• Nov. 17, 2008 - Plop, plop, fizz, fizz...
Looking for a fun gift idea for the little people on your gift list?
I always like to make our buddy Matt-Matt something special for his birthday. Two years ago we did a personalized memory game, but this year it's Fizzy Stones!
I got the idea from Kid Concoctions of Biblical Proportions. It's a great book full of hands-on activities that actually teach spiritual truths. If you check out that link at Amazon, they have lots of other neat titles too. Jon is really into "making concoctions" these days.
Anyway, it was really easy and lots of fun to make AND give!
We bought a big box of baking soda, one of those disposable GladWare boxes, a few little plastic treasures to hide in the stones (over in the party favor section, and a bottle of vinegar that I could send along so they could get busy watching those stones disappear!
You just mix 1/4 cup of baking soda, with 4 Tbs. water, and a few drops of food coloring into a dough. Put your little treasure in it and roll into a ball so that it looks like a stone. That's all. Just let them sit in the open air to dry overnight.
The next morning you can just put the fizzy stones all in the GladWare box, and put it in a gift bag along with your bottle of vinegar. (It makes for a nice heavy gift. heh heh.)
The kids had such a great time watching them fizz and seeing what little treasure was inside.
You'll want to have a clear measuring cup or bowl handy so that you can pour the vinegar in and watch the magic happen.
The vinegar does lose its potency fairly quickly though so after doing a stone or two, you need to dump out that vinegar and get more before adding another stone.
 Even the big guys get a kick out of it when the fizz starts to overflow!
This one was definitely a winner!
If you've got little people on your gift list for Christmas, this is one gift that they (and their parents) are sure to love! It's not too noisy and it's only a little messy, but the fun makes it all worth it. Just make plenty of fizzy stones, the cousins of all ages will want to join in the fun!
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• Nov. 12, 2008 - Get a FREE Photo Book from Snapfish!
I was flipping through the channels and saw them talking about organizing your home on Oprah today. For people that are overwhelmed with all of their kid's pictures, art projects, etc..., they suggested taking pictures of the projects and then putting them all in a photobook. Great idea, huh?
Well here is where it gets even better!
You can get a FREE photo book from Snapfish when you click through this link.
You can put whatever you want in the photo book, it doesn't really have to be your kids' artwork. But you have to do it before midnight on Friday, November 14, 2008.
These make GREAT Christmas gifts. It's a $29.99 value and all you have to do is pay the shipping. I've absolutely LOVED the ones I've done and just didn't want any of you to miss out on this offer!
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• Nov. 7, 2008 - Seven is pretty special too
I love reading Antique Mommy. She puts words to those deep down, warm, gushy, mommy moments that I cherish so deeply, but rarely share with others.
Yet when I read her latest entry on More Four. Please. not only did I have to pass that link along to you all, but I had to just go ahead and say that seven is pretty special too.
My youngest hasn't been feeling well for the past week. It's just normal cold and cough type stuff, but it's really zapped him.
I have absolutely loved having him sit with me and rest his head against my shoulder even though his legs stretch out almost as long as mine now. I've loved that with his maturity, he understands that sometimes stuff that is good for you is yucky, and he takes it anyway. I've even loved how he's ok whether he's sitting with his dad or with me. He knows how much we both cherish these special times with him.
I love how he looks up to his brothers and is even willing to try the neti pot because "that's what made Jake feel better."
There's just something about seven that is soooo thoughtful and transparent. Content, yet still growing. Big, but not too big. Cuddly, but strong. Tender-hearted, but tough. Young enough to still need my help, but big enough to help me too!
As a mom of three boys, I know that these days go by all too soon. Soon enough he'll be out in the tree stand with his dad and brothers. But for such a time as this, I'm soaking up more of the glorious age seven.
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• Nov. 3, 2008 - Spiderman & Bumblepup!
Wouldn't that just make an amazing cartoon?
Of course with Spiderman and Ninjas on the scene, bad guys are sure to stay out of sight.
But even if things get out-of-hand, Hank the cowdog's got their back!
 Not all superheros need a costume.
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• Oct. 27, 2008 - Perhaps, I was getting a bit too much in the whole Fall state-of-mind
I fell down the other day in the parking lot of a flea market and then followed it up a few days later with some stumbling at tumbling at a local pumpkin patch. Good times I'm telling ya, good times.
So I've been away from the blog a bit while trying to let my pride recover and waiting for the aches and pains to fade.
I was a bit concerned about why my legs had begun to fail me so, but it wasn't their fault after all. It was my goofy ears' fault. They went and got too cozy with my infected sinuses and got themselves all infected too and threw a little thing called my equilibrium off.
Note to self, apparently most people CAN still breathe and hear things even with this crazy change-of-weather. Might should have gone to a doctor BEFORE I started falling all over the place and messed up my chance for going to the TOS Marketing meetings in TN.
So, I've been spending mega time on my couch mostly watching the back of my eyelids. Which isn't an entirely bad way to spend a few days.
But I just wish I hadn't missed out on the TOS meetings. There were going to be some really cool people there.
Nonetheless, I will still continue to enjoy fall, but hopefully I'll stay upright while doing so. It sure is a nice time of year!
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• Oct. 19, 2008 - My first horse
Some of you might be clicking through here after reading about my first horse in a recent email from TOS.
So, I thought I'd tell you more of the story about my first REAL horse.
Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted a horse. I guess that most kids do. We never lived where I could have had one as a child. I often asked if I could just take riding lessons, but I think my parents thought that it would just make me want a horse even more.
Once I got married, I often told my husband that I hoped one day that we would have a house out in the country where we could have horses. He also wanted the house out in the country, but not the horses. He had worked for a veterinarian through high school and typically saw horses at their worst and the huge vet bills. I understood all of his reasons, but I still wanted to own a horse someday.
After 14 years of marriage, we finally got our house out in the country. We actually got a farm with 44 acres and a horse barn! We have 3 sons and this land is great for raising boys. We have creeks to play in, woods to hunt in and lots of interesting things to explore. The boys had definitely gotten the desires of their heart with this move. It would be a perfect place for a horse, but…
We knew that we didn’t need to get in over our heads with this country living. Just learning how to take care of the property was a big enough adjustment for us. I understood about the extra costs and needs of a horse, but still wanted one. My desire had never gone away.
Sure enough, God brought some friends into our lives that owned 3 horses. Their girls LOVED horses, took great care of them and trained them very well. I loved talking to them about their horses and I think they could relate to how I had always wanted one since I was their age. I thought that they were so blessed and especially admired their parents support for their interests.
God was working. I think my husband noticed how my eyes lit up when I talked about horses. Even my mother realized that I had never quit wanting a horse. Someone else knew about the desire of my heart – God.
Those friends offered to give us one of their horses, a 20 year old gelding named Billy. I was SO shocked. I don’t guess that I’ve ever heard of someone giving a person a horse. But that’s the way God is. He knew my heart’s desire to have a horse. He provided the land with a horse barn and pasture. He provided friends with horse experience. He tendered my husband and family’s heart to the idea of having a horse and then He even provided the horse.
Every time I look into our pasture and see our horse, I am reminded of how God provides. I think of how He knew the desires of my heart since childhood and never forgot. He just waited until the right time – His timing- and brought such joy to this 33 year old woman’s heart. My earthly father has passed away and I miss having a Daddy. Thankfully God reminds me that He is my Heavenly Father and that He cares for me.
I know that some people don’t believe in God or just don’t take time for Him. I understand that life is tough and people get discouraged. I don’t understand a lot of the tough things in life – people whose children die, health problems, broken marriages, etc… But what I do know is that the God I love makes it easier to get through the tough times. He loves us before He even creates us. He knows the desires of our hearts and provides even when it doesn’t make sense. He affirms who He created me to be and reminds me of His love. God works in mysterious ways and I am so glad that He decided bless me with a 20 year old horse named Billy.
Originally ran June 24, 2005.
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• Oct. 14, 2008 - Is it too early to start talking about Christmas?
I've noticed that they are dragging out the Christmas items in the stores already.
And look at what just arrived on the TOS website - our annual Twelve Days of Christmas feature! I always love reading about other's favorite Christmas memories and this year I shared mine as well!
Want to know what else is fun?
You're going to see some other bloggers in this article!
Donna Campos, Senior Product Reviewer
Karen Walden, Marketing Assistant
Christi Gifford, Senior Graphic Designer
Cindy West, Product Reviewer & Nature Study E-Book Project Manager
Betsy, Homeschool Nations Coordinator for Tennessee
Deb Wuehler, Senior Editor
The fall issue is officially at the printer now and this article will just give you a taste of the others you'll find in it.
I haven't gotten to see the whole thing all together yet, but I've gotten peeks at bits & pieces and I'm really excited about it!
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• Oct. 14, 2008 - Some things take time
Just a couple of weeks before my died dad about 6 years ago, he and Tony were caddies for Joe and Jake in a golf tournament in the town where my dad lived.
My dad loved golf. He thought it was a great no-contact sport (a lot easier on the body than football!) and that golf's challenge and etiquette helped to develop character.
Tony started golfing with my dad even when Tony and I were just dating. By the time, we were married, Tony and Dad were pretty regular golfing buddies. By the time Joseph came along, Dad was putting a golf ball in his little newborn hand. And then by the time Jake came along, Dad set him up with his first set of golf clubs cut down perfectly to his size.
Jon didn't have a lot of time with my dad. He had just turned one when my dad died. I guess Tony and the big boys are going to have to be the ones that teach him how to golf.
Yet somehow for years, Tony and the boys just didn't have it in them to golf without Grandaddy. That was their special thing to do with him and golf just lost some of it's appeal when Dad wasn't there to coach them all. They still wanted to play sometimes, but without Dad there to remind them when it's a perfect day for golf, they just never went.
Until yesterday. They found a quiet country golf course and played 18 holes. They lost a lot of golf balls out there and rediscovered the fun of driving a golf cart. Daddy would have been happy that they were out there smacking the ball around and that they still had plenty of stories about how he would tell them to grip the club and follow through. I think he even would have laughed about their stories of his score-keeping. It took them 6 years to feel like golfing again, but some things just take time.
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• Oct. 5, 2008 - Wanna Buy A Farm?
It's pretty nice. You can see the photo at the top. The only problem is that I am having the WORST time trying to work with satellite internet. I thought that my internet woes would be solved when we switched to another company, but alas, it has only led to more frustration.
Apparently I use WAY more than the "average" users that satellite companies like.
I'm not sure what to do. I spent the past week and part of this weekend driving back and forth to town so I could work online. I am NOT a happy farm woman.
Sometimes living 20 minutes out of town is rough.
sigh...
(I'll cheer up soon enough I'm sure, but all of this stress is wreaking havoc on my fibro right now. Thanks for bearing with me. ) |
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• Sep. 30, 2008 - Do Your Kids Want to Make A Web Page?
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