{Simple} St. Patrick’s Day Cookies
March 8, 2010 by Ruthanne
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.
May your heart be as light as a song.
May each day bring you bright happy hours,
That stay with you all year long.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Are you going to do anything special to commemorate the day? I’ve found lots of fun crafts and book recommendations floating around the blogosphere, as well as some adorable baked goodies.
These cookies don’t really fall into the adorable category, but they certainly fall into the simple one.
I started out with our family’s favorite cookie recipe, one I’m sure most everyone is familiar with ~ the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
After I combined the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla, I added several drops of green food coloring. Add as many drops as it takes to get the color you’re wanting.
Just be sure you don’t overdo it. If you add too much, your dough will change consistency.
Then, I added in the flour, baking soda and salt.
Instead of adding all semi-sweet chocolate morsels, I decided to use half white chocolate ~ to give it the cookies a little more oomph.
Serve them warm with a tall glass of cold milk. Your children will thank you!
Ruthanne has been homeschooling for just over a decade. She’s passionate about many things ~ the Lord, her principal and students (mother to four boys and a girl), photography, baking and really good coffee. You can find her blogging at www.eclecticwhatnot.com where she shares a few random thoughts and loads of pictures.
Teaching Children to Cook (Part I)
March 3, 2010 by Montserrat
Every child loves to help cook and bake. The magic of mixing ingredients together to produce yummy cookies and getting to spend time with mom or dad in the process of it all creates some fun experiences. It can also become overwhelming when there are too many helpers that create a bigger mess taking more time to cook something than if mom just did it herself. I know. I’ve been there. Actually I’m still there.
When my two oldest were about 5 and 6 I realized the need to create a “battle plan” of sorts to teach them to cook without causing extra stress on my part. I also wrote down my long term goals of skills I wanted my children to learn: cooking and baking, creating healthy menus, writing grocery lists, and sticking to a food budget.
Now that my two oldest are totally independent in the kitchen doing the whole shebang, I’ve realized the fruits of my labors have been very sweet. It was a long process but so worth the end result. This article is the first in a series of how this very important life skill can be taught to children of all ages.
Cooking and Baking
Kids of any age can help in the kitchen. As long as you keep in mind their fine motor development, not giving them tasks that are too hard for them to accomplish, and provide plenty of supervision as well as patience mixed with a dose of humor.
Cooking should be a fun, enjoyable activity for all involved. Remembering the following will greatly help to keep cooking fun: it will take longer to cook things, messes will be made, mistakes will be made, but it can be a rewarding experience.
The chores at our house are rotated on a weekly basis. This means each child gets kitchen duty for a whole week cooking and cleaning, providing plenty of opportunity to cook and bake a variety of dishes during their turn. Here’s what you can expect children to be capable of doing in the kitchen.
18 months – 2 years old My little ones begin by helping me to pour and stir. Not only do they enjoy dumping stuff (think of their play in the sandbox here) they also enjoy mixing things together. Sometimes I even let them use their hands. That may sound uncouth to some of you, but little kids really learn by touching and feeling. No harm is done if a good hand washing precedes the baking.
3-5 years old This age group gets to help do the measuring, learns to crack an egg (in a separate bowl of course so you can extract shells before they get into the batter), wraps potatoes in foil, and chops soft food with a butter knife (olives, bananas, etc).
6-8 years old I start teaching them how to read a recipe and follow it. They also get to start cooking on the stove top with plenty of supervision, help grease pans, fill muffin and cupcake tins, crack eggs by themselves, start using the mixer with supervision, and get to use real knives for chopping fruits and vegetables, grate cheese, etc.
9-11 years old My children are given more independence in the kitchen. They are taught to use the oven properly. They can usually cook on the stovetop without much help – flipping pancakes, cooking meat, etc. They read the recipes and follow them with very little help from me.
12 and up After having all these years of preparation by this age my children are able to do everything without my help, including plan the meals for the week and create a grocery list that sticks to our food budget. These areas will be covered in later posts. At this age they also like to experiment with recipes trying different spices or even creating new recipes. Sometimes it makes for very interesting meals!
Any questions or other things you want to know about cooking with your kids? Ask away! We’ll try to keep these inquiries in mind when writing subsequent posts on teaching your children to cook.
Montserrat is completely devoted to her wonderful husband, Joseph, and their seven (soon to be eight) children. They live on a 2,500 acre alfalfa farm nestled in a small Northern Nevada valley. They’ve been homeschooling for 10+ years. Montserrat enjoys, photography, cooking, crafting, chocolate, and sloppy goodnight kisses. She strives to live each day as God would have her do following Mary’s biblical supplication, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) You can find her at her blog Chocolate On My Cranium.
School Organization for Everyday
February 22, 2010 by Leslie
One thing that everyone tries to accomplish at the beginning of each school year is to make a system that will work for keeping things organized. We all dream of mornings that are non-chaotic with never a spinny, spin, spin for that one needed item that seems to be hiding somewhere. “I know I put that pencil somewhere, but where?”
Here is a system that can put those mornings behind you forever!
Consider a simple cubby system. Yup, just like they have at schools, but maybe not quite so elaborate. I looked high and low and we priced lumber for the exact size cubbies we needed for our family. Unfortunately I was NOT willing to pay the high prices for this organization.
BUT then I found a way to do it for a mere $13!
I took into account what items I needed for the kids to have at their ready every day. This included a rather large school box (which are color coded for each child: one child is blue, one is green, etc), an oversized art box, that seems to be designed for 12 x 12 scrapbook paper, and space for a bag or backpack.
Wal-Mart had this little build it yourself plastic storage shelves in different sizes. I found the one that had the dimensions I needed, taking into account the space I had to place the cubby system. Since I don’t have a lot of room, I had to find a corner and it had to be tall, rather than wide. It cost $13.
I brought it home and put it together in seven minutes. To each shelf I placed a color coded name label. Then the boxes went on. Every morning the kids grab their boxes and we are ready for the day. When the school day is over, it is their responsibility to replace the items in the box and back on the shelf.
Each Friday I have a box check. I count how many glues sticks, pencils, markers, crayons, sharpeners, papers, folders, etc. If a box is missing an item, the child has 10 minutes to locate it. If it cannot be located the child must purchase the item him/herself…even my four year old must use her own money to replace items that have not been cared for properly.
If there is an activity on any given day that requires an item not on the shelf such as a particular notebook, backpack, or book, the child will put it on the shelf the night before when he/she is laying out his/her clothes. On co-op and art days the children get up, dress (clothes laid out the night before), grab their boxes, have breakfast and we are out the door! No hassle, nothing forgotten, no scurrying about! One thing about leaving the house with items, is a rule that the boxes must be carried directly from the vehicle and returned to the shelf immediately. This eliminates car build up and running around grabbing the box the next day. The boxes must be on the shelf before lights out.
One note about color coding: I have found this to be VERY effective in our home. I keep to the simple colors that I KNOW I can find for items such as rulers, pencils, boxes, erasers, scissors, folders, etc. In this way, if I find an item lying about or the children are putting their school items away, there is never confusion about to whom the item belongs.
We have cut down on our morning prep time by about 20 minutes. Try this system; it’s simple, frugal, AND effective!
Leslie Valeska is the wife of Thomas and homeschooling mother of four children who reside in SW Florida. Her family operates Fresh Gear Solutions, LLC and enjoys RVing. She is the founder and director of Simple Journey Ministries which was established to encourage, inspire, and support women on their journey to Godly womanhood. Leslie is also employed as a vintage seamstress by Vintage Vixen.
The Dinner Table & the Family Meal
February 11, 2010 by Rachael
Fixing an excellent meal takes lots of planning and work. There is no getting around it. Anything that takes hard work to accomplish is usually worth the effort. However, the rewards and benefits outweigh the cost of time and energy and I have seen several benefits from all this hard work.
First, I can serve healthy meals on a low budget and feel good about what I am serving. Accomplishing this is no laughing matter. When I have slacked off my planning, I typically forgo the work because I am lost as to what to serve and so I settle for convenience. This leads to guilt! I hate guilt. I like the feeling I have when I am winning the battle of accomplishing a plan. When I don’t plan, guilt follows and makes me feel like I am losing that battle. Without guilt, I get to feel good about what I am serving and know my children will grow up strong and healthy (so I pray and plan!).
Second, putting forth all the effort of planning the menu makes me also plan meal times and an evening schedule. It forces me to try to be wise with my time and put value my dinner table with my family. I like to schedule at least 1 hour to sit down, eat, & fellowship. I don’t know how people eat on the run every meal, every day and not suffer the physical consequences (like heart burn and indigestion from eating too fast) not to mention some other consequences like spiritual and relational. Planning for the meal times helps my dinner table to be more relaxed.
Third, the fellowship we enjoy at the table is immense joy. This fellowship time has provided opportunities for discussion, play, & spiritual training that might otherwise have been lost. Some great discussion ideas that we have participated in have been daily happenings, likes and dislikes, compliments to each at the table, dreams for the near and far future, and meal table etiquette training. An excellent book that has assisted me in this area is called Elbows Off the Table, Napkin in the Lap, No Video Games During Dinner: The Modern Guide to Teaching Children Good Manners by Carol McD. Wallace. Another resource for ideas is an article from AboveRubies.com titled “Dinner Time Conversations”. Communication really does take work even for those of us who seem to “converse” more naturally than others. Sometimes conversation just sparks itself but other times you need to provide the flame with some questions and ideas.
We also love to play at the dinner table. One of my daughter’s favorite Christmas presents was the little game from Wal-Mart.com titled Beginner Dinner Games (geared for ages 3-6). They are so much fun for all of us and come in a cute little tin box. Each game is printed on spill proof cards. My children usually ask to play something from it at every meal and my response is to remind them that they are “dinner” games, not also breakfast and lunch. That is so I don’t get bored with them. Another great book that has helped in the games area is called 500 Five Minute Games by Jackie Silberg. When we play a game at the table, we play after everyone has almost finished their meal and the play lasts at the most 10 minutes. My kids would love it to last longer but we parents know that chore packs and family devotion are yet to be done.
The opportunities for spiritual training have been a huge blessing. We have read passages from the Bible or The Golden Children’s Bible (highly recommended!), worked on a family memory verse together, memorized group prayers to say all together for the meal blessing, spoke blessings over the children (utilizing the book Bless Your Children Everyday by Mary Swope), and recently discovered the blessing meal. It is described in an article from AboveRubies.com. The title of the article is “The Shabbat Meal” and it describes in detail this once a week special meal that the whole family looks forward to. So for us one evening meal does not necessarily look like the next but there is some form of fellowship happening at every meal.
These three rewards- a healthy meal, a relaxed dining experience, and fellowship with my family- are indeed worth all my planning and work. I need to be honest. The actual work is easy but it’s the planning that is hard. Your time invested in planning will pay off. I remember recently having a conversation with an adult friend who was asked what the favorite memories of her childhood were. She said that all that really sticks out in her mind was the vacations and family meals. Vacations are few and far between but something that is as valuable as the family meal takes place everyday! We have the opportunity to make lasting memories in the minds of our children as well as lasting relationships with our family.
I also have another friend who was in a Bible study with me and made the comment that her family does not have the time to sit down together because of outside responsibilities. She revealed to me that they had lost the family meal as her kids got older and their time away from home was often. I would challenge her and people like her that perhaps her priorities are misplaced. How your everyday life looks (what you spend your time doing) is what you believe in and live for.
My priorities are God first, marriage second, and children third. My marriage and my motherhood depend on the family meal. I also see how meal times are spiritual. I believe that God designed us to eat multiple times in a day to point to the spiritual world. We need food like we need God- everyday, all day long, not just to survive but to thrive. Eating with our families not only nourishes our bodies but it also nourishes our souls and spirits.
Bon Appétit from my dinner table to yours!
“COME TO THE TABLE!”
From Psalm 128“Come to the table, supper’s ready to eat.”
All the children come running to find their seat,
At the head of the table father takes his place
And with all gathered round he says the grace.He’s made an effort to be home from his work,
From his place at the table he will not shirk,
He affirms his commitment to his family and wife
And his presence at the table eliminates strife.Mother has taken time to prepare a nice meal,
Full of nutrition, not a pre-packaged deal,
She delights to cook for her growing brood,
Knowing it’s a sacred task to prepare their food.The table’s inviting – a clean tablecloth too,
The plates nicely set, perhaps a candle or two.
The children all help and do their part
To make the table look great and very smart.What joy to be together at the end of the day,
To laugh, communicate, and each have a say,
To share the day’s happenings with one another
And tell what they’ve learned to father and mother.The plates are now empty, they’re full to the top!
Is it time to leave the table? No! Stop, stop!
We’ve fed only the body and the soul so far,
The best part’s to come, and it’s not out of a jar.It’s time for devotions; we must feed the spirit,
Of the blessing from this, there is no limit.
Father opens the Bible and to his family he reads
Sowing into their hearts God’s eternal seeds.Now it’s time to pray, each one takes a turn,
They pray for needs as God’s will they discern,
They give thanks for blessings with a grateful heart
And develop a spirit of gratitude right from the start.God’s blessing is on this family we know
As around the table their “olive plants” grow,
God’s smile is upon them as they follow His way
And establish this principle for now and always.Nancy Campbell
Rachael is wife to a Navy Tubist and mommy to three children, ages 1 to 6. She is Director of a Classical Conversations group and a childbirth educator and doula. She works along side her hubby on their hobby farm and has a passion for kitchen experiments. She aspires to train and reach the hearts of her children that they may know the purpose of life is to know Jesus and make Him known to others.
Become an Action Lister
January 11, 2010 by Leslie
I was talking to a new homeschooling mom a couple of weeks ago who was in the frantic…”It’s time to get busy”…stage.
You know when you have to pull it all together, but have never done it before, and ALL of the thoughts of what you simply MUST accomplish to succeed are spinning around your head. Oh this is a terrifying place to be in mentally. However, this need not be the case.
I am a lister of lists. This means that everything in my world is on a list of one type or another. Yes, I do keep a running list of the lists I have. I may even have lists of lists of lists. I will have to check that out. Three generations of lists for one woman? Isn’t that a little extreme? Yes and No.
For me, I need every one of those lists or my mind would stray and I would miss a lot. Those who know me well, know that I am NOT Johnny on the Spot when it comes to remembering things from my head. I remember them from my lists. The important thing I stressed to the mom was that it isn’t the actual list(s) that matter. What makes the difference is to have a process that works for YOU to actually work through the list.
You will spend way less time AND money on anything that you finish. A scrapbook with supplies lying around that you spent money on but have no time to work on is a WASTE of money. You and I both know that saying you’ll get to it someday usually means that when the day comes it has been so long, you can’t find what you need and what you do find may be in less than pristine condition. (The first person who tattles on my long spurt of not scrapping is getting a box of eggshells in the mail!) But the truth is, it isn’t on the list.
I have developed a very simple process of how to work through my lists and shift items from other lists to my main TO DO list in the right time frame. I cross EVERY item off as soon as it is completed (which is the BIG reward for me). From my main list I pick the top three things that HAVE TO be done that day and put them at the top. In this way, when life happens, as it usually does, I am still able to accomplish the MOST important things. Everything will get done in turn as it moves up the list.
This is a simple method that TRULY has the benefits of producing a more simple life AND a more frugal life. Take time to develop a process that will get you from being just a lister to an Action Lister! Success will be yours in the VERY FIRST DAY!
Leslie Valeska is the wife of Thomas and homeschooling mother of four children who reside in SW Florida. Her family operates Fresh Gear Solutions, LLC and enjoys RVing. She is the founder and director of Simple Journey Ministries which was established to encourage, inspire, and support women on their journey to Godly womanhood. Leslie is also employed as a vintage seamstress by Vintage Vixen.
Get Control of the Calendar
December 31, 2009 by Chris
Start 2010 with a new organizational habit
Are you ready to flip the calendar? Ready or not, 2010 is upon us. While I am not a proponent of ringing in the New Year with resolutions, I do suggest trying your hand at a new strategy for the coming months.
We are at the midpoint in our school year at my house. The weather is uninviting and it is far too easy for me to bury my head under the covers (at least mentally) until spring. I find that a little organization keeps the days and weeks from peeling away into moments I can’t recall.
For her best New Year’s tip, I called on Lil Nolan O’Keeffe, a certified professional organizer with ABC (Anything But Chaos) Professionals. Lil specializes in working with those who are chronically disorganized and those who have Attention Deficit Disorder. She organizes businesses and homes, including homeschooling families, and is also a mother of three.
For all families, Lil says a control center for activities is a basic starting point. She recommends buying a large desk calendar, available for $1 – $2.
“I cut off each page and put it on the refrigerator with magnets,” she says. “It really is good. Everything is done in pencil and everyone can see the calendar. I color-code with highlighters. At a glance, I see Friday has three blue stripes and I know we have three going to basketball.”
A different color could be used for sports, co-op, music lessons, church activities, etc.
It sounds daunting at first, but Lil’s system keeps everyone aware of activities outside the home and makes children responsible for their own schedules.
“They check the calendar every day,” she says. “If it’s on the calendar and they’ve missed it, that puts the responsibility on their plate. They know where to go to find that information. It’s a life lesson. I work with people that have never had that teaching from home and these people are lost.”
Also on her refrigerator/control center are Lil’s menu plan and shopping list for the week. She sets aside time a few days before the end of each month to organize the next month’s calendar. That time is an investment that results in less stress and a calmer environment at home.
“If you value your time and less stress in your life, put a bit of effort in it and you reap the rewards,” she says. “It’s a life change. A habit takes 21 days to form and 21 days to break. Getting organized doesn’t take a lot of money. It takes time to get it set up and then just maintenance. People think everything has to be perfect. That is a myth. Organization is functional.”
And that’s a New Year’s habit that can last for a lifetime.
January is “Go” month for the National Association of Professional Organizers. The organization will feature tips and information online at www.napo.net.
Chris Worthy is mom to Caroline (15) and Nolan (10) and will soon celebrate 20 years of marriage to her favorite person, John. Chris practiced law before becoming a writer and stay-at-home mother more than 10 years ago. She enjoys cooking, crafting, spoiling dogs, green living and rummaging though old books. Follow along at www.chrisworthy.com
New Year’s Treats: Simple Turtles
December 31, 2009 by Marsha
When I think of New Year’s Eve, I think back to my childhood where we’d have another family (or two) over and party at home. We’d ring in the new year with board games, laughter and LOTS of snacks.
Since Christmas required an abundance of cooking, I say we hit the easy button when it comes to New Year’s Eve snacks!
My family has always loved this quick recipe for Simple Turtles. We love it for its simplicity, few ingredients and kid-friendly steps.
INGREDIENTS:
- tiny pretzel twists
- Rolo candies, unwrapped
- pecan halves
1 pretzel twist + 1 Rolo + 1 pecan half = 1 treat
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet. You may wish to line it with parchment paper or a light coating of cooking spray.
3. Place 1 Rolo atop each pretzel.
4. Put in 300 degree oven for 3-4 minutes, or until candy is soft (but still keeps its shape).
5. Remove from oven and immediately press pecan half on top of each candied twist. Make sure children are careful as the pan will still be hot!
(If you don’t care for pecan halves or would rather have a more colorful treat, you can smoosh it down with peanut M&Ms instead!)
6. Cool completely before removing from the pan. If you are compelled to not eat all of the turtles in one sitting, leftovers may be stored in an airtight container. I recommend layering with wax paper to keep them from sticking together.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y’ALL! May God bless you abundantly!
Marsha is proud to be the Mrs. to David for over 13 years. They have been homeschooling their rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for the past 6 years. When she’s feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog — and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Other Such Happenings.
Show Your Appreciation at Christmas
December 17, 2009 by JenniferR
Several years ago, as Christmas was fast approaching, I had a dilemma. I wanted to give small but meaningful gifts to a large number of people (pastors, church office workers, child care workers, teachers, coworkers, neighbors, and friends), but I had very little money to make it happen. I wanted the gifts to be useful and practical, but also something that would be a good fit for all types of families (singles, large families, couples with grown children, etc.).
My answer came when I ran across an article in a magazine that showed a layered cookie mix in a jar. I knew that’s what I wanted to do, so I made about 40 of those mixes that year. Everyone loved them so much that a new tradition was born in our family.
Since then, my gift mix obsession has grown as I have explored more creative types of mixes in more unusual packaging. We have made over 100 gift mixes in a given year. At this point, the question from friends isn’t whether or not we will give them a mix, but WHAT mix will we give and HOW will we package it. I have even had certain recipes requested year after year because they were so tasty!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with gift mixes, a gift mix is simply the dry ingredients for a recipe packaged as a gift. The recipient receives instructions for how to finish the recipe and what wet ingredients to add. The most popular gift mixes are “Gift in a Jar” mixes. These are basically mixes that are put into a glass canning jar. The ingredients may be mixed together or layered for a pretty effect.
However, there are many other kinds of gift mixes. You can give mixes for cookies, snack mixes, breads, drinks (hot cocoa, coffee, tea, smoothies, shakes, etc.), soups, rice mixes, cheesecakes, cheese balls, dips, casseroles, or vinegars, just to name a few. You can even design your own mix. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and creativity.
Making a gift mix is simple and takes very little time. When making a large number of mixes, I suggest setting them up in “assembly line” fashion. Get your kids involved and let them help make and package the mixes. They’ll have fun and save you time in the process!
You will also be pleasantly surprised at how inexpensively you can make a large number of mixes. Your cost can be less than $1 per mix, depending on packaging and ingredients! (Nuts and dried fruit will tend to increase your cost considerably.)
While these gifts are very simple to make, there are a few guidelines to follow to make them work properly. Here are some tips on how to make your gift mixes tasty and beautiful.
- Always try the recipe before you give it away. I made this mistake on my first gift mix and when I finally made the cookies, I realized the recipe needed another egg. I had already printed out the recipe tags when I figured it out, so I had to write in the change. Oops!
- Start with the freshest ingredients. Your gift mix will have a shelf life of 3 months in most cases. If you use fresh ingredients, they will keep fresh that long and still taste delicious.
- When layering, try to keep each layer separate and distinct. Unless otherwise directed by your recipe, place the ingredients with the finest grains at the bottom, then add ingredients with larger grains, and finally top them off with any large chunks. Pack down each layer tightly before adding the next layer. Also, your gift will look prettier if you layer light and dark-colored ingredients alternately.
- On the printed tag, add the shelf life of the ingredients (usually about 3 months), as well as instructions to keep the jar in a cool, dark place. Your recipient will be assured of tasty treats even if he or she can’t get around to making them right away.
- List all the ingredients on the printed tag in case the recipients have any allergies you are not aware of.
There are so many ways to package a gift mix, I cannot possibly name them all. They can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. My best advice is to plan ahead – eventually, everything goes on sale! Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Canning Jars (large or small) – Dress up the jar. Take some pretty fabric and cut out a 9” circle with pinking shears. Place the circle on the lid of the jar and secure it around the neck of the jar using raffia or a ribbon. Print out the instructions on fancy paper using a decorative font and tie the instructions to the jar.
- Paper gift bags—Put the gift mix in a zippered sandwich bag to keep it fresh and then put the mix in a pretty bag. Fold down the top and punch 2 holes in it. Tie a ribbon or raffia through the holes to keep it closed. Attach instructions.
- Cloth bags (either purchased or handmade) – Again, put the gift mix in a zippered sandwich bag to keep it fresh.
- Cone bags – These are the decorator bags that you use for icing. Put mix in cone and tie the top with a pretty ribbon. I have used this method to make “hot cocoa cones.” Put the hot cocoa mix in the bottom, a small layer of mini chocolate chips above that, and marshmallows on top.
- Cups or coffee mugs—These work especially well with drink mixes.
- Purchased or recycled plastic containers – You can use icing containers, drink mix containers, or any other container that could be cleaned and re-decorated.
- Tins
- Recycled cans (coffee or other kinds) – Depending on how you decorate, they can bake the goodies right in the can!
- Clay flowerpots – If you are good at painting, you could paint a design on the pot as an additional decorative touch.
- Oven mitts – Put the gift mix in a zippered sandwich bag to keep it fresh and then put the mix in the oven mitt. Attach instructions with raffia or ribbon.
- For an added creative touch, add an embellishment such as a wooden spoon, cookie cutter, or decorative cheese ball serving knife to your package.
As you can see, gift mixes are an easy, frugal, and fun way to bless more people at Christmastime. There are so many people who touch our lives and our children’s lives during the year. Giving these small but meaningful gifts is an encouragement them and lets them know that you appreciate their efforts. Are there people in your life who would love a gift mix? If so, I have listed some resources below to help you find that perfect recipe.
Have you given a gift mix in the past and have a recipe that was a big hit? Do you have a creative idea for packaging not listed here? If so, please leave a comment and share your ideas.
For More Information, Recipes, or Ideas:
- Join an e-mail group that specializes in gift mixes.
- There are lots of gift mix recipe books on the market. Jackie Gannaway has many small gift mix books with recipes and packaging ideas (http://www.cookbookcupboard.com/).
- http://allrecipes.com/ – Search for “in a jar” to find some tried and true mixes.
- http://www.heart4home.net/giftsinajar.htm
- http://members.tripod.com/~MaryMae/jarlinks.htm
- http://www.nikibone.com/recipe/gifts_in_a_jar.html
- http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/christmas/gifts/index.htm
- http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml
- http://www.thatsmyhome.com/general/index.htm
- Or Google “gift mixes” or “gift mix recipes” to find many other links!
Jennifer R. has been married for 20 years to her college sweetheart and began homeschooling her two daughters in 2003, while also working full-time as a computer analyst. Four years later, she was blessed to be able to come home to be with her daughters full-time. She tries to cherish every day she spends at home with her family as she trains her children to use their natural gifts and abilities to glorify God and serve others. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, and crafts and loves to organize theme-based parties. Be sure to visit her blog at Reflections by Jennifer.
When You Are Frazzled…Seek Help From Your Children
December 7, 2009 by JenniferS
Imagine this scenario. The house is a mess, you burned dinner, you have a mountain of laundry that needs to be done, guests are coming over for Christmas dinner, and your nerves are shot. What in the world are you going to do?
I have been there one too many times. At this point, all my resolve would be gone and I would feel the major meltdown coming on. It is also during this time, that my children see the need in my eyes and my attitude and it is then that they step in and take over.
If you have trained your children right in the area of homemaking, when you have moments of stress like this one, then your children should be able to step in and help. It is important to teach them, whether they are boys or girls, how to take care of a home.
Earlier this year I received the biggest blessing in the world. It was the day when I realized that my children had finally gotten that picture of how to care for a home. I had been helping my husband for a week on a remodeling job that he was doing. I would come home in the afternoons so tired and beat, only to have to clean house and cook dinner. It was at this point, that my sweet eleven year old daughter stepped up to the plate.
I came home one evening and walked in the door. Imagine my surprise as I walked in to a wonderful clean home, complete with lit candles, folded and put away laundry. I was speechless. In the back of my mind I kept wondering, where did she learn how to do all of this? When did she grow up so fast? And then the verse from the Bible came to my mind: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” She shared with me that she and her older brother had wanted to do something special for me while I was gone, so they had put aside their playtime that day to clean the house, wash, dry, fold, and put away all the laundry, as well as all the other things that they had done. They knew I needed help, so they stepped up to the plate.
As parents, it is very important to teach our children homemaking skills. I know of many teenagers who leave their home, go off to college, and have no clue how to care for themselves once they get on their own. I vowed a very long time ago that my children were not going to be like that. I have a fifteen year old son who knows how to cook and clean better than any woman, simply because he has been taught. His wife will appreciate that some day.
Teaching our children these simple chores and tasks is very simple. All you have to do is begin with baby steps, such as having them pick up their toys all the time and keeping their room tidy. When they get a bit older, you can give them more chores like putting away their own clothes, or helping you dust. When they still get a little bit older, you can give them even more chores like washing dishes, and vacuming the house. And then by the time they become a teenager, they should be able to run the household smoothly.
As you and your children spend so much time together, look for any opportunity to show them how to do something. Spend time together learning, loving, and sharing For Such a Time As This!
Jennifer Sikora has been married to her wonderful husband for 16 years. They have two beautiful children who are the light of their lives. Robert will be turning 15 soon and Kayla is 11. They have been homeschooling for three years, as eclectic homeschoolers who try very passionately to follow Charlotte Mason’s style of teaching. In her spare time, Jennifer loves to craft, quilt, knit, and crochet. She began writing and blogging when She first started homeschooling as a way to map their journey, but it has definitely turned into so much more than just blogging about school. You can drop by her blog at www.jennifersikora.com to read the latest of her writing endeavors.
Decorating Your Home: An Optical Illusion
December 2, 2009 by Aubrey Lively
Back in the days when we only had two children, my little family found itself traveling a bit—a homeschool convention here, seeing family there. We stayed in hotel rooms just enough for the two children we had to remark on how much they loved hotels. They wanted to live in one, they said, and I knew just how they felt. I loved hotels, too.
I remember standing in the middle of our room at the homeschool convention in Houston, looking around, and thinking how much money we could have saved if we’d bought a 200 square foot house instead of 1200. What is it about hotel rooms? I found myself wondering.
I quickly remembered my piles of crafting and scrapbooking messes, all the clothes we hadn’t brought, the toys, the dishes, and…life. The hotel was nice because all of that was forgotten for a little while.
It was nice for other reasons, too, though. The kids said that part of what they liked was being all crammed together—we saw more of each other. I noticed that things stayed cleaner because they had to stay cleaner. The scope of our mess and existence was limited, and—as long as the stay was brief and by choice—so was our stress. Our focus was on each other instead of our space.
I haven’t forgotten that a 200 square foot hotel room can feel more peaceful and spacious than a 1200 square foot house, though. While there are days I’d like to apply that knowledge to an overnight bag and head somewhere else for a little while, the logic frustrates me, and my pocketbook is unrelenting.
We all know where this article is going. We love to get tips and insights into making our homes our retreats, but these articles always tell you to get rid of all your stuff or redecorate. You’ve gotten rid of an unreasonable amount of stuff already—so much in my case that my husband has accused me of an addiction to “getting rid of stuff.” And if you had money to redecorate, you’d be reading Better Homes and Gardens or House Beautiful.
Keep your stuff. Unless you have enough stuff to warrant an intervention, there is really a limit to the purging, and we all know that getting rid of leads to buying. Buying also leads to buying. I have a theory that if we can resist buying and purging, we might actually reach the equilibrium of stuff that will carry us through until we die. Kind-of like going on stealth mode from stuff.
So I’ve held your hand about keeping your stuff, but your living room still doesn’t offer the peace of the couch-sized section of the hotel room that doubles its price. Your bedroom is still the place you shove the laundry when your in-laws call and say they’ll be at your house in an hour. And your full-sized kitchenette has a sinkful of dishes and no fun snacks. And that’s at the end of cleaning day, when you look around and ask yourself, Is this really as good as it gets?
I’m a person who can stand a very small amount of low-level noise. The hum of the refrigerator and fluorescent lights in the kitchen make me nuts. (Yes, I know that makes it funny that I have four kids.) I have recently noticed that clutter has a noise to it, like the hum of the lights in my kitchen, that most people don’t even notice until it’s gone.
We live life sweeping the floor and cleaning off the table, and there get to be spots that we can’t even see any more—mine’s the top of a bookshelf by the dining table and the pie safe in the kitchen. Actually, the top of anything the two-year-old can’t reach becomes a safe zone for junk.
You’ve tried cleaning these spots up before—I know how it goes. You pick up a mysterious grocery bag that’s been sitting on the counter (top of the pie safe at my house) and look inside. There’s a plug-in air freshener, some oil for wood furniture, and a motley assortment of screws. None of it really goes anywhere. The plug-in thing would be great, but you can’t remember where you last saw the smelly stuff that slides inside. Somebody sees you in the kitchen and asks for a drink, insists on milk, and then everybody wants a full-blown milk-and-cookie snack. Maybe you move the bag to a new spot, but you don’t actually find homes for the junk. One last glance at the spot you were trying to clear yields a cake cover and plastic crate with a breathing machine your son used one time five years ago and packets and packets of expired medicine.
The problem with these things—kipple, according to a crazy man in a classic tale—is that we can never win our battle against the junk, the old newspapers, the mourning socks. Worse, though, we can’t even see them for what they are as long as we leave them where they are. In other words, you’ll never see your living room’s potential if you look at all the clutter piece-by-piece there in the living room.
Here are some tips for getting a handle on your clutter:
- Take a laundry basket and clean off the TV, clean off the bookshelves, clear every surface in one room of everything that doesn’t belong on it. You can leave the TV and the books, but the broken toys that need to be fixed, the abandoned pony tails, the movie cases and play-doh parts must go in the basket.
- Dust, vacuum, rearrange furniture if you want, but take the basket of stuff to another room, where its camouflage won’t work. You’ll find that you do, in fact, want to get rid of some of it. The rest needs either a new home or a new container. Movies probably want to stay in the living room with the TV, although we’re keeping ours in a rubber maid container under the bed for now. We watch movies on the computer in our room, so they’re really more accessible, and they never fit on the bookshelves anyway: we were always cramming them in there, which made them too much trouble to put away.
- For the pony tails that are forever following me but never when I need them, we created “the hair-fixing kit.” All combs, gels, spray water, etc. goes in this one bucket. It sits in the bathroom, but I can tell any of the kids from the two-year-old up (or even my husband!) to get the hair-fixing kit, and not only can they can do it, I know I’m getting everything I need. Nothing’s worse than getting a nice, tight French braid on a wiggling toddler and realizing that someone forgot to bring pony tails.
- Our kitchen is impossibly small. You can’t really tell to look at it, but try cooking with nothing but one looooong counter and an oven at the end. The storage is all out-of-reach, all on the same side as the counter top, oven, and sink. The other side of the kitchen is bare. We use the pie safe for dishes, and we bought a baker’s rack to hold pots and pans and dry goods, but storage still requires creativity.
- I piled the tops of the refrigerator and pie safe with junk—candy from last Halloween, chips, cookie cutters, etc. Before Thanksgiving, I took my laundry basket through the kitchen and cleared these spots off. Only the mother of two-toddlers-at-once will understand the sacrifice I made in giving up these storage locations. I didn’t get much further than these two spots, but almost every time I have walked through the kitchen since then, I’ve looked at the top of that old piece of furniture and smiled.
- I did the same in the living room—pulled movies off the bookshelf to make room for candles, emptied the kids’ art folder (which was so full it no longer fit behind the sofa), and moved furniture. I was drastic and even sent the TV into exile. It would only play movies now, but I was tired of the begging for movies.
- The diaper stuff is in a basket on the bottom living room bookshelf now. There’s a matching basket for scarves and gloves and another for books on tape. What was once a lot of clutter and noise is now quiet and self-contained.
The moral of the story is to create visually-pleasing storage solutions for the junk, so you don’t have to look at it when you don’t want to, keep the junk if you want to, and if you really want a peaceful, hotel-style ambiance to your home, hire a maid.
Aubrey Lively is a homeschooling mother of four, ages 8, 6, 2, & 1. She has a BA in Literature and an MEd in Teaching and is currently surviving seminary with her husband of ten years. Visit Aubrey online at http://aubreylively.blogspot.com.
