Entrusted Blog - Entries tagged "Creative Ideas" Pearly WhitesWhen I took Isaiah and Samuel, then three- and two-years old, to their first dentist appointment, we were shocked to learn that they had nine cavities between them both. I felt embarrassed in front of the dentist, receptionist and other moms in the... More Will You Tie This for Me?In these days of Velcro shoe fasteners and other latest things, are we losing the fine art of tying a shoe and other simple skills? We no longer darn socks, we just buy new ones. We forget how to add we just use a calculator. Who needs to learn how... More The Idea Jar“Mom.... I bored!…” Have you heard it yet this summer?... I have. One day while my children were happily playing, I used the time to myself to brainstorm a list of things I thought they’d enjoy doing. Later, I wrote these ideas on colorful strips of... More Traffic Jam of Children's ArtworkDo you have a traffic jam of children's artwork trying to make its way to your refrigerator? If so, try taking your children's beautiful art pieces to a printer (Office Max or Kinko's). Here you can have the art reduced down to a 4 x 6" size that... More Thank-you notesWhen someone is kind enough to give our children a gift or do a service for us, it is important to write a note or make a phone call to thank them. In our family, we had a rule that these gifts should not be played with until the person who gave the... More The Excellence AwardGo beyond verbal praise and make great memories too by creating an Excellence Award for your family. You can make a handmade plaque, create an award from poster board, or even give new life to an old trophy (thrift stores have lots of these). Slip... More Clashing with the Relatives at Easter DinnerHaving the relatives for Easter Dinner? It is one of the greatest joys in life to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus with family and friends. Whether you go all-out fancy or prefer simplicity, the details of your hospitality create a... More Mom's Home!Think about the amount of stuff that is brought into your home. Other than the day you moved in, what percentage of all the weekly items collected for the home, are brought to it by Mom? If your home is like mine, I find that I, Mom, bring about 90%... More Make Travel EasierWhen packing your kids' things for a trip or vacation, consider placing each day's outfit (including hair pretties, socks, undies, pants/shorts, shirt) in a large ziplock bag. Each evening, you just pull out the next day's bag for each child. They... More Words of EncouragementWhat a wonderful boost a word of encouragement can be! So many people crave verbal affirmation for their daily efforts, and when they receive even a small token of praise, their spirits are revived. This is even more true for our children. "...but... More Christmas PackagesChristmas is a favorite holiday for my family. I love wrapping gifts and displaying them under the tree several weeks before Christmas. But I have curious kids so I never put a card on the gifts. Instead, I make up a “code” for each child and write... More Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude In keeping with the observation of Thanksgiving, here are a couple of ideas to cultivate an "Attitude of Gratitude" within your family. THANKSGIVING TREE At the beginning of November, draw a tree (without leaves) on brown construction paper, cut it... More Have a file or folder for everythingI thrive on being organized. A professional organizer once told me that organization is not necessarily being clean, but how fast you can retrieve something. For me, a file for everything is the easiest and fastest way to get to the information... More Pop ProbationShopping for a family of five can be a full time job, especially when three are teenagers. When my kids were growing up, "Pop Probation" became a necessity in our family. Every month, I would buy all the soda, water, gatorade, vitamin water, etc.... MoreGiant Paper BallThis was one of our favorite party games. Wrap lots of candy and prizes with about six rolls of cheap toilet paper. Don't worry if the paper breaks apart while you are wrapping it. Have the participants stand outside in a large circle and toss the... More  Mr. Sticky and Mrs. FreshandfluffyHaving trouble wiping sticky faces and fingers? This is one of our favorite family cleanup solutions that we have done for years and years. You're not going to believe this, but I have a rag that is over 30 years old. Yes, it's raggedy and frayed,... MoreArt ProjectsFor those rainy spring days... Make lots of projects!!! Always have lots of art supplies: old pans, poster board, paints, etc. so you are always prepared when creativity strikes! Let the kids make messes and then teach them how to clean up... More |
|