Musical sight words

How to get an active little boy to learn how to spell??  Get him up dancing of course.  

 

Learning doesn't have to be boring...have fun with it by taping sight words around the living room/class room.  Play up-beat fun music.  When the music stops I yell out a word.  He has to run to that word then say it, spell it and say it again!  

Once we play a few rounds of this then he can sit at the table, with more focus, and write them out for me as I ask him. 

We play lots of fun games to learn which you can check out here.  So what fun games do you do to get your little ones to learn?  

snowman fun

With the Christmas season over and the Love month theme still a month away I decided that January would be snowman month in our house.  We would decorate the house with snowman and I planned our homeschool curriculum around a snowman theme. 

Durning one snow fall Micah and I were out shoveling the deck and drive way.   It was such a nice evening we decided to have fun and build this guy for the kids to see when they woke up. 

 

I thought it was a great idea until I had to strain to get the biggest round ball on the top!  The kids were excited to see the snowman the next day so it was worth it. 

When school was back in we through a snowman themed party for some other home schoolers.  We had all the kids wear there snow gear;  they were suppose to go outside and build snowmen.  Unfortunately the snow was not good for building snowmen so instead they played outside building forts and painting the snow with spray bottles. 

We did have lots of snowman themed treats for them when they came inside. 

There were melted  snowman cookies. 

We also decorated plastic cups and filled them up with popcorn for the kids to snack on.

And what kind of winter party would it be without a hot chocolate bar.  We had mini marshmallows  crushed candy cane and chocolate dipped marshmallows.  

 I must say I was a busy lady trying to get ready for a 10 am party.  Being a multitasked I was working on everything all at once.  I had just finished dipping the first marshmallow when I turned to check on the popcorn.  Turning back to my chocolate project was my 2 year old, Lady J, putting them on sticks and dipping them in the chocolate for me.  I couldn't believe my eyes and didn't have any time to get the camera out for a picture.  I just went to work on another project and let her do them all buy herself.  She did a great job and I am so happy to have such a great kitchen helper helping me out.

Daniel Fast

How has everyone been doing with this years 21 day Daniel fast.  We started our fast a little later (Jan 8th) because of Micah's birthday on the 7th.  We also have had a rough go this week due to the 24 hour stomach bug hitting 4 out of 5 of us this week.  We did good just to keep down water and soda crackers; but its a new day and we are all MUCH MUCH MUCH better so we will push on with our Daniel fast.

I wanted to share 10 tips with you on how to be successful during this time.

1.  Put all your "junk" food into a big tote to be stored until Feb.  This included our chips, chocolate and other foods that aren't permitted during the fast time.  Just like the old saying goes out of sight out of mind.  It helps with the temptation.

2. Fruit bowl:  If it is there then we will eat it.  Put apples, oranges, pears and bananas in a fruit bowl to leave on the table top or the counter   That way when you want a snack you can grab something nutritious.  Having food visible usually means you will choose it and be less tempted to grab for something else.  This also works for veggies as well.  If you buy a large bag of carrots or celery wash and cut them up.  These can be stored in air tight container in the refrigerator and ready to eat at anytime.    A mid afternoon snack might be to take out the container and put it on the counter with a bit of hummus for people to graze as they walk by.

4.  Mixed Nut:  These are a great source of protein and also a great snack.  We also have a couple dishes of nuts around the house for snacking.  The kids have been enjoying toasted almonds, peanuts  and of course their favorite pistachio.  Good thing Eben got this for his birthday!!!

5. Search for recipes:  There are so many recipes out there and good resources I recommend searching for some delicious recipes to enjoy during this time.  I really have been enjoying the Ultimate Daniel Fast book on the kindle it has lots of information on the fast as well as lots of delicious recipes.  If you have tried any please comment and let me know which one you tried and if it was delicious or not. 

6.  Drink your calories:  This is something we don't usually say but during a fast time its the best way to enjoy an afternoon snack.  We are using lots of our fresh local strawberries that we frozen from this summer.  Along with local frozen blueberries!!  To add some protein to your drink try putting in a TBSP of Chia seeds to your smoothie.   This is also a good way to use up some of your fruits and veggies that might be going a little too ripe. 

A favorite smoothie recipe around here is
frozen strawberries
frozen banana
1 tbsp Chia seeds
Orange juice
Water (optional)

Today I tried I spinach one thanks to a friend who posted a picture this morning...the kids didn't really enjoy it as much but I thought it was tasty.

1 cup spinach
1 cup cold water
handful of pineapple
ripe banana

7.  Root veggies:  Right now these veggies are in the grocery store for pretty cheap so toss them in some olive add some spices and roast them up together.   Serve them over a high protein grain such as quinoa.

8.  Water water and more water:  Make sure you are drinking lots of water.  If you have a hard time doing this maybe filling a water jug and using that will help you see how much you are really drinking during the days.  Also if its too blend for you why not slice up some lemon, lime or even orange slices and added them to your water for a bit of a flavor boost.

9.  Use dip:  Two things that come in handy for the fast around here is hummus and natural peanut butter.  You can enjoy hummus with lots of cut up veggies like  carrots, celery, broccoli, mini tomatoes, and peppers.  Three years ago when we started doing the Daniel fast we switched to natural peanut butter and haven't looked back (except the first 14 weeks being pregnant with Abraham).  The kids love to use it for apple slices and on celery sticks.

10.  The never ending salad bowl:  So I went to Costco last weekend and pick up a 6 pack of romaine lettuce.  When I got home I cut one up and put in a large container with some red, orange and green peppers.  Every lunch time and supper time I bring out the endless salad and we add other things to our individual portion.  Then the bowl goes back in the fridge and getts filled up with the lettuce and peppers as it runs low.  I love just using those basic ingredients so nothing goes soggy in the salad. We usually add tomato and cucumber to our portions along with some orange or apple.  To give it a sweet taste without using salad dressing we have been topping it with a few Craisins.

I hope some of these tips help.  Please let me know any tips you have learned or that you use.  I would love to hear from ya.

Daniel Fast Meal Plan

Welcome readers to 2013!!!  Like every year we are starting our year off with our annual Daniel fast.  This is a 21 day fast (January 6-26) were we cut out processed food, junk food, meat and "rich" dishes and enjoy a wide variety of fruits, veggies, legumes, grains that we don't consume on a regular basis.

Last year I found a great blog called the Ultimate Daniel Fast which gives great information on what the fast is all about, how to prepare and wonderful recipes to try.  This year I purchased her book to do the 21 day devotional and to get a list of all her recipes and meal plans for the 21 days.

Over the month I will try my best to post pictures of the recipes along with reviews on how delicious or not so delicious they were.  Bur for now I will leave you with some of the great looking recipes I will try over the next 21 days. If you want to see a complete list you can always follow my Daniel fast pinterest board. 

Breakfast

Apple and Cinnamon Quinoa (sub milk for soya or almond milk)

Muesli 

Snacks

Rainbow skewers (forget about the pancakes :P)

Almond butter bites (these are very yummy)

Spring Rolls (A favorite here)

Vegetarian Taco Salad (homemade tortilla chips from here)

Please leave links and comments of any of your favorite recipes so I can add them to my Daniel fast board. 

Top 12 of 2012

As I sit and look back through our year I thought it would be cool to post my top 12 blog post for 2012.  It was a new year with us moving to a new city and being closer to family. We welcomed a new blessing into our family and we ventured out across the world to participant in our friends wedding.  It was a year with many first and news for us.  We sit back today with thanksgiving for a great year and with anticipation of what the Father has next for us in this new year.


Here is a collection of your favorite and my favorite blog post for 2012.

1.  The Daniel Fast:

We try to start the year off by somewhat of a detox.  Each year we have tried to limit processed foods, junk food and rich foods during the month of January.  This year I have lots of new recipes which you can find on my pintrest board.

2. Red lentil Soup

Many readers have enjoyed this recipe and as been a big hit on the blog.  I didn't realize there were so many people wanting to take part in the Daniel fast with us :)

3.  Curly Hair

I saw how to do these no heat curls on pinterest and gave them a try and to my surprise it worked!!  I love trying new things with my hair my next step is to learn to use curlers and do a nice fish tail! 

4. Valentines pop-tarts 

My first blog post that was featured on one of my favorite blogs I heart nap time!! 

5.  Peterson LOVE Day

February was a fun month for us as we did so many different LOVE activities as we learned about sharing God's love with others. We ended our "love" month with a special meal at our "special" restaurant. 

6. Truffula Trees

A very fun activity to do with the kids before seeing the movie. 

7. Rock Pets

These were a hit with the kids and we used them to decorate our flower gardens, deck and we used them as paper weights for Eben's monster bash!

8.  Waffle Cone Dessert

This was a mothers day special that Micah did for me, his mom and my sister in law.  I love this post because Micah saw it pinned on my pinterest and then surprised me with it!  That is when I fell even more in LOVE with pinterest.  My husband was following only me on there and new all the things that I was pinning. Husbands pinterest is the key to knowing your wife :) 

9. 50 Days of Summer Fun

 50 days of summer fun was so awesome.  I printed these chart out and had it hung over the kitchen table.  Every day (at least it seemed that way) we talked about all the things we had done and the things we were still planning on doing.   We enjoyed everything from making Oreo popsicles to M&M on toast day.

10.  Homeschooling 

This was a BIG decision that we are enjoying so much!!!  We are having lots of fun playing games and learning creativity.

11. Monthly Meal Planning

During the end of the year I began to find it more helpful to plan meals for the month instead of just the week.  Lots of readers have been using the recipes as well and enjoying them :) 

12.  CEO of my home

I wrote this post over on our family blog but I just love it so much that it had to go on my top 12 because its how I feel about my home and our family it is my mission which all my fun and creativity flows out of!

Thanks for being faithful readers and encouraging me by writing comments and personal messages.  I love hearing from each of you.  I love when you do crafts I have posted, tried an activity or enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) a recipe. 

Have a happy new year my friends. 

Advent Christmas verses

Every year we count down to our Christmas celebrations using this advent calendar that my mother in law made for her kids when they were young.  Now that they all have families she has given each family their own.  Our family really loves hanging this on the wall and adding pieces to the beautiful nativity scene everyday until Christmas morning when baby Jesus is placed in the loving arms of his mommy Mary.  

This year durning our morning devotions I wanted to read verses that went a long with the Christmas theme and of course a quick shout out in the facebook world by another friend lead me to a Christmas list of verses to read every morning ending the 25 days with reading the first chapters of Luke. 

I made this little advent calendar and behind each circle is the verse for that day. 

So if you want the list here it is.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself

will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin

shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.

(which means God with Us)

Matthew 2:10 When they saw the

star, they rejoiced exceedingly

with great joy.

Luke 2:12 And this will be a sign

for you: you will find a baby wrapped

in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given; and the government

shall be upon his shoulder, and his name

shall be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter

of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter

of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming

to you; righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Acts 5:31 God exalted him at his right hand

as Leader and Savior, to give repentance

to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Philippians 2:8-10 And being found in

human form, he humbled himself by

becoming obedient to the point of death,

even death on a cross. Therefore

God has highly exalted him and

bestowed on him the name that is

above every name, so that at the

name of Jesus every knee should

bow, in heaven and on earth and

under the earth

Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth

a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots

shall bear fruit.

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son,

and you shall call his name Jesus,

for he will save his people from

their sins.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall

conceive and bear a son, and they shall

call his name Immanuel” (which means,

God with us).

Luke 1:30-31 And the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have

found favor with God. And behold, you

will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall call his name Jesus.

Luke 2:15-16 When the angels went away

from them into heaven, the shepherds said

to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem

and see this thing that has happened, which

the Lord has made known to us.”And they

went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

and the baby lying in a manger.

Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them,

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good

news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born

this day in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the

highest, and on earth peace among

those with whom he is pleased!”

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that

he gave his only Son, that whoever believes

in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,

but the free gift of God is eternal life

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace in

believing, so that by the power of the

Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Now thanks be to God

for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling

[His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]! .

James 1:17 Every good gift and every

perfect gift is from above, coming

down from the Father of lights with

whom there is no variation or shadow

due to change.

Psalm 72:11 - All kings will bow before

him, and all nations will serve him

Micah 5:2 - But you, O Bethlehem

Ephrathah, are only a small village

among all the people of Judah. Yet a

ruler of Israel will come from you,

one whose origins are from the distant past.

Luke 1:14 - You will have great joy and

gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

Luke 2

DIY Christmas cards

Ok readers I know you are all getting ready for Christmas so I wanted to give you a website with some great templates on it.  Last year I used the templates from Simple as that Blog to create this family Christmas card

This week Costco is having a sale on their pictures so take advantage and get these in 5*7 for only 0.18 cents!!!  And if making your own ins't your thing they are also having a sale on their pre-made cards you just have to add your own pictures!

I have our 2012 cards all done and printed off so you will have to wait until Dec to see what those look like!