room floors.  When asked as to why they didn’t pick “up” the newspaper they told me “Well we decided that it would make a great race track!”

    Although the mess was big I had to hold back from laughing.  It was a pretty cool looking race track even if it was a mess.    They were quite proud of their “track”.  So despite the fact the kitchen and dining room looked like they were carpeted with newspaper and ads I decided to let them enjoy it for the afternoon as long as they would pick it up before we left for Awana that evening.

    The silly part is that they had a blast with the newspaper.  Who would have ever thought that a newspaper could provide so much entertainment.  They rebuilt the roads several times, added new vehicles, used it as a walking track, and several other silly things all in that one afternoon.  In a matter of hours that newspaper got more love and provided more entertainment then all the other newspapers we have ever received put together.  And the best part, when asked to pick it up (the second time) the girls did it happily and in a matter of a couple of minutes.

    So was it worth me having to endure a messy house for a few hours?  Absolutely!  The girls had fun, they used their imaginations, were creative, and played well together.  The problem is I don’t always “react” well when I see a mess someone in my family has created whether intentionally or unintentionally.  Sometimes I am more worried about the mess they are making that I don’t allow them to just have fun.  Yes, having a clean has is important but if the house is always perfect then a race track would never happen.

    It was worth a temporary messy house to hear the girls giggling together over a silly newspaper converted into a race track.  Thankfully this time around I gave into just enjoying the fun moment and waited to clean up the mess later.  What do you see – the mess or the race track?

  • Family Activities: Enjoying the Simple Things in Life……

    Jake pulling Brina and Karlie in the wagon (Brina’s waving at me).

    When the weather is beautiful you’ll often see our family outside.  After more than a year without the mower we finally were able to get it fixed.  My Dad and Grandpa actually found a local mower repairman that fixes older lawn mowers in his garage (we were thankful for the help in locating someone to get the mower repaired for a reasonable price, isn’t family awesome). You don’t realize how much you use a mower until it is broken.

    When there isn’t the extra funds to fix it or to buy a new one you make do with what you have.  We did purchase a walk behind cylinder mower (the one with just the blades, no motor) for a $6 dollars at a yard sale that helped hold us over until the mower could be fixed.  With the push mower (and you really had to push with all the weeds in our yard) and weed eater we were able to keep the weeds down and made the front yard presentable which bought us some time.

    Since the mower was working again and the girls had been helping they were given a ride in the wagon.  It is amazing how just a simple ride in the wagon can bring out the giggles in the kids.  If you take a simple activity like pulling the wagon behind the mower and make it an adventure the kids will have fun.

    It didn’t take much of Jake’s time to give them a ride around the yard but it meant a lot to the kids.  Even if you cannot do something big or fancy for your kids taking a walk, pulling them in the wagon, collecting funny looking sticks, or playing catch can be great opportunities to spend time together.  The point is to deliberately spend quality time with your kids everyday.  These precious memories are ones that you will look back and smile at because before long they will be all grown up.   What are some fun activities that you do together in the yard?

  • Family Activities: Yard Clean Up Day

    Karlie Kool Kat bringing down the compost and helping in the yard.  Both girls are wonderful helpers (for the most part) when it comes to doing chores around the house and yard.  Karlie picked out her “outdoor” outfit complete with her fancy hat.  She cracks me up….peeking out from underneath her hat!

    Brina Bee bringing down some drink refills!  It is amazing how thirsty you can get when working out in the yard hauling branches. 

    The fire was too big and hot to cook over so Jake cooked up some yummy hot dogs for everyone to enjoy. 

    We have had some funky weather over the last several months in South Carolina.  One afternoon we had a tree and several branches come down in the yard and our neighbor had one of his trees fall on the edge of his workshop.  We gave away all the good fire burning wood to a local family for the winter since they had a wood burning stove.  When all that wood was picked up we still had all the limbs down so it was decided to have a family yard clean up day.  The girls helped pick up all the branches so we could burn them in the fire.   As it got dark and cooled off we rounded out the night with marshmallows and hot chocolate around the fire.  I love being able to work and rest together with my family.  We got a lot done working in the yard that day!