Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 113
May 22, 2013
Bookmaking for Kids: Accordion Envelope Books
The following post is from Kristina of Toddler Approved:
source: Kristina Buskirk
Bookmaking is a simple and fun way to get kids excited about reading and writing. When I was an elementary school teacher, bookmaking was always a favorite activity. I’ve recently started making books with my five year old, and he is now obsessed!
Simple accordion envelope books are an easy project for kids of all ages. They can also be turned into little gifts or cards for special people. Younger kids can just decorate or add stickers to the inserted pages and older kids can assemble the books and make mini books to go inside each pocket! Bookmaking can go on for hours or even days.
source: Kristina Buskirk
Supplies:
envelopes (I used 6 multicolored envelopes that were all the same size)
glue stick
hole punch
twine or ribbon
scissors
cardstock
markers/crayons
Directions:
Grab a bunch of envelopes and have the kids select which ones they want to use for their book. Make sure all of your envelopes are the same size. This is a fun way to practice patterning.
Using a glue stick, have the kids glue the envelope fold of one envelope to the backside of another envelope. Make sure all envelopes are lined up. Make the book as long as you want. When you are done, you should have one end that still has a triangle fold exposed, the rest should look like little pockets.
Once the envelopes are dry, fold them in accordion style so that every other one goes a different direction. The first envelope should be able to close and will end up being the cover of your book.
Hole punch the edge of the triangle fold on the first envelope. Loop a piece of ribbon or twine through the hole to create two ties. Close the book, wrap the ties around, knot them and you have a completed book!
We like to cut cardstock to go inside each envelope or make little books that fit perfectly. The littler the book, the more fun it is for older kids.
source: Kristina Buskirk
In addition to creating their own stories to go inside the pockets, kids could make an accordion envelope book for someone special. For a teacher gift, they could write special notes inside each pocket to share why they love their teacher. For a Father’s Day gift, they could write down activities that they want to do with their dad.
If your kids enjoy this activity, here are a few other fun bookmaking activities for kids that we’ve tried:
Paper clip Journals via Imagination Soup
Paper bag Books via Toddler Approved
Simple Book from One Sheet of Paper via Lauren Stringer
Have you ever made books with your kids?
Kristina is a mom of 2 and a former Special Ed teacher for children with communication disabilities. She blogs at Toddler Approved as she looks for ways to make life a little more fun and creative with her kids while embedding learning into everything that she does. Kristina tweets as @ToddlerApproved and can be found on FB and Pinterest.
Bookmaking for Kids: Accordion Envelope Books is a post from Life Your Way
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May 21, 2013
Printable Father’s Day Tie Cards
The following post is from Jason & Jennifer Bruce of New Season Design :
Father’s Day is just around the corner, and I’m sure the kids are going to want to make something fun just for Dad!
Have them break out the crayons, markers, and colored pencils and create a tie card just for him. You can choose stripes or polka dots, or create your own design using the blank tie template. (It might even be fun to draw Dad on his tie card!)
Color your design, cut on the lines, and fold right above the knot.
Then add your own message inside the tie, and surprise Dad with a unique card. He can tell all his friends that you got him a tie for Father’s Day!
Click here to download or print your tie cards.
How do you celebrate Father’s Day?
Jason & Jennifer Bruce are the husband-and-wife design team behind New Season Design, where they work together to help clients put their best foot forward online. Jason is a pastor-turned-graphic designer, and Jennifer is a teacher-turned-blog designer who also blogs at The Simple Pen about life, learning and the things she loves.
Printable Father’s Day Tie Cards is a post from Life Your Way
© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Family Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.
Surviving Summer Cookouts on an Allergy-Friendly Diet
The following post is from Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free:
source: iStock Photos
Memorial Day is right around the corner, and so are lots of summer cookouts, picnics, and BBQs.
Anyone on a restricted diet will tell you that invitations to these events can cause waves of anxiety, especially if the dietary change is new.
Do you accept the invitation? If so, do you eat? Will there be anything to eat? And, if you’ve got children who have specific dietary needs, how do you handle that?
Take a deep breath! It’s simpler than it may seem. Here are five simple survival tips that will ensure that you enjoy the event.
Eat before you show up.
This was my first line of defense for many years, especially when I didn’t have a close relationship with the hostess. I still use it today in certain situations, and it’s likely I’ll pack a snack or two if the event is long. I used to worry that people would wonder why I wasn’t eating, or why I was only eating fruits and veggies. I quickly learned that most people aren’t that concerned with my food.
Ask the hostess ahead of time about the menu.
I am most comfortable using this survival tip when I have a relationship with the hostess, if the event is intimate, or if they already know I can’t eat wheat or refined white sugar. I learned to do this the hard way. I was invited to a dinner party, and there were eight people in attendance, including my husband and I. I didn’t make the call ahead of time because I was worried about ‘causing a problem.’ I couldn’t eat anything that was served. The hostess was so embarrassed, though she gracefully whipped up a salad for my entree and some fresh fruit for dessert. I felt horrible and vowed I’d never put anyone in that position again.
Offer to bring food.
We were recently invited to a a three-year-old’s birthday party. Nate, my 15 month-old son, is gluten-free and dairy-free. I would have never contacted the hostess, but I couldn’t take him to a party where he couldn’t eat anything. So, I offered to bring dessert. She was quite gracious and accepted. This works well with dinner parties, too. Most of my friends and family are happy to have me bring a dish or two to share with everyone. And, I’m happy because I can eat.
Advocate for your children
Even when I’m attending a family get-together and everyone there knows about Nate’s diet, they often forget when it comes to planning the menu. I’ve learned that it’s not personal at all. People naturally revert to what they know when cooking and baking. I’ve had to constantly remind people that I need to have food that Nate can eat. Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but it’s my responsibility to take care of my son’s needs. This is another time when I offer to cook.
Don’t focus on the food.
As long as you or your child has an adequate meal, let the rest of it go. Learn to enjoy the people you’re with, even if you can’t share in the exact same meal they’re eating. It’s easy to feel on the outside when everyone else is eating cheeseburgers on tasty buns, and you’ve got a plate full of lettuce. Remember that the most important thing is spending time with those around you.
How do you handle meals? If you’re hosting an event, what do you do to include those who have food allergies?
A stay-at-home mom, wife, and passionate cook, Amy strives to make each meal healthy and delicious. When she’s not doing laundry, dishes, or caring for her son, she plays around with food in the kitchen developing new recipes, which she shares at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free. Amy also publishes The Balanced Platter and authored the book Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free: 180 Easy & Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less.
Surviving Summer Cookouts on an Allergy-Friendly Diet is a post from Life Your Way
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Cooper Tires #SpringSavings Event Through 6/30
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooper Tires for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
We spend a lot of time in the car each week — driving to and from “town” and visiting family in neighboring states. One of my least favorite ways to spend money is on basic car maintenance, but because of the number of miles we drive over the mountains each and every week, it’s unfortunately a hefty part of our budget!
If you’re in the market for new tires, don’t wait until you’re fishtailing down the road (like a certain, ahem, family I know did this past Christmas Eve!). Instead, pick up all new tires during the Cooper Tire Spring Savings Event between now and June 30!
When you purchase a new set of four qualifying Cooper tires through participating dealers in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico, you’ll be eligible to receive up to an $80 Visa prepaid card to use for a fun family outing this summer!
There’s tires for everyone, and Spring Savings Event eligible products include:
CS4 Touring
Discoverer CTS
Cooper Zeon RS3-S and RS3-A
Discoverer H/T
Discoverer HTP (available only at select U.S. retailers.)
Discoverer LSX and LSX Plus (available only at select U.S. retailers.)
Head here to find a local dealer and get your new tires ordered today!
Cooper Tires #SpringSavings Event Through 6/30 is a post from Life Your Way
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May 20, 2013
Weekly Reads + Your Favorite Genre {5/20/13}
Success! I actually read a book (or most of a book, LOL!) this week. I have a lot of work projects to do before the baby arrives, and while 5 months seems like a long time, I know it will go faster than we think, so I’m trying to make time for reading without sacrificing all of my project time. It’s a hard balance, especially because I’m have an all-or-nothing personality, but Good Reads informs me that I’m still ahead of schedule with 40 books read so far this year, so maybe there’s still hope of meeting my goal!
Head here to see Katie’s post for this week. We also want to know what you’re reading! Add your blog post to the linky below or leave a comment with your favorite reads from this week.
This Week’s Reads
When Love Calls (The Gregory Sisters Book #1) by Lorna Seilstad
Revell sent me a copy of When Love Calls to review, and although I carried it to Florida and back without so much as cracking it open, I’ve really enjoyed the sweetness of this love story this week.
When Hannah Gregory and her sisters are orphaned in the early 1900s, Hannah — an unconventional and sometimes irreverent young woman — is forced to quit law school to support her two younger sisters. She takes a job as a Hello Girl for the local telephone company in the midst of a union battle and is forced to follow strict rules of conduct in order to maintain her position — a task that she finds harder than the work itself. As she’s thrown together time and time again with a young and upcoming lawyer, Lincoln Cole, she finds herself resisting the budding romance despite Lincoln’s attempts at a more serious relationship.
What I really love about this book is the level of historical detail. From their speech and mannerisms to their clothing and automobiles, everything is described in exquisite detail that makes me feel as if I’m actually in the early twentieth century with the characters!
When Love Calls is available now from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
A Question for You
I have always loved historical fiction, but lately dystopian has been a close second as my favorite genre. Unfortunately, I think there is a lot more quality historical fiction on the market (and definitely a lot more historical fiction in general!) than there is dystopian, which means historical remains at the top purely because there’s more of it to read and enjoy. And because they offer different benefits — learning about different eras and events through the lens of a historical fiction book versus forcing me to really stop and think through a dystopian book — they really each have their own appeal.
What about you? What’s your favorite genre of book? Has it changed over time? What do you love about it?
Share Your Reading List
10 Ways to Create a Beautiful Summer Porch
The following post is from Lisa of The Pennington Point:
source: The Pennington Point
Ahhhh….summer is right around the corner. Outdoor grilling, swimming, heat, relaxing as a family. These are staples of summer in our family.
One thing I love is to sit outside with the family and hang out. In my mind, I can see Sheriff Taylor and Barney rocking on the porch playing old hymns and drinking lemonade. The good old days of people just being together with no electronics and no crazy schedules.
One way to encourage a good old-fashioned summer afternoon is by creating a welcoming, beautiful summer porch atmosphere. I have a big front porch (that we added on ourselves) but even a small porch can be inviting. Here are a few things you can do to add summer to your porch.
1.Bunting
source: The Pennington Point
Summer, bunting, apple pie and hot dogs. Right? If you have a porch rail or a good spot across the roof, bunting makes the house feel like summer! I got mine at the local hardware store.
2. Rocking Chairs
source: The Pennington Point
Like Andy and Barney, the rocking chair is essential to creating a cozy, front porch environment. If you have even the smallest porch space, try finding room for a rocking chair (or two!).
3. Ferns
source:The Pennington Point
What says classic front porch more than ferns? And they are so affordable! I got some last week for less than $7 each with the hooks all ready to hang.
4. Painted Rug
source: The Pennington Point
I love a little bit of the unexpected. Painting a rug on the floor is an easy, affordable way to dress up the porch. PLUS, it’s easy to change when you’re looking for a pick-me-up.
5. Evening Lights
source: The Pennington Point
A soft glow in the evening is a beautiful way to close out the day. I put Christmas lights along the edge of the ceiling and plug them in as the sun starts to set.
6. Fans
source: The Pennington Point
Here in Texas you need a breeze to cool you off. Be sure to use fans made for the outdoors. They cost a little more, but they will last longer.
7. Vines
source: The Pennington Point
It is so easy to grow vines along a porch rail. I planted jasmine a few years ago, and it comes back every spring and summer with no effort from me.
8. Swing
source: The Pennington Point
A swing invites adults and kids alike to sit a spell and enjoy the warm summer afternoon. I didn’t have room for a swing right on the porch, so I hung one right in front of the porch steps.
9. Color
source: Imparting Grace
A pop of color makes the porch playful and fun. Flowers are great for adding color. If you’re like me and you have a black thumb, you can use a bright accessory like pillows or a sign.
10. Toys
source: The Pennington Point
We keep wooden toys in a basket on our porch. It’s perfect for the little ones that can’t run off and play while moms sit and visit.
Do you have a porch you can make beautiful for summer?
Lisa winds through her little Texas farm house every night, tucking in her nine homeschooled children and turning off lights. Then she scans the rooms & makes a mental list of what she wants to rearrange, restore or paint. Her husband of 27 years hangs on for the ride while she blogs about it over at The Pennington Point.
10 Ways to Create a Beautiful Summer Porch is a post from Life Your Way
© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of DIY Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.
Get 5 Real Food eBooks from Kitchen Stewardship for Just $7.40 {BundleoftheWeek.com}
This week at BundleoftheWeek.com, add five Kitchen Stewardship ebooks to your library at a fraction of their regular price! Whether you’re already a fan of the talented Katie Kimball or just hearing about these ebooks for the first time, this collection of real food ebooks includes not just recipes but plenty of information to empower you on your real food journey — and it’s available at almost 80% off retail this week only. Plus, purchasers will receive a special coupon code to purchase Katie’s latest ebook, Better Than a Box, at just 50%!
From soaking grains and using beans to stretch your budget to dozens of snack recipes for busy families on the go and tasty desserts that won’t leave you feeling deprived, Katie’s ebooks offer recipes and kitchen tips for every meal of the day.
P.S. Even if you’ve already got one or two of these ebooks in your collection, this collection offers a great value for the remaining books. And you’re welcome to pass on your duplicates to a friend or family member to encourage them in their real food journey as well!
With your purchase, you’ll get all five of the following ebooks:
Healthy Snacks to Go (2nd Edition) by Katie Kimball
The Everything Beans Book by Katie Kimball
Smart Sweets by Katie Kimball
Is Your Flour Wet? by Katie Kimball
The Family Camping Handbook by Katie Kimball
Even if you’re not interested in this week’s bundle, be sure to sign up for the BundleoftheWeek.com weekly newsletter so you can be the first to know about the latest bundle:
Get 5 Real Food eBooks from Kitchen Stewardship for Just $7.40 {BundleoftheWeek.com} is a post from Life Your Way
© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Food Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.
May 18, 2013
Weekend Reading: May 18, 2013
source: mandiehman on Instagram
I was a little worried that our girls would have trouble readjusting to “normal” life after three weeks in Florida and four days in Disney World, so I couldn’t help but be relieved when they woke up early on Tuesday morning and immediately headed outside to play, building a pioneer stove, riding their bikes and generally enjoying the freedom of the boonies. Although the heat drove them indoors later in the week, they continued their imaginative play with massive kitchen forts, princess and pirate dress up costumes and crafts of all kids.
It was definitely a proud mama moment to watch them jump right back into the kind of free play that is a hallmark of our values and parenting style, and I kinda want a fort like the one above just for myself!
Have you subscribed to our new weekly newsletter? Check out this week’s issue here and then be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future issues!
Here are some of my favorite posts from this week. As always, check out what I’m reading to see the other posts that make me stop and think. You’ll find new posts all week long!
Motherhood {Embrace Who You Are}
For the Mom Who Hates the Swings. | The Happiest Home
Real Moms Don’t Cook | NYTimes.com
The Perfect Mom Fallacy | Finding Joy
Family {Kids Will Be Kids}
Playing in the Grass May be the Key to Easing ADHD Symptoms | Inhabitots
Safety Second (Or Maybe Even Third) | Free Range Kids
Homeschool Versus Public School: A Few Thoughts | Writing and Living
Disney {On Princesses & Little Girls}
A Princess Paradigm Shift | The Simple Pen
This is the REAL Merida | Resourceful Mommy
Have a great weekend!
Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.
Weekend Reading: May 18, 2013 is a post from Life Your Way
© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Life Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.
May 17, 2013
Five Ways to Get Ready for Next School Year
The following post is from Angie of Many Little Blessings:
source: Lyn Lomasi
Although some homeschoolers do year round school, most homeschoolers are gearing up for a full or partial summer vacation in the next month. This offers homeschool parents a great opportunity to regroup and get ready for next school year. With just a few steps, you can help your family get ready for the next school year.
Here are the steps to get you in gear for next year:
Begin sorting through materials you’ve completed.
As you wrap up your school year, you need to decide what to do with all of your completed materials. If you have books or resources that you plan to use again in the future, but not for the next school year, you should find a plan to store them where you can easily find them again. In our small home, we have opted for a few under bed storage containers to store things we want to use again in the future.
If you have finished non-consumable materials that you don’t plan to use again, you need to decide whether you would like to just gift these to another family who might have need for them or if you would like to try to sell your old homeschool materials in order to use money for next year’s materials.
Attend a homeschool convention.
If you haven’t already found a homeschool convention to attend this year, it’s not too late to find one. These can help you learn about new ideas and tips from speakers, as well as a chance to view many homeschool materials in person at a vendor area. The vendor area is always a draw for me at any homeschool convention because you are able to learn so much more about the resource than just by reading about it and seeing a few samples online.
Organize your homeschool area.
Whether you are able to devote a whole room in your house to your homeschooling or you just have a closet or some boxes with materials, it is still important to make sure that your area is neat and organized. This becomes especially paramount at a time when you might be buying new materials for next year. Imagine the frustration you might feel if you order a new spelling book for little Janie, only to find that you had an extra one that you purchased for her last year when you found a good sale.
Organizing is a perfect time to take stock of what you had, make note of the materials that you were sure your family would love but that still sit untouched, and just make the whole area more user friendly.
Talk to your kids about what they would like to study.
As children get older, it becomes more important to get some feedback from them about what they would like to be studying in school. While I’m not suggesting that they get the final choice on everything, it can be nice to add in some of the things they are especially interested in. Doing this now can help you to have some time to make those additions to your school year for next year.
Read homeschool related books.
When you have some summer downtime, it can be the perfect time to finally find a moment to read a book that might help you get some new ideas to implement for next school year. Whether it’s a book to help you in the future (such as homeschooling in high school, if you have younger children) or a book that might help right now (like a new homeschooling method that you would like to try), it can be the perfect time to sit out on the porch and enjoy some restful reading time.
What are some things that you do in the summer to help you get ready for next school year?
Angie, a domestically-challenged writer and artist, is a homeschooling mom to three children. She writes about everything that happens in their lives between all the loads of laundry at Many Little Blessings. She is also the founder of The Homeschool Classroom, Catholic Mothers Online, and Just a Tiny Owl.
Five Ways to Get Ready for Next School Year is a post from Life Your Way
© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Family Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.
How to Have a Chilled Out Summer Routine & Make Working from Home Easy
The following post is from Prerna of The Mom Writes :
source: pixabay
Ahh.. the summer! We look forward to it and yet we dread it. We want the season to be filled with fun for the kids, but we also know that we need to get work done in the midst of it all.
How does one juggle everything and stay sane as well?
Here are 5 super-effective ways to cool down the heat this summer for fun and work:
1. Plan NOW.
That’s right. Planning ahead of time will help you be prepared when school is actually out. Jot down a routine that you’d follow. Outline activities to keep the kids busy while you knock off email or other tasks. Talk to other parents for play date swaps. Find a camp close to home for the kids to go to for a few hours every day. Planning now will go a LONG way in saving your sanity then.
2. Focus on essentials.
The slow summer season is NOT the time for you to be worrying about add-on projects or activities that can wait. Focus only on what really needs to be done from a work point-of-view. Everything else can wait. It can. Take a deep breath and tell yourself that.
3. Tackle productivity slumps.
The long, lazy summer days and the kids at home can all put you in a “holiday” mood with your productivity slumping every now and then. Tackling productivity slumps and getting your mojo back will ensure that you bounce back with ease.
4. Get support.
The summer is the perfect time to seek support. The best part is that you don’t have to shell out a lot or sign up for daycare. Think out-of-the box. How about a tween who’s home from school and who’ll be happy to earn a few dollars every week? Or how about a day summer camp where the kids can learn life skills while you knock off work for a few hours? Or how about asking your spouse if he or she can come home early a few days in the week so that you can escape to the coffee shop for work? Yes, you may need to use a combination of support systems to keep things running smoothly. That is why planning right now is so important.
5. Go easy.
Finally, remember that the summer is not going to last forever. School is going to start. Kids will go back to a routine. Your work will pick up. So, for now, go easy on yourself and everyone else. Savor the season and enjoy it.
What tips do YOU have for chilling out this summer as a work-at-home parent?
Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in being postively productive, parenting with love and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her journey and experiences with productivity and parenting at The Mom Writes.
How to Have a Chilled Out Summer Routine & Make Working from Home Easy is a post from Life Your Way
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