Alternative Advent Activities

The beauty of having toddlers who can not yet read, is that if I pull one of the cards off the advent calendar and I don't want to do that activity that day (or there is no snow to assist with that activity) they will never know if I "read" something different than what is on the card.  It's a teacher trick that has come in quite handy as a mom:)

Here are some alternatives to some of the traditional advent activities that I have come up with.  Some of them are quite fun and I might even opt to do the alternative instead of the boring old original anyway!

*Decorate our Christmas Tree
-Have the kids decorate a felt tree instead. This lady has a great idea
-Instead of the 3-D tree, just cut out a flat felt tree and flat felt shapes (like a flannel graph that they used in Sunday school back in the day, can I get a witness!)
-Make these cute felt trees and glue on buttons.  You could make these into ornaments even.

*Buy a toy for a child in need
-You and your child go through their old toys and donate gently loved toys to a new home

*Write a letter to Santa
-If your child can't write, have them draw a picture 
-Cut out pictures from magazines and make a collage

*Go ice skating
-Don't have an ice rink or frozen pond? Put socks on and 'Skate' around on the hard wood floors. 
-Don't have hard wood floors? Step on paper plates and 'Skate' around on the carpet.

*Go Sledding
-No snow? Lay cardboard boxes flat on the grass and use it like a slip n' slide with a sled.  -Or, put each other in a laundry basket or on a blanket and pull each other around on the carpet. 
-If you are a REALLY fun mom you can do what this lady did

 

*Make a Gingerbread house
-Make a gingerbread nativity scene or like this one, or buy the cookie cutters here
-Just play with a nativity scene that you already have (or you can buy a Little People one, we absolutely love ours!)

*Make Santa bubble beards in the bath
-Print out a picture of Santa and glue cotton balls on for his beard

*Build a snowman
-Make a snowman out of play dough
-Make a snowman out of pillows
-Make a snowman out of cotton balls
-Here is a fun snowman game
-Google the word snowman and a million ideas come up:)

If you just want some fun ways to do these traditional advent activities, here are some suggestions:

Make paper snowflakes to decorate our front window
Here are some cool patterns for ways to cut snowflakes

Watch a Christmas movie together
The ABC Family Schedule of this year's 25 days of Christmas movies

Make a Christmas ornament for our tree

Pretty Clay ornaments:  1/2 cup cornstarch 1 cup baking soda 3/4 cup water Bake at 175
 
Take a drive and look at Christmas lights
Write notes before you leave expressing how much your family enjoyed the light display and the joy it brings you.  Then leave them on the doors of homes you particularly enjoyed.

Make Christmas cookies
Just buy the pre-made sugar cookies at the grocery store and decorate them with icing and fun sprinkles. Tastes as good, way less work!

Make Reindeer food for Rudolf
All kinds of ways to make reindeer food, here is one with a cute printable

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY FUN ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL ADVENT ACTIVITIES, LET'S HEAR 'EM.  I ALWAYS LOVE CREATIVE IDEAS!

Easy Advent Calendar

Just because I will KISS Christmas....I'm not the Grinch.  I still want to make fun MEMORIES with my family.  So, I took ideas from different people, added some of my own and came up with this REALLY easy Advent Calendar. *THE BONUS IS YOU CAN USE THE BOARD YEAR ROUND...THINK ART WORK DISPLAY!

First I made a list of all my activities (in order so they fit on days we already had things planned):

Decorate our Christmas Tree
Make paper snowflakes and decorate our front window
Buy a toy for a child in need
Visit Santa at the Children’s Museum
Make fancy hot chocolate
Watch a Christmas movie together
Write a letter to Santa
Turn on Christmas music and dance
Make a Christmas ornament for our tree
Take a drive and look at Christmas lights
Make a present for Nana and PapaGo ice skating
Snuggle up and read Christmas stories 
Attend the Christmas Musical at Church
Christmas stories
Make a Gingerbread house
Buy food to donate to a food bank
Make Santa bubble beards in the bath
Go Sledding
Make Christmas cookies
Color Christmas pictures
Build a snowman
Make Reindeer food for Rudolf
Enjoy Christmas Eve Service at Church
Read the Story of Jesus' Birth

Then I printed them out all nice and pretty like on Cardstock (oh my goodness, what teacher doesn't love cardstock).

Next, I cut them out to look like cute little tags.

Because I intend to keep these for a few years, I wanted to make these decently cute.  So I took scrapbook paper and cut out random little shapes (I'm sure you can come up with something WAY better).

*I DID NOT PUT NUMBERS ON THE CARDS SO I COULD RE-USE THEM NEXT YEAR (certain activities won't fall on the same dates from year to year)

An old dry-erase board I had got a couple coats of chalkboard paint and I wrote the numbers on the board.  Then I put magnetic strips on the back of tiny clothespins but you can pretty much do whatever you want with them (make them magnets for the fridge, hang them across your mantle, just put them in a jar and pull them out, etc.)

Finally, I hung the little tags from the clothespins and VIOLA! You have a simple, cute advent calendar.

At the end of the day, how it looks doesn't really matter.  The most important thing is the memories you will be making as a family!

*CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR SOME REALLY FUN ALTERNATIVE IDEAS TO THE TRADITIONAL ACTIVITIES ON THIS LIST!

This Year I Will KISS Christmas {but not under a mistletoe, too much work}

This year has been an exceptionally busy year for us.  The past couple of weeks I have REALLY been struggling with feeling overwhelmed.  It seems like every time I open my e-mail there is another meeting, party, event or commitment scheduled for sometime in the month of December.  Not to mention Phil's 30th birthday, our anniversary, Emrie's birthday and Christmas all fall in that same month.  Additionally, my youngest sister is getting married right after New Years and I am trying to be a part of the planning from a distance.  Oh, and there is this little shop I run called Bundle Up Buddy which I LOVE and feel so blessed to have, but also requires a lot of time!

This is why I have decided that this year I will

KISS Christmas!!!! 

KEEP IT SIMPLE, SILLY!

I love Christmas as much as the next person, but I also have this unbelievable ability to complicate things or put more pressure on myself than necessary to do it all!  I am a YES person.  I have this fear of missing out (or as an article I read in GQ once called it, FOMO).  I want to get it all in and experience the fullness of the season.

The problem is IT STRESSES ME OUT! 

I am so worried about our jam packed schedule and our calendar of over commitments that I miss the joy of being in the moment. I miss the joy of the simple things.  I miss the true joy of Christmas.

How will I KISS Christmas this year? 

-I am only committing to ONE Christmas party this year.  Sorry if I turn down an invitation, please don't take it personally, but I need to start saying no.
-I am only putting up a tree and a couple things on my mantle that are easy. 
-I am not putting up Christmas lights outside, maybe just a couple trees by the door.
-I am not having family pictures taken for Christmas cards.  I am just using pictures we already had.  (For that matter, if I hadn't already ordered them and addressed them, I wouldn't even have done cards this year.  Who says you have to send out Christmas cards)
-I am only buying gifts for my kids, husband and the girls teachers at school (it stresses me out when I feel like I need to gift something to everyone.  I mean honestly the list can get so out of hand; neighbors, mops table, friends from small group, the mailman...yadda yadda yadda! I don't want to feel pressure, even if it is self imposed, to gift everyone with something.  I'm gladly accepting gifts:)
-I will do Elf on the Shelf, but he will only do VERY simple things which coordinate with our advent calendar which is also coordinating with our already set schedule.
-I will NOT feel guilty buying something I would normally make (need dessert for a preschool party, thank you Kroger for saving me some time).
-I am granting myself the freedom to back out of anything sucking joy from me or my family and/or add anything that WILL bring joy without overwhelming that isn't on this list.

SO, WHO'S WITH ME?

WANT TO KISS CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR?!?!?!

Prayer Calendars

Always be joyful, never stop praying. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you who are in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

A few weeks ago, Phil asked me to start joining him every morning to pray together.  What started off more as an awkward scheduling meeting followed by a few minutes of praying, has since turned into the highlight of my day!

After the first few days of just sort of randomly bringing up prayer requests amidst talking over logistical family issues, we realized we needed something to guide our time to help us be effective in reaching our goal; to pray God's will into our lives.

We decided that since we couldn't spend all morning praying as we would love to (the kids wake up, and Phil actually has to go to work:), we made our prayer requests more succinct.  We each bring one personal prayer request or praise, someone we want to pray for (coworker, friend, government employee, cashier, etc.) and then we pray for our girls.

We have been using this prayer calendar from Inspired To Action (associated with the Hello Mornings Bible study group I was a part of) to pray through the month over our girls.  This has helped us to be more specific in our prayers for our girls and has also helped to give me a focus through the day on different Biblical Disciplines I want to instill in them.

I share all of this with you because this practice has improved my relationship with Christ, my husband, my kids and other people I interact with, stranger or friend.  I encourage you to find a way to have an accountability partner, or just find time to incorporate prayer into your day. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Today Is The Day

Today is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! ~ Psalm 118:24

A very popular verse, made into a song and I can't stop singing it today!  From the moment I woke up, I could tell it was going to be a day where Christ just lavished me with reminders of His goodness.

From the chipper attitude of my husband, to the joyful sounds of my girls playing contently together while I make wedding invitations for my sister, to the glorious weather, and the anticipation of date night tonight, I can't help but see God's blessings surrounding me.

Thank you Lord for days like these, that lift my eyes to you and encourage my soul!

 

 

 

 

Potty Training: Round 2

I am THRILLED to announce that Potty Training Round 2 has been a SUCCESS!!!

Remember how badly Round 1 went? Well if you don't, I give a detailed play-by-play here:)

This time around there really were a couple of things that made all the difference in our success (yes, I am considering this just as much my success as hers haha).

OUR THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS

-I was determined to figure it out this time

-We used the 'naked' approach

-'Dry Checks' were our measure of success (and reward)

Having attempted this twice now, I believe as much as the child must show signs of readiness, THE PARENT HAS TO BE READY!  Sure, Emrie has matured a bit since the last time we tried, but her readiness signs were no better than last time.  I am the one who found diapers convenient and wasn't quiet ready to deal with a toddler dragging me to every bathroom at inconvenient times.  I am the one who didn't want to bother cleaning up 'accidents'.  I am the one who was still getting the hang of having two kids.  Okay, you get the picture.  I wasn't ready.  But now I am (and some serious nudging from daddy who pays for the diapers might have helped).

When we started out Friday morning, we had four accidents and NO successes.  My girl friend suggested I take Emrie's underwear off because she might be getting a false sense of security.  I decided that after running some errands (I put a pull up on her. I had to get some things done for my own sanity!) she would take a nap and we would start fresh after nap time. 

During nap time, that same awesome friend, suggested I read this article from Little Llamas.  She talks about everything from readiness signs, to preparation, to how to handle accidents.

This changed my perspective.  Instead of being hung up on peeing in the toilet, I could praise her for keeping her underwear dry.

If Emrie's AHA moment was having no underwear on, my AHA moment was changing my goal from peepee in the potty to keeping dry underwear!

When she woke up from her nap (dry), I gave her a sticker for having a dry diaper.  We immediately went to the toilet and she peed, but barely a dribble.  I praised her and gave her a candy bar (okay, I may have gone a little over the top, but I was excited!).  Then I left her underwear off.  I set the timer for 20 minutes to check again. The timer didn't even go off and she told me she needed to pee again. Sure enough she went right in an peed (another candy bar!).

The rest of our day consisted of her running around the basement without pants or underwear and me checking every 20 minutes if she was dry.  If she was dry she got another sticker.  If she went in the potty she got a candy bar (they were the fun size, don't worry). 

Other than an accident in church the first weekend she was potty training, Emrie literally has not had an accident since.  If she were to have an accident, I would follow the suggestion from the article and have her clean up the mess and change her underwear.  Accidents happen right, no reason to shame them for it, just clean it up and move on.

Emrie was pretty proud after her first day at preschool and she stayed dry all day!

This worked for us, hopefully it might give hope to another mom who was just like me 6 months ago!

Indianapolis Monumental 1/2 Marathon-Version 2.0

Last year my girl friend Stacie and I ran the Indy Monumental half as a challenge for myself to lose the baby weight (INSANE...Aven turned 4 months old the day we ran it...NOT ADVISED!). If you care to, you can read about that briefly here. 

A couple of months later, Stacie asked if I would sign up to do it again so we could capitalize on the early registration fee.  Not thinking through my decision, I said YES! 

While I had been training pretty well for the first two months, the month leading up to the race I did not keep up with the recommended regiment.  Due to an excessive amount of traveling (and sheer laziness) and a crazy month of scarf orders, I did only one long run in the month of October.  That slip in training came back to bite me around mile 10 on the race. 

Around mile 10 my knee started cramping up (as did most of my other leg muscles).  That was on top of my already sucking wind!  I didn't actually walk, but I slowed to a near walking pace for just about the remainder of the race.

I finished in 1:57 which is exactly an average 9 minute mile pace.

Here are TWO lessons I learned from doing this race:

-PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

-SUCCESS IS RELATIVE

The first lesson is self explanatory.  If I had wanted to run a 1:50 race, I needed to train for it, not just hope it would happen.

Secondly, while I still ran under a 2 hour race, this was the first race I had ever run where I didn't improve on my previous time.  To me, that was why I run these races, to improve each time.  That is how I defined success.  But, Phil's boss actually pointed out that my ROI wasn't all that bad.  I didn't train overly well, so only running 2 minutes slower than last year without much preparation is kind of a win. When he put it that way, I realized that success is relative.

Anyhow, it was so fun to get to run with Stacie again.  That girl is an animal and she is doing another race this weekend!  GOOD LUCK STACIE!!!

With that said, I will NOT be signing up for anymore races in the near future.  I need a mental break from training.

If you are interested in seeing some pictures from the race, you can click this link:

Bib Number 6580

Happy Halloween...A Day Late!

Thanks (but no thanks) to a big storm on Halloween, Trick or Treating was pushed back a day. 

That didn't stop us from having a good time, despite being one of only five families who trick-or-treated in our neighborhood this year!

Hello from the Monsters Inc. Crew!!!

Sully, Boo and Mike Wazowski

Do you see the resemblance?

 

 

 

 

 

This one LOVED Halloween!

 

Sully with Mr. Incorporated himself:)

 

Got going a little too fast!

 

Knock Knock...Trick or Treat 

 

Emrie liked her costume so much, she wanted to sleep in it.  We compromised by wearing our costumes out to dinner! 

 

Happy Halloween 2014

If you want a walk down memory lane, here are some Halloween's past:

2011 

 

 

2012

 

 

 

Until Next Year....