Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From Our Family To Yours…

We are officially on sabbatical! My family and I are taking this week off to enjoy each other and celebrate Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas, peace, and safety. (I will be back on Monday, 12/30 with some New Year’s Eve goodies!)

Blessings, 
Miss Mom

Advent Activities

Advent Activities

Tis’ the season to unleash holiday traditions! We have many holiday traditions in our home and I am sure you do too. One of my favorites is Christmas tree pancakes. My boys both love pancakes and it’s something about them being green that make is so much more fun. As we countdown, my family has an Advent activity each day until Christmas morning. If you are looking for some new ways to celebrate, see if you can grab a few from our list.

1.   Make homemade ornaments (Pintrest is your friend!)

2.   Make Christmas play dough

3.   Build the Nativity scene (or Nativity Tour in your city!)

4.  View Christmas lights (check local listings)

5.   Bake Jesus a birthday cake (Pintrest!)

6.  Family holiday game night (I love these, grab you some!)

7.  Watch favorite Christmas movie

8.   Perform Random Acts of Kindness (RACKs)

9.   Make tortilla snowflakes

10.  Sort and donate old toys/games

11.  Sing along to Christmas music

12. Create an Advent chain (have ready by Dec 1)

13.  Bake Christmas cookies

14. Make gingerbread houses

15.  Enact the Christmas Story

16. Enjoy some outside winter fun

17. Make holiday-themed pancakes

18. Make homemade Christmas gifts

19. Make Christmas tree Rice Krispie Treats

20. Read your favorite Christmas book

21. Make homemade gift wrap

22. Paint w/ Christmas-scented paints (use link above for ideas)

23. Take Christmas pictures

24. Open Christmas Eve gift (clickhere for some cool tags)

Materials Needed:

1. Poster board (I chose green for Christmas.)
2. 13 envelopes (cut them in half for 25 "pockets")
3. Sharpie Marker (to write in numbers)
4. Glue 
5. Decorative items (cotton balls, stickers, glitter, etc)

Assembling your Calendar:

1. Number each pocket 1-25.
2. Write "Countdown to Christmas" at the top of your board.
3. Arrange and glue the pockets in numerical order.
4. Decorate your board and pockets. 
5. You can add decorate the # 25 special for Christmas Day!
   

 We added our calendar inserts inside each of the pockets for 24 days of holiday tradition fun! 

If you see some holiday traditions you want to include this year, you can download the Advent Activities HERE.

 We are always looking for more holiday traditions! 
Do you have any you'd like to share!


Remember, God created you for His glory!

 Blessings,
 Miss Mom

Gift Tags

!!FRIDAY FREEBIE!

In an effort to make Christmas and gift giving more meaningful, our family “shakes the tree” with three Christmas gifts per child. (My mother has a tradition of allowing my brothers and me to open one gift on the night of Christmas Eve. I just could not part with this tradition so likewise our sons do receive a Christmas Eve gift; but we do make it clear that their Christmas gifts are a set three resembling what Jesus was given.)

I normally choose two different gift wraps for both of my sons so I can easily know whose is who. However, I was having a hard time keeping up with which gift was which. After all, what sense does it make to have such a meaningful gift exchange and my sons are not aware of what they are and their mother keeps loosing track?

To help me (and include them), I created these cute, fun gift tags that label each present and includes a special poem to help them remember.

If you just so happen to give gifts in this same way, I have a freebie for you right before December!

Gift Tags: The 3 Gifts Jesus Received

Download it HERE!

Remember, God created you for His glory!

 Blessings, 
Miss Mom

Happy Thanksgiving

Image Credit: allthingscnn.com

I want to wish each and all of you a happy, safe Thanksgiving!

Today, I am thankful  for you reading! 

As a token of my gratitude, I have added a December Scripture Memory Chart for you!

Download your chart HERE!

Remember, God created you for His glory!

 Blessings, 
Miss Mom

Christmas Schooling

Christmas Schooling: Celebrating Advent

Christmas schooling is a time of learning centered around the Christmas season including Advent, the Christmas story, and other tenants of our faith. The mainline curriculum is put on hold so we can come together as a family and learn the true meaning of Christmas. Advent simply means “coming.” It is a time that we celebrate the birth of Christ leading up to Christmas Day.

Today, I wanted to share with you some of the activities and traditions we do in our Christmas School in this Advent season (with links.)

This is our top 20….

Jesse Tree

(We trace the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to God through devotional reading and ornament crafts.)

The Christmas Story

(We learn about the birth of Jesus and the reason for his birth.)

Servanthood

(We lend our time to feed the homeless, give random acts of kindness, and serve each other at home purposefully.)

Christmas Reading

(We countdown the days until Christmas by reading a holiday book each day.)

History of the Christmas Tree (and St. Nick)

Why Do We Call it Christmas?

(We watch a “What’s in the Bible?” DVD of the same name to better understand the history of Christmas and the real meaning.)

The Meaning of Christmas

(We use a cute activity with the acronym C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. that teaches us its meaning.)

Christmas Around the World 

(We read an e-book that list 12 countries and their Christmas traditions. We “pack” our suitcases, stamp our passports, and record what we have learned about each.)

Christmas Journal

(We follow a 15-day journal that teaches us some character concepts of the Christmas season: obedience, peace, joy, & charity)

Christmas Jokes

(We learn a joke a day for the 24 days leading to Christmas.)

Christmas: Myth or Truth?

(We learn that Christmas is a true, factual event.)

Family

(We feel it is important to spend some quality family together during this season, so we do!)

Meal Preparation & Hospitality

(The boys learn some valuable life skills as it relates to meals and etiquette.)

Christmas Crafts & Projects (stay tuned for an Advent Activities Calendar)

(I normally make a list of all the crafts and projects we will do to celebrate Christmas. We have a few traditional items but I add some new one each year as well.)

Names of Jesus

(We use a link of 24 chains that all include a different name of Jesus.)

How to wrap a gift

(Each year, I show the boys how to properly wrap a gift. We make our gift wrap too!)

Winter Solstice

(We learn more about the winter season and daylight savings. We have a cute activity that we do on Dec 21 to recognize the shortest day of the year.)

How to ice skate

(We are still learning, but every since my oldest has been 3 we ice skate and get better each year.)

Nativity

(We have figurines and cut outs that the boys use as I retell the story of Christmas. They love creating the scene as it unfolds through the story.)

How to give gifts

(I teach the boys what makes a gift important and the thought that should be behind it.)

          Tell us, what you do in your “Christmas School!”

Remember, God created you for His glory! 

 Blessings,
 Miss Mom

Christmas Reading

Advent: Christmas Reading

One of the ways we celebrate the Christmas Season is to countdown to Christmas Day through reading. A few days leading up to December 1^st I wrap 24 Christmas books in some festive holiday paper and place them in a basket under the tree. We put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving so it’s all ready to go in December.

Each one of my sons take turns each day choosing a book that we unwrap and read aloud together as a family. (Dad can narrate better that I can, but my character voices are superb!) I really love this Christmas tradition! It keeps the Christmas spirit alive, brings us together as a family, and encourages reading. (What mom wouldn’t love this?) Please feel free to adopt this tradition and grab some books from the list!

The Books That Made the List This Year

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree

Bear Stayed Up For Christmas

Cranberry Christmas

B is for Bethlehem

The Birds of Bethlehem

The Christmas Story

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How Do Dinosaurs SayMerry Christmas?

12 Days of Christmas

One Starry Night

The Night Before Christmas

What’s Coming for Christmas?

The Spirit of Christmas

Drummer Boy

Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas

Small, Medium, & Large

Christmas Farm

The Best Thing About Christmas

A Wish to be a Christmas Tree

Christmas in the Big Woods

Dream Snow

The House without aChristmas Tree

Silver Packages

Mooseletoe

A few Holiday favorites that we read all season long:

Legend of the Candy Cane

Jelatto the Christmas Mouse

The Best Thing about Christmas

The Christmas Story: Happy Day Books

God Gave Us Christmas

Grab a free winter/holiday themed reading chart HERE!

Remember, God created you for His glory! 

 Blessings, 
Miss Mom

Winter/Holiday Themed Reading Chart

Grab a free Winter/Holiday 

Reading Chart for readers K-5th!

 

Download the reading chart HERE.

Happy Holidays!

(Stay tuned tomorrow for a sample reading list of winter and holiday themed books.)

Remember, God created you for His glory! 

Blessings, 
Miss Mom

10 things I DO NOT want for Christmas

A few days ago I received a free Holiday Planning Workbook from Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup. As a part of the workbook, there is a goal worksheet (which I love) that asked "what are some things that I  DON'T" want to do this year.

I just adored how she channeled me not only to think about what I wanted but included what I didn't as well. I was already preparing some holiday fun and memories for my family that were more meaningful and purposeful but her workbook gave me the opportunity to get it all out.

So I began a list of things I DO NOT want. 

Here it is...

1. I DO NOT want holiday to pass us by without any real preparations and plans. 

(Make plans, on purpose plans!)

2. I DO NOT want my sons to have the wrong idea of Christmas.

(Continue to teach them about the Christmas Story; how it's center of our faith.)

3. I DO NOT want my family to be bored.

 (Plan fun activities, crafts, and outings for the family--stay tuned, I'm sharing.)

4. I DO NOT want my sons just to have more stuff.

(Implement a meaningful gift plan--already have it planned, stay tuned in Dec.)

5. I DO NOT want my family to take this season for granted.

(We will feed the homeless.)

6.   I DO NOT want to spend the entire holiday in the kitchen.

(Chose simpler recipes, assign boys cooking tasks, and get started early.)

7. I DO NOT want to forget the countdown til Christmas.

  (Make a countdown til Christmas Calendar-- stay tuned for pictures!)

8. I DO NOT want my boys to miss the opportunity to give 

(Have boys choose toys they can give up to donate.)

9. I DO NOT want to miss Operation Christmas Child this year.

(Order OCC supplies and pack our box!)

10. I DO NOT want to miss the Hawks' games this year!

(Order tickets early!)

What do you NOT WANT to do this Holiday Season?

Blessings, 
Miss Mom

ABCs of the Trinity

!!!FREEBIE FRIDAY!!!

Thank you for joining me, on what I hope is a Freeing Friday! We love Fridays at Men-In-Training! Mainly because we only school half a day. 

Today, I thought I'd share the ABCs of the Trinity. As we enter into the Christmas Season, I always find myself explaining the Trinity and the Names of Jesus to my sons. I created this resource last year to assist me and I figured there may be other moms who could use a free guide as well. Enjoy!

Download: ABCs of the Trinity

Spell Out Loud has a cute Trinity Snowman poem (w/ coloring sheet) if you're looking to tie it in with the Winter/Christmas theme.

Blessings, 
Miss Mom

Operation Christmas Child

We are so excited here in the Men-In-Training Household! We received our Operation Christmas Child package last night right in the nick of time. I had planned for us to do our OCC shopping today and pack our boxes tomorrow so its arrival could not be more perfect.

As a part of the Christmas season, I do my best to teach my sons about service and charity. I feel that it is important to learn how to serve others (with the correct attitude) and offer a hand to those in need.

OCC is a perfect way to add a tangible lesson of service and charity at the end of all my teachings and unit studies on the topic.

How?

You can order a pack and build together with a group or your family. Alternatively, you can search for ministries and organizations that support OCC and need helpers/packers. (Click here for packing information from Samaritan’s Purse.)

Choosing the Gift: Gender & Age

I love that OCC encourages packing parties but I have not (as of yet) been able to get anyone to commit to doing with us; so we do it together as a family. Since it’s a family affair, we normally begin by deciding the gender and age of a child we would like to bless. Since my husband is typically working, we complete a box together as a couple. So each child has their own box and my husband and I share.

Thinking & Planning

Next, I allow the boys to brainstorm what they think the child may want. (The kit comes with suggestions and ideas but I like the boys to add a personal touch and think about whom they may be blessing.) I usually have my oldest son write out what we want to include in our boxes. This creates our shopping list.

Shopping

The boys and I will visit Dollar Tree & Target for our shopping. They get a kick out of checking the list and placing the items in the cart. I do my best not to purchase anything else in this time; making the trip special and all about OCC. I will share the budget with my oldest son so he can keep up with some of the math as we shop. (He is really good with numbers.) This is a fun experience for us all and they feel all “adult” being able to shop and plan. (I only supervise.)

Sorting &Packing

Once we get home, they sort out all the items and begin to pack their boxes. You can pick up free boxes from Family Christian Bookstore or order through Samaritan’s Purse. Alternatively, you can just pack plastic shoe boxes. Since they are just $1 in the Dollar Tree, we opt for plastic boxes.

We normally discuss how the child will feel once they open up their boxes. Some of the dialogue here is, “I hope my box goes to Africa!” or “I hope a cool boy gets this one, a kid just like me!” And on and on they go in their excitement to help others. (As you can imagine, I enjoy listening in.) OCC asks for a $7 donation for shipping and delivery costs. One of the awesome features we love is the ability to track the package and see where it was delivered. (We will be using this feature for the first time this year.) So, I will actually be able to inform my sons if it made it to Africa or not. (wink, wink!) “Follow your box” is only available if you donate online.

Prayer

We pray for the children that will receive our boxes in advance. We desire for their Christmas Season to be a bit more special and memorable with their box. We also cover the workers and founders of OCC for making it possible for us to give in this way.

Dropping Off

There are several drop-off locations but we like to drop off at Family Christian Bookstore. We normally go in to browse and pick up something simple for the family. The drop off date ends on Monday, October 25; but you can ship your box:

Samaritan’s Purse

Operation Christmas Child

PO Box 3000

801 Bamboo Road

Boone, NC 28607

When You Give, You Receive Too!

Giving is such a blessed act. My family is afforded the opportunity to be a bit less selfish and concentrate on the needs of others. It is also a time of gratitude. We add various hygiene products in our boxes and even though we are not "well-off" it makes you stop and think; these kids don’t even have toothpaste and toothbrush. This continues to be a major-eye opener for my sons. In a society so driven by more and more…and more stuff, I am glad that giving (especially in this season) helps up to not be consumed by just more stuff.

Blessings, 
Miss Mom