• Jello Jigglers

    The girls had a lot of fun making Jello Jigglers after school to share with their friends who were coming over after dinner.  We had a great time doing this treat together while talking about memories, the girls day at school, and the fun we were anticipating having with our friends that evening.

    I remember making Jello Jigglers when I was a little girl with my Great Grandma Vi so this activity brought back a lot of sweet memories of my Grandma Viola.   It is wonderful being able to carry on this fun tradition with my girls too.

    The girls had a wide variety of shapes and animals from birds, flowers, Mickey Mouse, hearts, bears, rabbits, and more.  They had a blast choosing the cookie cutters and getting this special treat together to share with their friends.  I would say it was a big hit because there were only a couple “jigglers” left by the end of the night.  🙂

  • Guest “Welcome” Basket

    Welcome Basket

    Occasionally we have missionaries, family, or friends staying with us that have been or will be traveling.  When they stop by for a few days or weeks we try to make sure to have a “welcome” letter and basket full of goodies for them to use.  They can go through the basket and pick out any items that their family can use or take with them.  If there are some items that they won’t use they can give them away or leave them.

    One of the best parts about shopping the sales and using coupons is you have an opportunity to be a blessing to people that you meet.  I love being able to pack a basket full of products for our guests to pick out what they want or need.  It saves them a little cash plus they don’t need to make that extra trip to the store.

    Here are some of the items in the basket pictured above that was beside the guest bed for a family earlier this year:

    • Women’s Deodorant
    • Men’s Deodorant
    • Breathe Right Strips
    • Finger Nail Polish
    • Trident Gum
    • Adult Mouthwash
    • Kids Mouthwash
    • Floss – Adult & Kids
    • Sheets Energy Strips
    • Men’s Shaving Foam
    • Men’s Razors
    • Women’s Shaving Cream
    • Women’s Razors
    • Hand Sanitizer
    • New Toothbrushes (for adults & kids)
    • Antibacterial Bandaids
    • Eye Drops
    • Women’s Body Wash
    • Men’s Body Wash
    • Kids Kool Fever Busters
    • Chapstick
    • Lotion
    • Cologne
    • Perfume
    • Women’s Body Spray
    • Men’s Body Spray
    • Feminine Products
    • Adult Toothpaste
    • Kids Toothpaste
    • Contact Cleaning & Rinse Solution
    • Pens / Pencils
    • Paper
    • Kid’s Medicine
    • Adult Medicine
    • And More!!!!!

    Our family doesn’t have everything money can buy, but we have been richly blessed with many items so it is a real treat being able to share what we have with others.  If there is something specific I know a guest enjoys (food, products, or other items) I do my best to make sure it is available for them when they arrive.  I don’t always remember (or get it right) but I think it helps make your guests feel welcome when you have something to welcome them into your home.  If I don’t have a basket ready for them I try to put out a note or something little on the bed or in the guest bathroom for them.  How do you make your guests feel welcome when they come to stay in your home?

  • Life Simplified: Hosting in Our Home

    One of my goals in 2011 is to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given us.  I have been sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.  One of the areas I am working on is making the best use of my time.  While spending time hosting family and friends in our home is important to me I must also make sure there is time on the schedule to spend with my immediate family.  The girls are growing up fast and the times we have together are precious.  In order to make sure I don’t go overboard I am setting a goal for myself and asking for your help to keep me in line.

    Here are the current challenges I am working on:

    Explanation of the Goal: As a family of four we LOVE hosting people in our home!  We are blessed to have a home to share with family and friends  whether it is for a party, game night or just to hang out together.  I would probably host a get together several times a week if we had the time, money, and energy to do it.  Part of learning how to simplify my life is making decisions on what to do with my time.  Hosting typically requires time for cleaning, cooking, prepping, and/or decorating for guests.  It is my goal to host at least one other family in our home once a month but no more than four.  When I spend time hosting that means I must give up some for something else.  Having up to 4 hosting events in our home means that there will be time to spend together as a family of four.  I want my girls to have the experience of hosting even at a young age.  Sharing our home and their toys is a valuable skill they can learn at an early age, but they like anyone, need a time to relax and refresh.

    We have already started working on this goal.  We had 3 families of three over in the month of January.   February is a busier month in our household not because of Valentine’s day but because we will be hosting the girls birthday party.  One of the many benefits to having twins or higher multiples is their birthday parties hit at the same time.  Brina and Karlie’s birthday party will be our major event this month and we have at least one other hosting event already on the schedule.

    I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating  and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to invest in the lives of others is important to our family.  I hope that we have been able to host many people in our home without going over board.  It is important to me to make time for my family on the weekends as well as the people around us!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

    Photo by MaryTClark