Best NOEL blocks

We made these blocks at a Relief Society activeness before this month. I honey how they turned out! They took nearly ii hours from kickoff to finish.



Here's how y'all brand them:
Cut iv blocks of woods to the size y'all wishing them (these ones are 4"x5.5"x1.5") as well as around sand them down.
Paint blocks as well as letters (can locomote industrial plant life at Michael's as well as other arts and crafts stores) the desired color.
When dry, sand edges of blocks as well as letters to hand a distressed look.
Cut scrapbook newspaper slightly smaller thus blocks as well as rip edges.
Mod podge the scrapbook newspaper onto blocks.
Use hot gum gun to attach letters.

That's it! And y'all could patently purpose whatever word: joy, christmas, the concluding advert of your family, peace... whatever y'all choose.

Read More

Best Christmas die game

I constitute this persuasion at Pre-K Pages together with decided to brand my ain printout to use. It's the perfect game for a toddler who is learning his numbers. John together with Dan both loved it together with understood it plenty that they could play past times themselves (they played it 1 afternoon spell I snuck inward a quick ability nap!) You exactly accept turns rolling a die together with cross the numbers off equally you lot go. The start out to stimulate got his numbers crossed off wins! Try it amongst your toddler!




Click on the icon below together with impress your own!

Read More

Best The best toy

The best toy is ane that tin last used inward a lot of dissimilar ways. One that encourages imagination as well as creativity. One that tin plough into a sword, a cave, a race track, a car, a train, a kitchen, a bed, or a target for shooting Nerf guns at. One that doesn't toll a unmarried penny as well as that tin merely last thrown inward the recycling container when fun has been had as well as interests accept changed. The best toy is a BOX! We accept a big stash of them inward our basement... moving boxes, shoe boxes, diaper boxes... that tin last pulled out when the kids ask something novel to create or play with.

A diaper box turned into a race rails alongside a tunnel for the cars.


A moving box made into a small-scale kitchen.



Do you lot intend my kids would last happy if nosotros precisely gave them boxes for Christmas??? I'm pretty certain they would last precisely equally happy alongside boxes equally they would alongside whatever other toy... tempting...

Read More

Best Establishing a routine

I experience similar my kids send ameliorate in addition to are all together happier when they are given administration in addition to know what to expect. Lately I guide maintain been trying to honor the best daily routine that volition assist things expire every bit smoothly every bit possible. Without a routine things tin instruct awfully chaotic around here! And alongside the fourth dimension alter in addition to alongside days getting shorter, nosotros pass most belatedly afternoons in addition to nights indoors then guide maintain had to brand some adjustments. After trying some dissimilar things (what to create correct when the kids wake up, when to cease play time, when to fix dinner, what to guide maintain the kids create correct afterwards dinner, correct before bed, etc), I guide maintain lastly constitute a routine that plant best for us. For at in ane lawsuit at least! It seems similar whenever I experience similar I guide maintain things downwards something happens in addition to my basis is turned upside downwards again... similar what we'll live bringing dwelling family 4 months from at in ane lawsuit :)

Here's what our daily routine looks like:

* Read books to whoever wakes upward outset until some other lilliputian trunk joins us
* Breakfast
* Clean upward breakfast spell the kids play
* Get dressed, brand bed
* At this point, upward until dinner, our days vary a lot in addition to are real flexible. Sometimes we'll come across upward alongside friends for a playgroup, expire to the library, expire to the grocery store, play inwards the basement spell I practice or move on some project, expire to the commons (although our commons days are virtually over... sad!), color, play alongside playdough... whatsoever nosotros necessitate or desire to do
* John goes to schoolhouse from 11:45-3:30. Joe takes a nap in addition to I instruct some ane on ane fourth dimension alongside Dan... reading books, doing puzzles, making preparations for dinner, baking cookies or bread... I quite relish this fourth dimension of day!
*Dinner around 5:30 or 6. I've been trying to create all the prep move in addition to cleanup before inwards the afternoon then that all I guide maintain to create for dinner is lay something inwards the oven or opened upward the crockpot. This has helped a TON. The kids are ordinarily a lilliputian tired in addition to e'er hungry correct before dinner in addition to need a lot of my attention. Being prepared for dinner is belike the matter that has helped the most alongside things running smoothly at night. Especially since I'm ordinarily on my ain (Pete hasn't been getting dwelling family until seven or 8... hence the necessitate for a skillful routine!)
*After the kids convey their dishes to the sink they caput downwards to the basement or wherever they've been playing all twenty-four hours to construct clean upward spell I construct clean upward dinner. This is every bit good some other business office of our routine that has worked GREAT. We ordinarily move into a race, in addition to the kids guide maintain expire mighty fast!
* Pajamas
* Brush teeth
* Read books (John has to read 20 minutes each twenty-four hours for school)
* Read scriptures
* Say prayers
* To bed! Phew! If I tin instruct the kids to bed past times viii I consider it a success. That leaves two hours or then for me in addition to Pete. Then it's off to bed for me in addition to fourth dimension to create it all over again!

What things create yous guide maintain inwards your routine to assist things run smoother?

Read More

Best Family artwork

Over General Conference weekend, Pete, the kids together with I worked on creating to a greater extent than or less fine art to pose inwards the kids' bathroom. I institute these frames at a garage sale for $1 each, together with thence painted them cherry-red amongst to a greater extent than or less leftover pigment from to a greater extent than or less other project. I saw to a greater extent than or less like artwork at a children's infirmary together with used that equally the inspiration. Pete drew the smaller i for Dan to color, together with I drew the bigger i for John. But one-half vogue through coloring, the kids decided they wanted to operate together thence they could complete faster (I don't intend they understood that that wouldn't salve whatever fourth dimension inwards the end... oh well). I honey how they turned out! The kids LOVE to color, thence this was the perfect projection to proceed them somewhat busy thence nosotros could brain to Conference. And instantly their bath displays to a greater extent than or less really inexpensive (yet priceless!) artwork.

Read More