Make: Thanksgiving Cards

A few years ago, I started doing Thanksgiving Cards, instead of Christmas Cards. I've been asked why many times. For us, there are several reasons. First, it makes my budget a little bit happier in December.  Second, I have more time to enjoy making them (which I love to do!), and sending them out before the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Third, and most importantly, I love the opportunity to share why Jesus should be the reason for this season too! And, finally, we really do feel so tremendously blessed, we can't help but share it with all of our loved ones!

I don't have your home address, or I'd send one your way. So, this is for you, friend. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Leslie

Operation Christmas Child Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in Operation Christmas Child this year! So many children will be blessed this holiday season, and your family helped make that happen!!! 

According to www.random.org, the winner of the VeggieTales DVD Giveaway is...Jennifer!


Jennifer said,

"We turned ours in last night at church. Our sons really enjoy putting these together and we have done it for years. Thank you for spreading the word on Operation Christmas Child and encouraging others to participate!!!"

November 11, 2010 9:32 AM

Jennifer, I'm not able to find a way to contact you. Please email me at emailfunmom@yahoo.com, so that I can get your prize mailed to you and your kiddos. Congratulations! :)

~Leslie

And the Winner Is...

Thank you to everyone that left a comment on yesterday's post, Mayflower Mercy Ship and Giveaway. Your sweet words meant so much! I just visited www.random.org to get our winner for the book. 

Congratulations to...the 6th commenter, Alyssa, from Loving Life 365!!

I will be announcing the winner of our OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD GIVEAWAY on Tuesday morning. If you packed a shoebox this year, please click here. The giveaway for that drawing is the VeggieTales movie, Saint Nicholas,  a Story of Joyful Giving. Good luck! :)

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Make: Mayflower Mercy Ship and Giveaway!!

Today I'm posting over at one of my favorite sites, Women Living Well about how to make this yummy decoration. My little boy and I have been calling it our Mayflower Mercies Ship, and our family has been filling it with notes of thankfulness all week. It has created such a feeling of gratitude in our house, and was fun (and tasty!) to create!

I also used the following book to teach Landon about the first Thanksgiving, and the pilgrims journey on the Mayflower. It's a GREAT resource! He likes it so much I think we're going to still be reading about Thanksgiving in February! :) If you'd like to be entered to win a copy of this book, simply leave a comment below! In hopes to get the book to the winner as quickly as possible (before Thanksgiving?!?), this Giveaway is for today only. Name will be announced Saturday morning. Good luck!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!!

~Leslie

PS. If you participated in Operation Christmas Child this year, be sure to leave a comment under this recent post too! We're giving away a Christmas Veggie Tales DVD about the joy of giving to others. :)

Make: Thankful Trees

This great idea was shared by BEV. You can visit her regularly at her blog, Sweet Tea and Sass.

Thankful Trees

Here’s a fun, simple project to do with your kids, or grandkids. 

Materials needed: 

A sheet from a large drawing pad

Markers

An egg carton

Several tubes of finger paint

Package of sticky googly eyes. 

My grandsons went with brown for the trunk of the tree, but you might want to let your child use his imagination. Imagination is fun! 

Have them trace their entire arm, or help them if they’re a bit too young, opening their fingers up at the top of the ‘tree’. The arm will form the trunk and the branches will be formed by the fingers reaching up and out. 

Once the trunk and limbs are drawn, they can dip their finger(s) into the finger paint, making ‘leaves’ on the trees. We used a lot of fun colors for this part, and layered the leaves on top of each other. We even added some that had fallen on the ground. 

When the leaves have dried, the kids can stick a pair of googly eyes on each leaf, two for each member of their family, or even for other things they might be thankful for. Grayson added some of the characters from Star Wars, and one for his great-grandmother, who is in heaven. Caiden added family pets, and friends. I helped Grayson with some labeling of the leaves because he’s just learning to read and write. 

The front of many refrigerators are not magnetic these days, but a piece of tape will easily remedy that.  

The googly eyes, added to the boys’ foreheads, are optional but they sure had fun wearing them the rest of the day, as we went out to lunch and ran errands 

Make: Treasured Turkey

One of the best parts of decorating for Christmas is pulling memories out of boxes. For me, this means ornaments my husband made in Kindergarten, a 25-year-old nativity sheep missing two legs (thanks to my childhood Golden Retriever), and a picture of my little boy as a slumpy, sleepy infant on Santa's knee. Why not add some sentiment to Thanksgiving too? Landon and I made this picture last year...there's not much to it, but it made me smile to pull it out of storage last week. I held it for a minute remembering us making it together...how chubby his sweet little fingers were...how proud he was to show it to Daddy later that night. And then, I marveled at how much he's grown in the last year! I found it a place of prominence in our house, where it's bringing smiles to others' faces. :)

Step 1: Cover your child's hand in either paint or stamp ink. Help them press firmly onto the paper.

Step 2: Use paint or stamp ink to add a red thumbprint below Turkey's head. 

Step 3: Add legs, beak, eye, and year it was done.

Step 4: Frame. Display. Remember.  

Munch: Cocoa Krispy Turkey Treats

I wish that I could take credit for this yummy, fun snack. I would give credit where it is due, but the link is no longer working...thankfully I printed out the recipe last year! Landon and I had such fun with this activity! He was a great chef's assistant, a crafty little decorator, and a happy, satisfied snacker!

Bodies: Cocoa Krispies, 1 bag of melted rainbow mini marshmallows, 1/4 cup melted margarine...use slightly damp hands to shape into balls.

Gobblers: Cinnamon red hots or a red Mike and Ike.

Eyes: Baking Pieces (we used green ones)

Beaks/Feet: Candy Corn

Feathers: Add Fruit Loops, Rainbow Mini Marshmallows, Gum Drops to several toothpicks.

Here's one of Landon's: Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Move: Make a Difference...Win a Giveaway!

I'm so excited to share this week's "MOVE" activity! If you've never participated in Operation Christmas Child, your whole family is in for a very special experience! 

"Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ (thecarpentersyard.org)."

Landon and I prepared our shoe boxes for our "Special Time" yesterday, and it was such meaningful, precious time spent together. I explained to him that we were going to go shopping to find fun toys for kids that might not get Christmas presents otherwise. I also showed him the flyer of two children smiling ear-to-ear after receiving their Christmas shoe boxes. With faces put to the mission, he couldn't wait to get started! We spent the rest of the afternoon searching store shelves together for treasures to delight friends (as sweet Landon referred to them) across the world! 

Philippians 2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This does not come naturally to us. It also doesn't come naturally to our kids (especially when they're standing in a toy aisle...). But, what a great way to teach a biblical lesson! 

Fellow, Moms, I challenge you to do this week's MOVE activity with your children. So much good can be accomplished in such a short amount of time...for you, for your kids, and for our "friends" across the world! Here's all that you need to do:

1. Pack a Shoebox:
Here's what Landon and I came up with after our shopping adventure! Visit this link to learn some great suggestions of what (and what not) to include in your box: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

2. Download a Label: 
This website will allow you to download and print as many labels as you need! Don't forget to include your donation for shipping and handling ($7 suggested per box). You can do that online too.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/pdf/PackABoxwithLabels.pdf

3. Drop it off: 
Many churches participate in this amazing ministry, so there is probably a drop-off site right around the corner! To find out for sure, simply visit this site and enter your zip code: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/

4. Report back!
If you are participating in this activity, please leave a comment below (or on our FunMom Facebook page) letting us know! Tuesday, November 23rd, one family will be entered into a drawing to win a very special prize: Veggie Tales: Saint Nicholas, A Story of Joyful Giving. This movie, which emphasizes the importance of giving over getting, will be a fun, and fitting, addition to your holiday collection.

Can't wait to hear from you!
~Leslie

Move: Simple Sack Race

Looking for some festive fun, in a pinch? Try it cinched! 

With built-in handles, a typical kitchen trash bag is the perfect partner for a simple sack race! 

Now all you need is a finish line.

~Leslie