Easter Books

Okay.  It's probably my fault.  The reason that it hasn't stopped snowing is because I still had Christmas books in all of my children's book baskets.  Ugh...and typing that, I remember one more basket full of holiday cheer.  Must remedy that immediately following this post.


Today was another snow day for me.  We haven't really had all too many this year, but it seems that they are much less welcome as you move further away from Christmas.  It also snowed all day, leaving me with an unadventurous spirit when it came to errand running.  To fill the hours that could quickly succumb to cabin-fever, I decided to change things up.  I pulled out our two pop-up, playhouses that I keep hidden under the downstairs sectional and set them up in front of our front window.  Even with play houses, it's all about location, isn't it!?  And then I lugged all of those Christmas books (except for the ones I just now remembered, ugh) back to their basement home and carried up a fresh new set of Easter and spring-y books.  Now I LOVE Christmas and all the magic snow and the combination of darkness and light brings to it, but seeing the bright colors of the Easter eggs and spring flowers in this new collection of books, filled my spirit with the warmth of sunshine and the newness of fresh starts.  Ahhhhh......sigh..........

Well, obviously, Miss Baby was looking for a fresh start, as well, because she took a moment out of pulling all of her socks out of her drawer to plop down in that sun-lit tent and read.  And read.  And read.  And read.  Then throw all of the books out of the tent and read them on the living room floor.  And then she finally concluded with throwing all the books back in the tent and giving them one final read.  Seriously.  She spent close to an hour immersed in the freshness of spring and new books.

I think this may be her first, "forced" smile for the camera. 

Here are a few of my favorite titles to celebrate SPRING.  It's coming, isn't it?  Spring, that is.  I'm seriously starting to have my doubts.

 K is for Kite - God's Springtime Alphabet by Kathy-jo Wargin and Illustrated by Kim Gatto

An ABC walk through God's springtime world.  A fun way to work on those letters and celebrate NEW life. 

Race You to Bed by Bob Shea 

A fast paced, good night book that results in one sleeping bunny, or is he?

 

Chicky Chicky Chook Chook by Cathy MacLennan

A fun, nonsensical, rhyming book that has silly sounds that all ages will want to mimic.

What's your family's favorite springtime read?  Perhaps if we all pull out some books with bright green grass, blue skies and spring flowers, mother nature will feel obligated to follow suit.  We can hope, can't we?  Wishing you the warmth of a spring day and a good book,

Alphabet Easter Eggs

My in-betweener has proven to me, as of late, that he is no longer a baby.  In fact, he is much more a big boy than he is my chubby, cheeked, cherub baby.  For Valentine's Day, the boys spent an afternoon making Valentines for their grandparents.  I was surprised, amazed, proud, saddened to see my three and a half year old write his name.  Legibly.  Thank goodness he goes to preschool, because this mama wouldn't' have ever thought to work on that...yet...in my eyes, he was just too little.

Watching his eyes light up as his Grandpa "read" his name on the card, simply, melted my heart.  Watching him write his name on the side of my dusty van in the Target parking lot, made me say, "Wow!"  He's ready to learn.  Okay, he's always been learning...but now we are moving on to big boy stuff. 

Tonight, I put together something that I am going to present to him and my preschoolers at school.  I fashioned a set of Easter eggs. 

For my little guy, I have printed all of our family names on eggs...one letter at a time.  I'll give him his name letters first and let him put them in order.  I'll then go on to "M-O-M" and "D-A-D" before giving him the letters for his sister's and brother's names. 

For my preschoolers, I have three random letters printed on each egg.  I am going to ask them to read them to me as their "ticket" into preschool each morning.  It should be a fun way to work on our letters in a non-threatening way.  Their caregivers help them practice their address and phone number each morning before class...the eggs will be inside those envelopes so caregivers can help with the letters, if needed.

I have a set of blank eggs, here, for you if you're interested.  If you have an older child working on sight words you could try writing those on the eggs.  If you have a toddler, maybe just a blank set would be fun for them to manipulate.  Print two copies and you can make yourself a matching game.  Seriously, the possibilities are endless.  Four copies with letters or numbers or pictures and you could make your own, "GO FISH," game.  I could go on and on and on. 

Please let me know how you use them.  I love getting new ideas. 

 

My husband's "HOT" birthday

"What do you want for your birthday?"
"Nothing."
"No, really.  What do you want for your birthday?
"I really can't think of anything."

And, in all honesty, I know he's telling the truth.  We are blessed.  Beyond blessed.  But I really did want him to tell me just one thing...that I could pick up at Target...so we could move on to dinner and cake.  The real reason we love celebrating birthdays.  But, alas, he didn't.  So, I had to get creative.

Every night at dinner, no matter what we are eating, my husband has to pull out his bottle of hot sauce.  Okay, not every dinner, but enough that when he is "out" of hot sauce, it's kind of a big deal. 

Every night, we tell him that he is going to get sick eating hot sauce on everything.  (I have no idea where my children would have gotten that idea from, although I am nearly positive that his stomach lining is being melted by all the spicy foods he puts in it.  I am sure their opinions are not based upon the factual information I present at every meal in which hot sauce makes its way to the table.  Just sayin'.)  Despite, all of our warnings, he still LOVES his food SPICY.  And we've all heard the way to a man's heart is through his inflamed stomach.  So.......

 

he got hot sauce!  Seven bottles, ranging from $.69 all the way up to $2.99.  I know...we are big spenders.  But this was his reaction...

 

 

...so happy!  I even had a special dinner treat in store for him. 

 

Saw something like this somewhere along the way...most likely Pinterest. Can't be sure anymore. If I didn't see it there, I'm pretty sure I could find something similar there. :-)

A cornbread muffin topped with piped mashed potatoes and a chicken wing...tossed in his brand new hot sauce.  And yes, I tossed seven chicken wings in seven different sauces.  He only ate two "muffins," but was insistent on trying out all of his new sauces.  I think he was also relishing the fact that I had purchased chicken on the bone.  I am most certainly a boneless girl.  I had mashed potatoes for dinner.  My oldest, on the other hand, was happy to leap in and join in the messy fun. 

So...to my "HOT" husband...Happy Birthday!  You make our lives extra spicy! 





Braided Infinity Scarf

 

Let's see if a picture really is worth a thousand words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you try it?  Are you as impressed with yourself as I was with myself!?  Until next time...



My Valentine's Day Gift - Photoshop Elements

I heart photography.  I am a very visual person and just love the way photography can capture feelings and emotions into something that I can look at for years to come.  When I had my children, my love for photography reached a whole new level as I realized just how fleeting many of those moments are. 

As some of you may remember, I gushed about my favorite children's photographer in this post.  She's a dear friend who I "bumped" into years ago and have grown to know as a rockstar mama, wife and most recently photographer.  She will be the one who I forever take my children to for those milestone photo sessions.  But, on the other days when my kiddos are doing something that I find "photo-worthy," (which is most every day of the year), I want to have the ability to take the pictures that are worthy of being preserved for years to come...not the fuzzy, color blown shots that I am always taking on my iPhone.  She suggested I pair my basic DSLR with Photoshop Elements.  So...Photoshop Elements went on my gift list.  And in the meantime, I continued to work on my photography skills by taking LOTS of photos.  Seriously.  LOTS. 

I shot my sister and her husband on a very COLD, December afternoon.  It was my first photo shoot to anyone other than my poor children and I had SO much fun.  I froze.  But I had SO much fun.  Here was a highlight from that session (edited with PicMonkey....oh how I love PicMonkey). 

I do have to give a shout out to my husband for his assistance on this photo session.  We used quite a few "props," including snugly blankets, metal letters and their dog.  While shooting, he became the prop master walking up and down the river bank, covered in blankets with a giant (high strung) dog, looking like a homeless man.  It made us laugh...and don't worry he was rewarded with a trip to a microbrewery following the last shot. 

 

I was then able to take pictures of this sweet baby girl....

 

Ahhh...I had caught it...the shutterBUG! 

 

I joined my sister and a few of her friends in a 365 Photo Challenge and am happy to say that I've made the effort, every day, to find something to capture.  I have to say that in addition to finding beauty in my every day life, I have also become a much better deleter.  No longer do thousands of terrible pictures linger on my photo cards or hard drives.  If they don't make the cut, into the recycle bin they go.  Ahhhh.....freedom. 

  

And then along came Valentine's Day.  I went out to buy my newly "bearded" husband a trimmer and he remembered my LIST!  A list that I had long since forgot about.  My birthday and Christmas had come and gone and I must say extravagant Valentine's Days are not "our" thing, but HE REMEMBERED MY LIST.  In he walked, to our chaotic home, with a single rose a card and PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS!  Be still my heart.  He had listened.  And remembered. 

 

And now for over a week, that sweet gift has sat unopened on my buffet.  Why?  Because it terrifies me. 

 

Well, today I opened it.  And played with it.  For a little while.  I am still terrified.  Please add all helpful suggestions below in my comment section on how to begin working with it.  I know it can do amazing things...I just don't know where to start.  But for now, I did manage to come up with this edit. 

 



And it has inspired me to learn more.  Because I love photography.  And I REALLY LOVE good photography.  And I think, with the right tools, I can be a good photographer. 

 

Thanks for the nudge...

I love new beginnings.  I think it is a big reason why I went into teaching.  Sure, everyone gets the new start of a new calendar year every January 1, but as a teacher you also get to reboot every fall when the new school year comes about.  Of course, I also celebrate the fresh beginning of a new week and sometimes even a new day can put a lot of things into perspective.  I use each of these opportunities to reflect on the hits and misses of the past (fill in the blank) and then modify, adjust and adapt to create something that is even better than it previously was....so.....HELLO, new and improved FOOTPRINTS AND GLITTER!

With a slight nudge, I have been happily concocting what I think will be the best fit of writing for me and ideas for all of my BFE's.  (Not a BFE yet?  I'd love to have you join in our fantastic, little group!  See sidebar for details.)  I have modified the look of my blog to what feels best to me right now.  (Do note, though, that I love seasonal decor and prepare for the blog to change with my decorating whims.  With an upcoming snow storm preparing to hit the midwest, a hot cup of coffee feels best right now.  :-))

Prepare now for the tour...

• "Home" is where you will always be able to find what's new on Footprints and Glitter.  The latest and greatest will always greet you when click on the "Home" tab.
• One of the first pieces of writing that my oldest son did was a sign that hung in my kitchen advertising my "restaurant."  Now, it's not that I offer a menu or anything, but on some mornings making three different breakfasts all while packing a cold lunch or two, I can definitely relate with the title "short order cook."  His sign welcomed all visitors to "Mom's Fantastic Food."  Under the "Fantastic Food" tab, you can find recipes to some of our biggest hits.
• "My Home is my Haven" - Enough. Said.  No matter how chaotic, loud or messy this home of mine may be, it will always be the place that soothes my soul.  Under this tab, you will find my ideas on how I organize, clean and decorate my humble abode.
• My oldest is a Kindergarten boy full of big ideas and big energy.  Check out my "Soaring with School Age" and find out what special things I do with him.  Also, feel free to leave AS MANY comments in this section as you'd like.  As he left preschool (and was born a boy, for that matter) I have quickly become a fish out of water when it comes to parenting him.  I'd love any suggestions I can get on what has worked for all of you much more experienced mamas!
• Stuck in between his big brother and baby sister, I have a sweet, snugly, three and a half year old.  He is in his first year of preschool and has explored that experience completely differently than his older brother did.  You can find some of our adventures under the "Preschool ROCKS" tab.
• You may be wondering where my intense LOVE of preschool comes from.  :-)  I teach a four year old class, three mornings a week at a Christian preschool.  It keeps me "in the game" as far as my degree and teaching license are concerned and it gives me an opportunity to leave my little ones at home with grandma and ROCK with some fab, four and five year olds on the other side of town.  If you happen to be an EC educator, or just someone looking for things to do with the pre-k set, you will find some of my preschool ideas here, as well.
• Baby girl is sixteen months old.  While she may look like a princess in her fancy hair bows and amazing collection of shoes.  She most often can be found playing in the dog dish or emptying every drawer and cupboard in my house.  Check out the "Toddler Time" tab to see how I am trying to distract her, in an intentional way.  :-)
• I married my high school prom date.  Awe.....  We've been together through a lot and still have the best time dating one another.  "Marriage is a Team Sport" is my way of ensuring that I am finding the JOY in our marriage...even on days when it seems like all we do are loads of dishes and laundry. 
• In the hustle and bustle of school and work schedules it seems as though our lives can become quickly consumed with obligations and duties.  Our family reserves one day a week as our "Family Fun" day.  A day when we forget the hundreds of things that could be done and concentrate on quality time together. 
• The last tab is my me tab.  Click on "I Matter" to see a few things and ideas that bring me joy...just because.

That concludes the tour.  Are there any questions?  I hope you've enjoyed your time here and will stop back frequently.  I hope that you find the new layout easier to find the ideas that you are looking for.  And I hope that the new layout helps me organize the gazillion thoughts that are constantly running through my mind. 

To celebrate my rededication of Footprints and Glitter I have two posts for you.

My "Stuffed Pasta Shells" recipe was my #1 post (by far) before the revamp.  I am including it here as the old.

I am also including the first family fun adventure we had in 2013.  It's ALL NEW!  "Superhero Saturday" is a thing of legend and proved to my husband and me that intentional family time was going to be a SUPER idea for everyone. 

Superhero Saturday

Superhero Saturday.  Our only mistake was telling the boys about it on Wednesday.  :-)  We now keep our themes a "surprise" for them, although we are willing to take suggestions for future ideas. 

Our fun began the night before when my husband and I set up every Superhero toy that we could scavenge in a giant metropolis in our basement.  We had Mr. Freeze's icy lair set up under our Christmas tree (which was up much too long this year) while Batman and Robin hid in their Batcave by the window.  Superman and Wonder Woman were busy guarding the city in their cardboard brick tower while Penguin and the Riddler coasted in the bay near the train table.  I may not have grown up playing with superheroes, but by the end of our setup, even I wanted to play bad guys the next morning!  We finished setting the scene by setting out our Superhero dress up clothes and pulling out all the Superhero books we could find in our costume box.

After breakfast the next morning and a 10 minute tidy we were ready to head to the basement.  It just happened to be Miss Baby's naptime, so the boys got our undivided attention. 

 

Picking out his costume...so many to choose from, but he always goes for green.
 

And not surprisingly, his brother went for the red.

We had a great hour of playing before the boys' Superhero appetites had them signaling for lunch.  Miss Baby joined us for some delish SuperHERO sandwiches, each customized to the Superhero's liking....which pretty much ended up being ham and cheese and varying amounts of pickles for all. 

 

We cleaned off the table and worked on coloring some Avengers posters and doing an Avenger paint by number.  I had found these in the dollar section at JoAnn fabrics when I went to pick up the masks for our big project.

 

Even Miss Baby formed her own Superhero identity.  :-) 

 

Yes, her tray is covered in Press-N-Seal.  Yes, she did paint all by herself.  And yes, that is now her "painting" onesie.
 

 

 

 

 

During Miss Baby's afternoon nap, the four of us enjoyed a game of "Joker's Funhouse"... 

 

 

before heading out on a walk in the fifty degree weather that doesn't come very often to the Midwest in January.  The boys then watched Batman and Robin while Daddy took down our outdoor Christmas lights.

 

Miss Baby and I took a break from Superheroes.  She cooked in her kitchen and I put together some "Super" burgers that we grilled that evening for dinner(the cheese was diamond shaped and we placed a ketchup "S" in the middle of it). 

We enJOYed every minute of it.  And we celebrated our first "intentional" family fun day with a trip to OrangeLeaf for some froyo.  Perfection.