May 16, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Sunday morning clothing battle – don’t I look pretty, God?

(Lily was 5. This means her brothers were 1 and 2.)

Church starts in twenty minutes and the mad rush begins. I have laid out a pretty smocked dress from Lily’s closet. I scramble to feed the baby, fill sippy cups for the diaper bag, and dry my hair. I sense the protest from the other side of the house. The stomping gets closer as I hear the words I knew were coming,

“I am not wearing this dress!”

“Yes sweetheart, you are.”

Why?” she says with pleading.

“Because church is the house of God, and when we go there, we honor Him with our hearts and bodies. Our clothes are a representation of that. Your dress is beautiful and appropriate.” She pauses for a moment and then uttered the words which would change our Sunday mornings forever.

“That’s not why you want me to wear this dress. You want me to look pretty for the other moms! You don’t know what God thinks is beautiful on me!”

Bam! There it is. The truth I did not see. My conviction was instant. I had an image of how I wanted her to look on Sunday morning…in a cute dress with a big bow… for the other moms. I cringe writing that, embarrassed to admit it. She’s 5! Could I really be teaching her that her appearance, however fleeting, was the act of worship, not the heart behind it? Did I think I would be perceived as a better mom if my children looked a certain way? Honestly, maybe I would be. Did I really seek that validation?

My eyes tear up and I apologize…not just for this morning but for all the Sunday mornings that we battled because of my pride. I humbly send her back to her room to choose an outfit that SHE thought honoring and pleasing to the Lord.

That was the last Sunday I ever laid out clothes for her. It took a few weeks to overcome my desire to explain the cowboy boots and mismatched outfits, but I eventually found tremendous confidence in not explaining it….because I knew that there was a little girl who truly felt beautiful to her Maker. Over the years her fashion taste has refined and our Sunday rush more peaceful, but when she comes to me seeking affirmation about her clothing, my question remains the same, “Do you feel it honors the Lord?”

So today, when I see a little girl in an adorable dress, I smile at the sweet vision, partly wishing Lily’s dresses had gotten more wear…and when I see a little girl with cowboy boots and a tutu strutting her stuff at church, my heart melts because I know God is looking down on her with great delight…His beautiful daughter twirling like a country ballerina as her act of worship.

It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. ⁴No, your beauty should come from inside you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear. It is worth very much to God. 1 Peter 3:3-4

May 4, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Great books for your Tween daughter…about being a tween.

Next week my oldest turns 11. She is all things first child; rule oriented, orderly, and driven. Over the years her strong will has served her beautifully as she has developed into a compassionate, servant-hearted, and intentional young lady. I adore her.

About 3 months ago we started to notice a few changes in her moods. Because I am homeschooling her this year, I get to experience these swings first hand throughout our days… so I have an invested interest to understand just what is going on inside her head. I was shocked that she felt incredibly comforted when I explained to her that her moods were a result of hormonal changes and were completely normal. Her intellectual mind could handle a physiological explanation much easier than not knowing why she felt so…off.

Because she is quite introverted and loves to read, I knew she’d prefer to fill in the gaps through books. Most of these are from a Biblical perspective but regardless of your spiritual beliefs, I think you’ll find some great insight.

Here is a list of our favorite tween books so far:

Perfectly Unique – by Annie F. Downs The author takes you on a thoughtful, funny and spirit-filled exploration of the way God created you different from every other person in the world, and He did this on purpose! Great perspective addressing body image and each of our unique set of talents. At an age when conformity can be the goal, this perspective can help our daughters build confidence and strengthen their faith through embracing their unique design. My 10 year old loved reading this!

You’re Already Amazing by Holly Gerth – (best suited for moms of tweens or actual teens) We, as moms, need to get our own thinking straight before we can be of any help to them. The author helps you understand and embrace the truth that as a woman, you do not need to do more, be more, and have more—because you are already amazing just the way God created you to be. When my daughter was on a club soccer team significantly above her skill set, principles in this book helped me teach her that she could walk on that field with no fear or apologies. I didn’t need to be nervous either. She didn’t have to be anything more today that she already was. She is Already Amazing! It helped us find that balance of striving to do your absolute best while knowing your identity and worth is not determined by the results.

Graceful – Letting go of your try-hard life by Emily P. Freeman – (I’d recommend this for an older teen or the mother of a tween) – This book is written to the good girl who tries to do everything perfect from sports to schoolwork. It’s also written to the girl who feels like she can’t do anything right. The ultimate message in this book is you don’t have to be perfect. My daughter often strives to be perfect and is discouraged by correction, so this book was a good fit. It is written a little above her comprehension level so we went through it together.

BeTween by Vicki Courtney – My daughter just finished going through this book in small group with her friends. It is a magazine style book filled with articles, games and lists. It’s targeted towards the 8-12 year old reader. The book wisely encourages girls to enjoy being their age rather than succumbing to modern culture’s temptations to grow up too fast. It addresses topics like popularity, friendships, texting, fighting with siblings, and your attitude with your mamma. It’s irresistibly fun and an easy read.

Soul Surfer series by Bethany Hamilton – Have you seen the movie Soul Surfer about a young girl named Bethany Hamilton who had her arm bitten off by a shark while she was surfing? Well, we have…like 30 times! It started a surfing craze in our home. My daughter has read and reread the book and devotionals dozens of times. Bethany speaks teen to teen about overcoming your fears and living out your faith. I ripped out a few pages from the devotional for issues my daughter hasn’t been exposed to yet, but still recommend it.

The Lily Series – by Nancy Rue – (for the younger tween) – We started these because my daughter’s name is Lily and it was just too cool to find something called the Lily series. There are several characters in them who each represent a different type of girl. We were surprised by how applicable these were to everyday decisions. They are short and each book addresses a different topic – “the Uniquely Me book”, “The Body Book”, “The Blurry Rules Book”, “The Walk the Walk Book”.

I’d love to hear any helpful book recommendations you and your child have enjoyed reading. Have a blessed day! alli

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.

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.

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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

March 31, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

April Fools Day Ideas for Kids

Tomorrow is April Fools Day and I am still in Easter mode. Just saw these great ideas on Fun For EP Kids and Spoonful.com that I thought I’d pass along.

Click here : April Fools Day Ideas for Kids.

Brownies after dinnerGoogly Eyes surprise in the fridge

Surprise Toilet Paper Notes

Turn the house upside down

Blue water – unscrew tipd stick in kid’s blue bath tablet. Rescrew.

Chicken Not Pie

March 30, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Tooth Fairy -printables

If the tooth fairy could sell teeth, The Hendrix family would have just given her a bonus! All 3 kids have lost a tooth in the past 2 weeks and we have five more wiggly ones. The tooth fairy needs to stay on top of it because we are keeping her busy. A Note from the Tooth Fairy

Because I can not remember who lost a tooth when, I made this printable keepsake. Now I have the date and their cute message like “Please do not take my tooth.” “Have you ever seen the Easter bunny?”

I first made the one on the left which my boys laughed at as too girly. Hence the non-girly version below. Feel free to print any of the printables from the link below. Click to print on cardstock:

Boy tooth fairy

I thought I’d share this note she left Campbell a while back. I imagine she wrote it in a word document and then shrunk it into a really small font. She probably then folded an envelope out of the paper and taped it.

February 1, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Sidewalk Art

My daughter was recently at a friend’s house for a slumber party. When I picked her up, I was blown away by what they had created. They had taken sidewalk chalk and completely covered the brick driveway. It was extremely cool looking.

Such a great activity for kids of all ages, that takes up a lot of time, and has a major cool factor. I’m definitely remembering this for summertime.