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I’ve often spoke lovingly of “my farm.”  I spent part of my childhood, from about 1984 to 1989, living in a rented farmhouse on a hill overlooking a lake.  My Mom rented the place for $400 a month, and the property included a five bedroom farmhouse, a garage, a barn (with additional garage), the biggest yard I’ve ever seen, and a wonderful view.  The farm’s owners had named it Mandhari, which they told us was Swahili for “beautiful view.”  The name was totally appropriate.

I have so many memories of the farm.  I raised chickens, ducks and rabbits there for the County Fair.  My grandmother lived there with us for a number of years, as did my brother and my Daddy Jack.  It was the last place I remember my Mom being truly happy.  She spent her time planting rows of bachelor buttons and roses that bloomed along the fence, and she loved to sit in front of the barn with her sketchbook drawing pictures of the beautiful view.

She even painted a picture of our farm.  It hangs in my dining room.

We didn’t leave the farm by choice.  My grandmother was already gone – she passed in 1989 – and my Daddy Jack had already been asked to move out.  It was just Mom and I there when we were told that the place was sold.  We didn’t even know it was for sale.  We had to pack up a whole house, and barn, and two garages in a big hurry.  And we had nowhere to go and no money to get there.

But we left.  We left behind a lot of memories.  Probably a lot of debris, too.  Most everything we owned, even my toys, went to auction and brought us far less than we needed to move.  And Mom missed the farm until the day she died.

I often wondered about the farm.  I still drive by when I’m in the area.  The place looks well maintained, and that makes me happy.  But that’s all I knew.

Until this week.  I was perusing Pinterest and, as the Internet tends to work, one link led to another, and I found myself on the page of a pinner who had a link to her blog with a tagline “the little farm on the hill.”  That made me smile – I used to have a little farm on a hill.  I clicked the link on a whim.

And I saw my farm.

She had a photo of some chickens – chickens! – in front of my barn.  I recognized it immediately.  Other photos showed parts of the yard.  It is different – better maintained than we could manage, certainly – but it was our farm.

I nearly cried.  My farm.

Her blog appears to be inactive since February.  I hope that’s because she is busy planting and tending to her beautiful place.  I posted a comment on her blog asking her to reach out to me.  I hope she does.  I have so much to ask.

Was my playhouse still in the backyard when they moved there?  Daddy Jack and I built that together.

Did the hallway and staircase still have the bizarre American flag/bald eagle red, white, blue and gold wallpaper?  That was something else.

Was the blue spruce tree still there?  We stole that from Colorado.  Mom and Daddy Jack liked them so much that they dug a few up and brought them back to Wisconsin with us.

Did they use the plate racks that lined the dining room windows that overlooked the lake?  Mom put her cobalt blue plates up on the windows and the morning sun would shine through them and fill the room with beautiful blue hues.

Did you find out the hard way that the giant tree in the front yard has been filled with concrete?  That was a surprise to us too, and I can’t explain that one either.

And what about my cats?  We left a bunch of barn cats behind.  I missed them more than anything for years.

I hope that she reaches out to me.  I have to believe that my finding her blog was an amazing coincidence that was meant to happen.  Mostly though I’m glad that my place of so many memories appears to have such an able caretaker who realizes what a treasure she has in that farm.

It’s here, it’s here!  The Hello Mornings Winter 2013 challenge has begun!

(If you missed my previous posts on Hello Mornings, it is an online Bible study group based on Facebook and Twitter.  The purpose of Hello Mornings is to get up early every day to spend some time with God through study or prayer.  I did the last Hello Mornings study in 2012 and loved it.)

Morning comes early around here during the week.  I have to be out the door by about 6:45 a.m. to miss the traffic rush hour and get to work on time, and before I can do that at a bare minimum I have to get myself dressed and ready, get Jack dressed and ready, and feed and water the chickens.  The Hello Mornings studies definitely add another dimension to my morning schedule, but through some careful planning I’ve made my mornings more than manageable.  In fact, I’ve really started to enjoy my morning “quiet time.”  It helps center me for a busy day.

Prep work

Every night before bed I make sure that I have certain things prepped for the following morning.  I lay out my work clothes and pack my gym bag.  I lay out Jack’s clothes for him.  I make sure that the food I’m going to take to work for my lunch is prepped and ready to grab and go.  And for my Hello Mornings study, I make sure I have a section of the dining room table completely cleared off (with a preschooler in the house, there’s always some kind of project on our table – usually Legos, or trains), I set my Bible and my Hello Mornings binder out, I make sure I have a working pen, and I select a coffee cup and put it in the ready position on the Keurig.  Having that coffee cup ready is more of a mental thing than an actual time-saver, but it works for me.

I also make sure that my sink is shining and all of my dishes are clean and put away.  I get a wonderful mental boost when I start my day in a clean kitchen.

Buzz!  Buzz!

My alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m.  I always allow myself one tap on the snooze bar, but I think as a part of this challenge I’ll try to wean myself off of that.  I get up, make my coffee and fix a little breakfast – usually an egg or broiled grapefruit.  I sit down with my Bible study, my breakfast and my coffee.  I do my reading, write some notes, and spend some time contemplating the lesson of the day.  It is a peaceful time for me – the house is quiet and I have the time to myself.  It feels good.

If things are going well, I also like to get up and move around a little bit to start my day.  As a yoga practitioner, sun salutations or a similar awakening, invigorating set of stretches are my favorites.  I spend my days sitting at a desk so whatever movement I can get in during the day is welcome.

If all is going as planned, it is just about six a.m. by the time I finish my study and yoga, and it is time to get dressed, wake my son, and bring him breakfast.  I’ve had an hour of time to myself and it makes such a difference in my days and my attitude.  By the time 6:45 rolls around, I feel like I’ve accomplished the things I need to get done and I can leave my home knowing that my day has started off well.

I’m ready for this Hello Mornings challenge – bring on 5 a.m.!

When I was little (and when I was much older, too) my Mom used to sing a song to me:

I see the moon; the moon sees me

Down through the leaves of the old oak tree.

I tucked it away in my memory with all of the other nursery rhyme songs, like Hickory Dickory Dock and Three Blind Mice.  It was definitely one of my favorites.  I particularly liked the touch that Mom added to it:

Please let the light that shines on me

Shine on the one I love – that’s you!

She was always embellishing songs like that.  For example, I’m pretty sure that the real version of Eidelweiss didn’t include the word “fart.”  But Mom’s version did.  Mom’s was definitely superior.

I sing lots of songs to Jack.  Most of them end up with him telling me not to sing, but he’s fond of a just few when I’m singing:  Happy Birthday, the ABC song, Two Tickets to Paradise, and I See the Moon, the Moon Sees Me.

Funny how that one song, that one melody – something that my Mom said she heard on the radio in the 60s and that stuck with her – endured like this and found a place in Jack’s heart too.

And his favorite part?  The one part that makes him say “Let’s do it again!” over and over?

Please let the light that shines on me

Shine on the one I love - that’s you!

Image Source: Planetsforkids.org

In August I posted about my decision to embark on the Hello Mornings Bible study challenge, and how that decision really had a positive impact on my life.  The gist of the challenge is to wake up early every weekday to spend some time with the Bible.  Participants can use a particular study guide, or they can do their own study, but the purpose is to get into the Bible on a daily basis.  The real challenge was to make time for reading on a regular basis.

I loved the challenge.  It kept me engaged and interested, and the daily check-ins with my lovely Hello Mornings group on Facebook really kept me accountable.  The group was shepherded by an Accountability Captain whose took on the task of keeping us all engaged throughout the challenge.  She posted insightful and fun questions, fun pictures and inspiring quotes, and generally kept us all thinking about the challenge for the duration.

I was so inspired by the challenge that I offered to become an Accountability Captain for the upcoming challenge.  This next session starts January 28th and runs through April 26th 2013.

Would you like take on the Hello Mornings challenge and join me?  Signup starts today: January 16, 2013.  Registration is limited to just a one week window.

If you aren’t convinced, or if you want more information, please check out the Hello Mornings Frequently Asked Questions.

If you are ready to sign up and want to join me, registration starts here, and you can join my group at this link.

The Hello Mornings Challenge has been such a positive change for good in my life that I can’t help but want to share it with others.  If you aren’t sure but you’d like to give it a shot, go ahead and sign up.  I’ll walk you through it if you’d like, and I’d love to see you give it a try.  No Bible study experience needed – I’m sure an example of that!

I hope to see you in the challenge!

Merry Christmas Eve! Or as we call it around here:

Jack’s birthday.

Happy third birthday to my little guy, my “best friend,” my hugger, snuggler, train-loving, Daddy-chasing, hide and go seeking, wild and sweet boy.

We’ll spend Jack’s birthday celebrating a favorite tradition: watching White Christmas together as a family because that is the movie that we were watching when Jack entered the world three years ago. He was born while Bing was singing. What a treasured memory.

I’ve never experience so many smiles, laughs and hugs. Every day is full of something new and beautiful.

I’m so grateful for this wonderful little family of mine.

And, of course, because this post would be incomplete without a few photos, indulge me – won’t you?

Brand new. (And getting all that beautiful hair combed)

On his first birthday

Second birthday (toy-a-palooza!)

And today, we’ll celebrate the big “3.”  Happy birthday, baby boy.

And Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love,

The Monkey Butt Family – Jenn, Dan, Jack, six chickens and one parrot

Welcome to the November 2012 Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival: Gratitude and Traditions

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival hosted by Authentic Parenting and Living Peacefully with Children. This month our participants have written about gratitude and traditions by sharing what they are grateful for, how they share gratitude with their children, or about traditions they have with their families. The Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival will be taking a break in December, but we hope you will join us for the great line up of themes we have for 2013!

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With my Mom passing away just a few weeks before Thanksgiving this year I knew that the holiday would not be the same.  When I was growing up, Mom was the person who hosted the big family holiday party.  She’d plan and bake, cook and decorate, and the meal was always amazing.  As she grew older, other relatives began to host Thanksgiving, and for the past two years, I hosted a big Thanksgiving meal at our house as well.  Our family has shrunk considerably since those early days – loved ones have passed on, and family and friends have moved away and started lives in other places.  This year, with Mom gone, we celebrated the smallest Thanksgiving of my life:  my husband, my son, and me.

And we filled it with plenty of new traditions while honoring a few old ones.

Thanksgiving day began with homemade wheat flapjacks and the Macy’s Parade on television – a new family tradition.  Jack, almost three, is old enough to begin appreciating the balloons.  His humorous observations throughout the show made this parade an experience unlike any other for me.  The day started out light, lively, and filled with love.

Then the turkey prep began, and the differences between this Thanksgiving and previous years really hit me.  What time should I put in the turkey?  How long does Jello take to set?  My mom would have fielded questions like those.  She had all of the answers.  Without her this year, I took to Google, and I busted out a notebook to make notes.  It worked, sure, but it felt like an empty solution.

I took some time for my own tradition this year – in the middle of the day I took an hour to go for a run.  The time alone allowed me to collect my thoughts, and my mind wandered.  I thought about Mom.  I thought about our meal.  I thought about all of the things we had to be thankful for.  It was somber, yet refreshing.

Back home, it was go-time.  The turkey was looking great, so I had mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and dressing to attend to.   I called for all hands on deck.  Mom’s presence was again greatly missed – even the parts where she critiques my turkey or the consistency of my potatoes.  My husband masterfully carved the turkey, and soon the meal was ready.

And then, time for an old tradition:  the family china.

My grandmother’s Royal Doulton china only made an appearance on special occasions, typically Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The lively (er, loud) pattern is so familiar to me, yet I always delight in its details:  the yellow, purple, and red fruits.  The bird in flight.  There’s always a certain air of reverence when these dishes come out, and this Thanksgiving was no different.

Even Jack got to use the good china this year – a new first!  Previously, the good china was an “adults only” affair.

Then, after dinner was cleared and the dishes clean, we took part in a new tradition:  the post-meal scavenger hunt.  We dressed for the mild weather, grabbed our scavenger hunt list (a family playing football, a house with more than six cars in front of it, early Christmas decorations, a pet waiting to be let in, etc.) and crossed off the items one by one as we found them.  It was a great excuse to walk after such a large meal.

We closed the day with some quiet family time.  A cable network was playing the always-pleasant Shrek movies, so we sat and watched, relaxed and unwound.

I certainly miss some of the old traditions.  Without Mom around, the piano is quiet.  The house isn’t filled with guests and voices.  We are filling the voids left by the changes in our family by creating new traditions.
 

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Visit Living Peacefully with Children and Authentic Parenting to find out how you can participate in next year’s Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon November 30 with all the carnival links.)

• Counting My Blessings — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama expresses the importance of reflecting daily on all of her blessings, a ritual she shares with her daughter. Jennifer also shares a few things that she is most grateful for. .
• Thanksgiving — It really is true that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Vicky at Single Mother Ahoy had no choice but to be thankful for all the things that had a good go at finishing her off this year!
• My little gratitude list — Stone Age Parent provides a summary list of all that she is grateful for in her life, including her son, her family, her home, her friends and her country.
• Baking Bread and Nurturing Wonder— Amy W. at Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work shares her way of keeping family traditions alive and nurturing a sense of wonder and thankfulness for food through preparing homemade bread during the Holidays.
• Going Inside for the Winter Holidays — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children reflects that going inside, both physically and figuratively, allows her family to enjoy the winter season in peace and reflection with plenty of time for appreciation of the most important people in her life.
• Traditions — Sustainable Mum discusses the difficulty of establishing traditions that were important in her own childhood for her own children.
• Giving thanks for parenthood — Can we truly give thanks for both the darkness and the light on our parenting journey? Shonnie from Heart-Led Parenting shares her perspective on how gratitude for all that life offers is possible and essential.
• A Tree for the Birds— Alisha at Cinnamon and Sassafras shares her family’s new tradition of skipping a traditional Christmas tree in favor of one in the yard.
• Cultivating Gratitude In Children — Lindy at Poppy Soap Co. shares her unique plan for helping her son understand just how blessed they are as a family.
• Are You Truly Grateful — Laura at Authentic Parenting ponders about the ramifications of gratitude as a characteristic.
• Maintaining Traditions Through Family Changes — Jenn from Monkey Butt Junction talks about how changes in her family have led to changing traditions.

IF we decide to homeschool…

There’s a sentence I’ve started so many times, over and over again in my head.

IF we decide to homeschool, how do we teach things we aren’t experts on?

IF we decide to homeschool, how is our son going to make friends?

IF we decide to homeschool, how do I know my child won’t be missing out on the “school experience?”

IF we decide to homeschool, is my son going to be better off, or worse off for it?

That’s the ultimate question.

I’ve posted again and again and again about the ongoing debate that rages in my head on homeschooling.  As it stands, we’re “undecided” with a healthy dose of “not sure how it could possibly work out with our schedules.”  The will is there, but the logistics are not.  Which gives me plenty of time to think about those homeschooling IFs.

And plenty of time to assemble some great links that have helped me with my soul-searching.  The following is a collection of resources that I have collected during this time of reflection.

Is Homeschool Right for Our Family?

One of the first articles I ever read on homeschooling, this piece from Women of Spirit talked to five homeschooling families to find out what they do and why they do it.  I enjoyed how this piece showed that different families take different approaches to homeschooling.

Hodgepodge tackles the ultimate homeschool family’s question:  Are Your Children Socialized?

In Being the Homeschool Oddball, Jimmie’s Collage talks about how her varied approach to homeschool and why it works for her family.

Bright Ideas Press makes a convincing argument that even the less disorganized among us can effectively homeschool.

Curriculum Considerations, and Getting Started Without Getting Overwhelmed 

Under the Golden Apple Tree offers a great list of Six Things to Consider when Choosing Homeschool Curriculum.

Upside Down Homeschooling tackles the same topic with its list of Ten Things to Consider When Choosing Curriculum.

And Harrington Harmonies thinks you should consider these three things before choosing curriculum.

(And that, friends, was my own “homeschool” course on how to spell curriculum.  I never get that word write, but now that I’ve typed it out this many times, I think it is going to stick).

The general teaching resources at I Can Teach My Child are a wonderful place to start as well.  Organized by age as well as theme, they offer ideas for teaching tools, projects and more.

The Homeschool Classroom offers its own take, also organized by age and theme.

I loved this huge collection of homeschool curriculum links on Curriculum Choice.

General Advice, in Handy List Form

Cornerstone Confessions has a nice list of Top Ten Books for Homeschooling Moms.  The list features some nice overviews and “big picture” topics.

The Pelsers features a printable with ten little tidbits of advice on homeschooling.  Even for those who have been homeschooling for awhile, these are great reminders.

Hodgepodge features a list of ten “I wish I knew” items that have the big picture of homeschooling in mind.  A good read.

I enjoyed this list on These Temporary Tents featuring ten questions which that homeschooling mom continually asks herself.

Ten Ways to Ruin Your Homeschool features a big list of what NOT to do.

Homeschool Themed Pinterest Boards

Pinterest and homeschooling are like peanut butter and chocolate.  I follow quite a few great homeschool boards and homeschooling pinners on Pinterest, and among my favorites are Homeschool Awesomeness, 30 Must-Follow Homeschoolers, Homeschool Diva, The Unlikely Homeschool, and Carrots are Orange are all treasure troves of pins of interest to homeschoolers.

So, where does that leave us?

We have so many resources, and so few answers.  I can’t say that we’re any closer to a resolution than we were earlier in the year when we started talking homeschooling.  But, the more we read, the more we know, and the better we can go into making schooling choices – be it public school, private school, or homeschool.

On August 31, 2012 I wrote about the Hello Mornings Bible study challenge that I was embarking upon.  The gist of the challenge was to wake up early enough to make time to study the Bible before starting the day.  Some participants study at their own pace; I decided that, as a Bible study newb, I needed something more structured and opted for a study on Peter.  I still remember all of the trepidation that I had in sharing that very first post about Hello Mornings – me, Bible study…it was a rough topic for me.  And I was immediately and completely overwhelmed with such love and support from the Hello Mornings group.  Their comments and support lifted me up and made me realize that I was about to do something amazing.

Over the course of the thirteen week study I learned a lot.  I delved into the Bible in a way I had never before contemplated.  I had the opportunity to bounce ideas back and forth with my Hello Mornings Facebook group.  It was really everything I hoped it would be.

Sometimes the challenge really was a challenge.  During September, waking early was no problem for me because the sun was already out when I got up.  As October approached and mornings remained dark, the urge to stay in bed, warm, wonderful bed, was sometimes too much for me to overcome.  But even when I slipped up, I made the time that night or the next morning to stay caught up.

The thirteen week challenge is now over, and I think I’m going to feel an empty spot in my mornings.  My Hello Mornings Facebook group and the Twitter #hellomornings ladies have been amazing,  simply amazing, throughout these weeks.  During these thirteen weeks I also experienced one of the hardest things in my life:  the realization that my mother’s illness was profound, and her eventual passing.  My Hello Mornings friends supported me and prayed for me during those times, and I felt their love pouring in at times that I felt very small and insignificant.  I learned a lot, not just about the Bible and about Peter, but about how much people who you’ve never met can really become a part of your life.

Their presence in my mornings will be missed.

As I move on, I want to choose a new Bible study and follow the same format of daily study.  I may not always choose to get up early to do it – morning just comes way too early around here – but I want something that keeps me reading at least five days a week.  I have a few ideas but no solid suggestions yet (do you have any ideas?  Comment below, please!  I’d love some input!).

Thanksgiving is a real problem for me this year.   Mom is gone.  I have always spent Thanksgiving with Mom.  We’ve missed a few Christmases, a lot of Easters, and an occasional birthday, but we’ve never missed a Thanksgiving.

Mom and I.

This year it would have been hard.  Her immobility would have prevented her from spending the day at our house.  But part of my justification for making the full multicourse traditional Thanksgiving meal was that we’d be taking a plate up to Mom at the rehab home and spending some time with her.

And now, we’re not.

Stuff like this just keeps on smacking me in the face.

Yesterday I was cleaning up the photos saved on my phone (over 4000 pictures.  I no longer have any room for new apps.  I really need to do something about that).  I found a video of Mom.  She was playing the piano with Jack on…you guessed it…Thanksgiving last year.

She was wearing the shirt that we buried her in.

I feel myself wanting to do something to celebrate Mom on Thanksgiving.  Last week I donated a turkey dinner for the Hunger Task Force in Mom’s memory.  My sister donated two.  It seemed appropriate:  Mom was not just a supporter of food pantries, but on occasion she used their services as well.  Maybe some sort of a service project is in order.  I recently had a piece featured on the Natural Parents Network about volunteering with children, but even my own ideas aren’t helping me right now.  I can’t Plant a Row for the Hungry, and Craft Hope is in between projects right now.  I feel compelled to do something, but frustrated that I cannot think of anything appropriate to do.

Last week I was lamenting to a very smart coworker that I didn’t know how I could face Thanksgiving so soon.  And he very wisely said, you will because you have to.  Thanksgiving is going to happen whether you give it permission or not.  So on Thursday I’m going to get up and start prepping our turkey.  Our home will be quiet – no guests to plan for or party to prepare.  Mom will be on my mind heavily while I remind myself of all that we have to be thankful for.

And life will go on, one day at a time.

Welcome to the November 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Family Service Projects

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written about what service means in their families.

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I completed half of my undergraduate degree at Marquette University, and it was a great experience.  One of the things that made MU so remarkable to me was its emphasis on public service.  While volunteering was never required, it was always encouraged, and most students felt compelled to serve.  While I was involved in a number of service projects at Marquette, my favorite was always Midnight Run, a program to help feed the working poor in Milwaukee.  Midnight Run did more than just prepare and distribute food – we spent a lunch hour every weekday talking to people, hearing about their days, their lives and their families.  We were all enriched by the experience.

After graduation, after more school, after marriage and after becoming a mom, my obligations broad while my time grew narrow and finding time to give back became next to impossible.  While  I did take advantage of a few opportunities to volunteer together with my son, obviously most volunteer opportunities aren’t suitable for an active two year old.  So we got creative.

It’s no secret that I love to run.  And, fortunately, Jack loves long trips in the jogging stroller.  We are fortunate to live in a beautiful area where sidewalks are plentiful and flat and the only thing that ever impedes a good run is bad weather.  But how did we parlay this shared love of getting outdoors into a service endeavor?

Enter Charity Miles.  This fantastic iPhone app allows the user to dedicate his or her miles on any given run to a particular charity.  The app tracks the user’s mileage, and a donation is made based upon that mileage.  Those donations come not from the user but from an existing donor base:  Charity Miles is set up with an initial funding of $1,000,000.00 and hopes to grow over the course of its first year.  A number of major national charities are involved, including Every Mother Counts, Autism Speaks, Habitat for Humanity, and my personal choice, Feeding America, among others.    At the end of a run (or walk, or bike ride) the user is rewarded with a statement tracking the mileage, the time, and the impact of that exertion, such as the number of meals that will be provided with the funds raised by the run.  And the donations are generous:  as the picture shoes, my 3.75 mile run provided nearly 10 meals.  That impact statement adds a lot more meaning to my running.

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon November 13 with all the carnival links.)

• Acts of Service: The Great Neighborhood Clean Up — Sarah at Firmly Planted shares how her daughter’s irritation with litter led to eekly cleanups.
• Running for Charity — Find out how Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction uses her love of running and a great new app to help feed the hungry.
• 50 Family Friendly Community Service Project Ideas — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares a list of 50 family-friendly community service project ideas that are easy to incorporate to your daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal rhythmn.
• Volunteering with a Child — Volunteer work does not need to be put on hold while we raise our children. Jenn of Monkey Butt Junction discusses some creative options for volunteering with a child at Natural Parents Network.
• Family Service Project: Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina — Erika at Cinco de Mommy volunteers with her children at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, where 29% of the recipients are children.
• Family Service Learning: Advent Calendar — Lyndsay at ourfeminist{play}school offers her family’s approach to some holiday-related community service by sharing their community focused Advent Calendar. She includes so tips and suggestions for making your own in time for this year’s holidays.
• How to make street crossing flags as a family service project — Lauren at Hobo Mama offers a tutorial for an easy and relatively kid-friendly project that will engage young pedestrians.
• Pieces of the Puzzle — Because of an experience Laura from Pug in the Kitchen had as a child, she’s excited to show her children how they can reach out to others and be a blessing.
• Appalachian Bear Rescue — Erica at ChildOrganics shares how saving pennies, acorns and hickory nuts go a long way in helping rescue orphaned and injured black bears.
• Volunteering to Burnout and Back — Jorje of Momma Jorje has volunteered to the point of burnout and back again… but how to involve little ones in giving back?
• How to Help Your Kids Develop Compassion through Service Projects — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares service projects her family has done along with links to lots of resources for service projects you can do with your children.
• Involving Young Children in Service — Leanna at All Done Monkey, the mother of a toddler, reflects on how to make service a joyful experience for young children.
• A Letter to My Mama — Dionna at Code Name: Mama has dedicated her life to service, just like her own mama. Today Dionna is thanking her mother for so richly blessing her.
• 5 Ways to Serve Others When You Have Small Children — It can be tough to volunteer with young children. Jennifer at Our Muddy Boots shares how her family looks for opportunities to serve in every day life.
• When Giving It Away Is Too Hard for Mommy — Jade at Looking Through Jade Glass But Dimly lets her children choose the charity for the family but struggles when her children’s generosity extends to giving away treasured keepsakes.
• Community Service Through Everyday Compassion — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children calls us to Community Service Through Everyday Compassion; sometimes it is the small things we can do everyday that make the greater impacts.
• School Bags and Glad Rags — Alt Family are trying to spread a little love this Christmas time by involving the kids in a bit of charity giving.
• Children in (Volunteering) Service — Luschka at Diary of a First Child reminisces on her own experiences of volunteering as a child, reflects on what she thinks volunteering teaches children and how she hopes voluntary service will impact on her own children.