I love Christmas. And I love gifting! It’s even more fun when the kids can be involved too! Here is a simple, fun way to have your kids help make gifts.

My Mom did one of these with my 10 year old last year and I loved it! I still use it nearly every day. It is so cute, so useful and so special.

This idea will take about an hour’s worth of time to weave the pot holder together, but it sure turns out cute! I would recommend using it with kids 7+. Here is a kit similar to what my Mom used and it comes with everything you will need to make your own pot holders! https://amzn.to/3Clcr1A

Have you discovered Art For Kids Hub yet? It’s an amazing site that teaches kids (and struggling artistic grown ups like me) to draw. The cool thing is it’s step by step and easy to follow. Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtforKidsHub.

This site can help you make Christmas gifts in a number of ways but here are two of my favs!

First of all, have your kiddo find an object, animal or item that the person you are gifting loves. Then have your kiddo draw that special thing. This one was a nutcracker that we framed and put up on our wall.

Another way to use this site, is to have your child create cards using their drawings. I hired my 10 year old to make me cards to send as thank you notes for my business. We decided on puppy dog faces and he made me sets of 10. I loved sending them as thank you notes and showcasing his art work. It would also make a great gift idea! Simply take a normal sheet of copy paper, fold it half and half again and have your child draw on the front. You can make a set of the same creature or a set of different pictures.

What are some of your favorite things to draw?

Eeek! Christmas is coming up and it feels like it’s gonna be here before we know it! I love the idea of getting crafty and having the kids make handmade gifts and fortunately for me, I am married to the master at it! Check out these adorable gift ideas Dan and the boys have done for me from years gone by.

Idea #1: Napkin holder. Dan found this cute little napkin holder at Michael’s and the words “Family” and “Love” there too. He brought it home, had the kids stain it and glued the words on. It sits on our table every day and we can enjoy their handiwork. He even labeled the bottom so I know it was a gift for Christmas 2019.

Idea #2: Tissue Box. Dan found this cute little wooden tissue holder and had Nathan paint it for me. It was years ago but look how sweet his little paintings are!! He just had Nathan do this one, but you could have each kiddo paint a side or write their names to make it inclusive to more kiddos.

Idea #3: Name Plaque Key Holder. Dan had an extra piece of wood laying around and had the idea to make a key holder. He got the letters for our name at Michael’s and added those. He found some very simple hooks to screw in and voila! This hangs on our stairs as you walk in the door. I love that it’s useful and personalized.

Idea #4: Picture Frames. I LOVE this one so much! Dan found some old wooden picture frames and had the kids decorate them. For the set of three, Dan had each kid choose how to decorate their frame and they got to choose the picture to put inside. I love how each frame is such a representation of each kid’s personality.

Idea #5: Pen Holder. One year, Dan had the kids decorate plastic cups to make a pen holder for my tutoring desk. He had them use whatever materials we had around the house and decorate to their heart’s content. I use it every day and love it!

Cheers to being creative and giving unique, extra special gifts. I enjoy being able to look around our home and see creative touches from the boys.

**Check out Michael’s for some great craft ideas and supplies. You can also find this tissue box on amazon: https://amzn.to/3g3t4aN and picture frames here: https://amzn.to/3rOyuZS

I had been eyeing them for months. I had asked on Facebook about them. Pestered my friends who had them about them. Researched and waited for a good deal. I ended up getting some birthday money and decided to buy my first Nespresso machine. I was soo excited and couldn’t wait for it to arrive. When it finally did, it was beautiful and I couldn’t wait to try it out. But there was a huge problem…I had ordered the wrong pods to go with it. **insert very sad face!**

So for anyone in the market for a Nespresso, here are a few things I have learned in the last couple years.

Number 1: There are different types of Nespresso machines. I ordered a Vertuo and therefore, have to order Vertuo capsules. An obvious distinction perhaps, but I didn’t realize Nespresso makes two different pod sizes. There is an original brewer size which is tiny and the vertuo size which is much bigger. There is no way to make them compatible with one another, so just learn from my mistake and buy the right size for your machine!

Number 2: The Vertuo pods can be more challenging to find. This is not your “run to the store and grab some pods” type of coffee. It does take ordering online and shipping to your door. At least at the time of this writing, I have never been able to find this size of pod in a store. So don’t run out!

Number 3: The Nespresso website has a gazillion kinds and flavors of coffee. I started ordering right away from them and they often have good deals available …like free shipping or free sleeves with your order. They have things like vanilla and chocolate cookie. For the Fall, they have a pumpkin spice flavor. They have some you can pour over ice and a variety of light, medium and dark roast options. Their site is easy to navigate and they do provide a short description under each coffee type, so you can feel like you know what you’ll be getting. I ordered my machine off of Amazon, but the Nespresso.com website does have machines as well. Here is the website: https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/vertuo-coffee-pods. I do have a referral code, so if you are ordering you may be able to save a little money. My code is: UZ7Q93

Number 4: Amazon has a few Vertuo pod options. In fact, my favorite pod is Starbucks Sumatra. I have ordered it 17 times already and it’s what I most often drink. It comes as four pack and each box has 8 pods. The shipping is usually next day or next couple days, so it comes quickly.

Number 5: The Nespresso does make some noise when it’s brewing. There are some mornings when the household is still sleeping and I wait to start my coffee. That being said, it does make the most delicious smelling, foamy, creamy, frothy beverage. I call it my Morning BFF.

I love my Nespresso Breville and would recommend it to someone looking to purchase a new machine. There are just a few things to keep in mind so you can enjoy it to the fullest…and not order the wrong pods.

If you’d like to try the Breville Model like I have, you can find it here: https://amzn.to/3RyeV2n

If you’d like to try the Sumatra pods, you can find them here: https://amzn.to/3SAp3bW

We do chores at our house and have tried so many ways of organizing them. The kids have to put their laundry away, clean their rooms every week (or two) and help out on the weekends when we do our bigger clean up day. We try to have each kid tackle each job at some point, so they know how they all work and they know how much goes into the tasks around the house. However, it’s nice to have assigned jobs for each week.

We had a chart like this for awhile. It was laminated and then we could cross off each kid’s jobs for the week. But…it was hard to read and we didn’t really stick to it.

We had a wheel for awhile but that only let each person have a specific chore.

So…this weekend we were looking for a new way and found an idea like this one. We had all the things we needed around the house so it didn’t cost us a penny!

Dan spray painted an old cookie sheet. I used 3×5 cards to cut circles out and write the chores on them. Then we laminated and added magnets to the back and voila!

Each week we can put some jobs under each kiddo. I like how easy it is to move them around and then everyone gets a chance to do every job. I think I’ll keep some extra ones around the edge too so if anyone wants additional jobs, they are already there ready to go.

If you want to know what materials we used, you can find the laminator and magnets here:

laminator: https://amzn.to/3eDvOL7

magnet squares: https://amzn.to/3BAJkbe

If you need 3×5 cards or a cookie sheet, check out the Dollar Tree.

How do you keep track of the chores at your house?

We just got back from a short vacation. We drove about 10.5 hours away to a little family cabin in the woods. When I say in the woods, I mean 20 miles up a mountain, in the woods! This trip was a comedy of errors and full of challenges from beginning to end… BUT it was also full of really special and sweet moments. Do you know what is not the top of a mountain? Cell service or internet. We were whisked away to another world of generators, solar power and propane water heaters. I am not bougie, but I do like running water, a comfortable bed to sleep in and a kitchen in which I can cook, so this trip was certainly a stretch for me.

We left after work on a Friday and of course, hit Seattle traffic. We had purchased a rooftop bag for the top of our van to hold sleeping bags, pillows, blankets etc. On our way, it felt like it was super windy and creating a lot of resistance. So we had to stop at a gas station and take it off. We shoved that sucker back in with the kids…it was so big, you could hardly see bodies back there! They were such troopers and just rolled with it. We made it to our first hotel stop at 1130pm that night. Thankfully everyone crashed that night and we were up early the next morning to head to Medicine Lake.

We stopped to gather groceries and then headed up the mountain, saying goodbye to our beloved cell service. We pulled into the cabin area and Dan began to try to take the shutters off the cabin. In the winter, Medicine Lake gets a lot of snow, so they have to board up the windows and door to help it make it through each winter. While he had brought many star bits, we didn’t have the right size to fit the screws in the shutters. So we had to rely on the kindness of a neighbor who lent us one of his.

Once the shutters were off, we stepped into a beautiful, rustic cabin. It is made of pine and the craftsmanship is exquisite! It was blissfully cool inside and inviting. We explored the rooms and loft and Dan set to work to get the generator going so we could have some power and water.

The generator fired up easily, but the well just didn’t want to cooperate. I was trying to imagine how we could live for days without water. We came with some water bottles, but not enough for the days we were going to be there. The store is 1.5 hours away so a 3 hour round trip adventure. While we could have done it, it was not an ideal option. We decided we might be able to fill up some buckets with lake water and boil it. As we headed to the lake, an angel of a lady was also walking towards the lake greeted us and as we started talking, she let us come to her cabin and fill up our buckets for drinking water. Again, thank you kind neighbor!

On our way back up to our cabin, we ran into the “star bit” neighbor again and he gave us access to his well pump, so we could at least flush our toilet. He ended up coming over later to help Dan figure out what was wrong with the well pump and that night around 10pm, they patched the frayed wire and we had water flowing!! I was SOO relieved and grateful!

From there our days were filled with canoeing and swimming, eating together at the table and playing games. We played musical beds as we tried out different sleeping arrangements. We dealt with wildlife like rodents and ants. We saw more stars than I could have imagined. We did all our cooking on an outdoor propane grill and used a small refrigerator run by solar power. We lived completely off the grid and for those days, we just were together. We didn’t have outside distractions and just enjoyed being a family of 5. The boys played together and giggled. We did hidden picture searches and crossword puzzles. We played Bingo and 31. We played horseshoes and mades smores by propane fire. The world could have slid off into the ocean and we would have been blissfully unaware.

It was far from the perfect trip and we dealt with tears and sickness, bickering and things not going as we planned, but we made memories we’ll treasure for a lifetime.

Life is so full of the busy and the distracting. Here’s your sign to take a break, just be and enjoy the moment.

You know when something fun comes along, you gotta share it!

Since we rearranged our house and did the big room swap this spring, we have been adding some things to our bathrooms. I found this adorable trash can and knew it had to live with me. It’s the perfect size for a bathroom and it opens by sensing your hand. It’s like magic, wave your hand above the sensor and voila! I know…I am easily amused!

It’s nice because all your trash is enclosed so no one has to look at it. That just makes it feel neat and tidy.

If you want one too, you can find it here at our link: https://amzn.to/3PxdnVC

I learned about Keto a few years ago in 2019. I have a shelf full of keto cookbooks, but these 5 stand out as my top 5. I use them often and have tried many recipes in each one with many crowd favorites. Here they are in no particular order:

#1. Simply Keto

This one is a classic. I have used it since the beginning and have found many go to recipes in there. I have made the keto whipped cream SOO many times and don’t even get me started on Pop Pop’s Peanut Butter Balls! You can find it here: https://amzn.to/3RsDXRo

#2. Crazy Busy Keto

This is my newest cookbook but I’ve been really enjoying it. The recipes are easy to make, don’t have a ton of ingredients and are tasty! The Loca Mocha Muffins and the Fried Salmon Patties are a huge hit at our house. You can find it here at our link: https://amzn.to/3uHCTj5

#3. Southern Keto

I first heard about this cookbook while on vacation with my brother and sis-in-law. She is a Georgia girl and highly recommended this one. We have loved it! Some of my favs are the Hashbrown Casserole and the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf. Yummy! You can find it here: https://amzn.to/3RspapW

#4. Keto for Foodies

While I am no foodie and most of our meals are super easy and basic, I do love the idea of trying new, exciting things. I love this cookbook for some fresh ideas. A couple of our favs are the Fully Loaded Chicken and the Beef Stroganoff. You can find it here: https://amzn.to/3O1RvjW

#5. Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook.

Seriously, you had me at easy! As a busy Mom, I am always on the hunt for easy. This cookbook offers some great simple recipes for the whole family. A couple of our favorites are the Crustless Quiche Lorraine and her homemade Ranch dressing is amazing! You can find it here: https://amzn.to/3NWotCt

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have. If you try one and find a must have recipe, let me know!

Some of the links above are affiliate links and we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Spaghetti squash.

Zoodles.

Miracle noodles.

I have tried them all! It’s so hard to be on keto and not find a noodle that tastes good AND has the right texture.

Well…drum roll please… tonight I found the winner!!! These angel hair “noodles” are made out of hearts of palm. The texture is just right and the noodles just soak up the sauce you put on them. All you have to do is add your sauce, pop in the micro (or cook on the stove) and voila!

Look! They even look like real noodles! I like mine smothered in sauce and I like a little white/red combo. There is nothing like a bowl of homemade spaghetti and meatballs. At our house, all 5 of us go away from the table happy!

If you are on keto and are missing noodles, give these a try! I ordered the mixed pack to try and can’t wait to try the others.

You can find them here at our affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3AtVhQ7

This is part of my vision board. I want my boys to be able to cook and have an appreciation for where their food comes from. I have had them help me since they were really little, but I have recently changed up my plan.

Last year, I decided to have them be a bigger part of the process. I found these three amazing little cookbooks and chose one day a month for each kiddo. They choose which meal they want to prepare, see what groceries are needed to make the meal and then Dan or I serve as the sous chef. It has been really fun to see what they’ve chosen! Doing it this way has given them more investment into the process. Instead of helping me, I get to help them!

We have some food sensitivities in our family, so we talk about those before we start. In our case, we have to watch out for gluten, certain nuts and garlic. If we see those in recipes, we just omit them. I also am trying to cut down on the sugar intake, so I found these two keto/sugar free cookbooks have been great options.

It has been a really good thing for all of us. They are learning how to prepare a meal and the work that goes into it. They are learning how to appreciate the effort, even if it’s not your favorite thing to eat. They are learning knife skills and what knives to use for what ingredients. They are learning planning skills and how sometimes you miss something and have to go on without it. They are learning how to read a recipe and follow it. They are learning skills that will go with them as they grow into adults.

These boys can cook!

The above article contains affiliate links so I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.