Monday, March 26, 2012

Getting Your Family Excited for General Conference!

president monson

Our Prophet , Thomas Monson

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General Conference is next weekend! I got completely mixed up and thought it was Easter weekend… thank you so much to my awesome Home Teachers who came last night and reminded me that it’s this coming weekend! Now it’s time to prepare!!

I love conference. I love our dear Prophet. I love the General Authorities ( we all have our favorites). When I was a kid, General Conference meant going to church to watch a tiny tv, and be incredibly bored. I never really got into Conference until I became a teenager and then it really interested me. I want different for my kids!!! They are excited for Conference and I try to make it a happy , special time. There are so many amazing resources that we are blessed with, things they didn’t have available in the 80’s ( yup, totally gave you a hint on my age!)

So, without further ado… my favorite links and resources to make General Conference fun and meaningful for families! Even little kids can get into this fun stuff! Happy Conference to everyone! ~

Sugardoodle.net – I go there first for EVERYTHING!!!!

sugardoodle

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8529

Green Jello With Carrots- they have a cute file folder game for just over a buck!

conference file folder game

http://greenjellowithcarrots.com/products/index.php?keyword=general+conference&Search=Search&Itemid=1&option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

LDS . org- They have the best things of course! Here is a great article about preparing for Conference!

http://www.lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/preparing-for-general-conference?lang=eng

There are so many great ideas out there…. I’m going to try and get some more neat resources, so check the facebook page and also the comments!!! What do you guys do to make Conference Time special for your family????

Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

Friday, March 23, 2012

Christ’s Mother ~

 

mary

To purchase this beautiful poster go here : http://www.ldsbookstore.com/real-hero-posters

They have amazing posters that are really uplifting for all of us… imagine your children’s bedrooms plastered in these posters ( yes I will have to take down the Joe Jonas poster in Sydney’s room, but it is worth it!)

Love, JL

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During this Easter Season, as we focus on our Savior, I decided to do some special study on Mary, his earthly mother. As a mother myself, I just wonder and marvel at this special woman. I was studying in this fantastic book, Daughters of God- Scriptural Portraits by S. Michael Wilcox, and so many quotes just jumped out at me and made me ponder. Did you know that Mary was a quiet woman, according to Scripture, she “ Kept all these things , and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19. Think of all of the amazing , awe inspiring things that Mary witnessed as the mother of Christ. She followed the Lord’s counsel to “ treasure upon these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.” D&C 43:34. When I quietly think and ponder of the ‘treasures’ that Mary had stored in her heart, I feel humbled. We each have special spiritual moments that we can treasure and as we ponder them, the Spirit will continue to teach them.

When Mary was pregnant with Christ, she ended up giving birth in a very humble situation. I did some research on this…. being a very modest person, I thought maybe giving birth in a barn with no one to see might be ok… until I learned that she gave birth in a caravansary. This is basically like an open air market/bunch of stables and barns. I know in my heart that the birth of our Savior was humble and very special, but sweet Mary, what she had to go thru! I look at her life and think there is no way I could ever do what she did. She had the responsibility of teaching the Savior! Here I am , trying to teach my three children the Gospel, and I freak out and worry that I’m not doing a good enough job. She taught the Savior! Another thing that brings my heart to a stop, is when I read this part of the book,

“ Mary felt deeply the pains of her Son many times throughout her life but none more strongly than when she stood at the foot of the cross. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” ( John 3:16). Mary, too, gave her Son, a gift that caused a sword to pierce her soul. When Jesus was on the cross he cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). For the Son to fulfill his great atoning sacrifice, the Father had to withdraw his Spirit. Nevertheless, Mary, Jesus’ mother, remained with him during his long hours on the cross.”  p 172, Daughters of God, S. Michael Wilcox

I can’t begin to tell you the emotions and feeling I have when I read this. As we ponder and “treasure” the sacred things that happened this season we celebrate our Savior, please remember and take the example of Mary, one of the true heroes. What a beautiful, blessed woman, and such an important part of our Savior’s life.

Love, JL~ happy parenting!

Monday, March 19, 2012

A Very Special Post from Marlee

Marlee is my nine year old daughter. She is super special, very spiritual, and loves to write. So she wanted to write about Easter for the site. So I let her ! Here you go! Easter from a nine year old’s perspective ! ENJOY! Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

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spring 2012 336

Marlee holding her baby cousin Emma Rose

 

Easter Time is just a wonderful day where we remember when Jesus died on the cross for us. Some of my friends think Easter is about plastic eggs and Easter baskets. I know why we celebrate Easter. My mom taught us about it and I still learn things from church and the Friend magazine.

Marlee Kaylor March 19, 2012

Quick! Free Subway Easter Art!!!

http://www.mycomputerismycanvas.blogspot.com/2012/03/easter-subway-art.html

Only 200 copies will be free! But she has a great coupon code if you miss it.... I'm printing mine now! :)
ENJOY!!! Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

Create an Indoor Easter Garden

I’m posting this with permission from Rochelle over at www.discoverthescriptures.com She is amazing first of all…. and we LOVE the Discover the Scriptures products at our house!! Enjoy! Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

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Discover the Scriptures With Your Children

CREATE AN INDOOR EASTER GARDEN WITH YOUR KIDS!

Easter is only a few weeks away! Start celebrating now by helping your children see symbols of Christ in the new life springing up all around them.
Celebrate Easter
Discover EasterCelebrating Easter is more than just getting an Easter basket full of candy on Easter morning. Easter is a season! It's a time to think about the life and mission Jesus. Plan time with your children to read the story of Jesus' last week together. Make Easter decorations and crafts that will help them remember significant events in the life of Christ. Most importantly, take time to think about the importance of the life of Jesus and what He did for all of us!
Easter Brings New Life
Easter comes at the beginning of spring every year. It's a time when we think about new life: the new life of plants and flowers springing up in the garden, and the new life that we can have because of Jesus' sacrifice for us. It's a great time to plant an "Easter Garden" indoors. Plant your Easter Garden early and watch it grow all spring! All you need is an egg carton, some potting soil, and a little grass seed.

Plant an Easter Garden
Paint and decorate a cardboard egg carton. Fill the egg cups with potting soil. Sprinkle grass seed on top of the soil and pat down. Then add a little more soil to cover the seeds. Use a spray bottle to moisten the soil thoroughly.
Close the lid and put your "seed garden" on a plate in a warm place. Moisten the soil each day, and keep the lid closed until your seeds begin to sprout. After your seeds sprout, move your garden to a sunny spot and keep the lid open. Moisten the seedlings once or twice a day.

As the grass grows taller, decorate your garden with small toy animals, silk or plastic flowers, jewels in the grass, action figures, or anything else you can come up with.
Jesus Brought Life
Discover EasterRemember that Jesus brought life to the world! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!" Jesus overcame sin and death for us so we could live with God again. He died and was resurrected--bringing new life to the world! When you see signs of spring popping up all around you, remember that Jesus died to set us free!

This craft idea was taken from "Discover the Joy of Easter," which is available at: www.discoverthescriptures.com.

SAMPLE PAGES FROM DISCOVER THE JOY OF EASTER

Our newest resource, "Discover the Joy of Easter" will help your family put Christ at the center of your Easter celebration this year. Enjoy reading the Easter story together (from an LDS perspective), and making kid-friendly Easter crafts and recipes that focus on Christ. Learn how kids from around the world celebrate Easter and start some new traditions of your own!

You can download sample pages and see project photos at our website. Start your Easter adventure today!

Discover the ScripturesDiscover the ScripturesDiscover the Scriptures

FIND US ON FACEBOOK!

Discover the Scriptures is on Facebook!You can now follow us on Facebook. Help us spread the word about Discover the Scriptures! Tell your friends about "Discover the Joy of Easter."

Discover the Scriptures

Helping Children Discover

and Love the Scriptures!

www.discoverthescriptures.com

6 Crathorne Lane

Bella Vista, AR 72714

Chickens! Guest Post~

 

This guest post is in honor of the fact that my family got three beautiful baby chicks and one cute baby rooster this weekend… so I was quite excited when this post came thru to be added to the site! Once again, thanks to Michelle at www.singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com for knowing all kinds of awesome things!! I am forever learning from her! ENJOY!!!!! Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

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Chickens!





I'll admit, I was very scared to get chickens. People told me taking care of them would be easier than taking care of the cat, but I didn't really believe them. Finally I took the plunge. I built a coop I got the plans for online called the "coop-de-ville". It looked great! I shopped around & got the chickens. And guess what?! They really are easier than the cat! We fill the food & water about every 5 days. Twice a year my son cleans the coop. During the winter I put the coop on top of my garden so it's getting fertilized. And we gather eggs every day! I feed them a lot of my leftovers that would go to waste, to cut back on feed costs.

One of my favorite things I learned was how to store eggs all winter without refrigeration. You coat the eggs in mineral oil, put back in carton, & store in a cool dark place. I stored mine for 9 months last year & they were still great!

So why would I want chickens & how do I learn more?

Here are a few of the most frequently expressed reasons people raise chickens:

Easy and inexpensive to maintain (when compared to most other pets, much easier than our cat.)

Eggs that are fresh, great-tasting & nutritious

Chemical-free bug and weed control

Manufacture the worlds best fertilizer

Fun & friendly pets with personality (yes, you read that right) I have a friend who's neighbor kids come over & ask to watch "chicken TV". They love watching the chickens.

www.backyardchickens.com

Has everything you could want to know about raising chickens. They wrote the books "Raising Chickens for Dummies".

You can find Michelle at www.singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com she is amazing and full of great info!! Thanks again Michelle for the guest post!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Messy ~ Guest Post

 

One more awesome blog post from Ginny at www.ginnyisababe.blogspot.com ( yup she’s still a babe, just like is told you in her last post!) I love Ginny because she is so real. She gives us an amazing glimpse into her every day parenting life in this post and how we can turn anything into a teachable moment. Happy Parenting! Enjoy this post!

JL~

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mother and child

Messy

Yesterday my husband told me, "I think you're a really good mother to our kids. I think they are angels, and I couldn't ask them to be better behaved. I really appreciate all you do to try to stay calm, and teach them how to be calm."

I have a confession. I messed up the other day. I had had a really long day. You other moms know how it is. There we were, driving down the interstate, and Ken was screaming, because Peter had his hands on Ken's seat, and in spite of my repeated instructions, refused to let go. I pulled over, intending to work it out, and as I repeated for the thousand and thirty first time, "Peter, put your HANDS In YOUR LAP NOWWW!!" I felt myself lose all composure, anger just shot out the top of my head as Peter, who was gripping Kendon's seat even harder, stared petrified. "NOW! NOW! NOWWWWW!!!!!" I grabbed Peter's white-knuckle hands and forced them into his lap.

Kendon started imitating me immediately with his own screams. Kaylee said, "Mommy screamed like a little kid." Peter wailed. I obviously lost some respect from all my kids in my moment of weakness.


So how does a family come back from that? I will tell you what I would have done in the past. I would have beaten myself up inside, and lost all hope of our family improving. I would have internally projected years down the road, imagining that I would never be able to overcome this yelling habit. I would be defensive outwardly, while inwardly churning in knots. I would have sought out validation by telling the story to others, often in front of the kids, making my kids out to be the bad guys. (You know you've done it.)

Instead, this is how it went. I was mad. Really mad. I told the kids
"I'm sorry. I just snapped and lost my power. I'm sorry Peter. It's my job to set a good example for you, not show you how to throw a tantrum."


Still, I was mad, and it took a little while to calm down. What was it inside that had been building up to that outburst? I had been wasting energy worrying about things I couldn't control. I was not taking care of my own emotional needs, so that I was needy. I NEEDED my kids to behave so I could be at peace. I NEEDED my kids to be happy so I could be happy. I NEEDED them to behave a certain way, because I was not okay inside. So that's where my work began.

 
I set about trying to humble myself. I apologized to my Heavenly Father. I told Him that I needed help, and couldn't do this without Him. I apologized for forgetting to read scriptures that morning, because things like this don't usually happen when I do. I asked the Lord to help me feel anguish for my sin, and help me to repent.


I took some deep Yoga breaths, I counted to 10, prayed, cried, and sang my heart out to country music. Meanwhile, my kids were talking in the back, trying to figure out how to be the adults, since Mom apparently couldn't handle that responsibility at the moment. My daughter was becoming very bossy, attempting to take over my role, understandably. I could have lost heart. I could have given up and said, "Calm is for perfect families, and we're just not that kind of family." But I didn't think that for even a moment.

Honesty is always the best policy, and is easy with kids after a little practice. I told them I was embarrassed that I lost my temper, and I wanted to be a better example for them. I told them I loved them and I was trying to stop feeling angry, and asked for their patience while I tried to calm myself down. The more honest and heartfelt I was, the more I could see myself rise in their estimation. I felt a warm glow begin to surround me. I felt peace begin to return.


The rest of the day I was confident, and had complete faith in my Savior, that He was helping us. There were no more incidents that day. Each time I was tempted after that, I leaned on the Lord, and He helped me pass each test.

The next morning was Sunday morning. Peter didn't want to go to church.
"It's too long." He said.

 
This is when it took all my tools to honestly control my anxiety. I intentionally didn't project or predict future inactivity. Instead I smiled. I sat down next to him, and put my feet up. I said,


"You know, sometimes I feel that way too. Did you know that? Sometimes I don't feel like going to church. Do you want to know why I go?"
No reply.

 
"Can you think about it for a minute? Why do you think I would go to church, even when I don't feel like it?" Peter answered,


"You go to church to feel Jesus in your heart. But I don't want to go to church. It's too long."


I stopped and thought for a minute. What was he really feeling inside?
"Remember how you felt yesterday when I screamed at you?" He looked down at the ground.


"How did you feel inside when I did that?" He said nothing, but I could see the shadow of the memory pass over his face as he stared more intently at the floor. My heart swelled, and I trusted in my Savior.


"Did you feel angry, hurt, and sad?" He nodded.
"I felt that way too, Peter. Did you know, that when we go to church, we can feel the Holy Ghost, and through the Holy Ghost, Jesus can reach all the way down inside of you, and take all that hurt, all that anger, all those sad feelings and pull them out--and put in happiness, love, and peace instead? Do you want Him to do that for you today?" Peter nodded.


"Heavenly Father loves us so much. Do you think he would ever get mad and yell at you like Mommy did yesterday?" Peter thought about it, and said,
"No, Heavenly Father doesn't get angry and yell."


"I really need Him today to teach me again not to yell. I need Him to help me remember how to be a happy mom. Would you like Jesus to teach me that today?"


I looked up to see Kevin smiling down at us from the door. I smiled back at him, feeling only love and warmth. Peter hugged me and said,
"I love you, Mommy."
"I love you too, Peter."


"Mommy, we better get my church clothes on! Can I wear my tie today?"


Ideally, the above conversation would have been long before time to leave, and we would have had plenty of time to get to church early. But it happened to be just as we should have been walking out the door. We got to church 30 minutes late, but when we got there, we were humble, ready to learn, and relaxed, as opposed to hurried, anxious, and irritated.

 
After church, Peter asked me,
"Mommy, are you a better mommy now? Did Jesus take the bad feelings out?" I answered,

 
"Yes! He sure did. I feel so much love in my heart, I can't even remember the angry feelings!" And it was true.


"How about you? Did Jesus take the bad feelings out for you too?"

 
"MmHmm. I'm happy Mommy. I love you so much. You're a very good Mommy."
"Thank you Peter, that made my whole day even better! I love you with all my heart, and I'm so sorry I was a mean to you yesterday." It reads like an after-school special, but it is true.


Sometimes it's the messy moments, when we think that someone else should probably be doing this job; when we doubt whether or not we really have it in us, and everyone is staring at our weakness; those are the true catalysts for change. It is the screw-ups and the failures that make us stop and make course corrections. It's the messy moments that sometimes can be the most important moments of our lives.

Creative Parenting~Guest Post

 

This post is brought to you by Tia at www.homemadelearning.com and a big round of applause for her… she broke her hand and still managed to email me! Happy healing Tia! Not only does Tia have beautiful kids, she’s a real mom with a beautiful spiritual side. Enjoy the post! Love, JL~

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Creative Parenting ~

IMG_6354

Remember how I mentioned that I’m not creative? I’m ready to modify that a little bit.

It goes like this: I do have limited creativity, but when my life is in a complicated state, I use all of my creativity maneuvering through it.

For example, a new baby. I love babies. Babies are darling, I could just eat them up. They are worth every bit of work they take, and then double that. But, you have you admit that they can often be complicated. Especially if there is also a toddler thrown into the mix.

Many days, I find that it take every drop of creativity in me just to figure out how to get both the crying baby and the screaming toddler to sleep at the same time. (Because you must realize that if they do not fall asleep almost simultaneously, the still-crying one will wake the other one up. This job is no small feat.) I’m happy to report that I have managed this.

More than once.

I tried to find pictures of other daily, creative accomplishments that I manage. Like, encouraging the older kids to do their chores as fast as childly possible without hollering at them. Or, making dinner from scratch with the last three things left in my fridge before a farm day or a shopping trip. Or how about loading up and buckling four children into the car (over and over again) because I have to take all of them with me to run errands.

But, it seems that the only creative moments in which my hands are free enough to take pictures of my accomplishments are when I’ve just managed to get the babies to sleep. So, here’s one more picture of it, just for good measure. Just to prove that I have moments of creative genius daily.

I love this talk by Elder Uchtdorf. He talks about creativity and how it’s not all about music, art, and crafting. All of us have the power and opportunity to be creative, in one way or another. He speaks of creating smiles, of writing thank-you notes, of nurturing children. That’s not a cop-out, people. I’ve found that it takes a lot of creativity to get out of the ruts we sink into in every day life. It takes creativity to stay calm in moments of chaos or crisis. To guide or teach children in ways that we were not taught or guided ourselves. It takes creativity to make yourself be more than you feel like you can be when you drag yourself out of bed at 6 am in the morning.

Here’s to creativity. In all of its many forms.

How were you creative today? Come on, you can think of something—be creative

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Eating Healthy with Kids ~ Guest Post

healthy food

Heather is a good friend of mine, an amazing mom, and a great writer…. you can find her bio at the end of this post, go visit her! I enjoyed this post, it gave me a lot of good ideas! Happy Parenting! JL~

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Being a mother of three children of various ages makes meal time extremely difficult. We are on the journey to make healthier choices for our family, but also ones that are easy to grab and go. Maybe I should start with just a bit of a background so you can see where my problems lie (and maybe give me some pointers as well)!


I am a stay at home mother who home schools a third grader and a first grader. I also have an infant who will be turning one soon and does not believe in baby food. I have a husband who needs to take lunch with him or he has nothing to eat for the twelve hours he is working. This means I need to make two lunches and one dinner every day. I also need to make sure we have healthy snack foods and breakfast available. I am a freelance writer and a 4-H mother. While we do not have sports in our crazy schedule yet, I am sure that will only add to the craziness.


So, since the Prophet has asked us not only to be self-sufficient, eat everything in moderation, but also to keep a year’s worth of food storage. I have spent a lot of time on Pinterest to find meals that will work for our family and have found several different ideas. I am starting on a journey of getting everything built up, but I am not there yet.


Breakfast – Cereals, Crockpot oatmeal, Freezer Breakfast Burritos, Egg cups (egg baked in muffin tin with veggies, cheese and a meat), homemade pop tarts


To Go Lunch – Homemade bread, homemade bagels, yogurt, chopped veggies, Bento boxes, cheese sticks, homemade fruit roll ups


At Home lunch – Homemade lunchables …. Yeah, I am kind of stuck in this department. Today at the zoo we had peanut butter sandwiches, applesauce, fruit, carrot sticks, raisins, and water.


Dinners – Crock pot meals (pre-bagged and frozen), once a month cooking, and the my most recent find … meal in a box. I thought that was just fantastic!


What are some things that you do to cut cost, cater to dietary needs with minimal expenses, and keep a year’s worth of storage?

I am now a professional freelance writer and blog at http://birdcagemedia.us/wordpress

. I can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/birdcagemedia.

That Our Children Might See The Face of Our Savior

cheryl c lant

With Easter coming up, I am concentrating on my children’s relationship with our Savior. It is something that I worry about daily of course, but with the season, it is so nice to take full time and concentrate on it. This talk from General Conference April 2010 is just so beautiful, I wanted to share it. Please click on the link below… you can watch the talk, listen to it, or read it. Print it and keep it in your journal. We as parents have such a sacred responsibility. Love, JL~

That Our Children Might See the Face of the Savior, By Cheryl C. Lant

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/that-our-children-might-see-the-face-of-the-savior?lang=eng&query=our+children+may+see+face+savior

 

Happy Parenting!

Personal Revelation- Guest Post

praying woman

 

This post is written by Ginny at www.ginnyisababe.blogspot.com ( don’t worry, she really is a babe ! ) hehe……. She also has an amazing way of writing that makes you feel like you are her best friend and that you have been in that exact same spot at one time in your life. She is incredibly talented. Please enjoy this post :

Personal Revelation

Relief Society: Episode 12 - Personal Revelation

Please, please, moms listen to this broadcast! I was in church Sunday, and a mom got up to speak, and I began to cry as she spoke, because it was as if I were speaking to myself, her words were so familiar.

"I am a mom of several young children, and I have struggled with something I think many moms struggle with. I had a lot of anxiety, depression, and unhappiness, and there was one day I was sitting in front of a mountain of laundry to fold, and I had this thought. 'This is the plan of happiness...So why am I not happy??" She said, "I was raised by good parents, who were members of the church, and taught me all about the plan of happiness. I understood it intellectually, but I was missing something. Some part of the gospel, I was not quite getting." She said that from that time, she began to seek, and over the next few years, she learned, not just intellectually, but experientially, that we can use the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our every day lives, and every need can be filled by Him, and the happiness comes into us."

Since the miscarriage, I've felt a darkness set in, and depression begin to overtake me, and I haven't known how to write anything uplifting, hence the long silence. Many times the Lord has comforted me, and especially at first, He carried me. But I understand that He has to let me learn and grow, and so He has to let me experience pain, and learn to walk with Him. And so in order to walk, I had to be let down. I have felt like I'm sitting on the ground, with no desire to try to get up.

Then I heard that mom speak Sunday, and remembered that I once took that journey, prompted by the same exact question, and wouldn't rest until I found the answer. I cannot express how much I appreciated that journey. How it changed my life, and my family. I realized Sunday that it's crucial for my happiness and my family's to start asking questions, and seeking for answers. It's time to re-establish trust in God, and a two-way communication that I can count on. I'm such a weak and sorry excuse for a disciple. I wonder sometimes how many times He is willing to teach me the same lesson. I have learned that His mercy is never-ending, and with hope in that, I'm not going to sit down and give up. I'm going to get up, force myself to ask for and seek for the meaning and the purpose and drive in life, and mostly to seek for the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Above is a link to an interview of Sister Julie Beck, the leader of all the women of our church at present. She answers honest questions from women, like "How do I feel the spirit when I'm physically and mentally exhausted?" "What does it feel like to receive revelation from God?" "I have tried and tried to hear from the Lord. It has never worked for me, and I have given up." Sister Beck gives such inspired advice, it solidified my resolve into action, and I have begun my journey anew.

What are your questions? Are you asking any? What are your emotional needs? Are they being met by the Lord, or some other source? What are you focusing on? Where do you spend the majority of your time? Do you long, as I do, for a secure attachment to your God?

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Make Easter a Christ-Centered Holiday


There are so many amazing ideas and resources on the internet, in books, thru LDS.org, we are so blessed to be able to have the tools to teach our children what Easter is all about. I am going to try and highlight some fun and spiritual ways to teach our children the meaning of Easter in the next few days, and also throw in some super fun activities that aren’t as spiritual, but are a good way of spending time with your kids!
Here are some simple ideas to get us started, on how to make Easter a Christ-centered holiday~
* When making Easter baskets, place an empty Easter egg in each basket to remind your family that the very best gift that we can be given is the gift of the empty tomb!
* When making Easter baskets, give religious gifts such as a new CTR ring, scripture marking pencils, a journal for scripture study, or maybe a bookmark with a significant scripture on it.
* Make your family a traditional meal from the time of Christ- fish and honeycomb ( or rolls with honey on them… since I know I wont be able to find honeycomb in Hannibal. )
* Use the Gospel Art Kit to tell your children the story of Easter and to teach them about the Atonement and how Christ died for us and then rose so we could Live Eternally!

* View this as a family : http://www.lds.org/pages/his-sacred-name-an-easter-declaration?lang=eng   


Happy Parenting! JL~

You Might Also Like This Post :
#PrinceOfPeace Family Home Evening and Easter Tree Activity

Fellow LDS Blog Giveaway!

 

This is a great blog by the way…. go to www.americajanespeaks.net – you will love it !!

She is doing a fun giveaway…. so go enter!

Here is what the giveaway looks like :

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This Giveaway has not one, but TWO prizes!

That’s because prize #1 (a complimentary copy of Beginning Boy Scouts), while a great book, may not interest those readers of mine who don’t have sons in the program.

Maybe you’re the parent of a daughter in the Young Women program. Maybe your kids are still young and working on Faith in God. Maybe you’re a leader in another program.

Maybe you follow my blog because you like my Super-Charged Family Home Evenings, my unique service and Value Project ideas, or my mild preoccupation with art.

Whatever reason brings you here, I want to say THANK YOU in a way that means something to you.

Sooooooo….

When you enter the giveaway (see details on entering below) be sure specify which prize you want if you win (or both if you don’t care). There will be TWO random drawings. TWO lucky winners. But only ONE shipping and handling bill.

(I know you’re excited about that, right? Oh no, wait. Maybe I’M the one excited about that.)

Anyway….

Prize #1 is a copy of the handy, dandy book Beginning Boy Scouts:

Ideal for new parents and/or new leaders; you can read my review about this book here.

Prize #2 is a $15 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com

Note: Actual prize may be of a lesser amount than shown.

But $15 is nothing to sneeze at, right? After all, we’re in a recession (or “depression” or “recovery” or “big ol’ stinkin’ mess,” just insert your term of choice). And for $15 you can finally get that Rubik’s Cube mug you’ve been dreaming about.

Or you could buy 1500 ladybugs and still have change to spare.

If you have the self-control to save up for it, you could put $15 towards your very own Star Wars-style Land Cruiser!

Who doesn’t want THAT?

So, whether you want Beginning Boy Scouts or a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate, this is the giveaway for you.

Here is how you can enter…..

Leave a comment at http://americajanespeaks.net/2012/03/america-janes-first-giveaway/ and tell them what you did… here are the options!!

Do any ONE of the following, then add a comment on http://americajanespeaks.net/2012/03/america-janes-first-giveaway/  telling me what you did and what prize you want (or both if you don’t care).

You can do more than one thing for multiple entries, but you only need to comment once, telling me what you did.

1. Go to the America Jane Facebook Page and “like” me!

and/or

2. Go to the America Jane Facebook Page and “share” any one of my posts on your wall.

and/or

3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

and/or

4. Send me chocolate. (Just kidding.)

Don’t forget to comment on this post telling me what you did.

To do ONE thing worth FIVE entries:

Write about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this giveaway post. When you comment on this post telling me what you did, be sure to include the link back to your blog post about the contest.

That’s it!

Don’t forget to comment on this post telling me what you did and which prize you want.

Contest ends March 17, 2012.

So ENTER NOW to be one of TWO winners before time is up.

*******************************************

Have fun! The blog looks super neat! Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

The Family Network’s March Challenge!!!

 

So, I go to one of my favorite blogs www.funonadime.net and see that they are doing a monthly challenge, and it looked like sooo much fun! So I emailed and said.. I want in!

This months challenge is explained to us by Brittany from www.playwithyourfamily.com  ( don’t you just love the name of her site! Makes me want to go play!! ) Here is what she has to say:

Oh I love family traditions! I how they distinguish your family from others and make you feel a special connection. I love the excitement when you know one is coming up and that even if it’s silly, you can’t help but get a little giddy about it. “Traditions are the center of family life; they are what makes a house a home…Family science researchers have described traditions as the “heart” of a family, an “anchor” in the family, and the “core” of family life.” (Lloyd D. Newell). Traditions provide a source of strength to families and help connect generations. They also create a sense of personal and family identity.

In March, my family has one of my all time favorite family traditions….The Green Family Dinner. On Saint Patrick’s Day my mom would always turn our whole dinner green and we loved it! We would have green noodles, green milk, green jello, and as weird as it sounds…green beef stroganoff. Some years she would do more of a breakfast with green eggs and ham, but green was always the theme. I will never forget those silly dinners and it is something that all of my siblings and I are passing on to our families.

My husband’s family has a tradition of more of an Irish dinner. His mom makes Corn Beef and Cabbage. Recently we decided to add a little bit of to our Irish theme! We are not drinkers in our family, but we decided to make Saint Patrick’s Day really exciting by adding Harry Potter’s Butter Beer to our tradition. You can find the recipe approved by J.K Rowling herself right here. Making it with our family was a blast and everybody had fun toasting and gulping down the sweet concoction.

This month, we want to challenge you

To Have Your own St. Patrick’s Day dinner!

Details: Any day of March will do and you pick the theme, but make it something your kids will remember and then come share how it went, want you did, what you ate….we want to here from you!

Share your ideas and your pictures of your fun family dinner with us by…

1. Commenting right here on our blog!

2. Jump on over to our Facebook Page and leave a comment, picture or a link for everyone to see!

3. Go over to www.funonadime.net and  link to them!!  You can also find LDS Parenting on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/168800359856535/  We would love to have you!

Have a blast with the March Challenge and Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Very NEAT Online course offered!

GAPS™ Connections Support for natural recovery from chronic illness
GAPS
GAPS™ is a condition which establishes a connection between the functions of the digestive system, the immune system, and the brain. Learn about:
* How crucial our “gut flora” is to our physical and mental health
* The Gut-Brain connection
* Natural treatment for ADD/ADHD, allergies/asthma, autism, autoimmune disease, depression, digestive disorders, dyslexia, dyspraxia, schizophrenia, and more!
For those outside of our local area, we are pleased to announce a new ONLINE offering!
Starting March 15th! Every other Thursday 9:30-11:00am CST GAPS Connections Online
Join us live via the web as we present and discuss each of the lessons, answer questions, and connect with others who are on the journey toward health and healing.
Date/Time: Every other Thursday 9:30-11am CST - Starting March 15th Investment: $15 per session or the entire 12 lesson meeting series as a package for $145 - a 20% savings.
Contact us to register today! Just mention “GAPS Online” and you will receive instructions for how to join us upon payment.
2012 GAPS Connections Online dates and topics: March 15 - Introduction to GAPS March 29 - Gut and Psychology Syndrome
April 12 - Gut and Physiology Syndrome
April 26 - GAPS Nutritional Protocol
May 10 - The Full GAPS Diet
May 24 - Stages of the GAPS Diet
June 7 - Supplements for GAPS
June 21 – Detoxification
July 5 - Practical Issues and Troubleshooting
July 19 - GAPS Pregnancy and Prevention
August 2 - Cardiovascular Health
August 16 - Week 12 Wrap up: Customized Q & A

Go to www.Gapsconnection.com for more info!! :)
 
It sounds super cool!  Happy Parenting! Love, JL~

Monday, March 12, 2012

Overcoming Brushing Teeth Battles

Overcome Brushing Teeth Battles Guest Poster Heather over at www.childrenareworthit.blogspot.com was recently asked to pass this information along about getting kids to BRUSH THEIR TEETH!!! I know at my house my ten year old son thinks sometimes there are other more important things to do.. then I tell him about his friends who had to have surgery to pull like 8 teeth cause they were rotten!!! Heather has some awesome ideas and tips all over her adorable blog and you should defintely go visit her and also go visit www.loveyourteeth.net!!! Without further ado... a post from Heather :)
I love this website I was introduced to recently. You can create tooth brushing charts that are personalized for each child. They also emphasis that children's names are not stored and you will not need to enter any contact information so your child will be safe. I think it's a great idea to keep both child and parent a physical reminder of good oral care. Those habits created when younger really stick so it's so important to make good ones. I just wish I could go back and brush better during my first pregnancy. It's so hard to brush when you are sick all day long and feel nauseous. I remember throwing up a few times because I started brushing my teeth. Woe is the pregnant lady! =) Anyway, moving forward I'm committing to do better and help my kids have healthy teeth and gums.

Preserving Eggs Without Refrigeration

You can preserve eggs for at least 9 months with no refrigeration. I know, I know, I didn't really believe it either! But I tried it last winter & it works! It was great to take all my extra eggs & have them saved all winter; without filling up my fridge! And for those who don't have chickens, you can still buy eggs when there's a deal, & "put them up" for later. It's also cheap & easy!
All you've got to do is warm up the mineral oil slightly (it spreads easier) and slather it all over your eggs. Put your eggs back in the carton, with the narrow tip facing downwards, and then store them in a cool, dry, place. As an added measure for taste and texture, flip over the eggs every 30 days. It takes very little mineral oil to do this. Another option: Store the eggs in a finely ground preservative such as salt, bran, or an equal mix of finely ground charcoal and dry bran or finely ground oats. You can store the eggs layer upon layer, so long as you they don't touch each other, metal, or wood. Be sure you have enough finely ground preservative to pack them in. ************** Michelle is one of our fabulous guest posters! She believes what one woman can do... anyone can do! She is a wealth of information for family preparedness and just all around neat tips! You can find her at http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com Happy Parenting! JL~

Saturday, March 10, 2012

And the winner of the 100th post giveaway is :
Result: 16  Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Number 16 in the comments which is....... Choice_Spirit!!! I need your email!!! :)
Thanks everyone for playing!!! Don't forget to head to http://www.etsy.com/shop/simplyfreshdesigns
She is so talented and we thank her so much for helping with the giveaway!!!
Well, I've hit 100 posts, it's time to get at least 100 more up in just a month... my new goal! :)
If you'd like to guest post, email me at ldsparenting@hotmail.com
Happy Parenting!! JL ~

Monday, March 5, 2012

100th POST GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Wow, I’m really excited! This little dream I had last summer seems to be coming true! We hit our 100th post today! That’s something to celebrate! So I went searching for something to give away. I like doing giveaways! Just ask Emily…. she got her family fun night box last week…. it was pretty cool if I do say so myself!
So I love etsy.com I love handmade things, I love how people use their talents. So I was searching for something that an LDS family would like, and after searching thru a bazillion things I found it. It’s perfect. The owner of this shop, Heather, well she’s amazing and talented. Her art is awesome. She’s pretty dang nice too. Winking smile
So without further ado…. we are pleased to announce that we will be giving away this!!!!
familyprocandaof
So cute huh!!!! TOTALLY FRAMEABLE !!!!
Here’s the rules amigos:
* Go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/simplyfreshdesigns and tell me what your fave thing is she has… put it in the comments below :)
* Become a follower of the blog, put it in the comments below that you are or became a follower.
* Join our facebook group! http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/168800359856535/ if you are already a member, tell me! if not join and then tell me! lol, comment below!
* Tell me your favorite post on ldsparenting.blogspot.com – we have 100 posts for you to choose from now!!!!! comment below!!
* Share this website with your friends… twitter, facebook, smoke signals… whatever :) leave a comment below!!
* that’s it. I could keep going but honestly, some of the things I’d ask you to do would just start getting weird. hehe. I love you all!!!! Happy Parenting! JL~
quick edit-- I forgot to tell you when this ends.... I'm gonna give you till friday folks!!! :) SO EXCITED!!!!!

When we’re helping, we’re happy ! Kids and Chores


Last week my husband and I came to the conclusion that our kids are spoiled. There, I said it out loud. SPOILED!!!! I came from a family where I did A LOT of chores. He came from a family where no one did chores. We always said we would be in the middle, our kids would have some chores, but not feel like slaves, and not be lazy! So, our kids are now 10, 9, and 7 with birthdays coming up this summer. They like to help mommy, and they help when asked. But that was it. After picking up countless yogurt tube wrappers off the floor and empty water bottles, Keith and I had it. We had a parents meeting. Oh yes we did! We decided that these kids need chores! So we started by having a family home evening on how it is good to work as a family, we talked about how much fun we have working outside in the yard and garden together and how it makes us proud of our yard etc. Then we talked about how the inside of our home is our castle, our haven. We all needed to work together to make it nice and cozy. So we told the kids that in addition to their one chore which was to clean their rooms every friday ( which if they did this they would get a dollar- one kid did it every friday, the other two.. never) they would have one chore a day, unpaid. That would be there chore and their way of helping to care for our home and have pride in it. This has gone well, as long as mommy says “ go do your chore for the day!”

On friday my oldest, Dylan, said he needed to earn some money. Could he get a job? Well, no son, most people won’t hire ten year olds… child labor laws and such Winking smile So, I got this idea in my noggin. I talked to Keith that evening and we came up with “jobs” the kids could do around the house for a certain amount of money. Things like, do the dishes and wipe the counters you get 50 cents. Then after mommy or daddy checks it to make sure the job is done right ( we discussed how your boss at work would not pay you unless the job was done well) they would get that 50 cents put in their bank account. The bank accounts are pieces of paper with their names on the top. So we continued to talk about this happily and positively and the kids were excited and Dylan figured that if he did the chores, etc he could get the thing he was saving up for in just a couple of weeks.

So today was the first day of the great “chore chart”. I guess that is what you would call it. They did their one unpaid chore, their was of helping have pride in our home and helping each other as a family. Then they all three decided to clean their rooms because that was the highest payout lol! I made lists for each bedroom. It basically listed every single thing they had to do , in order for the room to be satisfactory for them to be paid. Since this was the first time, I sat in their rooms with them, told them what was next on the list, encouraged them, put on some fun music, even helped a bit, but they were the ones who did the work. I am so proud of them! They each did it! Then my youngest decided to do the dishes, which was a 50 cent job. Since there were only four dishes, she kindly said she would accept a quarter. HA!! My middle daughter said, Mommy what is the chore that most needs done? The living room! It had its own little list on the chore /job list. So she followed the list, and waaa-laaaa she got 50 cents in her bank. My son took the garbage out. 25 cents. Now they are happily playing and the house is looking swell. I’m feeling pretty good as a mom right now. Of course, in a couple of days, my kids will still only have the money they earned today, lol, but at least I can say I did something!!!! I really do hope this works out. It’s a fun way to earn money, to show them responsibility, we are having a fhe on tithing, because that will be paid when they get their “paycheck” on friday. So many awesome lessons.

I do love parenting. It’s so hard, but it’s fun to get creative. Hop on over to our facebook page, and tell me how you get your kids to clean and do chores! We’ve had some neat ideas so far and even a new website that I hadn’t heard of them I’m really excited to read thru! You can of course comment here and tell me what good ideas you have….. music? bribery? chore charts? bribery? Smile Happy Parenting! Love, JL ~

facebook page- http://www.facebook.com/groups/168800359856535/#!/groups/168800359856535/

Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Swine Flu~ Essential goody bag for sick kiddos

Ok, it just sounds gross. All three babies have H1N1 otherwise known as the swine flu.

So anyways, the whole family is on tamiflu, for preventative measures and to try and keep it from lasting really long. It started with Syd, she got a huge fever and I couldn't get it down, so off to the clinic, and surprise, she tested positive for influenza. By 3 am, Dylan was awake feeling awful, by 4 am, Marlee was up, and of course Mommy was up all night checking on all three of them for fevers! Suffice it to say, Im a little exhausted!! But I do want to make sure that if anyone else out there has sick kids they have these things on hand...... Introducing Momtothreebabies' official sick day goody bag:


* Johnson's Vapor Bath-- heaven on earth for sick kids ( and momma's and daddies too ) It just feels soooo good to everyone! It is my number one must have.



* Sunny D- I know it's not the most healthy of orange juices, but it's super yummy. :)



* Pot Holder Loom- I have so many beautiful potholders right now... and it keeps the kids happy :)


* TV- yup I'm one of those moms! My kids are plastered to America's Funniest Home Videos and Full House :)

So, this weekend we are going to whip up some red velvet cake from the Pioneer Woman cookbook, rent old movies, and Chillax with plenty of sunny d and bubble baths!!!! Hope everyone else has a super great weekend!! :) Love, JL~ momtothreebabies