Quick Fixes to a Princess Dress Up Costume

My kids love dressing up and making up stories.  My 6-year-old daughter has a Snow Princess dress she was given last Christmas. When I went looking for it, my daughter told me that it needed some fixing. The dress costume fabric frays so easily. I have serged seams before, but couldn't on this problem area.  The silver, glittery edging was off and surrounded by fraying fabric.  I need a quick fix!!

Trim the excess fuzz. Fray Check is great and is at JoAnn's in their notion aisle. Fray Check is not glue. It is liquid that dries hard and prevents fraying. It is about $2.00 without a coupon. You cut the top of the tube to the size you want.  You can insert a pin into the top or cut it depending on how easily you want the liquid to come out. You do not want it to come into contact with other surfaces while it is wet. I folded paper over and placed it on top to dry.

Go along the edge of the fabric. Because I don't want to repeat this process again for another section, I treated the entire area even the part that had not detached yet.

I applied the Fray Check.  You can see where too much came out, but that is not a problem because it dries clear.

Fray Check is great and is at JoAnn's in their notion aisle.  It is about $2.00 without a coupon. You cut the opening the size you want.  You can insert a pin into the top or cut it depending on how easily you want the liquid to come out.

Time to reconnect the edging to the dress.

Sew a zig-zag stich over the decorative edging.  To make the strongest seam, make sure you are sewing on fabric, not the frayed edge.

Trim the frayed fabric.  Make sure you trim over the trash can!! Or you will have a mess.

She's a happy princess!! ~Julia

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

I found this article on Christianity About.com by Mary Farichild.  I also found a video that shows a perspective from a former witch. She was saved after she had practiced witchcraft. After reviewing this information, I really have a lot to think about. 

Mary Farichild begins here:

   This article will tackle the controversial question, "Should Christians observe Halloween?" With no direct references to Halloween in the Bible, resolving the debate can be a challenge. How should Christians approach Halloween and is there a biblical way to observe this secular holiday?

   The dilemma over Halloween may fall under the category of a Romans 14 issue, or a "disputable matter." These are matters that lack clear and specific direction from the Bible. Ultimately, Christians must decide for themselves and follow their own convictions regarding the observance of Halloween. Together we will explore what the Bible has to say about Halloween, providing food for thought as you decide for yourself on the issue. 

   Christian perspectives on the observance of Halloween are strongly divided. Some believers feel complete freedom to observe the holiday, others run and hide from it, many boycott or ignore it, a number celebrate it through more positive and imaginative observances orChristian alternatives to Halloween, and still others choose to take advantage of Halloween's evangelistic opportunities.

   Some of today's popular celebrations associated with Halloween have pagan roots stemming from the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain. This harvest festival of the Druids ushered in the New Year, beginning on the evening of October 31, with the lighting of bonfires and the offering of sacrifices. As the Druids danced around the fires, they celebrated the ending of the summer season and the beginning of the season of darkness. It was also believed that at this time of year the invisible "gates" between the natural world and the spirit world would open, allowing free movement between the two worlds. 

   During the 8th century in the diocese of Rome, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1, officially making October 31 "All Hallows Eve," some say, as a way of claiming the celebration for Christians. However, this feast commemorating the martyrdom of the saints had already been celebrated by Christians for many centuries prior to this time. Pope Gregory IV broadened the feast to include the entire Church. Inevitably, some of the pagan practices associated with the season persisted and have been mixed into modern celebrations of Halloween.

   Ephesians 5:7-12: Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.(NLT)

   Many Christians believe that participating in Halloween is a form of involvement in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness. However, many consider the modern-day Halloween activities of most to be harmless fun.  

   Are some Christians trying to remove themselves from the world? Ignoring Halloween or celebrating it with believers only is not exactly an evangelical approach. Aren't we supposed to "become all things to all men so that by all possible means" we might save some? (1 Corinthians 9:22)

   Deuteronomy 18:10-12: For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is an object of horror and disgust to the Lord.(NLT) 

   Well, these verses are pretty clear on what a Christian should not do. But how many Christians are sacrificing their sons and daughters as a burnt offering on Halloween? How many are calling forth the spirits of the dead? The verse does not say that "trick or treating" disgusts the Lord. 

   However, what if you have come to the Christian faith from a background in the occult? What if, before you became a Christian, you did practice some of these deeds associated with witchcraft and sorcery? Perhaps refraining from Halloween and its activities is the safest and most appropriate response for you as an individual.

   There are many other Bible verses similar to these two, but nothing that specifically warns against observing Halloween. Rather than providing an answer, the purpose of this article is to cause you to ask yourself questions and think about your convictions on this issue. 

   As Christians, why are we here in this world? Are we here to live in a safe and protected environment, guarded against the evils in the world, or are we called to reach out into a world filled with dangers and be the light of Christ? Halloween brings people of the world to our door step. Halloween brings our neighbors out into the streets. I can think of various creative ways to seize this opportunity for developing new relationships and sharing my faith. Is it possible that our negativity toward Halloween only alienates the people we seek to reach? Can we be inthe world, but not of the world?

   I close with a recommendation to give serious thought to the appropriateness of judging another Christian for observing or not observing Halloween. We do not know why another person participates in the holiday or why they do not. We cannot accurately judge the motivations and intentions of another person's heart.

   I believe the most appropriate Christian response to Halloween is to study the matter for yourself and follow the convictions of your own heart. Let others do the same without condemnation from you. Perhaps the answer to the Halloween dilemma is ... there is no right or wrong answer! I believe one's unique convictions about Halloween must be individually sought, independently found, and personally followed.

For more on this subject visit About.com.

Carol Kornacki practiced witchcraft before she chose to follow Christ. 

Her ministry can be found here.

We need to be aware, and make informed choices. 

And make sure our kids understand what we are choosing to do and why.

Prayerfully considering ~Julia

Happy Reformation Day

However you are choosing to spend today, be it with friends and family at a church event, trick-or-treating in your neighborhood or staying warm at home, Julia and I pray that everyone stays safe and has fun! 

Julia and I both grew up in Christian homes that each held their own unique views and opinions about what to do with Halloween. Julia did not grow up trick-or-treating, while I did. As parents, prayerfully and creatively decided what your own family stance on Halloween will be, based on Scripture and in light of your present cultural influences, friends and church involvement. Here is a good article from What's in the Bible: How to Talk with Your Children About Halloween

Don't forget that today is also Reformation Day!: The Gospel Coalition: Five Key Concepts

Some principles that our family follows during the entire Halloween season:

• Focus on positive things, not negative. Fun pumpkins, Fall leaves, cider mills, harvest decor, positive costumes are all fun and acceptable things to enjoy during this season! We stay away from things like: haunted houses, zombies, ghosts, witches, skeletons, spiders and other spooky things.
• Choose costumes that are age appropriate, positive and modest. Animals, princesses, superheros, etc. There are plenty of options out there to keep the focus on positive things rather than encouraging things that are negative, dark or mean.
• If you do choose to go trick-or-treating, know the neighborhood. Is it little-kid friendly or is there an overload of dark, creepy stuff that is just going to scare your child and send them home crying?
• How can you best use this season to glorify God? As a Christian, there are plenty of ways to get out there and claim Halloween in the name of Jesus. Our church provides Halloween Tracts to hand-out to trick-or-treaters (along with candy of course!). Pray for your neighborhood as you walk with your kids. Pray for God's blessing on the children and for their safety. Pray that any evil spirits will flee as you bring the name of Jesus to each doorstep. 
• If you choose not to participate in a church or community event that centers around trick-or-treating, are you providing opportunities to be a light to those around you or missing out? For several years now, trick-or-treating with my family means a large group of friends from church, walking together around our community, having fun and enjoying time with our kids, then ending the night with a bonfire, hot cider and donuts. We have also done Halloween alternatives at church where we allow kids to dress up and recite Bible verses to receive candy. Weather you trick-or-treat, or host other fun fall activities with your kids and their friends, put Christ at the center! 

Build and Grow At Lowe's

The Build and Grow program at Lowe's is a great free activity that we have enjoyed for several years.  If you arrive at 10:00 on Saturday's and go to the back of the store, you'll be greeted with the sound of hammering and the visual of parents trying to assemble wooden kits.  

When Noah started he could not hit the nail with any level of accuracy. So we would get two kits and only assemble one at the store.  Now he can hammer with the best of them, but my fingers are as distant as possible.

We are busy building and keeping all of the parts together when tiny hands are waiting for their opportunity to strike.

Natalie does really well even reading the instructions. She also loves placing stickers.

The finished product. Two Creepy Keepers. 

Click here to see the upcoming schedule. You will want to register your children for the activities. If you do not register, you are still able to go, but you must wait until 10:15 and if they have any kits left then you may participate. 

~Julia

Messy Mondays

Well, this thing is definitely going to take some getting used to. What I mean is the whole, "quick, get the camera and take a picture of my trashy house!" thing. It dawned on me a moment too late, after the latest kitchen disaster was cleaned up, that I should have caught it all on camera. This was no post dinner mess, mind you. It's been there for a couple days now. Yea, I've totally just been ignoring it, secretly wishing my 4 year old would get ambitious or my husband would swoop in and take care of things. In an effort to prove my worth as a housewife, I cleaned the kitchen tonight.

That leaves me now with this little piece of work:

Yes, there really is a dining room table under there. In my defense, this is an ongoing craft project... But really, there is no excuse. Go ahead, you can feel better about yourself now.

More about the mess, and my campaign to raise awarness of PDD: Pinterest Delusion Dissorder >> Messy Mondays

Vintage Coloring Pages for Fall

Free: 5 adorable pictures, salvaged from a vintage coloring book! Print and enjoy. 

Download them HERE

Chicken Tetrazini Once A Month Cooking Recipe

This recipe produced 12 meals $29.20/12 = $2.43 per meal.  This was one of the more expensive meals we did because of all of the soups and sour cream.

Cook and Cube the Chicken. I used a crock pot.

The rest of the ingredients.

All of the ingredients except the pasta mixed together. The first time I did this I made the mistake of not having those ready to go before my pasta was cooked. I became frantic trying to open cans, etc, while my spaghetti was waiting. I had to use oil to keep it from sticking. When the wet ingredients are ready, I just combine as soon as the pasta is done.

Cook the pasta. Do not cook all of it in one batch. It is much more difficult to have it all cook well when you try to do too much in one pot.  I split it in half. I also cooked half whole wheat and half regular.

Start mixing.  Another benefit to keeping the batch separated in 1/2 makes it much easier to stir well.

I keep the two types of pasta separate until I bag.  Then I put 1/2 of each in a pyrex 4 cup measuring cup before I bag it in quart size freezer bags.  You can see a more specific tutorial at this link on Once A Month Cooking Bird's Nest Pie (easy spaghetti).

Chicken Tetrazzini

4 Chicken Breasts (or turkey) cooked and cubed

1 Large can of mushrooms or 8 oz fresh

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Pound thin spaghetti, cooked

I multiplied this recipe by four. The recipe called for the mushrooms to be sautéed, but since I used canned I did not end up using butter or sautéing the mushrooms.

~Julia

The Power of 15 Minutes: Declutter with FlyLady

FlyLady.net is a great resource if you are looking to clean your house and don't know where to start!! She has an idea everyday, and a weekly/monthly plan. In this video, I will show you my favorite concept of hers.

The song that seemed appropriate: "Working In a Coal Mine".  Cleaning may not be quite that bad, but let's just say it's not my favorite :)

Another great resource for picking where to start is at this link RedflyCreations.

~Julia

Convert Disc to Digital for a Better Price Than WalMart! FREE!!

With iPads, tablets, larger hard drives, etc, the desire to have your movies in an mp4 format has grown. The problem is that you have already paid for your movie and don't want to either buy it again or have Wal Mart convert it for $2.  I will show you how to convert it for free on your own.

I am one of the least "techie" people you could know. If I can do it, you can do it!!

~Julia

Save an Extra 10% at Kohls

I have made plenty of references to my affections for Kohls. Many a die-hard Dave Ramsey follower that has frozen the rest of their credit cards in ice, will make an exception when it comes to their precious Kohls card. Of course this is because they really do treat you well as a Kohls card holder. They very frequently give discounts and make returns super easy. No, they did not ask me to write this, but I was contacted by a Kohls representative and given a special discount code to share with my readers! This is a code for 10% off, but the best part is that it can be used on top of an other discount! 

The code is: TENBLOG and is good through December 23rd, 2012.

Thank you, Kohls!

Pumpkin Monkey Bread

Mmmmmm. That's all I've got to say. I pinned this picture on Pinterest a while back and just recently remembered to give it a try. Upon checking out the actual recipe found at this link, I discovered it to be a bit too complicated for my taste. This is not the "tube biscuit" recipe most people will be familiar with, but a made from scratch version. Here is what I came up with, combining the made from scratch version with the traditional tube biscuit recipe. It's super easy and super addicting!

Recipe

• 2 Tubes of Crescent Roll (or something similar) "tube biscuits"
• 1 Cup of Pumpkin Puree (canned or fresh)
• 1 Tbl Cinnamon (or more to taste)
• 1 Tbl Nutmeg (or more to taste)
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese
• 2 Tbl Confectioners Sugar

Roll dough into quarter size balls. Mix pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Then, coat dough in mixture: stirring together in a bowl or shaken in a zip lock bag. Place dough mixture in a greased bunt pan. 

Melt butter and mix together with brown sugar. Pour over dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and baked all the way through. Let set for 10 minutes, then turn over and remove to a plate.

Soften cream cheese in microwave until it is thin, almost liquefied (roughly 30 seconds). Add confectioners sugar and stir. If mixture is still too thick to pour, add a little milk. Drizzle over bread and serve warm!

Linked Up Here:


  Thistlewood Farm Holiday Link PartyFunkyjunkinteriors.net

Messy Mondays

We all have struggles and short comings. Personality quirks, annoying habits, hangups and moments of hysteria. No one is perfect and yet, we are usually our biggest critic. I want to personally make sure that no one out there mistakenly thinks (even for a brief fleeting moment), that Julia and I are anywhere close to being perfect. Now, I realize that could come across slightly arrogant, simply because I must first be assuming there are people that really do think I have it all together! Arrogance aside, I just want to make sure we are doing our part to combat a very serious disorder that is targeting women across the country:

"Pinterest Delusion Disorder (PDD) - A serious disease in which moms start thinking they are failures for not (1) arranging their kids’ food in cool shapes for every meal, (2) not DIYing every piece of furniture and art in their homes, and (3) not spending hours designing homemade printables for their children."

Read more about PDD at Hip Homeschool Moms: Pinterest Delusion Disorder 

We do put a lot of time in here, at All Things with Purpose, to provide you with cool ideas, helpful tips and of course, lots of free printables! But we DON'T have it all together, and we DO have moments of mess and mayhem. I'll be sharing these with you every Monday, so tune in each week for an ego boost!

Linked up here:

DIY Star Wars Costumes

It's been a Star Wars filled month around our house as we've collected everything we needed to create super cute, but super cheap Star Wars themed costumes for all three kids. To view my full post on Star Wars Themed Costume Ideas, Click HERE

Or, see the individual posts I did for lots of ideas on each character:

• Princess Leia Ideas: HERE
• Luke Skywalker Ideas: HERE

Best Adult Costumes 2012

Regardless of if you want to go as a couple, by yourself or with kids, check out these photos.  If you have an infant, you can strap them in the baby bjorn and go or keep them warm in a pot as a lobster :)  Couples: Barbie and Ken, The Smurfs, Nerds.  Or just for fun a creative wind up doll, the Up House or a Toy Soldier!!

What fun to get dressed up and get creative.

~Julia

Best Kids Halloween Costumes 2012

So, here are the best kids costume ideas for 2012. Sorry some of the images are missing heads, but tis the season for headless things, right?.  You can check out all these ideas and more at CostumeWorks.com. They had a competition and these are the best of the submissions.  They are pretty cute.

My personal favorite is the old man with his walker about 83 years before he needs one :)

A hatching chick, a Cabbage Patch Doll in a stroller (great if you want to keep your child warm), Cruella Deville, KFC's very own Colonel Sanders, A Piggly Wiggly Shopping Bag with groceries coming out of the top, two Lego brothers, Raggedy Anne, a Garden Gnome with friends, a Waste Management Trash guy, A girl in a Bubble Bath, Papa Smurf, A puppy, an elegant peacock, Starbucks, and the result of it all: a tooth and toothpaste!!

Enjoy!! Let us know who your favorite is :)

~Julia

Free Online Distance Learning Election Unit Study Part 2

Here's Part 2 of the American Elections Unit Study.

Please provide feedback. We would love to hear from you!!

This 20 page unit study is the perfect way to cover the election with your preschooler through early elementary age child. It includes activities, games, writing, biblical references on leadership, easy to understand lessons in government, politics and the history of elections in America. And it's FREE!

>>>> Download Here 

~Julia and Sarah

This is guaranteed to make you LAUGH!!!

Often I struggle with the mundane aspects of my life. Instead of having fun, I sometimes just focus on the part that is boring or an inconvenience. So today, when I was preparing Jude for a bath, and just thinking how nice it was that he hadn't peed on me lately. He did right then. By the time I realized what was happening, my jeans were wet, my tennis shoes were wet, the floor was wet, and my hand that I tried to use to block the steady stream was wet. So, I looked on my iPhone camera and here is what I found.

My kids are a joy, and I am blessed to spend time with them.  (Even if I do have to repeat that to myself more than once a day :) My kids are not in the way of what I need to do, they are what I need to do. Sometimes I need to refocus and realize what my real priorities are!

~Julia

Free Online Distance Learning Election Unit Study

This is part one of a three part Online Distance Learning Unit Study on Elections. This is in conjunction with the 20 page unit study we offered earlier this month. I teach in a homeschooling co-op. One of my students was home sick today, and I was able to tell his mom when he's feeling better he can easily catch up!

Please provide feedback. We would love to hear from you!!

This 20 page unit study is the perfect way to cover the election with your preschooler through early elementary age child. It includes activities, games, writing, biblical references on leadership, easy to understand lessons in government, politics and the history of elections in America. And it's FREE!

>>>> Download Here 

~Julia and Sarah

Show Me a Story: Giveaway Winner!

We are excited to announce our 

Show Me a Story giveaway winner!!

Selected randomly by Rafflecoptor

Our winner is:

Marion Inwards of Cascade, Idaho

A big thanks to everyone that participated in our contest!

Grandma's Stacking Cups Quilt

Quilt Back

My Grandma loves to quilt.  She produces more quilts than anyone I know.  Grandma gets up around 5:30 and goes into her sewing room and works until 7:00. If my Grandpa comes in early for breakfast, he gets the reminder that it isn't 7:00 yet. As long as I can remember, she has made quilts for graduations, weddings, babies and surgeries. Now she is getting extra inventive! My nephew, Matthew, has competed and done well for several years in stacking cups competitions. Grandma did the front in a tumbler pattern, which looks a lot like stacking cups. Then she appliqued stacking cups on the back of the quilt for an extra special touch. 

Quilt Front

Nathan, my oldest nephew, designs computer games, so Grandma made a quilt for him that looked like his computer game.  She worked with their older sister, Angela to help her make her own quilt. The youngest of the four, Alyssa, kept asking, "Grandma, where's my quilt?".  Happy to oblige, Grandma whipped up a princess quilt you can see in the picture below.

I made my first quilt with grandma when I was in sixth grade. We pieced it and quilted it by hand. I will always cherish the memories I have sewing with my Grandma. Waneta Fern Farlow. Thank you for investing in my life, and the lives of so many others. I LOVE YOU!!

~Your Granddaughter, Julia

Teaching Your Child to Read : Blending 101

I have taught two of my own children to read. Let me help you teach your child to read!  One of the hardest concepts is blending, connecting the sounds of the letters, so you can hear the word that you are saying. This tutorial is designed specifically for your child.

Staying Sane While Homeschooling

We are 5 weeks into our school year. 

Here are the 5 things I've learned I need, to keep my sanity:

1. I need to make a weekly schedule, then take a chill pill and relax when things don't go exactly as planned. I like feeling organized, I like routines and goals. I need goals, otherwise I tend to get lazy. But we homeschool, and one of the perks to homeschooling is that you don't have to follow a schedule! My goal every day is to hit the gym by 7:30am, return home showered, dressed (looking fabulous) and ready to go (I know, right?).  I like when my husband has got the kids up, dressed and fed, so that when I return we are ready to get going on school by 9:00. It doesn't usually go that smoothly, but it's our goal. I've learned not to beat myself up when it doesn't happen quite like that (or at all like that).
2. We all need breaks. For the kids: If you're half way through a math lesson and your child has mentally checked out and seems completely unresponsive after numerous attempts, have them get up and take 5! Do a lap around the house, sit on the couch and rest, read a book, or eat a snack. Then, get back to work. For me: I need down time at least once a day to keep my sanity, regardless of how productive or unproductive the day has been. I strictly enforce nap time/quiet times here at our house. While my one year old sleeps, the four year old naps or plays quietly in his room and the five year old sits on a bed with books or at a desk to color. Since my 1 year old is still taking a good 2 hour nap mid day, the rule for my other 2 kids is to stay quietly in their rooms until she wakes up.
3. I kinda need a clean house. I find that my sanity is directly correlated with how clean my house is. Everyone in the family contributes to a general clean-up of everything before going to bed at night. We usually start the day off pretty tidy, but by noon, things can look like a disaster zone! After lunch, we do a round-up of all the toys, my 5 year old cleans the table off and my 4 year old vacuums up crumbs with the dust buster. I'm no clean freak, I'm all about letting the kids be kids and have fun with their toys, but a little mid-day organization in the midst of chaos can be very therapeutic!
4. I need unconditional support from my husband. Maybe it's all in my head, maybe it's reality, but I feel a lot of pressure as a homeschooler. I know there are people watching what we're doing; fellow bloggers, blog readers, friends and family members. I know there are some people watching out of general curiosity, and others that remain very skeptical. I know that on top of our parenting responsibilities, taking on the sole educational instruction of our children is no small task. Because of this, I have my moments of emotional breakdown, and I need to know my husband is behind me 100%. 
5. I need to get out of the house and have alone time. For this reason, starting my day at the gym really does help. At the end of the day, I can at least say that I got out of the house at one point! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. I love having them at home and I love being around them all day. But I know my limits, and so does my husband. He is pretty good about picking up on my vibe that says "Help! Get me outta here!" Sometimes all I need is a change in scenery :)

*For further encouragement to chill out, read this cool little post: Dear Moms, Jesus Wants You to Chill Out For the record, I read that right after publishing this post and found it very fitting to include here :)

Linked-Up Here:
Hip Homeschool Moms

Free Election Education Activity Pack 2012

This 20 page unit study is the perfect way to cover the election with your preschooler through early elementary age child. It includes activities, games, writing, biblical references on leadership, easy to understand lessons in government, politics and the history of elections in America. And it's FREE!

>>>> Download Here 

Several ideas are out there for younger children. One of our favorite books is Duck For President.  You can easily obtain it from your local library at a great price :)

~Julia and Sarah

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SugarBeeCrafts, HomeStoriesAtoZ,  

What We Learned Playing Uno

Great Grandma and Grandpa Cavanaugh (AKA Grandma and Grandpa Dopedo) came to visit one Saturday afternoon. They came prepared with card games, dominoes and homemade mac and cheese. What can you learn playing card games with your great grandparents? A lot! As my grandma, a retired school teacher was quick to point out.
Socialization? This is inter-generational socialization at it's best. Help your kids strengthen their ability to interact with people of all ages. Play cards or dominoes with grandma and grandpa, they just might cover:

• Fine motor skills
• Matching
• Number recognition
• Patterns
• Color recognition
• How to win unselfishly
• How to lose gracefully 
• Taking turns
• Following instructions
• Sitting still
• Patience
• Good sportsmanship

Just to name a few! Provide opportunities for your kids to interact with people of all ages. If you don't have grandparents that are able to be involved in your lives, arrange for meetings to take place with other elderly couples from your church, or visit a nursing home. When in your life, aside from a public school classroom, are you ever in a room all day, with a group of peers your same exact age and grade level? Never! Teach your kids to confidently interact with kids and adults of all ages, and they will be well ahead of the game!

Mealtime Battles

Are you tired of fighting a battle with your kids every time you sit down to eat? I have a couple picky eaters in my house (one of them is not a kid). I also have children that get quite rambunctious and easily distracted, without fail, as soon as they sit down at the table. My kids are 5, 4 and 1. I want all three of them to be grateful, not complainers. I want them to take mealtime somewhat seriously. I want them to realize I am not a short order cook and that our kitchen does not take special requests or extend it's hours after closing time. I'm not a heartless monster in the kitchen, but I need structure in our home and I need down time. It's exhausting watching other moms get up and down and up and down at every single whim and request of their children! I will not be pushed around by my kids.

Here are our mealtime rules:

• No complaining. You eat what is in front of you, you don't get to make special requests.
• You can choose not to eat, but this may result in complaints of being hungry later. For that reason, you will eat now, or not at all.
• You will sit politely and quietly (so that when we are out to eat, sitting quietly is not a new concept).
• You will ask to be excused before getting up, and you will take your plate to the sink.

We do generally reward our kid's good eating habits with a small portion of dessert. This may be controversial to some people, but dessert for us usually means 1 small cookie, 1 piece of candy, or 1 fruit Popsicle  This is generally the only time during the day that our kids get sweets. 

I was given the advice by a mother of 3 boys, to set the timer when my kids are goofing around instead of eating. Let me tell you, it works! I usually give them a few minutes of grace, but when I see they are acting up, I will inform them the timer is going on. I use the timer on my stove. For a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I will give between 5 and 10 minutes to finish. That may seem short, but really, how long should it actually take to eat a sandwich? Once they are motivated, they will usually finish under 5 minutes time - and that is while still eating like normal humans, no cramming everything in their mouths as fast as they can. 

The first time I did this, they did not take it seriously, but I warned them I would take their food away and they would not get dessert. I felt a little cruel doing this, but I never had to do it again after that. They know now that if they do not finish they will earn a negative consequence.

What are your mealtime tricks of the trade?

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins

Lots of ideas! Click HERE

I love decorating pumpkins! From paint, templates, drills, embellishments, and colored lighting, the possibilities are endlessly adorable! We're getting close to the date that is safe to start carving; don't do it too early if you want your pumpkin to survive until October 31st. Depending on what part of the country you live in, and what the temperatures are like this time of year, you may want to wait till closer to a week out. 

Check out these great tips on pumpkin preservation from HGTV:

• Mold and dehydration are the two main contributors to pumpkin rot. Prevent both by covering the carved areas and interior of pumpkin with petroleum jelly. This will keep the pumpkin from drying out and will slow the growth of mold.
• Another option is to add a small amount of bleach to a spray bottle filled with water. Spray the pumpkin daily with the bleach mixture; the bleach fights mold while the water keeps the pumpkin from drying out too quickly.

How to keep squirrels away: I have spent countless years, at war with the squirrels that seek to devour my freshly carved pumpkins. My kids have been horrified to find their lovely creations destroyed the next day. Try the options above, but add some cayenne pepper to the petroleum jelly and cover the outsides as well. The bleach may help keep squirrels away as well, if sprayed daily as they suggest to fight mold. You may also try ammonia water on the inside and outside. Other ideas I have read include sitting fake animals near your pumpkins, moth balls and deer repellent. Squirrels can be persistent little buggers and it may take trying a few different options.

Check out this collection of some of my favorite pumpkin carving ideas! Happy pumpkin carving! Now, to decide which ones to use...

Despicable Me Pumpkin How-To

Pumpkin Painting Ideas

Ninja Turtles! Use different colored glow sticks.

Easy Spider Man Design

Use a drill to create holes!

140 Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns

Disney Family Fun Free Templates

Cartoon Jr Free Templates: Princesses and More


Trendiest Pumpkin on the Block: Another way to carve chevron!

BHG: Monster Pumpkin Ideas!