Posts

Top 10 After School Snacks (#4 is my favorite)

When I have kids in “school” I pick them up and bring them home–no bus service–so I like to have snack on the table when they come home.  If it is a year that I am homeschooling than we usually end our day with a snack and tea or juice from our juicer!

These are my top ten after school snacks:

  1. Leftovers from their lunch box!
  2. Veggies and Dip
  3. Apples and yogurt or another dip they like
  4. Pretzels with either mustard or chocolate dipped
  5. Cheese and crackers–I use cookie cutters to make flowers with the cheese–too cute–sometimes I even put a raisin in the middle of the flower!
  6. Celery and cream cheese
  7. Build your own nachos
  8. Mini cheese tortillas
  9. Muffins (just out of the oven before I go and pick them up)
  10. Cookies and milk!

IMG_5435 watermarked

I find that the kids like to do a little “food network” and build their own things as much as when I have it ready, so I like to mix it up a little bit.

If I have a later dinner because of practice or other commitments I start the crock pot at 3 for dinners to be ready at 7. 

TIP:  I also set the table before I leave.  When I come home I just need to plop the crock pot on the table, and by the time everyone is finished washing their hands dinner is ready!

Advent Idea #1

I love Advent.

“Come Lord Jesus, Come”–my individual walk with God as an adult pales in comparison to the communal walk with God as a family.  Each day I become closer to God as I teach, listen, and create with my kids.  What a blessing and a gift.

I have done quite a few Advent projects over the years with my kids and kids in afterschool programs that I have taught.  Purple, pink, wreaths, glitter, candles–all my favorite things!

I tell the kids that Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ.   In our house we do lots of little things–my oldest is 11 and he doesn’t craft as much any more but LOVES to HELP the little kids–which tells me that he is still interested but it may not be cool enough.  He does enjoy seeing his previous artwork on display.

Today’s idea is simple–it can be a coloring project.

any kid project framed–turns into beautiful artwork!

This was from my #1–he made is in 1st grade.  It has been up in our house for 5 years now.

I like that it is simple and get the point across that each week we focus on a different word to bring us closer to the cross.

I wanted to do this project again–so when I was the room mom for Kindergarten Christmas Party I knew this is what I wanted to do for the craft!

I had 20ish frames in my basement–don’t judge me!–I’m a collector–but I’m working on getting rid of stuff that doesn’t add value to my life.  Let’s get back to the project.

I had frames, I cut paper into strips, I cut squares for the “flame” I had markers in a variety of greens and I had little jewels to put on the wreath–add some bling!

The kids cut the strips into different lengths (I was going for perspective and how a “real” wreath would look), the candles burn down each week (science), and I had them label each candle with hope, love, joy, and peace–the words correspond with our focus and prayers for the week.

For the flame I had them cut a triangle with fancy scissors.  Some kids took it a step further and used orange marker on the tip for a flame!  Kids are so creative.

Once they had the “candles” on the page I had them do simple crosses (or x’s) on the bottom for the wreath.

I love the colors of Advent–this wreath came out very well.

Simple, cute, frame-able for years to come.

see the bling?

I’ll be writing more advent ideas in the next couple of weeks!   If you don’t want to miss  an email . . . sign up to the Advent prayers and crafts sent to your email.

Be Blessed.

Today I’m linking up with

Heart and home, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Titus 2uesdays, Into the Beautiful, Soul Sisters, Hip Homeschool, Path A merry meaningful Christmas

Advent wreath #2

Supplies, foam, tissue paper, greenery, stapler

This is another advent wreath that I made.  click here for the 2-D wreath.  I try to make Advent “real” for kids–I  want the kids to have the same excitement over the lighting of a “new” candle but in a safe way!

peel back this much of the white–that way the inside won’t be sticky

cut tissue paper for the flame or use marker on a coffee filter to make it look like a flame

FAIL! I love showing how my great ideas fail and need to be reworked. I used a stapler the second time around!

This was taken before I put the staples in!

This project has so many possibilities:

  • use toilet paper tubes and cover with fabric, scrapbook paper, yarn
  • use a wrapping paper tube and paint it purple and pink then cut into varying lengths
  • paint tubes green and cut to make the greenery part of the wreath.

Be Blessed as we enter this time of anticipation, planning and thoughtfulness.

A merry meaningful Christmas, All things Christmas