175 Things to Do Together as a Family

 A Valuable Resource for This Summer and All Year 'Round!

This is not "homework, ladies, but very soon as summer vacation begins for your children, many of you will hear these dreaded words echoing through your home, "Mom!  I'm bored!  There isn't anything to do!"   If you're like most families, you sometimes run out of creative activities to do together as a family, so here are a few ideas. I enjoyed making this list, thinking back to the many fun times we had together as a couple and with our three children. We haven't done every single one of these activities through the years, but almost. Your family may already have a head start on this list!

Many of these activities are appropriate for couples before children, with children of all ages including teens, and even after you have an empty nest.  Babysitters, take note of some activities you might be able to use with the children under your care, with their parents' permission, of course.  Although quite a few are good ideas for singles while dating, married couples will be able to draw from this list for ideas of date nights as well.  Many ideas are for families with small children, but would also be fantastic activities for grandparents to use with their grandchildren during a Grandparents' Day!  It might be fun for your family to go down the list together and check the activities you have already done, and then to find some new ones to do together. Now when your children say, "Mom, I'm bored!  What can I do?" ~ you will have this valuable resource!

175 THINGS TO DO TOGETHER AS A FAMILY

by Lois Breneman, Copyright 2003

Close your eyes and try to remember the most fun your family has ever had. Now tell me, was your family busy doing something together or were you all gathered around the television set? With the ever increasing demands of school, career and church, Christian families need to relearn how to be together and have fun. When your children are grown, they will remember the special times of family togetherness. Great memories have to be created. A little effort and imagination will fill your family's free time and enrich the lives of those you love most. Here are some simple, inexpensive (or free!) activities that can be enjoyed by almost everyone. Turn off the tube and tune in to family fun.

1. Take a bicycle trip.
2. Make homemade ice cream or visit an ice cream parlor.
3. Bake a double batch of cookies and deliver one to a needy family.
4. Visit an airport and watch the planes take off and land, or go to a lake and watch the boats, while you have a picnic.
5. Go on a breakfast picnic.
6. Go to a park and hike or climb trees.
7. Make popcorn, maybe even caramel corn.
8. Enjoy the snow together by building a snowman, snow bears, a huge turtle or other animals, making a snow fort or throwing snowballs. How about making snow ice cream?
9. Go swimming or water skiing.
10. Plan a scavenger hunt for outside. Or plan one for in the house using every letter of the alphabet.
11. Bake plain sugar cookies and let each member of the family take part in decorating them.
12. Make playdough and sculpt objects or people (even from Bible stories).
13. Read a good book aloud. (C.S. Lewis' "Tales of Narnia" appeals to children and adults alike.
14. Look through photo albums or view family slides, movies, or videos.
15. Play miniature golf or croquet.
16. Make a tape recording of the most recent news and send it to a close friend or relative whom you seldom see.
17. Make a "birthday flag" for the next upcoming birthday.
18. Go fishing.
19. Play a board game that all can enjoy---Monopoly, Sorry, Scrabble.
20. Work on a jigsaw puzzle.
21. Go roller skating or ice skating.
22. Make family silhouettes. Use a slide projector or a bright lamp to project the head profile on a blank wall. Hold paper against the wall and trace the silhouette. Cut out and glue it on a contrasting sheet of paper or poster board.
23. Have a candy treasure hunt.
24. Work on a crossword puzzle.
25. Play "Start a Story." One person starts the story and talks for three minutes (use timer). The next person must continue the story, and so on. After going around the family circle two or three times, the youngest child gets to end the tale.
26. Provide old magazines, scissors and glue. Pick a theme for your collage (families, God's creations, things to be thankful for, etc.).  Everyone cuts out pictures and glues them onto a large piece of paper or poster board.
27. Go to the flea market or bright and early one Saturday morning visit 10 garage sales and see who can come home with the best bargain for a dollar.
28. Sing favorite choruses, hymns or nursery rhymes around the piano or guitar. You could even use a tape or CD to follow along.
29. Make plaster of Paris hand prints. Put name, year and age on the back.
30. Make a family banner. The banner should be made of felt or the flag fabric found in fabric stores. Decorate with pictures that illustrate interests of family members.
31. Go to the zoo.
32. Go bowling.
33. Make your own homemade pizza. Add mushrooms, peppers, onions, black olives and crushed pineapple to the pizza sauce and cheese.
34. Invite another family over for a game of charades or "Guesstures."
35. Listen to recordings of your favorite music.
36. One sunny Saturday morning, get out the gardening tools and find someone (a shut-in, perhaps) who could use some free yard work. Everyone can pitch in and help.
37. Make a collage using seeds, rice, cereal, old buttons and sewing scraps.
38. Catch fireflies together, put them in a jar and watch them light up. Let them go.
39. Do needlework: cross-stitch, crewel, candle wicking, rug-hooking, smocking.
40. String popcorn and place on a tree for the birds.
41. Write the words and music to a chorus together.
42. Make puppets out of lunch bags, old socks, felt, wooden clothespins. Put on a puppet show.
43. Have a bonfire outdoors or in your fireplace and roast hot dogs and marshmallows.
44. Go to your nearest hospital and look at the babies in the maternity nursery. (Visiting hours only).
45. Visit a shut-in or an elderly friend or relative in a nursing home.
46. Pick wildflowers and press some of them to save.
47. Read a Psalm together. Then write a psalm of praise for your own family.
48. Play "I think you're nice because..." Someone thinks of a quality he likes in the person who's "it." Other family members try to guess by asking, "Does it begin with an "A?" and so forth.
49. Listen to a tape of a Bible story. You can tape good stories from Christian radio stations. 50..Share prayer requests that affect and concern the whole family, then pray about them.
50. Make a mobile. Gather special treasures (shells, nature objects, hollow, decorated eggs, valentines). Tie thread or yarn of varying lengths to the end of each and attach to a hanger.
51. Ask your children about their greatest fear, and talk about them.
52. Encourage little ones to color a picture to send to grandparents.
53. Make a list together of all the things in your house that use electricity. You might do this when you lose power sometime.
54. Build a village using blocks, Lincoln logs or Legos. Get out the matchbox cars!
55. Enjoy a shopping trip for something little, but fun---a jar of bubbles, stickers, paper dolls, a matchbox car.
56. Play "20 Questions." One person chooses a Bible character or object to be guessed. The other members of the family take turns guessing what the secret object or person might be. No more than 20 questions can be asked and each one must be able to be answered with a simple yes or no. Whoever guesses first becomes "It" for the next round. Good for car trips too.
57. Visit a farm. Milk a cow, help to feed the animals. Take pictures.
58. Play badminton, volleyball, tennis, Frisbee, yard darts or ping pong.
59. Take the kids on a tour of where Dad works.
60. Play hide-and-seek (inside or outside).
61. Play "Bible Verse Scramble." One person chooses a favorite Bible verse and writes each word on a separate piece of paper. Scramble the order of the words and challenge each member of the family to see who can put it together the fastest. It could be one the family has memorized together.
62. Go camping in the backyard. Cook breakfast on the grill.
63. Draw a family tree on paper and complete it as a family. Add old photographs if available.
64. Go jogging or take a walk together.
65. Give each person a large piece of paper and take turns tracing the outlines of their bodies on it. Color in the outlines to look like you.
66. Using white shelf paper or the inside of brown grocery bags, design your own wrapping paper with crayons, magic markers or paints--even potato prints.
67. Go to the library. Check out books, records, tapes and art reproductions. Check out books showing how to make crafts with children.
68. Gather a variety of leaves and identify them.
69. Write a letter to a missionary family. Your children could write to a missionary's child his own age.
70. If you have a computer, create a family newspaper. Each child can write a story, Dad and Mom can write a column, and an older child or parent can edit and type. Send copies to the grandparents.
71. Make candy or caramel apples.
72. Fly a kite!
73. Jump rope.
74. Take pictures of all the houses in your neighborhood, then arrange the houses on a large poster board and identify the people living in the houses. Write their addresses and phone numbers at each house too.
75. Visit a friend.
76. Dig out a flower bed and give each family member his own "plot." Plant seeds, bedding plants, vegetables or bulbs and watch God's creations grow!
77. Read favorite poems aloud.
78. Put together a scrapbook describing a favorite vacation or any special event (pictures, writing, souvenirs).
79. Rake up a big pile of leaves to jump and play in. If it's warm outside, turn on the water sprinkler and run through it.
80. Write and act out a play centered on a specific holiday, a Bible story or a character quality. Mom, Dad or one child could be the production manager.
81. Pick apples and make apple sauce together.
82. Gather seashells. Mount and identify.
83. Make snowflakes out of lightweight white paper and hang from the ceiling with thread.
84. Create a traveling friendship basket. Fill an inexpensive basket with baked goodies, crafts, coupons, and so forth. Pass it on to a friend. Leave a note in the basket, directing it to be passed on (within the week) to someone else who could use some cheer.
85. Go to a ball game or play one---football, kickball, softball, baseball, basketball, soccer.
86. Finger paint on glazed paper (shelf paper, freezer paper) with chocolate pudding.
87. Go sledding.
88. Go skiing.
89. Take a trip to an amusement park, a museum or a planetarium.
90. Use fabric crayons to design individual T-shirts.
91. Set a Bible verse to a familiar tune and learn both the verse and song as a family.
92. Write and record an interview with a Bible character.
93. Build a tree house or fort.
94. Go horseback riding.
95. Write and illustrate a short story about an imaginary animal.
96. Build a robot out of empty boxes of all shapes and sizes. oatmeal and salt boxes work well.
97. Work together on a model kit.
98. Work on a stamp collection together.
99. Play with sand toys and trucks in a sandbox.
100. Using construction paper, write out and illustrate favorite proverbs. Join the pages to make a book.
101. Collect rocks, mount and identify, using books from the library.
102. Catch butterflies with a butterfly net.
103. Collect insects and mount with straight pins on a foam board.
104. Identify the insects using books from the library.
105. Go bird watching. Learn to identify various birds. Learn to identify them just by hearing them also. Make a bird book together.
106. Build a birdhouse and read about how to attract birds to your yard.
107. Tell your children how you first met and some of the things you did together before you married.
108. Plan and cook a meal together, where you invite the grandparents or other family or friends.
109. Play leapfrog.
110. Play jacks.
111. Have a water balloon toss.
112. Learn about safety together.
113. Have a fire drill. Discuss what to do in case of a fire.
114. Read jokes to each other.
115. Have Grandma and Grandpa tell how they met and how life was for them as children. Have them tell about their favorite toys and how they compare with today's toys.
116. Make "smores" in the fireplace or outdoors.
117. Get a book out of the library about science experiments. Do them and try to think up an application to life.
118. Learn to juggle.
119. Learn to use a yoyo.
120. Carve an animal out of a bar of Ivory soap.
121. Do origami, using books from the library.
122. Make your own card to send to grandparents.
123. Make a simple pinwheel and make it blow in the wind.
124. Make thumbprint animals. Make cards, using thumbprints.
125. Sail toy boats in a stream.
126. Wear old tennis shoes and go wading in a stream.
127. Make an inside tent, using sheets or blankets over a card table.
128. Visit an orchard and see how apple cider is made.
129. Watch a parade together.
130. Feed ducks at a duck pond.
131. Visit an antique shop with grandparents, and listen to their stories of how it was when they were growing up. Have them explain how the various antiques were used.
132. See what you can buy at a dollar store, where everything is $1.
133. Visit a fire station.
134. Go to the city market together some Saturday morning.
135. Whistle with a blade of grass between your thumbs.
136. Make banana splits together.
137. Make homemade vegetable soup together.
138. Make a Birthday cake for Jesus.
139. Make hand shadows on the wall look like various animals. Make them talk to each other.
140. Catch frogs at a pond.
141. Clean the house together.
142. Make a playhouse out of several big boxes. Decorate.
143. Share miles of smiles by making and washing doll clothes with your girls.
144. Make a water slide, using garbage bags cut to lay out flat. Place on a bank or hill, run a slow stream of water down the hill with a hose, and slide!
145. Using a big box of odds and ends and some art supplies, see what each person can create.
146. Go on a photography walk. Take pictures of each person, against a backdrop of flowers or nice scenery.
147. Take a ride on a bus, train or subway.
148. Call your local newspaper. Ask for a tour of the layout area and printing press.
149. Go to the tallest building in your area and see what landmarks you can spot.
150. Have a taffy pull.
151. Buy herb plants at the market and grow an herb garden together. Learn how to use the herbs in cooking, potpourri and decorations.
152. Draw roads in your driveway with chalk, designating your house, a school, church, hospital, railroad tracks, train station, etc. Ride tricycles and Big Wheels all around the town.
153. Have your children draw beautiful colored pictures on your driveway with colored chalk. It will wash off with the next good rain.
154. Paint your house with big paint brushes and a bucket of water.
155. Buy dress-up clothes at yard sales or Goodwill and have fun.
156. Make yeast bread together - or sticky buns.
157. Line up the kitchen chairs, one behind the other, and form a "train," and go on a trip somewhere.
158. Play "Follow the Leader."
159. Make an airplane instrument panel out of a large box. Glue on lids of all sizes and colors for the control buttons.
160. Play "Simon Says."
161. Play hop scotch.
162. Cover empty salt boxes with colored contact paper and use for building.
163. Make a walkie talkie, using two empty juice cans with string between them (15-20').
164. Make a long list of opposites and make a game out of it.
165. Make a long list of homonyms and make a game out of it.
166. Make a long list of synonyms and make a game out of it.
167. Watch bean seeds sprout in a jar with two wet paper towels and a little water.
168. Grow an indoor garden of carrot, onion, sweet potato sprouts, by cutting off part of the vegetables with sprouts, and putting them in a dish of shallow water.
169. Make an ant farm together.
170. Have a blindfolded sniffing game, using various items in custard cups or on small plates. Use such things as an onion, cinnamon, vanilla, soap, rubbing alcohol, bleach, chocolate, an orange, banana, cheese, toothpaste, garlic, etc.
171. Make drums out of oatmeal boxes, kazoos out of combs and waxed paper and cymbals out of lids. Then put them into action!
172. Make rock creatures by finding small smooth rocks, then gluing and painting them to look like animals.
173. Make a train out of shoe boxes. Paint and decorate.
174. Play grocery store, using cans and boxes from the kitchen.
175. Last but not least, go to Sunday school and church together each Sunday.

Father's Love Letter

Note from Lois: So many have grown up without the unconditional love, support, and care of an earthly father.  That problem has escalated even more today, resulting in devastating consequences for countless individuals and entire families.  Our Heavenly Father is a Father like none other to those who are His children through their faith in Him, and He can adequately fill the needs of your heart!  Thanks to Pastor Robert Mullen for sharing this beautiful display of our Awesome Heavenly Father to His children!

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

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Unappreciated

© 2007, Stacy R. Miller - My Blog
Proverbs 31 Devotions
Monthly Menu Planning BlogUsed by permission

 

A common thing experienced by women is feeling unappreciated as a wife and mom.  Yet God still sees EVERYTHING you do. He sees your faithfulness in serving your family, and He sees the loving way in which you do it. Though it may often go unnoticed by others, it will NEVER go unnoticed by your Father.

 

While you may get weary and worn in your daily duties, many of which can be very mundane, God sees your perseverance, even on those days when you are absolutely exhausted.

 

He sees you when you are up all night with a sick child. He sees you on your knees in prayer over a wayward child.

 

He sees when you wash that load of laundry you would rather leave undone. He sees when you wash that load of dishes when you would prefer to be reading a book or taking a nap. He sees you cleaning the house when you would rather eat a good candy bar while chatting with a friend.  He sees you on those days when you feel so lonely, lost in the myriad of tasks which are part of motherhood. In those times, He reaches out to you, saying, "My precious daughter, I am here. Listen for my voice, for I am always trying to express my deep love for you."

Moments for Mom

by Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2012 - Used by permission

I have always second-guessed myself as a mother, never considering myself to be good enough.  I look around and see other moms doing amazing things with their kids and I feel like I don’t stack up. Like I’m letting huge things fall through the cracks of my kids’ psyches.  Like they should get along better.  Like we should have more game nights or something.

 

My children are teenagers now and that new-mother self-doubt still lingers in my mind.  Am I training them for adulthood thoroughly enough?  Are we having deep enough talks?  Do we sit down for meals often enough?  Do they know they can talk to me about anything and everything?  Do they know what’s important and what’s not?  Do they see Jesus in me?  Do they understand how central their faith should be to the whole of their lives?  Do they know how much God loves them?  Will they still love God when they leave home?

 

And then I take a deep breath and I realize that I’m not alone in my parenting, even as a single mother.  I take a deep breath and remember that it was grace that saved me and it is grace that will grow my children up and hold them together, no matter what happens.  I take a deep breath and I recognize that on my own I will fail, but that God cannot.  I take a deep breath and recall that they are a gift from God, that he will not let them stumble, that he won’t fall asleep or slumber while watching over them.  I take a deep breath and remember that I messed up a lot as I grew up and though my life is sometimes pretty difficult, I’m doing alright. 

 

I cannot boast in my mothering.  But I can boast in the God who allows me to mother, who partners with me in raising them.  And I can rest in the knowledge that he loves them even more than I do…and that is more than enough.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9   For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God —  not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ó Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2012   Elisabeth is mom to Sara (15) and Jack (13).  She loves spending time with her kids, her friends, reading and writing.  She is the author of At the Corner of Broken & Love: Where God Meets Us in the Everyday (Westbow),  One Girl, Third World: One Woman’s Journey into Social Justice (Kindle, Amazon), He Is Just That Into You: Stories of a Faithful God who Pursues, Engages, and Has No Fear of Commitment(WinePress), In Search of Calm: Renewal for a Mother’s Heart (Xulon), and Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom’s Weary Soul(Kregel).  All these books can be purchased on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle.  Visit her website at www.elisabethcorcoran.com and her blog at http://elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com/.  You can follow her on Twitter at ekcorcoran or friend her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Elisabeth-Klein-Corcoran/1301703500.  Watch Elisabeth and her friends spread hope through Africa with Samaritan’s Purse at http://www.vimeo.com/7919582.

Elisabeth is a proud Member of Redbud Writer's Guild (www.redbudwritersguild.com).

Safe and Natural Produce Wash

My nutritionist, Stephanie Hein, gave me this recipe for safely washing produce when I asked for a better alternative.  It's very inexpensive as well, compared to the ones available in stores.  When you mix this up, be sure to use a "large" bowl, because otherwise it will fizz up and overflow.  Children would love helping you make this easy recipe, because it would be a great science experiment for them as well!

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar (I used white distilled.  By the way, there is no vinegar smell because of the baking soda.)
2 Tbsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. lemon juice  (To save time, I added 2 extra tablespoons of vinegar rather than squeezing a lemon)

Pour into a spray bottle.  Spray produce liberally and allow to set for 5 minutes, then rinse well.  If you have a hand sprayer for rinsing, even the friction of the water helps to remove pesticides.

 

Leaf Relief: 8 Awesome Herbs for Your Kitchen

by Jeanine Natale - http://www.beachbody.com/product/nl_498.do#

 

Next time you walk into the kitchen and smell something delicious that makes your mouth water, or you have a fresh salad that's got something extra yummy in it, odds are that you can blame it on fresh green herbs-fragrant, flavorful, and actually good for you. Sure, you can get the dried version in a jar, but fresh herbs bring a whole new dimension to healthy cooking.

 

Used sparingly or with a heavy hand, fresh green herbs are delicious and available year-round in your local market's produce section. Experiment with different kinds, and use your sniffer . . . you should be able to smell a full, fresh fragrance from bright, perky greens that don't show signs of brown spots or yellow, droopy sogginess. Better still, with a little sunshine and a few pots, you can start your own easy-to-maintain herb garden. Then you can be 100 percent sure they're fresh!

 

Not sure where to start? Here are eight awesome herbs that'll make your recipes sing and your health soar.

1. Parsley. This curly-leafed herb is one that you've seen just about everywhere. It has almost twice the carotenoid content of carrots. It is rich in antioxidants which have been shown to help slow down the effects of aging and may help prevent coronary artery disease. Parsley also contains apigenin-a phytonutrient shown to have substantial anti-cancer properties, by working to inhibit the formation of new tumor-feeding blood cells. Furthermore, Mediterranean-style parsley salad-often known as tabouli-is amazing!
2. Cilantro. Basically a flat-leaf parsley, but with a very different aroma and taste, these delicate 1/4-inch leaves help cut cholesterol, reduce high blood sugar, promote detoxification of the blood, and are a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Chopped cilantro (and a squeeze of lime) on just about every savory Mexican and Middle Eastern dish is a delicious mix of flavors!
3. Basil. These wide, slightly curly leaves are a good source of vitamin A and magnesium. They also contain iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Basil has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that come from its high volatile (aromatic) oils content, which include-to name a few-linalool, estragole, and limonene. Many studies have shown that in the presence of these oils, the growth of bacteria such as listeria and Staphylococcus aurea (two big bad boys in the world of dangerous infections) have been noticeably restricted. And as we all know, pesto totally rocks on pasta!
4. Mint. These small, slightly fuzzy, wrinkly leaves, like their cousin basil, have been shown to have strong anti-microbial properties, thanks to the oils within. When put head to head with bacteria such as Salmonella and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurea (MRSA), mint oils inhibited the growth of these little monsters. Mint also soothes your tummy and can be helpful in lessening the effects of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and dyspepsia, by its ability to help relax the smooth muscles in all these areas. Mint tea, anyone? How about a refreshing and fun mint julep . . . mmm!
5. Chives. This pungent, slightly spicy herb is related to garlic and leeks. Like garlic, chives are known for their high allicin content-the antioxidant compound that's been shown to help scrub your system clean of toxins and have anti-aging properties. And it does a number on bacterial and fungal agents, much to our benefit. Allicin is also what gives chives their distinctive odor. Nutritionally, chives are a good source of beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin K, calcium, and folic acid, plus trace amounts of iron and vitamin B.
   Primarily used raw, chives are most often sprinkled on hot foods like baked potatoes, and of course, soups and pasta. Experiment by sprinkling fresh-chopped chives on any savory dish you make-soup, veggies, fish, or beans . . . delicious!
6. Dill. This plant with delicate wispy fronds for leaves has one of the most distinctive tastes and aromas from our list-you could recognize it anywhere. It's high in calcium, manganese, iron, fiber, and magnesium. Like basil and mint, dill contains volatile oils such as limonene and anethofuran that have antioxidant properties. It has other healing properties, too. Ancient Greek and Roman soldiers would use burnt dill seeds on their wounds to heal more quickly.
   Classically, dill is used as a cooking ingredient/garnish for any fish dish and as part of the pickling recipes for, well, dill pickles. A delicious dipping sauce is made with light plain yogurt, grated cucumbers, fresh garlic, and chopped dill.
7. Fennel. Looking like dill on steroids, fennel has a completely different taste-that of black licorice! Its large, bulbous root end is the part used most-you can peel the stalks off like celery, and they can be sliced and prepared in the same way. Or you can slice the bulb very thinly and either leave the slices intact, or break each slice into smaller pieces. The upper part of this plant-the dill-like part-can be used as edible garnish, or added into any recipe. It's a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese. Plus, there are small amounts of iron, calcium, and vitamin A thrown in for good measure. Fennel has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and may help to lower cholesterol due to its high fiber content. A super-simple and refreshing way to enjoy fennel is to thinly slice a stalk against the fibers and lightly drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Or just nibble on the ungarnished slices. Chilled fennel is a surprising treat.
8. Oregano. What list of herbs is complete without this staple of hundreds of cuisines from around the world? This is one herb that is very commonly found in dried form, but if you can find it fresh in your local market's produce section, it's a wonderful thing. Woody, thick stalks feature dozens of fuzzy curly little leaves measuring about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Oregano is an excellent source of vitamin K, and a good source of vitamins A and C. It also contains decent amounts of iron, manganese, and folate. Together with oils, like thymol, that have been shown to be anti-bacterial and anti-fungal in nature, the nutrients found in oregano pack a real power punch-even in small amounts.

Try mincing fresh leaves very finely, and sprinkle on slices of tomato and cucumber, drizzled with a touch of olive oil-a very Mediterranean-style snack.

 

Although fresh green herbs are generally used sparingly in any dish, if used on a regular basis, you can benefit from all the good stuff packed into these fragrant plants. Some might not tickle your taste buds; others might totally have your tongue falling head over heels in love. Experiment as much as you can. Most herbs-even when sold in those little fancy plastic packages-are not that costly, especially considering you'll be using them in small amounts and they will last for at least several days in the refrigerator.

 

 

Jeans Pot Holders

www.favecrafts.com

Turn the seat of an old pair of jeans into potholders. The jean pockets, already ready for slipping in your hands, make this sewing project a breeze.

1. Find a pair of old jeans. Perhaps you have an unsightly hole that is beyond mending like me?
    
2. Cut two 10 inch squares around each pocket, with the pocket as close to the center of the square as possible.
    
3. Cut out two 10 inch squares in fabric to match the denim squares.
    
4. For the insulation layer, use two layers of thick wool batting cut to equal squares, or use several layers of denim squares cut from the jean legs.
    
5. For each potholder, assemble the three square layers of denim, insulation, fabric. Align the insulation squares with the fabric square, with the wrong side of the fabric touching the insulation. Pin in place. Align this pinned piece with the denim square, with the right side of the denim touching the fabric piece. Pin in place.
    
6. With a ½ inch seam allowance, stitch three sides of each pot holder.
    
7. Turn inside out and press. Top stitch the remaining side closed. Repeat for other potholder.

Happy baking with your homemade potholders!

Precious Gem

Having five children, I've heard a lot of funny things, but this is one of the funniest that always makes me smile.

 

My mother has a shelf in her pantry which often houses a bag of suckers or smarties.  One day when our daughter was three we were visiting my mothers' home and I noticed my daughter struggling to pull a big chair.  Figuring I knew where she was headed with that chair I asked her if I could be her chair.  She agreed and I carried her to the pantry and lifted her up so she could check out the desired shelf.  After she looked for a bit I asked, "What are you looking for?"  To which she whispered back, "The chair doesn't talk."   :) ~ Michelle in Ohio

Lemonade and Angel Food Cakes

by Lois Breneman - May, 2012 - Heart to Heart

You have all heard the story that if life deals you lemons, you can turn a bad situation into something good by making lemonade.  Well, I was surprised to learn half a year ago that I have a food sensitivity to many foods, after going to a holistic doctor to get relief from widespread nonstop inflammation in the form of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.  One of those foods to avoid is egg whites.  I have always loved eggs, but have found ways to improvise by adding egg yolks to oatmeal and cooking it a minute longer, as well as adding yolks to casseroles for added flavor.  Omelets don't really work too well without egg whites, since it is the whites that act as binding agents in cooking and baking.

During the first few months I had thrown the egg whites down the drain, which was hard to do!  Although I had always looked for ways to save money in the home, having studied economics for the home, it was just too much to handle at the time with being on such a restrictive diet (food sensitivities, plus a yeast free and gluten free diet, as well as other food restrictions) that the holistic doctor advised me to follow.  As I concentrated on this new way of eating with so many limitations and tried to find new recipes, as I followed a diet for relief, saving those egg whites just wasn't a top priority at the time.

After I recently began to feel a tad more energy, I thought again about those wasted egg whites, and began saving them to make angel  food cakes - not for us to eat, but to give away to bless others!  It has been a real joy to bring smiles to busy moms by giving them an angel food cake from time to time.  Sometimes I am able to make two cakes at a time, and with "Heart to Heart" being the name of this ministry, it is appropriate that one of my angel food cake pans is heart-shaped! <3

You can find the recipe for Angel Food Cake on the Recipes blog.

It is my husband's and my prayer that the Lord will bring me physical relief through the holistic doctor I am going to (two hours from home).  I've been told that the process will take years.  If you feel led to add me to your prayer list, I would be most appreciative.  Thanks so much! 

Taking Cheerful Views

by J. R. Miller, 1880 - http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/taking_cheerful_views.htm - Permission granted - Public Domain

Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for sending this!

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in need." Philippians 4:11-13

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful." Proverbs 15:13

"A cheerful heart has a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15

"A cheerful heart is good medicine; but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

One of the divinest secrets of a happy life—is the art of extracting comfort and sweetness from every circumstance. We must develop the habit of looking on the bright side. It is a magic-wand whose power exceeds that of any fabled magician's to change all things into blessings. Those who take cheerful views, find happiness everywhere; and yet how rare is the habit! The multitude prefer to walk on the dark side of the paths of life.

There are those who take to gloom—as a bat to darkness, or as a vulture to carrion! They would rather nurse a misery—than cherish a joy. They always find the dark side of everything, if there is a dark side to be found. They appear to be conscientious grumblers, as if it were their duty to extract some essence of misery from every circumstance. The weather is either too cold or too hot; too wet or too dry. They never find anything to their taste. Nothing escapes their criticism. They find fault with the food on the table, with the bed in which they lie, with the railroad-train or steamboat on which they travel, with the government and its officials, with merchant and workman—in a word, with the world at large and in detail.

They are chronic grumblers. Instead of being content in the state in which they are—they have learned to be discontented, no matter how happy their lot! If they had been placed in the Garden of Eden—they would have discovered something with which to find fault! Their wretched habit empties life of all possible joy—and turns every cup to gall.

On the other hand, there are rare people who always take cheerful views of life. They look at the bright side. They find some joy and beauty everywhere. If the sky is covered with clouds—they will point out to you the splendor of some great cloud-bank piled up like mountains of glory. When the storm rages, instead of fears and complaints—they find an exquisite pleasure in contemplating its grandeur and majesty. In the most faulty picture—they see some bit of beauty which charms them. In the most disagreeable person—they discover some kindly trait or some bud of promise. In the most disheartening circumstances, they find something for which to be thankful, some gleam of cheer breaking in through the thick gloom.

When a ray of sunlight streamed through a crack in the shutter, and made a bright patch on the floor in the darkened room—the little dog rose from his dark corner, and went and lay down in the one sunny spot; and these cheerful people live in the same philosophical way. If there is one beam of cheer or hope anywhere in their lot—they will find it! They have a genius for happiness. They always make the best out of circumstances. They are happy as travelers. They are contented as boarders. Their good nature never fails. They take a cheerful view of every perplexity. Even in sorrow, their faces are illumined, and songs come from the chambers where they weep. Such people have a wondrous ministry in this world. They are like apple trees when covered with blossoms, pouring a sweet fragrance all around them.

It may be worth while to linger a little—on the philosophy of living which produces such results. Some people are born with sunny dispositions, with large hopefulness and joyfulness, and with eyes for the bright side of life. Others are naturally disposed to gloom. Physical causes have, no doubt, much to do with the discontent of many lives. Dyspepsia or a disordered liver, is responsible for much bad temper, low spirits and melancholy; and yet, while there is this predisposition in temperament on the one hand toward hopefulness, and on the other toward depression and gloom, it is still largely a matter of culture and habit, for which we are individually responsible. Like the apostle Paul, we can train ourselves to take cheerful views of life, and to extract contentment and enjoyment from any circumstances.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again—Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. This is clearly a most important part of Christian culture. Joyfulness is everywhere commended as a Christian duty. Discontent is a most detestable fault. Morbidness is a sin. Fretfulness grieves God. It tells of unbelief. It destroys the soul's peace. It disfigures the beauty of Christian character. It not only makes us soured and unhappy in our own hearts—but its influence on others is bad. We have no right to project the gloom of our discontent—over any other life. Our attitude is to be ever toward joy. There is nothing so depressing in its effect upon others, as morbidness!

Also, for the sake of those among whom we live, and upon whose lives we are forever unconsciously either casting shadows, or pouring sunshine—we should seek to learn this Christian art of contentment.

What are some of the elements of this divine philosophy of living?

One is patient submission to all the ills and hardships of life, which are unavoidable. No person's lot is perfect. No mortal ever yet found a set of circumstances without some unpleasant feature. Sometimes it is in our power—to modify the discomforts. Our trouble is often of our own making! Much of it needs only a little energetic activity on our part, to remove it. We are fools, if we live on amid ills and hardships, which a reasonable industry would change to comforts, or even pleasures!

But if there are unavoidable ills or burdens, which we cannot by any energy of our own remove or lighten—they must be submitted to without murmuring. We have a saying that, "What cannot be cured—must be endured." But the very phrasing tells of an unyielding heart! There is submission to the inevitable—but no reconciliation to it!

True contentment does not chafe under disappointments and losses—but accepts them, becomes reconciled to them, and at once looks about to find something good in them. This is the secret of happy living! And when we come to think of it—how senseless it is to struggle against the inevitable! Discontent helps nothing. It never removes a hardship, or makes a burden any lighter, or brings back a vanished pleasure. One never feels better, for complaining. It only makes him wretched!

A starling in a cage struggles against its fate, flies against the wire walls, and beats upon them in efforts to be free—until its wings are all bruised and bleeding! A canary is shut in another cage, accepts the restraint, perches itself upon its bar and sings. Surely, the canary is wiser than the starling!

We would also get far along toward contentment, if we ceased to waste time dreaming over unattainable earthly good. Only a few people can be great or rich; the mass must always remain in ordinary circumstances. Suppose that each of the forty million people in the world, were millionaires; who could be found to do the work that must be done? Or suppose that all were great poets. Imagine the forty million people in the world, all writing poetry! Who would write the prose? A little serious reflection will show that the world needs only a very few great and conspicuous lives—while it needs millions for its varied industries, its plain duties, its hard toil.

Also, a large amount of our discontent arises from our envy of those who have what we have not. There are many who lose all the comfort of their own lives—in coveting the better things that some other one possesses! How foolish!

There are several considerations which ought to modify this miserable feeling of envy, which brings so much bitterness. If we could know the secret history of the life that we envy for its splendor and prosperity, perhaps we would not exchange for it our lowlier life, with its plain circumstances. Certain it is, that contentment is not so apt to dwell in palaces or on thrones—as in the homes of the humble. The tall peaks rise nearer the skies—but the winds smite them more fiercely!

Then why should I hide my one talent in the earth—because it is not ten? Why should I make my life a failure in the place allotted to me, while I sit down and dream over unattainable things? Why should I miss my one golden opportunity, however small—while I envy some other one—what seems his greater opportunity? Countless people make themselves wretched—by vainly trying to grasp far-away joys, while they leave untouched and despised—the numberless little joys and bright bits of happiness, which lie close to their hand.

As one has written, "Stretching out his hand to catch the stars—man forgets the flowers at his feet—so beautiful, so fragrant, so multitudinous and so various." The secret of happiness lies in extracting pleasure from the things we have—while we enter no mad, vain chase after impossible dreams!

Another way to train ourselves to cheerful views of life—is resolutely to refuse to be frightened at shadows, or even to see trouble where there is none. Half or more of the things that most worry us—have no existence, but in a disordered imagination. Many things that in the dim distance look like shapes of peril, when we draw near to them—melt into harmless shadows, or even change into forms of friendliness! Much of the gloomy tinge that many people see on everything, is caused by the color of the glasses through which they look. We look out through our blue-glasses, and then wonder what makes everything blue! The greater part of our discontent, is caused by some imaginary trouble which never really comes. We can do much toward curing ourselves of fretting and worrying—by refusing to be fooled by a foreboding imagination.

We also need to learn—ever to make the best of things. There will always be cloudy days. No one can live without meeting discomforts, disappointments and hardships. No wisdom, no industry of ours can eliminate from our experience, all that is disagreeable or painful. But shall we allow the one discordant note in the grand symphony—to mar for us all the noble music? Shall we permit the one discomfort in our home—to cast a cloud over all its pleasures and embitter all its joys? Shall we not seek for the bright side? There is really sunshine enough in the darkest day—to make any ordinary mortal happy—if he only has eyes to see it!

It is marvelous what a trifling thing will give joy to a truly grateful heart. Mr. Park in the bleak desert, found the greatest delight in a single tuft of moss growing in the sand. It saved him from despair and from death, and filled his soul with joy and hope. There is no lot in life so dreary—that it has not at least its one little patch of beauty; or its one wee flower looking up out of the dreariness, like a smile of God.

Even if the natural eye can see no brightness in the cloud, the faith of the Christian knows that there is good in everything, for the child of God. There are reasons, no doubt, why no perfect happiness can be found in this world. If there were no thorns in our pillow here on earth—would we care to pillow our heads on the bosom of divine love? Our Father makes our nest rough—to drive us to seek the warmer, softer nest, prepared for us in his own love.

To each one who is truly in Christ, and who really loves God—there is a promise of good out of all things. "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God; to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. There is a wondrous chemistry in the divine providence, which out of the commingling of life's strange elements—always produces blessing! Thus faith's vision sees good in all things, however dark they may appear—and ill in nothing! We need but living faith in God's love and care to us—to enable us to take a cheerful view of any experience.

There is another purely Christian element in the culture of contentment which must not be overlooked. The more the heart becomes engaged with God, and its affections enchained about him—the less is it disturbed by the little roughnesses and hardships of earth. Things that fret childhood, have no power to break the peace of manhood. As we grow into higher spiritual manhood, and become more and more filled with Christ—we shall rise above the power of earth's discontents! We shall be happy even amid trials and losses, amid discomforts and disappointments, because our life is hid with Christ in God—and we have food to eat of which the world knows not!

Thus we may train ourselves away from all gloomy and despondent habits and experiences, toward cheerfulness and hope. The lesson, well learned, will repay our greatest efforts! It will bring some new pleasure into every moment. It will paint beauty for us—on the dreariest desert. It will plant flowers for us—along every step of the rugged road. It will bring music for us—out of every sighing wind and wailing storm. It will fill the darkest night with star-beams! It will make us sunny-hearted Christians—pleasing God, and blessing the world!

Homemade Laundry Detergent (with Oxyclean & Calgon)

by Gina Martin - http://homejoys.blogspot.com - Used by permission

(Note from Lois:  Another version of homemade laundry soap had been in Heart to Heart several years ago, but this is another option.)

There are so many recipes on the web for laundry detergent. I have tried the cooked recipe and the shredded soap bar recipe in the past. They worked but the recipe I've been using for nearly a year now is the simplest I've found. I keep the ingredients handy, and when I run out, it takes only minutes to dump it together, give it a stir, and we are back laundering clothes.

I've tested this recipe on very dirty muddy clothing this summer. I won't say that it will remove every stain, but it does a better job than many detergents. I figure any soap that can make cloth diapers smell sweet is doing a good job!

For a short while last spring, I used a bought detergents since I was given a box. Immediately, my dishcloths started to stink again. Ed wanted me to throw out the bought stuff and go back to homemade. All ingredients can be found in the laundry department of larger grocery stores.

Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 box (55 oz) Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Mule Team Borax
2 cup oxygen cleaner (such as Oxyclean)
1/2 cup Calgon water softening powder
Mix together. Use 1/8 cup per load.

Pick A Child, Any Child

Pick a Child, Any Child by Mary Rice Hopkins - www.maryricehopkins.com - Used by permission

Southern California, early 1960s:
Most of my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. According to one report card, I lacked attention and self-control. Teachers tried to ignore me, but I made it difficult because I could never sit still. My second-grade teacher noted that I would rather make up stories and sing songs than do my other school subjects.

Thankfully, I had another teacher. Her name was Mom. If I hadn’t listened to my mother during my school days, I don’t know where I would be today. With tenacity, love and lots of prayer, Mom encouraged me to use my songs, gifts and talents. She made me aware of the wonderful truth that there is nobody else in the world like me. She encouraged me to be myself and to use whatever God put in my hands for His glory.

Thirty Years Later:
My mom developed a brain tumor and, at first, they thought it was inoperable. As she started sorting through the family heirlooms, my mom handed me a treasure chest of memorabilia from my childhood. In it were all my report cards that I had never seen, all the struggles of my childhood that were so difficult. When I asked her about it, she said, “Mary, I knew you were gifted and God would use your gifts to His glory.”

So it wasn’t until I was married and had my own children that I realized the extent of the challenges I had faced growing up. Funny how the report cards showed my problems, but my mother showed me my possibilities. And God showed me how to use both to become a committed musician and family-oriented minister.

Now:
After several strokes and a removal of the tumor, I praise God that Mom is with us today. My Mom was even featured with her homemade quilt on one of our weekly TV episodes. Because of her love, now I have our own weekly program that teaches good character through music and puppetry. I'm so glad she never gave up on this little child.

Will you be that one person who picks a young girl and helps her to believe she is very special and that God has a great plan for her life? Will you be willing to find that broken, wounded little boy who simply needs one person to show him God’s love and give him hope? Will you be there for the inner child of the mother who needs someone to remind her that she has the most important job in the world raising children to be all God wants them to be?

Pick a child, any child.

Tips and Tidbits

Reuse Anything ~ My niece, Kelly Fritz, in Pennsylvania, shared this great tip with me!  It's a less expensive alternative to laminating.  You will need glossy heavy duty sheet protectors and dry erase markers. You can put anything in the protectors that you want...coloring books that you think are good enough to do over and over again.  Kelly has an alphabet coloring book that she thought would be good for repetition.  You could make your own sheets to insert, or there are lots of printables online. Here are a few links to some printables that Kelly has seen:

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/level_1_lapbooks.php http://1plus1plus1equals1.com/PreschoolPacks.html
http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/my-printables
While visiting with family last week, I cut all the pages from a math workbook I took for our four year old grandson, slipping each page into heavy duty sheet protectors, then into a notebook.  He did several pages using a dry erase marker, and he will be able to do them again using the same pages!  Great idea, Kelly!

Children's Bible Ideas Unlimited ~ Do you need ideas for your Sunday school class, VBS class or mid-week programming? Are you a homeschool parent or grandparent?  "Children's Bible Ideas Unlimited" is now on Facebook for your convenience! New ideas added regularly.

Easier Way to Fill Water Balloons ~ Last week I was filling water balloons for my four year old grandson, Daniel, so we could have some fun with them.  He saw how difficult it was for me to fit the tiny end of the balloons onto the water faucet, and instantly had a solution.  He pointed to their drinking water faucet (reverse osmosis), and said, "Use that one!"  It worked like a charm!  Now why didn't I think of that?

How to Occupy a Young Child ~ Give him a colander and lots of pipe cleaners, and show him how to stick them into the holes of the colander, forming arches with both ends sticking in the colander holes.  Just be sure your child can safely handle pipe cleaners with the pokey ends.  To see a photo: http://no1hasmorefun.blogspot.com

Pinterest is a great visual way to find creative new ideas that other people are willing to share.  We "pin" ideas that we want to save, as pinning on a bulletin board.  Just about every topic of interest can be found there - recipes, healthy eating, kids' crafts and artwork, adult crafts, sewing, home decorating, organization, gardening, quotes, marriage, parties, centerpieces, fun food for kids, beach themes, and so much more!   The tip on how to occupy a child came from Pinterest.  www.pinterest.com