Friday, April 6, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
13 Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas
Still looking for ways to fill those Easter baskets? I am too. Today's my shopping day so I've been brainstorming ideas. Here's 13 Non-Candy Ideas for Filling Easter Baskets:
*Bubbles--My kids range from 6 years to 6 months and they all love bubbles. Check out the Dollar Tree for a variety of sizes and scents.
*Swim wear--Summer's right around the corner. Why not fill that basket with a new swimsuit?
*Pool toys--Diving sticks, squishy balls, and beach balls are all great ideas.
*Books--Check out your local library or the Target clearance section for a couple of new books. This is an ageless gift.
*Puzzles--Whether your kids are just learning to put together puzzles or ready for a 1000 piece masterpiece, there are a ton of options. Plus, it's a great way to spend family time together.
*Small Instruments--Look for harmonicas, tamborines, finger cymbals, or egg shakers. And maybe a set of ear plugs for mom! :-)
*Craft Supplies--Depending on your recipients, there's crayons and coloring books, paint and brushes, embroidery thread, glitter, stickers, construction paper, scrapbook supplies, etc.
*Small cars--Check the Dollar Tree toy section or Target for matchbox cards. What little boy doesn't love them?
*Small Lego sets--Walmart carries these tiny sets with only a few pieces, but Legos are so fun, and a great addition to an Easter basket.
*Travel games--Smaller versions of classics can often be picked up at discount and provide fun both in the car and on family game night.
*Journal and stationary--My kids love writing in these little books, Even better, teach them to write notes to family and friends far away.
*Jewelry--Make some bracelets for the little ones in your life. Or pick up a special pair of earrings for that teenager.
*Hair clips--Make some of these cute hair clips or look up any of the cute tutorials on the internet. I have a couple more coming near the end of the month.
*Bubbles--My kids range from 6 years to 6 months and they all love bubbles. Check out the Dollar Tree for a variety of sizes and scents.
*Swim wear--Summer's right around the corner. Why not fill that basket with a new swimsuit?
*Pool toys--Diving sticks, squishy balls, and beach balls are all great ideas.
*Books--Check out your local library or the Target clearance section for a couple of new books. This is an ageless gift.
*Puzzles--Whether your kids are just learning to put together puzzles or ready for a 1000 piece masterpiece, there are a ton of options. Plus, it's a great way to spend family time together.
*Small Instruments--Look for harmonicas, tamborines, finger cymbals, or egg shakers. And maybe a set of ear plugs for mom! :-)
*Craft Supplies--Depending on your recipients, there's crayons and coloring books, paint and brushes, embroidery thread, glitter, stickers, construction paper, scrapbook supplies, etc.
*Small cars--Check the Dollar Tree toy section or Target for matchbox cards. What little boy doesn't love them?
*Small Lego sets--Walmart carries these tiny sets with only a few pieces, but Legos are so fun, and a great addition to an Easter basket.
*Travel games--Smaller versions of classics can often be picked up at discount and provide fun both in the car and on family game night.
*Journal and stationary--My kids love writing in these little books, Even better, teach them to write notes to family and friends far away.
*Jewelry--Make some bracelets for the little ones in your life. Or pick up a special pair of earrings for that teenager.
*Hair clips--Make some of these cute hair clips or look up any of the cute tutorials on the internet. I have a couple more coming near the end of the month.
What creative ideas are you using this year?
Monday, April 2, 2012
2012 Goals: March Check-In
How are your 2012 Goals going? March was better than February, but I am going to print out my goals and post them somewhere in the house. There are some goals on here that I completely forget about for the whole month and then wonder where my head was when I update the next month. What tips have you found to work?
These were my 2012 Goals and how I did in March:
Personal:
*Keep a consistent devotional time, memorizing verses through my discipleship group.--I'm still struggling with this. But the consistency of my discipleship group is helping.
*Memorize 12 verses with the kids.--We've done two so far in the past three months.
*Read 24 books.--I read 4 in Jan, 3 in Feb, and 5 in March.
*Tackle 12 DIY projects.--Tackled Homemade Wheat Thins in March
My Marriage:
*Plan a bi-weekly time of being together.--No date night this month. :-(
*Read 2-3 books together.--not yet
*Plan a yearly getaway.--Planning for this summer
My Kids:
*Plan a once a month date with each of the kids.--Took Lydia shopping, but never got a date with Noah.
*Homeschool/supplement preschool for Lydia and 1st/2nd grade for Noah.--Still working with Noah and started pre-reading with Lydia, although with other items
*Read through the Magic Treehouse series with them.--Finished book one and started listening to the series in the car again.
*Go on a field trip once a month.--Learned about the library with my son, and Lydia took a field trip to the grocery store.
Health and Wellness:
*Convert 4-5 items on our grocery list to organic, as budget allows.--Did some price research in March and going to do an experiment with 1-2 items in April.
*Develop a gym routine of 4-5 days a week.--Going twice a week so far. Love my Turbokick class. Looking to add another day per week this month.
*Eat more seafood.--Bi-monthly so far
*Learn to make an incredible loaf of sourdough.--That's April's DIY goal.
Writing:
*Plan posts one month in advance and write posts one week in advance.--Planning is good, but writing is hard right now. Usually about 4-5 days ahead.
*Spend 2 hrs a week writing on something other than the blog.--Ooops for March
*Budget my blogging time more appropriately. Do less work when the kids are around.--Getting into a better routine. March was a lot better for this. I still spend too much time blogging, but I've been more conscious of doing it when the kids aren't around.
Link up below and just let us know how you're doing. Let's work toward real change in 2012!
*Linked to these Parties
These were my 2012 Goals and how I did in March:
Personal:
*Keep a consistent devotional time, memorizing verses through my discipleship group.--I'm still struggling with this. But the consistency of my discipleship group is helping.
*Memorize 12 verses with the kids.--We've done two so far in the past three months.
*Read 24 books.--I read 4 in Jan, 3 in Feb, and 5 in March.
*Tackle 12 DIY projects.--Tackled Homemade Wheat Thins in March
My Marriage:
*Plan a bi-weekly time of being together.--No date night this month. :-(
*Read 2-3 books together.--not yet
*Plan a yearly getaway.--Planning for this summer
My Kids:
*Plan a once a month date with each of the kids.--Took Lydia shopping, but never got a date with Noah.
*Homeschool/supplement preschool for Lydia and 1st/2nd grade for Noah.--Still working with Noah and started pre-reading with Lydia, although with other items
*Read through the Magic Treehouse series with them.--Finished book one and started listening to the series in the car again.
*Go on a field trip once a month.--Learned about the library with my son, and Lydia took a field trip to the grocery store.
Health and Wellness:
*Convert 4-5 items on our grocery list to organic, as budget allows.--Did some price research in March and going to do an experiment with 1-2 items in April.
*Develop a gym routine of 4-5 days a week.--Going twice a week so far. Love my Turbokick class. Looking to add another day per week this month.
*Eat more seafood.--Bi-monthly so far
*Learn to make an incredible loaf of sourdough.--That's April's DIY goal.
Writing:
*Plan posts one month in advance and write posts one week in advance.--Planning is good, but writing is hard right now. Usually about 4-5 days ahead.
*Spend 2 hrs a week writing on something other than the blog.--Ooops for March
*Budget my blogging time more appropriately. Do less work when the kids are around.--Getting into a better routine. March was a lot better for this. I still spend too much time blogging, but I've been more conscious of doing it when the kids aren't around.
Link up below and just let us know how you're doing. Let's work toward real change in 2012!
*Linked to these Parties
Monday Muddle
Hey y'all,
How's your Monday morning? Did you have a good weekend?
We're visiting my mom for a few days. The kids have been outside for about a half hour already and they're keeping themselves busy. My mom lives out in the country so there's a huge swingset, room to drive their car, and lots of places to roam and explore. Plus Grandma spoils them so they love being up here.
This past weekend, my mom, grandma, and I went away on our annual scrapbooking trip. Once a year, I go away and leave my hubby and kids to get some scrapbooking done. That was this weekend. I had so much fun, getting away and being creative. I love having those photos scrapped and put into albums. Although I just love being creative, scrapbooking will probably always be my first love and it was fun to get away with my mom. I took the baby and he had everyone charmed, of course. It didn't hurt that he was on his best behavior as well.
So we're at my mom's for a few days now and I've got a sick little one. The baby's got quite a cold that's leaving him tired and cranky. He'll be spending his time indoors while the big kids go crazy outside. Posting might be a little sporatic this week. We're visiting, planning for Easter, and dealing with a sick baby. Not sure how thin I can stretch myself. I do have a few post pre-planned so I'll still be here, just not as much as usual. And don't forget to check out Facebook and Youtube for additional Creative2xmom material.
Hope you guys are having a great Holy Week!
Here's a few more things we have planned this week:
Easter Menu
Pork Tenderloin
Cabbage Salad
Lime Jello Salad
Homemade Rolls
Chocolate Pie
Extras this week:
Peanut Butter Eggs
Bird's Nests
Projects I'm working on this week:
Organize completed scrapbook pages
Journal on any necessary scrapbook pages
Finish review book/ Start a second
Make bracelet
How's your Monday morning? Did you have a good weekend?
We're visiting my mom for a few days. The kids have been outside for about a half hour already and they're keeping themselves busy. My mom lives out in the country so there's a huge swingset, room to drive their car, and lots of places to roam and explore. Plus Grandma spoils them so they love being up here.
This past weekend, my mom, grandma, and I went away on our annual scrapbooking trip. Once a year, I go away and leave my hubby and kids to get some scrapbooking done. That was this weekend. I had so much fun, getting away and being creative. I love having those photos scrapped and put into albums. Although I just love being creative, scrapbooking will probably always be my first love and it was fun to get away with my mom. I took the baby and he had everyone charmed, of course. It didn't hurt that he was on his best behavior as well.
So we're at my mom's for a few days now and I've got a sick little one. The baby's got quite a cold that's leaving him tired and cranky. He'll be spending his time indoors while the big kids go crazy outside. Posting might be a little sporatic this week. We're visiting, planning for Easter, and dealing with a sick baby. Not sure how thin I can stretch myself. I do have a few post pre-planned so I'll still be here, just not as much as usual. And don't forget to check out Facebook and Youtube for additional Creative2xmom material.
Hope you guys are having a great Holy Week!
Here's a few more things we have planned this week:
Easter Menu
Pork Tenderloin
Cabbage Salad
Lime Jello Salad
Homemade Rolls
Chocolate Pie
Extras this week:
Peanut Butter Eggs
Bird's Nests
Projects I'm working on this week:
Organize completed scrapbook pages
Journal on any necessary scrapbook pages
Finish review book/ Start a second
Make bracelet
What are you up to this week?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Bookmarks for March 2012
*Bookmarks is an online book club hosted at Creative2xmom. Here we discuss the books we've read in the past month as well as the suggested reading. Our suggested reading for March was Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp.
These are the books I read this month:
That's My Son by Rick Johnson--Raising two boys myself, I was naturally interested in this book. I was hoping to gain some new insight in how motherhood affects boys and possibly some fresh ideas for how to do it better. Unfortunately, this book lacked focus for me. At times I wondered if the subtitle wouldn't have bee more aptly changed from How Moms Can Influence Boys to How Dads Can Influence Boys. Furthermore, much of the content was very close to Dobson's Bringing Up Boys. And without a doubt Dobson addresses the issues far better than Johnson. Wasn't the worst book I've read, but I'd say skip it and pick up Bringing up Boys instead.
You're Already Amazing by Holly Gerth--You can find my review here.
Stand by Me by Neta Jackson--You can find my review here.
101 Things You Should Do Before Your Kids Leave Home by David Bordon and Tom Winters--I loved this book. It was easy to read in small chunks and just had a lot of great ideas. Some of these things we done before and some we haven't, so it was a fun resource to read through. I'd love to revisit this one again and again as my kids grow.
The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine--see my review here
Our monthly reading for March was Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp.
This is a book that I've read over and over. And it continues to remind me of my mission as a mom. This time it just brought a fresh outlook to my relationship with my son. He's moving out of the age where he just does what Mommy tells him. And while there are still situations where that's needed, he's growing into his own person. My discipline and the way I relate to him needs to evolve as well. It's brought a softer side to our relationship and I'm so glad for the reminder.
So what are your bookmarks this month?
Tell us in the comments about the books you're chewing on. Or link up a review from your own blog. Let's share the books we're finding, good and bad. And give us your thoughts if you've had a chance to read Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart.
And come back Friday April 27 as we discuss Kisses for Katie and others that you're reading.
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