April 26, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Teacher Appreciation Ideas

impatien

Impatient Plant – Plant a simple impantien into a bright colored plastic pot. Tape a card onto a pencil and stick in dirt. Tie a ribbon. Cute and witty.

Lantern – We bought a lantern from Target and fill with chocolate covered pretzels. Attach a card with a reference to the teacher being a “light” in your life.

Personalized Starbucks treats – I bought cups from the dollar store and a package of chocolate covered shortbread from costco. I personalized these labels with each teacher’s name from this link. Printed them on sticker paper, cut and attached. Great way to start any day! Tea Jar – Fill a canister with tea and then print this label from www.lifecreated.com

Personalized Heart Poem – I asked my child what they love about their teacher, typed in his reply on this link , and it generates a heart shaped card. Print and give. You can never go wrong with a child’s sweet words.

Hand Picked strawberries – with a cute tag “I couldn’t have picked a better teacher”(from Dixie Delights).

photo from “Hello from the Natos”

Homemade Cookie Dough – Wrapped adorably in parchment paper, a favorite cookie dough has always been a well received gift. You can write a recipe directly on the parchment or print it out. You can also print the label from Nato’s photo from this link. double-chocolate-chews-l

Munchins – Cute idea from the Happy Home Fairy to bring in Munchkins with note. Click here to print their note.

“Orange you glad it’s summer” Printable – I found the printable over at Coley’s Corner and you can attach it to pretty much anything. Thanks to them for allowing us to use it.

Gift Card – “A teacher can’t survive on apples alone…” – I saw this months ago as a Christmas gift but think it’d be just as cute for a year end gift.

cake pops

Cake Pop Stand – after packaging each cake pop in plastic bags from Michaels, we wrapped a styrofoam rectangle in wrapping paper, stuck them in, and made a sign. Great Grab and Go treat when lots of teachers are involved.

Personalized Gifts – These ideas are easiest if you have a die cutter machine. Here are some ways we personalized an inexpensive item which are just so much fun to receive.

Mother’s Day Printables

April 25, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Ways to help a grieving family

DSC_0835 - Version 2 Have you ever been so overcome with the grief a family is enduring, that you are frozen? Is there anything you could possibly do or say to alleviate their pain? This link from the blogspot An Inch of Gray is written by a woman who lost her son while he was playing in the rain with his sister. Her story will have you in tears. Her list is compiled of the many heartfelt ways her family was touched during their grief. I find them insightful and powerful knowing the vulnerability from which they came. Please enjoy this glimpse into her heart as much as I did.

click here for What you can do to help a grieving family

click here for Her story

April 18, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

You know you are a mom of boys when…

You have rules like “No peeing on your brother in the bath tub.”
You find a matchbox car when you reach into the bag of pita chips.
You distract your neighbor in conversation, so she doesn’t see your son peeing in her bushes
The smell of sweaty necks and stinky feet is oddly endearing.
You have to swing by Chick Filet for a snack on the way home from dinner.
You’ve actually spoken the words “New rule: you are not allowed to stick your pinky into the electric pencil sharpener”.
You have way too much fun watching your kids play with a whoopie cushion.
Whenever you sit on the potty, your tush gets wet.
Shooting squirrels with a nerf gun is an acceptable pastime.
You suggest Super Mario as a name for the pet bunny.
You tell a babysitter they read better when they are upside down.
The noise in the car is louder than your own thoughts.
When the house is perfectly quiet, you know something big is wrong.
You don’t ask about the bloody nose and scraped up knees when your son shows you his new trick on the scooter.
Laying on the floor is never relaxing because there is always fear you are about to be jumped upon. “Incoming!”
Your friends with just girls stare at you all with their mouths hanging open.
You find his reference to “the Force” in Star Wars a brilliant parallel to the power of God.
You don’t scream when your 4-year-old proudly shows you the Bb’s he drew…with the back of a hammer on your car door.
When you meet a little boy, you stick out your hand…for a high 5.
You have both a Lego and Star Wars font saved on your computer.
You can’t imagine the day he falls in love with another woman.

For more from the House of Hendrix, click the follow button -top right.

April 17, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Prayers for Boston

Laura Winslow photography

As I watched the news coverage last night, I saw an image of a boy with his family…the boy whose life was taken at the Boston marathon. My heart sank. That photograph will never be viewed the same again. Its value is now different. I look around my home, every table covered in pictures of my family and friends, and my eyes well with tears. What if it had been one of them? In an instant, my pictures, which are so familiar I no longer see, suddenly evoke a deep love and longing for people who are still alive. Just the thought of losing one of them arouses such tremendous emotion. So today I am humbled by the families who are living with that grief. I ask God why and what can I do. Pray my child pray.

April 16, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Modern Thank You Note ideas for kids

The cake is eaten, the balloons deflated, the presents unwrapped. My child’s love tank is filled from the attention he receives on his birthday. He is delighted by the new additions to the toy collection. Now it’s time to wrap up the last piece of birthday business before putting this celebration away until next year…the THANK YOU NOTE!

If I’m honest I’m usually exhausted by this point and dread the thought of stamps and addresses. With an older child, I think it is important to teach both the art of writing a handwritten thank you note as well as scheduling the time to do such. What I know is that my 6 year old would feel more frustration than gratitude with such a task…and our notes get lost somewhere between being addressed, stamped, soccer practice and the mailbox. So here are some creative ways a younger child can learn to say thank you.

Chalkboard Message- we’ve seen the idea on Pinterest and it’s a great one. It’s quick, can be emailed or texted, and gives a visual to the person.
Fill in the blank cards and write them as you open. – When I first saw a ‘fill in the blank’ card in the aisle of Target, I cringed. Then I had 25 four year olds over for a birthday party, and changed my tune. I made a few below, you are welcome to print.
Video message – This is our favorite and most used thank you. With the popularity of smartphones, your child can say thank you in their own words and personality. We often video the opening of the gift for out of town relatives as it captures that moment of surprise and pure delight.
Picture with caption boxes – great thank you for families for holidays.
picture from Camp Clem
A Phone call – So simple but I often forget the impact of a sweet little voice.
Postcards – Take a festive picture in advance or use one from the party. It could say “thank you for coming to my party”. Print them 3 to a page on cardstock and then cut. Add writing to the back. Stamp. Good to go.

7. Picture with friend and gift– If presents are opened at the party, take a picture of the birthday child with each person and the gift they brought. Now you do not have to keep track of a thank you list you’ll probably lose anyway. Then print pictures 3 to a page on heavy cardstock, cut, and add writing to back.

8. Draw a picture – my niece, Josie, recently drew me a picture of herself wearing the shirt I made her. It was precious and warmed my heart because she took the time to draw it.

9. Freebie Thank you’s printables

click image to print cards

click image to print cards

April 15, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Printable Thank You cards

Click image to print cards

click image to print cards

click image for printables

click image printables

click image for printables

April 13, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

“scary people” in the homeless shelter

From time to time, our family will feed the homeless with a local group. It’s a multi-church ministry where a different church is responsible for feeding and serving several hundred meals on their assigned night. They have always been very gracious letting us jump in with whatever church is serving. We have loved our evenings there.

Tonight our hearts were ready. We were all excited. It was going to be the first time my youngest joins us. We walked him through the process as best we could. From the moment we arrived though something was different. Something was off. The 3 men and a guitar were still playing praise music. The donation tables were set up beautifully with clothes and toiletries, even a Lion King DVD. The aroma of chicken and potatoes coming from the kitchen smelled delicious. I introduced myself, explained that I had called earlier in the day to confirm we could help serve tonight, and then introduced my children to this new group of volunteers. The well dressed man was polite.

When the hungry people arrived, we each took a tray in the kitchen. A woman barked at my middle child, “I will not allow you to hold a tray! You will spill it all over the floor.” He explains he has done this before and is really careful. “No!” Hum… We make a new plan. I will carry the tray, my kids can remove the meals and serve them to the people at the tables. A few minutes later we are again reprimanded by a second volunteer who had decided that all tables must be served in a clockwise order. I respectfully smile but think “really lady?” My usually energetic children are abnormally well behaved…too behaved for my taste. I can see them deflating in front of my eyes.

Where is the joy in the room? Isn’t that the point of the evening… to offer a small dose of encouragement to our brothers and sisters who are hungry. I hand each of my kids a tray of their own, bucking the “system” for dessert. After everybody has a sweet treat, we return the extra cookies and cakes to the serving table. A third volunteer now approaches us with deep anger, “You are NOT allowed to give them a second dessert!!” I can feel my fearful childrens’ fingers grip into my legs. My smirk though is undeniable and I’m holding back sarcastic laughter at the irony of the 50 extra uneaten desserts in front of us. I gently respond, “We actually haven’t given anybody a second dessert…yet.” She insists the weak , emaciated man in the yellow jacket had both a cupcake AND a cookie. At this point, I’m over it. I grab my children and we head straight for him. We sit, talk ,and pray with him over his tumor and hospitalized son, and then give him a piece of Key Lime Pie. My son gives him a hug and promises to keep praying for him. There’s now a line of others with their own prayer requests. They just need somebody to ask…somebody to see them. The ten volunteers, with their backs against the wall and nothing left to do, stare at us, not sure what to make of our rebellious interaction with these hungry folks.

During the car ride home, my son says “Those people are scary!” I respond, “Oh, the man in the wheel chair and the lady without any teeth?” “No mom, they were nice. The adults who were serving.”

How often do we get so wrapped up in the order of things and controlling a situation, that we forget why we are there? Tonight, joy was lost, the opportunity for relationship diminished, and the normally energized room, smothered by rules. We get so focused on “how to serve” that we don’t see the people we are serving. I do it too. I was in the grocery store last week trying to check out. I was talking on my phone, stopping my kids from sneaking bubble gum into our basket, and trying to swipe my credit card. As we left, I realized I forgot my sunglasses and turned right back around….but I had no idea who had just checked me out. I had never made eye contact. I never saw him.

Sometimes it takes seeing something in other people to realize what you don’t like in yourself. It may be packaged differently, but I too am guilty. In the demands of my day, I don’t always see the people in front of me…including my children. Hoping tonight serves as a reminder to open my eyes to the eyes looking at me.

April 11, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

20 ways to fill your child’s love tank on their birthday

It only happens once a year, so why not CELEBRATE! In my experience, it is rarely the gifts my children remember. It is the feeling of excitement when they get out of bed, the element of surprise throughout their day, and the enthusiasm surrounding them. This week my baby turned 6. We each now need two hands to share our age and I’m not sad at all; I’m thrilled.

With 3 kids, I’ve accumulated a variety of birthday ideas with the hopes of filling my children’s love tank on their birthday. I think we should pool our ideas, borrow freely, and be inspired to make those we love feel special. Isn’t that our goal? I slightly cringe when I see a mom relishing over her recent DIY project while another looks on feeling defeated by her sense of inferiority. I tap into my sister’s bag of tricks all the time when I am just not feeling it. So, here’s what’s in my birthday bag this week:

Build the excitement with a COUNTDOWN. There are many ways to do this. This week we counted down with a chalkboard.
Decorate the Bathroom Mirror. Use a window marker, dry erase marker or lipstick. Balloons, streamers, it’s all good.
Window Marker your car with “Honk! It’s Lily’s 10th birthday!” This has delighted my children for years. With every honk, we all cackle with joy. (You can buy them at here for a few dollars).
While they are sleeping, decorate their room with streamers and balloons. Even just the doorway makes a big effect
Candles in their breakfast, why not?
photo by lilmissbossy
Put Water Balloons in their bath
Use the special “Celebration Plate”. We made one years ago at a painted pottery place. We’ve used it on birthdays, potty training milestones, soccer goals, and when loved ones visit.
Declare it a Screen-free Day for the parents. If the child is awake, put your cell phones down and turn off the tv/computer. Be present, not distracted.
Wrap each food item in their lunchbox. Throw in a balloon if it will fit. Pure delight.
Measure them. We have a wall, a very messy wall, with dates, ages, and heights of our children, nieces and nephews, and neighborhood children. Kids loved to be measured!
Retell their birth story. Even get their baby book out. My baby books stopped after the 1st child, but they take such delight in hearing about their first cry in the delivery room. My mother still calls me at the exact hour I was born with “Oh, I feel a contraction. Ouch. I think you’re coming today Allison.” I love it.
Make or buy them a special shirt with their new age on it.
Allow your child to pick the dinner for everyone.
Eat at the fancy table. We have a formal dining room table we NEVER use. Last year we used it to eat the delivery pizza for my daughter’s birthday. We light candles and the kids knew without doubt, that day was SPECIAL.
Have siblings serve them, clear the table, and do their assigned chores for the day.
It is a tradition in our family to play “My favorite thing about Palmer is…” and we all go around share. Our cousins even call in with their favorite thing
Celebrate the Waiting – in a world where we get everything right now, it’s tough to teach kids to wait, especially for good things. We thought we’d give them some practice in small areas (chewing gum, make up) so they’ll have some experience waiting for the bigger things like intimacy. We make our kids wait until they are 10 to drink soda, then have a cooler full on their birthday. We celebrate those Waiting Milestones big time.
Fill their closet or the kitchen cupboards with balloons. When they open them, they will fall out. Delight!
photo by simple revelry
Teach siblings that most important thing on somebody’s birthday is making them feel special. When we go to a birthday party, our goal should be to make the birthday person feel special. This can be an especially difficult in a society when the party favors are sometimes nicer than the gift brought.
Make a party hat for your pet. I’m kinda kidding on this one, but kinda not. It doesn’t make your child feel special, but it sure is funny.
Let your child know that your greatest joy in life is that you GET TO BE THEIR MOMMY! They need to hear it…and often.