From Isaiah chapter 62:

2 The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.

3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

11 The LORD has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.' "

12 They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.

Labels: holidays

It's Christmas Eve. I must make my fudge! I've been putting it off because I can't use marshmallow creme.

I had three strikes against me before I even started:

• We couldn't find the candy thermometer. It's okay, I'll just use the soft ball candy test.

• It's raining. Can't help it. I'll use 1/2 c. corn syrup in place of sugar, in hopes of stabilizing the crystals. Even the driest day in Houston this week had 43% humidity.
  

• New, untried recipe. But got raves on Allrecipes.com and was reprinted at Home-Ec 101.

I don't let little things like life circumstances stop me. So off I went to make the fudge.

It didn't turn out.

But... somehow I made Tootsie Rolls in the process and they are really good! I broke a spoon stirring the taffy-ish "fudge". If a little chewy.

Then, at 4 pm we decided to attend 7 pm Mass as a family. So we're leaving in an hour and I must fly to shave my legs and find clothes for the masses. Too much information? Sorry.

Then I'll return home and finish repairing that last stocking.

And wrap the presents.

And make cranberry sauce.

And two pies.

And rolls. And maybe even kolaches. Then I'll cut up fresh fruit for breakfast- a Christmas tradition.

Late nights and unexpected plans are a daily part of my existence.

Merry Christmas!

Labels: cooking, Family Life, holidays

It doesn't feel like Christmas.

I pulled out the Advent wreath, but I'll admit that I didn't get around to buying candles and we haven't done a single night.

Husband dear has worked every Sunday, and we haven't been to Mass since Thanksgiving. Except I took the older kids on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception because it was in the evening.

Our Jesus Crib is still in the box. Our Jesse Tree - didn't work out this year. I'll be better prepared next year...

The stockings are up, the Christmas tree is up, the Nativities are out... but I am not in the Christmas mood.

Next week, husband is off for the whole week. Need to think of some activities to do as a family.

Sigh.

I wonder how many of the Israelites felt the same way? Tired of waiting for the Messiah. Resigned to putting one foot in front of the other and just making it through the day, the week, the month.

And then they were surprised by joy.

O come, Emmanuel!

Labels: holidays

Every Christmas, I give the kids new pajamas.

They usually need a new pair.

It makes identifying the year Christmas pictures were taken easy.

It gives them something to open Christmas Eve, without them being disappointed that it's clothes.

New pajamas for Christmas morning... Works for Me!

For more Works for Me Wednesday fun, head over to Shannon's!


Art: Peeping into the Parlor by Jessie Wilcox-Smith, courtesy Allposters.com

Labels: children, holidays, Works For Me Wednesday

Today I shopped Black Friday for the first time ever.

I know. Didn't I just post Advent Conspiracy, aren't I always going on and on about how less is more?

Our Christmas is fairly small this year (well, this is about average for us, actually). I think the kids do better with fewer toys. Two years ago, Mr R's school "adopted" us. They gave us a gift certificate to buy gifts and then called me at home to let me know they had too much stuff in their donation room. When I arrived to pick out a few things, the workers packed my van for me with everything they could find.

But the kids weren't happier (ok, they were for half an hour on Christmas morning, LOL!) By the time we had to move in June, most of the toys were broken. Another pile was donated - toys that were always on the floor but never actually played with. The toys the children love - like these - we hang onto for years and pass down. Almost none of the super giant toy-filled Christmas things are still around.

And so we've budgeted about $25-30 per kid. A shockingly low amount for some, amazingly extravagant for others, just right for us. (Doesn't include stocking stuffers.)

Here's my report of the day's shopping.

Toys R Us was packed, but not out of stock. The parking lot was crazier than the store, and the checkout line stretched back behind the Baby Department. Still, I got everything I went for and people were polite. Total spent on Christmas gifts: $52 (I got some socks for X Man, since they were half off, also.)

Mardel's was virtually a ghost town. The employees were nice, though.

Target wasn't bad, either. Again, found everything I wanted. Spent $45.

Stopped at Walgreens, and got some Webkinz on a buy one, get one free sale. 2/$6.99 - and they are also selling Crayola 64 ct. crayons for .99 this weekend with the store ad.

I hit those early in the morning. We decided to take the kids to the mall, since Sears was having a sale on kid jeans and husband dear needed a tool.

The mall was a total bust. One reason I wanted to go is because the mall is usually a magical place this time of year. Santa, lights, music, decorations... the mall we went to didn't bother with any of those things. There were a few garlands on the ceiling, but that was it. The retailers, too, were having lots of sales but not much Christmas spirit. Sears was out of the pants (or maybe they weren't, there wasn't anyone around to help.) They didn't carry the tool husband needed (he can order it online - and pay shipping.)

We walked the mall, but there weren't any free samples, interesting demonstrations, or kid friendly stores. We finished up with a trip to KB Toys who refused to let us into the store. They have a strict policy against strollers, it seems, and we weren't about to carry two children around the place. They lost business because of a stupid decision - what if someone shows up in a wheelchair?

Still shaking my head actually - a toy store that doesn't welcome babies?

We ended up at Target again, the kids spent their allowance, and now we're home. My conclusion - Black Friday is overblown.

Then again, we pretty much nixed any electronic gadgets so I avoided Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. as well as Wal-Mart. Apparently, in some places a good deal trumped everything else.

Here's my list of kids' gifts where I'll find it and the kids won't. I'm pretty much done except for stockings. I have never been "done" shopping in November before, either! I totally get the Black Friday madness, now! We're saving up this year for a special project, and husband dear is planning to work straight through until Christmas week to earn extra money. This is probably the only shopping day I have left!

1. R- Suction cup bow and arrows $10
2. R- Skateboard $10
3. R- Star Wars dollaction figure $6.50
4. P - Martian Matters craft set - $15
5. P -Bakugan starter set - $10
6. E - Holiday Ballerina Barbie $5
7. E - Webkinz, BOGO 2/$7
8. E- Crayola 64 ct. crayons $1
9. S - Hot Wheels Racing Ramp $10
10. S - Nerf dart guns (2) $13
11. V - Ikea pots and pans set $10
12. V - McDonald's Electronic cash register - $15
13. C - Aquadoodle wall mat - $7.50
14. C - Fisher Price Dr. kit - $5
15. C - Barn Animals in a barrel - $5
16. X - Ikea farm animals - $15

Yes, a lot of things were Made in China, which I hate, but what can I do? (Oh right. This.) I'm hoping that with heightened awareness we won't have any recall problems.

I still need to get one more thing for Miss E and I want to get some MegaBlocks for X.

Labels: children, Frugal, holidays, In The News

A roundup of links to celebrate Martinmas, the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. He's popular with my boys because he was a soldier with a sword!

St. Martin's Story

Shorter version of the story

Celebrating Martinmas, making lanterns

Another lantern making post


Coloring Page by Waltzing Matilda

What Dawn did last year

...And the year before that

Labels: Catholic, education, holidays

...this holiday season, anyway!

I had heard rumors that retailers are going to be having killer sales this season. They ordered all of their merchandise before the economic crisis, and now it looks like customer's aren't going to be buying.

A news story confirms:

WalMart will cut prices every week until Christmas.

Labels: Frugal, holidays

There are a few toys in our home that are constantly played with. IMO, they are definitely toys worth buying! I've mislaid my camera, so no nifty pics today.

A few years ago, my children received a set of foam blocks from their aunt and uncle. They are still played with daily by children aged 1-7 (and sometimes the 9 yo, though he'd never admit it!) They are quiet, lightweight, and don't slide off each other easily.
Lincoln Logs, the old classic, is even more fun if you buy a set of plastic farm animals.


My mother worked for a school supply store, and they sold these large rubber animals. The kids still love them. My BP son would sometimes station his hyena at the bedroom door for protection.

Tea Party/Fake Food - again, played with daily.

This jungle gym was purchased last year for $99. Fantastic investment. I have a similar linked on my Amazon sidebar.

Toys that did not work out so well:

• Domino knockover set.
• Connect Four (I know! WHY won't the kids play it?)
• Art sets that require special papers or supplies. (Paint, clay, etc. are always popular, though.)
• Musical Instrument that son wanted, but that I do not play. It's used... but not properly.
• JumpStart software (my kids just don't like it.)

For more toy ideas and Works for Me Wednesday fun, check out Rocks in My Dryer.

Labels: holidays, Works For Me Wednesday

Yesterday I posted on why my family doesn't celebrate Halloween. That doesn't mean we're opposed to the costumes!

My children love to dress up. The day after Halloween, head down to your local Stuffmart. The costumes will be 50-75% off! Last year I paid $3 for a princess gown and $2 for a suit of armor.

They make great Christmas presents and you won't have to worry about lead paint, either.

Works for Me! See other tips over at Rocks in My Dryer!

Labels: children, Frugal, holidays, Works For Me Wednesday

A rerun from 2006. Nope, nothing's changed!

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

For the next week, if you've been directed here by me because you just don't get our weirdness, please read the entire post.

This post is for all of those people out there who simply cannot believe we don't pay $20 for a cheap costume, then let our small children browbeat our neighbors into giving them candy, so they can gorge themselves and end up grounded for a week due to their poor behavior.

Our family does not celebrate Halloween. We usually celebrate All Saint's Day, a Catholic holiday that occurs on November 1. This year we'll just be doing a small celebration at home, as the local church doesn't have anything planned.

Why we don't celebrate Halloween:

1. We are not pagans. I know it sounds flippant, but Halloween did originate as a Gaelic pagan festival, and that's why All Saint's Day is on Nov. 1. The Church, in her wisdom, recognized that the culture was used to having a big celebration around that time of year, and decided to give the new Christians something good to actually celebrate. Originally called Samhain, the name Halloween, I'm sure you've heard, has derived from All Hallow's Eve - the night before All Hallow's day, aka All Saint's Day.

2. Sure, you say, but it's no longer a pagan holiday, but a secular American tradition. Well, no, it's not. No matter how you try to deny it, witches, ghosts, vampires, and being scared all pervade the Halloween celebration. Women's magazines post elaborate recipes to make candied witch's brooms (you've got to see this, BTW - Martha Stewart would be proud!) and ghost lollipops. Fake vampire teeth and blood are sold by the bagful to give to trick-or-treaters. You can buy chocolates in the shape of dismembered body parts. Superstitions are dragged out and celebrated, with black cats taking the center stage. Not only is superstition wrong and specifically forbidden by God, the underlying, subtle message is that some of God's creation is intrinsically bad or unlucky. (Poor cat. Too bad God didn't like you and made you black!) That a broken mirror rules your destiny. Adults can see past this (usually), but children are much more literal.

3. The atmosphere that pervades Halloween is not one of "family values". There is no denying that many feel freed by social constraints on this night, free to be daring, wild, different. In this sense, it is much like Mardi Gras. You can do things on Halloween that you would never do in real life, whether it is participate in Fear Factor type dares at a party or TPing the neighbor's tree.


4. The costumes are often inappropriate. Young girls dress in bras and pantaloons or strapless gowns to be Disney Princesses. French maids abound, frolicking in the street. Bratz dolls appear on your doorstep, complete with glittery lip gloss to compliment their diapers. The most basic costumes, whether they be fairies or pirates, are 'sexed' up for the girls. The boys generally appear as serial killers, rubber weapons dripping in blood, ghosts, zombies, ghouls. Or maybe they dress up like their favorite sports hero, the one who beats his wife or evades taxes. Children imitate and fantasize about being Christina Aguilera, witches, or psychotic individuals. Is this good character training?


For less than $40, you can dress your 6 yr. old like a working girl!

5. Halloween is not respectful of the dead. A corporal work of mercy is to bury the dead. Respect for the dead is very, very important in Catholic culture, as the body was once the temple of the Holy Spirit and often contained Christ himself in the form of the Eucharist. Mocking the dead has no place in Christianity, whether it be dancing skeletons, zombies, or fake dismembered body parts hanging from a car trunk. What are we teaching our children - that it's fun to make fun of corpses?

6. "Trick or Treat" is not a good thing for children to say. Sure, it seems harmless, but underneath, it is blackmail. Give me candy, or I'll do something you don't like. I don't think it is a good idea to tell our kids it's okay to speak to adults that way, even if it is only one day a year. (Remember, Honor thy Father and Mother? Means every day, all the time. Not 364 days a year with one day off.) Also, there is the additional problem of slightly older children actually performing tricks, egging mailboxes, tp-ing cars, ringing doorbells and running. Authorities, whether parental or official, often turn a blind eye to such harmless pranks on this night. The fact remains, though, that these are sinful activities and parents are responsible for helping their children avoid sin.

7. The candy. Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. Gorging on candy, fighting over MINE MINE MINE, selfishness, and self-entitlement abound on this night. The alternative is worse - parcel out one or two pieces until you run out around Christmastime, for that extra fun time at the dentist next year.

I have no problem with scarecrows, indian corn, harvest themes, or even jack-o-lanterns (provided they are carved with a cheerful grin to welcome guests and not mutilated with fangs and a 666 on the head). I have a problem with the evil atmosphere that pervades our culture in October.

Yes, my children are horribly deprived. So what.

Labels: Catholic, children, Family Life, holidays, Rants and Raves

At least I'm not the only one with nosy strangers in town

H/T Starry Sky Ranch

Labels: Catholic, Family Life, holidays

Once, there was a man who heard about an unplanned pregnancy. He had to hear about it second hand, as he had no clue such a thing was going on right under his nose.

He saw the child as a threat. His career could very well go right down the tubes. His personal power might be weakened, even lost. He was embarrassed in front of his colleagues.

Well. He decided to nip that in the bud. No baby, no problem, right? After all, it was not illegal for him to get rid of the child. He was well within his rights to take care of the problem in a permanent way.

And so, as the Christ child was smuggled from the country in the dead of night, Herod ordered all of the male Hebrew children to be slaughtered - and his soldiers carried out the order. Why wouldn't they? It was legal, after all, and the Israelites weren't "real" people. They wouldn't become "real people" until, and unless they became Roman citizens.

Today, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, pray for an end to the slaughter of the innocents. In America, over 50,000,000 children have been killed in my generation, legally, because they were inconvenient, expensive, or not perfect. (Hmm. Sounds like me on most days.)


India leads the world in gendercide- that is, the killing of infants and the unborn babies because they are girls.

Chinese young adults do not have sisters. They do not have aunts, uncles, or siblings - they've all been "prevented" or killed. Imagine what this means for the world, when the largest culture has no extended family ties?

Labels: Catholic, holidays, Prolife

***WARNING! LONG POST WITH LOTS OF NUMBERS****
I thought someone out in Bloggetyville might be interested to see how a family of 9 celebrates Christmas for under $250 $300 total. Actually, I don't know if that's our total, because husband dear won't be purchasing my gift until Christmas eve, and we haven't actually bought stocking candy yet. It should be under $300 still when I get those numbers in.

We usually have a fairly frugal Christmas. We don't have any credit cards, so we have to pay cash, which helps a lot. Amazingly, God always provides... last year Mr R's school gave us $500 (!) to spend at WalMart, which was amazing since we had $0 to spend on Christmas, as we were putting our pennies towards Baby X. This year, a neighbor gave us a box of toys that were left over from their Angel Tree. They just had a few odds and ends left over that didn't fit in the truck and asked her to find a family to give it too. The few odds and ends were toys for preschool girls and elementary aged boys!

So far, I have bought some gifts both Eco Friendly and Recycled (aka, Garage Sale and Goodwill) and at a few stores. I was so happy to find out from HealthyToys.org that the Imaginext Dinosaurs were safe! Mr. S has been wanting one for over a year now. They were on clearance at Target (clearance toys at Christmastime? What are they thinking?) so he gets two.

Here's the roundup so far (also, my list of gifts where the kids won't find it and I won't lose it. Blogs have many uses!)

Mr R - $25
Rollercoaster K'Nex $10.00 (garage sale)
New Bionicle $8
K'Nex mini set - free (it was a buy two toys, get one free special)
Wallet with zippered coin holder, a critical feature for the under 10 set $5
2 packs football cards, $2
Baseball glove - free

Mr P -$13
K'nex Rollercoaster set with Mr R
New Yellow Bionicle $8
Little Bionicle Sidekick Man Thing $3 (yeah. I'm hip to the toys)
Wallet, zipper coin pocket $5
2 packs football cards, $2
Baseball glove - free

Miss E - $13.50
Potholder Weaving Loom $3.50 (From craft store, $6.99 w/50% off coupon)
Sparkly church shoes $10
Stuffed dog with purse - free
Doll house figure - free
Robe $10

Mr S - $41
Lincoln log playset $6
Imaginext Pteranodon $10
Imaginext Allosaur $10
2 pack Jammies $15

Miss V - $9
Plush Kitty Cat purse - free
Creative Cubbie desk $1
Valise filled with costume jewelry $2
Nightie - $6
Dora toy, Dora ball - free

Miss C - $5
baby bike, $2
Babydoll bed $1
Paint for baby bed $1
Bubble bath with doggie lid $1
Jammies - free (someone gave us some, with tags still on!)
Dora ball - free

Baby X - $10
Baby's First Christmas Ornament $4
Baby Feeders (these are sooo cool! Perfect for an 8 month old baby who wants to eat buy lacks teeth) $6
Activity center toy - free

Husband Dear who reads this blog occasionally:
$6, $10, $20, $6, $1 = $43

Decorations and miscellaneous: $13
6 pack of snowmen ornaments to make the kids a "2007" special one $7
6 tangerines for stockings $2
Hershey Kisses $2
Marshamallow Santas $1
Fruit juice sticks gummy things (again, I'm hip to the fun kid food) $1
(we go very light on the candy. Very. Light.)

Total so far: $172.50

Whoops! Totally forgot the Walgreen's Stocking stuffers ($5.25) and the new missals and church books I bought at the Daughters of St. Paul's last week ($21).

New total: $198.75 - although this was spent between Sept. and Dec. and did not come out of the same month's budget!

We give the kids brand new jammies on Christmas Eve every year. That way I can keep all the pictures straight. I'm having problems with my big boys though, finding jammies for a skinny 9 yo boy is a challenge. Last year he was in size 10 Spiderman jammies; this year, he outgrew those over the summer and I think is going to have to settle for pajama pants and t-shirts. Haven't gotten those yet.

I made teacher baskets as well, for CCD teachers (x4), Mr R's Bus driver and assistant, and Mr R's teacher and assistant. Last year we had a terrible bus driver so I really, really appreciate wonderful Miss Alma this year. I do find it ironic that I homeschool and still made 8 teacher appreciation baskets! I made homemade goodies, because that is cheaper than buying a tchotchke, and how many apple themed coffee cups does a person need, anyway?

Here's the breakdown for 8 baskets:

DVD/CD organizing baskets for CCD teachers ($1x4) = $4.00
Desktop organizing baskets (.50x4) = $2.00
Ribbon: $2.00 plus some I already had $2.00

Fudge (3 different kinds; 24 pieces total each basket) = $15.11
Evaporated milk 15 oz. - (well, actually two cans because I left the extra out on the counter overnight and had to throw it away) $1.52
Butter, 18 oz. - $2.25
Marshamallow Creme, 3 jars - $2.46
Chocolate Chips 36 oz.- $3.36
Vanilla - I'll estimate $.15. It's so cheap for a huge bottle of the real stuff at Sam's Club!
Walnuts - $1.80
Cherry flavored Craisins - $1.00
Flaked Coconut - .30 (Got a great deal on packages for .59 in the fall, and used half a package.)
Waxed paper for packaging - free
Christmas themed labels to write on: $2.27

Cherry Crisp cookies- $3.80
Jar cherries $1.00
8 oz. butter $1.00
Flour, sugar .50 total maybe?
3 egg yolks .30
Holly printed cello bags to put them in (used for Peppermint Bark too) $1.00

Pumpkin Bread (half for baskets, we ate the other half) $1.15
1/2 can pumpkin .45
applesauce .25
Flour, sugar, cinnamon, etc. $.50?

Hot Cocoa Mix x 4 : $6.15 (only put this is CCD Teacher baskets)
Powdered milk $5.00
Cocoa powder $.40
Powdered Sugar $.50
Jars - free
Fabric to cover jar lids: .25 (used less than 1/8 yard, at $2.00 a yard.)

Peppermint Bark -$3.25
1/2 package of Vanilla Almond Bark $1.00
12 oz. Chocolate chips $1.12
12 candy canes $.88
Peppermint Extract: Just guessing here - $.25

Total: $31.46 or $3.93 per basket
Christmas Breakfast: (Fruit plate and Apple Jacks) $8.50
Apple Jacks (bought 3 weeks ago with a coupon, $1.60 for two boxes.) (We eat fun cereal on Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. Otherwise it's Grapenuts, oatmeal, or wandering about the house aimlessley)
Eggs for Mr R .50
Fresh pineapple $3
Oranges $2
Watermelon $2
Bananas $1

Christmas Dinner: $31
Ham - We'll eat 1/3 of $27, so $9 (My mistake? Husband dear accompanied me to choose the ham, so we ended up with 20 pound spiral cut instead of the 10 pound shank I had planned to buy. The man never met a hunk of meat he didn't like!)
Rolls- pennies. I make them myself.
Mashed potatoes- $2
Gravy - free
Brussels Sprouts Supreme -$3
Mom's Chick Food Salad (spinach, red onion, raspberry vinaigrette) $3
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie - $5 ish
Pecan Pie - $6 ish
Egg Nog - $3
Fudge - saved some from teacher baskets

Grand total: 269.75

Labels: Frugal, holidays

Every Christmas Eve, we give our kids brand new pajamas to wear on Christmas morning.

They like getting a present a little earlier. They usually need new jammies at that point (this year, Mr R outgrew his over the summer!).

It really helps later on when I have 2000 photos, some taken by other people, and need to sort out which set belongs to which year!

A Bonus WFMW Tip: Don't buy Superman pajamas for your four year old boy if you own bunk beds. Unless you have really good ER coverage.

Merry Christmas!

Visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more tips!

Labels: children, holidays, Works For Me Wednesday

(Just a warning - there is a naughty word on the screen towards the end)

Labels: Friday Fun, holidays

[UPDATE - Fixed the link for the bloggy Advent wreath. It was Curt Jester, not Catholic Caveman. That's what happens when you scan all your blogs really quickly to find that thing you know you saw there before but where is it in the archives, anyway!

I forgot to post this yesterday, but here goes!

For an explanation of Linky Mark, go here. Basically, it is a collection of all the bookmarks you have on a topic, thrown into a post so you can get them out of your Favorites folder - and you get to share them with Mr. Linky!

Today's links are ways to celebrate the Advent season and Christmastide in a liturgical sense, or great ideas for all of the seasons.

In our family, we do an Advent wreath, a Christmas crib, and usually hold off on the tree until Gaudate (Joy) Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent (the pink one). We also give gifts on the Epiphany as well as Christmas (truthfully, this started when we had to wait until January for a paycheck to buy anything for the children, but it proved quite popular and I think it helps them connect with the Magi giving the Christ child gifts.)

I also set out my angel collection and nativity scenes in as many rooms as possible. I have a Playmobil nativity scene the children can play with (Target carries them during the Christmas season in the toy section for about $15, but they sell out FAST!) Playmobil toys are made in Germany - not China! YAY!

Women for Faith and Family has a nice online liturgical calendar, with definitions and overviews of the liturgical seasons. Their Advent page has saints days (with readings), the O Antiphons for advent wreaths, a printable coloring sheet for advent, and more.

My favorite site for liturgical activities is Domestic Church. The Fridge Art section is full of activities, separated by younger children, older children, and whole family. There are tons of ideas, links to coloring pages, and more.

Throughout the year, I use Open Wednesdays in our school. It is a child-appropriate commentary on the readings for the following Sunday. Since we've been doing this, I've really seen some "light bulb" moments when they recognize what Father is discussing in his sermon.

H/T to Happy Hearts at Home for giving out a link to free, printable vintage Christmas stories. Check out The Flight into Egypt if you've never read it.

I like this idea for a candle and Novena of the Immaculate Conception which is Dec. 8. It's a little late to start that novena, but you can start one to Our Lady of Guadalupe tomorrow (celebrated Dec. 12)

The Curt Jester has an Advent wreath for your blog that will update itself throughout the season with the appropriate candles being lit.

Catholic Kids has activities throughout the year. Ann Ball has some fun crafts in the Kids Room- she's the author of Catholic Traditions in Crafts, a book of art projects that follow the liturgical year.

And finally, an easy way to appreciate the sacrifices of others from Knit Together In Love.

Share your links!

Labels: Catholic, children, holidays, LinkyMark

For an explanation of Linky Mark, go here. These are a collection of links from my bookmarks folder - I'm putting them in a post and so can you! Now, this version - TOYS - is held over from last week thanks to AT&T's incompetence. Look for Advent ideas, celebrating the liturgical year, and keeping Christ in Christmas next week (Dec. 1-2) and Christmas helps, secular tips, recipes, etc. the week after (Dec. 8-9)!

Write a post containing your favorite links about toys, and join the fun with Mr. Linky!

First, let me say that many of our toys are eco-friendly. That is, recycled. From garage sales.
I got a great haul last week, including a cozy coupe car (Little Tikes) for $2 and a baby bike (Little Tikes) for $1; a K'Nex (made in the U.S.!) complete rollercoaster building set for my big boys for $10, a nightstand to make into a play kitchen for $7 (solid wood with two shelves). I also got a solid wood baby doll cradle for $1 that I need to clean and paint.

Mama even found something she's been coveting for two years - a real OXO salad spinner for $2, and I got them to throw in two saucepans for the little girl's kitchen for free! I've been using a salad spinner from W*Mart that you have to handcrank, but we eat a lot of greens so I'm quite pleased!

Onto to the links!

I did email Hasbro - LiteBrite and Tinkertoys are made in China.

Little Tikes are US made (generally, but always check)
Lego, Bionicle, and Duplo are not! YAY!
The K'Nex sets I've seen also are made in the US.

Back to Basics toys has a category sort for toys made in North America and Europe

NMC Toys stands for Not Made inChina.

Toys Made In America has tons of links.

Sticker shock? Amazing how much using non-toxic materials adds to the price of a toy!


If you don't want to go the thrift store route, here are some toys to make:

List of links, especially science toys

No brainers
Old fashioned country livin' toys to make, including braided dolls, felt boards, and a "Whimmy diddle".

Paper toys to print and make, good for stocking stuffers.

Canon has some awesome papercraft activities, including a 3-dimensional orangutan! I'd print off the patterns and give as a gift, letting the kids put them together.

Need a little skill
Make a bamboo flute

Make a hacky sack (or stress ball) - crochet (I'm planning to try this for my boys)

Lots of patterns and instructions for sewing, knit, or crochet toys, including Hello Kitty doll, teddy bears, balls, and more. Scroll down a bit to find the toy section.

Grabby ball for a baby, from that same site.

Educational toys to make from household objects (young children)

I'm going to make a clothespin drop for Baby C - paint doll clothespins different colors. Get a plastic container (I'm going to use a Folger's canister) paint wide stripes of corresponding colors along the rim. She can match the colors, drop into the canister, or just play house with them.

I can't find any play food that is not Chinese and/or painted wood from third world countries, so I am going to make some felt fruit and veggies for her. Miss V (age 3) and Miss C (age 2) LOVE to play "tea party" and spend hours cooking, serving, and moving their party around the house (hence the DIY play kitchen I mentioned). And I'm totally going to use glue, because we're still working on the seamstress portion of my Supermom resume. I did buy an espresso set at Goodwill for $1.49 with four little cups and saucers as well. They are just the right size for little hands.

I'm also going to try to make my own moonsand. Okay, not the seen on TV stuff, that is supposedly is a nasty mess. This is more like sand playdough. I'm going to 'test' it first with the kids, as we are learning about Ancient Egypt and maybe we'll use it to make a Sphinx. If it's a hit, then I'll make up a batch for the kid's stockings.

Here's the recipe I'm planning to try:
1 c. cornstartch, 2 c. playsand, 1 1/2 c. water. Mix it in a pot, cook on medium high for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Let cool (duh) and play!

or you could try Meredith's Pumpkin Pie Playdough for an old fashioned DIY Christmas gift. How cute would it be packaged in little tart tins (or, let's get real here, recycled pot pie tins).

I'm kicking around the idea of these make-at-home science toys - putting them together in a kit form for the boys to make. How cool would it be for a boy to make a magnetic linear accelerator? Maybe I just read too much sci-fi.

Mechanical toys to make. Oh, those physics lessons are sneaky! Although I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to make my boys rubberband guns. That would be taking my own life in my hands, I'm sure - not to mention the backyard squirrels might unionize and extract revenge. I'd constantly be looking over my shoulder for flying nuts.

My kids are weird and they'll play with this kind of stuff for a long time.

How have the toy recalls affected your Christmas? Have you found a great source for American made toys, or are you making your own? More importantly, does anyone have a free pattern for a flip doll? (I don't know if that's the technical name. They are dolls that have skirts, and you flip it over and it is a different doll. Like this.)

Leave your link!

Labels: children, Frugal, holidays, LinkyMark

We had planned a party for Baby C today, but she was up with a fever all night so we are postponing it until next Saturday.

Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, was a no good, very bad, horrible day so the party cancellation makes a nice holiday bookend! Thanksgiving was good, though.

I'm out of the bloggy mindset, so I will leave you with some highlights of what you, my readers, missed while I was in modem exile.

The Great Lego Debacle
The children are not supposed to have food or drinks in the playroom. So when one child spilled her cup of milk in the Lego bucket, the natural thing to do was to quickly replace the lid and put it back on the shelf so nobody would find out - no harm, no foul. Until the foul odor, that is.

You know you love your children when you individually handwash 400 million Legos. I thought about putting them on the cold cycle in the washer in a pillowcase, but I was afraid the chunks wouldn't wash out, and the dishwasher is too hot.

The washing wasn't the hard part, the drying was. Leaving the little plastic bits in the bucket didn't work - they were still wet two days later. The salad spinner was only marginally successful. Finally I hit upon spreading them out on cookie sheets lined with a towel - great, but it still takes time. And we have to dry them in shifts. I spent the entire week prior to Thanksgiving with a kitchen covered in Legos, all in various stages of processing - dirty, clean but wet, drying. I also knocked trays, buckets, and a salad spinner of Legos onto the floor approximately every 37 minutes. The fun never ends around here, folks!

A few slipped through the cracks and broke the dish disposal, which we found out about in the thick of the last frenzied Thanksgiving day feast. I have a knack for timing! Fortunately, my hands are small and I was able to pry it loose with a screwdriver and my fingers.

The Oven Repair
We spent $30 on a new oven element, which husband dear installed, so we had pie. We also discovered that 1) the kitchen shares a wall with the bathroom and 2) the people who fixed up this house didn't bother to put flooring or walls in where they wouldn't be seen, so the oven backs up to the shower stall. We don't need no stinkin' drywall at Mama's house! At least we are renting, so it's not our nightmare.

Oh, and there only plywood subfloor under the stove. Husband dear thought he was going to have to get the car jack to lift it up but he was able to bench press it. That's my man!


Where Did All These Hoodlums Come From
And why do they keep calling me Mom?

Wednesday found Mama awakening to the dulcet tones of her oldest boy and oldest girl fighting. Then a thump, then a *Crash* Tinkle Tinkle. Appropriately, it was our family picture that was knocked to the floor and shattered. I also learned that the dustpan was lost (it turned up later in a tree outside.)

Keep in mind I had not even gotten out of bed yet. The day went downhill from there and included several episodes of Lego spillage, a teething baby, a spitting up baby, V-8 juice being clandestinely consumed on the living room carpet, my pulling the gadget drawer all the way out and dumping the contents on the floor and the drawer on my toe, and the refrigerator door breaking, sending salsa, dressings, and condiments all over the aforementioned kitchen gadgets. That's just the highlight reel, and doesn't include all of the non-exciting every day mishaps that combined to make the perfect storm.

And the fighting. The Fighting!

The kneading blade to the bread machine turned up missing, by which I mean, it didn't turn up at all. I ended up handmaking the rolls, but used a new recipe that was too dry.

Husband dear came home early because of the holiday and I threatened and cajoled convinced him to take the boys to the store to shop for a new digital camera card. While they were gone, I thought I'd work on an apron, so I'd at least look Martha Stewart-y for Thanksgiving. I got the pattern for a dollar on sale and it's so cute and retro! I splurged on fabric, which is to say, I got it from somewhere other than the dollar bin.

And as I laid out the pattern, it became clear that the envelope lied when it said 1 5/8" yard. I even measured my fabric to see if they miscut it at the store. Nope. It's about 2 inches too short. I can fix it - I have some fabric that I can cut some pieces out of for a nice contrast - but that fabric has to be washed, dried, and ironed before I can sew it.

My cute little teapot I bought online last week arrived as well. In a hundred pieces.

A thought I want to keep for posterity: Baby C calls the cranberry sauce "ball berry sauce". An apt name, that!

So it's Black Friday and I'm at home hanging out and watching the Women's Ninja Tryouts on the Game Show Network. That obstacle course looks easy compared to my bon-bon eating stay at home lifestyle.

Labels: cooking, Family Life, holidays