An Easter Tradition…You’ve Been Egged!

While I’m very hit or miss when it comes to my blog, I enjoy seeing some of the traditions that we’ve been consistent with. This is one we’ve done the last 2 years now, and this year will be our third! In our new house! We hit our first house today (scroll down for pics), and will do two more tomorrow (weather permitting).

Anywho, here are the FREE printables we use for our secret endeavors…and scroll down to see the excitement we had the previous two years. =)

Here’s what the print out says (it’s a bit tricky to read it as is):

Look at that, you’ve just been EGGed!

But do not be alarmed!

We came, we dropped, we ran away!

Your house, it was not harmed.

 

“Why the egg?” you ask right now.

Why this Easter surprise?

To spread the news that Christ is risen,

Some eggs lay in disguise.

 

Some secret friends have dropped them by

To share some Easter cheer.

So now you’re it! It’s now your turn!

To “EGG” a house that’s near.

 

Christ has risen from the dead!

Jump, dance, shout and sing!

Celebrate along with us,

Let His praises ring!

Have fun finding the ____ eggs hidden in your yard!

 

Here’s your challenge:

1. Keep your sign on your door so those around know you’ve

been “egged”!

2. Then, fill some plastic eggs with candy, toys, or small notes

of encouragement.

3. Pick a friend or neighbor and scatter the eggs in their

yard when they are not at home, or under the safety of

darkness (If they don’t have a yard fill a basket and put

it on their doorstep.)

4. Tape an “You’ve Been Egged” sign to their front door, and

leave this note on their doorstep.

5. Enjoy the joy that comes with the spirit of Easter!

To print online go to:

http://rookietorockstar.blogspot.com/2014/03/an-easter-traditionyouve-been-egged.html

And look how fun…my kiddos from the past two years, then this year!

2012

2013

2014

Trick of the Trade Tuesday–Put a Twist on Gifting Gift Cards

For those of you who know me, it doesn’t come as a shocker that I’m not the best when it comes to gifts (or thank you cards). I’m not sure why, I think I dwell on getting the PERFECT gift, and then just end up scrambling.

So when I recently attended a double baby shower, I again, waited too long to go pick out something super cute. Plus, it was the third and fourth for these two cute mommy friends. So really, while it’s nice to get new things, they NEED very little at this point.

So I thought what I might enjoy.

STARBUCK’S!!! What new mom wouldn’t, right?

But, how boring to just gift a gift card. So I came up with a clever little card to accompany said Starbuck’s card…

Here’s the front:

Really? You HAVEN’T gone through the Starbuck’s drive through to get your older child milk because you ran out and didn’t want to have to get out at the store?! Well, kudos to you for having it all together. hehe

And the inside:

Much more fun than just getting a gift card, right? Well, maybe a little. So, below is the free printable! If you just print it out on a normal sheet of paper, then fold like a card in fourths, you’re good to go. Hope somebody out there can use this in a pinch, too!

Friday Faves - Apples & Traditions

#1. honeycrisp apples

Honeycrisp Apples! Pretty much enough said.

#2. our new favorite tradition

I’ve been wanting to start having my kids memorize Bible verses, but wasn’t sure how to go about doing it. I didn’t want it to feel like something that was forced by any means. I wanted them to enjoy it, and look forward to doing it! So, kind of on a whim, I told Cooper we were going to start memorizing verses, and for each week he could memorize our verse for the week, we’d go get frozen yogurt on Saturday. I wanted to see if it was something he’d be interested in.

Well, we’re two for two and getting ready to go on week #3! He’s loving it! He’s so proud, it’s helping us actually LEARN values in the Bible (‘cuz we’ll chat about what the verse means and remind one another if we see something that pertains to it throughout the week), and frozen yogurt is a perk!

So, as I had mentioned, I started it on a whim so I didn’t sit down to plan out verses initially. We began with Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Then, I sought out the following link on my Pinterest board. It’s perfect! Week #2 we did 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Be kind to one another and build each other up.” We’ve now got it printed, laminated and ready to go!

Here was the card we memorized this past week:

Here’s our next verse we’ll start tomorrow…

So easy, and beyond rewarding! Maybe it’s a tradition you could start, too! Seriously…froyo, weekly? Okay, so it doesn’t have to be that. Choose something that will motivate your own child.

Happy Friday!

Thoughtful Thursday–Don’t forget your spouse on Valentine’s!

I need to be honest.

My hubby and I do not always celebrate Valentine’s Day. We’re some of those that think it’s a commercialized holiday and I don’t need to be told when to love my spouse. BUT, with that said, why NOT take an excuse to love my spouse? Whether guys care to admit it or not, they always love being doted on, am I right?

I’m super thankful to not have the pressure to HAVE to do something for Valentine’s Day, but if I have the time, I enjoy doing something.

This year, I’m gonna do the 14 days of Valentine’s. Here goes…

There will be a lot of links because I haven’t finished putting them altogether yet. So hang with tight!

14 Days of Valentines

First, I’m printing this cute freebie out to lead the hubs to his first “gift”, and will probably try to tie each item to something from here on out, just to keep the theme going:

Day #1: You are the apple of my eye

(swap out the red/green heart – so cute)

Day #2: I’m bananas for you!

We’ll make banana splits for dessert that night!

Don’t forget whipped cream ladies!

Day #3: I wouldn’t “chews” anyone but you!

For free printables for some of these cute ideas, check out this cute website!

Day #4: What are the chances I have a “shot” at getting you tonight?

**Slight side-note here (and I don’t mean to start a debate or controversy here, I’m merely stating my personal beliefs on the issue): I am a Christian, and by that I mean I am a Christ follower, love Him to pieces, wouldn’t be alive without Him, am willing to do ANYTHING He wants me to do.

When some non-Christian friends find out I drink, they’re often shocked!! I live my life by following the words of the Bible. And the Bible states to not be drunk. So I, personally, am comfortable having a beer, or a glass of wine, or a mixed drink, just so long as I don’t get drunk. I am also careful that I don’t drink around others when it may cause temptation. But, seeing as it’s just the hubs and me….a shot for our evening’s festivities seems, well, appropriate. =)

Day #5: Blow me a kiss, Valentine! (or two or three)

Day #6: Have a great day, Cupcake!

I’m planning to get him one of those fancy cupcakes from Icing on the Cupcake this day. And….maybe, perhaps, the kids and I will have to share one while popping in, too! =)

Day #7: Valentine, never “LEGO” my heart

My plan is to take my son to Target to pick out a little lego kit like this one for them to do together.

Day #8: We go together like milk & cookies

For this day, I’ll get him some cookies & milk for work. Not sure what kind yet, maybe even homemade, for the office! We’ll see.

Day #9: I’m “berry” lucky to be your Valentine!

Day #9 is a Saturday, so we’ll have waffles with strawberries for breakfast! And hopefully we’ll have some whipped cream left.

Day #10: I love you, my stud MUFFIN!

For the free printable above, click the picture to take you to the link. They have a recipe, too. Not sure what kind of muffins I’ll make just yet!

Day #11: I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t “popped” the question!

This may be more of an excuse to make this for myself, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy a bite, too. Click the picture to take you to the link for the recipe.

Day #12: I think you are “soda”mazing!

I’ll probably get diet coke for my man, but again…click the picture above to take you to some of those adorable free printables!

Day #13: I’d be so mixed up without you!

So many delicious kinds to choose from when it comes to Chex Mix! My man prefers salty though.

Day #14: I’m nuts about you!

Final one! Pistachios will be a hit!

So…choose 1, choose 3, or dive in and do all 14 days!! I may be posting a shopping list tomorrow if you’d like to do all 14. Whatever your plans are for Valentine’s Day this year, tell your special someone that you love them! =)

Happy Early Valentine’s Day!

Thoughtful Thursday–Reindeer Noses To Go

I saw this idea, and sometimes when I get an idea stuck in my head, it’s like OCD and I just HAVE to do it, mono or not.

After I saw this adorable idea, I knew Cooper and I needed to make them for his classmates. Bite-sized, perfect little adorable cookies! I’ll be honest, it wasn’t has simple and easy as the original blog states. BUT…it made an amazing, traditional, baking holiday memory for my son and I, and he was SO proud to share with his friends. And, it really only took an afternoon, and a bit of the evening. Not too shabby for 27 Reindeer Noses To-Go kits! Refrain from doing the math – it’s 243 1” cookies total. Moving right along..

Her sugar cookie recipe, was absolutely perfect! AND…I should save this for a trick of the trade (I may repeat it next Tuesday, don’t judge!), but why have I never used wax paper to roll out cookie dough before? I laid out a sheet of wax paper, put my glob of cookie dough, then laid down another sheet and rolled away. No sticky mess! Then, I used a 1” cookie cutter (yes, they are teeny tiny people!) to cut out all the little noses. I used rolling pin spacers (1/4” – to make the dough a uniform thickness) and mine cooked for 11 minutes and were perfect.

Baking…DONE! That was the easy part. Oh, and kind of a silly tip, but when I took them off the cookie sheet, I counted out 8, then put aside a 9th on a separate sheet so I could keep count of how many “kits” I had already baked.

Now, onto frosting.

The recipe on this website seemed a bit off regarding water, but she did say to play around with it. I added quite a bit more than what was recommended. But again, play with it and see what works for you. And, be prepared to either take your time, or get a hand cramp, or both.

You know how you read all these blogs or facebook posts about perfect, holiday traditions and wonder why yours NEVER seem quite so perfect? Well, there was definitely a moment during frosting where that thought crossed MY mind. I took a deep breath, took some tylenol, played with my kiddos, THEN put on some Christmas music and got back to work. After relaxing and getting perspective, we DID have that awesome, traditional moment. =) See? I didn’t picture the play-doh mess that happened off in the corner while I was frosting said cookies. Thankfully, on the tile, and…worth it ‘cuz the kids had a blast playing!

The frosting hardens, which will be GREAT for packing them up for delivery, but you do have to work quickly if you’re crazy and are doing 200+ 1” cookies!. Another tip, use a LOT of food coloring. Mine are pretty light colored brown, I would’ve preferred darker, but I still ADORE how they turned out. And, Rudolph’s nose is sort of…shhh…pink! Gasp! Thankfully you can’t tell in these pics…

Final bit of information if you choose to make your own! I think the mason jars I used are half pint. I just put a paper lid in, I kept the metal inserts. I stacked the 8 brown ones like so, then placed the red one in front you so you can see it!

My husband thought this was overkill, but I LOVE how it looks! So aesthetically pleasing! =)

AND…if you choose to make your own, here’s your free printable! Perfectly sized to fit the insert for the Kerr mason jars. Enjoy!

If you’re having a hard time getting the printable, just shoot me an email. I’d be happy to email you the original. =)

And, as if you haven’t gotten enough pictures, here’s my son after placing them in all of his classmates cubbies at school. He was SO excited!!

Oh, and proof that I made a vat of them! And used two printouts of the free printable!

Linked up today with…

Friday Faves - Christmas Cards & More!

#1. christmas card books

Free printable here. I love this way of storing Christmas cards!

#2. snickerdoodles

…and fudge, technically, but I haven’t made the fudge yet. Each year, my grandma, who lived in Oklahoma, would make and mail snickerdoodles and fudge each year for Christmas. Two years ago, I “took over” this tradition and mailed them to my dad and brother. It doesn’t feel like Christmas yet until I’ve had these two sweets. Click here for the recipe I use.

**Quick aside…my dad just flew back this week for my grandma’s funeral. Family dynamics can often be…tricky, and odd. But, all that aside, each member of your family makes an imprint on your life whether you want to admit it or not. Think about the imprint you’re leaving. Thanks Grandma Roach for this sweet tradition.

#3. neutrogena makeup remover towelettes

I HATE getting ready for bed. I’ll postpone it, just because I don’t want to go through the routine of “getting ready for bed” i.e. brushing/flossing, retainers, removing contacts, removing make-up, taking daily medicine, lotion…anyone else exhausted yet? Anyhow, I am far from consistent when it comes to taking off my make-up (okay, you can close your mouth from gasping now). BUT, since I’ve bought these bad boys, I’ve been much more consistent! I also use their eye makeup remover, works great!

#4. grace

This last one may seem silly, and it without a doubt falls into the last but CERTAINLY not least category. Being sick with mono, and having a 4 year old and a 21 month old, my patience is often thin. I will admit to having made the Marge Simpson frustrated noise with my children in the middle of chaos. And I will admit to flat out snapping out in irritation. If you’re a parent and this has never happened…well, you’re probably lying.

BUT, the grace of God allows me to seek forgiveness and start anew without harboring all these wretched feelings of guilt. Am I stricken with guilt? Yeah, but there’s no reason to harbor that guilt once I’ve asked forgiveness and have moved on with the intent to improve.

Thank you God for this. You, more than anyone, know I need it.

Thoughtful Thursday–Nativity Ring & Run

The idea for a Nativity Ring & Run is essentially this:

Step #1: Purchase a 12-piece nativity set (WHATEVER you like! – or, for a cheaper way to go, follow this link for a printable version of a nativity). Here’s the Melissa & Doug one I bought last year at 50% off to use for this year:

Step #2: Print out a description of each piece to the set. You can either follow my link (for older kids), or the link above for some adorable, brief once sentence description. (or print out both if the house has young and old alike!)

Step #3: Wrap each piece, somehow matching it with each print out for delivery.

Step #4: 12 days before Christmas, deliver your first piece of the nativity to an unsuspecting friend by placing said gift on their doorstep, ringing their doorbell, and running before they can see you!

Step #5: Continue each night leading up to Christmas Eve where you’ll deliver Baby Jesus and reveal your identity to your friend!

I posted this idea when I first did it 2 years ago here, with the printables I altered available here. It was perfect for that year when we shared our nativity with our 8year old and 12 year old neighbors. They were a bit older and LOVED the more detailed descriptions of each nativity piece.

BUT…I have a 4 year old, and while he has a pretty long attention span, my stories were a bit too long. So, we opted for this version this year and we’re super excited!

I hesitated posting it on my blog, ‘cuz it would be fun to keep our identity a secret, but…if they find out, they find out. Here were my kiddos getting ready to deliver tonight. He was SUPER excited and sneaky!

I have to admit. When we were getting ready to head out, my little boy was not so excited. He wanted to just stay home and play. My frustration was not well contained. “You need to learn to be nice!” I’m sure I shouted. Eek! It’s so hard for little ones to learn to think of someone OTHER than themselves. BUT…I’ll tell ya. As soon as he got caught up in the excitement, he was adorable and was excited for the recipients to get caught up in the excitement as well.

THAT is precisely the reason I chose this as my Thoughtful Thursday post. How WILL he learn to be thoughtful if I don’t model it and help him find ways for his little 4 year old self to act on it? If we are willing to admit it ourselves, sometimes even we don’t want to be thoughtful.

Come on! Admit it. You know, like those moments when you REALLY don’t want to return the shopping cart? You’d rather leave it out stranded for the poor grocery workers to come wrangle? (One of my huge pet peeves by the way, if I can do it with 2 kiddos, people can certainly do it with none!)

Or driving around in Christmas shopping chaos? You’ve already waited for like 5 people to drive by and you’re ready to cut off the next person? (This one I’m always tempted to give into)

Or you stroll up to the communal coffee pot at work and there’s JUST enough for your cup left? You know you should brew a fresh pot instead of put the pot back empty, but why should you have to do it just because of bad timing?

It’s the equivalent of my 4 year old wanting to stay home and play. Putting ourselves before others. It’s not always easy. But…if you can think of the big picture, it’s not really gonna put you out much, and others notice. And, it makes you feel good inside.

So…be thoughtful friends!

Thoughtful Thursday - Welcoming Neighbors

Neighbors…what feelings does this conjure up for you?

Kramer from Seinfeld? Quirky, far too comfortable bursting through your front door, yet hilarious and makes you smile?

Ned Flanders from the Simpsons? Always condemning and just ticking you off all the time?

Or do you have totally annoying pot heads who party hardy all the time and keep your baby awake? (yes, New Girl is one of my absolute FAVORITE shows)

OR…did you luck out and get a sweet old, super wise man who talks through all your problems with you, like Wilson from Home Improvement?

OR…did you totally, utterly, and completely luck out and get the sweetest, best friend, always-there-for-you kind of neighbors like Fred & Ethyl Mertz from I Love Lucy?

I had neighbors pretty darn close to Fred & Ethyl, so when they moved recently (thankfully only 5 minutes away), I was bummed, but knew I needed to put my best foot forward with the incoming neighbors. So…here’s what I came up with. I slightly altered the free printable tag I found here.

Tells my poor neighbors right off the bat that I’m super corny, but, why not reveal a little bit about myself from the get go? Yup, those are eclairs packaged up in there and the tag reads, “I declair you welcomed to the neighborhood”. My husband actually rolled his eyes when he saw what I was doing. hehe On the back I included a note that read as follows:

So, even if you have a horrifically terrible neighbor like…

Marlyse from Parenthood (yes, another fave of mine), it wouldn’t hurt to welcome them. Everyone needs love now and then. So, even if it’s a bouquet of flowers, or a Starbuck’s card, or a list of your local favorite restaurants, walk on over, knock on your neighbors door, and welcome them.

OR…maybe you’ve been in your house for like FIVE YEARS and still haven’t met them! Do a little something to wish them a Merry Christmas and introduce yourself. It will also teach your kids how to treat others. I had a blast doing this with my kiddos. =) Look at those adorable feet…and smiles. =)

Oh yes, and here’s my version if you’re up for making eclairs. YUM!

Enjoy, and have fun making friends with new (or old) neighbors.