November 10, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

A Tree of Gratitude

Post sponsored by Alpha-Bits as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. – See more at: http://www.alittletipsy.com/2013/11/printable-thanksgiving-crossword-for.html#sthash.xSNLA1Hg.dpuf

Post sponsored by Alpha-Bits as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. – See more at: http://www.alittletipsy.com/2013/11/printable-thanksgiving-crossword-for.html#sthash.xSNLA1Hg.dpufpost s

Post sponsored by Alpha-Bits as part of the Mom it Forward Blogger Network.

In our time-crunched world, I’m drawn to activities that are festive, educational, and character-building. So as we continue our focus this month on gratitude, I came up with a craft that combines:

character development
snack time
letter recognition
sorting/ matching/word formation
and a great gift for grandma

The Tree of Gratitude can easily be adapted to kids of varying ages. My 11 year old had just as much fun as my 6 year old. Here’s what you’ll need:

Alpha-Bits cereal
paint (brown, green, yellow) & brush
glue
a happy heart

My kids immediately started sorting the Alpha Bits cereal into rows of letters. With every ‘A’ that was lined up, an ‘A’ went into their tummy. The possible craft projects with these little letters were buzzing through my head…if we could just stop eating them. This whole grain cereal is delish! The shaped pieces can also help little ones become familiar with letters of the alphabet while challenging older kids to form words and expressions of gratitude. Begin by making the trunk of the tree with your forearm. We used brown paint on the outer side of your arm and then pressed onto paper.

Character Lesson – Our bodies are like a trunk of a tree. The bark protects the good things the roots absorb while also keeping harmful things away. How can we use our bodies to nourish and also protect our hearts?

Make the leaves of the tree with green hand prints. We filled in a few gaps with a paintbrush.

Character Lesson – We can use our hands to serve others.Use fingerprints to add some leaves to the branches.

Character Lesson – Our fingerprints are unlike anybody else in the world. We are each made special and with purpose.After the paint dries, spell out words of things that you are thankful for with the Alpha Bits cereal. You may help younger children with this step by writing out their words on a separate paper for them to duplicate. Glue their words of thanksgiving onto the branches of the tree.

Character Lesson – Our words are a reflection of our hearts. Let’s use words of thanksgiving and of encouragement for one another.

The Gratitude Tree can be a keepsake or a gift. Ours are proudly displayed on our playroom walls. Thanks for stopping by for craft time today. Allison

I am grateful for my readers. If you missed our Thanksgiving Advent post, you can learn how we use November to prepare our hearts for the indulgence of December here. A Gratitude Tree - Includes a character-building lesson for each step. I love when a craft strengthens not just fine motor skills but the heart as well. |the House of Hendrix

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October 25, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Happy Halloween Printables

Today is our first chilly morning in Florida. The town is filled with boots and jackets as we all have an extra kick to our step. It got me feeling festive, so I made some fun little things for Halloween.

You are welcome to take these templates and personalize them with your name, or print them as it.

You can print them on sticker paper and attach them to jars.

You can print them on cardstock and fold over ziplock bags for a great school giveaway.

You can hole punch and use them as tags.

Click here to view and print templates.

Need a Halloween costume, check out our board of Costume Ideas here.

For some Fun Fall Decorating and activities, check out our Fabulous Fall board.

October 17, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

What makes me vulnerable, makes me beautiful

I’ll never forget that phone call as I was unpacking my boxes into my freshman dorm room. This call came before the era of cellphones, back when the sound of a ring in a stark dormitory was unusual…loud…noticed. It was my father telling my mother, he was leaving her.

Bam! Welcome to Day 1 of college! As I proceeded to be introduced to my roommates, my heart was drowning in confusion. How was I going to do this? They know nothing about me or my family. My mother departed the next morning, earlier than expected to take care of things at home.

I had a choice, one that would have lasting effects on my psychological well-being. I could be honest and share with these new friends that, although I have been blessed with the most unbelievable of family upbringings, some mistakes had been made, and we are in a really hard place at the moment….or I could simply stop my story just before ‘mistakes had been made’.

I couldn’t swallow, more or less explain. I chose the latter, and for the next 4 years suffered privately with the pit I felt about the deterioration of my family and the denial I was living. On the outside I had a blast during those college years, and part of me believed in that reality. As I reflect back though, it is without question my darkest period.

My friend, Jenna, sent me a video today. In it Brene Brown says, Shame is the fear of disconnection.

Shame, for events outside of my control, told me I needed to live a lie to be accepted by those new friends around me and that I wasn’t worthy of acceptance with the real story of my family. My faith had taught me better than to believe this untruth, but when we are drowning, we often cling to anything around.

That period 20 years ago became a reference point as to how I was NOT going to live the rest of my life. I coasted along after college for several years until my next set of major trials. Three miscarriages. This is where it all changed…where I changed.

I made a choice that day the first baby’s heart stopped beating, to not hide, stuff, or deny what life was dealing me. There would be no secrets.I openly wept, prayed, and shared the vulnerabilities of my heart. Maybe I over-shared during this period, but it freed me. It freed me to be myself, to not apologize for or hide my story, but rather to embrace that it was mine.

I lost three babies with no fear of the stigma that can often be attached. I had no shame.

I was a courageous, grieving young woman who was learning to accept the imperfections of life.

Even through the pain, I felt alive from this taste of authenticity. My story, however flawed, became enough. My imperfect life is enough.

I often wonder what would happen if I could go back to my freshman dorm and have a Do Over. What if I had allowed my vulnerability to take me to a place of courage, not fear? What if I had told them that my family was falling apart? Those sweet roommates, who were divinely placed in my life for that season, would have embraced me not only with the same acceptance, but deeper. We would have cried together until the laughter came. But…I needed that period of internal struggle, to truly overcome my fear of being judged, and to embrace the freedom that authenticity brings.

Brenne says in that video, “What makes me vulnerable, makes me beautiful.”

Beauty is not in our-perfect-life-as-seen-on-Facebook, nor in our seemingly flawless marriage and well-behaved children. Our beauty is in those moments of vulnerability where our hearts can be purely seen.

Sweet friend, I think YOU are beautiful in those moments of vulnerability.

Today I’m thankful for those who open their hearts to me for real relationship.

I’m grateful for my readers and would love to have you follow The House of Hendrix below. If you would like to connect further, please join my FACEBOOK COMMUNITY or find me on PINTEREST.