I’ve fallen in love with laundry sheets. They’re less waste, use less space, and work just as well as the big bottles of detergent. You simply take a sheet out of this pack, set it on top of your clothes in the machine, and wash as normal. The small paper package can be recycled.
I’ve had this pump for 5 years and it comes in handy every summer. It’s small but works great for inflating beach balls and pool toys. It can also work for an air mattress.
These were a great investment and the most comfortable running shoe I’ve ever worn. I wear them almost every single day. Great for walking, running, or working! I found mine at Scheels, but you can find them on Amazon too.
Susie Larson inspires and encourages me with her books, podcasts, and daily prayers. Here’s a peek at one of them. I recommend you follow her on Instagram for this daily dose of goodness.
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I’m excited to give you a sneak peek into my next children’s book, “The Great Lake Rescue!”
This entertaining tale, inspired by a true story, will be hitting the shelves this summer, bringing the adventures of the fantastic four to life, and reinforcing the message of kindness and helping others.
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When I began my search for an illustrator for this book, I found Alyssa Whetstone. I knew she was a talented Minnesota water color artist, but didn’t know where in this large state she lived. When she agreed to meet with me, I discovered that we teach in the SAME SCHOOL DISTRICT! I’ve loved working with her, and if you are interested, you can find her art here: alyssawhetstoneart.com.
Review: This book shocked me with it’s turn from crochety old man to old man who wants to commit suicide! However, as the story unfolds, you get to know this man and come to love him. What I took from this story is that:
If you have a pulse, you have a purpose!
Ove, the main character, did not think his life had meaning, but because he made himself available, he made a positive impact on those around him.
Review: This one will be in my TOP TEN of 2023! Ted read it and gave it to me. I was hooked from the beginning. Now our sons are reading it, and I’m recommending to all my friends with teenagers. It’s a short and easy-to-read book. Each chapter is a story with an extremely valuable life lesson. LOVE THIS ONE!! A MUST READ!!
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3. Good girls guide to murder by Holly Jackson
Rating 8/10
Review: My niece read and loved this book and recommended it to me. It’s a murder mystery that has the reader intrigued from the beginning, and was hard to put down.
Review: A great book from CS Lewis about WHY he believes WHAT he believes.
God made the human machine to run on Him. We can’t be happy without him. There is no true peace without him. Many of us are trying to ‘run’ on the wrong juice.
Review: There are some gold nuggets in this book, but it was buried in a lot of extra reading and research data. I did appreciate the authors warnings about being overly connected to our phones, as well as the value of “device free” time for ourselves and our children.
Having quiet space to think device free, allows us to come up with new and innovative ideas.
Review: A phenomenal book on communication in marriage. Reading this book was like going to a marriage therapy session and just SO good. I HIGHLY recommend it to ALL married couples!!!
Review: I discovered Beth Moore in the 90s and she revolutionized my understanding of scripture. I love the way Beth teaches – she makes the Bible come alive. I was excited to read her memoir, but didn’t love it as much as I love her writing about Scripture.
Review: A fun book I read with my 5th grader. It’s the story of a middle school girl and her Grandpa, a scientist, who discovers a way to reverse aging and becomes thirteen again. I loved the relationship between the “Scientist Grandpa” and “Middle School Granddaughter.” It’s a sweet story about what they learn from each other and how they help each other. The book helps answer the question about whether “reversed aging” is as good as it sounds.
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11. We need to talk by Celeste Headlee
Rating: 9/10
Review: A great book on how to be a better listener and conversationalist.
When talking to someone with different beliefs – stay curious (don’t try to teach or convince them they are wrong). Listening doesn’t mean agreeing, it’s trying to understand.
Review: George and I loved Ground Zero by Alan Gratz, so he picked this one up from his school library for us to read together. It shares the story of three different refugee families leaving their countries to build a better life in a new country. It helped us see some of the challenges and struggles these families dealt with and made us grateful to be born in such a great country.
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13. The boys are back in town by Phyllis Reynolds
Rating: 8/10
Review: Fun and engaging stories for kids ages 8-13.
Review: The author shares lots of interesting stories about the power of prayer. This book inspired me to PRAY! The author also talked about the value in setting goals:
The brain is a goal seeking organization. Setting a goal creates structural tension in your brain which will seek to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be, who you are and who you want to become.
Review: This book was a wonderful story about a young man looking for the dad he’s never met, and an older woman who’s still grieving her lost son. The two meet and their stories intertwine in a beautiful way.
Review: McManus challenges readers to go from self-focused to servant-leaders, and shares lots of great stories along the way. Good book, but I liked The Last Arrow (by McManus) even better.
Review: I read this book with my 15 year-old and we both really enjoyed it. It’s a fiction book that tells the story of a troubled kid whose nickname is “Ghost” who joins the track team. There he finds his place, his ‘family,’ and the discipline he needs to succeed.
Review: This is a must-read for every Christian parent. It’s filled with page after page of Biblical truth and practical encouragement.
Here are 5 of my favorite quotes from this book:
We have this one life, this short time on earth to make our mark and to make life count. We have these children in our care for a blink of an eye. NOW is the time to be engaged and fully present. Now is the time to rise up and be the parent who trains and prepares our children to become the individuals they were created to be.
Prayer is oxygen. We breathe in the fresh life that God offers and breathe out worries and concerns.
Refuse to give your children everything they want, but assure them that God will provide everything they need.
When we take time to play and laugh with our children amidst the stresses of life, we send a strong message that says we believe God is in control and that he is faithful.
God promises to give wisdom if we ask him. We need wisdom because every child is different. The Lord will show you how to parent each of your children in a way that will help him or her to grow to be the person they were created to be.
Review: The only way to read this book is to LISTEN! Bono reads and sings his way through the story of his life. If you are a U2 fan, you will enjoy this book!
Here are two quotes and a story I loved:
“It takes great faith to have no faith.”
Bono
“The world is not so scary, if around the corner someone is waiting to walk with you on the next part of your journey.”
Bono
“When Bobby Kennedy was appointed by his brother (JFK) to be Attorney General, the black community was upset. All of MLK Junior’s associates were complaining. Martin Luther King said, “Can anyone tell me one good thing about Bobby Kennedy?” They said, “That’s what we’re telling you, there’s nothing good.“ MLK told them that the meeting was adjourned, and that their assignment was to go find one good thing about Bobby Kennedy, because that would be the door that would move the civil rights movement forward. When Bobby Kennedy died, he was a champion for civil rights. You don’t have to agree on everything. Sometimes it’s just about finding one good thing. It’s the door.”
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Those are the first set of books I’ve read this year. What about you? What are you reading and what would you recommend? Leave a comment!
I know most birthday parties are held at a ‘play place’ these days, but there is something special about a backyard birthday party. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve backyard games with friends. Now I enjoy re-creating those memories with my kids and their friends. Not only are backyard parties fun and memorable, they can cost less and save you some money.
If you are considering an outdoor birthday party, here are some tips and tricks to make it a memorable day.
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Survival Guide:
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Time: I’ve learned that a backyard birthday is best at about two hours. If you plan to feed the kids lunch, schedule the party from 11AM to 1PM, and let the parents know lunch will be served. If you are just having snacks and cake, then schedule the party from 2PM to 4PM.
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Place: A large grassy area – the front yard, backyard, or at the park.
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Guest list: Try to keep the amount of guests the same number as the age of the child. If your child is turning 8, only invite 7-8 kids.
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Game list: Keep a list of the games you are going to play in your pocket or on your phone so that you can refer to it. Tip – print this post or have it available on your phone! If a game is not going well, scratch it and move on to the next one.
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Safety: An adult should always be watching or playing with the kids. It’s easy for someone to get hurt or tackled if there are a bunch of kids playing with no supervision. One ref can make all the difference.
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Prep:
Put all the game supplies in one container right where the action takes place.
Have a large trash can available close by.
Keep them hydrated! Create a drink/snack table for self-serve.
Have a spot for gifts/gift opening.
Have a side craft or coloring table for kids who don’t want to play games. They can sit and watch/color/craft.
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Etiqueitte: Do not send invites to school unless you are inviting the whole class. I recommend Evite!
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Here are some of our favorite party games:
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Active Group Games
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Crepe paper tag – Put a ‘crepe paper‘ belt around each child, with a 3 foot long tail. When you say “go” – kids will try to tear off the belt of the other players while protecting their own. Last one wearing the belt wins. After the game, ask everyone to grab the trash and throw it away before you move on to the next game. Play more than once if the kids are having fun!
Sharks and Minnows – Identify who will be the shark, either a kid or parent. Everyone else will be minnows. The shark stands in the middle of the play area. At any time, the shark can yell Shark Attack! At with point, the minnows must run to the opposite boundary line without being tagged. If a minnow is tagged, s/he also becomes a shark.
3 v 3 soccer game – Grab a sports ball or soccer ball, set up two goals using nets or cones, divide the kids into two teams, and play!
Simon Says – A parent starts as “Simon.” After the first round, you can choose one child as “Simon.” Simon gives instructions by saying, “Simon says…” telling the kids to perform a physical action. For example, “Simon says touch your nose,” “Simon says shake like a leaf.” Each child must perform the action. If Simon leaves out “Simon says” before giving instruction, anyone who performed the activity is out! Other ideas: Simon says lift your leg, turn around, sit down, clap, bend, laugh, smile, tap your knees, touch your toes, run in place, stretch up high, give a high five, close your eyes, move like a robot, dance, do the griddy, etc.
Balloon Stomp – Tie a balloon to each player’s ankle with a short piece of string. There should be at least a couple feet of string from the ankle to the balloon so the balloon can bounce along the ground. Have all your players carefully stand at the edges of the play area. At “go,” all players rush forward and try to stomp each other’s balloons so they pop (while protecting yours from getting popped). When your balloon pops, you’re eliminated from the game. Go sit or stand along the sidelines and watch until there’s only one player remaining with a balloon on their ankle: the winner!
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Circle Games – have everyone sit down in a circle.
Duck Duck Goose – does this need instructions?
Hot (or Cold) Potato – Pass a bean bag until the music stops. Whoever is ‘holding the bag’ when the music ends is out. Keep playing until there is a winner.
Balloon Bounce – Kids lay down (or sit down) and have to work together to keep balloon(s) in the air.
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Relay Races – Divide kids into two (or more) even teams. Have them line up behind a starting line or cone.
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One shoe off – At the start of this relay, every kid takes off ONE shoe. Put all the shoes in one big pile. Separate the kids into two teams and line them up behind cones. When the relay begins, the first kid on each team runs to the shoe pile, finds his or her shoe, and returns to the back of the line. The relay continues until the last kid on each team has returned to the line. The first team to finish is the winning team. Note: You will want to be sure at the start of the relay that there are no identical shoes in the pile. If there are, you might want to distinguish the duplicate shoes by placing a piece of masking tape with the owner’s name on them.
Balloon Waddle – Start at the starting line, place a balloon between their knees and race out and around a cone, run back and pass it to the next team member without dropping or bursting their balloon. If the balloon drops, they must put it back between their knees before moving forward.
Egg race – Give each team a large spoon and one egg. One team member at a time runs out and around a cone, while holding the egg in the spoon, without dropping it. If the egg drops, the runner has to retrieve it and replace it back on the spoon before returning to running.
Balance a bean bag on top of your head and race around the cone.
Shoebox Slide – Provide each team with two shoeboxes (or amazon boxes). At the start of the race, the first member of each team puts one foot into each shoebox, slides his or her way around a cone set up at a destination point, and then slides back to the team. When that child returns to the team, he or she jumps out of the shoeboxes and the second student “puts them on.” The relay continues until the last member returns to his or her team. The first team to finish is the winner.
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Parachute Games
Who remembers playing Parachute games?
Who has fun childhood memories of playing with a parachute? My mom purchased this as a birthday gift for my boys many years ago, and we’ve been playing games with it ever since. Our kids and their friends love it. Here’s the link to find one, here are games to play:
Mushroom – This is a great starting activity to get everyone used to moving the parachute and working together. Have everyone grab one handle, then lift the parachute above their head and back down to the ground. Have them do this three times. Then have them lift it high, bring it over and behind their back and sit on it. This creates a mushroom canopy.
Popcorn – Have everyone grab one handle. Place several soft balls on the parachute and have the kids try to keep them on, while popping them up like popcorn.
Merry-Go-Round – Have everyone grab ONE handle. When the music starts, they should walk in a circle, then skip, hop, stop and go the other direction, etc.
Sharks and lifeguards – Kids sit down, holding the parachute above their legs. One kid should stand outside the circle – they are the lifeguard. One kids goes under the parachute and is the shark. All kids holding the parachute should shake it like waves. A shark has to try to pull a kid under the parachute. The kid can call for the lifeguard to help pull them back out. If a kid gets pulled under, they are a shark. Keep playing and give other kids a chance to start as the shark or life guard. Remind kids not to kick the shark. Also remind the lifeguard not to yank a kid by the arm. Pull under the armpits.
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The goal of the party: PLAY and have fun!
Supplies: Here are affiliate links to party supplies.
It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another – not from school, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings, every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be there first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy.
Mother Teresa
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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
– Thomas Jefferson
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When raising children, it’s best to spend on them half as much money and twice as much time.
– Dear Abby (Abigail Van Buren)
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Before I got married I had many theories about bringing up children. Now I have many children and no theories.
John Wilmot
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Mama, where you are weak, He is strong!
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There was. time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience.
– Anatole Broyard
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We spend the first 12 months of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk, and the next 12 years telling them to sit down and shut up.
– Phyllis Diller
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Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.
– James Bladwin
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Outings are so much more fun when we can savor them through the children’s eyes.
– Lawn Blackwell
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We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.
– Franklin D Roosevelt
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Your children need your presence more than your presents.
– Jesse Jackson
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If you want your children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.
– Abigail Van Buren
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Even as the cell is the unit of the organic body, so the family is the unity of society.
– Ruth Nanda Anshen
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A good home must be made, not bought.
– Joyce Maynard
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In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, and look around you.
– Leo Tolstoy
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What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us, what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
– Albert Pike
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If you send out good people into the world, you know you’ve done something good.
– Carl Reiner
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“…The Mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, or businessman, or artist , or scientist.”
If you know me, you know I love a good book. I don’t just read any book though; life’s too short for bad books. Before I begin a new book, I visit Goodreads and do a little research. A book needs a rating of 4 (out of 5) or better for me to begin.
Because my criteria is high, I’ve read some OUTSTANDING books this year. It was hard to choose just TEN for my TOP TEN of ’22. But here they are.
From left to right: Colleen, Kathryn, Shauna, Erin and Abbi
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Review: Though I’ve only met/chatted with Shauna a couple of times – our lives have followed a similar course. We were born the same year and grew up going to the same beach. We both have dads who love to sail on Lake Michigan. We got married the same year, have two sons the same age, and lived in the same part of the country for most of our lives! Maybe this is why Shauna is one of my favorite authors. I own every one of her books. I wasn’t sure I’d like this one as much as some of her others. However, I loved every single page of her newest book.
Shauna and her family moved to NYC around the same time our family moved to Minnesota. Each chapter of this book is a story from her life, and what she’s learning in that story. I deeply resonated with her insights on transitions, starting over, and finding joy. I cried, I laughed, I stopped to think, pray, and express gratitude.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
Get outside and be on the lookout for beauty, especially in nature, read books for comfort. Fresh air helps everything. The world is still good, still beautiful, still interesting and worth savoring. God is still good, still faithful, still kind.
Keep walking, keep loving, keep writing, keep praying. Keep learning, keep forgiving, keep apologizing, keep moving forward. Keep inviting, keep listening, keep opening my arms to all of life.
It doesn’t help to pretend everything is okay. Tell the truth. Allow yourself to be supported by friends and family.
I’m learning home isn’t singular. You don’t lose one, instead, your world and your heart expand with each new home and new set of experiences. The old ones stay and the new ones make your heart and your world bigger.
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This was my favorite book of the year, and I will go back to it again and again.
Review: This is a 40-day devotional that is PACKED with goodness. It would be an EXCELLENT book to start your year.
Here are a couple of great quotes from the book:
Thoughts are like trains, they take you somewhere. Instead of stopping a thought, REPLACE it. You have to actively FEED the POSITIVE and STARVE the negative.
You will FEEL how you speak and FIND what you seek.
Public victory comes from private discipline.
God loves the people in your life so much that He put YOU in their lives. He gave you a means to communicate with them so they could be better off because they encountered YOU!
Review: Part of why I wanted to read this book was because I loved the title. For an Enneagram 7 (the Enthusiast), the idea of “everything sad” being “untrue” just made me smile.
The book tells the story of a family moving from Iran to Oklahoma – written from the perspective of a middle school boy. Because I read it while I had two sons in middle school, I really connected with the author’s perspective and story. It made me laugh, cry, think, and learn. I was filled with joy by the kindness shown by some, and shocked by the cruelty expressed by others.
The book will give a reader an amazing, up-close perspective on what it looks and feels like to be a refugee in America. This book was outstanding, and I recommend it to anyone 14 or older.
Review: This was the first book I read in 2022, and it was a FANTASTIC way to start the year. If you haven’t read it – I recommend it be your first book of 2023 (with Take Back Your Life)! The author is someone I admire and respect. He’s a great teacher and a fantastic writer. I loved his first book, Chasing Wisdom, and this second book is just as good.
The Power of Place is about the value of putting down roots and investing in the place you call ‘home.’
Review: This book shares the beautiful relationship that developed between CS Lewis and Ms. Davidson. They were pen pals, later met and became great friends, and eventually married. I already loved CS Lewis, but this story makes me love him even more. The author did a fabulous job of re-creating their love story. I recommend the audiobook because the narration brings the story to life. It’s free on the Hoopla app.
Here are two quotes from the book that I loved:
God does not love us because we are lovable but because He is Love.
CS Lewis
Sometimes we want to stay and goof off in a mud pit when God has an entire seashore for us to play in.
Review: This narrative unfolds the captivating journey of a young woman transitioning from Islam to Christianity. Her compelling tale resonated deeply with me, serving as a poignant reminder of the unparalleled freedom we enjoy in America and within our Christian faith, especially when contrasted with the experiences of individuals in other countries and adherents of different religions. Exploring our shared faith from a fresh perspective was truly enlightening. Unfortunately, it’s all too common to overlook the profound goodness of God when it has been a constant presence throughout one’s life.
I recommend this book to anyone on a spiritual quest or those 16 and above who identify with the Christian faith.
Review: This memoir delves into the life of a young woman who spent many years in and out of the foster care system. Candidly recounting her experiences, she unveils both the uplifting and challenging aspects of her journey. She is now actively engaged in bringing positive change to the broken system. If you’re interested in hearing a first hand perspective of the foster care system, or hold a genuine concern for the well-being of foster children, this book offers a compelling and insightful exploration.
Review: I read this book with George, and we both decided that Alan Gratz is a fantastic writer! He pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you are part of the adventure. This is fiction, but gives you insight into what it must have felt like to be in the Twin Towers on 911. Great for any reader age 12 and up who may want to know more about what happened on September 11, 2001.
I read this with Clark, and we both loved it. It’s a short book that can be read in one setting. The author writes brilliantly and expresses such beautiful and deep emotion in very few words.
It’s the story of a young boy coming to live with his aunt in Minnesota to escape his war-torn country of Sudan. We felt the wonder, optimism, fear, sadness, and hope through the eyes of the main character (Kek). This would make a great read-aloud for parents and kids ages 8 and up.
Review: An outstanding book written by a survivor of Auschwitz. She writes about her escape “physically” from prison, and how she later learned to escape the prison of the mind. She is the female version of Victor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning). There are parts of this book that are really hard to read, but it’s also a book filled with hope and redemption.
The sign above the entrance to the author’s prison camp in Aushwitz says: Arbeit Macht Frei, meaning: Work Will Set You Free. Dr. Eger writes:
Work has set me free. Not the work the Nazis meant, but the inner work. Of learning to survive and thrive, of learning to forgive myself, of helping others do the same. When I do this work, I am no longer a prisoner. I am free.
Dr. Eger
Here are a few gold nuggets I pulled from the book:
You can live in the prison of the past, or you can let the past be a springboard that helps you reach the life you want now.
Get the feelings out. Expression is the opposite of depression. You can’t heal what you don’t feel.
You can’t feel love and fear at the same time.
It’s easier to hold someone or something else responsible for your pain than to take responsibility for ending your own victimhood.
Our painful experiences aren’t a liability, they are a gift. They give us perspective and meaning, an opportunity to find our unique purpose and strength.
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You can’t change what happened, you can’t change what you did or what was done to you. You can choose how you live right now. You can choose to be free.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on Christmas to make it memorable. Get a game or two and PLAY together. Your kids will remember your PRESENCE more than your PRESENTS!
Teenagers may act like they aren’t interested at first, but if you set the game up and ask them to play “just one round,” many will do it.
There is SO MUCH VALUE in playing games with our kids. You learn together, laugh together, and just get to BE TOGETHER.
This game makes us laugh so hard our stomachs hurt. It’s like Pictionary but every person has their own “book” instead of a board. It’s so fun to play with a group of 5-6 people.
We love this game because you learn fun facts and while playing the game.
We do not play by the regular rules. Here is how we play:
One person reads a question from a card.
Every player writes an answer on their small white board, then sets the board in the center of the group.
Each player puts their colored circle on the person they think gave the best answer.
The player whose answer is closest to the correct one earns a chip. If someone gets the correct answer, they earn two chips. Anyone who voted for a winning answer also earns a chip.
This game will have everyone cracking up. It’s similar to Apples to Apples (which is another fun game) but with PICTURES. You pick the best words to go with the “Meme.”
This is a fun and easy-to-play game for kids and adults of all ages. You just have to SPOT something matching on the card you are holding with the card on the top of the deck. If you are the first one to spot a match, you get the card. The person with the most cards wins!
This isn’t a board or card game, but is basically a ‘charades’ or guessing game you can download on your phone. It’s super handy if you have a long wait with your kids!
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Does your family have a favorite board game? Leave a comment!
