Happy New Year's Eve!

As we find ourselves saying goodbye to 2011 and hello 2012, we'd like to wish all of our readers and followers a Happy New Years Eve.


May 2012 bring more smiles than tears, more blessings than set backs and more laughter than cries.

If you do venture out tonight, please be safe.

See you next year! :)

Sarah and Emma

Food Friday: Tomato Basil Bisque

Looking for some great foods to entertain for New Year's Eve or for your football bowls coming up. Try this great-tasting tomato bisque to impress your friends. My husband made it and it was so good, I really felt like I was in some classy restaurant.

Original Recipe
6 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter cubed
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions
In a large saucepan, saute the celery, onion, and red pepper in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil, sugar, salt and pepper; cool slightly. Transfer half of the soup mixture to a blender. While processing, gradually add cream; process until pureed. Return to the pan; heat through (do not boil). This recipe yields 5 servings.

Adapted Recipe based on ingredients we had on hand.
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, and red pepper in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil, sugar, salt and pepper; cool slightly. Transfer the soup mixture to a blender. While processing, gradually add cream; process until pureed. Return to the pan; heat through (do not boil). This recipe yields 5 servings.

Wash Wednesday: Resourceful Ways to Store your Christmas Decorations

At our house we leave the Christmas decorations up until mid-January. Since we do not get our get our live tree until the second week in December, we like to enjoy it a little bit longer. You know keep the magic of Christmas around as long as possible or at least until the trash pick up is scheduled.

Most people though like to take the Christmas decorations down the day after Christmas suggesting the season is over (and in my opinion too soon). Due to crazy mothers from kids taking down the ornaments, some just have had enough. My neighbor friend even took hers down a week before Christmas because the cat kept eating the tree needles and puking up the remains.

Well for whatever reason, the tree comes down and the decorations get put away for another year. And the stores stock the shelves with expensive storage containers.

I was racking my brain for some simple storage containers to store our ever-increasing Christmas decorations. Here are a few ideas to more frugal with Christmas storage:

Have a lot of Christmas ball ornaments? Try placing them in a leftover egg carton. Egg cartons separate your balls to keep them safe and nice looking. The cartons then stack up on top of each other reducing the pain of rolling balls. Wrap some bubble wrap around the container for glass balls.

What do you do for those small wreaths that do not fit in those large plastic wreath holders? Utilize your leftover plastic party trays with lids. Wash them up after serving cookies and use it to house your wreath for the year. You could even wash the tray out and use it again to serve cookies next year.

You have many other loose ornaments? Recycle those pretty gift boxes or those boxes you made out of wrapping paper to store additional decorations. Wrap these items in the leftover wrinkled tissue paper to keep secure.

There is no reason to buy those expensive plastic totes to store Christmas decorations. Think outside the box and use what you have around the house. And please share your ideas!

For more frugal tips, please visit Learning the Frugal Life.

Tip Tuesday: Keep The Kids Busy--Treat Them to a Movie!

If your kids attend school out of the home, they're on break this week. We're on day three of break and already we've had a discussion about not having to get up at 6:30 and to be nice to your brothers.

But I've got to find things for them to do...or I'm going to go bonkers.

Today, on KBG deals, they have 50% off of movie tickets through Fandango. 4 movie tickets for $24! Click here to view and purchase this deal!

You could use it as an incentive or just when you've "had enough" and want them to sit still for more than 10 seconds at a time.

I never understood the line in "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" that says, "And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again"....until now.

Merry Christmas!

In light of our post earlier this week regarding electronics, Mommys Recess is going off line for Christmas this weekend, the first in the history of the blog. Instead, join us in enjoying our family and friends and celebrating the birth of the baby Jesus.

From our families to yours may you have a Merry Christmas! Sarah and Emma

Toy Thursday: What My Kids WON'T Be Getting This Christmas

Is it just me or are toys getting stranger and stranger? What happened to the normal toys we had growing up?? That being said, here's a list of toys that my kids WON'T be getting at Christmas (or birthday, or ever).

1. Doggie Doo Game

Really? A game where you feed a dog and press its tail and it poops. And then you have to clean it up. And how is this fun? Ew.

2. Pop the Pig

You feed a pig burgers until his tummy bursts. Again, ew.

3. Squinkies

Here's a great idea...let's encourage our children to play with something that is super small and a choking hazard. What could go wrong?? Pass.

It reminds me of this SNL sketch.

My kids will not be getting "Mr. Skin Grafter", "Doggie Dentist", "Johnny Switchblade, Adventure Punk" or a "Bag of Glass".

Call me a mean mom. But I might just stick with Duplo toys and trucks.

Wash Wednesday: Laundry for Packing!

Laundry is always something that has to be done before you can finish packing your suitcases. Today I did just that with washing over five loads of laundry to get caught up on clean clothes so that we can leave town later this week.

I like to allow myself a couple of days in advance to do laundry. And I try to get every last bit done so that I can leave an empty laundry room to dump dirty clothes in when we get back. As I fold it, I lay out what we need and put the rest away in the proper drawers. I then start packing with the items laying out which saves me a step of putting everything away.

My laundry room is now clean but I know I will end up with more clothes that we want to take since we are doing multiple Christmas celebrations. Most of the time, we wear clothes we know we are not taking. Even so, I always end up with enough at the last minute that need washed. So I will rewash a load in a couple of days right before we leave.

How do you tackle packing the clothes for your family?

Tip Tuesday: Leave the Bows

I learned this trick the hard way and have been waiting to share my wisdom with other mommies!

The bows on the presents...if you're like me and you have to travel "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house" you know the problem. You've got your gifts all nice and pretty, with a bow.

By the time you get to Grandmas, the bows are crushed and your wrapping job looks like you did it blindfolded.

Rather than putting the bows on before hand, I just leave them off of the gifts. I bring a bag of bows and put them on the presents as I'm setting them under the tree at Grandma's (and in our case, ma'ams) house.

It saves a lot of headaches, stress and honestly, more stress is the LAST thing a mom needs at Christmas.

Make Monday: Make an Effort to Turn OFF the Electronics

Sometimes I find myself thinking how did our stay-at-home moms do it without the Internet at home. I mean when I am feeling down on a day stuck at home, I get on the Internet and socialize with other moms on face book and email. These are good places to vent about your insane days with the kids, find solace and advice, and lift each other's spirits knowing that you are not alone. Moms (especially stay-at-home moms) feel more connected to each other and the world around them thanks to modern electronics.

The previous generation would have had the telephone but who wants to be on that after screaming kids. Every since the day I received over 100 messages on my work phone, I am one to totally screen my calls and take my time returning calls (sorry but realize it is not just you). Instead I spend my time sending a quick, to-the-point text when necessary.

Other times I relish the quiet when I can get away from the accessibility and convenience of electronics. One of my favorite things about our summer vacation trip to Canada is the lack of Internet and Blackberry access being in the middle of no where. And I love it! No calls to return. No obligations to fulfill. No temptation of being on the Internet for hours and posting about my life.

I do spend my fair share of time on the Internet doing my regular things: news, blog obviously, email, shop, and even my devotions (cause I am more productive than opening a book sometimes). It is at these times that I notice how much we all spend on our computers and smart phones twittering and face booking. It is so easy to do. I know because sometimes I get bored with the same old face book posts.

I have become concerned with our addiction to this modern technology though because I know how much time it can take away from daily life. I find it discouraging when I open my face book "stories" to find the same person has left the last five posts in a row. Or when I see people get up in the morning and go immediately to check their email on their smart phone even before going to the bathroom, let alone say good morning to their loved ones. And how about those relatives that will be browsing on their phone during your holiday party in the middle of a conversation with them. Enough. Obviously we need to rearrange our priorities because this is pathetic.

I want to scream (but internally of course), "get off the electronic device (insert phone, computer, and television) already." You have kids and spouses that need your attention. Enjoy the quiet of the day. Do something more worthwhile. And lessen the noise cause life throws so much at us as it is.

So I encourage all of us (myself included) to limit the electronic noise this Christmas season. In fact confiscate the phone. Turn off the computer. Think twice when turning on the television just for background noise. And enjoy your special time with your loved ones while reflecting on the joy of the season.

Salvation Sunday: The Magic of Christmas

Quite often we get a little too wrapped (pun intended) up in all of the Christmas traditions, baking, gifts etc etc.

The other night, Daddy was getting off of work late, I was tired and didn't want to cook dinner and we agreed to meet at Pizza Ranch (or Pizza Ants, as Sean calls it).

Daddy had a small mishap at work (bus accident, but he's fine) and was running late. The kids were hungry, and tired, and whiney, and fighting and and and...mom had enough.

Even though I knew Daddy wouldn't be able to meet us for a while, I loaded the kids in the van and we drove around looking at Christmas lights.

Baby B has started saying, "WOW! WOWOW!" at the Christmas lights. It was too cute. But Liam stole the show. He exclaimed, "Mommy! My heart is so full of Christmas joy I feel like it could explode!!"

And while that's not a very traditional Christmas vision, it made my heart warm. I knew what he was trying to say. I knew what he meant. And it was sweet.

Because I remember feeling that way about Christmas when I was a kid. And when he said it, I had that feeling return again.

It is magical.

Shuffle (Santorum) Saturday

I will be heading back to my hometown of Glidden today to visit with my parents and to attend an event with Rick Santorum. I will post more here once the event is over. :)

Not only did I meet Senator Santorum...

But so did my DAD!

And to my surprise, he spent almost two hours (uninterrupted by his "handlers") answering questions.

I was impressed. And so was dad. Three cheers for family values. Three cheers for someone who sticks with what he says. Three cheers for Rick Santorum!

And now his (albeit barn sign yard capable)yard is hosting a yard sign for Rick Santorum.

Go Rick!!

Food Friday: Vanishing (Raisin or Cranberry) Oatmeal Cookies

This oatmeal recipe is one of my mom's cookie recipes that we used to make for Christmas cookies. This recipe not only tastes great but you can make a large quantity of dry ingredients ahead of time and add the wet ingredients when cookies are needed. That is exactly what we did as my brother and I mixed up the lump of real butter into the dry ingredients. Then on another day my mom would pull out the , add the egg and vanilla, and finish the baking.

Cream together in a large bowl:
1 cup margarine or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar

Add:
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Set aside.

Sift together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Add:
3 cups of oats
1 cup of your choice of raisins, cranberries and white chocolate chips, or chocolate chips

Store dry ingredients in cool, dry place for up to several weeks. When ready to bake, combine dry ingredients with creamed sugars and eggs. Then drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 1 minute before removing to a rack. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Toy Thursday: Out with the Old and In with the New

You have heard the saying "out with the old and in with the new." I thought of this when I saw a mom's post on face book about cleaning out the toy room just this week to make room for new Christmas toys.

I guess adding a new collection of toys to the already overstuffed toy room can be a challenge (And a pathetic one in our society at that if you ask me). That is why it is a good time to clean and sort the toys as you make room for new ones. Here are some tips to do so.

• Allow age appropriate toys to remain while removing toys that are outgrown.
• Remove broken toys and their pieces from the room.
• Bag up some toys not played with for charities such as churches, clinics waiting rooms, and organizations that take gently used toys.
• Rotate toys around the house between rooms as some kids play with toys in different settings.
• Rotate toys from storage and get out when the kids are bored with what is currently out.
  
• Dust, wipe down, and wash toys and toy areas from germs and dirt to make a safe and clean play environment. Remember that some toys like bath toys can be washed in the dishwasher.
• Organize toys for easy access and efficient clean-up.
  

Wash Wednesday: A Kid Proof Tablecloth

I remember my brothers when they were little pushing their match box cars back and forth on the wooden furniture at home. You can still see the skids (scratch) marks on the wood of the now beat up piano in the living room. You can also see the spots on the dining room table from bangs, dents, and remains of craft/school projects. Kids are very hard on wooden furniture.

Now it is my turn to find that out. Our dining room oak table (with up to three leaves) and six matching chairs is the one piece of furniture that is nice in our house. I always wanted a very big table to house every family member for the holidays and family meals. I even collected 100% linen tablecloths for these special occasions to decorate the table.

With a kid though, keeping that table and chairs looking nice is definitely a challenge. And I know that it will come out on the other side with some ding ups which will only reflect on fond memories (I hope). But how do I keep it looking nice longer.

At first, I tried regular fabric table cloths but soon found out that I was washing the crumbs out everyday adding to my laundry pile. Then once we moved into the finger paint stage, I tried a plastic tablecloth that would be easy to wipe and clean. Finally we moved into the poke your fork into the table cloth stage and so I had to find something heavier.

That is when I implemented this wonderful idea from my sister-in-law. Her antique family-heirloom dining room table is covered with a real piece of heavy vinyl from the fabric store. First she laid down a regular small table covering exactly the size of the tabletop to help with moisture. Next, she laid down a piece of black vinyl just slightly larger than the table. Then she took safety pins and pinned up the corners of the vinyl around the edges underneath of the table so that the cloth did not get removed. The tablecloth has become the permanent table top.

I got my piece of red vinyl on sale at the local fabric store. And we have used it all fall on our table. I must admit it looks classy enough to decorate the table and to keep there for company. It is very easy to care and wipe clean with even throwing it in the clothes wash every so often. What most impresses me though is that it acts as a kid proof cloth against spills, paints, and scratches. We certainly have continued our everyday lifestyle on it.

Now I just need to do something about the chairs.

Tip Tuesday: Battle the Dry Air

Last week my husband blamed me for dripping hair color (purple) on our bedspread. I thought I had been really careful about it. I guess I wasn't.

And then I found a variety of dark red spots on the tile in our bathroom floor. Again, I didn't think I was that crazy with the hair color...but I guess I was.

And on Saturday, the real culprit reared his little furry head. As I was getting ready for our housewarming party, Beckett, our cat, came in and used his litterbox. On the way out of the swinging door, he sneezed. Blood sprayed everywhere. I screamed for my husband and he came running, holding the cat in the bathroom so he wouldn't drip blood on the new (cream) carpet.

"Gimme some cotton balls," demanded my husband who was holding Beckett down as Beckett continued to sneeze and spray blood.

I went to the "stockpile" in our closet and grabbed the first thing that made sense. A maxi-pad. It IS what it is for. So here's my husband, holding a feminine pad under our cats nose as he continues to sneeze and spray blood. Still.

"Cottonballs," yelled my husband. I finally found them and he did get the bleeding to stop...but it took about 20 minutes. My husband, who notoriously gets bloody noses in the winter, informed me that he had one a few days before.

We love the new house but it is so big that it makes it hard for a pot of boiling water to humidify the air...unlike the apartment.

So I've been air drying the items I know my husband isn't picky about and trying to occasionally boil water. I also leave the bathroom door open when I shower to help by getting some of the humidity into the house.

After the last big nose bleed of the cat, my husband put some Neosporin on his nose. That seemed to help....that and what I've done to put some humidity in the home.

At least I know it wasn't my hair color.

Make Monday: Printed Paper Cookie Cutter Ornaments

I had been trying to rack my brain on some ideas for safe ornaments to hang on the tree for my curious, touch everything toddler. We put up our Christmas tree finally on Saturday only to have Judah take half of the tree decorations within reach down. He has been carrying the ornaments all over the house, playing with them any chance he gets.

It is probably a good thing we did not put up any breakable glass balls on the tree as well as our sentimental homemade cookie dough ornaments we made our first year of marriage. What few nice ornaments we do have remain towards the top half of the tree, out of reach.

So this week's project is designed to create a safe, fun ornament that your toddler/preschooler can enjoy and be proud of showing off: homemade cookie cutter ornaments. And you do not mind if they end up being played with.

Supplies
cheap cookie cutters
printed Christmas paper or wrapping paper scraps
Elmer's glue
ribbon
scissors
pencil
hole punch

Instructions
First, trace the outside shape of the cookie cutter onto the front of your printed paper with a pencil. Cut out the shape from the paper and hole punch the top of the shape so that the object will balance when hung. Turn over the cookie cutter and line the edge with a tiny squeeze of Elmer's glue. Turn the cookie cutter back over and press onto the stenciled shape with the glued edged. Make sure the printed paper faces the front of cookie cutter. Let the glue dry before tying some ribbon through the hole. Hang the cookie cutter ornament onto the Christmas tree so that the paper backing lies next to the tree.

Lessons Learned
This project is a little above a toddler's age group, making it a project more for older kids. However, Judah had fun playing with the cookie cutter shapes and picking out the paper to match each cookie cutter. He even attempted to help glue the ornaments. To actually glue proved to be a bit tricky but we found that Elmer's glue still was the most effective and easiest form to use as long as you apply it to directly to the edge of the side of the cookie cutter you want to glue down onto the paper.

Salvation Sunday: The Smells of the Manger Scene!

Yesterday, we set up our Christmas tree. Judah was so excited to get out the ornaments as he asked to get them out all afternoon. He even has played with ornaments non stop since on and off the tree.

In the middle of decorating the house, however, Judah had this awful dirty diaper that was pretty rank in comparison to the Christmas smells of of candles and real pine trees. So we stopped for a break to change the diaper which I just did right next to the Christmas tree on the floor.

As I was changing the mess, the thought came to my mind. This is probably more the smell that filled the manger scene with all those animals nearby. The nativity certainly was not ginger and spice by any means. Imagine a newborn being born in a so called barn scene with the smell of manure. Humbling beginnings for sure for anyone but especially for a king, a Savior.

What a picture this paints. A Savior, a king, God himself in flesh, coming to earth in the midst of sin, dirt, and messy filth. His presence at birth for all permeated freshness and a sweetness from the stench, pain, and sorrow of life to that of Christmas joys and peace. Christmas came down right next to the filth of everyday sin.

And yet he came to do just that. "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12

And again: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:6-8

Shuffle Saturday: Prepping For A Holiday Party

We're having a housewarming/Ugly Christmas Sweater/Debate watch party tonight. I (with the help of my husband) made two different dips, a chocolate chip cheeseball and melted snowman cookies. All this morning.

The house? Yeah. I've learned my lesson. We won't be cleaning until AFTER the kids leave with Grandma for a friend's birthday party.

I used to clean the day before (or the morning before) a party only to have it completly destroyed by the time the guest came. And that made me one crabby hostess.

Here are a few tips:

1. Prep as much as you can ahead of time. Have dips that you bake? Mix them up and put them in the fridge. Bake them about 30 minutes before the guests come. That way you're pulling them out of the oven just before they come in.

2. Get Grandparents (or friends) to watch the kid(s) in the afternoon before the party so you can clean/organize/tidy up. There's really no point in cleaning while the kids are around...because if your kids are like mine, they'll just walk behind you making messes as you go.

3. Enjoy yourself. People really are not going to notice if there's a toy or two in the living room. You DO have kids after all. And if they're good friends, they'll understand.

Food Friday: Snickerdoodles

Need another batch of Christmas cookies and clueless as to what to make? Try these mouth watering, family favorites. From my experience, I guarantee you will not be able to eat just one cookie. So roll up your sleeves, get out your baking gear, and team up with the family to make a batch while listening to Christmas music in the background.

Ingrediants

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the eggs. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.

Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from baking sheet.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Toy Thursday: Wrapping Presents with Toddlers can be a Game!

If you have a toddler in the house then chances are you are going to go through a lot of wrapping paper, bows, tape, and stickers this Christmas season. Unless you happen to only wrap gifts after toddler hours.

A while back I wrote about how I like to set up a wrapping station. This will allow me to wrap Christmas gifts as I get them (or have them delivered, rather) to save time later wrapping at the last minute.

This concept works great except when you want to wrap daddy's gifts during the day while he is away at work. Not only do you run into the problem of your toddler spilling the beans on his every gift (sorry dad, no surprises), but you run into the problem of managing your little elf helper.

So the other day, I did just that. I got out the wrapping paper and tape to spread out on the floor below my wrapping station. I also got out the scissors trying to keep these out of reach of little hands. And we started wrapping.

Judah was my big helper if you can only imagine. He unwrapped the roll of paper and proceeded to jump on it crinkling it all up. Next, he wanted to help with the tape and by helping I mean one very long piece of crumbled up on the gift box. He then found some stickers in with the gift tags. So I started him on decorating a gift box while I finished wrapping the other gift. This lasted until he stuck all the stickers on the box and because I was not finished, he wanted to move the stickers over to another box. And now you guessed it, we have remnants of Christmas stickers all over the house. Still he was excited about his sticker decorations, showing dad when he came home all the while telling dad what the contents of the box were.

And now days later, Judah walks around with little scraps of wrapping paper with rolled up objects. He pretends to give them to you as your present. Your part is too act excited and of course surprised (perhaps it is to find something you have been missing in the process).

It is all in good fun I suppose. Kids are what make Christmas memorable including the chore of wrapping gifts. Just turn the chore into a game and a fun activity. And forget about perfect looking wrapped gifts knowing that the time spent is more important doing it together. I may be wrapping twice as long and cleaning up more after the fact (not to mention the floor needs vacuumed now), but it is fun to have my little elf be my helper.

Wash Wednesday: New Downy Unstopables--A Review---Again!

I ran out of Downy Unstopables. It was the end of the laundry world in my household as we know it.

It wasn't until AFTER I ran a few loads without that my husband said, "Why don't my clothes smell as good?"

Thanks, Dear.

It was then that he told me he has received comments from co-workers and even blood donors who have said that his clothes smell so good.

And even though I didn't want to do it, I went to Dahls. And paid full price. No coupon.

The things we do for good smelling laundry.

Tip Tuesday: Frugal and Festive Holiday Decorations

It will be nice when I can decorate my whole Christmas tree...but for now, we'll just decorate the top half.

Now that we have hardwood floors, I knew I didn't want to put any breakable ornaments on the tree. I can just see it...the boys come running, crash into the tree and there would be green, red, gold and silver glass shards all over the floor.

Nope. Not going to happen.

But I really hate having decorations that I can only use once a year and knowing they're just sitting in a box in storage. It doesn't seem like a good use of property.

So I grabbed some vases and put the glass balls in them. I put three vases in our front entry way, one on the boys bathroom counter and one on our bathroom counter.

The boys bathroom with glass balls in a vase

Master Bathroom

Front entry way


It really gave all of the rooms a festive feel and it didn't cost anything as I already had the supplies!

Make Monday: Make It Festive (And Smell Good Too)--Even If It Includes Mr. Hankey

Yesterday I came across a recipe for applesauce and cinnamon ornaments. The kids seemed excited about them to we made them. When I say "we", I mean "I". They stuck around for about 5 minutes before playing with the Angry Birds set.

When it came time to pick out the shapes, they were all about it. We have snowmen, Christmas trees, Candy Canes, Gingerbread Men and stockings.

I found I had just a bit of dough left, and not wanting to waste anything, I did something I wasn't proud of.

We made a Mr. Hankey Christmas ornament. It wasn't my finest parenting hour. But the kids had fun and it will make for a conversation starter at our house warming party.

The recipe I used is as follows:
3/4 cup applesauce
1 bottle (4.12 ounces)of ground cinnamon

That's it. Mix it, roll it, cut it. Before baking, use a straw to cut a hole in the top of the ornament so you can string it and hang it on the tree.

Bake at 200 degrees for 2.5 hours. It will make your house smell AWESOME.

Even if the last bit of dough is in the shape of, well, Christmas poo.

I love being a mom of boys, I love being a mom of boys, I love being a mom of boys.


(Note: Mr. Hankey was my HUSBAND'S idea.)

Salvation Sunday: Keeping Christ in Christmas

We all know that saying and we know what it means...but do we really?

Quite often I see people too wrapped up in their Christmas shopping, decorating and baking that they're doesn't seem to be a glimmer of Christ in their CHRISTmas.

Someone fired shots outside of Valley West Mall on Black Friday. Someone was choked at the 8th Street Wal-Mart over a video game. Two teens got in a fight at Jordan Creek mall. Would Christ be involved in any of that? I don't think so.

We need to remember what's important...that HE is the reason for the season. We're celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The man who came to Earth, the man who died for our sins. The man who is more than just a man, but the Son of God.

It's not about who has the "right gifts", who has the "house with the most lights" or who has the "perfect" decorations. It's about that "Dear 8 pounds 6 ounces baby Jesus, new born, not even spoken a word yet."-Ricky Bobby.

And now that you're laughing, keep sweet little baby Jesus in mind. Because, it is about his birth.

Shuffle Saturday: Mommy (Parents) Knows Best for their Kids!

Tis the season for Christmas and all through the house you find family and friends. The Holiday season brings a lot of family and friends whether at your house or traveling on the road. That means a whole lot of conflicting information for a kid from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

At our last playgroup the topic of "knowing what is best for our kids"came up for discussion among us moms. With so many extended family and family friends around, kids often are shuffled from one command to another. Do this, do that, do not do this, do not do that....and on it goes.

A big parenting frustration of mine is when mommy or daddy is standing in the room trying to give orders, correct their kid, or see to their kids' needs, and a third party interrupts them offering their own advice and/or their own instruction. For example, I can be telling Judah something important (to his well being) and have someone else interrupt me midway through conversation to tell him something different. Excuse me.

I have also experienced people who do not listen to the parents' wishes and instructions by ignoring them or choosing simply not to listen. Sometimes mommies have specific instructions as to to the care of the child only to have these wishes seen as obsolete by a third party. There is a reason perhaps mommy says.... "you need a hat." The kid is getting over an ear infection...."do not nap with them." Just like last time, the kid will never fall asleep from the extra stimulation. Not cool.

Now I am no exception to the rule. I have been known on occasion to tell another mom's kid no only to have to stop midway to apologize for superseding their authority, especially in front of them. And so I just simply have this conversation with my mommy friends if it OK to say "no" to their child. And we all agree that if their safety is in jeopardy, then go ahead and by all means say "no." I have also learned that if their mommy is present, it is better to hold my tongue. After all, I would not want them to question my authority in front of my kids, making life more difficult for all parties.

At the end of the day, parents know what is best for their kid. Sure, someone else like a grandparent may overall have more experience as they have been there, done that with their own kids. However, these loved ones do not have THAT experience with MY kid....in which times, personalities, and circumstances can be different. Moms (and dads) knows best to what makes their kid tick, get tired, get sick, be tempted. Perhaps that is why we are the best candidate to take care of our kids. And the best ones to tell them what is what.

Food Friday: Peanut Butter Bars!

Peanut butter cookies are my favorite. A good spin off of those include these peanut butter bars. If you need to whip something up tomorrow for your church Christmas Cookie Walk, try these. Guaranteed you will not be able to eat just one! Happy Baking!

Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

½ cup crunchy peanut butter

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unsifted all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter and butter until creamy. Gradually beat in sugars. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into peanut butter mixture. Spread batter in a greased 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Beat in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

2 ½ cups confectioners sugar

For frosting, beat together creamy peanut butter and vanilla. Beat in two tablespoons milk and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and milk until smooth and of spreading consistency. Use to frost cooled peanut butter bars. Cut into 24 equal pieces.

Toy Thursday: Surviving The Holiday

There are SO many toy commercials. Honestly, I was expecting more political commercials than toy commercials, living in Iowa one month away from the caucus. But I couldn't be that lucky.

Woah. Wait. Did I just call myself lucky to sit through political commercials? I did. I must be losing it. And Mattel must have a larger advertising budget than Mitt Romney.

But every time my kids see a commercial for something the TV tells them they need...they want it. The toy commercials have even infiltrated my evening news.

24 days until Christmas. We'll be watching a lot of IPTV (commercial free) and less Nickeloden between now and then. I'm done toy shopping for the boys and I don't want them to decide there's something they need between now and then.

And then there's the Pampers "Silent Night" commercial that never fails to make me weepy. And even though they scream and fight and yell for toys, they're my little angels.

Wash Wednesday: Reuse Home Items for Cleaning

Sometimes I find that certain household items work better or even more better for other things other than what they were intended. Then I also find that being resourceful with what you have around the house can solve several other household problems eliminating the need for an expensive alternative.

What I am trying to get at is that I find that certain cleaning tools simply do not work. Too big, too awkward, too scratchy, too clumsy...nothing frustrates you more than not having the correct tools to get the job done. With experience I tried other items you would not normally think to use for cleaning but you soon realize they are more efficient and thorough. And I know we all like a clean house (even though it is unheard of with kids, right?).

Here are some examples of some items you would not normally think of using as cleaning tools.

Toothbrushes. First, I like to recycle our old, worn toothbrushes for those hard to reach, small cracks that need to be clean. A good example is scrubbing the toothbrush back and forth underneath the bathroom sink faucet to remove soap scum. I have also used the toothbrush to aid in cleaning food spills among the cracks around the stove top and oven. Just make sure that once used to clean, the toothbrush is not used on the teeth.

Kitchen Handled Scrub Brushes. Second, I like to recycle our long handled kitchen brushes to scrub the toilets. The handles are smaller for my hand making it easier to handle. The brushes are tougher and just the right size to reach under the lip of the toilet bowl getting those hard to reach bacteria infestations.

Automotive Sponges. Third, I like to buy automotive sponges you use to wash a car. What for? The larger surface of the sponge helps to clean the shower and tub faster with less the amount of elbow grease needed with a regular sponge. And if the sponge is safe on a car, it should be safe on the shower surface.

Do not be limited by the use of a tool. Think outside the box about what works for you and gets the job done. And let me hear your ideas on being more efficient with the right tools.

Make Monday: Gift wrap your own Box!

Now that Christmas season is upon us, it will soon be time to start wrapping presents. Many people wrap presents as part of their Christmas festivities while some simply check off this chore from their to do list.

Personally, I like to wrap my presents as I get them. Setting up a wrapping station for the month of December eliminates the stress and hassle of waiting at the last minute. My parents on the other hand enjoyed wrapping everything together before Christmas day. I can remember waiting with anticipation as they would bring one wrapped gift after another from their room every few minutes. As they put it under the tree, us kids would try to guess who it was for and keep track of how many we had.

Looking though for a different way to wrap gifts. This year I have a whole lot of finger painted banner pictures from our many projects to use as wrapping paper. In the past I have enjoyed using recycled paper bags for an antique look with giant fabric bows. Colored cellophane also is fun to use to wrap odd looking shapes. And of course, recycle cards to use as gift tags.

Here is one of my favorites though that could involve a family craft....I discovered this delightful, pretty way to wrap a shoe box from a friend who gave us a box of Christmas cookies once. I even liked hers so much, I store Christmas decorations inside.

As you wrap your regular presents, save all your small Christmas scraps of wrapping paper. Then recycle an old, empty shoe box by decorating the scraps onto the box as a collage. Use clear tape to overlap different pieces (shapes and colors) onto the box . Decorate the lid so that the box can still close. Line the inside with tissue paper and store the gift contents inside.

Happy Gift Wrapping!

Shuffle Saturday: Sixth Birthday (Green Bay) Surprise

My big boy turns six today. How is that even possible?? It feels like yesterday I was in the hospital having trouble with his delivery. And he's already six years old???

Later today we'll be having a birthday party for him. He's requested a Green Bay Packers Birthday party. I found this great idea on Pinterest and had to try it. We pulled it off. As one of his gifts, we got him a (SUPER SOFT) Green Bay Packers blanket and put it on his bed after he went to sleep. We filled 20 Green and Yellow balloons and took them into his room--hoping that he wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night and turn on his fan. We also got him a really cool Green Bay Packers cup and set it at his spot on the dining room table.

When he woke up this morning, he came into my room and said, "Mommy! I already saw my blanket and balloons. THAT WAS AWESOME!" Daddy has to work this morning so he was somewhat sad that he was going to miss Liam's reaction.

Liam then ventured out to the living room/dining room and said, "Oh COOL! A Green Bay cup!! This is like a Birthday-Egg Hunt!"

He still has a few more gifts to open from us and guests are scheduled to arrive around 2. Daddy doesn't get off of work until 1. I hope I can get a shower/make all of the dips/decorate/maintain my sanity before the guests show up.

But so far, it's been a success. Happy Birthday, Liam. I can't believe you're already six.

Food Friday: No Bake Cookies!

In spite all this yummy food from yesterday, I am craving my mom's homemade No Bake Cookies. Easy to whip up. So bring some apple cider and join me curled up in a front of a Christmas classic movie nibbling on some of these.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

½ cup margarine

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups oatmeal

6 tablespoons cocoa

Mix together sugar, milk, margarine, and boil (rolling) 1 minute over medium heat. Add vanilla. Put oatmeal and cocoa in a bowl. Blend well. Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and drop teaspoonfuls on wax paper. Cool completely before storing.

Option:

3 cups oatmeal

½ cup coconut

½ cup nuts

Could use 8 tablespoons cocoa for real chocolate taste.

Thankful Thursday!

On behalf of the authors of Mommy's Recess, we wish you and your family a blessed day.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his,

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Wash Wednesday: Washing those Hands Away

Tis the season for dry hands. And if you are a mom with small kids, you are washing your hands constantly.....after dirty diapers, wet spit up, filthy dishes, germ filled laundry, muddy shoes, runny noses, unkind cleaning supplies, and the list goes on.

My hands are naturally dry to begin with. Every year at this time, my hands literally crack and bleed because they are so dry. My knuckles and wrists become wrinkled while my nails sport hang nails.

And then you add on top life of a mom. Hands tell a lot about your work ethic. When I am with my grandma, I always wonder all the things her wrinkled hands accomplished to care for her family.

Well, let's just say being a mom is hard on your hands. And pausing to take care of yourself is about as abnormal as soft hands. And at the end of the day, your bleeding knuckles look horrible and hurt even more. And hand sanitizer usually adds to the sting.

So what do we do? I have been trying to come up with ways to squeeze some time into my already packed schedule just to take care of my hands. I would appreciate any ideas you may have fellow moms.

In the meantime, I have placed my favorite Aveeno therapy lotions at each sink so that after each wash I grab a little bit. At my husbands request, I also put hand soap at each sink instead of using dish soap to wash my hands. I try to dry thoroughly with a soft towel especially around the wrist area to prevent chapped hands. I also have started carrying my chap stick around for constant use.

Speaking of, I better go put on some lotion now. Good luck hands! After all, you do a lot!

Tip Tuesday: Eliminate Clutter With Sheets in Their own Pillow Cases

Why didn't I think of this before. Really. My sheets take up SO much space. Fold em up, put them in the corresponding pillow case and done. It makes SO much sense! I have to give credit where credit is due and saw this on a pinterest post. We tried it this weekend and it worked. It cut our linen closet space by half. BY HALF!

And we have a King size, two twin's and a crib/toddler bed in our home. It makes so much sense, keeps the sheets smelling fresh and is organized!!

Make Monday: Paper Cup Turkeys

At the end of last week, Judah and I made some turkey cups in celebration of Thanksgiving. Our other goal was to practice using glue for this craft.

Supplies

Paper cups
Colored construction paper
Artificial feathers
Craft glue
Q-tips
Scissors
Hole punch
Pom poms
Pencil



Instructions

First we traced Judah's hand onto his choice of construction paper. After mommy cut this out, we used this as a base to glue the feathers onto each finger. Mommy gave Judah a cup with a little bit of glue. Taking a Q-tip, he then dipped it in glue and spread it on each finger of the hand. Once glue was added, he laid a feather of his choice down. To conclude the feathers, we glued the bottom of the hand (the wrist) to one side of the cup. We then made eyes, nose, and mouth out of hole punched dots, pom poms, and little craft eye balls gluing them to the front of the cup. Judah even insisted on adding pom pom cheeks to the side of his turkey.

Variations

We made our turkey design as simple as possible. However, for older kids you could do hidden turkeys. To achieve this you use different size of cups such as a normal paper cup, a Dixie cup, and a nut cup, so that they fit inside of each other. Decorate different sizes of turkeys. Then enjoy playing a game stacking and hiding your turkeys with each other.

Salvation Sunday: The Defying Attitude

One has to look no further than a two year old to see "sin nature" at its best. Defiance is the name of the game.

My own two year old son is definitely in this stage right now. In the midst of curiosity and independence, he is exploring this attitude of "my way." Among things this includes not listening, not obeying, and giving me a look or attitude of defiance. Sound familiar?

It is hard not to lose my patience (and my mind) some days. I just get so frustrated at the lack of listening and follow through. In fact, he almost appears to do the opposite of what I say. I have to remind him that sometimes mommy is telling him no for reasons due to safety.

On these occasions, I am reminded of my own heart in relation to God. I am not exempt in this defiance attitude. My two year old self comes out at times in life. God instructs. We hear but not obey. And then we turn the other way until consequences and pain inflict themselves upon us.

Thankfully, God is a lot more patient and loving than I (we) deserve. Take for example of the Israelites history in the Old Testament. Time and time again God provided and loved expecting only obedience in return. How many times did the Old Testament nation fall again and again in disobedience and defiance only to be picked back up and loved once more.

Guess I need a lesson in regards to my two year old self. How about you?

Food Friday: Peanut Butter Recall

Yep. It happened again. Another Peanut Butter recall.

This one effects Smuckers Brand Peanut Butter. They have "Best if Used By" dates of Aug. 3, 2012 and Aug. 4, 2012, plus the production codes 1307004 and 1308004. The cause of the recall is possible salmonella contamination. Salmonella is bacteria resulting in fever, cramps and diarrhea that lasts for several days and can require hospitalization.

Ew is right. So check your jars and toss em if you've got them.


Read more: http://www.kcci.com/health/29793364/detail.html#ixzz1e0WsJUa0

Toy Thursday: Make Leaf Place Mats for Thanksgiving

Looking for some last minute decorating ideas for your Thanksgiving table. If you desire to make it a family affair, consider making place mats for each place setting on that special day. The kids will have fun helping decorate too.

Remember those leaves we collected a few weeks ago on our nature walk. Judah and I selected various shapes, sizes, and colors of fall leaves. We brought them home to press between magazines.

Recently, we got those leaves out to make place mats for our Thanksgiving table. To do this we took 10 inch by 13 inch piece of colored construction paper. Judah helped me glue down the leaves onto the paper. He finished his design with adding some color from the markers.

Once the leaf designs were finished, we cut two pieces of clear contact paper. Taking one piece of contact paper, we placed the construction paper (face up) onto the sticky side. We then proceeded to press the remaining second sheet on top. Finally, we smoothed out all the air bubbles and trimmed the edges of contact paper around the construction paper.

Be sure to make enough for all your Thanksgiving guests. Have fun using the leaves to make designs of all colors and shapes. Your new place mats will be sure to add to your holiday spirit and your time with family will make your day that much more blessed.

For added decorations, press your leftover leaves alone between some contact paper. Cut around the leaves in different shapes. Punch a hole and hang your sun catcher on the windows.

Wash Wednesday: When They "Try" To Help

I'm blessed, I know it. And I need to be thankful when my kids want to help out with cleaning...but sometimes they make more of a mess.

Our new house has mostly wood floors, except for the bedrooms which are carpet and the bathrooms are tile.

I've been using a Swiffer Wet Jet on the wood floors (cleaning suggestions are appreciated). The other day while I was changing the baby's diaper, I found the toddler had accessed my swiffer, with no pad, and was SCRAPING the wood floor. No good.

I know he was copying what he sees and is trying to help...but man. It took everything in me not to pull my hair out!

Tip Tuesday: Christmas Shopping Savvy

Whether we're ready or not, Christmas is coming. I find it hard to believe that some stores already have their Christmas gear out...did I miss Thanksgiving? No? Okay. Just checking.

I've been buying all year for Christmas. When items go on clearance, I grab them. I stash them. I spreadsheet them. I am a nerd. And in addition to my "gift tote" I also had to figure out a way to get the larger toys from the apartment to our new house in the move. It wasn't easy.

My boys LOVE Angry Birds. They love it so much, they "play" angry birds. That means on kid is sitting on the couch and the other "launches" himself from the other side of the room, to the kid on the couch, screaming "CA-CAW!"

When I saw this deal I couldn't pass it up.

A "live action" Angry Birds game, complete with sounds, for HALF PRICE.

My oldest (the biggest Angry Birds fan in the house) turns 6 just after Thanksgiving. I know what he's getting for his birthday!!

Make Monday: Make Moving Fun

Okay, maybe not fun, but it does help to be able to have a few laughs during a stressful event like moving.

We were thankful to have family and friends willing to help us move. But there are always a *few* things you don't want people to see.

One of our friends who helped us move was my friend John from the MPIS group I just joined. Honestly, I've known him for maybe two months. But when you can stay up, overnight, listening to silence and taking temperature readings, you trust that person. That being said, I didn't want him (or my dad, or my brother, or my father in law) seeing my underwear drawer. There are just some things you don't want to share.

We had moved our beds over on Friday with my parents and my father in law, so we were able to have the bed made up when everyone else arrived. My brother and John were moving clothes into our master closet and that's when the quote of the move was said.

We've had our bed since 2005 and we do need a new mattress. My brother looked at it, John looked at it and they both started laughing. John said, "Looks like you guys need a new mattress."
My brother chimed in, "Wow! You don't just have ass grooves, you have full body grooves."

Yes. It's true. You can see where we sleep. And we all had a good laugh out of it.

And yes...except for the sentimental stuff...this is SO true.

Salvation Sunday: Facing the Storm

I recently found this neat kids devotional book for Judah. Based on songs, you read a verse and a short story to match the song you just listened to. One morning, we attempted to read the verse for the day (as we call it) and found the story of Noah and the ark.

The story is so well known with God protecting Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark while rain flooded the earth. Another common aspect of the story is that God asked Noah to build the ark and in spite all odds and persecution, he obeyed God. Still, the story of salvation is clear as God provided the only way to life for Noah and his family through the safety of the ark paralleling the picture of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

This devotional though had a different take on Noah and the Ark, one that I had not heard in my many sermons.

Imagine the storms of life in the context of the flood. We weather storms in our journey through life. Storms with lighting, rain, and wind. These storms come at us in floods tossing us on fierce waves.

Now imagine the ark being our relationship with God. The Bible talks about God being our refuge. II Samuel 22:3 says, "my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior..." Psalm 46:1 also states, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." The ark is the perfect example of finding refuge in God.

God literally encloses us inside the ark to protect us. We can find our safety from daily storms and tossing waves there. The place of safety is found in God alone. He will help you weather life.

Shuffle Saturday: Dealing with Naughty Sick Kids

This weekend Judah had an ear ache. This means that he does not feel well but well enough to still do normal activities. Even so, Judah always seems to act up more when he does not feel well.

With a plugged ear (as any time he slightly feels bad), Judah seems to scream more, whine more, and overall is more uncontrollable. You can also tell when he is out of sorts as he seems to jump from one thing to another in sort of a destructive, unhappy manner. Typically it is hard to keep up with him on these days.

Most often I am cleaning up the remains of one mess while he is into the next thing. It appears I have to anticipate what is coming next and be proactive in my response approach. I spend a lot of energy in this mode.

In spite all efforts to keep up, entertain, and avoid disaster, we still run into bumps along the way. At some point (and most often more than once) we have melt downs. I think kids do not know how to handle not feeling well and so act out in naughty ways even if they know better. Heck, even adults do this.

The question becomes how do you balance discipline with caring for a sick child? Even though you know they do not feel well, you still cannot allow this naughty behavior. Although you realize this aggression is frustration over feeling poorly, how do you manage or even limit unseemly outbursts.

Do you change your discipline approach? Do you not discipline?

This is something I struggle with quite often when he is sick. I have no answers but rather deal with it as it comes on a case by case basis. You?

Food Friday: Protein for the Toddler.

Back to my picky eater....sometimes I have a hard time getting Judah to eat meat. Too rough, too stringy, too dark...whatever the reason, he does not always like to eat meat.

Perhaps this dislike of meat was because I rarely served it to him as a baby. Meat is not exactly something that can be pureed like peas or apples. Meat tends to be stringy and rough in nature making it a hard item on the menu to digest.

I started out with peanut butter sandwiches. Using cookie cutters made this fun to eat. Then for a while whatever meat I served him I told him it was chicken. Chicken he usually ate, especially chicken nuggets. Then we got into fish sticks because the shape was cool. And of course there is the hot dog phase which makes me cringe every time to think of all those packaged nutrients going into his body.

So how do you get protein into his little body. Recently, I discovered every time we go to eat at the local grocery deli, he would eat the cold lunch meat slices from the salad bar. I would add shredded cheese, cold peas, and some fruit to go along making a complete meal.

I decided to hunt down some cubed, cold lunch meat with the deli meats to bring home. You have to hunt for it but ham and chicken are there. He likes the cubed meat which is small for finger foods. He likes how easy it is to eat, not stringy and chewy. And he is getting another source of protein.

Toy Thursday: I (eye) Spy!

I spy with my little eye....Every little kid at some point in their lives sits down to read an "I Spy" book. After all, hunting for hidden objects in the book is a classic past time. The concept of I Spy can be transferred into so many activities and games to help pass more time on a cold, snowy day.

First, you can play I Spy by describing objects in a room. Judah and I use this technique while waiting at the doctors office. I tell him "Eye Spy something...." and I proceed to describe the color, shape, or size of the object. This technique helps him discover and familiarize himself with his surroundings.

Second, you can play a variation of I Spy by hiding objects in the room. Take a medium-sized object and hide it in the room of choice. The second person then looks around the room to find the object. Once found, the games continues to the next person to hide and the other to seek. For example, I will hide a book mark with a string in the living room while Judah closes his eyes. He will then look around the room to find the book mark.

Still you can play I Spy by filling up a clear, glass jar (with a lid) with birdseed. Add a number of objects to the jar that are small in nature. Tightly close the lid of the jar and shake the jar to see what objects you can find inside. My neighbor utilizes this game with her preschool son. Objects inside the jar include things like a small bouncy ball, a matchbox car, a penny, and so on. Each person on their turn will spy something and proceed to describe the object they see peeking out from the birdseed.

These games not only help pass the time on cold days indoors but also teach valuable skills. Use adjectives to describe objects by specific details as in color, size, and shape. Also, practice using words of opposites like inside, outside, up, down, high, and low. You are building vocabulary and spatial skills. And above all, have fun using your eyes!

Wednesday: Preparing your House and Vehicle for Winter.

The snow last night brought a friendly reminder that we need to make our winter preparations to winterize our house and vehicle. After all, the furnace will run constantly now all winter long making our winter utility bill crazy and we will be traveling out in the snow.

Here are a few steps that we take to winterize our house to save money. Also, taking these precautions increases health and well-being while reducing risk in dangerous situations.

1. Furnace Maintenance - We had the furnace cleaned this year. Routine cleaning and maintenance on the furnace every year (or every other year) lowers your risk for allergies and allows the system to run more efficiently.

2. Vent Cleaning - We had our dryer vent cleaned last year. Cleaning your dryer vent every year (or every other year) prevents fires hazards.

3. Seal the windows - Every year we seal the windows with plastic. Sealing leaky windows minimizes air flow into the house and keeps the utility bill down by keeping the furnace from running constantly to warm square footage.

4. Vehicle Maintenance - Routine inspection of your vehicle with rotating your tires prepares your vehicle for winter travel on the roads.

5. Winter First Aid - Equipping your car with supplies keeps you safe on the road for long Holiday trips. Make sure to outfit your car with sand, a shovel, food and water, and a blanket among many others.

Be safe and stay warm this winter! And keep your bills down!

Tip Tuesday: Yak Trax

It's coming. The four letter S-word...snow. It's in the forecast for tonight. I am thankful that I'm not pregnant this winter...but I've managed to survive two snowy Iowa winters pregnant.

When you're expecting, your balance is off. It's normal. And falling is not good for pregnant women. However, I did find that owning a pair of Yak Trax always helped.

While putting the Yak Trax on and off of my shoes was a bit of a challenge, it sure beats slipping and falling and injuring baby or myself.

Make Monday: Make LESS Mess!

Now that it has turned rainy, cold, and gets dark earlier in the evening, I need more craft ideas of activities for Judah to do to pass the time indoors. I was thinking about this today as Judah and I got the paints out once again.

When he got the paint out, he mixed the the colors with his hands and asked for a paper towel. Then he proceeded to wipe off his hands transferring the color to the towel. As the towel turned green, he told me he was making play dough.

Which reminds me that we should make some more homemade play dough again soon. It is a good activity to foster creativity and use up energy that otherwise would drive mom crazy if unchecked. But then play dough indoors, really? As some moms express, it can be messy. All that play dough in the carpet.

Other activities too are so much fun and help pass the time. For example, creating an indoor sandbox provides entertainment as kids scoop, pour, and push the contents around. However, the last time Judah played with the rice mixture, he left a large trail around the house for me to vacuum. Then you can make magic mud, a homemade silly putty. That is even more messy.

Back to the drawing board for ideas with less mess. I think not. Why should mess deter us from having fun and being creative. And I could certainly use the distraction for this busy toddler.

Solution! During play group this morning the subject came up regarding crafts. And once again, my neighbor friend reminded us to utilize the BATHTUB. The bathtub is the perfect crafting venue. The tub will minimize the mess by keeping it contained. And if the child gets too messy, all you have to do is wash the tub, rinse off the child, and clean your tools.

Mystery solved. So back to some messy concoctions. See you on the flip side.

Shuffle Saturday: One Week Away

Our move is one week away. I feel like a kid on December 15th. I can't wait for it to be here, yet there's still so much to do.

We've packed up pretty much all of the toys (except the "essentials") and already taken three boxes of toys to Goodwill. And by we, I mean Dave. He's the packer/organizer in the family.

I still don't want to take down the family pictures, not just yet. I feel once pictures are removed from the walls, it's empty and doesn't feel like home.

One week until my Christmas. I'm making my list and checking it twice. And trying to figure out how to use up the food in the pantry and fridge!!

Food Friday: Tim's Pot of Homemade Chili!

The weather turned cold this week. Wednesday was the really first damp, rainy day and last night the temperature dipped down into the twenties. Brrr....

If you are not ready for winter (like me), then make yourself a pot of chili this weekend to warm you up. Tim, my husband, came up with his own recipe several years ago, making a family favorite.

Add some shredded cheddar cheese on top with corn chips. Make some tasty, golden cornbread from scratch. Or dip a peanut butter sandwich in this delightful, filling dish. At any rate, fill your tummy and then curl up with a good movie with the family this weekend.

Cook Together
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 green peppers finely chopped

Add 1 package of McCormick Chili Seasoning with additional chili powder to taste. Let simmer into meat for a couple of minutes.

Add
14 oz can Hunts Fire-Roasted tomatoes
16 oz can light red kidney beans
16 oz can dark red kidney beans
28 oz can Hunts crushed tomatoes

Stir all together and let simmer. Add more chili powder to taste if needed. Cook until ready to serve or make in the crock pot to serve later in the day. Add V8 original juice to make the pot go further.

Toy Thursday: Toy Organization

Judah has been been in this habit lately of walking with his toys around the house. I find upstairs toys being carried downstairs and downstairs toys being carried upstairs. He wants a specific toy and so he goes to get it often bringing it to a different room. Then he puts it down forgetting about it until the next time he wants it.

The next time he wants the toy, he asks me where it is. I have been so busy doing chores that I am not sure where he took it, played with it, or put it down. We often end up going on a hunt around the house just for one specific toy. We find it, play with it, and then put it down as we go onto something else, thus forgetting about it again until the next time.

I run into the constant problem of hunting down toys which I neither have the patience nor time to do.

I understand and in fact encourage the need to play with all kinds of toys at the same time. Build a city with your blocks. Add your cars to drive around. Then build the train track. It makes sense for the need to be creative and resourceful.

I also understand the need to move toys around the house. In addition, I also realize the benefits of rotating toys not only from room to room but also what is available to play.For some reason creativity is sparked by changing venues. You can add a striped blanket from the living room for the roads. In the bedroom, the bed acts as the mountain for the city.

I am starting to realize the key is to picking up the toy when finished and putting it away in the appropriate place (room). Judah has this nice new toy bin with buckets for his blocks, cars, and trains among other toys. At first, the toys have been thrown in each bucket in any old way with some of all three in each bucket. This adds to the stress of finding a toy when desperately needed and relying on mom's help every time to come to the rescue.

While I continue to tell him to look in his toy bins, I have decided it is time to implement some further organization tips to make the search process run smoother.

When Judah opened his brand new toys from the boxes, I immediately cut off a picture of the toy from the leftover box. With high hopes I plan to tape the pictures of the blocks, cars, and trains to the corresponding bin that will house the toys from now on. Then when we pick up, we can be more mindful of matching the correct item into the box. Judah, himself, can look at the picture knowing what goes into that specific bin, aiding a faster search.

I hope this lessens the stress finding the toys. Now the next step is to figure out how not to walk with them around the house, leaving them in random places. Any ideas?

Wash Wednesday: Winter Clothes

I couldn't believe it. I even had to check the local news website. Still didn't believe it. So I checked out the Weather Channel. Yep. Snow was in the forecast.

So I find myself pulling out the snow pants, heavy coats, gloves and hats. I know I washed them before I put them away...but they just...smell.

So what did other mom's do so you're not re-washing the winter gear before it hits? We don't have a smoker in the house and other than our handi-cat who doesn't get into the tote, what can do you do make it not smell--for lack of a better word, icky.

Tip Tuesday: Dealing with Morning Sickness.

So it is official - I am 20 weeks pregnant. Yes, this does explain why all my posts lately have been full of grammar errors more so than usual. This also explains why my co-author Sarah has been doing the bulk of the posts...because most days I have been too tired chasing my toddler around or I just finished throwing up my lunch.

Just like with Judah, I experienced morning sickness throughout my whole first trimester. In fact, I knew instantly when I was pregnant. One day I started feeling nauseous and the thought of any food seemed repulsive.

When you feel nauseous, nothing sounds good to eat. Your husband, like my sweet husband, has to literally cook all the food and clean up afterwards. As with me, any turn of the head with one (but the wrong) sniff of smell would send me running to the sink.

Even Judah caught on by plugging his own little nose and mouth with his hand calling things stinky. He also would go to the sink with me and pretend to cough. And when my diet became picky, Judah's diet also changed.

Morning sickness is never fun to go through. You feel just yucky all the time, ready to throw up at a moments notice. The only foods you can get down are the ones that sound remotely good and do not require a lot of chewing. Simple things like brushing your teeth, washing the dishes, and changing a dirty diaper suddenly seem like a huge production.

Going through morning sickness twice, I have learned a few tips along the way that at least lessens the bad feelings and yucky tastes. Luckily with Judah, I could lay down all the time.

Here is what I do for morning sickness. Please as with anything before trying talk to your own doctor about what is best for your situation.

1. Try chewing gum after you eat. This helps clean the teeth from leftover food particles that make you want to gag. Chewing gum also helps curb the bad after tastes that seem to penetrate your mouth and make you nauseous.

2. Try taking Unisom sleeping tablets offset with B-6 vitamins. Unisom can be bought over the counter and helps with nausea. The B-6 allows your food to be converted into the energy. With Judah I took two B-6 tablets during the day and a Unisom tablet right before bed throughout my whole pregnancy.

3. For a quick boost in energy and carbohydrates to curb the onslaught of nausea, try eating saltine crackers. Even more so, try eating saltine crackers when you wake up in the morning and before you get out of bed.

4. Snack before you go to sleep. In taking some extra protein (like Greek yogurt) lessens the nausea when you wake up.

5. Eat small meals more often. Personally, I have used Ensure to supplement my diet when I need a snack on the go.

Share your own experiences on dealing with morning sickness.

Make Monday: Happy Halloween!

We went Trick or Treating last night (beggar's night here in Des Moines) and half way through, the five year old was begging (no pun intended) to go home and go to "B-E-D" (since we're into spelling things when we mean it).

The baby however, LOVED it. It was cold and thankfully, their costumes were big enough we could fit their winter coats on UNDER the costumes. Although we joked that the baby was a spring Robin, because he looked so fat.

Yes, he didn't want to hold still for a picture. And someone else was holding his bucket of candy.

But they got SO much candy. SOOOO much candy. I do need to have a talk with my kids about picking and choosing, though. Believe it or not, we went to houses that were giving out FULL SIZED candy bars (and I thought that was just a myth). And do you know what my kids chose out of the FULL SIZED bowl? Fruit by the Foot. Granted, they may have picked the "healthier" choice, but at the second house with FULL SIZE candy bars? They picked the Scooby Doo granola snacks. Really, guys? Really?

And now I understand why my parents followed, and then much of my candy was missing the next day...Trick or Treating ISN'T so much about the kids, but the parents.

I'm hoping that I can find a good food recipes for everyone to use up all of the candy...because we all hate to have candy go to waste!

Salvation Sunday: Trust in Him

When I was younger, I would get mad when people would tell me that God has a plan and "everything happens for a reason". To be honest, the older I get, the more I believe it.

Of course a kid isn't going to understand why her Grandma had to die and that they're would be a reason good enough for it.

But yes, everything happens for a reason. Like our oldest son. David and I didn't intend to have a child before marriage, but we did. As soon as we found out I was pregnant, there was no question about it, for either of us. We didn't know where this journey was going to take us, but we knew we had a baby on the way.

And as often as our oldest makes me want to pull my hair out (he's WAY too logical and smart for five) I can't imagine my life without him.

It's because of moments like this. He came out of his room with his magna doodle and said, "See what I wrote, Mommy?"

God has a plan. God knows. Everything happens for a reason. We just need to trust in Him.

Shuffle Saturday: Waking up on the Weekends.

Why is it on our one day of the week to be lazy and sleep in, your kid wakes up earlier than they usually do?

This statement rings so true though. Most kids have this six sense that you need and can FINALLY sleep yet they still choose to wake up earlier than any other day of the week. Mine does this like clockwork every weekend. Not just crawl in bed to cuddle you awake but really, hyper, let's play mommy and daddy awake.

Then every other day of the week that you need to get up and get out of the house at a timely manner, you guessed it, they are still sleeping. Some of these mornings, I can even open the door, turn the light on, and move around in the room before Judah wakes up.

So how do you adjust to the fact that Saturday morning kids are early risers? Perhaps this is why our own parents allowed us to watch hours of Saturday morning cartoons when we were little.

Maybe date night should not be on Friday nights. The baby sitters are really putting the kids to bed too early for some free time while you stay out late on the town. Just a guess. But then what date night.

Perhaps Friday nights are so low key and after a long week you all are lazy. This means that the kid does not let all that excess energy and saves it for Saturday morning.

Well whatever the reason, we are stuck getting up early on Saturday mornings. My husband says save the babysitter for Saturday morning when you want to sleep. Any thoughts? What do you do?