Solar System

Talia has had an interest in the Solar System for a while now, so my scientist husband bought some foam balls and paint at the dollar store in preparation to make a model with her.

A couple of weeks ago, we all went to the library to pick up a couple of books about the planets. Then we came home & Ken coached the girls through painting the balls to look like the planets. They did a great job!


We figured out that it was easiest to paint the balls if we stuck them with a skewer (then their hands wouldn't get too covered in paint). Then we stuck the skewers in an egg carton to dry.


...and our solar system is awesome... but it remains in the egg carton ;) ...on my kitchen counter.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it. We thought of putting it in a box, painted black (with holes poked in it for stars- think fun with a flashlight ;), but that would take up a lot of space (like the egg carton is) and we want to keep it for a while. So, I thought of hanging them in the playroom, from fishing line... but I'm stuck at how to attach the fishing line to them.

Ideas?...

Moments

The other day when I was putting the clean knives away, this is what I found in their slots, courtesy of Katrina:

Easter

Hope you're all having a wonderful Easter today.



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If you're looking for this month's Sharing Time Link Up, you can find it here.

If you haven't seen my post on HowDoesShe, you should check it out here.

If you're looking for the Sharing Values Link Up, you can find it here.

If you're looking to enter the latest giveaway, you can find it here.

Sharing Values

Pssst.... do you like this "Sharing Values" idea?
Do you think I should continue posting this Link Up?

There are not many links added, and I'm trying to decide whether it just needs some time & a chance, or whether there just aren't enough people interested.

Please let me know what you think.

What is "Sharing Values"?
Something that I’m finding is more & more important to me is to find good ways to teach my children about values. From dressing modestly and using clean language to sexual purity and repentance, there are many values that I want to teach my children about and I know that many of you have the same desires and are finding creative and clever ways to explain, teach, and exemplify these things to your children (whether they be very young or already teenagers).

As blogger moms, we share many things with each other. We share our ideas, our experiences, our thoughts and our feelings. I’d like for us to share more of what we are doing to teach our children about these values that are important to us. Will you join with me in doing this? I’d like to start a “linky” that allows us to link up our blog posts that share our thoughts, experiences, and ideas about teaching our children about our values.

With Easter coming, this is a great time to do this as I know many of us are working to keep the true meaning alive!

So, you in?
Here's what you do:

1. Write a blog post that somehow shares
what you've done lately to teach values to your children
and include a link to our blog or grab the button below.
2. Link your blog post up on the "Linky" below
3. Visit the others who are sharing values
& show those moms some support and encouragement
by leaving a little blog love- let’s remind each other
that we’re not alone in our quest to raise good children
and to show them how important our values are! :)


To post the button, copy the code below & paste it into where you can edit the html of the post you've shared.
<a href="http://heathernow.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2j4pr0i.jpg"/></a>

How Does She Publish A Storybook?

You guys, I am so excited to be posting over at HowDoesShe today! I've been following this blog for a long time and I love the ideas they share over there. It's exciting to be invited to share some of mine! Here's a sneak peak at what I'll be posting about: This is a really fun project that Talia & I worked on together, so you won't want to miss it- but you'll have to click over to check it out- and I hope you'll take a moment to leave some comment love! ;) 

Sugar Bellies Boutique

Christina from Sugar Bellies Boutique sent us this adorable earflap hat with flowers to review. It really is adorable- Katrina has been wearing it whenever we go outside and she looks so cute in it. We've had people asking us where we got it (someone actually asked me if I made it- I wish! ;)


I'm truly impressed by what Christina can make- her hats are so cute! Let me show you a couple of my favourites:




Aren't they ridiculously cute?!

They're great for photographers looking for cute newborn hats and of course for parents who just want adorable hats for their kids! :)

Here's the best part: Christina is going to send one of you your very own earflap hat with flowers (just like the one Katrina is wearing in the photos above).

To enter, click over to Sugar Bellies Boutique, take a look around at her adorable products, then come back here & tell me what your favourite is!



[Follow at bottom of Blog][Facebook][Twitter]


Giveaway Details: This giveaway closes on Thursday, May 5th. The contest is open to Canada & the U.S. A winner will be chosen randomly from all of the comments. Winner will be contacted by email (please include your email in your comment if I can't find it through your profile). If you do not respond within 48 hours after I email you, a new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on the blog on May 7th.

Sparkly Easter Eggs & Other Easter Activities

We dyed some eggs this week & it was a lot of fun! I found a sparkly egg dying kit- perfect for a couple of girls like mine ;) They look great, but you can't touch them much or the sparkles come off ;)


The process involved dying the eggs normally, letting them dry, then putting them in some liquid stuff that was sticky (then blowing on it- hence the pic. of Ken & the girls ;) and dipping the egg in sparkles.


I'm so glad Ken got a shot of me with the girls!

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Here are some other fun things we've done for Easter that you might like to try this week:

Bunny Bubbles


Easter Finger Puppets


Easter Story Egg Hunt


Printable Egg Games


You've Been Egged!


Easter Egg Reading Hunt


Paper Doll Bunny


Easter Story Egg Countdown

Moments- "It's more appropriate"

Me: "I just have to go pee and when I come back, we're going to clean this room."

Talia: "You should say, 'I have to go to the washroom'- it's more appropriate."

...who taught her that? ;)


p.s. Here are the girls demonstrating the fun you can have with grapes:



Happy Monday! :)

Breakfast In Bed, Out of Bed

Thank you to Log Cabin for sponsoring my post about updated traditions in my household. To learn more about Log Cabin Syrups (which are all free of High Fructose Corn Syrup), breakfast for dinner, and other new ways to update traditions in your home, click here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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When I was growing up, it was a tradition to do breakfast in bed for a person’s birthday. I loved it!

We usually got our favourite breakfast & sometimes got to request what we wanted in advance. I always chose Cream of Wheat with brown sugar- it’s still my favourite! Ken & I continued this tradition after we were married and it didn’t take me long to learn that his favourite breakfast involves bacon & eggs (as seen in the photos from his 2010 & 2011 birthdays, below).


I can still remember the excitement of getting up early with my dad, to sneak around and prepare breakfast for my mom on her birthday. I also remember him slipping out for an early trip to the grocery store to pick up my Mom’s favourite treat (Peanut M&Ms) to put in a pretty little bowl on her breakfast tray, or to Tim Hortons to get some Doughnuts or Tim Bits (doughnut holes, for my American friends ;) as a special treat for one of my siblings on their birthday, or into the backyard to clip a rose to place on the tray.

I try to follow my dad’s example and make the breakfasts a little bit special with a little treat or some cut up strawberries, or a specially made placemat . I still remember one year my parents surprised me in my bed with breakfast & a huge cookie on a stick- I was so excited to get something unexpected!


Me on my 10th birthday- this must've been pre-Cream of Wheat,
it looks like pancakes- & note the bowl of candies :)
We have updated this tradition a little bit in our home. Instead of the birthday person staying in their bed to eat their breakfast after all of the excitement has died down, we have the birthday boy or girl come downstairs with their breakfast tray & join the family at the table. Then we all get to join in on the special breakfast & the excitement of the birthday!

This year Ken switched it up a little more for my birthday. He & Talia triumphantly appeared at my bedside with a covered tray. I lifted the cover to find a clever little note that Ken had written. It said:

Today we celebrate and sing "Happy Birthday to You!"
So you know that we love you and want you to be happy too.

To get the day started and in the right mood
I thought a good place to start was with food.

I thought and I thought how to fill all your wishes
(But I really didn't feel like doing any dishes!)

So get your winter coat and your hat or fedora
And get in the car to go eat out at Cora's!

We've had a lot of fun with this tradition and I'm really enjoying the way we've updated "Breakfast In Bed" to "Breakfast in Bed, Out of Bed"!

Sharing Values

I saw this video & knew immediately that I wanted to share it here.
Take a look and I hope you'll visit the links in this "Sharing Values" linky and link up some of your own experiences or other things you've seen on the web.




What is "Sharing Values"?
Something that I’m finding is more & more important to me is to find good ways to teach my children about values. From dressing modestly and using clean language to sexual purity and repentance, there are many values that I want to teach my children about and I know that many of you have the same desires and are finding creative and clever ways to explain, teach, and exemplify these things to your children (whether they be very young or already teenagers).

As blogger moms, we share many things with each other. We share our ideas, our experiences, our thoughts and our feelings. I’d like for us to share more of what we are doing to teach our children about these values that are important to us. Will you join with me in doing this? I’d like to start a “linky” that allows us to link up our blog posts that share our thoughts, experiences, and ideas about teaching our children about our values.

With Easter coming, this is a great time to do this as I know many of us are working to keep the true meaning alive!

So, you in?
Here's what you do:

1. Write a blog post that somehow shares
what you've done lately to teach values to your children
and include a link to our blog or grab the button below.
2. Link your blog post up on the "Linky" below
3. Visit the others who are sharing values
& show those moms some support and encouragement
by leaving a little blog love- let’s remind each other
that we’re not alone in our quest to raise good children
and to show them how important our values are! :)


To post the button, copy the code below & paste it into where you can edit the html of the post you've shared.
<a href="http://heathernow.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2j4pr0i.jpg"/></a>

------------------
p.s. Congratulations mom2girls, you won the set of Sparkle Farms Bloomer Shorts!

True Meaning of Easter Egg Hunt

Last year I posted about an Easter Egg Hunt that focussed on teaching the Easter Story and this year, I'm sharing another, different one.

We followed the idea posted about on HowDoesShe?, so go there if you want instructions on how to do it. It involves a scripture quote in each egg with a small item to represent what the quote is about.

Here's a photo that Misty posted at HowDoesShe?

(I figured there was no point taking photos for this blog post, to guide you through the process since she already put together such a beautiful tutorial over there!)

We did a couple of other things- I made two sets (one for us, and one to give away). Then for FHE, we went to a family's house & hid the eggs in their front yard & then left a note on their front door that looked like this:



It had a note inside that explained how to use the eggs for their Easter countdown.

The girls We all had so much fun hiding the eggs & then ringing the doorbell & trying to drive away fast (they totally caught us ;)

And now we're having fun & learning while we open each egg for our countdown- I think this will become an Easter tradition for us!

Storytelling (Stories From Your Life)

Okay you guys I just had to share these videos with you.
I think they're hilarious.
If you've ever heard a kid tell a story...
oh gosh, I don't care who you are, how could you not be amused?

These guys are genius at acting like kids & hearing the kids' voices coming out of these men is too funny for words.

If you've got a few minutes, watch them all- you'll get a good laugh! :)

....and then make a note to share funny stories from your life with your kids. They'll get a kick out of it! (I still remember clearly some of the stories that my parents told us- and I remember requesting the re-telling of some of those stories, over & over & over again :)



Here's their 1st episode:



2nd episode:



3rd episode:

The Oma Book

About 6 months ago I embarked on a project.

I had known for years that I wanted to document the stories of my Oma (my dad's mom)'s life. She grew up in Holland and emigrated to Canada when my dad was very young. She lived through a war. She's a spunky woman with a ton of stories. It needed to be done, and I wanted to do it.

Finally, in May of last year, I heard about Heritage Makers. I became a consultant and I started planning my project.


Here's what I did:

1. Together with my dad, I used Heritage Makers' "Life Story" Story Map (a collection of questions/topics to focus on in tellings someone's life story), to interview my Oma. He videotaped each of our interview sessions.

2. I started listing to the video & typing out the stories. (I included notes & questions about the spelling of Dutch names & places, and other details)

3. I would send my typed stories to my parents to review & they would take them with them on dinners out with my Oma, have her read them and correct them and add details.

4. I borrowed photo albums from my Oma & spent some time scanning old photos.


5. I chose an 8.5x11" storybook template from Heritage Makers that I liked the basic look of and went to work uploading photos and organizing them with their stories, into the template, and then altering it as I went.

6. I had family members review the final edit before ordering the book & counting down the days until its arrival at my doorstep!

I was so happy to see the completed project & to be able to give it to my Oma for Christmas. I could see that it meant a lot to her, and it means a lot to her family (each of her children got a copy).

I am so grateful for this wonderful keepsake that I will have to always remember my Oma's life, and that I will be able to share with my children and tell them her stories as they get older.

Sharing Values

Something that I’m finding is more & more important to me is to find good ways to teach my children about values. From dressing modestly and using clean language to sexual purity and repentance, there are many values that I want to teach my children about and I know that many of you have the same desires and are finding creative and clever ways to explain, teach, and exemplify these things to your children (whether they be very young or already teenagers).

As blogger moms, we share many things with each other. We share our ideas, our experiences, our thoughts and our feelings. I’d like for us to share more of what we are doing to teach our children about these values that are important to us. Will you join with me in doing this? I’d like to start a “linky” that allows us to link up our blog posts that share our thoughts, experiences, and ideas about teaching our children about our values.

With Easter coming, this is a great time to do this as I know many of us are working to keep the true meaning alive!

So, you in?
Here's what you do:

1. Write a blog post that somehow shares
what you've done lately to teach values to your children
and include a link to our blog or grab the button below.
2. Link your blog post up on the "Linky" below
3. Visit the others who are sharing values
& show those moms some support and encouragement
by leaving a little blog love- let’s remind each other
that we’re not alone in our quest to raise good children
and to show them how important our values are! :)


To post the button, copy the code below & paste it into where you can edit the html of the post you've shared.
<a href="http://heathernow.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2j4pr0i.jpg"/></a>

Upside Down Icicle

Last week we had some inbetween temperatures- the weather couldn't seem to decide to commit to Spring. Our tap in the backyard must have been dripping a bit because this is what I found one morning- an upside down icicle!

Birthday Restaurant

For Ken's birthday dinner, we created a little restaurant in our kitchen :) Here's What We Did: 1. Earlier in the week, we created a menu (every word was written by Talia, it was also illustrated by her) 2. Talia dressed in her apron & chef hat (and welcomed him to the birthday restaurant, saying "right this way" & showing him to his seat) 3. We fulfilled Daddy's order (right down to nutella on toast for an appetizer ;) It was a lot of fun & Talia was so great! We were wishing we had set up the video camera! (and of course, we used Ken's birthday placemat which the girls also made earlier in the week).  

Thoughts from General Conference

This month, we got to watch our church's General Conference.


I always enjoy listening to the messages that are shared there, but I especially enjoy the way that I can always take note of certain things that feel as if they were meant just for me.

Here are some of the things that stood out to me this time:

On the subject of marriage, Elder Scott talked about expressing gratitude for what your spouse does & shared some really cute stories of cute love notes and messages that he & his wife left for each other. There were some really creative, cute ideas that he shared! If you want to hear them, you can watch his talk here.

On the subject of parenting, I found it interesting that Elder Christofferson mentioned that parents can and must correct their chidlren- and if a person is in a position to correct and fails to do so, he is thinking of himself.

Elder Robbins' whole talk focussed on how we can help our children to develop Christlike attributes. I really liked this one- he focussed on the differences between "do"ing and "be"ing.

Perhaps the most poignant thing that I took from this Conference that I want to act on right away came while listening to the prophet, President Monson's talk. Talia was very excited to be able to see and listen to the prophet. In his talk he mentioned Easter and Talia turned to Ken & I with shining eyes and said, "I thought he would jsut talk about church things, but he talked about Easter!".... ouch. Let me just say that we had focussed on trying to teach the real Easter story in past years, and thought we were doing alright! I'll be posting on this subject in more detail in the future. ;)

Did you listen to conference?
What were some of the helpful things that you took away from it?

Birthday Breakfast In Bed

Growing up, breakfast in bed on your birthday was a tradition in my family. It's one that I always loved, so Ken & I have continued it with our family. Here's how we used our Birthday Placemat:


The girls were so happy, helping to prepare breakfast (Talia immediately went to find her baker's hat! :) It added some fun to it all, to put a candle in his toast. Katrina was singing "Happy Daddy to You" before we left the kitchen. :)

April Sharing Time

Come on over & check out this month's Sharing Time!

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While you're here, check out the new giveaway! :)