Story Night: The Biggest Apple Ever!

Story Night: The Biggest Apple Ever!

I have had so many people say that they love seeing my posts on what I do with my kids on Wednesday nights and to "post the directions" or "can I have that recipe" so I decided to get the ol blog going with each night's events. With having 8 children, it can be very hard sometimes to get them all together at once. Somehow, no matter what the age, they love our Wednesday nights. Coming together with their siblings, crafting, discovering and learning, cooking or baking...it makes for a fun night! We go back and forth weekly between "Story Night" and "Discovery Night". Story Night is basically what it sounds like. We read a kid's book, usually pertaining to the season or holiday, do a craft that coincides with the story and also a dessert that is just as fun! Discovery Night is usually a science experiment also having to do with the season or holiday, no craft on this night, but still a yummy dessert! We switch off each week to keep the kids enthused on what will be coming next! 

September 18th was our first Fall event and it was a Story Night. 

We read "The Biggest Apple Ever!" Our craft creation were Apple Stamp Crates and our dessert was Apple Pie Snack Cups. 

Our Story: 

For our craft, we needed: 

Apple Halves

Red Craft Paint

Construction Paper: Green and Brown

Black Markers 

Glue

Dip the apple half in paint and just start stamping! Make sure to have them close together as you will be cutting the brown paper into strips to recreate a rickety crate design. The green paper will be used for tiny little leaves that will be glued down on the marker made stem. (see the finished pic below for a visual of how our crates came together)

The kids had fun stamping with something other than a foam stamp!

Our Apple Crates are ready to take to the Farmer's Market or in our house, The Art Wall.

We chose Apple Pie Snack Cups for our snack. So easy to make, just layering like a trifle! 

Find the recipe here: https://www.fivehearthome.com/apple-pie-trifle-snack-cup-recipe/

We used granny smith because we already had them on hand so ours will look a little different than from the site we found them on. The kids adore doing anything that requires no adult having to do it for them which is why the kids love these nights so much. Check out the smiles! 

Unfortunately, I deleted the final pic, but you can see it in the collage pic at the top of the page. Don't forget to watch for our first Discovery Night of Fall, coming soon! 

Til next time, 

2019 Goals!

2018 managed to fly (as do all years once you have children). I am not so sure that I hit all goals from last year and it is to be expected...I tend to set a ton of goals! One year, I will be able to say that I hit all, but for now...I will just put them up and work towards them, we will see what happens. Many are repeats....will 2019 be our year? 

1. Get in touch with old friends. This one is H-U-G-E for me. Whether it be just a "hello" on FB or getting together for lunch, I would love to be able to let my friends and family know that I am thinking of them. 

2.  Foster Animals. I set this as a goal last year and had a really hard time getting hubby to comply. He does not believe that we have time to give with everything we are constantly dealing with, but I feel differently. I believe there is always love to give...I hope this one becomes a reality in 2019. 

3. Make 1 mini trip per quarter. We take 2 vacations per year, 1 to Myrtle Beach (our second home) and to my in-laws who live in Emerald Isle. However, I am an explorer all the way and love finding diamonds in the rough and that means getting out and finding it! I mean...how else do you find a huge snowman in the middle of a country field?!!! This guy offers wonderful shaved ice in Portersville, PA. 

Did you know that you can feel the coziness and festivities of Christmas any time of the year at Tis the Season Christmas Shoppe in Millersburg, OH. 

How about getting an up close and personal ride with a real Amish person? You can do that at Hershberger Farm and Bakery also located in Millersburg, OH. 

Here's to 4 mini's this year! 

4. Hit Lifetime again. I do enjoy my food...I mean, who doesn't? Time to get to where it "doesn't show so much". Who is up for some portion control? Right here! 

5. #5 for last year was for Greg and I to finally finish our "Top 100 Love Movies on the Silver Screen" List....and WE DID!!!!! It took almost 5 years on the nose to do it, but we did! What a great bucket list! We will now be scouting out another list....dram...maybe comedy?

6. Always keep wishes....I tend to never want much of anything, always keeping what the kids need at the top of my list. I have found that when occasions coming around, everyone has to fight me for ideas on what I wish for. I am going to keep track this year, whether experiences or a few things that will make me smile. 

7. Pay it Forward...I have been a giving person my entire life. Every year, for many years, I have taken down a list of people to "pay it forward" to sometime during the year. This year, I have a different plan that will hit a lot more people when it is absolutely needed. I am excited for this new idea! 

8. Focus more on me and my family. I always make a plan to do more personally, but my work tends to always take the top priority...whether Avon or Flea Market, I never seem to manage my time correctly. This year...bucket lists for every season, family days, parent/child day out...they need it....I need it. 

8 Goals....lets do this!!! 

Book Review: God Bless My Family by Hannah Hall

Book Review: God Bless My Family by Hannah C. Hall

Book Summary: Family time makes each day more fun! These furry families are enjoying each moment together. Whether splashing in puddles with cousins after a rainy day, going on a walk with Grandma, or having a fun summer picnic, everyone has a special place in the family!

My Review: This book will give any family the reminder to enjoy each moment you have together. Make memories that will last a lifetime with all family members; close and extended. Memories last a lifetime!

2018 Goals!

So, every year, I make a list of "New Year's Resolutions." The definition of "Resolution" is a firm decision to do or not to do something. It also means the action of solving a problem, dispute or contentious matter. I don't feel that I have any problems in need of solving, but at the same time, although determined, I will not hate myself if I don't cross everything off on this list, but I will be trying my very best to hit all of the "goals" on my list for 2018.

This year, I really thought long and hard about my list...

1. Get in touch with past friends. I am a FB person all the way...I love the fact that I can see my friends and their families grow over time. I would like to get together sometime over the year for lunch with some friends from my past. I will be popping in to say "hello" on FB too!

2. Check into Fostering Animals. We have 4 cats of our own, but are really unable to have a dog. We make annual visits to the humane society and see grown cats in need of homes. I would love to be able to give these animals a loving place to stay until they can find a forever home.

3. Make 1 mini trip per quarter. We take 2 long vacations per year to Myrtle Beach and Emerald Isle, where my in-laws live, but are limited to those areas and we are explorers all the way! We love to experience new places and things to do and there are so many places with unique things to discover!! We made a trip to Butler this year (included Zelionople, Evans City, Cranberry, Portersville and Mars) for an overnight stay and it was one of the most fun trips we have ever taken! Sometimes you never know what you will find until you are there...for instance,

Would you have ever guessed that Butler has a Stealth Bomber sitting in the middle of a field on a country road? What is in it is even more amazing!! An incredible, hands on toy store!

How about the fact that Zelienople has a cool candy store that is famous for their triple chocolate dipped malt balls? Baldingers Foods from All Nations!

Evans City is the home of the filming of "Night of the Living Dead" That is me in a split screen with the movie clip. We loved finding all locations throughout the cemetery!

Don't get me started on the the huge snowman that serves shaved ice in the middle of nowhere and the city of Mars with a UFO planted right in the middle of town! 

Forget international travels, there is so much hidden just in the United States!

4. Hit Lifetime again. I have been back on Weight Watchers for the past year and seemed to hit a plateau that I just can't seem to pass. I was 7 lb away and the scale would not budge. Will I do it in 2018?

5. Finish "Love" Movie List and begin a new one. My husband and I have been working our way down the "Top 100 Love Movies on the Silver Screen." 

We began this list in September of 2013 and were determined to get it finished in 4 years, but it didn't happen. That is life popping in on ya! We have the last few that need to be watched and we will have graduated this list. We plan on coming up with another list after this one is completed. I think my hubby is ready for some comedies!

6. Write up my "wishes" I guess I always think I have everything I need, but come Christmas time, I always have people asking me for a list of items I "wish" to have. I am going to try my best to keep an ongoing list throughout the year for those who ask. 

7. Make more time for myself. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am full force into everything I do. If the goal is Presidents Club for Avon, I get there. If I have a certain amount of sales I want to hit for the Flea Market, I do it. Have a schedule to follow? I do it to a T! This year, I am going to carve some time in for me. Shut off work at a certain time and just focus on me....

That is all...7 goals for 2018!

Book Review: Really Woolly Christmas Blessings by Dayspring

Book Review: Really Woolly Christmas Blessings by Dayspring

Book Summary: 

Enjoy the blessings of Christmas!

Christmastime is full of blessings, and the Really Woolly characters celebrate every part of the season—from time with family and friends, to sledding and decorating, to the joy of giving to others.

Cuddle up close with your little one, and enjoy the precious rhymes, meaningful Bible verses, simple prayers, and endearing illustrations that teach about the greatest Christmas gift of all—the birth of Jesus.

My Review: My little one was so excited when this book arrived. Just right for his little hands, he carries this one to me all the time to read. Fun pics showing lots of seasonal family time. A great way to teach the kids, in a fun, colorful way, about the birth of Jesus and the reason for the season. This is a definite one to have around.

Book Review: God Gave Us Family by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Book Review: God Gave Us Family by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Book Summary: Little Pup’s wolf family is on their way to a special reunion—with lots of cousins, games, roasting marshmallows, and fun! As the young wolf thinks about different kinds of families, it’s the perfect opportunity for Mama and Papa to teach their inquisitive child about the families that God brings together. Some families are big and others are small, some are led by grandparents or just one parent, and some families include adopted little ones– yet each family is truly special. 

 
Even the members of Little Pup’s pack make up an important role in his family, although they sometimes pester him. Papa gently reminds his son…
 
“We need to love the family God gave us.”
 
A heartwarming and colorful addition to the best-selling God Gave Us series, this tale will delight young hearts and help them understand how families of all types reflect God’s unconditional love.

My Review: Another great "God Gave Us" book. With so many differences in families nowadays, this book is a wonderful way to teach your children how all families are made and work differently, but it makes them just as much of a family, no less. A really good reference that explains everything in a fun, childlike way. A great book for today's society.

Book Review: Color Squared by Lee Meredith

Book Review: Color Squared by Lee Meredith. I was sent this book by "Blogging for Books" in exchange for my honest review.

Book Summary: Paint-by-number meets the traditional coloring book in this brand new format that showcases pixelated images of cool and quirky nostalgia objects. Doodlers, artists, and puzzlers alike will enjoy this new take on coloring. With a focus on old favorites, pictures of things like cassette tapes, a rotary phone, and roller skates have been pixelated and rendered as numbered grids. To fill them in, users have options to vary the colors, just vary the shading, or even use different shapes or lines. Color Squared can relieve stress or challenge the mind, depending on the approach the reader chooses--but either way, it will keep the head and hands busy, and make for a fun trip down memory lane.

My Review: This is such a unique and more modern way of coloring! I have kids who are video game nuts and they were so excited about the idea of the pixelated images. They weren't sure what a rotary phone was, but that gave me the opportunity to explain some of the old school items of yesteryear...during my generation! Very calming and cool book!