My 2-year-old and 4-year-old are really into crafts right now. They ask to draw, paint, make masks, create collages, or do something else creative every single day. I’ve found a number of cool Christmas crafts for them that yield secular symbols of Christmas (trees, wreaths, bells, etc.). I don’t have a problem with these, but I want to make … [Read more...] about 12 Crafts to Help Kids Understand the Christmas Story
Chocolate Cinnamon No-Bake Thumbprints
Many years ago, when I was a freshman in college, my roommate would use frosting, graham cracker crumbs, and a couple of other ingredients to make some tasty little no-bake cookies. I sent her a text message last year to ask if she remembered the recipe because I thought they might make a neat addition to the assortment of cookies I was making … [Read more...] about Chocolate Cinnamon No-Bake Thumbprints
26 White Elephant Gifts from Around the House
Pretty much every year of my adult life I’ve attended at least one holiday gathering where there was a white elephant gift exchange. Though the specific details vary, most of these have involved the exchange of silly, strange, or humorous gifts. I often scramble around the house a day or two before a white elephant gift exchange in an … [Read more...] about 26 White Elephant Gifts from Around the House
7 Ways to Keep Babies and Toddlers Out of Christmas Trees
Young kids love the bright lights and shiny ornaments on Christmas trees as much as we do. Unfortunately, they don’t want to appreciate these by gazing at them like we do—they want to touch and perhaps even taste them! This is first and foremost a safety issue, but it’s also a frustration for parents who want to decorate for … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Keep Babies and Toddlers Out of Christmas Trees
Convertible Car Seats that are Suitable for Newborns
Two weeks ago I shared 4 reasons to skip the infant car seat in favor of a convertible one. As I noted in that post, not all convertible car seats are suitable for newborns. However, a great number of convertible car seats are perfect for newborns. How can you tell which are suitable and which aren’t? I’ll share the answer to this … [Read more...] about Convertible Car Seats that are Suitable for Newborns
Why Do We Have Such a Hard Time Accepting Help?
A few months ago, when I was nearing the end of my third pregnancy, a friend from church asked if I needed help with anything. I didn’t give any thought to her question before I responded that we were doing fine and didn’t need any help. I thought about her question later that day, though, and realized that I actually did need help. … [Read more...] about Why Do We Have Such a Hard Time Accepting Help?
Autumn Snack Mix
My hands have been a little full recently, so I haven’t been doing a lot of baking. However, I still want to enjoy some delicious fall flavors. I came up with the idea for this snack mix when I was brainstorming snack ideas for my kids. They enjoyed it as much as I’d hoped! It’s not just for kids, though. Its complex mixture of flavors … [Read more...] about Autumn Snack Mix
4 Reasons to Skip the Infant Car Seat
When you’re purchasing a car seat for a baby, you have two options available to you: A rear-facing infant car seat or a rear-facing convertible car seat that is designed for use with infants. Typically, infant car seats work for babies for a maximum of one year (this will depend on the height and weight limits of a given seat, though there is … [Read more...] about 4 Reasons to Skip the Infant Car Seat
