Because I’m a teacher at heart – I wanted my first children’s book to be FUN and EDUCATIONAL!
Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore takes you on an ADVENTURE to the top of Pikes Peak (a Colorado mountain) and teaches you fun facts about the animals who live there.
I worked with a talented local artist who hand painted each illustration.
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Do you have children that look forward to the Elf showing up each year?
My children LOVE this tradition.
If you aren’t familiar with it, the Elf comes each Christmas season to hang out and watch to see if your children should be on the “naughty” or “nice” list. He flies to the North Pole at night to report to Santa how your children are doing. He comes back each morning and hides in a different place in your home.
My children have enjoyed this children’s cartoon about the Elf. This would be a fun gift the Elf brings your children.
After my boys go to bed at night, I find a place to hide our Elf. I used to have to set a reminder on my phone so I didn’t forget. Thankfully, I now have helpers named George and Clark, who love to stay up and find creative things for the Elf to do!
I am not a HUGE fan of the Elf, but my kids love it so much I can’t stop. My older boys get excited about finding creative things for the Elf to do, and my younger boys are excited to wake up in the morning and search the house to find our Elf.
If you are new to this tradition, I would recommend you start just ONE WEEK before Christmas and use the SIMPLE ideas listed below.
Our elf now comes on December 1 because I have helpers to hide him.
Here are some ideas for your Elf on the Shelf Tradition!
Hide candy canes around the house!
Optional: Leave a note to your child about what the Elf has noticed: A Good Thing and Something your child could work on.
Children have to search the cups to find him. My kids were happy he was in a cup so they could hold the cup and walk around with him. (No touching the Elf)
Optional: Leave hot chocolate out for your kids!
Just wrap a scarf around a picture or chair and put the elf inside!
I just taped that poor Elf to the wall.
This takes a little more work, but it’s always a favorite. Tie a string across a room and attach your elf to the string. Zip Line!
These were just some simple and silly ideas for you! Do you have a fun Elf prank? Leave a comment!
Last year we added a “Shepherd on the Search” to our family. My kids call him the “Christian Elf.” (LOL!) I like how the “Shepherd” keeps Jesus at the center of Christmas. The Shepherd goes on ADVENTures – keeping “advent” the center of the Holiday season. Click here for some excellent ideas for how to use the Shepherd!
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Here’s a fun and easy, one-of-of-a-kind gift to make with your kids!
Here is a how-to video I created for you!
You can use this technique with other items too – including SHOES! We found an old pair of converse and turned them into a one-of-a-kind MASTERPIECE! (Put tape over the parts you don’t want painted.)
Let me start by saying that Christmas is NOT about receiving a ton of gifts. I believe it’s about ONE gift – the Gift of Jesus. Giving gifts is just one way we celebrate His birth. Time together is another way to celebrate.
When you buy gifts for your children, take time to enjoy the gifts WITH them! Play with them! You will both benefit from this time together.
What children need more than presents is YOUR PRESENCE!
Here are some unique ideas for gifts this year:
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Ages: 7-13
My sons have been playing with our neighbor’s pogo stick and I love this gift for many reasons:
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Recommended for ages 2 and up
If you have a kid that likes crafts or building, I recommend a subscription to Kiwi club. We purchased a 6 month subscription to Kiwi Crate for our oldest son, and he loved it. They have different kits for different ages/interests. When you subscribe, you’ll get a box to unwrap every month. Order NOW because the kits are on sale, and your child can UNWRAP the first box on Christmas day! Click here for 60% off your first subscription.
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Recommended for ages 6 and up
I love to read, and I’ve read LOTS of books. I can’t believe how amazing the Janet Benge books are! Each book is a TRUE story about an inspiring person from history. Kids can read these on their own, but even better – read with them. You will love them as much as your kids will. Everyone will be asking for ONE MORE CHAPTER!
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I made my youngest son a memory game on Shutterfly two years ago and all my boys STILL enjoy playing with it. Each “match” has people they know and love.
This year I’m going to make them a puzzle with one of our family pictures. I love this unique option on Shutterfly!
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Ages 7 and up
My grandparents gave one of my sons the gift of piano lessons for Christmas 5 years ago – and he’s still playing.
My in-laws found a used Keyboard and gave it to our boys so that they could begin learning and practicing. Both of those gifts have been really special.
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Ages 4 and up
Socks are really COOL right now! Kids love to pull their socks up high and show off their favorite team.
Bonus – it’s something they need anyway. Christmas is a time you may want to splurge and get them their favorite themed socks.
Don’t tell me kids, but they are getting socks for Christmas.
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Ages 2 and up
What makes this gift Unique? You are going to Go sledding together! You won’t believe how much fun you’ll have being a kid with them! Follow my instagram stories for the sledding adventures I go on with my boys!
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Ages 5 and up
Do something disgusting together – dissect OWL pellets. Owl pellets are the undigested parts of an owl’s food, regurgitated (coughed up through the mouth). You can find them under trees, or just buy them on amazon. (Now you know it’s true – you really can buy everything on amazon!)
I’m not usually into disecting stuff- but these are just SOOOO cool that I’m all in!
I recommend doing this outside or covering an indoor table with newspaper. Then, using gloves or small tools, open up the “pellets.” You’ll find small bones from miscellaneous animals. It’s totally fascinating, and you never know what you will discover!
Bonus – kids are learning and having fun!
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Ages 5 and up
Have your kids make Christmas pictures for family members with this book! This would be great for making THANK YOU cards too!
Other drawing book suggestions:
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Ages 2 and up
This is a SUPER fun gift for boys or girls. I got a Hatchimal for one of my sons, now two more boys are asking for one.
You open up the box and a large EGG is inside. You get to watch an animal HATCH from the egg, then you teach it your name and other simple things.
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Ages 4 and up
This saves your hands from FREEZING while making snow balls. It makes the perfect snowball and is fun to use in the winter with your kids! I bought a pack of three so 3 could play at the same time.
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Ages 6 and up
This game taught my kids how to play chess, and now they love it!
Leave a comment if you’d like to share a UNIQUE gift idea!
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Click here to read my suggestions for BEST GIFTS FOR BOYS!
Click here for best TEACHER GIFTS!
Items are affiliate links – if you decide to purchase, I may make a small commission without any additional cost to you.
Read to the end for a chance to win a free book!
I recently read the book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus and was deeply impacted by the way Muslim parents instill their faith into their children.
Their Islamic beliefs are often so engrained that they do not even QUESTION whether their faith is based on truth. Instead, they carry on the same beliefs and traditions with their children – reading from, teaching, and memorizing the Quran from infancy to adulthood.
This book left me asking if I’m teaching my children about the Christian faith as passionately and faithfully as Muslim parents.
As I read further into the book, the author (Nabeel Qureshi) shares how he became best friends with a guy in college who was a Christian. The two of them had a mutual respect because of their strong faith in God. As they grew in their friendship, they began to challenge each other’s faith.
As Nabeel did research to defend his Islamic faith, he began to realize that he COULD NOT defend it. The more he studied, the more he realized that there was no truth behind his Islamic faith.
After lots of research, and even a prayer for the one true God to reveal Himself, Nabeel chooses to become a Christ Follower!
This book challenged me as a mother to teach my kids the WHY behind WHAT we believe.
We have a defendable faith.
Our Christian faith is based on a solid foundation of historical truth.
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus made me decide to read:
Talking with your kids about God, written by Natasha Crain.
The author covers the evidence for the existence of God, how science confirms the God of the Bible, the nature of God (love, and justice), how Christianity is different from other religions, and how all these things apply to us and the world around us.
If you want to talk to your children about why Christianity is true, or you just need to solidify your own worldview, I highly recommend this book!
I want to read this author’s other book, Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith, next!
Click here to check out her awesome blog – Christian Mom Thoughts.
I’m giving away my copy of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. If you’d like to win this book – just share this post on Facebook!
The contest runs until November 25th, 2019.
WINNER – Lisa E. – Congratulations Lisa!
I’ve written a post with some simple tips for teaching your kids about God. Click here to read!
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The books recommended are Amazon Affiliate Links. If you choose to purchase one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Here are a few of my favorite things from Amazon this week. Most of these would be great CHRISTMAS gifts if you are planning ahead! Each item is an affiliate link. That just means that if you make a purchase, I’ll earn a few cents without any additional cost to you!
Winter hat and neck warmer for kids – This hat and neck wrap is so warm and cozy! My son George loves it. The neck wrap is large enough to cover his neck, as well as most of his face too – which is perfect for the really cold days we have in Minnesota. And step #1 for how NOT to HATE winter is to DRESS FOR IT!
Pretty lap top cover – Since breaking my computer, I’ve been borrowing Teds. His one request was that I get a cover for it first, since I’m not as…”careful” as he is :). I love this cover – it’s like a piece of art. It’s pretty, but not TOO feminine.
Reusable food covers – My friend introduced me to these and I am in LOVE! I have one set and use them to cover anything from leftover brownies, to dinner. You can rinse and reuse and use less plastic wrap/aluminum foil. These make a GREAT gift.
This new book by Bob Goff – His books are some of my favorites. Live in Grace, Walk in Love was just released and has a little inspiration for every day of the year.
One line a day journals are an easy way to capture life. There is space to summarize your day in one paragraph. I love it because I can record funny things my kids said, or places we went, or an accomplishment I want to remember. It will be fun to compare year-to-year because this book will hold FIVE years worth of journal entries!!
Photo Albums – My Grandma June used to have matching photo albums, and I loved going through them and looking at all the people and places. I print my favorite photos and have albums that my kids and I enjoy.
Help Club for Moms Christmas edition
I just got this book in the mail and am so excited about using it over the holiday season. Not only is it a Bible Study, but it’s a full holiday resource as well! It’s a guide for planning and keeping Jesus the center of your holiday!
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You may also be interested in the following blog post:
The boys and I spent the day at the Crayola Experience at the Mall of America and wanted to give you a peek inside!
Because the kids were out of school, it was a little bit crowded. However, there are SO many different activities to do inside, it never felt “OVERLY” crowded.
I honestly wasn’t sure how my four boys (ages 5 to 12) would do at the Crayola Experience. They aren’t really into ‘crafting’ and ‘coloring.’ However, I was surprised by how much fun we all had. It was actually ‘soul-filling’ to spend the day creating, painting, crafting and coloring. Bonus – there was no prep work or clean up involved!
Here are some of our favorite things from the day:
Each of us got modeling dough. I forgot how relaxing it is to be creative with play dough.
The boys loved decorating a paper car – then seeing it come to life on the big screen!
All the boys enjoyed the 2-story playground. If I had season passes, I’d let them play and burn some energy every time we came to the mall.
We took a break to go eat at Chick Fil A in the food court, but since our passes were good all day, we came back to continue our fun.
We watched a live show about how crayons are made, painted with watercolors, created creatures that “danced,” colored mini ‘pets’ that we got to bring home…and more!
At first I thought the admission price was a little high. However, once we had the “Crayola Experience,” the price seemed fair. The admission price includes all of the activities and stations, the play area, the live show, the ‘mini-pet,’ a crayon that you create, and modeling dough.
The regular admission price is $17.99. You can save on the admission price through:
With a season pass, you can stop in any time for an entire year to create and play. It also includes other perks as well, which you can read about by clicking here.
Parking Tips:
Parking is free at Mall of America. I recommend parking in the EAST lot. Take a picture of your spot so that you can find your car at the end of the busy day!
Another tip: Because the mall is so big, it’s easy to forget which door you entered. When I walk into the mall, I take a picture of the first store I see. When it’s time to leave at the end of the day, I use the mall directory to find the quickest way back to that store, which will lead me to where I parked!
Thanks for reading about our day! We hope you get to experience the fun at Crayola too!
Other posts you might enjoy (just click to read):
The Best Day to visit Nickelodeon Universe!
My favorite things to do in Lakeville, MN
When we decided to move to Minnesota, we had NO IDEA where to plant our roots. There are hundreds of towns within a 30 mile radius of Minneapolis and we checked out MOST of them. Nearly every person we asked would tell us why their city was the BEST one in Minnesota. That made our decision extremely difficult, but we finally settled in Lakeville …and we LOVE it here!
Did you know that Lakeville was rated one of the best places to live according to Money Magazine?
I’ve explored this city and have ten reasons for YOU to come visit.
1. Lakeville is known for their excellent sports programs. Visit Lakeville NORTH High School and… Lakeville SOUTH High School to cheer on our young athletes!
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2. Eat at one of the many fabulous restaurants!
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3. Get ice cream at the historic Dairy Delight, fill your own cup at Cherry Berry, or try delicious waffles and ice cream at the Waffle Bar!
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4. Have an Ax-throwing competition – https://battleaxed.com
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5. Hike and explore at Ritter Farm or Murphy-Hanrehan Park
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6. Watch a live show at the Lakeville Arts Center
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7. Go Fishing at one of the many lakes around town: Lake Marion or Orchard Lake
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8. Explore the historic buildings and quaint shops along Main Street in Downtown Lakeville.
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9. Play at one of the incredible parks for kids!
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10. Enjoy the beach and swim at Antlers Park or Orchard Lake
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Applewood Farm/Orchard in the Fall
Skiing at Buck Hill in the winter
(Buck hill is on the border of Lakeville and Burnsville)
Lifetime Gym – We are spoiled with a REALLY nice Lifetime Gym in Lakeville! Not only is it a great place to exercise, but we also love the Rock Climbing area (included with membership), Parents Night out (included with Membership!) and Swimming (awesome outdoor and indoor pools with waterslides)!
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Click here to read How to fit in as a Minnesota Newbie
Click here to read: How I learned to not HATE winter!
Click here to read about The Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.
Click here for our Minnesota Bucket List!
Click here to read Gifts that Minnesota Gave the World
To celebrate her birthday, my sister Haili rented a house in Florida and asked if we’d come to celebrate with her!
Um…YEAH!
In June, I was in Florida for my cousin’s wedding. It was the first time I’d been back there in TWELVE years – George was in my tummy! As I was sitting on the beach in June, I imagined how much fun my boys would have if they could visit this beautiful place. I could see them splashing in the waves, laughing, playing, and making forever memories. I said a little prayer that we’d somehow, sometime soon, have an opportunity to bring them back here.
And three months later….my prayer was answered!
We arrived at the Panama City airport Tuesday night, but my checked bag was not so lucky. American Airlines said it wouldn’t be delivered until the next night. The bag contained ALL of our swim stuff. For our FIRST EVER family beach day, my boys didn’t have their swim trunks and I didn’t have a swimsuit. We also didn’t have sunblock, our beach towels, or life jackets.
Thankfully, boys were able to swim in their regular shorts, and Haili let me borrow a swimsuit and her beach supplies. (Thank you Haili!)
I had never been to the northwest part of Florida, and was surprised how beautiful it was – especially Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, and the entire 30A area.
As we walked out to the beach on our first morning in Florida, my boys could not believe how BIG the ocean was. They’d never seen a body of water that went as far as the eye could see. They ran immediately to splash in the waves – and were surprised that it was SALTWATER. (I forgot to mention that).
What a JOY it was to watch my dream and prayer come true – the kids were laughing, playing, splashing and having SO MUCH fun. I got to catch up with my sister, and step-mom…the boys had so much fun playing with their cousins…it was perfect.
I love how the 11 of us could spend hours at the beach and never get bored.
Each afternoon, we’d come in for lunch. The little kids would rest, and a few of us would take a walk. We loved discovering the unique wildlife and plant life in Florida.
Each evening, we’d all go back to the beach to play and watch the sunset.
We ate most meals at home, but one night we went out and had a fabulous dinner at a placed called “George’s” to celebrate Haili’s 40th birthday.
As we were going to bed on our last night, I received a text that our flight the next morning had been canceled. We called American Airlines and were on hold for TWO solid hours, then on with an agent for another hour as she figured out how to get us home – the only option was staying another 24 hours.
My sister and step-mom’s Delta flight was NOT canceled, and they flew home. So, Ted and I, and our boys, found a great price at a Hampton Inn, directly on Panama City Beach, and spent our last day there. It was a sweet way to end the trip — bonding with my boys on the beach!
I asked everyone what they loved and will remember most about this trip. Here are their answers:
George said, “Seeing the ocean for the first time. Also, cousins and big waves!”
Clark LOVED playing on the skimboard and pushing/pulling his brothers and cousins on it. Clark said his favorite parts of the trip were, “Cousins and water!”
Paul spent nearly the entire time looking for creatures – he found fish, lizards, crabs and jellyfish. Paul told me his favorite part of Florida was “catching stuff!”
Luke enjoyed building sand castles and playing in the waves. Luke told me his favorite part of Florida was playing with his cousins and being in the water.
Ted loved being with family, playing with the kids on the beach, and crab hunting.
I loved being with family – eating meals together, taking walks, playing in the ocean together, and the gorgeous sunsets every night made the perfect end to each day.
I’m fascinated at how God creates a beautifully unique sky every. single. night. The gifts He gives in nature are phenomenal. They are SO un-necessary, and often un-appreciated, but breathtaking and spectacular. I’d be sitting on the beach watching the sunset and wondering why every person in Florida wasn’t sitting with me. It’s one of the most magnificent sights I’ve ever seen.
I’m SOOOO incredibly grateful for Haili renting the house and inviting us to come. I’m grateful that Ted took time off work so that we could take this trip together. I’m grateful for answered prayer. I’m grateful for the beauty in Florida and for time with family!
Visit my instagram page and click “Florida 2019” to see additional pictures and videos from our vacation!
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“When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, and look full into His wonderful face, the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
Helen Howarth Lemme
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We can’t focus on TWO things at the same time. We can choose to focus on our problems and worries, or God.
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When we dwell on our problems and worries, we begin to feel overwhelmed.
When we focus on God, something amazing happens – we find that our lives as moms are more manageable, and less overwhelming.
We begin to feel peace, knowing that our Heavenly Father is empowering us and protecting us!
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We can be in a constant dialogue with God, and we can talk to Him about anything – nothing is too small or too big!! He cares about all of our worries, and concerns. He comforts us with His Truth that everything is going to be OK.
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Billy Graham said:
“I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out all right!”
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I love to imagine Philippians 4:6 was written JUST for moms to encourage us NOT to worry, as I always thought “worried” and “mom” went hand-in-hand!! 🙄
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
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The Passion Translation of Philippians 4:6 says it like this:
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life.”
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When you want to worry about something, stop and talk to God about it and let HIM carry the burden! He cares about EVERY detail of your life!
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I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me;
Good News Translation
he freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
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This is a guest post written by my MOM, Rebecca Bornman, for the Help Club for Moms!
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For more on this topic, read this Blog Post entitled: Feeling Overwhelmed!
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