Tag: traditions

Family Activities

Back-to-School Traditions

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Hey Loves!

As quick as summer came, it seems it is coming to an end as we all prepare to get back into school rhythms. 

I wanted to share with you some easy and fun back to school traditions but I really want to hear your traditions when heading back to school!

Let’s get into it!

Spa Day: Let’s face it, in the summer we get a little laxed, so to make grooming fun, we do a spa day at home. I give my kids a pedicure, manicure, facial and do their hair. I think it is really good for all kids to learn the importance of self care as early as possible. This is also a fun way to prepare for and discuss upcoming schedule changes, fears, apprehensions and work through them. 

Pictures: I know the whole world does “first day” photos but as a homeschool mom, this was the one thing I knew I could do and do well. I’ve kicked it up a notch with grade shirts and coordinating outfits. Again, I’m extra. 

First Day Handprints- I know this one will end before I’m ready but it warms my heart to go through the past handprints and see how they’ve grown. It also breaks my heart 

Preparing learning bins: I let my kids see all their new (to them) curriculum. I layout so they experience it through all their senses. Then I have my kids clean out their learning bins, get out all the crayon and pencil scuffs with Lemon EO and load them back up. After 4 years, my kids need new bins so I’ll bring you along for the personalization and organization. 

Back to school baskets: You can read all about them here but I love how excited my kids get seeing their new supplies and grade shirts. It really helps set an exciting tone for the kids. 

School Supplies Shopping: This is a new one that James and I endeavored upon this year. As my kids are doing one full day a week at a local homeschool program, they will need additional supplies. Call me a nerd but I used to love going back to school shopping for supplies and James enjoyed it as well. We used this cute printable to keep track of our needs. Check out my Instagram to see him shopping and marking things off his list.

Until Next time

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Ash Wednesday and Lent Traditions

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Hey Loves!

I mean, how is it the end of February? I feel like January was 3 months long and February comes in like a hurricane being the shortest month with the most to celebrate. Black History Month, Hubs birthday, Valentine’s Day, James’s birthday… and the start of the lenten season.

I understand Ash Wednesday is not a traditional holiday and thus, there’s no decor or days off but, in our house we celebrate the big and the small. Personally, taking time to consecrate our faith, make a public profession and boldly choose to eliminate something from our lives and/or bring something in lives that will bring us closer to Christ is big. So, in my true fashion, we celebrate it.

We start with some fun printables like these that allow us to discuss the upcoming the season- what a sacrifice is and how to choose one, who and what we will pray for, and what this time is to focus on. I think it is important to teach my children the relational effects of fasting and prayer and not the religious act.

We also discuss the good and the bad about we we are giving up or giving in to… sacrifices are not meant to be easy so “sacrificing” something you don’t like anyway doesn’t quite make the cut. I also I am not trying to punish my kids. While I gently guide them, I don’t force their sacrifices upon them.

We wake on Ash Wednesday to go get our Ashes. For the past few years, we’ve gotten them from the comfort of our car. Yup, you read that right-we have gotten our Ashes through the drive-through of a local church. One day, I’ll find a child-friendly service but alas, this has worked for us.

Do you and your family do something special to prepare for Lent?

tips

New Traditions!

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Hey Loves!

One of my wife friends and I were talking and we both agreed that it can be difficult for families to ‘let-go’ and allow married couples to form and continue their own traditions for the holidays. When I was growing up, we always traveled for the holidays. When I was in undergrad, all of our family came to my dad’s house and that turned into hosting and running errands.

Now that my husband and I are on our own, have a home and successfully hosting both families for Thanksgiving, our families are kind-of starting the ‘let-go’ process and we can explore things that work and that we want to share with our kids (whenever they get here… *taps foot impatiently*)

With that, we are trying Advent this year and I am so excited! I am always looking for ways to incorporate focusing on and learning about the word of God into every Holiday as well as our daily lives so it seemed right up our alley.

We (meaning me) researched all types of ideas for daily activities. This was harder than I thought because so many of the ideas were for children or married couples with children. Pickings were slim for the young, married and child-less. So, we brainstormed and successfully came up with 24 that we both enjoy. I then found quite a few free printable Advent Calendars and a list of bible verses to read each day (plus a Christmas banner) via Pintrest.

Here are our ideas. If you have any, I would love to hear them!

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1. Hang Christmas lights outside
2. Assemble tree and let settle
3. Decorate tree with lights and ornaments
4. Hang Christmas stockings and place other Christmas decor
5. Attend a holiday party
6. Do a random act of kindness for someone
7. Attend a holiday festival and discuss what you learned from this weeks bible readings
8. See a local Christmas production
9. Write each other a letter about what Christmas means with them and put it in their stocking
10. Go for a run in our Jingle Bell Run t-shirts
11. Prepare and send Christmas e-cards
12. Wife picks a Christmas movie to watch
13. Make Christmas Cookies and treats together
14. Discuss what we have learned from this week’s bible readings
15. Go see the Christmas Lights at Dorothy B. Oven park (a park local to us but I am sure there is one near you!)
16. Deliver Christmas cookies and treats!
17. The hubs picks a Christmas movie
18. Go to the gym wearing red or green
19. Watch a holiday special on TV
20. Wrap each other’s presents
21. Discuss what we have learned from this week’s bible readings
22. Share a Christmas devotional with each other (We are both avid users of the Youversion bible app bible plans and we plan on doing one for Christmas)
23. Go look at Christmas lights in our neighborhood
24. Read the story of Jesus’ birth.