Elf Kit

I've been making the Martha Stewart Elf Kits for a few years now and have always found my own kit to be such a lifesaver! Last year I gave one to each of my siblings on Christmas Eve. I found a cute box at the craft store and included the following inside...

scissors
batteries
small ziploc baggies
large trash bags
pocket knife
screwdrivers
small notepad
pen

You could also include an extra memory card or camera battery. And almost all of this can be found at the dollar store.

Having all these necessities on hand Christmas morning is so great. When Christmas is all said and done, refill the things you used and you'll be ready for next year!

Snow Finally!

It seems like last winter we couldn't get the snow to stop and this year I have to say I have been wondering when it was finally going to come! Well we got a nice snowfall on Sunday. Luckily we had bought a snow blower on Saturday. I actually had to talk my husband into getting it. What man doesn't want an excuse to spend $600+ on a machine that only he can operate?? He fired it up on Sunday afternoon. After 25 minutes he came inside and I asked him what happened? He said nothing, I'm done! Good purchase, very good purchase. We might actually stayed married through the winter.

Baby Anna

My sister was being induced with her 4th child last Friday and invited me to come. I have always lived in another state when my sister has had her babies and I've never actually watched the birth of one of my own children. The fear of fainting or throwing up at the site of them coming into the world has always deterred me from watching. But I decided this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I spent the day with her in the hospital while she labored and finally that evening I got to witness the coolest thing ever...her birth! I was overwhelmed by the feeling of this miraculous event that we as women get to be a part of. Baby Anna is beautiful! And I even got to cut the cord (thanks, Scott!). This day will definitely be remembered as one of my favorites that I am sure I will remind Anna of in years to come. Thanks to my sister and her husband for letting me be a part of this day with them.

Strep x 5

So I haven't posted in a while because we have been overtaken by the Strep Throat monster at our house. Nathan got it right before Thanksgiving, gave it to me right after Thanksgiving, then I gave it to Lauren who then gave it to Jason and now Nathan has it for the second time! Little Luke has endured a bunch of grumpy people for the last couple weeks and hasn't gotten it...YET. I guess we were all just feeling the spirit of giving this holiday season in a slightly different way. I'm done with giving (of strep throat at least).

On a lighter note we had my entire family to our house for Thanksgiving. We deep fried a turkey for the first time and it was SO delicious. We had such a wonderful time with everyone here. The girls all spent the night and headed out at 5 am for Black Friday shopping. That was a blast as usual and I ended up with some pretty good deals. Being with my sisters and mom (and my friend Megan) was really the best part. AND my dad came along this year to be our personal buggy attendant/line holder. How cool is that??

Last Friday we hosted a White Elephant Party at our house. It was so fun! Jason and I couldn't stop talking about how much fun we had and how blessed we feel to have such wonderful friends and neighbors around us. We had some great gifts and some even better food (I feel the need for a recipe exchange!). I can't wait to do it again next year.

Simplify

I've been trying to find ways to "simplify" my life lately. And while I still have a ways to go, I've found a few things recently that are really working for me. My laundry is always an overwhelming task for me each week. I usually do my laundry on Monday. And by the next Monday I have just gotten it folded. So recently I was watching TLC with the kids about the family that has 17 children and 1 on the way. All the sudden my laundry task didn't seem as daunting as what that mother faces each week (20 loads!). But I did notice that everything went from the dryer to a hanger. I hang things occasionally like dresses or dress shirts, but I had never thought about hanging everything except socks and underwear. So I headed to Walmart and stocked up on kids sized hangers and was ready when my next laundry day came around. I seriously can't tell you the last time I did laundry and had it all put away on the same day...much less multiple loads. I was so thrilled! I hang up all the clothes right out of the dryer. Then I throw underwear, socks and jammies back into the basket. It only took me a couple minutes to fold those. The kids were thrilled that they only had to put away a few things and I felt almost overjoyed hanging the rest up in the closet. Not only is my laundry day easier, but the kids don't complain about putting their laundry away, and it is so much easier for them to pick out their school clothes each night.

My laundry room before:


My laundry room after:


Chores are another responsibility I find overwhelming at times. In the summer the kids did really well getting a daily chore done. It seemed easy when we had no time schedule or extra activities going on. Then school started up and the kids almost thought chores weren't a requirement anymore. I've tried multiple chore charts and it seems I can't even keep up with those! So we came up with a new idea that really seems to work. Its called Chore Sticks. I got colored Popsicle sticks and put different chores on them. Some are easy (feed the fish) while others are a little more difficult (clean the bathroom). There are also blank sticks which mean its a free chore day (the kids love those!). Each day at breakfast the kids usually remind me that they have to pick their chore stick. They have all day to finish the chore the picked. I leave the stick out for the week so it is not chosen again. If they choose not to finish their chore that day, it is added to the next days chore and all chores have to be done by Saturday. I feel like this teaches the kids the importance of doing chores, but also allows them to feel like they have a choice in the matter. My kids have been known to swap sticks as well!

Chore Sticks



And finally, Family Home Evening. Sometimes we are really good about this and sometimes we are really bad. This year I got a subscription to the Friend magazine. In the back of the Friend each month it gives 4 FHE ideas that go along with the stories in the magazine. This has been the greatest solution to getting FHE done each week. We can do it as simply as it instructs or we can add to it if time allows. There is usually little or no preparation needed and it goes right along with the lessons being taught in Primary Sharing Time that month. I also feel like these simple ideas have taught me that FHE doesn't have to be a super service, lets do crafts and then make a ton of treats night. Its about getting together, letting our kids talk and express feelings in an intimate family setting. Simple.

The Friend magazine

Through the eyes of a 2 year old

Luke got a hold of my camera and took some pictures. The kids I had a good laugh at these. Of course, I am not including the 400 pictures he took of the kitchen floor. I think he was trying to tell me I need to mop!

WWF Here we come...

Nathan joined the Weber High wrestling club and had his 2nd tournament on Saturday. Jason has been attending his practices with him twice a week, which Nathan absolutely loves! After his first practice he wanted to wrestle Jason to show him his "new moves!" He is still learning, but he was really proud of his 4th place medal. Way to go Nate!