Jacqueline's Photo Verse Idea

Here are some samples of Jacqueline's idea to add reminders of God's word to family photos! There are also a couple more on the first page of the blog! Thanks Jacqueline!

Simple Mom.net

Okay seriously this is the most awesome website full of recipes and tips, advice, organizing tips, money managing tips, info on taking care of yourself, raising kids, productivity...It is full!!!!!!!! Check it out! Live Simply ..Stay Sane---Life Hacks for Home Managers is the title! Scroll way down the page for a list of topics... just click on any of the categories on the right side and then when the next page comes up with many titles and a brief intro just click on the title of an article and it will come up. Or you can search simple mom at the bottom for any topic! LOVING IT!! LOTS OF INFO FOR LIVING SIMPLY HERE! Enjoy!
Just click on this link!
http://simplemom.net/

Making Christmas Simpler

Hmmmm.... Christmas ... a simple story... a simple reality.. about Jesus coming to earth for us... but it often gets filled with stress and becomes less than simple, eh? Just today I was talking with someone about Christmas.

What do you do to keep it simple and focused?

We are certainly working on that one. Don't have it all mastered yet! But a couple of years ago a friend of mine gave me the Jesse Tree book and some ornaments. There are 25 ornaments and with each one a story from the bible to focus on Jesus coming and tracing his roots. It has given us a cool countdown with focus.

Do you have any ideas for simplifying Christmas?
The following blog has information on the Jesse tree and it also has 12 weeks to a more peaceful Christmas with tips on budgeting, giving back to the community, and more to help keep it simple! Check it out!
http://simplemom.net/jesse-tree/

Lots of Ideas Here!

Just found this website.. chocked full of ideas from Meatball mania and quick freezer meals to crafts, costumes and family fun ideas! Check it out!

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

Do you have any websites or blogs you get great ideas from?

Great Ideas From a Mother Who Served Her Kids Hot Chocolate in Bed for Fourteen Years

Seriously.. this woman (Mayo Mathers) woke her children up every day for fourteen years of their life with hot chocolate in bed!! Her little book has quite a few ideas.. for making God relevant: A God can (answers to prayer or prayer requests),prayer chains, using games for devotions, teaching kids to read their bible, finding ways to be a blessing to others,etc .... As well as ways to cheer up chores, make mealtimes memorable and build pride and preserve memories. And there is also encouragement to cherish the season of life you are in with your little ones.. because it will be over in a blink!

Leaf Forts and Simple Pleasures... Enjoying His Creation

Wow... do you ever just revel with your kids (or on your own) in all that God has created? Stopping in awe to say thanks together as you run freely through the enormous carpets of colour falling down from the trees? Or as you jump on the leaves thanking Him for a changing world that is filled with fun things to see and do? And then as you lay back on the pile of leaves you've raked look up at the sky filled with clouds that move as His winds push them along, using your imaginations and looking for animal shapes in the clouds? Yesterday was that kind of day. A day to stop and reflect. A day to say thanks for the simple fun, God. Thanks for making everything so amazingly intricate and yet simple to enjoy. Truly you are a creative and awesome God. The whole earth is full of your glory.

Duplo Mini Putt

Ah... another good rainy day we've had is when we made a mini golf with duplo shapes to put into! This took quite a while to build and then they played for a long time!
Anyone else with ideas?

Rainy Day Block Obstacle Course

Ah.. rainy and sick a couple of weeks ago... Kids going stir crazy with energy. The route from our kitchen to living room often becomes a circular track. Fortunately for me the kids designed their own block obstacle course through the two rooms! This was great fun and they even made challenges (if you knock a tower down you have to do 5 jump ups, etc). This got out their endless stored energy, kept them occupied and was memorable! Then a demolition with ride ons... what fun!
What do you do when it rains and the kids are full of pent up energy?

Popcorn Parties, Jelly Bean Parties, Coconut Parties

Well... honestly... I am discovering that anything can be a chance to celebrate. I rememember popcorn parties as a kid. Climbing up on my parents bed to watch a Disney Movie Sunday night after church. And to mix it up my mom used to buy a coconut. I am serious... we had coconut parties and I remember them as very special!!!
Recently me and the little ones bought jelly beans to celebrate the oldest getting a job. I remember hearing about jelly bean parties to celebrate something God did and thank him. I want to have more jelly bean parties... meeting together and being thankful for little things.
I think the idea in anything simple is making memories. Flying a kite, skipping stones at the lake, running in the rain outside. I want to fill my kids days with simple pleasure and marvelling at God's world.

Do you have any more making memory ideas??