On the Fifth Day of Christmas

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my parents gave to me: This is NOT a Math Book

 This book combines math and art making both a lot of fun. Designed for kids 9 and up, to enjoy math and take a break from the repetitive drill work. This gives them a chance to enjoy math in a fun new way. (Don't tell the kids but even adults have enjoyed this book. Shhhhh) 

The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales

Farmyard tales are great duel level readers. You can read just the top or read all the words and the story still makes sense. This wonderful collection has a CD of the stories which mom's love to pop in the van or car.

 Muddle and Match

 

These delightful books will keep kids laughing and having fun while teaching them descriptive words and action words, making super silly sentences. Let your kids muddle up the pages and laugh at the results. 


100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly

This wonderful book comes with paper and directions to make some really awesome paper planes. This is the #1 book purchased for birthday and Christmas gifts. The hubby has so much fun making planes with the girls. 

There are a few choices for these awesome books: 100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 100 More Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 200 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly which is a combined volume of the first two, 100 Paper Dragons to Fold and Fly, and 100 Spaceships to Fold and Fly. 

  
 Secrets of Winter

This super fun book is a Shine-a-Light Book. Each page has something hiding and when you shine a flashlight behind that page, you'll see what's hiding. We love these books and I know your kids will too.  There are five others to chose from: On the Construction site, Secrets of the Seashore, Secrets of the Apple Tree, On the Train, Secrets of the Rain Forest.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

On the Forth Day of Christmas my parents gave to me: The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales

Farmyard tales are great duel level readers. You can read just the top or read all the words and the story still makes sense. This wonderful collection has a CD of the stories which mom's love to pop in the van or car.

 Muddle and Match

 

These delightful books will keep kids laughing and having fun while teaching them descriptive words and action words, making super silly sentences. Let your kids muddle up the pages and laugh at the results. 


100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly

This wonderful book comes with paper and directions to make some really awesome paper planes. This is the #1 book purchased for birthday and Christmas gifts. The hubby has so much fun making planes with the girls. 

There are a few choices for these awesome books: 100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 100 More Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 200 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly which is a combined volume of the first two, 100 Paper Dragons to Fold and Fly, and 100 Spaceships to Fold and Fly. 

  
 Secrets of Winter

This super fun book is a Shine-a-Light Book. Each page has something hiding and when you shine a flashlight behind that page, you'll see what's hiding. We love these books and I know your kids will too.  There are five others to chose from: On the Construction site, Secrets of the Seashore, Secrets of the Apple Tree, On the Train, Secrets of the Rain Forest.

On the Third Day of Christmas

One the third day of Christmas my parents gave to me: Muddle and Match

 

These delightful books will keep kids laughing and having fun while teaching them descriptive words and action words, making super silly sentences. Let your kids muddle up the pages and laugh at the results. 


100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly

This wonderful book comes with paper and directions to make some really awesome paper planes. This is the #1 book purchased for birthday and Christmas gifts. The hubby has so much fun making planes with the girls. 

There are a few choices for these awesome books: 100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 100 More Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 200 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly which is a combined volume of the first two, 100 Paper Dragons to Fold and Fly, and 100 Spaceships to Fold and Fly. 

  
 Secrets of Winter

This super fun book is a Shine-a-Light Book. Each page has something hiding and when you shine a flashlight behind that page, you'll see what's hiding. We love these books and I know your kids will too.  There are five others to chose from: On the Construction site, Secrets of the Seashore, Secrets of the Apple Tree, On the Train, Secrets of the Rain Forest.

On the Second Day of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas my parents gave to me: 100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly

This wonderful book comes with paper and directions to make some really awesome paper planes. This is the #1 book purchased for birthday and Christmas gifts. The hubby has so much fun making planes with the girls. 

There are a few choices for these awesome books: 100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 100 More Paper Planes to Fold and Fly, 200 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly which is a combined volume of the first two, 100 Paper Dragons to Fold and Fly, and 100 Spaceships to Fold and Fly. 

  
 Secrets of Winter

This super fun book is a Shine-a-Light Book. Each page has something hiding and when you shine a flashlight behind that page, you'll see what's hiding. We love these books and I know your kids will too.  There are five others to chose from: On the Construction site, Secrets of the Seashore, Secrets of the Apple Tree, On the Train, Secrets of the Rain Forest. 

Being Blessed With Sick Kids

A few weeks ago as Christmas was drawing near and our plans were being finalized, I had in my mind the vision of how Christmas was going to go. Here is how I envisioned it would go:

Tuesday my in-laws would come over sometime around noon. We would get food ready and eat. Kids would open presents and then go play downstairs with them. The adults would sit around and visit for a few hours. 

Around four we'd start getting girls ready for church. At five we'd be sitting together at the Christmas Eve Service. 

When we got back the girls would open their blankets I made them and the Polar Express book. Then we'd watch the movie, drink hot chocolate, and eat some caramel corn. 

Wednesday morning we were to open presents, smile, laugh, and enjoy the morning. Then we'd get dressed and head over to my parents house and have some pancakes while we wait for my brother and his fiance to get there. 

We'd open gifts again, smile, laugh and enjoy the kiddos. The rest of the day would be spent getting our meal together, visiting, and playing a game or two. 

Doesn't that sound like the perfect Christmas? Who wouldn't want a Christmas like that? Well it didn't really go like that at all. Here is how Christmas really went for us this year:

 Tuesday my in-laws did come over before noon. As I'm getting the meal together, my middle daughter needed to be cleaned up and comforted because she had diarrhea. Later the little one was discovered to have diarrhea also. That meant someone was going to stay home with the younger two instead of going to church. 

My husband went with our oldest and when they returned it had started snowing pretty well. That meant that the husband would be out all night moving snow, so we opened all the presents that night. 

Because it took a little while to do so, it was too late to watch the Polar Express. Instead we read the book while drinking hot chocolate. 

As the two older girls were finishing their hot chocolate, I was sitting on the couch with the little one and of course she had to throw up all over her new blanket. 

Husband got the other two to bed, I got the little one to bed, and he headed out to move snow. It was a long night, ending with someone in bed with me and it was not my husband. 

Wednesday morning started with the girls watching the Polar Express, me starting cinnamon rolls and the little one throwing up, again. 

The husband got home and blew off our driveway around 9am (we had about twice as much snow as predicted). Little one went back to sleep, husband went to sleep, and the other two girls and I headed to my parents. 

We opened presents, chatted for a little bit and then I had a phone call from the husband and little one. She was hungry (which made sense since she had very little to eat in 24 hours and threw up what little she did have). 

I came home, gave her a cracker and a sip of juice and snuggled. After an hour she seemed ok so we headed to my parents again. 

I spent the next few hours snuggling with her and chatting with my family. She got really tired and want to go home and sleep in her own bed so her and I headed home, alone. 

At five I woke her up so we could go eat supper with the family. She ate a little bread and turkey, but looked very out of it still. We didn't stay long and headed home to get everyone in bed. My husband was the first in bed, he was extremely tired. 

 There were some really important lessons I learned yesterday. My Christmas was far from the perfect one I imagined. I did enjoy Christmas despite everything. 

I was forced to slow down and just be. I'm a planner and when things don't go the way I planned, I sometimes have a hard time with those changes. It creates a lot of anxiety in me. Forcing me to sit and cuddle the sick child made me sit and be. I couldn't be in control of anything except the care of my child. It made my Christmas one of the most relaxed I've had in a long time. 

I was given opportunities. Because I came home alone so my little one could nap, I was given a chance get some things cleaned up and a break from everything. I had a chance to sit in a quite house and have some time alone. That is such a rarity for me. It gave me peace and time for reflection. It was a wonderful time of renewal of energy for me even though it was only a few hours. 

 This Christmas I was very blessed to have sick kids. I was given things I never asked for but very much needed. God is truly amazing that way. He will give us what we ask but also what we don't ask. He knows our needs even when we don't. 

 

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 12 and 13

Money Saving Mom

Christmas baking is one of my favorite things about Christmas and one of the worst things about Christmas. I already made my Christmas Cookies. Last year we made cake mix cutout cookies. Although it's not my favorite, my kids and husband loved them. 

I tried three other new recipes:

 
Easy Gingerbread Recipe from Snap Creativity

Red Velvet Cookies

  Our Italian Kitchen 

I plan on doing some prepping for the week of Christmas with some breakfasts made ahead and waiting in the freezer. Most likely I will have at least cinnamon rolls. I haven't decided too far ahead and need to figure out what ingredients I already have. 

Are you doing any holiday baking this week?

If you haven't gotten Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine you can do so here. I would really encourage you to do so. There are so many great ideas to help get you through the holiday season and so many extra resources to use.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 11

Money Saving Mom

I love Christmas books. My two favorite have to be The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck and The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. I read them both last year and now am in search of at least one this year. 

For my girls, we read from the Disney's Christmas Storybook Collection, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Christmas Donkey, and so many more. Click HERE for our full list.

What Christmas books are you reading?


If you haven't gotten Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine you can do so here. I would really encourage you to do so. There are so many great ideas to help get you through the holiday season and so many extra resources to use.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 10

Money Saving Mom

Today my husband and I sat down to make a bucket list. With our girls still being pretty small, our list is pretty simple. It is also helping us develop our own traditions, separate from our extended families.

Here's our list:

• See Christmas lights at Sibley Park (huge light display)
• Make Christmas Cookies
• Make a snowman (if we get enough snow)
• Go sledding (if we get enough snow and it warms up)
• Polar Express night (plan on Christmas Eve)
• Grinch day (plan on Friday)

 Hopefully we get to do everything. What's on your bucket list?

If you haven't gotten Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine you can do so here. I would really encourage you to do so. There are so many great ideas to help get you through the holiday season and so many extra resources to use.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas:Day 9

Money Saving Mom

Finishing Christmas cards today. I ordered our photo cards in November and wrote our Christmas letter last week. I'm ready to print off the letter and start addressing them.


If you haven't gotten Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine you can do so here. I would really encourage you to do so. There are so many great ideas to help get you through the holiday season and so many extra resources to use.

Christmas card 2013 3

View the entire collection of cards.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 8

 Oh the dreaded or maybe not dreaded Christmas card. I guess it depends on if you like to write or not. I've done the family Christmas letter since I was in middle schoool. It was something my parents wanted to do but didn't really have the interest to sit and write it, so I would take on the responsibility. Since our kids have been born I've started writing our new family Christmas letter.

This year I decided to do it a little differently. Instead of a straight forward letter, I changed it up and made it look more like a newspaper. Each of us has it's own column except my husband and I share. Check out Pinterest, it has so many great Christmas letter ideas. 

This is a chance to tell those you see little of what is going on in your life. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail and reading up on what everyone has done the past year. Have some fun with the letter. It doesn't need to be long or detailed. Do it as a date night with the hubby.

If you haven't gotten Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine you can do so here. I would really encourage you to do so. There are so many great ideas to help get you through the holiday season and so many extra resources to use.

21 Days to a Simple Christams: Day 5

Day 5's task is scheduling when you will finish your shopping time and leaving yourself less stressful buy having a plan. When are you going to shop, where are you going to shop, and what are you going to get at each store.

If you decided to make some gifts like I have, you'll need to plan a time to work on them. I have two of the three blankets for my daughters made. I can get it done in about 60 to 90 minutes so one night very soon, I'll have to finish the last one. 

My online shopping will leave me with only a few people left to buy for. I plan on doing that today and tomorrow to ensure they are here on time. Since I'm not sure what we are going to get the rest yet, I can't really plan a shopping day. The good thing is that my husband will be able to pick up those last few presents leaving me a little less stressful.

If you haven't gotten Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine you can do so here.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge: Day 4

Day 4 of this challenge brings us to checking our gift list and asking ourselves what we really can afford, what we really need to buy, and do they need everything? Are there things I could make instead? Streamlining and making our final list might be one of the easiest and one of the hardest things to do.

In my family we often go in together on gifts which can make it easier, but often times harder since we can't always agree until last minute.

The only person I am really having a hard time making a list for is my husband. About a month ago I had no ideas for him and now I've had to cut down the list or spend $300 on him. That is not going to happen.

There are a few people we haven't decided what to get yet. About half my shopping is already done and the other half shouldn't take me long. Some will be purchased online and others in store.

Check out Day 4 on moneysavingmom.com and get your FREE copy of Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas.

The Season of Giving: Operation Christmas Child

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/

This is the second year we have done Operation Christmas Child with the girls. For anyone who has never heard of it before, it is part of Samaritans Purse which was founded by Franklin Graham. Operation Christmas Child's goal is to spread the good news of Salvation along with toys and essentials these kids need. 

The boxes are given to kids in very poor regions, often in war torn areas.Many of these children have never and will never receive a Christmas gift. It is a wonderful opportunity to share the love of Christ. 

We built our shoe boxes for around $15 a piece. We hit up the dollar store for some fun items, and also more practical items like soap, washcloth, toothpaste, toothbrush, and a hair brush. The girls enjoyed picking out items for a little girl around the same age as them. 

You can still pack your shoe box. Just go online at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/ and they can pack it for you. 

We want to teach our kids to have a giving heart. Giving them opportunities such as this, will help cultivate that giving heart.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge: Day 3

 

Today is Day 3: Making a list and checking it twice. I had a list in my head but now it's time to write down who I have to buy for. We have a small list because we are trying hard to get out of debt and so buy for the bare minimum. There has been years past that I have done this because it really does help organizing thoughts and time making it less stressful. Plus I love lists!

Here's my list:

• My Husband
• My girls
• The dog
• Siblings
• Parents
• Nephews
•  Cousins (names that were drawn)

It may be short, but we keep things simple. Christmas isn't about how many gifts you give but the spirit that the birth of Christ brings to us each and every day.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 2

Today's day 2 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge and probably the hardest for many out there: BUDGET. If you have been following my blog you'll know that we have been going through the My Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. It truly has been life changing and this year we head into the Christmas season with money set aside and many gifts already bought. 

To set enough money aside I had to sit down and figure out what we spend on gifts for everyone for Christmas, Birthdays, and Mother's and Father's Day. After I figured that out I divided it by 12 and so every month we set aside $75 for gifts. 

This year we are looking at spending about $365 on siblings, nephews, and our parents. Some of those gifts have already been purchased. This may be the last year we exchange with my siblings and spouses and instead exchange names and donate to a charity instead.

On our kids we spent around $50 a piece which includes blankets I made them and a few toys.

I use gift cards I've earned from Amazon and the cash back on our credit card (which we use like a debit card and I track EVERY SINGLE PENNY) to pay for my husband's gift. He uses cash he's gotten here and there often times money he's gotten donating plasma.

We've always known what we'd spend on each person and have stayed on our sort of budget but this is the first year we will not have to come up with the money after the fact. We have the money up front, just sitting there waiting for Christmas to come around. I cannot tell you how much less stress I feel about that.

21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge: Day 1

 

I am happy to announce I will be participating in 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge over on moneysavingmom.com. I am very excited to see what Crystal has come up with in her new book to make Christmas simple and give us the opportunity to enjoy this time of year.

If you would like to participate check out Day 1 which gives directions on how you can participate too.

Today's Challenge: Write a mission statement for the Christmas season.

This Christmas season I want to make Christ the center. Instead of worry over food and gifts, I want to slow down and take time to remember that miraculous birth over 2000 years ago. Along with that, I want to take time to spend with my family, specially my husband and 3 girls.

What are we reading this month?

Here is a list of the books we are planning on reading this month. Since it is December they are all Christmas related books.

• Corduroy's Christmas Surprise 
• One Snowy Night by M. Christina Butler
• An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco
• Clifford's First Christmas by Norman Bridwell
• Christmas Angel by Quinlan B.Lee
• The Christmas Donkey
• The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
• Christmas Storybook Collection from Disney

What are you reading this December?

Merry Christmas

 

I want to take a chance and wish you all a Merry Christmas. I pray that you all are having a blessed holiday with family and friends. 

Thank you to all our families who are missing someone because they are serving our country and protecting our freedom. Not only are they heroes but also the families who wait at home for their return. Your sacrifice means so much to me and my family THANK YOU! 

I pray for those missing someone this Holiday season. There are those who are hurting and morning the loss of someone they love. Let's be there for them and love them as this time is hard for them. 

Thank you for all of you for reading my blog. I love being a housewife and stay at home mom and sharing about my experiences with you. MERRY CHRISTMAS