Breakfast Tacos

Need something fast, healthy and warm for breakfast in the morning?

Nobody in my family ever gets tired of eating any type of Mexican food or breakfast food. We usually combine them both. The great thing about this recipe is that it can feed a crowd (or a big family!)

• Warm your corn tortillas on your stove.
• In a bowl, add 4 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk (can easily double the recipe).
• I add my seasonings into the egg mixture like taco seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Whisk.
• In a pan, melt butter/oil/Pam (whatever you prefer).
• Add eggs and cook.
• If you are adding chorizo, cook it with the eggs.
• Sprinkle Mexican blend cheese on top of eggs and let it melt.
• Spread beans onto your tortillas.
• Add the eggs.
• Delicioso!

One Little, Two Little, Three Little....

The kiddos had minimum days all this week, so I had to think of stuff to keep them busy.

They wanted to have a picnic today. I though it would be neat if they chose to be an Indian or a Pilgrim. We have this book at home One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims. In the book, they go through the life of a Pilgrim child, then go through the life and chores of an Indian child. The kids really like this book because of the repetition.

The Native American girls made their head pieces.

The Pilgrim put on a her head piece.

They got together and had a nice, relaxing picnic.

I'm Thankful for these peacemaking cuties!

Reasons Why I Am Thankful....

{{Acorns}}

This Acorn recipe was on Family Fun's website.
They were so tasty....!

We just melted chocolate and dipped a doughnut hole into it. After chopping up some nuts, we dipped the chocolate part into the nut bowl. The kids broke pretzel sticks in half then stuck one into the top part of the acorn. We let them dry on waxed paper.

This was a delicious Fall treat for the family.....!

Tis The Season....

Tis the season for GIVING.

I am so blessed. You are so blessed.

Even when we are down on our luck, there are still others out there who are in worse shape than me.

Even when I feel I hit rock bottom, I will praise and thank the Lord.

In our family, we try to instill the value of unconditional giving in our children.

Giving, not because we want or expect something in return, but giving because we are called to give.

The kids grasp this concept fairly well. If they see someone on the side of the road, they will ask if they can help them- whether in money or food. They like to be the ones that hand it to them.

If you feel in your heart that you have been wanting to give to someone, anyone, but just needed a nudge-well, here it is! Nudge*

The truth is, now more than ever, there are so many people out there that need a helping hand. Just look around you and you will see an area that might need your attention.

You can give BIG or you can give small; but when you give it affects someone, somewhere.

• Adopt a Highway. Pick up trash with your family and teach them how to give back to the Earth. Start smaller and pick up trash at a local park.
• Ring the bell for the Salvation Army. Those people that ring the bell outside of stores, those are volunteers. All the money goes towards the Salvation Army, which is used in so many ways. Noe and I rang the bell for a Date Night one year, and had so much fun!
• Collect coats and drop them off at a local homeless shelter. Ask friends and family or church members. Gather your kids up and head out to drop them off. We have also collected children's coats and donated them to a children's center.
• Volunteer handing out Thanksgiving dinners. We live in a small town and a few years ago lived in another small town 10 minutes away from here. In both towns, the local restaurants cook and serve Thanksgiving dinners to the community, those who are in need. If these tiny towns do this, I'm sure they do this in almost any place. If your family cannot make it on Thanksgiving day to help, the day before they usually need help prepping or they usually need donations.
• Sell hot chocolate and cookies in front of your house. Maybe advertise before hand? When families are driving by looking at Christmas lights they can stop and enjoy. Donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.
• Give cookies or bake bread to take to the police or fire station. All my kids usually argue who carries the plate, so they've been getting four plates lately. Make a note that says "Thank you!"
• Around Christmas time, foster homes are in need of people to buy gifts for the kids. You can choose a male or female and age groups even. Talking to the kids about why we are giving to these children, is what makes this special and makes them excited to help.
• During the year, life gets too busy to connect with the neighbors. I look forward every year to passing out a special treat and Christmas card to our neighbors. It gives us a few minutes to chat and catch up.
• Go around the neighborhood and ask for canned goods. Simple. Just knock on doors and see if they have anything they can donate. Drop the canned goods off at a shelter. While you are there, ask if they need help serving dinners. They usually always need any donations, even tolietries and Bibles.
• Operation Christmas Child is one of my favorite ways to give. Fill a shoe box up with presents, take it to a drop off point or mail it, and they send it to a child in need around the world. I take the kids to the Dollar Store and we fill up a tupperware full of gifts (tupperware so it doesn't crush in the mail).
• If you don't have time, donate money.

I bought a book that is entitled 101 Ways To Reach Your Community. Here are some ideas from that book that I thought would be neat to do- alone or with a group. I love talking to people about the Lord and helping. Sometimes, it takes me outside my comfort zone. It takes my husband WAY outside his comfort zone. It's alright though. It's what we are called to do.

• Umbrella escort. Stand in front of a store, ask ahead of time, and simply walk people to their cars when it is raining with an umbrella over their heads. If they ask why, just say that you wanted to be kind.
• Christmas Gift Wrapping. Ask a mall if you can set up a gift wrap station. Buy some paper and supplies in bulk and put up a sign that says Kindness in Progess.
• Raking or mowing lawns. The Lord knows, when I am pregnant and Noe is gone all summer how I long for someone to come and mow my lawn. What a wonderful gift or token of affection this would be for a neighbor or the older couple down the street?!
• Make Winter Survival Kits and pass them out. Complete with tissues, lip balm and cough drops.
• Christmas Tree giveaway. Buy a few extra Christmas trees this year, put them in the back of your truck. Head out to a needy area, and knock on their doors asking if they would like a tree. Do you know how many people can't afford trees?

Some of these ideas require time, some require money. All require putting your heart into it.

If you are really wanting to give of your finances, a good way is reserving a portion of your money each month to be used for some type of ministry. You can also ask friends and family to help purchase things.

Chances are most people just don't know how to get started. Chances are changing a persons life, will require getting outside your comfort zone. Chances are, you will love giving.

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 16: 17

What are some ways you give or want to give? I love when you inspire me!

Christmas {Advent}

I'm not quite finished with our advent calendar yet.
 Who am I kidding, I'll probably get to finishing it up right after Thanksgiving?! I keep seeing all these adorable advent calendars being posted. They are so inspiring.
There are so many types of advent calendars: a treat for each day, a surprise, an activity, a prayer. In our home, each day leading up to Christmas we have an activity planned.
Every year I have just used a countdown chain with the activity written on each link. I wanted to try something new this year. Hopefully it works {fingers crossed.}
 However, our activities are pretty much the same each year. We have alot of traditions that we love to do. I wanted to post some of our traditions just in case someone is looking for a few ideas.

This is our advent calendar/to-do list for Christmas:

1. Make a paper countdown chain.

2. Write and mail letters to Santa.

3. Decorate house and listen to Christmas music. {Another Check, although couldn't find my Christmas CD. Luckily there's Christmas music on the radio. Now I have to clean my radio cabinet.}
4. Watch a Christmas movie.

5. Take Christmas card pictures and order cards.

6. Camp out next to fireplace in living room with hot chocolate and smores.

7. Make jam. {Made Grape and Strawberry}

8. Make snowflakes.

9. Finish up all the Christmas gifts and wrap.

10. Read a Christmas story.

11. Mom does kids chore day.

12. Cut down our tree and decorate.

13. Make ornaments.

14. Bake bread.

15. Eat dinner backwards, starting with dessert.

16. Drive around and look at Christmas lights.

17. Wrap teachers gifts.

18. Bake and decorate cookies.

19. Cookie party and pass out cookies to neighbors.

20. Donate canned goods. {Fed people in the community instead}

21. Make gingerbread houses.

22. Have an early Christmas with my side of the family.

23. Bake cupcakes. {Made Cake and Cookies}

24. Christmas Eve dinner and Bible story.

25. Christmas Day.

Potato Print Turkeys

Since we had all the kids at home this weekend, we decided to make a turkey project. The older kids get jealous when we make stuff while they are at school. I have been trying to save some things for when they are around.

We cut a potato in half and used the biggest part for the body of the turkey. Cutting a smaller circle piece of the potato towards the end, made the turkey head.

They dipped both potato circles in brown paint to make the turkey.

They kids also dipped their fingers in the paint to draw on legs.

When it dried, they glued feathers and googly eyes onto the turkey.

I had cut a beak and waddle for them to glue on as well.
The festive turkeys were all ready to hang up for decorations!

Thanksgiving Favorites

I'm finally getting my photo folders in order on my computer. I started looking through all of them, and awe....I love memories. Precious memories. The Lord has truly blessed us. You know when you look at your past pictures and think how fun that was, or how cute and little the kids were? I tell myself that I'm going to cherish each and every memory for now on- that is until the kids wake up and start fighting (ha).

Looking through our Thanksgiving photos, I picked a few of my favorite things that we have done in the past. I thought I would share them with you, because you all inspire me when I need it most!

These Mayflower Cupcakes were a big hit at the school.

We put Mayflower Ships on some of them and Fishes on the other cupcakes. The kids' eyes lit up when they saw them.

Noe made a Pilgrims Hat Centerpiece one year.

This might be my favorite centerpiece ever! He put felt around a potted plant and used cardboard for the rim of the hat.


Pilgrims Hat Cookies are scrumptious.
We also have made cookies like this with the same structure that looked like turkeys. They were bulkier and a little harder to eat though (Feel free to message me if you have questions on how to do these).

Awe...and the kids made these Turkey Placecards for all our family members.
They dipped their hands in brown paint and put on cardstock. They glued feathers, eyes and a beak onto the turkey.
~
Another Thanksgiving Placecard we did, but I couldn't find a picture of them that was great. They were eaten in the pictures. We used sugar ice cream cones and put M&M's and Runts inside of them. With icing, I piped all the guests names on top. So, it looked like a Cornucopia Namecard.

{Displaying} Art Work

I think it's really important for the kids to have a little section in their room to display artwork.
They love to show everyone that comes over, their artwork...!
 Displays can be super affordable and cute at the same time.

In the Girl's Bug Room, they have an inexpensive cork board that I painted green. I sewn caterpillars out of pompoms and hot glued them to the border of the board.

For Maelyn's Divalicious Room, we hung strings of ribbon with bows on the sides to coordinate with her room. We painted clothespins to match. This artwork display makes it easy for her to hang up her projects.

 Noah has a wooden frame that I decorated and added ribbon onto. He attaches his work with clothespins as well. As they get older, they do less and less projects at school.

A simple way to decorate a cork board is just to drape fabric over the front. I used a staple gun to secure it into the wood border. This board is used in our command center with our family mission statement and some other fun quotes.

My favorite way to display their artwork is still this board that I bought. It's adorable...!

I'm curious to see how others show their kiddos work off.

{Handprint} Cake

Last year, I wanted to make a cake that had some type of turkey on it for Thanksgiving.

Each cake I saw, was either shaped like a turkey or just didn't do it for me. I came up with this cute handprint turkey cake that wouldn't gross me out if we cut into it!

• I baked 2 -8 inch round cakes.
• When cooled, they were leveled with a knife making them straight.
• Place 1 round on the cake board and put filling on top of it. Then place the 2nd cake on top.
• Crumb coat the cakes all around.
• Sometimes, placing it in the freezer after prevents crumbs from surfacing as well.
• Choose your frosting and cover the entire cake.
• For the turkey, you can either..... place your child's hand gently on top of the cake and sketch it with a toothpick, then fill it in with brown frosting- OR- what I did was... I got a piece of parchament paper and sketched my son's handprint onto it. Then I flipped it over and used it as an outline. With frosting, I piped the outline to the hand. I then made the frosting thinner by adding a little water at a time. I filled the handprint in with the thinner frosting. The handprint was put into the freezer. Once it was hard, I gently peeled it off. (I do this technique when copying comic books or any type of characters as well).
• Decorate your turkey! The feathers were made from a leaf tip.
• Lastly, pipe a border. It looks cute and finished and more professional!
  ~

GOBBLE IT UP!

Silly Turkeys

My husband traced these turkeys out of a book that we have, then he cut them out.

I was going to have the kids write what they were thankful for on the feathers, but the turkeys looked too silly to be serious!

So, I asked the kids what silly things they were thankful for....

These are all their answers, I didn't change them at all.

A few things that Carmendee is thankful for are...the letter Ee, eating bananas and her Superman costume.

Patience is thankful for these silly things....chicken bones, gold sparkly nail polish and when Giselle eats strawberries.

Sometimes it's the little, silly things that count in life that make us happy.

{Turkey} Trap

After I did the "elaborate" Leprachaun Trap this year, my husband decided to take over in the trap department.

We wanted to catch Turkey Gobbler for Thanksgiving. So, Noe made this more complex trap.

We tested the trap out on our poor, defenseless Guinea Pig.

It worked! We trapped her in the net.

She was mad so we gave her a bowl of fruits and vegetables, so she would stop grunting at us!

We set the trap back up for the Turkey Gobbler. It's really cold and windy outside, so we put the trap by our living room window.

In the morning, this is what the kids found!

Feathers, Candy Corn and a Note that said "You tried to catch me, but I can't be beat. So I left some candy for you to eat!"

Maelyn asked "How did Turkey Gobbler write?" Noah said "With his beak!" That made sense to her.

Maelyn then asked if the feathers were from the turkey and we told her "yes." So, then she said "Aw...I can't play with them then because bird feathers have germs."

Pumpkin Pie Dip.

A couple of years ago, I found this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Dip.

It is such a creamy, yummy dip and oh so perfect for the Fall season!

You can use your leftover canned pumpkin for baking or pumpkin pancakes.

Ingredients

1 package (8 0z) softened cream cheese

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth.
• Beat in the pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger until blended.
• Serve with apples, pears, gingersnaps, or on any nut breads. 

CoRnY!!!!

I decided to have the kids make Corn Cobs today for a Fall project.

I was trying to think of ways to get the kernel-y effect when I remembered the Oogie Boogie's we made.

Here are the supplies we used: 3 colors of paint, yellow & green construction paper, glue, bubble wrap, pipe cleaner, paint brush and scissors.

First, we cut the Corn Cob out of the construction paper.

I eyeball everything. You can trace and then cut if necessary.
 

Next, we cut a piece of bubble wrap and spread the 3 colors of paint on it like so.

Gently pat the yellow Corn part with the paint, turning it different ways, layering the colors.
 

Glue it all together.

Lastly, cut the pipe cleaners and stick on to the leaves for a 3D effect.

It would look really cool with raffia on it as the little stringy things.
 

One of our Corn Cobs is finished.

I couldn't find the picture of it dry in my folders. *Sheesh, I really need to organize my files!*

Halloween {Day}

For a SPOOKY breakfast treat, Noe made Ghost Pancakes with Chocolate Chip accents.
 Mom and Dad have been on a Biscuits'N'Gravy kick lately, every Saturday before soccer we have some with coffee. So, the kids got pancakes and the adults had Biscuits'N'Gravy.

Carmendee watching her big brother play Soccer.

Noah is on the Silver Team. He had 2 games that day.

The kids dressed up as the Super Mario Characters.

Patience was Princess Peach.

Maelyn was Princess Daisy.
Carmendee was Toadette.
Of course, we all know what Mario looks like....Noah..!

They took pictures with their Cousins.

Flash, Snow White and Wolverine.

We spent the night with wonderful friends.
 A group of like 20 of us went Trick'Or'Treating.

Carmendee sorting through all her Loot.

We bobbed for Apples.

Last year, the two oldest had a hard time. They acted like they were going to drown..!

Maelyn's turn. She did pretty Good.
Pay is always so Dainty.
Carm picked them Up and said "I win!"
It must have been a FUN HALLOWEEN!