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Host a Gingerbread Party for Kids
Looking for ways to make this year’s Christmas celebration memorable for your kids? Why not host a gingerbread party? I bet this would be fun for moms, too! HGTV has some great ideas. Check them out! Not to mention the adorable invitations and recipe cards you can print for free! Plus! More printables: a red and green banner, gingerbread party circles, fancy food labels, and more!
Host a Cookie Swap!
This year, why not host a fun Cookie Swap with your friends? Or how about with the women in your church? This would make a perfect social for Women’s Ministries!
How it Works:
Each person bakes one batch of their favorite cookie for each guest attending the cookie swap. So, if there are 12 guests attending, each guest will bring 12 dozen cookies. Be sure everyone brings the recipe along with their cookies!
You can print out our Cookie Swap Organizer for free!
Note: I suggest printing the recipe cards onto cardstock paper.
Have you ever hosted a cookie swap? What is your favorite cookie recipe?
Scripture Memory – Chapters of the Bible
My girls and I decided recently to work on memorizing entire chapters of the Bible together. We are currently working on Psalm 91. This is a beautiful psalm. I printed out the chapter – one sheet for each of us and as we work on each verse, I am highlighting the current verses in yellow. We are learning one and then adding the next and so on. We practice the verses during morning worship as well as throughout the day.
What is your family doing for Family Worship this week?
20 Ideas: Thanksgiving Kids Table
Every year I have a kids table at Thanksgiving Dinner with activities to keep the little ones busy while they wait for dinner. Here are some fun ideas:
- Thankful Turkey from Artists Helping Children
- Shindig Thanksgiving Printables from Shindig Parties to Go
- Celebrate Thanksgiving from Anna and Blue Paperie
- I am Thankful Chain from Silverbox Creative Studio
- Activity Placemat from Family Fun
- Thanksgiving Mad Lib from Family Fun
- Mayflower Treat Holders from Sheek Shindigs
- Chalkboard Placemats from La T Da
- Fabric Napkins and Rings from The Celebration Shoppe
- Thanksgiving Table Setting Printables from Lily’s Laundry
- Kids Place Settings from One Charming Party
- Turkey Chair Covers from Wild Olive
- Kids Table Setting with Printables and Tutorials from Frog Prince Paperie
- Decorating the Kids Table at Fiskars
- Squirrel and Acorn Decorated Table at No Fuss Fabulous
- Corn on the Cob on a Stick from One Charming Party
- Placecards, Napkin Rings, Stickers and More from Parenting.com
- Kids Thanksgiving Table from Skip to My Lou
- Gobbling Turkey Apples from Make and Take
- Candy Cups from Make and Take
Enjoy Your Children
Day Twenty-Three
Enjoy Your Children
Scripture Memory: “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.”
Psalm 127:3, 4
Photo Credit: Steve Ford Elliott
Download the .pdf version of this article.
Being a mom is by far the most rewarding part of my life. To watch a tiny little baby grow and develop into a beautiful, kind child is a blessing! I loved being pregnant and giving birth. I loved each and every moment after, holding my little newborn babies with their soft skin, sweet smell, and tiny cry.
As they have grown I have been faced with many challenges and many more blessings. My children never cease to amaze me as a mother. Their faith is truly amazing. The worst part about being a mom is how fast babyhood passes into childhood which fast forwards into the teenage years and beyond. I wish I had more time to simply savor my children!
You have heard it said that no one on their death bed ever wished for more money, nicer cars, or fancy houses. In the end all that ever matters are those moments shared with your family. Sometimes new moms have no idea that the weeks and months will fly by and that the time lost can never be replaced.
When my son was born, I couldn’t wait for each new phase…. Rolling over, crawling, walking, etc. I waited anxiously and read all the parenting books so I knew what to expect in the weeks to come. I didn’t realize until my second child was born how fast those few years has passed by. I was determined to truly hold onto each moment and enjoy her even more. I was not as anxious for her to begin crawling and walking and growing up.
As each child came, I felt the pangs of motherhood, knowing that the years were passing far too quickly. I am constantly reminding myself I only have a short time to do all the things and teach all the things that are important to me. My son is now in college and my daughters are racing toward the finish line as well and it scares me!
Every now and again I have to pause from my busy life and take a step back. How easy it is to get busy with the day to day activities that consume us and forget to savor the time we have right now. I want to encourage you to take that step back with me and ask yourself, “Am I enjoying my child?”
I am not just talking about laughing at the silly sayings or admiring the beautiful child. I am talking about truly enjoying your children. How often do you sit down and read aloud? How often do you call your children in the kitchen to help you prepare supper or bake a cake? How often do you climb up the slide with them and wind your way down? How often do you stop what you are doing and look in their eyes when they ask you a question or show you their latest discovery?
I confess, I am not always paying attention. Far too often I have caught myself hurrying through life because I have too much to do. In recent months I made a point to cut back and
really enjoy my children while they are still children.
Today, stop what you are doing. Hug your child. Look him in the eyes. Read to him. Laugh with him. Play with him.
In your prayer journal, pray for your time with your children. Ask God to help you make the most of the time you do have. List at least five things that make each of your children special. Make a point today to compliment them on those qualities. Impart a blessing on them that will carry them through a lifetime.
“And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.”
Genesis 49:28 (NKJV)
Summer Fun – To Do List
Are you excited about summer? Do you hope to have a lot fun making great memories with your family and friends? The last few years we have been on the road for much of the summer. This year I am looking forward to a quiet summer at home. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have plans for some local fun! A few things on my “Must Do this Summer List:”
- build a teepee
- catch fireflies
- explore Bad Branch Falls
- go swimming at the lake
- grow a watermelon from seed
Have you made a list? If not, feel free to download my Summer Fun To Do List (in multiple colors) and get busy!
Owl Valentine
I found this adorable Owl Valentine your children can make. Looks super easy and totally cute!
Family Keepsake Plate
Only a few more days until Christmas! I can hardly believe it myself. We’ve had a crazy month – two weeks of traveling in Florida followed by a week of the flu. So, I’m trying to get in the mood!
This plate is just too cute to pass up. Looks easy and cheap to make! What’s not to love? And the penguins are just too sweet!
Check out the instructions over at Craft Jr and have some Christmas fun! Oh, and while you’re at it, you could make several to give to grandparents, aunts and uncles…
Everything Christmas: Book Review
Everything Christmas: Celebrate the Joy of the Advent Season with the Best of
I was excited to receive this delightful book from Water Brook Press. I love Christmas time! Even more than that, I love the time I am able to spend with my family making memories that will last a lifetime. This book is packed with ideas!
From the back of the book:
Christmas is a time of celebration and wonder, a time to embrace longstanding traditions and establish new ones. It’s a time for meals filled with memories and heartwarming stories shared around the fireplace. It’s a time for worship, reflection, and remembrance of God’s greatest gift.
Everything Christmas is divided into 24 sections beginning with December 1 and ending with December 24. Because of this, it can be used as an advent calendar if you wish. Each day is filled with old-fashioned stories, Scripture verses, quotes, jokes, poems, Christmas carols, recipes, trivia,and more! In addition to all the wonderful stories and tidbits are a number of sections about how countries around the world celebrate Christmas.
This book could be used at breakfast or dinner time around the table, at bedtime, during family worship, or even during homeschool time. There is something for everyone in this little book!
I did want to mention that “Father Christmas” and “Santa Claus” are mentioned in a few places in the book, but these little sections could easily be skipped if that offends you.
And of course one of my favorites is always the recipes. I was delighted to find a recipe for Christmas Snowballs – a cookie my own mother made for use every Christmas and that I now make for my own family. The recipe is found on page 199 of Everything Christmas:
Christmas Snowballs
4 sticks butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped pecans
6 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
Confectioner’s sugar (to roll cookies in after baked)
Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
Mix first five ingredients well. Form into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes until cookies turn lightly brown. Remove from oven; cool for 5 minutes. Roll each cookie in confectioner’s sugar.
When cool, roll again until well coated. If cookies break up while rolling in sugar, cool for another 5 minutes. Makes about 100 cookies.
I received this book from WaterBrook Press in exchange for doing this review. I am glad I did!
Make a Dollhouse… Out of a Drawer
For that little girl in your life… what could be better than a homemade, totally cute dollhouse? When I saw this little gem:
I instantly fell in love! It reminds me of another dollhouse – much larger that I saw a few years ago over at Turkey Feathers. What a wholesome activity for little girls! Be sure to Check out NiceGirl Notes for the tutorial!
