Michelle's Homemaking Journal

Food and Fun

2009-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

here are some really fun Christmas activities that our family enjoys doing each year. The Chocolate Peppermint Spoons and the Advent Calendar are enjoyed so much by children. The homemade gifts are something we try to do also, but this year we couldn't make any because of our 'big move.'

You must try the Spoons...you will LOVE them! I promise!

Stop by Lilliput Station's Online Christmas Party for more fun Christmas activities plus lot's of free gifts!

Time is of Necessity

2009-01-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

I am really enjoying reading my bible this year but I really don't have the time right now to comment on each days reading. So, I'm not going to make it a goal everyday to comment on what I've read. This way it doesn't become a burden to me. I am limiting my time on the computer at this time in my life because I have a lot going on with my family, kids, and homeschool that needs my undivided attention.

I hope everyone is learning a lot from the Word of God and I will comment here about my readings as I have the time.

Blessings

My Husband Rocks: January 9,2009

2009-01-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

If you would like to participate in this weekly meme just go here.

This week we have to answer the following questionnaire.

1. Where did you meet?

In Arkansas

2. Who long did you date b/f you were married?

7 months

3. What does he do that surprises you?

he plans really sweet getaways sometimes

4. What is your favorite quality of his?

he always finds the good in what ever situation he is in

5. What is your favorite feature of his?

His hair

6. Does he have a nickname for you?

Momma

7. What is his favorite food?

spicy Mexican

8. What is his favorite sport?

Football, he coaches flag for our son

9. When and where was your first kiss?

in a quaint little restaurant in Arkansas, he kissed me while we were standing right beside the dance floor. he asked me to dance and I told him "No, I don't dance." He just leaned over and kissed me right there.

10. What do you like to do together?

anything as long as we are together, mostly we like to sit and talk or cuddle and watch a movie

11. Do you have any children?

two, Juliet 9 and Evan 7

12. Does he have a hidden talent?
he can sing

13. Who said "I love you" first?

He did

14. What is his favorite type of music?

Rock, U2 is his favorite

15. What do you admire most about him?

how much he has overcome in his life and his love for others

16. Do you think he will read this?
maybe, if I tell him about it

One year bible blog: January 8, 2009

2009-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

Todays bible reading can be found here

Today's scriptures:

Genesis 18:16-19:38 ~ Matthew 6:25-7:14 ~ Psalm 8:1-9 ~ Proverbs 2:6-15

I absolutely loved todays reading in Matthew. We are told that if we will only seek God first, he will take care of all of our needs. If we put our needs first...striving for bigger houses and better material things, if this is where our heart and efforts are focused then we are not living as God wants. He has promised to take care of all that we need (and what we desire or want) if we will only put him first. WOW! What a promise.

In Psalms we read about the stars. The entire earth speaks of God's glory. If we will look in nature we will clearly see just how awesome the Lord of Hosts truly is.

in Proverbs I loved this:

He stores up success for honest people (vs.7)

I am claiming this verse for me and my family for 2009. Praise be to God for all that he does!

One year bible blog: January 7, 2009

2009-01-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

today's reading can be found here

Today's scriptures:

Genesis 16:1-18:15 ~ Matthew 6:1-24 ~ Psalm 7:1-17 ~ Proverbs 2:1-5

I am reminded today that we can't lie to God. Sarah tried to tell the Lord that she didn't laugh, but the Lord knew that she had. I believe that we should confess our sins and the secrets of our heart openly before the Lord because he knows about them anyway. How many of us try to hide our true feelings or intentions from God? I like to tell him the very worst about me, only then can he change my heart.

I enjoyed reading the Lord's prayer today. I think I am going to memorize it and have both of my kids do the same. I want to pray this prayer once a day.

The theme of the Psalms seems to keep on talking about the wicked and the good. Being good in your heart is what God wants. Getting our motives right, loving what is pure and honest. This is the way God knows the real us, by looking into the deepest parts of who we are. We can't hide from God. I pray for the Lord to make my heart pure and clean before him. Search into my heart and show me anything that is not pleasing in your sight. If we continually pray this way and deal with the sins that we are shown then we can rest assured that God will not bring upon us the judgment that Psalms 7 talks about.

Lastly, we are to cry out for wisdom. Do you cry out for wisdom? We are to search for it and not rest until we find it. I assure you that if you ask for wisdom God will hear you. Sometimes the road to wisdom may be a little bumpy. I believe some of us get from God quicker than others may. The point is to never stop searching. Always pray for wisdom in every situation and aspect of your life.

One year bible blog: January 6, 2009

2009-01-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

Todays reading can be found here:

Genesis 13:5-15:21 ~ Matthew 5:27-48 ~ Psalm 6:1-10 ~ Proverbs 1:29-33

something that stood out to me today was from the reading in Genesis:

"The Lord accepted Abram because he believed. So his faith made him right with the Lord."

Having faith makes us right with the Lord. Having faith in his written word and believing that all of God's promises will come about in their time. Do a study on how many times the bible talks about having faith. it's a lot!
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God.

In Matthew today I am reminded of the sanctity of marriage. It is a covenant before God and not to be taken lightly. Also, as a woman I am reminded that how I dress and how I behave are very important to the Lord. Women are very much responsible for being modest in every aspect of our lives.

In Psalms today I think about how many times I have felt like David. How many times have I cried and poured out my heart to God. After crying out to God I always feel better, and sometimes only then is it truly possible to have faith that what you are in need of will be given. Pouring our hearts out before God is something we should be doing regularly.

I really like this:

Proverbs 1:32

"The Lord really hates sinful people. But he makes honest people his closest friends."

One year bible blog: January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

oneyearbibleblog.com

Today's reading:

Genesis 11:1-13:4~ Matthew 5:1-26 ~Psalm 5:1-12 ~Proverbs 1:24-28

I too have turned into somewhat of a night owl since my husband started working from home. His day use to start at 6:00 and it was really easy for me to get up and get my day going as soon as he left the house.

Now that he is at home his day starts rather late and because of this I have started getting up later and going to bed later.

I desperately want to change this!

I must admit that I have been doing my daily bible study in the evenings, and sometimes even before bed. I am rather ashamed of this and I am committed to changing my schedule.

I am going to set my alarm for 7:00 tomorrow and get up when it goes off! Sometimes this is hard to do when my husband is still snuggled up in bed. But if I do this I will be able to have an hour or more to pray and read my bible before I have to start my day of homeschooling.

I do believe that being a night owl is no good and it's also unhealthy.

I enjoyed the scriptures today. Proverbs really makes you think about how important it is to listen and obey. Just like I tell my kids "Bad things happen when you don't listen to your mom and dad!"

One year bible blog: January 4, 2009

2009-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Today's reading:
oneyearbibleblog.com

Genesis 8:1-10:32 ~ Matthew 4:12-25 ~ Psalm 4:1-8 ~ Proverbs 1:20-23

some things that stood out to me today:

Genesis 8:1-10:32

"I will never put a curse on the ground again because of men. I will not do it even though his heart is always directed toward what is evil. His thoughts are evil from the time he is young."

This really stood out to me today. Our flesh is always pulled toward what is evil, even from the time we are children. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit, the renewing of our mind and putting off of our old man that we are changed into the image of Christ. Without the communion with God daily through prayer and storing God's word in out heart we don't have the ability to turn away from evil, not on our own. We are dependent on God's help to be transformed.

I don't know about you, but for me this is a daily walk and a daily battle of renewing my mind. Satan is always there trying to steal the word out of my mind and bring fear and doubt. The more in communion with I am with God the easier it is to resist Satan's attacks.

I also noticed that after Noah got off the boat the Lord told him "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you." This is the first time in the bible that God allows man to eat meat. I assume at this time animals started each other as well. Thankfully this will be changed and the orginal diet for man and animals will be restored in the new heaven and new earth.

Matthew 4:12-25

Psalm 4:1-8

I love this entire Psalm. Well, the entire book of Psalms is wonderful. To pick something...

"How long will you love what will certainly fail you?"

Let's look at our own lives and ask this question. Do you love your house, your stature in your community or church, your pride in your accomplishments...do you love these more than God? All of these things, even our husband and our children, will fail us at some point.

Proverbs 1:20-23

I have prayed for wisdom since I was 16 years old. I have to say that sometimes to gain wisdom you have to go through some hard times. The wisdom I have gained in my life is more precious to me than anything anyone could offer up to me.

My kids are memorizing scriptures from the book of Proverbs. I think this book is so important for young children to learn and remember. It will help equip them for what the world has in store for them when they get older.

I definitely believe that the Lord is always calling us to something. He is constantly challenging us to surrender to him that which keeps us from being transformed into his likeness. We are never standing still. We are either moving forward or backward on the path that we are on.

I feel I am being called in 2009 to take a closer look at my role as a wife, mother, and woman of God. I feel a calling to change something significant in my life...(I am going to be talking about this in an upcoming post of mine, I am not quite ready yet to tell about it.)

I am doing an online bible study of the book "The Excellent Wife" by Martha Peace. I will be posting my responses to our study questions ASAP.

I know that one day I will stand before the King of Kings and I want to be ready. What about YOU?

One year bible blog: January 3, 2009

2009-01-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

I am loving the time I spend each day reading my bible. I am learning so much from the commentary at bible.org for each of the daily scriptures. It is a lot of reading to do, it takes me 1 to 1 1/2 hours to finish each day, but is completely worth it.

today's reading:
oneyearbibleblog.com

Genesis 5:1-7:24 ~ Matthew 3:7-4:11 ~ Psalm 3:1-8 ~ Proverbs 1:10-19

Here are the things that stood out to me today:

Genesis 5:1-7:24

I have to say I am so enjoying reading from Genesis. Today I was touched to read the genealogies in chapter 5 and see how God's chosen line for Jesus came from Seth and not Cain. When reading about the flood, I see how God saved Noah and enabled the line to continue for the Messiah to be born.

Matthew 3:7-4:11

In Matthew today I see how Jesus used the word of God to defeat Satan when he was being tempted. If Jesus needed to remember and quote scripture, how much more do we need to do the same?

I have already started a scripture memory system with my children. We have been learning scriptures from the book of Proverbs and we have memorized about 30 scriptures so far. Here is a link to the scripture memory system we are using. It is so easy to set up and use, for yourself and your entire family.

Also, Jesus was baptized before he began his ministry. This also shows his dependence on the Holy Spirit while he was here on earth. Like wise, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit for power to resist sin and temptation, and to the work that God has called us to do, whatever that work might be, for preaching in a third world country to being a homemaker and raising Godly children. We can't do it without the power and leading of the Spirit of God.

I read the following from a post on the one year bible blog and I wanted to share it with you so I copied it:

WHY MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE?

1. To avoid sin.

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin against thee."

Psalm 119:11

2. Out of obedience.

"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

Keep my commandments, and live;

and my law as the apple of thine eye.

Bind them upon thy fingers,

write them upon the table of thine heart."

Proverbs 7:1-3

3. In order to resist the devil

In Matthew 4 (which was in today's reading), Jesus was tempted three times by the devil, and each time He quoted scripture back saying "it is written...". In the end (v. 11) the devil left Him. We too can do that, if we lay up His words in our heart through memorization. John 14:26 says: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

4. To teach our children.

"And these words,

which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

5. To be prepared to share the Gospel

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:

and be ready always to give an answer to

every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you

with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15

We are commanded to put on the armour of God which includes putting on shoes of preparation to share the Gospel. Ephesians 6:15 says "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Memorization is one way to be prepared to share the Gospel.

That you may answer. Proverbs 22:20-21 says "Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?"

6. To overcome our own will

Then I said, I will not make mention of him,

nor speak any more in his name.

But his word was in mine heart

as a burning fire shut up in my bones,

and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Jeremiah 20:9

In this time of Jeremiah's life, God's word had been made a "reproach" and a "derision" daily. So Jeremiah had a bad attitude and decided that he was no longer going to speak out for God. But God's word was burning inside him, and he could not stay silent.

Here´s a good Bible Memorization Plan:

1. Choose a topic

2. Find a verse and write it on a card

3. Read the verse several times for meaning

4. Set the verse aside until tomorrow

5. Read the verse phrase by phrase, looking away from it as you begin to remember the words. Repeat several times

6. Do this for five days in a row, or until you can remember the whole verse and its "address" (reference) without a prompt

7. Use weekends to review memorized verses.

This is a part of a series of lessons on memorization.

Psalm 3:1-6

"Lord you are like a shield that keeps me safe"

Proverbs 1:10-19

"...don't even set your feet on their paths."

there are only two paths in life and we need to make sure we are going down the path that leads to eternal life. Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."

One year bible blog: January 2, 2009

2009-01-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

January 2,2009 reading

Genesis 3:1-4:26 ~ Matthew 2:13-3:6 ~ Psalm 2:1-12 ~ Proverbs 1:7-9

oneyearbibleblog.com

I really enjoy reading the commentary at bible.org that is given for each daily bible reading. I use it as a bible study and I really get a lot from it. Today what spoke to me the most from my reading was how sneaky the serpent was in the garden of Eden. He simply questions what God had told Eve. He just makes her think about disobedience, and what pleasure she might attain from disobeying.

It really makes me ask myself if there is an area of my life where I am disobeying God. I think sometimes we are afraid to surrender certain sins to God because we enjoy the pleasure we get from them too much, and we really don't think that God is really that worried about them. This could be something as simple as a certain tv show that we watch that we know isn't glorifying to God, but when we feel conviction, we simply say "That's not a big deal" until we aren't convicted anymore. I believe that we should surrender things as soon as we are convicted of them being wrong. When we don't do this we allow satan to tell us all the reasons why that "sin" isn't really a sin. And pretty soon, we have justified our disobenience. Just like with Eve, satan wants us to disobey God without realizing that we are disobeying. He wants to trick us.

I encourage you today to reevaluate your relationship with the Lord and to search your heart for anything that might be displeasing to Him, and surrender it up. Any pleasure we get from doing something displeasing to God, isn't worth the reward we will receive from obedience.

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23

One year bible blog: January 1, 2009

2009-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Today I started with the One year Bible blog. Today was my first reading and study. I am reading the designated passages as well as reading the commentary's for each passage at bible.org.

I am so excited about reading the bible through this year. It has been something I have wanted to for years. I usually skip around in my reading and I have never finished reading the old testament in it's entirety. I going to be starting my day with my bible reading. I plan on devoting an hour each morning before I do my morning routine and get ready to start our school day. On the weekends I sometimes like to sleep in with my hubby, so I might do an afternoon bible reading on the weekends...I am still pondering on this. I invite you to join in with me and share your daily reading adventures! Each day I will be posting something about what I read. If you are doing the same please come here and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

January 1, 2009 reading:

Genesis 1:1-2:25 ~ Matthew 1:1-2:12 ~ Psalm 1:1-6 ~ Proverbs 1:1-6

Hi,

I am Michelle

1. Have you read the entire Bible before?

No. I have read all of the new testament several times, but only about half of the old testament. I am really look forward to finally finishing the old testament!

2. What are you looking forward to about reading the entire Bible in 2009?

I am really looking forward to reading every day with a goal of finishing in a year. I really like the accountability aspect of it. I want to draw closer to the Lord and give him my time in study.

3. What's your favorite book or verse in the Bible?
My favorite books are Galatians and Proverbs; my favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5

"Trust is the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall make your path straight."

4. What's a fun or interesting fact about yourself?
I am a homeschool mom of 2, and I love making homemade gifts for others. I love the Lord and am striving to raise up 2 kids who have a heart for HIM.

5. Do you have a blog or website link that you want to share with everyone?

I have a homeschool website(I sell notebooking pages and unit studies) and 2 blogs:

www.homeschoolnotebooking.com
www.homeschoolnotebooking.blogspot.com
www.michelleshomemakingjournal.blogspot.com

6. Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?

I really enjoyed reading the creation account in Genesis. I learned a lot from reading the commentary at bible.org on Genesis 1 and 2. I am reminded about the purpose of marriage, and how holy and beautiful it is. Reading about when God created Adam and Eve, and how he joined them together made me thank God for my marriage and remember how sacred it is to the Lord.

I also enjoyed reading from Psalms today. I am reminded that every aspect of how I conduct myself is important to God and to the testimony of my faith. I am urged to surrender up to the Lord all of the things that my not be right in my life, no matter how trivial I think they might be. My purpose in this life is to become more and more like Jesus.

To quote from bible.org's commentary:

"Those who pursue happiness as their goal in life will not find it, but those who seek holiness will find happiness as a pleasant by-product."

Can't wait for tomorrows reading and study!

I love this picture depicting the creation of Genesis from left to right

Homemade Book Safe

2008-12-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

While researching the internet for homemade gift ideas I came across this really cool book safe. I decided to make one for my Uncle this year. I used a really big book on mathematical theory that I found at a used book store. When my Uncle first opened the book and lookd at the cover, he glanced up at me with a bewildered look on his face, it was the same look I had imagined it would be, but when he opened it up he just couldn't believe his eyes. He said this was the most thoughtful and creative gift he had ever gotten. He LOVED it!

If you have someone on your shopping list that is hard to buy for, you may want to consider making them a book safe.

This gift is time consuming to make, it is truly a labor of love, but the expression on your loved ones face when they open it up will be worth all of your efforts.

Materials Needed:

a book
modge podge glue
paint brush
exacto knife or dremmil tool
fabric
colored paper
family pictures
wax paper

Step 1:

Buy a used book. You probably want to get a deep book. The book I used was 3 inches deep from cover to cover. Yours doesn't have to be that deep but it should be a least 2 inches.

Gather your materials.

Modge Podge can be purchased at any arts and crafts stores. Get the glossy kind.

Step 2:

Open up your book and mark where you want to cut your pages at. You may want to leave some pages in the front to cover up the safe. I choose not to leave any pages in the front of mine.
You will want to leave a 1 inch border between the cut hole and outside edge of the pages. Use a ruler and measure in 1 inch and make your lines where you will be cutting on. Use an exacto knife to cut through your pages. You will not want to cut through to the very bottom of the book. Leave some pages at the bottom. This can be very time consuming especially if you have a very deep book. I cut mine over a weeks time, cutting a little every day. If using an exacto knife is too difficult for you, you can also use a dremil tool.

Once you have your hole cut out it will look something like this:

Step 3:

Now you will want to glue your pages together. Take out your modge podge and paint brush. Make sure your pages are all lined up properly and then begin to paint all around the outside edge of the pages as well as inside of the hole. Put on a medium coat. take a piece of wax paper and place between the cover and where your hole is and close the book. Place something heavy on the top and allow to dry for about 30 minutes. You can then reapply more coats, 2-3, allowing dry time between each coat. Once all of your coats are finished allow book to dry for 24 hours before going on to step 4.

Step 4:

Now you are going to decorate your book. I am sure there are probably many ways to decorate your pages, but this is the way that I did it.

I picked out three different colors of paper that I liked and cut them into differet shapes. I gave each shape a flat edge so that it would line up with the edge of the book right. I then glued the pieces to the book around the hole, overlapping each piece. I used a regular glue stick. After I finished, I trimmed up the inner edge.

Step 5:

When all of your pieces of paper have been glued down and trimmed up you will want to put a protective coat of modge podge over your work. Using thin coats, apply about 3-4 coats allowing 20 minutes to dry between coats. Don't forget to use your wax paper when you close the book.

Step 6:

Now you can line the hole you cut out with fabric. I used fleece. Glue the fabric in with hot glue or fabric glue. It is a little tricky getting the fabric in there good. Once in there you can trim up the top edges. When finished, you can apply one more coat of modge podge to stick down any tiny pieces of fabric that might be sticking up.

Step 7:

Now if you want to you can decorate the back of the front cover. I decorated mine because I didn't leave any loose pages in the front of the book. You may not want to do so.

Gather a family picture, magazine picture, stickers, really whatever you want and make a collage on the inside cover. I put a piece of colored paper down before I began my collage. Glue everything down with a glue stick or regular glue. When finished, apply 3-4 coats of modge podge allowing dry time between coats.

This is what my finished product looked like:

If you make one of these, please leave me a comment and a link to pictures of your book safe. I would love to see it!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

2008-12-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

This hot chocolate is great for homemade gifts. We use it in our Holiday Sweets Gift Tin.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup powdered non dairy creamer
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix all ingredients into a mixing bowl then store in an airtight container.

Use 3-4 heaping tablespoons added to boiling water and stir well. If you use milk instead of water it will be even better, but it is not necessary.

If you are giving this as a gift you can spoon out individual portions into ziplock bags, then cut the zipper part off and tie it closed with a ribbon (see above picture).

Don't forget to include a gift tag with directions for making the cocoa

Holiday Sweets Gift Tin

2008-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here is our gift tin loaded with our homemade chocolate Peppermint spoons, homemade hot chocolate, marshmallows, and homemade peanut butter cookies. I included directions for making the hot chocolate. I individually wrapped each serving of hot chocolate in zip lock bags and tied with a ribbon. We gave this gift tin to our new neighbors.

Homemade Chocolate Peppermint Spoons

2008-12-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 bags Hershey's milk chocolate morsels
20 Candy Canes (or peppermint candies)
Plastic Spoons
Wax paper

Directions:

Crush your peppermint into a bowl. We used candy canes, and I cut them with scissors into small chips.

Place chocolate chips in a pot and melt them over low heat stirring constantly.

Take a plastic spoon and dip it into the chocolate until it's covered good. You can use a little or a lot of chocolate, it's up to you. Then roll the spoon around in the peppermint until desired coverage.

Lay on wax paper until it firms a bit. Then move to the fridge overnight. The next day you can wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.

These are absolutely to die for when dipped in hot chocolate!

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies in the World

2008-12-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

I will be posting a photo soon

Ingredients:

1-cup peanut butter (either smooth or creamy)
1-cup sugar
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and stir until completely blended. Scoop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and use a fork to gently flatten the top down and make little criss crosses.

Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.

Cool and Enjoy!

Makes 12 absolutely delicious cookies.

Chocolate Peppermint Spoons

2008-12-03T16:59:00.001-08:00

We made these yummy chocolate spoons last night. It was easy. Just melt some chocolate chips in a pot. Crush some peppermint into a bowl. We used candy canes, and I cut them with scissors into small chips. Take a plastic spoon and dip it into the chocolate until it's covered good. Then roll it around in the peppermint. Lay on wax paper until it firms a bit. Then move to the fridge overnight. The next day you can wrap in foil and tie with a ribbon.

We are making homemade hot chocolate mix and giving it as a gift with one of these spoons.

The kids and I had ours just a minute ago. Hot chocolate with marshmallows, and you dip the spoon in the hot chocolate....to die for!

When we get these wrapped and in our gift baskets I will post pictures.

Great Stocking Stuffer Coupon Books

2008-11-30T18:54:00.001-08:00

I made some really cute coupon books for my kids for Christmas. When I came up with this idea I was going to hand make them, but I found this awesome template for them here. What a time saver this was! You can pick the pictures you want on them and then you just type in what you want. I made each child a book with 8 coupons for things like: no chore day, slurpee, park day, one night of snuggles with mom or dad, etc.

Have fun with these, they make great stocking stuffers. You could even let your kids make them for family members for things like: 10 minute foot or back massage (grandparents would like this), rake the yard, lunch date out with child, and so on.

Another color by number picture

2008-11-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here is another color by number picture that Juliet colored for her Nanny. Just like the other one, we bought a frame and made some matting with poster board. We love these!

Our Advent Calendar

2008-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

I finally finished our advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas.

First, we printed out this Christmas tree advent calendar. Each day we add a new number to count down the days. We have this posted on our fridge. You can print out this same calendar here.

Next, I made up some really fun things for our family to do together each day until Christmas. I printed each activity on a note sheet, folded it in half and wrote the day on it. I used clothes pins and a string and hung the notes on our tree. Each morning when we wake up we will open up our activity and see what is planned for that evening.

Here is my entire advent calendar:

Countdown till Christmas...Starting at 24 days until Christmas (Dec. 1st)

day24: Put a puzzle together

day 23: paint a Christmas ornament

day 22: pick a family member and write down all the things you love about them. Then, read it to them.

day 21: string popcorn and cranberries to put on tree

day 20: Family Bible reading. Let's read about the birth of Jesus

day 19: go and see "The Nutcracker" ballet at our community college

day 18: go to Denny's or steak N' shake and have a late night dessert

day 17: write a letter to Santa

day 16: have hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music. Dance around and be silly.

day 15: Tonight is board game night. Play at least two different board games.

day 14: Find a homeless person today and give them $20 with a Christmas note attached.

day 13: Go to light up UCF. Take a friend or another family member with us.

day 12: Tonight is mall night. Walk around the mall and have a dessert.

day 11: Go to the store and buy a present to donate to charity

day 10: Today is Nanny's birthday. Let's take her out to lunch to the restaurant of her choice.

day 9: Tonight we will rent two Christmas movies and pop popcorn

day 8: bake cookies and make a Christmas card to take to our neighbors

day 7: read a Christmas story together while snuggled up in bed tonight with daddy

day 6:Tonight we will go to our church Bethlehem walk through exhibit

day 5: pick up Nanny and go for a drive looking at Christmas lights

day 4: go to the dollar movies tonight. everyone must agree on the movie.

day 3: Let's go to Tonya's house and take her family the gift basket we made for them.

day 2: tonight we will watch "The Nativity Story"

day 1: go to Nanny's house and open one Christmas present

Christmas Day!!!

We start tomorrow and we are all excited.

If you have made an advent calendar, leave me a link so I can check yours out.

Our Homemade gifts

2008-11-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am running a little behind with my homemade Christmas gifts. I have been busy making our christmas notebooking pages set and haven't had a lot of time left over. But now that I am finished we will be making something new hopefully every week.

Here is what we have made so far.

Juliet did a color by number picture for her aunt. We bought a frame for it and I used poster board to make matting for the frame. We actually made a copy of the original picture she colored and it turned out great. This way she could give more than one person this gift. It turned out absolutely beautiful! It looks just like a store bought picture. The great thing about the color by number pictures is that they are cheap but they turn out fantastic. The matting is super easy to make and adds a more appealing look to the picture. Juliet was so happy and proud at the way this turned out. It is great for children to take pride in something they make on their own. Juliet will be coloring another one for her nanny soon.

Here is another one I made for my son. He loves football, so I made him a football blanket.

Here is the blanket stretched out so you can see how big it is.

Here it is folded up and you can see the edges.

I use two pieces of material that both were 54 x 68 inches long. This made a bigger blanket that could be used to cover my sons twin bed.

You can go here to see the directions of how to make this blanket.

That's all for now. Next week we will be making more homemade gifts. Don't forget to check back and see what we've made.

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

2008-11-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. I am intent on staying out of the hustle and bustle of the season, instead thankfully remembering what this holiday is all about, and sharing the beauty of it with my family.

Up until Thanksgiving all is relatively quiet, and then, in a flash of lightning, everyone goes into a frantic race to get all of their holiday shopping and duties done, just to find that all of their efforts have made them tired, and their wallets much too light. Maybe this isn't you. But I assure you that if this IS you, you are not alone. I have seen many this way, and yes, I have even been there myself.

Well, this year is not one of those years for us. We have set out to make this holiday season one to remember, and most importantly one to enjoy. My holiday themes for the season are "family togetherness" and "Thankfulness." So what better way to celebrate these themes than making our loved ones some homemade gifts. Putting your heart and soul into a gift means so much more anyway. I decided to make a list of some homemade gifts I thought some family members would enjoy. I got my ideas from various places like craft books and some of my own original ideas as well. I thought it would be great to have the kids involved in making these gifts. I think the whole experience will be fun and educational, as we will all learn how to do some new craft projects. I also included some rather inexpensive gifts that would go along with the homemade ones. The idea is not to break the bank, and to actually give a meaningful gift. I realized while doing this that I can't think of something to make for everyone. The men are the hardest, my step dad, dad, and my uncle. I am thinking that I might just bake the men all of their gifts...

So far this is what I've got:

My Mom

Journal
scripture memory pages
Pen set to go with journal
homemade planner (my mom needs some organization help)
jewelry box made of clay that the kids will make and paint
Color by number picture of a cat(my mom Loves cats) that I will color and frame
coupon book with coupons I make myself, some ideas are:

House cleaning
A 15 minute back rub
Lunch out to favorite restaurant

My Aunt

Homemade soap and candles
buy or make candle holders, not sure which one yet
color by number picture of a rooster (she loves roosters) that I will color and frame
personalized calendar with pics of family

My husband aka Daddy

homemade dyed t- shirt
Coupon book with coupons the kids and I make ourselves, some ideas are:

breakfast in bed
15 minute massage
manicure or pedicure
date out to restaurant of his choice

I'm sure the kid's will think up some more coupons

these are the only homemade gifts I've come up with for him so far. He is really hard to buy for, partly because he is such a simple person. He really wants a football jersey for the Dallas cowboys and I'm pretty sure I will have to buy that one at a store:)

My friend Linda

Journal
two homemade dolls

I still have to find out to make these. she collects dolls, and I thought the kids would be excited to help make one especially for her.

This is all I have so far. These are all just ideas and I'm not sure I will make everyone everything I have listed. I am going to start however with something that I am sure I want to make. I will be starting on the journals and the color by number pictures this weekend. I will post pictures and directions for the journals when we are finished.

If you have any ideas about homemade gifts I welcome your creativity!

Homemade Cole Slaw

2008-11-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

This coleslaw is sooo good! I always make it for BBQ's and anytime I make fried chicken. It is also healthy, which is always an added bonus.

Ingredients:

1 head red cabbage
1-2 large carrots (or a handful of mini baby carrots)
Mayonnaise
a couple splashes of raw apple cider vinegar
4 packets steevia (you can substitute with 1 tbls. sugar, but it isn't as healthy)

Directions:

Start by shredding the cabbage and the carrots with a cheese grater into a large serving bowl.
Next, add enough maynnaiose to your liking. You want it to be a good consistency and a little creamy looking. Then add your vinegar and steevia. Stir well and chill in freezer for 10 minutes before serving (I like mine really cold.) You can always add more steevia and vinegar until it suites your taste buds.

I hope you enjoy!

What I love About You

2008-09-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

I read something that said "Don't just tell your children that you love them, tell them what you love about them."

Juliet~ I love your kind eyes, gentle touch, wild hair, strong spirit, the way you read out loud, goofy dance, love for God, and your passion for adventure.

Evan~ I love your smile, silly jokes, hugs, Eskimo kisses at bedtime, apples at bedtime, stinky feet, mater face, and gentle heart.

I love everything about you both and you could never do anything to make me love you any more than I already do right now.

My Best Friend

2008-09-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

You are precious to me. Everyday with you is a blessing, sometimes I just don't know it!

Your friendship has saved me. I prayed for you since I was a small girl.

In every way I want you to know that I love you just the way you are...as imperfect as that may be sometimes (he,he).

Your something else, daddy!