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The Simplest Of Toys Are Often The Very Best

March 17, 2016 by Quin 2 Comments

When it comes to gift giving, sometimes we go to extremes looking for the perfect toys for our kids, or their friends.

I’m here to say GIFT GIVING SHOULD NOT BE STRESSFUL.

Don’t underestimate the entertainment and joy of a simple rubber ball.

There are no batteries to be replaced, no tunes playing on repeat, no flashy lights. Despite the lack of “features”, a child can still have hours upon hours of fun kicking, rolling, and tossing the ball around.

A ball is a gift that is appreciated by any age.

Crawling babies can chase after a big ball.

A toddler takes such delight in a ball that is just their size.

School aged children can take a soccer or football outside and gather their friends around for a friendly game.  They can also toss & kick it around by themselves to pass time.

Teenagers can’t resist a bouncy ball, especially the larger sized super balls.

I’m a sucker for the balls that light up when you bounce them.  You can often find those at the dollar store.

Even my husband would be thrilled with a new football, basketball, or baseball!

So before you find yourself fretting over purchasing a gift, or feeling like a failure of a parent because your kid doesn’t have the cool new toys, remember this:

There is much joy to be had in owning a ball. The simplest of toys are often the very best.

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides

3 Cheap Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

February 12, 2016 by Quin 1 Comment

Cheap Valentine's Day gift ideas

Do you need a quick and cheap Valentine’s gift idea? Here you’ll find my top 3 cheap Valentine’s Day gift ideas.

My husband is notorious for saying “Don’t spend any money on me”, and then spending money on ME. The gifts he gives are simple and sweet, but still, I want to bless him too!

This post contains affiliate links.  Visit my disclosure tab for more details

He truly does not want a material gift handed to him. Crazy, I know! Hey, at least it saves us money! He will politely say thank you, but the chances are that he will never ever use the gift I give him, no matter how practical it is. IF on the rare occasion he does use the gift, it’s short lived and then it hangs out on his dresser until I stick it in the garage sale pile.

Sounds harsh, but it’s just the reality I’ve learned to live with, and that’s okay! I love that he’s a Godly Giver, I just wish he was more of a Gracious Receiver too.

Now the one exception to this is the water bottle I bought him for Christmas 2015. His old CamelBak was falling apart and leaking like crazy, so I upgraded him to a Contigo. He first tried to pass it off to one of the kids, but I insisted he use it, and he does. I ordered myself the nicer  Stainless Steel Contigo. I felt bad not getting him the upgraded bottle, but I knew it wasn’t his style.

You can search the web for THE BEST VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT, but at the end of the day, you know who you’re shopping for and you’ve got to keep them in mind.

• First of all, I’m bombarding his phone with mushy sweetness like the picture above. It’s free and fun!
• The kids and I recorded a video sharing what we love about him (I may share it to our YouTube Channel). I asked the kids questions (what do you love about Daddy? What is something Dad has taught you?, etc.) and they took turns answering them. My tip here is use your PAUSE button, and keep it fun.
• We’re having a Family Valentine’s Dinner where the kids and I will serve Mr.Awesome. My oldest loves to decorate the table with the good linens & dishes, so she’ll handle that. I’ll cook the main dish and offer help to the kids when I’m needed. It’s a group project!
• I’m giving him an IOU on a shirt from Amazon– because I didn’t plan far enough ahead and it takes 5-7 days to ship, even with Prime.

My objective here is to tell you don’t blow a ton of money on a gift, just because it’s Valentine’s Day. Being kind and thoughtful does not mean being foolish with your dollars to impress everyone.

Be fun, be goofy, & ENJOY this commercialized holiday by letting the most important thing be that you’ve found someone just as crazy as you to spend your days with. At least that’s how I look at it. 

TOGETHER is the very best place to be.

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides, Marriage

A Toy They All LOVE: Pattern Blocks by Learning Resources

December 26, 2015 by Quin 1 Comment

PatternBlocks1

We’re snowed in and enjoying our traditional post-Christmas morning. Ordinarily the kids would all be off in separate rooms happily occupied with their new toys, while Mr. Awesome and I continue trying to assemble whatever hasn’t been put together yet.


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This year though, the kids all woke up and gathered on the living room floor to play with little sister’s new pattern blocks from Learning Resources. It was such a sweet sight to see!

From ages 3-13 each of my kids are enjoying these blocks! I regret not buying them at the beginning of the school year when I was purchasing our 2015 homeschool curriculum.

I printed off some pattern block templates from PreKinders last night and laminated them front and back. Prior to this my youngest was sorting them by color into her new pots and pans for her kitchen.  That kept her busy for hours yesterday!

We also ordered the set of pattern blocks that came with cards, but those haven’t arrived yet. I think they will be a New Year’s Eve present (that’s a thing, right?).

I prefer wood toys, but after reading reviews about the color coming off of the wood pattern blocks by the same makers, I decided to go with the plastic ones. The wood may have been just fine, but I didn’t want to take any chances with our beige carpet.  These plastic ones have not disappointed us at all!  Even my husband and I have been playing with them…. for the kids, ya know? 😉

Anyway, I just wanted to share in case you have been on the fence about these. We’re loving them!

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides, Homeschool, Parenting Tagged With: Amazon Love, Gift Guides, Homeschool, Parenting

A Tripod Setup For YouTube and Periscope For Under $35!

October 17, 2015 by Quin 2 Comments

.This post contains affiliate links.

A camera tripod has been on my Amazon wish list basically ever since I bought my fancy camera back in December of 2014.  I’ve been worried about getting a cheap one and it tipping and breaking my camera.

I finally orderd one and was so happy when the UPS man delivered it!

Yay for making decisions!  Yay for packages delivered on time! 
Yay for new gadgets!
I went with an inexpensive Amazon Basics tripod and also ordered a cell phone adapter, so I could use my phone on the tripod as well (for YouTube videos).
After I got the cell phone adapter I quickly realized it’s the same as the top of a selfie stick, which I have a couple of, so I really didn’t need to purchase another one.  oops!
So if you already have a selfie stick, just twist the top portion off (the part that holds the cell phone) and twist it onto the tripod’s removable base part (or whatever that piece called).
What I love about this tripod:

·   It is super lightweight, 3lbs.

·   Its height is adjustable from 20 inches all the way to 60 inches, which is just perfect for what I need it for.

 ·
It has two built-in levels in different positions, so you can get a nice straight shot.

·
Once you have the little mounting plate screwed into the bottom of your camera (or selfie adapter) you can take the camera off quickly, snap a few shots, and snap it right back into the tripod.

·    It comes with a quality carrying case.  Oh & it also has a nice handle on the tripod!

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides

BEAUTY: DIY Lip Gloss

June 19, 2014 by Quin Leave a Comment

Here is a quick how-to on making your own lip gloss.
We used:
Coconut oil
Younique pigments
You can also start with a chapstick base & add pigments.
The coconut oil makes a great alternative to store bought glosses full of chemicals.  Fun gift idea!

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides, Health and Wellness

On Mother’s Day

May 11, 2014 by Quin Leave a Comment

Hey, can we talk?  I know it’s Mother’s Day. How are you feeling about that? Be honest.
I hope no matter what your answer comes out like, I pray you are content. I know that may not be the case though.
Being a mom looks different to each of us.  Some of us came by it young, others later in life.  Some are going it alone, others with help. Some through pregnancy and birth, some by adoption, others may have a more painful story to tell. Even more may still waiting and wishing to become a mother.  {To you I say, be faithful to the Lord.  Your strength will rise as you wait for His perfect timing}.
No matter your story, own it.  It’s yours.

If you aren’t feeling so great about this day, for a materialistic reason, like:

  • The gifts weren’t your first choice, or maybe never arrived. Despite your obvious hints!
  • The kids keep fighting.
  • You’re spending the day with your in-laws & that was the one thing you requested NOT to do.
  • No one is helping with anything.
  • You’re cooking for yourself and everyone else when YOU want to be the one to be waited on.
  • Fill in the blank_______________________.
Whatever, okay.  I get it, I do.  It stinks to not get your way.  I just ask that you’d actively choose joy in this day.  To me it’s not a day so much to be honored by my husband and kids, but a day to honor myself in  positive thoughts and spreading good cheer. A day to feel blessed to be a blessing to my blessings (did you follow that one??)
If you’re struggling, repeat after me:
“I will not whine today…I will not whine today… For crying outloud I’m the mom here and I said I will not whine today!”
Alright, do whatever works for you.
Now if this day is tough because you’ve got emotional hurt.  That’s another story.  There is some very real pain in miscarriage, having your child removed from your care, or waiting for a child to enter your life.  To that I want to encourage you to turn to God.  He is the only one who can fully heal your pain.  It’s worth the work of unpacking how you feel.  You’re worth it. I can’t blog something on this that would be worthy of your reading.  It’s too deep.  You need Him.  And He’s there for you, ready to purify your heavy heart and heal you so you can move on, once and for all.
Ps.  One last request, which will probably go unanswered, but I will not whine… 😉 Could you keep the social media to a minimum? Relish in the day, not the # of likes and comments a picture of your gift gets you or whatev. Be fully engaged with the real-life activities you are doing, not what is happening in the virtual world.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
One last thing.  It’s almost 1am & I’m sure this is full of typos.  If you’re new here, I’ll let you in on a secret.  I write quick and from the heart.  Days later I reread & find the mistakes.  Sometimes I fix them…sometimes I don’t.

Filed Under: All The Posts, Celebrate Absolutely Everything, Gift Guides, Parenting Tagged With: Celebrate Absolutely Everything, Gift Guides, Parenting

Challenge: Write A Letter

February 20, 2014 by Quin Leave a Comment

When was the last time you wrote a letter?  I mean a real pen and paper letter.
Let’s look beyond a sympathy card, because I’m hoping you still send those without being prompted.

It’s so easy to give a well wish through the internet.  But as easy as it is to give, it’s also easy to forget.  Especially when you’ve gotten 63 other birthday greetings {notifications} before noon.
I got a simple letter in the mail yesterday from a sweet
older lady I met 9 years ago.  She knows
my oldest daughter has dyslexia and sent a note to tell me to check out Henry
Winkler’s books.  Henry Winkler was “the
Fonz” on Happy Days.  He has a great
story about how when he found out his child had dyslexia,he realized he had
it too!  He has written books for children with dyslexia.  She just wanted
me to know.
The note was literally on a small piece of paper about the size of my hand, tri-folded and put in an envelope.  It made my day just seeing her name on the return address.  I felt so thankful that she thought of us and
took the time to mail a note telling about the books.
Challenge:
My challenge to you is to write a letter to someone this week.  It doesn’t need to be a long over thought masterpiece.  But it does need to be real.  Real pen, real paper, real words.  REALLY mail, or deliver it.
If you’d like to, take a picture sometime during the process and add it to your favorite social media site.  I personally am falling in love with Instagram.  Add hash tag #ASlightlyBetterWife

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides, Homeschool

Christmas Cheer: Simple Gift

December 19, 2013 by Quin Leave a Comment

Here’s a very simple gift for anyone on your list. 
We won big at our town Christmas Celebration (I’m talkin’ grand prize kind of big.  It blessed our socks off, folks!).  It was such a great surprise that we chose to turn some of that money back into blessing others. 
I purchased some $5 gift cards from the local coffee shop.  I also asked for a cup for each card, because I think it makes cute packaging. 
We stopped at another local store to buy some candy for filling. 
 
 
The basics
 
Put the envelope in first.
 
Fill with candy and snap the lid on. 
 
Some of the cups have ornaments or other things in them.  After looking at these I wish I would’ve bought more candy for filling (or eaten less while we were filling them).  I also wish I would’ve bought candy canes to stick in the straw holes.  That’s what I did a few years ago, and it really adds a nice touch. 
 
As a bonus, the kids got to help with this project.  What kid doesn’t love playing with candy, right?  We did color sorting, patterning, adding, multiplication and division.  Oh, and a little taste testing.  For quality control, ya know? 
 

Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: All The Posts, Celebrate Absolutely Everything, Gift Guides Tagged With: Celebrate Absolutely Everything, Gift Guides, Motherhood + Homemaking

Christmas Cheer: Neighbor Gift

December 19, 2013 by Quin Leave a Comment

 
Here is a simple neighbor gift I saw online a few years ago.  I wish I could remember where I first saw it, so I could give credit to the original poster. 
This simple gift has helped simplify our neighborhood Christmas giving, but is still a hands on project made with love. 
 
When we first built our home 8 years ago, we had just a handful of neighbors.  We also had just one child back then.  Making cookie platters and buying cutesy gifts was a breeze back then. 
Now, we have over 20 families in our neighborhood!  So not only does it get more difficult, it also gets more expensive.  I didn’t want to quit gift giving all together, because it’s something I enjoy doing.
 
I’m sure you don’t need instructions, but I’ll just outline what I did real quick.
 
Supplies:
Wrapping paper
Tape
Ribbon
Scissors
Cardstock
(a few years ago I hand cut & laminated all of the tags in the shape of gingerbread men. This year, I just chose cardstock & my big straight paper cutter).
 
What I Did:
I started with a blank word document & typed:
“WE HOPE YOU ARE GETTING WRAPPED UP IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON”
-I also added a family picture & the year, but that’s totally optional-
I printed the tags on cardstock.
Hole punched them (or you can make a little slice with your scissor and send the ribbon through).
Tie it around the roll
add a piece of tape to secure it.
Curl the ribbon.
Put on a Santa hat and deliver these door to door singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  Or, make your kids do it.  It’s character building.

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides

A Season For Giving

October 7, 2013 by Quin 1 Comment

Here in Iowa we are now in the season of fall. The colors of the leaves on the trees are absolutely beautiful here. The temps are cooler, and judging by the 2 blankets on my bed last night, It’s clear the seasons have definitely changed
But this is fall, not winter. . And surely not Christmas, right?
I’ll be the first to admit that I think it is ridiculous that the stores already have Christmas stuff out…
I think that it’s ridiculous because they’re putting the stuff out in hopes of gaining more income by extending the holiday season.
If you promise not to make fun of me, I’ll let you in on a little secret… Here in our household we are actually really excited about Christmas already!
We went Christmas shopping this past weekend and wrapped the presents today!
For the last several years we quit buying our kids massive amounts of Christmas presents. And some years we didn’t buy them any material things at all. It’s one of the best decisions we have EVER made.
Every Christmas the kids would get new toys and then spend the next several months fighting over them, and then the several months after that not even touching them.
So one year we decided that instead of getting our children presents, we would let them go shopping and pick out gifts for Operation Christmas Child.
I seriously believe that they have more fun picking out toys and packing the boxes for another kid then they do open up their own Christmas presents on Christmas morning.
Through this our kids have learned to be more caring and thoughtful of others. They have also learned to be thankful for what they have. And from my standpoint, as the momma, the house is sure a lot cleaner without extra toys at Christmas!
We end up spending about $20-$25 for each box that we pack. $7 goes towards shipping the box.  Which is pretty cheap considering when I send Christmas presents to my brother and his family in Virginia I spend about $20-$30 just on the shipping! You know, depending on how close to Christmas I get to the post office and how quickly I need the packages to arrive there.
I know we would spend more than $75 on Christmas presents for our 3 kids.
These OCC gifts are more than just new things for the kids to play with.  These little boxes may end up being the only gift these kids ever get in their whole entire life.  Each box is also a way for these children to learn about Jesus.
I encourage you to look into Operation Christmas Child and if you feel led to, do what you can to help their ministry.

Filed Under: All The Posts, Gift Guides, Parenting Tagged With: Encouragement, Parenting

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