New Year

Good Morning, Fellow and Humble Follower's!  I don't know if you've noticed that I have been MIA... but I have.  :)  I've been a busy gal making those fun lists of 2011 goals.  I have made goals for Harmony's schooling (preschool), personal goals, family goals, and any other type of goal that you can categorize.

My husband and I are going to make some HUGE changes in 2011, most of which we are pretty excited about.  Our family is going to see advancement, enticing and FUN changes, and growth.  I am beyond ecstatic for the accomplishments that this year is going to bring about!

I've been doing some thinking about Rattles and Redheads too!  I haven't had as much time to blog since the holiday's.  I am so sorry for neglecting something that I love!  Currently on my to do lists these days, just in daily goals alone..

Raise a 4 yr old WITH manners.  HA!

Raise a 9 month old that eats EVERYTHING.

Write paper's, attend classes (online), read 12 chapters a week for my Bachelor's degree.  ugh and blah!

Schedule every aspect of my life and it's many cluttered corners.

Do I have a husband?  .. I think that I do, but I'm pretty positive that he's been neglected lately.

Clean my 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house.

Declutter my 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house.

Read two inspirational books:
Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living
and
The Spark: The 28-Day Breakthrough Plan for Losing Weight, Getting Fit, and Transforming Your Life

Cardio and Strength Training Daily (Alternating between days)

Consume fewer calories, drink 70 oz of water, eat smaller portions (which makes me want to eat my own leg)

....See where I'm going here?  I'm a super busy, gal!

I have posts that I am going to be working on in the next upcoming days of neat-o activities that Harmony, Mark Jr., and myself have been doing in the last few weeks.  Stay tuned for more!

*Any advice for blogging and keeping up with daily life, let me know!  I love feedback.  :)

Happy January and Cheers To A New Year!

Candice S.

Holiday Traditions, Gifts, and Family Fun.

I love Christmas.

I love the season, the cold, family, eating, and fun festive activities that we all love to do with our family.  I'm going to miss it, dearly.   So, to keep the Spirit of Christmas alive I want to share some of Rattles and Redheads, and your's truly, family traditions that are old and the fresh new one's that were welcomed into our family this holiday season.  Some of them I posted about, other's I didn't get a chance so it'll be your first time seeing them!  :o)

• Having Pinkie Pie watch over us during the month of December until he/she flies back to the North Pole to report on our behavior.

• Opening PJ's on Christmas Eve and other presents with our extended family member's.

• Setting out Reindeer Food (made of oat's and glitter) and Homemade Cookies for Santa.

• Our Christmas Activity Box is so fun that I might make one themed for each month!

• Buying Christmas Santa Claus Storybook

• Watching a Christmas Movie

• Receiving Santa's Bell (Polar Express Idea)  We bought the bell from The Dollar Tree and put a pretty ribbon on it.. Only those who believe can hear it.  :)  What fun!  

• Homemade Ornaments and Gifts

• Family Handprint Christmas Tree.  This is my all time favorite present that we could have made this year!  I love, love, love it!

Merry Belated Christmas and to a Happy, Happy New Year!  I hope that your holiday was as special as our's!

Candice S.

Christmas Advent Jar

How cute did this come out?  I was quite impressed, myself.  HEHE.  I love it and I love what it contains.  I recycled a jar and cut some wrapping paper into square's to make this advent jar.  

For each paper that you pull out, thirteen square's exactly, you will read the following information.. :)

Make Christmas Present

Read a christmas book

Make a tent in the living room and have dinner in it

Make a reindeer Christmas Ornament

Bake Christmas Cookies

Watch Christmas Movie

Hot Chocolate Night

Learn a new Christmas Carol

Discuss the meaning of Christmas

Drive around neighborhood and look at Christmas Lights

Create Family Handprint Tree

Make baby food jar snow globe

Make Christmas Ornament

I added one extra- just in case we wanted to do an additional Christmas Activity!  :) 

Merry Christmas!

Candice S.

Martha's AMAZING Newspaper Tree's!!!

Is this not the neatest idea, EVER?  Thank you, Martha Stewart for sharing this wonderful creation with us!   

How beautiful and unique.. and out of newspaper and glue!  The possibilities for the creation of this unique tree is endless.  You can use other tree materials, such as felt or foil, if you don't want to recycle that old newspaper! 

For more information on how to make this Christmas Craft click here.

Merry Christmas!!!

Candice S.

Preschool Week, 12/6/10 and Giving Theme

We use the Everything for Early Learning, Preschool Book for all of our worksheets, minus a few printables that I find from online resources.

Weekly/Monthly Theme:  

Christmas

This year Harmony is old enough to start learning about giving to the poor and really learn about appreciation.  This week we have sorted through toys, of which Harmony has selected several herself to give away, and we have sorted through clothes.  We are making donation to the Salvation Army.  I think it is important for our kids to know the wonderful joy of Christmas that doesn't just consist of "getting" but of giving to those that are not as fortunate as we are.

Letter of the week:  

"H"

"H" Worksheets from Everything for Early Learning, Preschool and "H" Snowman 
Activities include fine motor activities and coordination promotion of writing, worksheets, arts and crafts, etc.  I decided that we are not going to do the mini book from First-School this week, as I noticed Harmony was getting a little bored.

Word and Trait:

Helpful

Sight Words:

four, my, is, like, red, I, am

Math Lessons: 

"C" is for Christmas Counting w/ objects card

Christmas Bulbs Number 5

Christmas Themed, Number 6

Christmas Trees, Number 7

Adding and Subtracting, Recognition, Sorting, and Measurements in Practical Life Applications are applied daily.

Tools for Math Lesson: 

Beans, lids, jars, and bottle caps

Books: 
Will post on library book selection.  Any good selection's for Christmas books??

Crafts:  

Review our crafts section on our preschool planner.  :)

New Nursery Rhyme:

Little Jack Horner Nursery Rhyme

Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner
Eating his Christmas pie.
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out a plum
And said, "What a good boy am I!"

120710ChristmasPlanner#2

What are some of the life lessons you would like to teach your kids this time of year? 

*If you are interested in donating your used goods that are in decent condition, then please take the time to visit the Salvation Army's website.  They also do business and residential pick up's.  Please, keep items out of household trash when you can donate it to someone who can use it or even more importantly, an individual that has need for it.

Merry Christmas!

Candice S.