I have to share this amazing video. Although I'm not Catholic, the message they have is honest and hits so close to home for so many struggling American families. This message of truth is proof that as families, we are searching for something...we're trying to keep our children and marriages strong, make family first priority and see through the fog. What is most important? Family. It doesn't matter what your political view is. It doesn't matter who you plan to vote for and what you support. Look deeper. Look at faces and people. As mothers, wives, sisters, we have an important role in strengthening our families. This video just puts it all together. The "Family" is what holds the power that this nation needs to heal & recover.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Life, Faith & Family
Monday, September 29, 2008
Dinner Blessings #1
Dinnertime for families is such a rare occasion and for many families it doesn't even exist. It's such an important part of life for children and parents and it provides a special time to talk, tell stories, laugh and connect in ways that can't be done anywhere else.
After my post last week about Family Day I couldn't let an entire year go by until the next celebration of "Family Day- A day to eat dinner with your children". We should be setting aside at least 3-5 nights a week (if not more) to eat and spend time with our children. Many families are too busy or have other commitments, but maybe it's time we all step back and take a good look at our family time. Are we sitting down together for meals? Do we allow our children the time and attention they deserve by having dinner together weekly? Whatever your answer may be I think we all know how important is and that it's a must to fit it into the schedule.
So that's why I decided to start "Dinner Blessings". My love for family, and the understanding I have about how important it is to sit down together as a family and enjoy each other's company is my reason behind "Dinner Blessings". Sometimes it's as simple as 10 minutes of chatting, joking and turkey sandwiches, and other times it's making time for a game after a 4-course meal. We are an extremely busy family, but each time we sit down together for dinner our children open up, they talk, they let us talk too, and we learn more and more about each other and how our family works.
Each Monday I'll share a "Dinner Blessing" that you can use in your own family. I'd love for you all to share your ideas too! Maybe it's a dinner tradition of cooking together on Sundays, dad BBQ'ing with the kids, storytelling, a creative activity or game the family can do at the dinner table, a surprise for special occasions, special desserts or even eating dinner together in the backyard. It doesn't matter. Just share it! Pass along your ideas and let's help each other create bountiful blessings for our families by encouraging each other to sit down and have dinner together!
I'll also be giving away some great prizes that encourage family dinner time & great meals! Just leave a post each week and I'll draw from the comments posted and you can add my button to your site and get 5 extra chances!! This week I'll be giving away the first prize!
It's a deck of Cherish Bound's Family Chat Cards. We use these in our family. As a family we LOVE to listen to each other's stories and we love that everyone has their own version too. Each card in this deck has a question or two on the back of them that helps get the stories flowing. It's fun to pick a card and tell, but it's also exciting to hear what everyone has to say. Some questions are "How do your mom and dad show you love" or "What is your greatest dream". We can spend hours at the table just story swapping from one single question. I love that my children would rather be at our kitchen table telling us a story than upstairs on a cell phone.
Use Mr. Linky and post a Dinner Blessing on your own blog! Add my button (over on left sidebar) and get 5 extra chances to win!! Don't forget to leave a comment for another chance to win!!!
Recipes for the Fall
Over at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, it's Monday again and that means "Homemaker Monday" as arrived! I decided to take part in this last week when I shared my first "homemaker" idea...the Wall of Stories. Lots of great "homemakers" leave great ideas and share their secret homemaker tips.
Today, I'm feeling quite festive with Fall in the air....well, sort of. It's still a bit hot and humid where I'm at, but over the weekend the house got a quick Fall Cleaning and the Autumn decor has begun taking its place among our shelves and tables. It doesn't take much to get this homemaker in the mood to bake...I just need one or two excuses and the fact that it's officially Fall was all I needed. So the recipes come out and it's time to bake some goodies. I have two favorites that are great for the fall and holidays. I do bake them through the year, but weekly come October, November and December. So I'd like to share my two favorite Fall/Holiday treats to help get you in the mood.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
2 2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cloves
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 16 oz can of pumpkin
5 egg whites
1 bag of chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 6 ingredients together (flour & spices) and set aside. Mix last 5 ingredients together. Slowly add flour mixture. Once it's mixed well (not overdone) add chocolate chips and mix a little more. Spray with cooking spray if not using muffin papers. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Fat Free Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 to 2 egg whites
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
Chopped walnuts
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients and set aside. Mix remaining four ingredients and then add the flour mixture. If you want to add walnuts you can, but then it's not fat free. I prefer walnuts....lots of them. Pour into greased loaf pan. Makes 2 medium size loaves. Bake 45-50 minutes.
ENJOY!
Friday, September 26, 2008
"My Husband Rocks" Fridays! #2
Yep! He Rocks! He's absolutely incredible! You know why? He took care of our 5 kids...YES, all five of our kids ages, 14, 12, 5, and 18 Month old twins while I went away for 5 days to the Cherish Bound convention!!! I know! I'm totally speechless too....well, I'm never speechless, but yes, he did that and everyone survived. There were 5 kids when I got home....all alive...and he still had some life in him too...sort of.I'll set the picture for you so you can understand why he so rocks......
- He worked from home while watching the twins all day....included conference calls and a very, very large report that was due.
- Got all the kids to the bus stops on TIME
- No injuries
- He took ALL five to a soccer tournament that lasted 3 of those days, stayed in a hotel, and went to the games to watch both of our older daughters play!
- And....he never called and bugged me! NOT once!
I'm such a lucky girl! For more Rockin' Husbands visit Katy Lin's blog The Great Adventure!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children (TM)
Have you heard of this? I can't believe I missed this! I can't believe I've never heard of this! Yes, National Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children!
Their Mission:
"Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM is a national movement to inform parents that the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family Day reminds parents that Dinner Makes A Difference!"
I just spend an hour completely wrapped up in their website, scouring their ideas, and loving every part of it! However, National Family Day was on Monday, September 22! I never heard about this before and it's on it's EIGHTH consecutive year. And why was this day not posted all over the the news, blogs, websites!? This DAY should be given National Attention! Loud and clear for all to see!
Go check out the website and see how wonderful this movement is! This is something that every family can benefit from. What a powerful way to promote family time and traditions. Go take their pledge to become a "Family Day STAR". They have tons of information and ideas about family and how to get involved.
Here is a link to view President Bush's Proclamation about National Family Day.
They offer the following list of "Secrets" to help you have a Successful Family Dinner.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Happy First Day of Autumn!
It has finally arrived...yes, the much anticipated beautiful season of Autumn. However, as I look out my window I can tell it's going to be another warm, humid, sticky day here in Florida. Boo-hoo....I'm such a "Seasons" girl!
I love the changing of leaves, the clean crisp air and the hype of the holidays. Since I can't go out and spray paint all the leaves in my yard I'm going to have to set the "Autumn bomb" off in my house and on my porch. Yes, the "Autumn Bomb"....
January to September my house looks normal. Typical. But come the first day of Autumn, WATCH OUT! It's time to haul out the plastic bins, hay stacks from the attic, scarecrows on sticks and get this house festive!! (I must find everything first....we moved over the summer)
Jen over at 100 Days to Christmas has a fabulous challenge going on that started last week. She's helping us stay on course and organized so that the holidays will be enjoyable and successful. Yesterday's challenge was to get out the Fall/Autumn decor. It's time to Prepare the Home For Fall. Today's tip, Falling for the Fall! She offers the advice of Creating a Memory! Ahh...right up my alley Jen! So those of you who need some ideas she has a great list called "Favorite Fall Things To Do" at her other blog List Mama Blog. (One of my most favorites)
Cherish Bound offers a great Story Starter from the Seasons and Holiday Collection called "Fall". This Story Starter will help you and your family find, capture, and share the beautiful memories of Fall. With Jen's ideas and lists of things to do and a Fall Story Starter from Cherish Bound you will have plenty of Autumn traditions that you can start up within your own family. Embrace this time of year. It's truly a season that leaves behind some of the most precious memories we have as children and adults. Enjoy this beautiful day and celebrate the season of Autumn!
Friday, September 19, 2008
"My Husband Rocks" Fridays!
In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced.
~Robert Sexton~
I read this quote over at Katy Lyn's blog My Great Adventure and couldn't help but shout out a loud AMEN! Thank you Katy Lyn....thank you for making it okay to be proud of our marriages and proud of the amazing men we've been blessed to have in our lives forever. I was so touched by her post and all the women that were joining her that I had to be apart of this because MY HUSBAND ROCKS!
We've survived 14 years of marriage, have 5 amazing kids, and have conquered life together since we were 10 years old! We go way back...WAYYYY back! And I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm excited to share with the world all the reasons why MY HUSBAND ROCKS!
We've survived 14 years of marriage, have 5 amazing kids, and have conquered life together since we were 10 years old! We go way back...WAYYYY back! And I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm excited to share with the world all the reasons why MY HUSBAND ROCKS!
What are you giving for Christmas this year?
Can you believe the holidays will be here in just a few short months...actually weeks! (I consider the holidays officially underway on October 31.) So what are you giving this year to all the special people on your list? Giving the same-old-same-old....New underwear? Oh, wait, a coffee cup? I bet you give ties, right? Hum....how about switching up the gift giving traditions this year. How about actually putting some thought in to it and giving a gift that will not only change you, but change the person you're giving it to. What gift is that? The Gift of Story.
Can you picture this.... Yeah, go read that real quick and then come back. A little tear? Hit a little close to home? I bet it did. That is the power of story. That is what can happen at each and every family Christmas party. That is the emotion and love that can be shared throughout your holiday season. With a little help from me and Cherish Bound you'll create a holiday tradition of story that will forever change your heart and those around you.
So what gifts can you give through Cherish Bound? The list is endless and the recipients are...well, just about everybody! But here is a list to help you get started.
Mothers, Fathers, Mother-in-laws, father-in-laws, sisters, brothers, cousins, best friends, aunts, uncles, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather, niece, nephew, teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, pets....okay. You get the picture right?
So what can you give them through Cherish Bound?
- Family Recipe Books: Create a book filled with family favorites and add images of family, scanned in original recipe cards, pictures of the food, stories about where these recipes have come from and the memories that have been made while enjoy those yummy foods.
- Tribute to Mom/Dad/Grandparents: Tell the important people in your life just how much they mean to you. Give them the gift of story by reminiscing about the past, present and the future you have because of them. With added photos and your text this story is sure touch the heart of everyone who receives it.
- A-Z Books: A-Z books are SO much fun! There are 1000's of ideas that you can do with A-Z's. Here's a few....The A to Z's..... of why we love (whoever), of 2008, child's favorite things, holiday memories, family traditions. There are so many ways to share the love through the ABC's.
- Sports/Hobby/Collection books: Create a book just for the sports lover in your family or highlight their great achievements or special hobbies and collections like fishing, dirt biking, camping, coin collections, baseball cards, etc.
- Family Traditions: Have each person in your family write about their favorite traditions and memories from the holidays. Grandma's love those!
- Photo Brag Books: No time to write? How about a book filled with snapshots and photos off all your adventures or best pictures throughout the year?
- Family Yearbook: If you're like me, you live far from family and you don't get to share your amazing adventures with them as much as you'd like to. So put together a family yearbook from the past year. Get the kids involved, the hubby too and together as a family create a yearbook that you can share with all your family!
- Chat Cards: LOVE THESE! Chat Cards come in three different types, Family Chat, Gathering Chat & Child Chat. They are a deck of 50+ cards that have TONS of question on them to help promote great storytelling and conversation. Neighbors will love a deck for their kitchen table, Gathering Chats are fun to use at your own family parties, and teachers will LOVE the child chat cards....great for the classroom!
- Journals: Heritage, Traditions, Favorites and Gratitude. Pre-published 5×5 hardbound journals with questions, spaces to write, room to attach photos and memories. (MY favorites!) Need to connect with a Teen? Get them a "Favorites" journal, take them out to dinner alone and ask them all about their favorites. Find out what THEY like and what makes them tick. Start a gratitude journal in your home or share it with your sister's family. Heritage journals are a prefect activity for your children at the holidays. This journal will help them interview their grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and anyone else who has a history.
- Lifeprints are a great product to have at the holidays...especially the Family Gathering Lifeprints. This set of 16 leaflets all have the same set of questions and room to write. Each family member can answer the questions about their favorite family gathering memories, food, people, etc. All the information can be collected and turned into a great family gathering yearbook!
- Story Starters are little booklets full of questions to help you explore a particular theme of story. With space to write and places to jot image ideas, Story Starters help you organize and write your stories. You can also give the gift of story to someone else by picking some Story Starters out and adding a publishing gift certificate to the package. Let them write, create and design their own stories.
End the stress and chaos of looking for the perfect gift! Cherish Bound has the perfect gift for everyone on your list!
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