My friend Jamie shared this little gem with me yesterday. I think she got if off of Facebook and it's awesome! Thanks Jamie!
Edible Glitter
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. of your choice of food coloring
Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The heat makes the sugar harden and adds a sparkle. Repeating the steps with various colors, you can create a rainbow of sparkling fun!
I have not tried it yet, but ironically the twins birthday is a colorful rainbow theme this year. This glitter may go nicely with the rainbow star pinata, colorful Laffy Taffy, Skittles and other treats we are having.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Secret Service Agents
Each month we've been focusing on one Ten Minute Topic to teach our kids. This month is Service. My family is maybe a bit unique in the fact that they are RoCksTarS when it comes to helping out local organizations for food drives, coat drives, filling hygiene item bags, making toys for kids, sending things to people in need, taking people meals, leaving treats to those we feel need a pick-me-up, writing missionaries, etc. This is just part of my life, and so it's part of theirs. So we were racking our brains to try a new service project.
I came up with this great idea--whilst in the throws of a wildly low blood sugar moment--Secret Service Agents. The whole point to do service, but it must be done anonymously, and kept quite by others who may witness it.
Since we are a bit obsessed with NCIS and other TV dramas, I thought I'd capitalize on that, and made each person a badge and secret notebook where they could write down their service, just to keep track. The "targets" of the service were the people most important to us-each other!
Why serve each other? I'm glad you asked. Often family members are just "used" to each other, and don't really appreciate or realize what critical relationships family member have. Really if you can naturally love and serve your family members, bonds are strengthened, families are closer and work better together, and some days fighting may subside for an hour or two. Why track it? Because I want my family to see how much good they can do, and I want it to be fun. I want them to learn that service can be simple--like picking up some one's socks, and I want them to learn that if you can serve your family, everyone in the family will benefit.
As parents, most of us serve our families every day. We make breakfast, take kids to school, help with homework, tie shoes, dry tears, make dinner, pack lunches, wash clothes, stick on band-aids, break up fights, give advice, clean up messes, and try to direct our children into becoming those amazing people they are destined to become. It's not often secret what we give, do and sacrifice for our families. The trick to secret service is thinking about the people in your family and what they need outside of the ordinary. My mom was a Rock Star at leaving notes in lunchboxes or on pillows when she knew I was struggling with something. I still have a lot of those notes, and they mean the world to me. Growing up is tough, and we need our families to make it through.
The adrenaline rush of trying to do something without getting caught is fun. The rush of trying to serve in secret is better. The looks I've seen this week on some of the kids' faces has been priceless. S. thought her lunchbox was missing, and it turns out, some Secret Service Agent made her lunch and put it in the fridge. Another time L. went to empty the garbage cans for trash day, and a Secret Service Agent has already done it for her. Smiles were everywhere in those moments.
Love the one's you're with...cuz they're all you've got, and they're all that matters!
I came up with this great idea--whilst in the throws of a wildly low blood sugar moment--Secret Service Agents. The whole point to do service, but it must be done anonymously, and kept quite by others who may witness it.
Since we are a bit obsessed with NCIS and other TV dramas, I thought I'd capitalize on that, and made each person a badge and secret notebook where they could write down their service, just to keep track. The "targets" of the service were the people most important to us-each other!
Why serve each other? I'm glad you asked. Often family members are just "used" to each other, and don't really appreciate or realize what critical relationships family member have. Really if you can naturally love and serve your family members, bonds are strengthened, families are closer and work better together, and some days fighting may subside for an hour or two. Why track it? Because I want my family to see how much good they can do, and I want it to be fun. I want them to learn that service can be simple--like picking up some one's socks, and I want them to learn that if you can serve your family, everyone in the family will benefit.
As parents, most of us serve our families every day. We make breakfast, take kids to school, help with homework, tie shoes, dry tears, make dinner, pack lunches, wash clothes, stick on band-aids, break up fights, give advice, clean up messes, and try to direct our children into becoming those amazing people they are destined to become. It's not often secret what we give, do and sacrifice for our families. The trick to secret service is thinking about the people in your family and what they need outside of the ordinary. My mom was a Rock Star at leaving notes in lunchboxes or on pillows when she knew I was struggling with something. I still have a lot of those notes, and they mean the world to me. Growing up is tough, and we need our families to make it through.
The adrenaline rush of trying to do something without getting caught is fun. The rush of trying to serve in secret is better. The looks I've seen this week on some of the kids' faces has been priceless. S. thought her lunchbox was missing, and it turns out, some Secret Service Agent made her lunch and put it in the fridge. Another time L. went to empty the garbage cans for trash day, and a Secret Service Agent has already done it for her. Smiles were everywhere in those moments.
Love the one's you're with...cuz they're all you've got, and they're all that matters!
Friday, February 14, 2014
Organized Meal Planning
I have tried so many ways to keep our life running as smoothly as possible, but since returning to the work force I have been making things up as I go along. Each week I plan our meals, with the best of intentions, and each week our kids have a night to cook. Things have become complicated in our lives lately, and dinner is well....a hurdle some days. I think dinner time is the most important time for my family, and really try hard to have it together 5 nights a week. Since each kid has a night to prepare the main dish, that means another kid is in charge of the side--see that's all in an effort to get the kids to work together as a team...shhhh! Don't Tell!
So this week I got smart and put it all down on paper so everyone is literally on the same page! My husband calls this the "Dinner Matrix" and surprise!, even uses it. It's become a great way to know what each person's responsibility is, and a great way to rotate through what we have so it isn't wasted, and also a good way to know what I really need to buy at the store.
Like the idea? Well Lucky YOU! Download it here.
So this week I got smart and put it all down on paper so everyone is literally on the same page! My husband calls this the "Dinner Matrix" and surprise!, even uses it. It's become a great way to know what each person's responsibility is, and a great way to rotate through what we have so it isn't wasted, and also a good way to know what I really need to buy at the store.
Like the idea? Well Lucky YOU! Download it here.
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
World's Best Frittata
This is the easiest meal I've ever done--other than something from a box. This was Sydie's idea to make a few weeks ago, and our first attempt was under cooked, and didn't turn out as great as we'd have liked. She didn't let that stop her from trying it again (Note to parents: Cooking with you kids not only teaches them valuable life skills, it also teaches important life lessons. Life Lesson- If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.). We sat down together (important child-parent bonding moment) and re-created the recipe, noting what we liked, and what needed improvement (Life Lesson-don't give up) and the following is the "World's Best Frittata."
World's Best Frittata
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. chopped ham
1/3 c. salsa
2 green onions, chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you like)
1/2 tsp. basil or Italian seasoning
pepper to taste
Optional: olives, chopped tomatoes, or other chopped veggies
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, add other all other ingredients. Pour into greased pie plate.
Bake at 450 deg. for 40-45 minutes, until eggs don't wiggle in the middle.
Serve with fresh fruit and crusty bread.
World's Best Frittata
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. chopped ham
1/3 c. salsa
2 green onions, chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you like)
1/2 tsp. basil or Italian seasoning
pepper to taste
Optional: olives, chopped tomatoes, or other chopped veggies
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, add other all other ingredients. Pour into greased pie plate.
Bake at 450 deg. for 40-45 minutes, until eggs don't wiggle in the middle.
Serve with fresh fruit and crusty bread.
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