Resurrection Eggs

This is our Family Home Evening idea for this week. I'm posting it on Friday so you can have an extra day if you'd like to fit it in during your Easter celebrations this weekend. :)

I would like to make the disclaimer up front that I in no way take credit for this activity. It is on the internet in dozens of places in some form or another--I've even seen it posted in pieces on friends' blogs already this year. However! I still think it's well worth it and my daughter loves it, so I'd like to share it again here. Hope it's helpful to someone out there!

Preparation:

A. Label 12 plastic Easter eggs with the numbers 1-12.

B. Place each item from the following list in the appropriate number egg:

1-leaf (real or plastic)
2-small piece of cloth with perfume on it
3-piece of tortilla or bread smashed flat
4-bandaid
5-three dimes (or six nickels)
6-piece of purple cloth or paper
7-a cross (made of toothpicks, sticks, metal, or paper)
8-nail
9-piece of paper that says THE KING OF THE JEWS
10-a bundle of spices wrapped in a baggie or plastic wrap
11-small rounded stone
12-leave this egg empty

C. If you have the Gospel Art Book (spiral bound), you can reference these pictures during the story: 50, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 66

D. (optional) Hide the eggs for your child to find at the beginning of the activity.

Activity:

Open each egg in order by the numbers. Use the objects inside to help tell the Easter story from the New Testament. Corresponding pictures and scripture references are listed after each explanation.

The explanations given here are geared toward a 3- or 4-year-old. Adjust as needed for your family.

1: When Jesus came to Jerusalem, the people in the city waved special branches and cheered. They knew that Jesus was a King. (pic#50, Mark 11:8-9)

2: Jesus had a special dinner with some of his friends. A woman came and poured perfume on him, showing that she knew He was the Savior. (Mark 14:3)

3: Jesus had another special dinner with his apostles. He gave them the bread and water of the sacrament as a way for them to remember Him after He died. (#54, Mark 14:22)

4: Jesus went to a garden to pray to Heavenly Father. It was when we prayed that he suffered for our sins. Because he did this, we can repent and return to live with Heavenly Father again. (#56, D&C 19:16-19)

5: One of Christ's apostles told the soldiers where Jesus was so they could arrest Him. The soldiers paid him thirty pieces of silver. (Mark 14:10-11)

6: After Jesus was arrested, the soldiers were very mean to Him. They put him in a purple robe and put thorns on His head. They didn't believe that He was a king and they were making fun of Him. (Mark 15: 16-18)

7: Jesus was crucified. This means that the soldiers put Him on a cross where He was going to die. (#57, Mark 15:25)

8: The soldiers used nails to put Jesus on the cross. They put nails into His hands and His feet. (D&C 6:37)

9: The soldiers put a sign at the top of Jesus's cross that said THE KING OF THE JEWS. They were making fun of Him again. (Mark 15:26)

10: After Jesus died, His friends put His body into a tomb. Later, some women came to put spices on His body. (#58, Mark 16:1)

11: A large stone was blocking the entrance to the tomb where Jesus's body was laid and the women weren't sure how they would move the stone. When they got to the tomb, they found that the stone was already moved out of the way. (Mark 16:3-4)

12: The tomb was empty! Jesus's body was gone because He was resurrected. Because He has been resurrected, now each person can also be resurrected after we die. (#59, #66, Mark 16:6)

Is the Easter Bunny coming to your house?

Like Christmas, my family has always celebrated both the religious and the secular side of Easter. Our celebrations usually look something like this...

Saturday

First thing in the morning, the kids scour the house for our hidden baskets of goodies from the Easter Bunny. We had to look for those baskets as long as I can remember...even in college. Not quite as fun for us then, but I'm sure Mom was entertained.

Our baskets generally contained candy, a small toy or two, a few plastic eggs with or without treats inside, and always the notorious hollow chocolate bunny.

In the afternoon, our extended family would gather for a barbeque and easter egg hunt, when all the younger children are set loose in a yard or field to search for all the scattered candy and eggs.

Egg coloring may come later on Saturday or some day earlier in the week, depending on time schedules.

Sunday

We certainly want to keep the true meaning of this holiday important. With my really young children, I like to keep it simple and help them think more of Christ throughout the day. Beyond dressing extra nice for church that day, I am continuing the tradition of my parents and giving my daughters each their own picture of Christ to take to church with them.


They are small cards that can be purchased at Deseret Book for only 25 or 50 cents. I will write a small note on the back and give the pictures to my girls shortly before we go to church on Easter morning. I still have several of the pictures I was given for Easter while growing up, and I hope that my kids will also be able to appreciate the ones they receive.

But...

That's about all I've got! I'd like some ideas on how to make the holiday more meaningful both for myself and my children.

How do you celebrate Easter with your family?

How do you teach your children about the Savior and what Easter really means?

How do you make the holiday meaningful to yourself?

I will be posting a new Easter activity I've found that focuses on the story of Christ in His last week. We'll switch the Friday Funnies and the FHE post so you can have an extra day to prepare the activity if you'd like to do it on Easter rather than the day after. Look forward to that!

Coloring contest winners!

We hope you all had a great Valentine's Day!

Here are the top six entries from our coloring contest (chosen at random and in no particular order)

Congratulations to all those little artists :)

And thanks again to our new panelist, Alyssa, for illustrating that cute image for us! We are so excited to have her as part of the Village!! Check out her bio in the right margin to read a little more about her.

Valentine Coloring Contest

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and we have a fun activity for you and your kids to participate in! Please join in on the fun of a coloring contest!

All you have to do is print out the super cute image below, have your child color it, and email us the finished product by Saturday February 12th. {You can leave names anonymous if you wish}. A few random winners will be chosen and announced next week.

How fun is that?!

Also, be sure to check out our new Valentine polls for some more random fun! :)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

A special thank you to our new panelist, Alyssa, for the darling illustration!!

Marshmallow Popcorn Wreaths

We are bringing together our recipe blog and craft blog here to share some of our favorite Christmas treats and activities.
What is your favorite treat to share during the holidays?

Marshmallow Popcorn Wreaths

16 c. popped popcorn
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. mini marshmallows
1 cup margarine

Mix popcorn and marshmallows in a large bowl. Melt margarine and then add sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and food coloring(if you want). Pour mixture over popcorn and marshmallows. Stir well and mold into desired shape. Decorate with M&Ms.

If you have any recipes you'd like to share, post a comment or send us an email!

Waste or Want #7: Christmas Trees

Featured Product: Artificial vs. Real Christmas Trees

Description:At Christmas time you of course have the option to buy/cut a fresh Christmas tree each year, or you can pull out your artificial tree.


Fresh cut Christmas trees come in many different varieties, most of which are fir trees (of which there are several types) but you can also find a spruce tree sometimes.


Artificial trees come in a range of sizes and appearances, and also come either lit or unlit.


Average Cost:
Artificial Tree: Anywhere from $40 or $50 to a $1,000 (depends on the size and what you are looking for). The larger and more realistic looking the tree is, the more it is going to cost you.


Real Tree: Anywhere from $20 to $100 depending on the size and type. If you go to a little family tree lot then the trees aren't trimmed at all and you can find one for pretty cheap (it will look like you went and cut it yourself). If you go to a more commercial tree lot then all the trees are trimmed to look nice, but you will pay a lot more. If you cut it yourself you'll only need to pay the price for the cutting permit.


on the one hand......
Artificial trees are NICE! They can be put up earlier and stay up longer than real trees. Once you've made the big purchase you never have to buy another tree again. It's also convenient that you don't have to rush out to the store to get your tree up.


Real trees are NICE too! They make your house smell absolutely wonderful and they look so beautiful all lit up. They also offer a very homey feeling and going out with your family to choose a tree (either at a lot or to cut one down) is a nice family outing/tradition.


on the other hand.....
Artificial trees can look really FAKE. They don't smell good at all, so you'll have to settle for a scented candle. The set up can be really annoying year after year if it is a bit complicated, and storage can also be a problem.


Real trees have to be watered! And pine needles get scattered on your floor all month long. Plus, they are fire hazards!! They can't be put up as early or stay up as long as a fake tree. If you don't spend the big bucks at a lot you can get a tree that looks kind of sparse and is reminiscent of Charlie Brown. Overall you will be spending more year after year as well.


AND NOW.... cast your vote!!

Do you prefer a real tree or an artificial tree? Or, would you skip a tree all together?

And don't forget to tell us why!!

It just isn't Christmas without...

In our house, it just isn't Christmas without...

1. Christmas Music

The staples: Mannheim Steamroller, John Denver and the Muppets, Josh Groban Christmas, to name a few.

2. Christmas Books

The Polar Express, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Christmas Box

3. Christmas Movies

The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Santa Clause, A Charlie Brown Christmas

4. Christmas Snacks

Caramel Popcorn, Homemade Chex Mix, M&M cookies

What makes it Christmas at your house?
Which songs, books, movies, snacks, and other traditions just have to happen to make it really feel like Christmas?

Scary Not Wanted

I don't know about you, but I love Halloween! It is my all time favorite holiday; I love all the decorations, the treats, and the anticipation of all the little kids wanting it to be time to go trick or treating. I even sometimes enjoy the good scare and occasionally the classic scary movie. However, with a toddler it sometimes can be too much. Last year I remember walking down the Halloween isle at the store and everything scaring him! This year hasn't been as bad and Lucas has even been excited for some of the decorations to come out that he could help put up. I want Lucas to enjoy Halloween and to love it as much as I do, but I don't want it to scare him.

What have you done to make Halloween fun, but not scary?
How do you encourage others in your family to have fun, but again, not be scary?
What toddler activities have you found that have been fun?

Thanks to all our readers; we appreciate all the insight and help you provide us and the other readers of our blog. Thank you to Blank Pages for the award you gave us and we'll try and get on top of things and post some of our favorite blogs in the next little bit!

Kids' Birthday Parties--Friend Parties vs Family Parties

So my kids have birthdays coming up in the next couple months. Up to this point we have always had family birthday parties for them (with the exception of a few very close friends). But now my oldest has little friends her age that we do joy school and have play dates with often. She is getting invited to their birthday parties often and loves it. I think she would love to have a party with her friends for her birthday but I know that my family would want to come too (and of course we want to include them as well). I am just starting to think about how to do that. Do we have two separate parties--one for friends and one for family? That could get time consuming and more expensive as I would end up making two sets of cake, decorations, etc. Or do we just have one big party and invite both family and friends? But then what do the adults do while all the little kids are playing party games? And what would I do to include older cousins who would not enjoy games on the same level as my young kids? One friend suggested that she invites all her little girls' friends to their party for the first hour and they do all the children's games and activities and then her family comes for the last half hour to open gifts and eat cake and ice cream. That was definitely an idea that got the wheels in my head turning, but I would love to hear more!

What have you done to balance both friend and family parties for your children's birthdays?
(I would love it if you answered the italicized questions above!)
Or do you not do parties and instead have your own birthday traditions?
Please share!!

Also feel free to check out the post below on staying fit during pregnancy!

Halloween Costumes for less

So Halloween is approaching and if you are anything like me you have already started thinking about costume ideas for your kids {please tell me I am not the only one who has this on their mind in August :)}. I have to admit that I think Halloween is a lot of fun and I love getting my kids all dressed up, but the truth of the matter is that it can be hard for us to justify spending a lot of money on a costume that each of our kids will likely not get too much use out of.

That got me thinking of ways to spend less on Halloween costumes.

One idea that I like is to organize a costume swap. My sister-in-law did this in her neighborhood and said it turned out great. Every one who had a costume they were willing to share brought it to her house on a specific date, those who wanted to borrow "checked it out" by signing their name on a piece of paper attached to a clipboard and left with a smile on their face :)

I have also heard that garage sales or second hand stores like Kid to Kid or Deseret Industries can have some good finds.

And I have even seen friends and family members make some of their own costumes. Oh, how I wish I could sew :)

Now, let's hear from you!!
Have you ever tried any of the ideas above to save money on Halloween costumes?
If so, let us know how it went!
You could even send us pictures or tutorials of any costumes you have made or fun, inexpensive ideas you have seen and we can share them in a future post.
What other money-saving tips can you tell us that would help us celebrate Halloween with our kids without breaking the bank?
Please share your creative thoughts!

4th of July

The 4th of July is fast approaching and lots of fun is around the corner! My family doesn't have any big plans for the 4th. We'll go to a parade and probably light some fireworks and maybe have a family picnic. However, I want to try and do something different this year but I'm stumped! So ...

What does your family do on the 4th of July?

Do you have any traditions that are a must?

Share your plans!

Father's Day

Father's Day is coming up! If you're like me, you want to make it a special day to tell the men in your life how grateful you are for all they do for you! I love to do something fun and original every year. After all, a man only needs so many ties. :)

This year I plan to have the kids help fully wash and detail the car with me on Saturday. We always do a breakfast in bed. This year our church is very early, so I plan on making a breakfast casserole the night before so I can just stick it in the oven bright and early. I have a small budget if I can think of a great gift, but I also love to have the kids make something handmade. This year I'm thinking of putting some of their artwork on a shirt with freezer paper.

So let's discuss!


What ideas do you have for your husband from you and your children? Gifts? Activities? Traditions?


What do you do for your father, grandfather, or other important father figures in your life?



(if you are worried about your husband tracking this down, feel free to comment anonymously.)

It's time to Celebrate!

March is a big birthday month in my family. Within 3 days we have 7 birthdays. My son's, my paternal grandfather, and my littlest sister are all on the 28th, my brother and his wife share a birthday on the 26th, and my oldest sister and maternal grandmother share a birthday on the 27th. My brother-in-law's birthday is also in March on the 21st. None of this includes cousins, aunts, or uncles that also have birthdays in March. So, needless to say March seems to be a month long birthday celebration!

Birthdays were always a big deal in my house growing up. The birthday kid got to choose what we had for dinner and we had a birthday bear that sat on the edge of the plate. We also generally got to pick an activity to do with the family and usually we had a couple of friends over to celebrate as well. My parents always made a big deal about birthdays and I always remember feeling special on my big day.

My son will turn 2 on the 28th of this month. We plan on having a family party and eating cake and ice cream. Since Lucas is currently in love with the movie Cars, we are going to have a Mack cake (he recognizes Mack, but not Lightning McQueen), and having balloons, hats, and other decorations. We always try to make as big of deal about a birthday as possible!

Tell us how you celebrate birthdays in your house!

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. It is such a fun, easy-going, frilly, lovely holiday that even my sons are having fun anticipating.

Some fun things we have done for Valentine's Day are:

- of course make homemade valentines and treats for friends and neighbors
- decorate the house with paper hearts
- heart attack a friend or neighbor's door
- made heart shaped homemade pizza
- made heart shaped sugar cookies


On my list to try this year...so far:

- make X and O cookies this time
- make scrapbook paper wrapped candy bars for friends and preschool teachers
- report an act of "love" every night at dinner the week of Valentine's, write them on paper hearts and heart attack our closet door
-figure out a non-sugary homemade valentine for my son to make for his preschool class (they have a low sugar/no sugar rule)

I would like to hear your ideas:

What have you done or what do you plan to do this Valentine's Day?

Do you have good teacher gift ideas?

Do you have a low sugar/no sugar homemade valentine ideas...or just any valentine ideas?

Do you have any fun Valentine's Day traditions?

I can't wait to see your comments! Thanks!

Stocking Stuffers!

Okay, this is one area of Christmas I struggle with: coming up with cool stocking stuffers! Candy and an orange or clementine our staples in our house for the stocking, but other things are harder for me to think of, especially for my husband! I would love for some new ideas and a little direction so,

What do you do for stocking stuffers?
Is there something that is a tradition for you to put in your stockings?
Do you put a price on stocking stuffers?



And just to let you know, this will be our last post on The Village until after New Year's. We know you are all busy enjoying your time with your families and so are we! Please check back the second week of January for a new topic to discuss. Also, if you have any questions or topics you would like to see us discuss, email us at thevillageformoms@gmail.com. We hope to hear from you!

Christmas at the Movies

There's something in the wind today
That's good for everyone
Yes, faith is in our hearts today
We're shining like the sun
And everyone can feel it, the feeling's running deep
After all, there's only one more sleep til Christmas

Muppet Christmas Carol is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. I was in elementary school when it first came out, and I remember sitting in the school gym with the entire student body and watching it projected on the stage curtains. To me, it isn't Christmas without this movie.

Movies are often a regular part of our lives, but I think that Christmas movies hold a special place in the traditions of the season, and many films have even become iconical.

We describe less-than-full Christmas trees as a Charlie Brown tree.

Santa must exist because millions of children send him letters through the post office.

We know that Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.

And every once in a while, a new classic emerges...

you can hear the bells of Christmas in The Polar Express or

make paper snowflakes with Elf.

A movie can capture those specials feelings of the season and allows us to relive them as often as we want. It just isn't Christmas without them.

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

Homemade Christmas

There is nothing like a handmade gift from someone you love. This year all the gifts from us to our kids are handmade. I don't know if this will continue every year but I will certainly make at least one handmade gift for each child each year. I enjoyed pouring love into each gift this year.

Here are some links and tutorials to get your creative juices flowing. If you don't like what you see here just search the site which most likely leads to another site to help you find what you are looking for. This list is just to get you going. There is SOO much more out there so click around.

Christmas is really just a couple of weeks away and time is short. To make things easier for you I have starred the projects. One star*= easy and quick, Two stars**= a little more time and effort but not too hard, Three stars***= either more expertise or a lot more time.



For girls:
Critter condos (for Zhu-Zhu pets)***
Doll Winter accessories*
hair tie*
diapers for dolls**


For boys:
monster stocking  **
car cozy**
 {I tried to find more here but it was tough...there are some good ones in the "both" list}
Both:

Felt Mr. Potato Head***
art smock*
bear-hooded towel*
ribbon belts *
homemade stuffed animals**
sock monkey**

Just for baby:
learn to walk belt**
cloth blocks*
baby legs*

For your home:
ornaments*
easy tree skirt *

Women:
Stylish hangers*
Fleece scarf *
fabric headband*
fabric magnets *
arm band pouch**


Men:
Electronics cozy *
lap top cozy **

{again this area was tough}

Neighbor gifts:
a list from How Does She

more awesome homemade Christmas links:

Here is: Be Different...Act Normal with a list of all her Christmas related posts
Of course Tip Junkie has plenty to choose from as well
V&Co has some great tutorials with fabric food and other beautiful things

And...of course the classic homemade pajama pants:

this tutorial is good and easy

If you find other links you like please share!...especially ones for boys and men.


Or...share some thoughts and/or memories you have of homemade Christmas gifts.

Merry Christmas!

Dilemmas of Decorations

Putting up Christmas decorations with children around is often a daunting task!! Every year I carefully rearrange those ornaments, knick knacks, and wreaths. But something inevitable gets broken (either in putting them up, putting them away, or just a casualty throughout the month). I always wonder if my toddler will pull the tree down on him/herself, if a fire will start because of all the plugs, or if my favorite nativity set will land on my baby's head.

I worry about those decorations and the safety of my kids, but at the same time.... I WANT to put them all up so my house looks festive!

So what are your tricks of the trade??
What do you do to keep your toddler's little hands off those decorations?
How do you keep your tree out of reach of your little ones?
How did you keep everyone safe from plugs, broken glass, and decorations dropped on heads?
Any other decorating tips you can offer??

The holidays are just around the corner!

So I realize that not too long ago another one of our blog authors did a post about summer traditions and I apologize for being repititious but the holidays have been on my mind lately and I have already started to plan and think about fun activities I want to do as a family. I am due with our second baby ten days before Christmas, so I am trying to stay "on top of everything" this year! :) We did several fun things last year, many of which I hope to continue, but you can never have too many fun ideas right? :)

So I am wondering what traditions/fun things you do with your family for Halloween/fall, Thanksgiving/harvest and Christmas/winter??

My husband and I have also talked about how we really want to involve our kids in some sort of service project each year and I would love ideas on how to do that with really young kids (our little girl will barely be two around the holidays this year). We do a sub-for-Santa or humanitarian project each year with extended family instead of buying each other gifts and it's awesome but it seems that it is such a big production (since our family is large) that sometimes the kids aren't super involved in it. So please share!! The holidays will be here before we know it!

tradition!

As we start our little family, I realize that we are lacking in traditions. We have started to create some traditions for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter...you know, the biggies. As for summer holidays and summer itself we are a little short of ideas. We watch fireworks on the 4th and go swimming as much as we can. Sometimes that sprinkler gets pulled out, but nothing really memorable that I can pinpoint as an actual tradition. As July comes to a close I realize we only have a few precious weeks left of true summer, so I feel a little urgency in my strivings to create an idyllic summer that celebrates childhood in all its curiosity and innocence for my kids.

I want something I can do now while we don't have all the resources we hope to have later in life. Something timeless that can happen in times of recession and times of plenty, as our kids our young and as they grow older. I am sure our traditions will evolve but I need help getting started somewhere. Any ideas?

What traditions did you have growing up?
What do you do with your family now?