We have had an unusually cold and wet winter for the desert. I mean, it has literally been cold and raining on and off for about a month now. Cold for us desert folk is 50’s during the day and 30-40 degrees at night. That’s cold! Okay, so maybe not cold for the rest of […]
40+ Kid-Made Christmas Ornaments
I’ve always enjoyed receiving kid-made gifts. I can still remember when I was a teacher and the children would bring me gifts and trinkets that they put their heart and soul into. It was just precious! I still have a box of the little gifts of love that they gave to me all those years […]
Cinnamon Stick Ribbon Christmas Tree Ornament
I fell in love with Mary Engelbreit’s unique colorful style when I first saw her stationary at my mother-in-law’s house and I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. The illustrations are so full of life and dynamic colors…it’s almost mesmerizing. When I sat down with my children to choose a book for our 10 […]
Apple Crunch Snack
When my children come home from school they are super hungry. The kind of hunger that makes you think that they haven’t eaten a bite all day! I guess it’s safe to say that they are working hard at school and burning lots of calories while they’re at it. This Apple Crunch Snack is exactly […]
Summertime Hand Painting with all® free and clear
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreeToBe #CollectiveBias #ad We are a growing family of 6 with one on the way and having fun, especially in the summertime, is high on our priority list! Not only do we look for activities that are frugal, […]
Thumbprint Flower Pots
I have a confession to make…I don’t have a “green thumb” but I LOVE to be out in a garden. We planted a garden in our backyard a few years ago and had a blast doing it…and then we moved 2 months later! Since then we have adopted the “flower pots for beginners in gardening” […]
Family Love Notes + FREE Printable
My children love to receive “sweet something” notes from me. I decided that during Valentine week I would make it a point each day to leave them a sweet note handwritten from me, or a piece of candy, a prayer card or a poem. This idea was born a few weeks ago when my oldest […]
How to Make Fudge with Children
I am a chocoholic. My children are chocoholics. This recipe is a staple in our house. We literally have made it 3 times this week! We took a batch to a holiday party, a dinner party and one to keep at home. It’s because of our chocolate obsession that I had to find a simple […]
Christmas Tree Clay Ornaments
The kids are out of school this week and super excited for Christmas! With that comes some down time, rowdy time, and overall kids getting bored at home while they wait on Christmas. What’s a mom to do in this situation? I think these Christmas Tree Clay Ornaments are perfect for an easy, hands-on Christmas craft! […]
DIY Felt Nativity Scene
Deck the Halls and prepare for His glory fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that it can be tough to teach kids to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas in all the hustle and preparations of the Christmas season. We try each year to stay focused on the birth of […]
5 Ways to Give Back When You Have Nothing to Give + Tips for Kid Participation
Do you have a desire to help those in need but aren’t sure HOW you can be a gift to somebody else when you are struggling to make ends meet? Let me be honest here…we are a growing family of 7, living on a single income (God bless my husband), always in search of how […]
3 Questions That Have Transformed Our Family Dinner Table
Have you ever felt like dinner time was a three-ring circus? A time when total chaos ensued no matter your efforts to thwart it from being so? It’s a strange phenomenon really. Our children are actually well-mannered, polite individuals but for some reason the dinner table had turned into a free-for-all, silly, obnoxious fest! Something […]
10 Days of a Kid-Made Christmas – Cinnamon Clay Gingerbread Man Ornament
Is this the BEST time of year or what?! The most amazing memories are made in our home every year during Christmas time. Whether it be doing fun crafts, snuggling up under a blanket to read a book, or sipping hot chocolate…this time of year rules! My kids and I adore books. Literally, love them […]
Gift Guide, Tips + Video for Packing Shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child
Years ago, a friend of mine tipped me off to a wonderful organization that ships shoebox gifts all over the world to underprivileged children. I instantly knew this was one way that our family could make a difference. An Opportunity to Serve This is our 5th year packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse […]
Fall DIY Family Games + Other Fun Fall Activities for Kids
Fall is here for the majority of the country. In the desert…not so much. Therefore, us desert folk surround ourselves with fall decor, delicious pumpkin recipes and fall activities to get in the “spirit of fall.” Here are 3- easy, DIY fall games that we’ve played on our family game night. I’ve also used these […]
My Review of the Halle Heart Children’s Museum
Yesterday the kids and I scored some FREE admission vouchers for the Halle Heart Children’s Museum. How did we do this? We have been spending a lot of time at our local library this summer taking advantage of all the FREE summer activities they have and we noticed a Culture Pass for this new museum […]
Impromptu Museum Morning and Living in the Moment
So…I have to share what happened yesterday morning… We started our morning with this journal prompt- “If there was no electricity I would…” We then selected our next book to study for the next few days from our Five In A Row (thanks, Lisa!) summer curriculum which is- “When I Was Young In The Mountains,” […]
Kids’ Daily Lists
Every summer we use a different daily “to do” list for our kids to keep them focused each day and also a way to earn some extra money. We don’t do chores for money during the school year so this is a fun way for the them to earn a few cents each day so […]
Fun in the Sun and Activities List
Time for Fun! We will be sure to stop and make time for play dates, popsicles and fun in the sun while we take a break from the school work and pop quizzes! Here are some free and inexpensive activities on our summer to do list: Library story time and summer reading program Splash pads […]
Summer Daily Schedule, Printables and Activities for Kids
Before any of us breaks out into a solo singing, “In Summer” by that cutie patootie snowman from Frozen, I have a question for you… Does anybody else get as excited as I do for summer time? Perhaps I am reeling from a sickness that involves 2 things: my love of organizing and planning and […]
