{Thankful Thinking} Questions

For my husbands' side of the family I am in charge of Thanksgiving. Each year I like to add to our Thanksgiving traditions. It is always fun to go around the table & ask "What are you thankful for?" I know everyone has many blessings to be thankful for so this will be a fun twist to that question.


We usually do this after we have eaten so we can spend that time with each other. What a great use of time.


Give each place setting a few different beans. Those are the beans to which they will answer certain questions. They will look at their "Key Card"(below).



"Key" cards with the questions.


Glue the beans/wheat on the key cards next to each question.

What a Great new Thanksgiving tradition.

On behalf of Angela & I, we want to say a big THANK YOU for following our blog. We so appreciate you & your comments. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


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{GIVE THANKS} Banner

I love how banners are so festive. This Thanksgiving Day Banner was last years project so I'm thankful to get it done(even if its a week before the big day).

Our Familys'


Pottery Barns' (sorry for the picture-couldn't find it on their website).


My friend Hilarys'

How to:

1-Cut your fabric & backing (7"x9 1/2"). Sew around edge. Leave a small opening at the top on each side for the ribbon/rope to go thru to hang.


2-Cut freezer paper to 8 1/2"x11" so that it will fit in your printer. Pick one of your fonts & print it on the freezer paper(normal plain paper setting). TIP: I had to roll the freezer paper the other way so it would lay semi flat in the printer tray.


3-Iron the letter onto your fabric. Then cut out. Peal off the freezer paper.


4-Pin the letter to fabric flag & stitch around. [I guess my brain decided to not think correctly- I had to glue it. I would do the stitching of your letter to the top fabric then stitch it to the backing] Attach all banner flags to a ribbon or rope(I only had fabric so I sewed some together to form a long "ribbon"). Hang up.


I love that all month long you can display the words "giving thanks" but on turkey day you could display the word "thanksgiving".
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Teaching My Children Work, Gratitude and SERVICE- Part III

We did a Family Home Evening on SERVICE the other night. I started it off by showing and talking about what's happening in this picture (John 13:4-15)...

...and how the Savior was our perfect example of service. He came to this earth to serve, not to be served. (He has asked us to follow His example in verses 14-15.)

We discussed together WHY we serve others, how we FEEL when we do, and why it is important to think outward. We then went to the scriptures to read and discuss Matthew 25:40 and Mosiah 2:17.

Then we watched THIS awesome, short video clip...

We decided as a family that to serve others with true Christ-like love, we need not seek for the praise of "man". We know that our Heavenly Father is always watching.

So with that, we have a challenge this week to practice being the "Lord's Hands"...

We are to do secret acts of service for one another (when no one is looking) then leave a hand. If we tell or get caught, then it doesn't count. (I cut the hands out with the school's die-cut machine with my own paper.)

We also decided on a family service project that we will carry out for Christmas. Here is a list of links to ideas of family-friendly service projects...

Give Back and Serve with Children

FamliyCares Tips

FamliyCares Project Ideas

Doing Good Together

30 Excellent Ways to Make a Difference

The Holiday Project

BOISE, ID LOCAL- Boise Rescue Mission

One of these days I hope my children are going to really "get it". That they will grow up to be hard working, grateful people who want to serve the Lord. I'm trying to create experiences along the way for them to learn these things, and I hope it will all pay off!

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Teaching My Children Work, GRATITUDE and Service- Part II

I haven't done a lesson on GRATITUDE yet this year. But I found 2 different lessons on Lara's blog... Gratitude/Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving and Service and will do one of them for FHE next week. We do have a family tradition that we started a few years ago that we enjoy during the month of November...

And my 8 yr/old daughter came up with this idea all on her own the other day... (a paper chain counting down the days until Thanksgiving, havning written something she is thankful for on each link)

Sometimes I like to show my children pictures from the web of children/families in 3rd-world countries, and pictures of our soldiers that are over seas right now protecting our freedom.

Here are some great links that I've found...

Gratitude Tree (MyHeartandHome)

Another Gratitude Tree (My Insanity)

Lot's of Ideas from Prepared, Not Scared

Thankful Jar (Little Birdie Secrets)

I Can Show Gratitude By... (Sugardoodle)

Oh Remember, Remember (Pres. Eyring 2009)

Finding Joy in the Journey (Pres. Monson 2008)

The Divine Gift of Gratitude (Pres. Monson 2010)

And some great video clips...

THIS one, and the one below...

And don't forget to check out all of our past THANKSGIVING inspirations as well. Check back tomorrow for what we did the other night for our FHE lesson on SERVICE!

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Teaching My Children WORK, Gratitude and Service- Part I

I LOVE this time of year! It's such a perfect opportunity to teach our children some very important values. I like to take full advantage of our Family Home Evenings in this regard, and it's so exciting to me!

I take a parenting class (that I've been taking on/off for the last 9 years or so cuz I just can't get enough of Carleen Tanner). And something she said recently in class is that some of the most important things we need teach our children is WORK, GRATITUDE and SERVICE; (and of course out of the 20+ class topics each year, 3 of them are on one of the above).

Anyway, so I figured I would start off this holiday season with a FHE lesson on WORK. I found a great lesson that was really effective on an awesome blog (that I recently found) called FAMILY HOME EVENINGS TO GO. Lara is so talented!

I have done and plan to do more lessons on WORK, and encorporate new things whenever we are ready for them, including allowance, money management, etc.

I also found some great articles on the web to read on the topic of WORK. Are you ready? There are lots!

Twenty Tips for Teaching Children to Work

Age Appropriate Chores for Children

Teaching Children Responsibility

Teaching Children the True Value of Hard Work

Teaching Your Children Responsibility, Work Ethic and the Value of a Dollar

Delegating Work and Responsibility to Children

Family Work Projects for Fun and Profit

The Elbow Grease Factor: How to Teach Your Children to Love Work

Lessons from My Father

Why Work?

Teaching Families the Value of Work and Responsibility

Sharing in Family Work

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part II... Teaching GRATITUDE!

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{Kitchen Cleanup} Job Chart

I've had "ah ha" moments (thanks Cami!) the last couple of weeks about Cleaning up the Kitchen(or maybe I've just reached my "limit" of having to do it all). The kitchen stays pretty clean during the day but as soon as the kids come home from school until bedtime it looks like a tornado hit. I'm usually too tired by the end of the day so most of the time it stays messy until morning. Not a good way to start each day.

So I'm hoping this "Cleanup Chart" will be the solution.


1-Cut & paint a board to your desire(mine is 9"x12") The magnetic metal piece was 6"x10.5"(found at Craft Warehouse).


2-I found this adorable paper(at Paper Cottage by Little Yellow Bicycle/Savor-"kitchenware") to use.



3-Glue the paper onto the magnetic metal with spray adhesive & then glue it to the board.


4-Roll the clay(Sculpty) out. Use the cardstock shape (1 1/2"x2") as your guide, cut the clay with the exacto knife. Stamp the letter onto the clay shape. "Age" the edges with the stamp pad. Bake as directed. Brush on a protective coat(I use clear fingernail polish because that is what I have-it works). Then glue the letter shape onto the magnetic board.

FYI-I decided to use the alphabet letters instead of pictures because I don't have time to change them often.


5-Cut the magnet sheet for the "job descriptions". I taped some scrapbook paper to the magnet. And wrote on it with a sharpie. I love how this can easily be changed.

The kids thought it would be nice to change it every week-I agree.

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My Favorite Place to Go for Photo Products!

I love taking pictures of my kids! I wish I was a skilled photographer, but I'm not, so I have to do the best I can with my simple digital camera. I was pretty pleased with the photos I took of my 8 year old daughter last week in her beautiful, white baptism dress! (These pics here are 2 of my faves.)

For the past week I have been "neck-deep" in pictures. I've been trying to get all my old pictures gathered and organized, and the zillions of pics I have on my computer are backed up and just sitting in folders in there! But what good are they inside the computer, not being enjoyed by my family?

My sister found the BEST website for making memory photo books and calendars!! It's called ARTSCOW. When you register with them, they start regularly sending you tons of coupon codes for FREE and DISCOUNTED photo products. It's AMAZING! I have been working on my photo books any chance I get, and can't wait to have them available for my family and friends to enjoy! Also, since Christmas is about here it's a FABULOUS GIFT IDEA, especially for parents and grandparents!! So I'm sending you over to ARTSCOW right now to REGISTER yourself an account (for free) and claim a bunch of FREE stuff right off the bat!! Consider this knowledge a "Thanks/Giving" gift from me to you!! XOXO

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Pumpkin Bread Bars

I love this fall season to be in the kitchen to bake. This is my ultimate favorite bar recipe: Pumpkin Bread Bar. My friend Cathy gave this to me. Because its so moist, whenever I make it, I have hard time not eating the whole pan. I try to justify it because it has something healthy in it.

Ingredients:

Mix together: 4 eggs, 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 29 oz. canned pumpkin

Then add dry ingredients: 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 1/4 cup flour(I do 2 cup all purpose + 1/4 cup wheat flour), 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt

Non stick Spray the cookie sheet pan(12x17) & pour batter in. Bake at 350 for 29-30 mins. Top with cream cheese frosting & your choice of nuts.

FYI Tip: The beauty of this Bar is that you can eat it without the frosting if desired-its that GOOD!

ENJOY!

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{Count Your Blessings} Box

This is a great month to be able to ponder {& put it in writing} about how truely blessed we are! I was inspired to create a Blessing Box where our family can put our [thankful] thoughts.


I got this chest at Graples (my sister-in-law owns this great Home Decor store) in Nampa. And the wood was thin enough to use a box knife to cut a small hole.


I then cut paper (2 1/2"x2 1/2") in different colors for each family member with their name stamped in the corner.


Every day we will all get the opportunity to write something down & put it in the treasure box.
[At the end of the month I will be doing another idea with them-hope you check back]
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{I am Thankful for. . .} ART

I am the art mom in my girls' classrooms so for the month of November we did this.


I found the shaving cream swirl art idea here. Then I added my own spin to it. I only had red food coloring so that is what we used. After they did the middle design I encouraged them for the month of November to write one thing each day that they are grateful for. On Thanksgiving Day they could share with their family what they are thankful for. I hope it helps these 3rd & 4th graders to realize how blessed they truely are!

TIPS: red food coloring goes along ways. Also I had them share the droppers/sticks/plexiglass on a bigger table instead of their indivdual desks.

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Halloween TREAT

{I'm sorry about this post coming after Halloween but my computer was being crazy so I couldn't post it last week} This a great idea so I'm posting it anyways-maybe it will work for you for next year.


After the kids go "Trick or Treat" -ing they get to pick some candy to eat (they usually like to count how many "pieces" they recieved while eating). Then we get a little sandwhich ziplock bag and they fill it. We set all the baggies {this candy secretly goes to the Bishop of our ward to fill his candy jar} out on the front door step for the Halloween Witch. [She is an old lady(aka the mom) who doesn't get any candy. So the kids share with her and she leaves them a treat.] In the morning they get to see what she has left them.


Our Halloween Witch leaves books.


Their leftover candy goes in their buckets.

I hope you all had a safe & wonderful Halloween.

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