Family Activities
Love It – Magformers Set
Brina loves creating things with the Magformers!
The girls got a Magformers Set for their birthday. Since then they have played with the set for hours. A bunch of time was spent playing with them during their recent snow days when they did not have school. I love it when they get a toy that promotes creativity.
Magformers are bright colorful magnetic toys that you can use to build all kinds of items with. The set we got contained squares, triangles, and pentagons. They are easy to use and the magnets are enclosed so they cannot be swallowed by younger kids. The pieces always attract, never repel, making it easy for anyone to stick two pieces together to build. The magformers stimulate creativity, engineering, spatial awareness, coordination, and mathematics. You can build pretty much anything you can image from balls, houses, pyramids, turtles, towers, and so much more. This toy has sparked our kids imaginations over the past month and they are still pulling it out to play with it regularly.
Big ball out of Magformers
Of course knocking it down is always a fun task to do too
Brina built all the items in the book first than started creating her own inventions. Love watching her read the directions and put things together. She was pretty quick at it!
Magformers creation
She has spent hours putting together different combinations and items with this set.
Proud of her creation
Making some little items
So much fun
House
Karlie loves playing with them too. She split her time between the magformers and reading some chapter books.
Myrtle the Turtle
Time to take this one apart and start on a new project
Having a blast
Neat creation
Fun toy
There are many different Magformers Sets that you can get. Amazon is a great place to look for them and you can read all the great reviews as well.
“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!
Colorful Snow Art
Red and Blue snow hand prints were found!
After finishing their snowman Rainbow Confetti they decided to do colorful snow art with the leftover paints. Some of their snow art creations turned out really well. Love seeing them get creative. Thankful for an opportunity to watch them play and have fun in the snow.
Blue and green store in the planter!
Red snow heart
Smiley faces always bring a smile
Yes, they even spray painted some of their snow balls prior to throwing my direction. It made for a very colorful snowball fight.
Marking trails with their red paint.
Rainbow Confetti Snowman
Introducing the kids snowman for 2015 – Rainbow Confetti! Shortly after this picture I was beamed with a snowball (can you guess from who?!) Look at the person in the picture holding a snowball waiting for me to snap the picture.
The last snow day we had the girls decided it was time to build a snowman. It was perfect packing snow so they got started. The only probably they had is the originally started the snowman ball at the bottom of the yard and rolled it uphill. It wasn’t until they reached the driveway did they realize that they were not going to make it into the front yard so they came inside requesting help. Between the three of us slip and sliding the big ball of snow across the driveway we managed to get it into the front yard.
It isn’t the most beautiful snowman with the leaves, sticks, and dirt sticking out of it, but for the most part it is one that was built primarily by the kids with only a little assistance getting it into the front yard. They did a great job and had a blast. They “painted” their snowman with a mix of water and food coloring in a spray bottle then named him “Rainbow Confetti”. Skipper was there to supervise the construction! I do have to say their snowman lasted for several days and was one of the last ones in our area to completely melt so they did a great job packing in the snow plus they built him under a tree so it was a little more shaded.
They would roll up more big snowballs and break them down next to the bottom of the snowman to build up a strong base. I think the “breaking” and jumping up and down on the balls of snow were the real fun, the snowman just had the benefit of all the extra snow around it.
Rainbow Confetti was a mix of random colors from red, yellow, green, and blue. They decided to use the fox hat. Rainbow Confetti’s face was made completely out of vegetables that the critters running through the yard could eat. Cherry tomato eyes, carrot nose, and an orange pepper mouth!
The kids colorful snowman. They did a great job!
Snow Days In South Carolina
Karlie could spend an entire day outside in the cold she loves it so much!
A couple weeks ago we had several days of snow in South Carolina. The girls loved it. They had a blast playing outside in the snow. It was great having a little extra time with them. Not sure they went a full week of school the last part of February or the first part of March with the snow days here and there. We’ll take the extra days together though and pack in as much fun as we can. Snow does not last long in SC so when it comes you have fun for the brief time you have with it. As you can see from the picture above the snow on the ground behind Karlie has already melted since that morning.
Back deck covered in snow.
She looks so sad now that the kids are back inside…. Skipper loves snow days because the kids come out and play more. This is the face I saw looking at us in the window shortly after the kids had come inside for lunch. Looks like she is giving them her sad puppy eyes in hopes that they will come back outside and play again soon. Don’t worry they were back out within 30 minutes or so.
Oh no she is not going to through that snowball at me….. Yes, I got beamed with snow balls quite a few times. Our storm door got it too a couple times as Karlie waiting for me to come out. Guess those were her practice throws!
Waiting patiently for me to finish getting ready so I can join her outside!
Brina pretending to plant in the snow or at least knock off the remaining snow from the planter.
Magnolia leaves loaded with snow!
You can still see our bulls eye target!
The evergreens branches were heavy with the snow!
Sweet Snow Day Treats
Hot Chocolate
Usually after the kids come back in from playing in the snow they want something hot to drink. Hot chocolate and apple cider are typically the most popular favorites in our house. The other day we had hot chocolate with heart marshmallows which was a hit with the kids. Snow days through us a little off schedule, but the extra time with the kids is so worth it. Sitting around the table sipping hot chocolate, talking, and laughing is one of the best parts of having a snow day.
Hot, delicious, and sweet! Perfect on a cold snowy day!
Chocolate Snow Cream. The girls have made snow cream with me so many times over the past years that they do it all on their own now. This is a batch they whip up during the last snow storm.
Here are a couple of snow cream recipes we like to use:
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week our family had the privilege to go to Orlando, Florida with Jake. He had a work conference and the girls and I got to spend some time exploring the area. We found a lot of great activities to keep us busy while Jake was working. Once Jake’s conference was over he was able to spend the rest of the week with us. We had a blast going to the Disney parks and doing other fun activities while in Orlando. The week went by really quickly and we packed a lot into the week. We created a lot of great memories during our stay. Now that we are back into the normal work and school schedule we have a lot to get done around home. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – last week we didn’t read much with all the other activities going on in Florida
Plan one special activity with the family– we went to Orlando and explored some of the Disney parks, the kids loved it!Play a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – our Orlando adventure went really well, was a hit, and we created some family memories
Spend Extra Time with the Family– spent time together in Orlando and Jake joined us after his conference ended
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day– drink a lot as it was up to 90 plus degrees a couple days we were in FL- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my phone was burning through the battery so I didn’t listen during last week, but was already caught up before leaving on the trip thankfully
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– the kids and I made and ate our dinners at the hotel while Jake was at the conference and he joined after the conference had ended. The hotpot worked really well for easy prep items.Clean House (Focus – Basic House Clean Up)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – some ideas were bouncing around, but for the most part I enjoyed my time with the kids
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – some items got pushed back but hoping to get back up to speed this week
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Pay Bills & File Paperwork
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
- Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
- Prep for upcoming Spring Break
- Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning
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 – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the 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 Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
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.
Flashback Friday: Happy 5th Birthday!
Karlie with her Rocket Cake and Brina with her Princess Castle Cake made by Aunt Kristen!
Today we flashback to February 2010 when the girls turned 5 years old! It was a fun birthday party at our house. We did a dual theme for the girls this year which was a lot more work than I initially realized! Karlie was really into space and rockets while Brina was into princesses.
Half of the house and party was about Space and the other half was about Princesses. The nice part about the theme is that it appealed to both the boys and girls who attended the party. We did a castle out of cardboard in Brina’s room and a rocket out of cardboard for Karlie that was put on the front porch.
Somehow we didn’t get a picture of Karlie’s room inside the house where we put black trash bags on all the walls, stuck glow in the dark planets and stars on them, and replaced the lights with black lights. It turned out really well, but it was darker so none of the pictures actually turned out which is a bummer.
Aunt Kristen made the beautiful and delicious cakes for the girls birthday, which they LOVED! The girls had a wonderful time celebrating their birthday and we are thankful for our family and friends who helped with the party and came out to make this day extra special for the girls. Thankful for the blessing of these two girls!
Checking out the cool rocket that Daddy, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Lee, and Uncle Josh stayed up after the kids went to bed to build.
They had no idea that the guys were building a rocket (and castle, see below) for them! As they were eating breakfast the guys rang the doorbell and “delivered” their special party props! They were so excited!
Karlie hugging her rocket (notice she is wearing her favorite rocket pjs)! Too cute! She was thrilled and kept going back outside to play with her rocket!
Had to check everything out!
After a few minutes of coming back into the house the back doorbell rang and the guys delivered the other party prop, a giant cardboard castle! Daddy, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Lee, and Uncle Josh worked on putting this together and painting it after the girls went to bed the night before the party. They were super excited!
The castle was huge! They are standing on chairs in order to peek through it! The castle was a big hit in the princess room!
Dad and Grandpa Russell putting the finishing touches on the castle! It had a tower, door, and even a roman numeral “V” flag on it!
Time for all the princesses and princes to come to the party! The castle was a big hit with all the kids!
Karlie all smiles as she sits by the easel. She loved coming outside to check on her rocket which was next to the easel!
Hanging out in her rocket as people started arriving. Very content to stay right there with her special rocket!
Brina’s princess cake turned out beautifully – thanks Aunt Kristen!
Karlie LOVED her rocket cake! Thank you Aunt Kristen!
Lighting the candles! Kristen put candles at the back of the rocket so it looked like it was taking off – so cool!
Getting something to eat and hanging out with cousins!
Grandma Penny and Brina putting a puzzle together! Super fun!
Hiking & Tracking Animals in the Snow
Hiking through the woods
Most kids love to go sledding, building a snowman, make snow angels, and more crazy stuff in the snow. One of the first things our kids want to do is take a hike in the woods. They love going through the woods, checking out the stream, and looking for various animal tracks in the snow. We saw a lot of animal tracks and most of them I knew what they were there was only one set that had me stumped….still haven’t quite figured it out even after looking up pictures.
One of our favorite stops by the stream. Always gurgling down hill even on the snowy days.
Lots of deer tracks going through the woods after the snow and ice stopped.
Karlie looking for animal tracks.
Karlie loves being outside.
Brina brought the sled and was sledding down hills on our hike. She managed to go around most trees.
Little tracks….
This was the one that perplexed me, it was as big as my hand and had 5 claws (or toes).
Lots of little bird tracks.
Skipper goes swimming in the creek even when its icy cold and snowing!
Little bird…
Cat paw prints.
Hanging out in the woods.
Talking, walking, and having fun in the woods.
Karlie loves getting out of school for snow days!
Spending Time with Grandpa & Grandma
Brina and Karlie with my parents!
My parents stayed at our house the second half of their trip to SC. The girls were excited that Grandpa and Grandma were going to church with them on Sunday. In our rush to get out the door we did manage to snap a quick photo before heading off to church though.
After church we headed over to my brothers house for lunch and some time to play before Dad and Mom had to head out for the airport. It was a super fun weekend. We are thankful for some time to spend with my parents. The girls have wonderful memories with their grandparents. The weekend went by too quickly, but grateful for the time together.
Uncle Lee, Grandpa Russell and the four kids setting up the Thomas train track. They had a lot of help, but it was super neat to watch once they were done!
Grandma Penny building legos and playing with the kids.
Trip to the Joe’s Place Book Store and Falls Park
My parents on the bridge over Reedy River at Falls Park
While my parents were in town we made a trip to downtown Greenville. We stopped first at Joe’s Place Book Store where my sister-in-law works. The book store is only a couple of blocks away from Falls Park so we decided to go through it on our way back to our cars.
I was so busy looking at books in the book store I didn’t even take a picture! Oops! We did have fun and got some good books. Guess we’ll have to go back again to snap a few shots at our next visit. I didn’t realize it was the first time my parents had seen the big suspension walking bridge over Reedy River. We went through the park and on a few scenic hiking trails before heading back to the vehicles.
It was a good walk, a beautiful day, and the kids were able to vent a little extra energy. Thankful for time with family.
Brina speed hiking through the side trail.
The kids loved these little side trails!
Nicko and Karlie heading up the trail.
