11.28.2012

The Parent Rap

A a little funny for you today...


11.12.2012

Happy Day 2012

Last week was The Happy Day Project. A week where Jeannett assigns a project for each day of the week.

The purpose of each assignment is to give and to bless someone else.
To stretch ourselves in a way that we might not normally.
And to show the love of Jesus in a very real and tangible way.

Here's a recap for the week:

Day 1: Write a handwritten note. I wrote a letter to my aunt, who is one of the sweetest, kindest people on the planet. She sends our family little care packages every now and then. She is always so thoughtful.

The second note was to my hubby. There are many things I think and never say, so this was my chance to let him know he is loved. It's hidden away for him to find unexpectly.

I wrote both notes on this AWESOME printable by Pen & Paint. I will be using this over and over and over! It just screams HAPPY!

printable notecards available here

Day 2: Gift card to the homeless. I purchased two gift cards to McDonald's to keep in the car. We don't have a large homeless community in our town, but my husband works in the city where there is a great need so, they will stay in his car.

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Day 3: Treat Someone. Sweet Pea and I made these chocolate chip cookies (the best!) and had planned to take them to the workers that are working on building our house. BUT, every time we've gone by to drop them off, no one is there. AND, since these cookies are irresistible we all keep sneaking one and NOW, there are not many left. I will have to try again with a fresh batch. So, on to the day four. 

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Day 4: Blessing Bags. I think these are such a great idea. We filled a couple of Ziploc bags with some basic necessities like socks, cough drops, band-aids, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, Advil, TP, deodorant, gum and snacks. We'll be keeping these in my hubby's car as well.

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Day 5: Appreciating those in service. Last year the kids and I made Christmas cards for soldiers and veterans and sent them through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. We plan to do that again this year. 

What I love about the Happy Day Project is that the assignments are simple, intentional tasks and ones that we can throw into our mundane schedules and continue beyond the Happy Day Project week. It's easy for me get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the day...getting the kids from here to there, PTA meetings, church functions, school events, and on and on. But something as simple as keeping a gift card in the car, making cookies for someone who needs encouragement or sending a note to a friend are all things that are do-able and really show others that they are valued.

To keep the giving going, our family has a tradition of packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child.


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All the kids pitched in to pack up the boxes. We did one for a boy and one for girl. 

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These boxes go to needy children around the world that won't get a Christmas gift otherwise.

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This has been a great activity to do as a family and last year we really enjoyed tracking our boxes to see where they ended up.

This is collection week. If you're interested in packing a box for a child that may not have much a Christmas this year, pack your box and drop it off at a location near you by next Monday, November 19. There is still time!




11.05.2012

Mexican Mocha Brownies

Blogging over at 30 Days today. Check out my recipe for Mexican Mocha Brownies here.

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Thirty Handmade Days

11.02.2012

InstaFriday

YAY! TGIF!

Linking up with Jeannett today for another InstaFriday.

Speaking of Jeannett over at Life Rearranged, she is hosting another Happy Day Project next week. I participated last year and felt it was great way to kick off the season of giving. You can find out all the details here. Or by clicking on the icon below.


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Here's what we've been up to the last two weeks...

Used up some black bananas to bake up the world's best banana bread.


Our little reader...she LOVES books!


Baked up some goodies for a Bake Sale to support Estavan. They raised over $3,500 through baked goods and garage sale donations!


Pumpkin Patch Field Trip with Sweet Pea's preschool class. It was a wet and muddy day, but the kids had a great time!


Preschool Halloween Party, complete with "Bubbly Brew"


Pumpkin Carving


Happy Pumpkin and Angry Bird Pumpkin

The red cups are here and so are the yummy wintery drinks. I'll take a skinny peppermint mocha, thankyouvurymuch!

In an effort to undo all the Halloween candy I ate, my mom and I made a healthy dinner last night...stuffed butternut squash. YUM! It was good! Roasted squash stuffed with brown rice, chicken sausage, onions and roasted tomatoes. Topped with a little cheese. I would make that again for sure!


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Have a great weekend!

11.01.2012

Halloween 2012

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Last night we took our little astronaut, space ship and alien baby trick-or-treating. It was a little stressful getting everyone out of the house, but as soon as we arrived in our soon-to-be neighborhood, things went a little smoother. I'm sure the amount of candy involved had noooothing to do with it....HA! 

And can you guess what we were all doing on the night before Halloween?

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Yep. Carving pumpkins. If you didn't know this about me already...I'm a huge procrastinator.

Everyone got involved.

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Even the baby got in on the action

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And here's our finished pumpkins: a happy little punkin and angry birds, naturally...

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I hope you had a fun and safe Halloween!