Raising boys Archives - Page 4 of 14

0 In 2021/ Inspiration/ Raising boys/ Saving money

Six Super Simple and Budget-Friendly Gifts for Teachers!

Most teachers deserve a million bucks and an all-expense paid trip around the world.

What I WANT to give my sons’ teachers, and what I’m able to give them are two different things.

You don’t have to break the bank to show your child’s teacher some love and appreciation. As a former teacher, it’s often the least expensive things that are the MOST appreciated!

Here are 6 simple gifts ideas. Perhaps you could give your child’s teacher one item every day on the last week of school? Or one item each day on the FIRST week of school. No matter what you give and when you give it, your teacher will enjoy a simple surprise.

1. A special drink

Get your teacher hydrated:

2. Candy or gum

What teacher couldn’t use a little sugar boost most days?

Click here to order chocolate bars.

Click here to order peppermint patties!

Click here to order gum 12 packs of gum for $10:

3. Special hand soap

Teachers are always washing their hands, so some fancy or pretty smelling soap comes in ‘handy!’

Click here to read some benefits of hand washing.

4. A healthy snack

Clark heard his teacher talk about her love for Brussel Sprouts, so he insisted we bring her a bag – and she LOVED it.

Another teacher loves protein bites, so I’ll send some to help her get through the last week of school. Click here for recipe.

5. Lunch

Whether you make it or buy it, your child’s teacher will LOVE not having to eat their sack or school lunch for a day.

Just send a note to school letting your child’s teacher know that tomorrow’s lunch is on you. Send a menu to a local restaurant and ask them to circle what they’d like for you to order, or let them know what you’ll be making! Either way, this will be a SPECIAL treat and they will LOVE IT!

6. A hand-written note

Most teachers would LOVE to know they are making an impact – so write and tell them how they’ve made a difference in your child’s life!

Of all the ‘teacher gifts’ I received over the years, this is the one that I’ve kept through many years and many moves, and it STILL makes me smile:

A heart-warming note from a student who struggled in school.

All these gift ideas would be great for the bus driver, the specialists, the school nurse, the custodian, the principal, as well as the office staff!

Would you like a few more ideas? Click here for what to give and what NOT to give!

Thanks for reading, please consider subscribing!

May 24, 2021 By Kathryn

4 In Memories/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day was approaching and as a mom of busy little boys, I was wishing for three things:

A clean house,
A little pampering,
A good night’s sleep.

I planned in advance so that Mother’s Day would be the best ever:

I scheduled someone to clean my house a couple days before Mother’s Day.
I invited a couple friends to meet me at the nail salon to get our nails done.
A good night’s sleep was very unlikely, but a girl can hope and dream, right? (pun intended)

Little did I know that it would be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Mother’s Day/week.

Thursday morning a cleaning lady was to arrive at my house at nine am. I LOVED the idea of having a clean house for Mother’s Day weekend. I’d be able to play with my kids while someone else cleaned the toilets – YAY! What a gift.

The morning came and went, and no one showed up. I called and they had forgotten to add me to the schedule. No one would be coming.

I wasn’t going to have a clean house for Mother’s Day.

That’s okay…at least I’d get some time that night with some girlfriends and get my nails done!

Ted would take care of the boys after a busy day at work. He would put them to bed so I could have the evening with my girlfriends.

Well, traffic was really bad that night, and Ted got home late. The minute he walked in, I passed him the baby, and headed out the door.

I rushed into the nail salon and found my friends already getting their nails done. I sat in an open chair next to them.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” the manager said, “we are closing in 15 minutes and aren’t doing any more nails tonight.”

My heart sank. No pretty nails for Mother’s Day.

I chatted with my friends while they finished getting their nails done, and we walked out together as the salon closed. We weren’t done talking, and it was cold and raining outside, so I suggested we sit in my car to carry on our conversation. We chatted for another hour and then I tried to start my car – it was completely dead.

Unfortunately, none of us had jumper cables and we could not call our husbands to help. They were all home with sleeping children.

We looked around for a kind person who may happen to still be out on this cold, dark, wet night. We spotted one person. I asked him for help and miraculously (like an angel!?), he came over with jumper cables, started my car, and we all made it home safely.

Friday morning I got up early. I had a Mother’s Day Tea to attend and wanted to have time to take a shower and put on nice clothes. I got myself ready, then got each of the boys ready. As I was putting our baby into his carseat to leave… he spit up all over me. All through my hair, down my shirt, my skirt, and onto my shoes.

I frantically searched my closet to find another outfit to wear, quickly wiped the spit up out of my hair, and raced into my first Mother’s Day Tea … just in time.

Around 3 AM on Mother’s Day morning, I woke up to the sound of Clark crying. I went in to check on him. He had thrown up – all over himself, his pajamas, and his bed.

This wasn’t the Mother’s Day morning or good night’s rest I had hoped and wished for.

In fact, I decided it was a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mother’s ~~Day~~ … week!

I lifted Clark out of the messy bed, gave him a warm bath, and put him in clean pajamas. I changed his sheets, tucked him back into bed, said a prayer, and rubbed his back until I thought he was asleep.

I crept out of Clark’s room, thinking about how tired I was, and that I’d probably only get another hour or two of sleep before the baby woke me up, when I heard the sweetest words:

‘Happy mudder’s day, mama.”

In spite of Clark being sick and tired, he somehow remembered that it was Mother’s Day.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that my FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS had blinded me to my FIRST WORLD BLESSINGS!

In spite of how bad things are going, we can find something to be grateful in every situation.

My house may be messy, but it’s warm and it’s ours.
My nails might not be painted, but my hands are strong enough to hold and care for my children.
My car might have died, but I have a car to take my kids where we need and want to go.
My kids are healthy. When they spit up/throw up – I have extra clothes and sheets – and a washing machine and dryer to clean the laundry.
I have a husband who cares for me and our boys so that I can get away to be with girlfriends.
I have friends that sit and chat with me. Then they stayed with me, in the cold rain, until my car got started again! And bonus – they are friends who encourage me to be a better wife and mom. (PRICELESS!)
And the biggest blessing of the week…I GET to celebrate Mother’s Day because I have children!

Now that I look back on all my Mother’s Days…this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Mother’s Day, was actually my favorite one. It allowed me put things in perspective and see the gifts and blessings I so easily take for granted.

When I began focus on my blessings, I realized that this was a …

WONDERFUL, fantastic, so good, very blessed Mother’s Day!

Don’t let 1st world problems make you forget your 1st world BLESSINGS!

And by the way, while I tried to plan the perfect Mother’s Day week – Ted planned a really sweet Mother’s Day.

He got me flowers. He had the boys color me pictures. He picked up some delicious food so I didn’t have to cook. He told me to get away for a few hours to read and relax.

While I was gone, not only did he take good care of the boys – the house was clean when I got home!!

It really was a WONDERFUL, fantastic, so good, very blessed Mother’s Day!

What about you? What gift might you be taking for granted? Do you have a favorite Mother’s Day memory? Leave a comment.

Please consider subscribing.

Thanks for reading! You may be interested in this related post: Finding Joy in the Motherhood in the Mess

May 7, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Food/ Inspiration/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

Guest Post: Budget-Friendly Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Make Healthy Choices

According to the American Heart Association, one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese. Children will carry the eating habits they learn at a young age into their adult years, so it’s important to equip them with the ability to make healthy food choices. What’s more, it’s important to teach your child to make healthy choices in all aspects of their lives, from safety to fitness. Here are some budget-minded strategies that work.

Be a Good Role Model

Parenting, as you well know, means shifting priorities in order to meet the needs of your young loved ones. This may mean fitness goals, education pursuits, career choices, even healthy sleeping habits all get “back burnered” — gladly and without hesitation — in order to make room for children and their needs. But if you find yourself now getting better sleep and with some time on your hands (within reason), then it may be time to pursue that online business degree you’ve always wanted to get back to. It’s never too late to recommit to a goal, especially with flexible schedules and deadlines. It’s one way to model the behavior you expect from your children — making learning a priority throughout life. Plus, it has the potential to help you along in your career pursuits.

Keep Healthy Snacks in the House

You don’t want to deprive your children or yourself of delicious food. However, having a constant store of unhealthy food on tap creates a habitual pattern of eating. Some kids will go looking for it, some will pester you for it, but all will be expecting chocolate, chips, or sugary drinks at some point. Leave these as occasional treats, and when you do choose to
enjoy them, buy only what you’ll be eating that day. Don’t buy multipacks or two-for-one offers, and throw out whatever’s left over at the end of the day. Besides, you might be surprised at how tasty — and affordable — a healthy snack can be.

Fruits and nuts, for instance, can be easy on both your wallet and your waistline. And to give your child a sense of ownership over their snacks, allow them to use things like toaster ovens and microwaves to prepare their snacks — with supervision, of course. (Click here for more healthy snack ideas)

Teach Your Kids the Importance of Physical Fitness

It’s often a lot easier to have the kids lose themselves in online activities and video games instead of encouraging them to go outside and get some exercise. However, maintaining a healthy weight involves staying fit, and that means stepping away from technology and finding ways to get moving. For example, if your child likes to play basketball video games, encourage them to take up the sport in real life. And if you need gear, look around online to see where you can pick up used sporting goods.

With a little exploring, you can find places to pick up store returns for a song, or websites like eBay offer both new and used equipment at affordable prices.

Discuss Safety When Home Alone

Are your kids old enough to leave at home while you pop out to the store for something? If so, then you need to discuss the importance of not answering the door when a stranger comes calling. Thankfully, technology allows us to see who’s at our door without setting foot outside.

Most modern-day security systems — even budget-friendly models — allow us to use cameras inside doorbells to safely see who’s on the other side. Discuss the dangers of answering the door for strangers with your children, and teach them how to properly use your home security system for those times when you’re away.

Your Overall Strategy

This is not the time for a firm hand because using pressure and coercion can actually have the opposite effect on eating habits and fitness. Your goal is to encourage your children to make healthy choices, using positive reinforcement, shared experiences, and role modeling.

It will take some time, but eventually, this creates a pattern of behavior that persists even when you’re not there to enforce it. As long as you take your time, plan ahead, and keep a cool head, you can instill healthy habits in your children that will last for a lifetime.

Thank you Amanda Henderson for writing this helpful parenting post today! Find more at SafeChildren.info

February 8, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Peek into our First Weeks of 2021

Here’s what we’ve been up to recently:

“Snow” much SNOW:

The pond behind our house is frozen – at least 12 inches of solid ice – so it’s become the boy’s blank canvas to ‘create!’

They’ve made an ice rink to play soccer and skate, they’ve made forts, trails and whatever else they can imagine!

After a recent snow storm, the boys noticed an elderly woman shoveling her driveway all by herself. All four boys grabbed their shovels and helped her finish.

So many books, so little time

I have a goal to read 50 books this year…here are a few I plan to read. Have you read any of these? Which one should I start with?

Life with Wrigley:

Luke and Wrigley up at 5AM!! :( — Luke and Wrigley both up at 5AM!

Having a puppy really is like having a new baby – so I’m kind of exhausted. The boys are amazing at taking him out during the day – but I’m up with him EARLY!

We’ve been “sleep training” him by putting him in the crate at night. The first two nights he whined a lot, but is now sleeping through the night. At first he was up by 5AM! He woke me and Luke up with his barking and whining. Now he’s sleeping til 6AM. That still feels too early, but I know he’s a baby and all my ‘babies’ like to wake up early.

Wrigley enjoys playing outside. Usually he’s only out for 30-60 minutes. We take him for walks (or he takes us for a walk)…and he plays with the neighbor’s doodles.

Wrigley is WELL LOVED!

Luke’s first week of school:

Just as we were getting in a rhythm of distance learning, Luke started school again.

Luke completed his FIRST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL! Though kindergarten began in September, he’s never spent 5 full, consecutive days in the classroom until now. Clark and Paul will start in February and George will continue distance learning for now.

How’s your new year been? Leave me a comment!

January 30, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2020/ Raising boys

2020 was full of FIRSTS for my LAST

2020 was full of firsts for all of us. We survived our first pandemic. Many of us home schooled for the first time. 2020 was the first year we went shopping for face masks.

My baby boy had so many big “FIRSTS” this year. I’m documenting them so I don’t forget!

First time snow skiing!

(March 2020)

He had SOO much fun and skied for six straight hours! That night, he couldn’t figure out why his legs hurt so bad. 🙂

First time riding a bike with no training wheels!

(June 2020)

Now that we have Four boys on bikes, Ted and I need to get bikes!

First lost tooth!

(July 2020)

He lost a tooth on the same day one of his best friends lost her first tooth.

First time going to Elementary school!

(September 2020)

His first day of Kindergarten was also the first time we had a teenager in the home. September 14 was first day of school and George’s birthday.

First time playing a team sport!

(September 2020)

He joined a soccer team and didn’t love it. He said he got kicked too much!

First time Ice Skating on his own!

(December 2020)

Firsts are a little bittersweet when it comes to your baby! However, I’m so grateful for this last little Egly and for many ‘firsts’ still to come.

January 16, 2021 By Kathryn

2 In 2020/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

I was drowning in distance learning… and then I found a life vest

I’m a full-time mom with a teaching degree. When COVID-19 forced my four sons to do full-time home school (aka: distance learning), I thought: ‘No Problem, I can handle this!’

I WAS WRONG.

It was so …very … hard!

Our first week of full-time distance learning was a train wreck.

If you would have peeked into our home, you would have (unfortunately) seen:

Yelling,
fighting,
frustration,
anxiety,
confusion,
crying, and
an iPad being thrown to the ground by an overwhelmed child and hitting another child who was seated on the ground.

By the end of the week I was so exhausted I thought I had the Coronavirus! I went to bed with a pounding head and an aching body.

SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE!

No…

EVERYTHING had to change.

CHANGE had to start with ME.

My husband reminded me that STRESS is often due to not feeling like we have control and/or navigating a lot of change. Yep. That described us! He went on to share what we DO have control over is our: attitude, outlook, and the the actions we take.

I took the weekend to rest, reflect, and re-assess. I needed a higher perspective on home schooling my children. I had to remember that CHANGE is hard. Navigating this brand NEW learning environment and having to immediately perform was causing us to all feel stressed.

I am a person who loves to get things DONE. I like efficiency, and I enjoy checking off boxes. My preferences were NOT aligning with home schooling, and children are not efficient.

My GOAL to KEEP UP! and GET IT DONE! was wrecking our relationships. Very little actual learning occurred and we were all unhappy.

When the goal is to “Get it DONE” there isn’t time to absorb, discuss, reflect and learn.

Here were my new goals and actions:

1. Distinguish between controllable and uncontrollable.

I can’t control the fact that we are in a new learning situation, I CAN control how I act, as well as my level of preparation and time management.

2. I will prioritize my relationships with my kids over the assignments.

I will pause and think before I react to something my kids say or do.

3. Apologize.

I told my children I was sorry for being upset, frenzied, and impatient.

4. Realize we are all learning something new!

Remind the kids we are ALL new to this, and we were going to work on being patient and kind to each other. We would give each other grace.

5. Familiarize myself with their technology, passwords, and schedules.

6. Get more organized and prepared.

We kept their school stuff in one area.

7. Communicate with the teachers.

Remember the son who was so overwhelmed he threw his iPad? I told the teacher that our goal is no longer going to be to get everything done. We were going to slow down so he had time to absorb the information, reflect, and learn. She was okay with the fact that he may not get every assignment done.

8. Get more sleep.

The kids will be in bed before 9 and will wake up by 8 AM.

9. Come prepared and ready to work by 9 AM.

iPads are charged, everyone is fed, pencils are sharpened, and we’ve looked over the plan for the day.

10. Re-prioritize:

Focus 100% on their learning from morning until lunch. I will try not to get distracted by housework or my phone.
Switch my desire from ‘checking all the boxes’ to slowing down and really learning.
Choose quantity over quantity.
Less focus on grades, stronger focus on growing.

These 2 things helped:

1. Prayer and Scripture

I ask God for help ALL DAY LONG reading my Bible fills my spirit and renews my strength.

2. Getting input from others:

Discussing better practices with my husband
Asking others what their best practices were and what was working for them (NOTE: talk to people who are more effective or more experienced)
Reading books or listening to podcasts that re-focus my attention to the big picture.

“Teaching from Rest” is an excellent book that walks you through how to teach with peace rather than frenzy! The author asks the question: If you knew your child was guaranteed to get into Harvard, but your relationship would be wrecked in the process, would you agree to that?

Are the days EASY now? NO!

It’s still a day-by-day, hour-by-hour challenge.

Do I feel more peaceful and prepared? Yes!

I’ve learned that most change can be bad in the beginning, messy in the middle, and extraordinary in the end.

A few SMALL changes made a BIG impact!

How about you? What are you learning? How are you staying sane? What’s helped you? Leave a comment and thanks for reading!

January 12, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2020/ Christmas/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Peek into our Christmas week

Christmas Eve:

It was a cold day with LOTS of snow. All four boys shoveled two of our neighbors driveways.

We played with our dog, completed a Christmas puzzle, then watched White Christmas (one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies).

Luke and Paul were excited to go to bed that night because they could hardly wait for it to be Christmas morning!

After the two littles fell asleep, George and Clark helped me put presents under the tree, then George created a scavenger hunt from the “elves.”

Clark set up some games around the house for everyone to play on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day:

Scavenger hunt for the littles:

George created a scavenger hunt from our ‘elves.’ He wrote a clue, that led to another clue, that led to another … all around our house. The final clue led to a gift from “Santa.” The gift was a game called “Ticket to Ride.” I’d read good reviews of this game so I thought my boys would like it.

I made the mistake of trying to play it with them right away, without having ever played before. I didn’t realize how many details were involved. I tried to read the instructions and play at the same time. This was a FAIL! I didn’t understand how to play, let alone how to teach all four boys what to do. We all got frustrated and quit.

Afterwards, I watched a YouTube video on how to play. I finally understood and asked my boys if they wanted to try again. The boys said no, they just wanted to open their other presents.

Opening presents:

Our big Christmas gift to the boys was a dog (Read that story here) …but other family members had gifts for them to open Christmas morning.

I filled their stockings with some fun treats, hid the stockings in my closet, tied a long string around them, and wrapped that string all around the house. I gave the boys the end of the string, and they had to follow it to find their stockings.

The boys also did a “Secret Santa” gift exchange with each other. After Thanksgiving, I put the names of the boys in a bowl and they each drew a name. They have a $15 budget and get to pick out a gift for each other.

Luke drew George’s name and got him a puzzle (see below).
Paul drew Clark’s name and bought him football cards.
Clark drew Luke’s name and got him a remote control car.
George drew Paul and bought him some Pokemon cards.

Christmas Day Scavenger Hunt for the Parents:

As a Christmas gift for me and Ted, Clark created a super fun obstacle course for us to complete. We had targets to hit with a nerf gun, matchbox cars that had to get past a certain line, a box to tear open to find a clue and a quarter, basketballs to get in the net, then a word to complete in a “Wheel of Fortune” type game. When we completed all our ‘challenges,’ we had to race to put our “quarter” on the winning circle to win a prize (see picture above). I won “Wheel of Fortune” and the matchbox car game, but Ted is way better with a nerf gun and basketball. He won and got a big chocolate bar. I was second and Clark gave me chocolate coins.

Christmas Day Walk:

It was COLD outside (7 degrees), but Ted encouraged us to bundle up and get outside with him, and I’m glad we did!

Christmas Dinner:

Steak, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and …. French Fries. (I forgot to take a picture)

We Watched:

A Christmas Story – Ted and George love this movie. Since they watch “White Christmas” with me, I watch this movie with them.

We read:

The Christmas Lizard: this is a cute story of the Lizard climbing up the tree and hearing the different reasons Christmas is celebrated. The Nutcracker says “tradition,” the elves say “parties,” etc. When he gets to the very top of the tree he finds the Angel and the angel points to the manger and tells the lizard that the reason we celebrate Christmas is Jesus.

We played:

What do you Meme? … Uno and…

After Luke and Paul went to bed, I was able to talk George into giving Ticket to Ride another try. We both really enjoyed playing! I would only recommend it for ages 10 and up!

The Day After Christmas:

Luke got George’s name as his “Secret Santa” gift exchange. I helped him create a puzzle as a gift for George.

We put it together and it turned out so cool!

We also went ice skating with friends.

One friend lifted his hockey stick to hit a puck, and accidentally smacked Clark in the eye. It hurt bad at first (and looks really bad), but Clark was playing again in ten minutes.

We took another walk and had a snowball fight:

My boys received this “snowball maker” toy last year – it makes these perfect, round snowballs and saves your hands from freezing or your gloves from getting soaked:

Hope you had a Merry Christmas friends! Sending love from our family to yours!

Here’s a peek into our fall and winter. I love how my iPhone can take pictures and videos and turn them into this:

December 28, 2020 By Kathryn

2 In 2020/ Christmas/ Joy/ Memories/ Raising boys

The Story of Wrigley: Our Goldendoodle!

Hello Friends! Meet Wrigley, our first dog!

It was a long journey to get here … our oldest three boys started asking for a dog since, well, they could say the word “DOG!”

I was NOT excited about having a dog. I had a hard enough time keeping up with our boys, I didn’t want another thing to take care of!

However, this quote resonated with me….

“Every boy should have two things: a dog and a mother who lets him have one.”
― Robert Benchley

In 2013, we told George and Clark that when Paul was potty-trained, we’d get a dog! They were overjoyed. However…

Just as Paul was potty-trained, I found out I was pregnant. So, they boys got a BROTHER instead of a dog. Thankfully, they were okay with that … for a while.

Every subsequent Christmas and birthday – the number one requested item was: A DOG.

In 2020…we finally decided it was time. And you all know why. This year we were all stuck at home with plenty of time on our hands!

We got serious about looking for a Goldendoodle. However, I didn’t realize how expensive they could be. I was NOT going to pay what most people were asking.

I told the boys that if we were going to get a dog, we would have to find the right one, for the right price.

So the boys started praying. They asked God for a golden doodle dog for a ‘good price.’

I also saw Clark googling:

“Goldendoodles for less than one thousand dollars.”

For several months, we couldn’t find one. But then…we went for a visit to Tulsa.

Randomly at dinner, I told a friend that we were searching for a golden doodle, but could not find one for a decent price. This friend gave me the number of a local breeder who sells them for a very reasonable price.

There was MORE great news:

I knew the breeder’s family! I had worked with her brother-in-law in Colorado Springs!
I had friends with her dogs.
She had a litter recently born and they’d be available the same week that my in-laws would be visiting us in Minnesota!

Where did we find her?

RJB Doodles in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Ted and I SECRETLY went to meet the puppies and of course, we fell in love. It’s hard to meet a puppy and not BUY a puppy!

This was finally the right breeder, the right dog, at the right time and the right price!!!

We bought one.

However…it was a secret. We would surprise the boys the week before Christmas!

When the puppy was ready, Papa and Nana picked him up and and drove him from Tulsa all the way to our home in Minnesota.

The Big Puppy Surprise:

When they were just a few minutes away, I took the boys upstairs. I told them we had to hang out in my room for a little while because dad had to work on something for Christmas.

While we were upstairs, Ted greeted Nana and Papa at the door and let them in. They put the crate in front of the Christmas tree, they put the puppy in the crate, and a blanket over the crate. Nana and Papa stood in front of the crate, blocking it from view.

Then…Ted came upstairs, knocked on my door, told the boys he was ready…and they came downstairs.

The boys were SOO excited to see their Nana and Papa.

Then, Nana and Papa moved to show the crate. They removed the blanket and showed them the REAL surprise – their PUPPY!

They exclaimed this as the BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!!!

The Best Christmas ever!

The best dog ever!

The best parents ever!

The best nana and papa ever!

They were thrilled and oh, what a memory!

Why the name?

All the men in our family have a “W” in their middle names…so we wanted our dog’s name to start with a W.

We chose “Wrigley” because the boys were born in the Chicago area and we are Cubs fans. The Cubs play in ‘Wrigley’ field.

Welcome to our family Wrigley!

Here’s the video of the boys surprised with a new dog:

Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas everyone!

December 21, 2020 By Kathryn

4 In 2020/ Christmas/ DIY/ Making money/ Motherhood/ Raising boys/ Recipe

Simple Salt Dough Snowman Ornaments: DIY Christmas Gifts

Here’s a fun and simple activity to do with your kids: Salt dough ornaments.

My boys aren’t always into crafty things – but when they heard their cousins made and SOLD some of their ornaments, my boys were all in! They always love a way to earn money – right now they are saving up to buy a DOG! (This was their idea, not mine)

The salt dough recipe is simple:

2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water

Mix with a wisk, and then your hands.
Flour a surface, then roll out the dough until it’s about a quarter inch thick

Cut into shapes

Use a drinking straw to poke a hole at the top of the ornament for the string to go through

To make the Snowman Ornament:

Use a cup to make circles
Take a little piece of the dough and form it into the shape of a carrot
Press the nose on top of the circle
Press divots in the dough for the eyes and mouth. I used the bottom of a paint brush.

Bake at 175 degrees for 3 hours.
Let them sit for 1 hour.
Paint with acrylic paint or water colors.

Seal with Modge Podge.
Tie a string through the hole.

Hang on your tree, gift wrap, or sell.

The boys put their earnings in this jar and tied one of their dog bone salt dough ornaments around it!

Click here for another DIY one-of-kind Christmas ornament

Click here to read all about the dog they got for Christmas – and they used their earnings to buy him toys!

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your holiday!

December 10, 2020 By Kathryn

4 In 2020/ Christmas/ Family/ Free stuff/ Games/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Colorado/ Things to do in Minnesota

41 Final Wintertime Activities for Quarantined Kids (Part 3)

I’ve created 101 things to do in quarantine.

Click here for the first 30 (Part 1)

Click here for the second set of 30 – all FREE! (Part 2)

Today I bring you the final 41, for a total of 101 ideas for wintertime and quarantine fun!

1. Build a Marble Maze / Labrynth

George creating his game called “The Ultimate Maze”

Your kids can use an empty box.
Glue straws to the bottom to create a maze.

2. Card Games

Play a card game with your family after dinner.

A lady I enjoy listening to, raised four amazing sons and swears by the power of spending time with your kids around the table – not just eating, but staying to play games. She said the boys didn’t always want to play, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Playing together opens up conversations you may not normally have. Games make you laugh and connect in a new way.

Some good options: Go Fish, Memory, Uno
My kids and I love Skipbo and Rat-a-tat-Cat (Best for ages 7 and up)
You can learn a NEW card game. My boys and I just started playing “Garbage” – it’s an easy game we learned on Youtube.
When I was a child, I entertained myself by playing Solitaire. Perhaps your kids can learn this one too!?
My kids don’t always want to play a card game, but I often ask them to play just ONE game. They forget how fun it is until they start playing.

3. Try winter gardening

Click here for ideas

4. Make snow slushees

If you have milk and sugar, your kids can make their own ice cream!
Click here for recipe!
Scoop fresh snow, pour any drink on top to turn it into a SLUSHEE!

5. Minute to Win it Games

Click here to read the ten fun games to play with your kids!

6. Create “Ramp Races”

A really fun and simple activity that can act as a physics lesson and opportunity for an experiment. Make a simple ramp using cardboard or a piece of wood, and roll different objects down: measure how far they go, how fast they roll, or hold races between different kinds of balls to see which wins!

7. Go Fishing With Magnets

Create “fishing poles” using pencils, string, and magnets.
Place a variety of items in a bin–some magnetic, some otherwise–and let them go to town exploring the concept of magnetism!

8. Draw self portraits

Have your kids look in the mirror and do a self portrait!
Be sure to have them write their name and age. It will be fun to look back on this when they are older.
You could have them repeat this every year around their birthday to see how their drawings improve!

9. Make a Flip Book Animation

Kids can learn how to make a flipbook animation in less than 5 minutes. All you need is a pen and a stack of paper, or even better, a sticky note pad. This video is a great and very quick tutorial

Here is one of my son’s first flip book, using index cards:

10. Create paper airplanes

Click here for ideas

11. Sledding

If you have snow like we do, this is fun for all ages!

12. Skiing

Skiing requires gloves, you can wear a mask, it’s outdoors and fairly easy to stay ‘socially distant.’ Many ski resorts have special rates and lessons for beginners.

13. Play with shaving cream

14. Have a make your own pizza and family movie night

Click here for some of our family favorites

Click here for a simple 3 ingredient pizza recipe!

15. Take a winter walk

16. Play Bingo! or Zingo!

17. Make one of a kind ornaments

Click here to read how!

18. Make a comic strip

Read the Sunday comics to your kids, then make your own!

Click here for this printable comic strip outline.

19. Stop Motion

Download a stop-motion app for your kids and let them make stop motion videos

Here’s a video my 10 year old made:

https://youtu.be/PwXNusWmltk

20. Learn and/or Practice an instrument

Piano, keyboard, xylophone, harmonica, recorder or drums…make it a family band.
Look on Youtube for free lessons.

21. Pour Paint

22. Rock Art

23. Play with marshmallows and toothpicks

24. Make Special Snacks

Take a cupcake holder and put a different snack in each section
Make Circus Sundaes – Ice Cream, Animal Crackers, Syrup, Whip Cream and a Cherry On Top!

25. Blow Art

Pour droplets of paint on paper
Allow kids to “blow” air through the straw to make a cool pattern

26. Play Follow The Leader

Have each child take a turn being the leader
Walk all around your house
Do jumps, turns, stop to hug dad, etc.

27. Mess Free Coloring

28. Playfoam Game

29. Go Retro with Lite-Brite

30. Become an author

My fourth grade teacher once gave us the title “The Entire City Lends a Hand” and had the class each write their own story. Read a rendition of that here.
Give your kids a title/prompt and let them write!
Title ideas:
- If I were President…
- Undersea Adventure…
- You Won’t Believe what Happened!

31. Got Toilet Paper?

Tape them up to create a “marble maze”
Click here for more ideas

32. Have your children create a scavenger hunt for each other!

Give them a treat to hide for their sibling
Have them create clues to search the house and find it!

33. Memorize a verse together

I find SO much comfort in knowing Scripture by heart and being able to quote it when I’m feeling fear.
Learn a verse together with your kids.
Click here for 12 great verses.

34. Draw it

35. Butcher Paper Family Table

Roll a large sheet of paper across the dining room table or counter top or coffee table.
Set markers in a jar on top of the table.
Draw Christmas scenes, hand prints, rainbows, etc.

37. Fashion Plates or Action Plates

38. Make salt dough ornaments

My sister made these with her girls (ages 5 and 8). They turned out so cute. I am going to make some with my boys.

Click here for step-by-step instructions.

39. Get a job or Help a Neighbor

Both working and serving can boost your mood!

If you have kids who are 8 and older, they can earn money or serve their neighbors by shoveling, cleaning up leaves, or helping any other outdoor task.

40. Find a place to explore!

Though there are some places that are closed for Covid, you can still find a new place to explore with your kids!

You can look at the website “Only in your State.”

If you are in Tulsa, Oklahoma, check out The Gathering Place or RedBud Nature Preserve.

If you live in Colorado Springs, CO – click here for ten great places to hike with kids.

If you are in Minnesota, click here to discover the Arboretum, the Eloise Bird Sanctuary, and more!

41. If all else fails…let them be bored!

Being bored is a natural part of life as a kid. Try not to offer an immediate solution to their boredom and see what they come up with! It’s often in times of boredom that children show their greatest creativity!