mom2mom {linky party} highlights

This week on mom2mom, MJ shared some fantastic spring cleaning tips HERE!!

I know, I know---spring cleaning, ugh!

But we've all gotta do it so check her list for some ways to make it easier on you!

{Don't be intimidated by the picture of the flawless 50's housewife, I don't even look that good when I'm all dolled up to go out!}

And if you missed my mom2mom highlights post from last week, go HERE for information on a fabulous product that will definitely make your cleaning life MUCH easier!!

This coming from the most non-homemaker type there is.

AND NOW....

I am SOOOOO super-excited to share with you my next craft project (which are few and far between around here)!!!

I LOVE to decorate and I have found that I can make wreaths!!

Ok, so I have only made one BUT...

The outcome of my winter wreath (which is still hanging on my door by the way) is lovely, if I do say so myself! ;)

So I have been searching for a spring wreath and I kept seeing these floating around blogland...

And I fell in LOVE!

But...I did not think I could make one because I thought you had to sew the roses and I don't sew!

Until....my friend posted a picture of this wreath (that she made) on FB...

Gorgeous!

And when I asked her about it, she told me that she actually made the roses with a hot glue gun!

I was SO excited because I actually have one of those and know how to use it! ;)

So I asked MJ to find me a tutorial on this because I love and copy all of her crafts!!

And of course she found me the perfect tutorial HERE!

(same blog that the pictures of the first two wreaths came from)

Check it out for yourself, it looks super-easy!

I will post pics when I finish mine---and if you make one too, be sure to link-up to our mom2mom {linky party} and let us see your beautiful creation!

Happy Spring, friends!!!

mom2mom {linky party}: Handprint Easter Lamb

Thanks for stopping by! We are a blog about faith, family and fitness...feel free to take a look around! While you are here, check out our 12 Ways to Keep Easter Alive All Year Long post. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, surrounded by loved ones! Happy Spring, friends! It is my favorite time of the year!!!

I love Easter! It (usually) signals Spring, after a long winter, and reminds us of our hope for the future! We love going to Easter egg hunts, talking about the Easter Bunny, and eating Reese's Peanut Butter eggs...but still want to focus on the real meaning of Easter.

I came across this cute craft a few months ago, meant for a farm animal unit in preschool, but thought that it was PERFECT for Easter and teaching Grayson about the "Lamb of the World."

It's an easy craft that you probably already have all of the materials for!


Materials:

• black construction paper
• glue
• “wiggle eyes”
• cotton balls
• scissors
• scrapbook paper

1. Trace your child’s hand on the black construction paper.



2. Cut out the handprint.

3. Glue the handprint onto a sheet of scrapbook paper.




4. Now you’re ready to make your lamb! Your child’s fingers will be the legs of the lamb and
their thumb is the lamb’s head/face.

5. Glue cotton balls all over the handprint but leave the tips of the fingers and thumb free.


6. Glue a small “wiggle eye” onto the head (tip of thumb).

7. You're all done!


I wanted to add a little some extra to ours, so I printed out John 1:29 and glued it onto the bottom.


If you'd like to print it out, too, here it is! Just right-click and save it to your computer.

Or if you'd rather just have "Happy Easter" and the date, here it is!


Do you have any great ideas for teaching your kiddos about Easter?

Link up or leave a comment!

If you'd like to participate, grab our button by pasting the code at the top or bottom of your post to show that you're participating in mom2mom {linky party}!


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mom2mom highlights {and a winner}

Oh my goodness!!

I am SO excited about our mom2mom {linky party} that will be taking place every Monday with Mary Jo Smith of 517 Creations!

Seriously, we just started it yesterday and I already got 2 fantastic "mommy-tips."

And believe me, I need ALL the help I can get raising these 2 crazy boys!!

(and I mean that in the most loving way)

I will definitely be purchasing a Jesus Storybook Bible for our household. This is not the first time I have heard great things about it and I love how they weave Jesus into every story! It reminds me of the Year of the Word program that we are going through at church. As we talk about each book of the Bible, our pastor points out how it relates to Jesus! It really makes the Bible come alive in our hearts!

And I absolutely love the "smart bucks" idea that Cat of Cap Creations linked up with as well! What a brilliant idea for motivating your children! And I was thinking that you could definitely use it for other things besides learning---what about as rewards for good behavior? or as prizes for doing chores? The possibilities are endless! And she even gives you the printables to go with it!

If you missed out on mom2mom yesterday, it is not too late to participate!

Go HERE to read MJ's and Cat's "mommy-tips" and then link-up with a "mommy-tip" of your own! It can be anything that works for you---from decorating ideas to simple crafts to easy recipes---you name it!

You have through Sunday to link-up with this week's party and then Monday we will start over with a new mom2mom {linky party}!

So make sure to check back every week and spread the word to your mommy friends!

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And now, the moment you have all been waiting for---the winner of the New Fabrics Fit Band Giveaway is....

Congratulations Gustosa Giveaways, whose favorite new fabric is the birds!!!

Contact me at worthyoftheprize@yahoo.com to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Be sure to check out the left sidebar of our blog for a list of current giveaways that you can participate in!

Happy Tuesday Friends!!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

I have to admit that I am just loving this mom2mom {linky party} that we have going on here on the blog every Monday!!

I am learning so many new ideas from MJ and you fabulous moms out there!

It is truly helping me be a better mom and I hope it is helping you too!

I am all about cute and SIMPLE activities that keep my boys busy and out of trouble!!

However, I am SO not the super-mom type.

You probably think I have it all together right?

Ha!

If only you could meet me in person!

My scatter-brained, day-dreaming, stressed-out self struggles with setting up a routine and coming up with engaging activities for my 2 crazy (totally different personality) boys---which means I must resort to stealing ideas from the best!

And now that we are stir crazy living here in the frozen tundra we call home, I can use all the ideas I can get!

BTW: The projects cannot be too overwhelming or too involved or I will never start!

With that said, MJ and those who know me best, will be impressed to see that I have actually successfully completed several of the activties with my boys that I either learned from the mom2mom {linky party} since we started it 3 weeks ago or from other moms in the past!

Here are 3 of the activities that we have recently done that I actually took pictures of---

This little activity is something that my sisters and I did when we were kids and I have used it alot at camps, in my PE classes, in team-building sessions, etc.

You simply blow up enough balloons for each child to have at least 1 and let them see who can keep it off the ground the longest!

I do this a ton with my boys---they would play this for hours if I let them!

You can also do it as a group, trying to work together to keep all of the balloons off the ground---if you have older kids, you can add more balloons so that the balloons out-number the people which makes it more challenging!

The great thing is you can do it inside because the balloons will not hurt anything and you don't even have to blow them up very big!

My boys actually tell me, "that's enough mom!" They are afraid I will blow them up too big and they will pop and they do not like that loud noise!

Just find a place to store them (notice what a great balloon-holder my beautiful fire-place cover makes) so you can use them over and over again!

This is a little trick that I learned from a few moms (MJ being one of them) in the past!

Just fill a little bowl with water, grab a few paint brushes and let the kiddos "paint" something using the water as paint---we chose cars and trucks but I have heard of other moms letting their child paint the sidewalk or the fence or other toys.

My boys started out "painting" (which was really "washing" because my too-smart-for-his-own-good-child said that water is not paint) their cars and trucks and then they decided to get their tools out to "repair" them---they had a little body shop of imaginative play going for a good 30 minutes doing this one afternoon!

And finally, look what we made today!!!

The super-cute, so easy to make handprint valentine hearts that MJ taught us how to make at last week's mom2mom {linky party}!

LOVE.

I know this is kind of spoiling it for those who will be receiving them but I wanted to show you how cute they turned out!

And if me and my boys can make 14 of them---anyone can do it with their kiddos!

And besides, I did not totally ruin the surprise because there will be something else extra special inside these valentines that I am not going to tell you about on here because I know who reads this blog!! :)

Can't wait to see what I will learn from you lovely moms next week!

Until then, have a great week!

mom2mom {linky party}: Jesus Storybook Bible

We are SO privileged to have Mary Jo Smith of 517 Creations guest blogging for us every Monday here at Worthy of the Prize for our mom2mom linky party!

Each week she will share with us one of her "mommy-tips" and then you will have the chance to link-up with one of your "mommy-tips."

Make sure to give us an idea of your "tip" in the title of your link and make sure that your link is directly linked to the post about your "mommy-tip" and not just to your blog in general!

If you do not have a blog, leave your thoughts in the comments section under this post!

Feel free to link-up with any "mommy-tip" of things that work for you---mommy resources, easy recipes, indoor boredom busters, decorating ideas, crafts, toddler teaching techniques, faith-talks for children, potty-training tips, organizational tools, etc---just make sure to keep everything family-friendly!

Also, grab our button and put it on your blog so you can easily check back each Monday and link-up!


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Spread the word to all of your mommy friends!

Who better to learn from than one another?

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I’m excited to be writing the first post of our new linky party, mom2mom, today! Visit www.worthyoftheprize.com every Monday to get a new “mommy-tip” and link-up with your own! I’ll share great resources I’ve found, crafts and activities to do with your kiddos, and general “works for me” tips!

One of our (many) jobs as parents is to plant God’s Word into our children’s’ lives. This isn’t an easy task, but one that requires us to be intentional in just how we surround our kids with the Bible. One of the best resources that we have found recently is the Jesus Storybook Bible (http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/).

Grayson has several Bibles that are geared towards children, but we were a little concerned with the content that had been left out of these “Bibles.” The Jesus Storybook Bible doesn’t leave anything out, in fact it points children to the Big Story. As author Sally Lloyd-Jones says in the introduction:

“…the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the one he loves . It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! You see, the best thing about this Story is – it’s true. There are a lot of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.”

The Jesus Storybook Bible is recommended for ages 4 and up. I would encourage you, as the parent, to read through each story before you read it to your child. Not because you’ll have to censor anything in the story, but because it’ll give you a totally different perspective on a lot of the “stories” we’ve heard growing up. In fact, Dr. Tim Keller (of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City) suggests, “I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian--from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God's revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning--a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned.”

The illustrations are amazing, the words remind us that Jesus is the center of the Story, and that all of the stories whisper his name…

The Jesus Storybook Bible works for our family…will it work for yours?
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And now it's your turn!

Do you have any other resources you use to teach your kiddos about God?

Or maybe a general "mommy-tip" of something that works for you?

Let's hear it!!

Link-up!

FYI: Every Tuesday I (Erin) will do a follow-up "mommy-tip" highlights post where I will give you some of the things that work for me and will also share a few of the ones that I learned from you the day before!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

It was another great week of our mom2mom {linky party}!!!

I LOVE the wall art that MJ showed us for the playroom HERE.

I love love love to decorate and when it is easy and inexpensive, I love it even more!

Cannot wait to see what she has in store for her other playroom wall next week

Today I wanted to show you one thing that "works for me" as a mom---

Lavender Hand Therapy from Crabtree & Evelyn

Oh my goodness, this stuff is incredible!!!

I am prone to dry, cracked, red, sore hands and since I became a mom it only worsened because I have my hands in water constantly for one reason or another!!

And moving up north did not help anything!

But this stuff works wonders---my hands are now soft, smooth, younger-looking and pain-free!!!!

And it smells wonderful too, I am a sucker for the clean, fresh scents and lavender is one of my absolute favorites!

And the best part is it is all natural---just shea butter and lavender oil.

Try it, you will LOVE it too---trust me, I have tried a million other lotions, hand creams, hand therapies, etc and none of them worked!

I put it on constantly because it feels and smells so good! :)

Also, take a look at what we made this past weekend while Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Leslie were here:

The Fruit Loop Rainbows that MJ taught us how to make HERE.

Fun, easy and educational all in one!

I hope ya'll are enjoying our mom2mom {linky party} as much as I am!

I am learning alot!!!

Have you tried any of MJ's crafts, decorating tips, recipes?

Link-up or leave comments to show us what you are enjoying, what you would like to learn more about or things that "work for you."

We love to learn new ideas and I love to feature them here!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

It is good to finally be back and able to follow-up on our mom2mom {linky party} from the past 2 weeks!!

If you missed out last week...

Go HERE to find out how you can have a FREE movie night once a month!!

I am definitely going to check into this---we have a Redbox kiosk right here at "The Pig" (aka The Piggly Wiggly) in our little town so why would I not do this, it is SO easy and we LOVE movie nights!

I am also VERY excited about the comment that Amanda left about Southern Savers!

She has recently gotten into couponing (which I am VERY interested in learning about) and this is the site that she is using!

Check it out HERE and stay tuned for more on this topic in the near future!

Anyone out there a master couponer??

Is that a word?

This week MJ shared another super-cute handprint craft to do with the kiddos, just in time for St. Patrick's day!

Go HERE for instructions on how to make this adorable little leprechaun!

And HERE Cat gives you free printables for a cute St. Patrick's Day tic-tac-toe game!!

My little guys LOVE board games of all sorts and tic-tac-toe just happens to be one of them!

Yay!

Be sure to get your posts and comments ready so you can join in the fun next Monday at our mom2mom {linky party} and share your own "mommy tips."

Who better to learn from than one another??

In the meantime, do 2 things for me---

1. Treat yourself---take some time and do something for yourself for a change! I finally got my hair done after 9 months and it was SO nice! We moms spend so much time taking care of others, we tend to neglect ourselves! What is one thing you can do to "treat" yourself this week?

2. Go HERE to our Facebook page and participate in our {Name that Band} Contest!! We have narrowed it to 3 finalists and now it is your turn to vote! Click "Like" under your favorite entry! You must 1st "Like" our page or it will not let you vote. Voting ends Thursday 3/17 at Midnight (CST). Winner will be announced Friday 3/18!

Have a great week friends!!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

It was another successful week of the mom2mom {linky party}!!!

And the best news is---it is not over yet!

You have until Sunday @ MIDNIGHT (CST) to link-up and leave comments of things that "work for you" as a mommy!

And then next Monday we will have a new mom2mom {linky party} for you to join!

As for this week, didn't you just love love love MJ's handprint valentine hearts craft idea!

So simple and yet so cute!

I am going to try this with my 2 and 4 yr old boys tomorrow---will let you know how it goes!

And did you see Cat's valentine countdown?!!?

What a sweet way to love on your kiddos this Valentine's season!

And of course she even has printables for you which makes it super-easy!

And oh my goodness did you check out the elaborate DIY Rock of Love play party over at tatertots & jello!!!

Unbelievable!

You have to see it for yourself!

If you are late to the party, simply click HERE to see these fabulous "mommy-tips" and more!

Be sure to leave comments or link-up with any ideas you have to share!

We would LOVE to hear it!

One more thing before I go---

I have to share this little recipe for homemade snow ice cream that I stole from MJ!

8 cups of snow
1 can of evaporated condensed milk
1 tsp of vanilla

So easy and so delicious!

It's actually Paula Deen's ya'll!

So you know it's good!

FYI: make sure to get the new, fresh, clean snow off the top---avoid the yellow snow!

(I added that little tip myself, ha!)

I was going to wait until next week to share this recipe with you but since most of the midwest is currently living in blizzard-ville, I thought you would appreciate the tip now!

Make it with your kiddos, it will give you something to do while you are cooped up in the house!

I, on the other hand, have plenty of time left to make it---since I live in the frozen tundra and all!

Happy Snow Day!!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

If you missed yesterday's mom2mom {linky party} go HERE to check out MJ's great "traveling with kiddos" tip and share any travel tips of your own!

I know with spring break trips taking place and summer trips coming up, we moms (and dads) can use all the tips we can get, especially for those of us whose families live millions of miles away (ok not really but it seems that way when we are traveling with our kiddos)!

I don't have too many great travel tips of my own (that I can think of) besides portable dvd players and iphone/ipad games!!

Big A also has a Nook and it is cool because he can download children's books that have the option of "read to me" which is great for our boys who are only 2 and 4 and cannot read to themselves yet. The Nook reads it to them!

Stickerbooks are pretty good at keeping them busy!

And "car games" are great too!

My boys LOVE to play "I Spy"---where the person whose turn it is says "I spy with my little eye something _____________ (fill in the blank with a color)" and then everyone else tries to guess what they are talking about!

Do you have any fun "car games" that keep your kids entertained?

Please share!

mom2mom {linky party}: BRING BRADY HOME

Good morning ladies!

This is Erin.

I am guest posting for MJ today because I need to tell you about an awesome opportunity that we have to help another mom and make an impact for eternity.

Remember Brady? The little boy who is in a mental institution in Eastern Europe? The one that I was riding the elliptical for back in February?





If you are unfamiliar with his story, he was abandoned at birth because he has down syndrome and was put into a mental institution shortly there after. Conditions there are harsh and children do not last long.

There is a beautiful, loving family, The Hartmans, who are desperately trying to adopt him and they need our help raising money! You can read their story HERE.

The situation is urgent and we here at WOTP want to help them. As a result, we have created a special page in our online shop called BRING BRADY HOME.

Anything that we sell from this page from now through Sunday, May 8th {Mother's Day}, we will donate ALL PROCEEDS, the ENTIRE PROCEEDS to The Hartmans through their partnership with Reece's Rainbow.

We are begging you to PLEASE HELP US, HELP THE HARTMANS!

Simply go to this page and buy something during the next 2 weeks and you will be making a HUGE impact not only for this little boy but also for his forever family and the kingdom of God.

Think about all the gifts you need this time of year---Mother's Day, baby showers, graduations, weddings, teachers, birthdays, etc and BUY NOW to make a difference!

Also, PLEASE help us SPREAD THE WORD!!

Share this on your blog, Facebook, twitter page---anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated!

I don't know about you, but helping other moms definitely "works for me" and that is what this whole mom2mom {linky party} is about---helping one another, learning from each other, making us better.

Brady was abandoned at birth but OUR GOD has bigger plans and you have a chance to be apart of it.

How will you respond?

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. {John 14:18}

mom2mom {linky party}: Tornado Prayers

This is Erin.

I am guest posting for MJ this morning.

Today we are going to do something a little different and I am asking that as the body of Christ, we come together.

It is time that we "storm" the throne of grace with our prayers for the tornado victims around the country.

{Pun intended}

Our dear friends Scott and Mary Jo {my business partner who does mom2mom} and the city of Joplin, MO desperately need our prayers.

They were hit hard by tornados last night.

Most of the city is destroyed.

Downtown is gone.

Many have lost their lives and homes.

Scott and MJ found out this morning that one of their students' {Scott is a Youth Pastor} mom was killed.

They also found out that many of their good friends' homes are gone.

Thankfully they are ok and their home is in tact.

A few of our adoption families live in that area too.

Big A's family is also in that area.

Thankfully they are ok as well.

Big A's cousin is a firefighter there and is working overtime.

Please pray for him and the other rescue workers as they work to restore the city and save lives.

It is tough because they continue to find more and more damage, destruction and lost lives along the way. Not to mention, more storms are entering the area.

This tragedy brings to mind the Tuscaloosa tornados that did so much damage there a few weeks ago.

One of my sister's good friends lives there.

The school where she works was completely destroyed.

Her husband is a football coach at the University of Alabama.

Many of his players were injured and one of the players' girlfriend was killed.

Pray for both of these cities as they recover.

We just sent a care package to Tuscaloosa last week and it looks like another will be making its way to Joplin soon.

It is so hard to understand why tragedy happens.

Especially when it happens to "good" people and to people that we know and love.

But it is comforting to know that God is on His throne and He is in control.

And it does make my small problems seem trivial.

And it does make me thankful for the little {big} things {that we tend to take for granted} like the fact that we have a home and my family is healthy.

Listen to this song by JJ Heller that I have shared before.

It will bring you comfort when your "world is shaking."

{Be sure to scroll down and click the pause button on the music player before listening to the video}



Lord, please surround the tornado victims with your love, mercy, comfort, strength and healing. May they feel your overwhelming presence now more than ever. Bring glory to your name. Amen.

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

This is a day late... but better late than never right?! ;)

I love the Fruit Loop Rainbow that MJ showed us how to make with our kiddos HERE.

Check it out if you missed it!

I will definitely be doing this one with the boys and I will post a picture when I finish.

Wish me luck! :)

In keeping with the spring theme, I want to tell you about 2 things that "work for me" as a mommy.

1. The $1 bins at Target!!

Does anyone else take advantage of these?

They are located near one of the entrances of the store and everything in them is $1.

Last time I was there I noticed they had a great selection of spring/Easter stuff for the kiddos so I am planning to make a trip over there to buy a bunch of stuff to fill the boys' Easter baskets full.

2. The Dirt Devil Powerflex 2-in-1 Hand Stick Vac!!Anyone else have one of these or something similar?

It is a cordless stick vac, basically a dustbuster with a long upright handle.

I LOVE mine!

I try to run it over the kitchen floor every night after dinner---but you could do it after every meal if you want or under the highchair/chair of your messy child!

It keeps the crumbs from piling up and is way easier than a broom or even a simple handvac because you do not have to get on your knees!

However, it does come with a handheld vac for those hard-to-reach places!

Definitely worth the investment and Amazon currently has it on sale HERE.

Happy spring cleaning! Ha!

Start thinking of things that "work for you" as a mommy and be sure to link-up to our mom2mom {linky party} next Monday---we LOVE new ideas and we want to hear from YOU!

mom2mom {linky party}: Movie Mondays

Today's mom2mom is one that will save you money! Do you have a Redbox kiosk nearby? Sign up here to receive a text on the first Monday of each month with a code that’s good for a free rental! It’s a great way to have a free movie night once a month!

We love renting Redbox movies because they often offer a wide range of movies of almost all genres. We'll be headed to our local kiosk today to pick out our free movie! Now to see whose choice wins....Diego or a romantic comedy? :)

Do you have any great suggestions for saving money? Link up or leave a comment for us!

Livin' It Up: Superbowl Style!!!

So I have been terrible at updating the blog this week!

Monday we got the mom2mom {linky party} up a little late.

Tuesday I did not get the mom2mom {linky party} highlights up until Tuesday was literally almost over.

Yesterday I did not even post.

And here it is the end of the day on Thursday and I am just now getting this up.

Ugh!!!

I am tired this week.

I think it is all the elliptical miles catching up with me on top of the fact that I had 2 people in my house throwing up this week that I had to take care of plus I am dealing with my 4 year old's bowel movement problems, which I will share more about later---and we worked hard getting our Valentines ready and mailed!

Not to mention things are crazy here in Titletown this week post Superbowl Championship!!!

So of course I must take a moment to share a little bit about what is going on around here!

We were invited to 3 different Superbowl parties and narrowed it to 2---switching houses during halftime!

These are pictures I took at the first party---they had everything Packered-out!

Even the rice krispie treats were green & gold!

You can see the sign they painted on the snow in their yard---let me just tell you that this is not uncommon around town---there are SO many signs and shrines in people's yards, I could never take enough pictures to show you them all!

We had a super-fun night with friends!!

The kids were given all kinds of things from balloons to glow necklaces and we won prizes for predicting certain things like the score, who made the first touchdown, who made the first sack, who would be the MVP, etc etc etc!

After the big WIN, everyone went down to Lambeau Field to celebrate and fireworks were shot off downtown which we could hear from our house!

The next day people lined the streets from the airport to Lambeau Field to welcome the team home!

And Tuesday night people packed the stadium for the 2 1/2 hour Return to Titletown program despite the fact that it was only 8 degrees and the windchill was well below zero!

We watched all of these events from the warmth of our lovely home!

I'm telling you these people here are crazy about their Packers and I think there are many reasons including the following:

-Green Bay is the smallest NFL town

-The team is owned by the city (yes you read that correctly)

-And the legend of the great Vince Lombardi lives on

And I must say admit we have only been here 6 months but I can see there is something special about this town and this team!

And of course I am (and have always been) a HUGE Lombardi fan!

I am SO glad that the Packers were able to bring the trophy home!!

Oh and remember the house that has the goal post in their yard?

I told you about it HERE.

Well, here are two of the sayings that have been displayed this week:

Happy Days Are Here Again

The Aaron Era Has Begun

And I think these say it all!

One parting thought---

What did you think about the half-time show??

It was funny because on FB I saw lots of comments that it was the WORST ever and lots of comments that it was the BEST ever---with nothing in between!

So, what did you think?

I don't really have an opinion because we were too busy switching houses, although I do LOVE the Black Eyed Peas and Usher so I probably would have liked it??

Leave me some comments!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

So I have alot of catching up to do on our mom2mom {linky party} highlights because I have not been able to post them the past few weeks for one reason or another.

So here it is...all of the "mom" stuff that has been going on around here lately!

First, I loved both the Handprint Easter Lamb (with printable) and the Easter Egg Countdown that MJ showed us how to make.

I did not get to do either one this year but am putting them on my list for next year.

This year all we had time for was our Advent Cross that we do every year and coloring Easter Eggs for the first time (which we actually did after Easter this year because we were so pressed for time and then ended up with colds on Easter weekend).

The Advent Cross is magnetic so we stick it to our fridge and then starting on Palm Sunday, we do one little devotional a day and each day we add a piece of the cross...starting with the actual cross on Palm Sunday and then 1 flower each day until Easter Sunday when we finish with the "He Is Risen" flower.

The boys love it and it really teaches them and helps me to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday.

Go HERE to purchase one from my friend Kim, it comes with the daily devotionals as well.

As for coloring eggs, the boys enjoyed using the little kits that Gigi (my mom) sent them...you can see the final product above, complete with markers and stickers!

We lost a few to cracks but it was pretty good for our first time I thought.

They had a blast hiding and finding them!

I am also really enjoying MJ's Decorating-on-a-Budget tips!

If you missed them, click these links to catch up---

ABC Wall

PB Knock-off Ruler Growth Chart

DIY Wire Frames

I am really hoping to make some of the wire frames soon...I am always in need of some cute frames and I like the idea of inexpensive ones...I could probably find some great vintage ones at garage sales this summer.

Plus I am always looking for ideas as to what to do with the 1000+ crafts that my boys bring home from school, MDO and church!!!

Not sure I have room for it in my laundry room but I was thinking it would be a good place to hang wire frames since they have the "clothes line" look.

Go HERE for more of MJ's tutorials which are being featured around blogland!

And finally...

I finished my spring/summer wreath and I am in LOVE!!!

I copied a wreath I saw online and then used THIS TUTORIAL that MJ led me to, to make the rosettes and I am so happy with the way it turned out!

I bought a spring/summer doormat from Target (of course) to go under it.

I even made a few extra rosettes (with my leftover fabric from the wreath) and turned them into pins.

(You can turn them into so many things by the way---pins, headbands, hairclips, jewelry, the possibilities are endless and they are so easy to make)

I made some a little more tight-rolled and others looser (as you can see in the pics) which she talks about in the tutorial.

I wore the pink one for Mother's Day!! :)

Well, that is all for now...so many more cool things to tell you so Stay Tuned!!

mom2mom {linky party} highlights

I hope you are enjoying our mom2mom {linky party} as much as I am! It is making me a better mom for sure!

For those of you who are new around here, every Monday Mary Jo Smith of 517 Creations {my business partner, maker of all things Fit Band, dear friend and fellow minister's wife} posts a "tip" for moms and invites you to link-up with anything that "works for you" as a mom so we can learn from each other!

A few weeks ago we took a break to pray for Joplin after the devastating tornado hit just 4 miles from the church where Mary Jo and her husband {a youth pastor} serve.

Instead of our "normal" WINSDAY! {giveaway} that week, we collected gift cards to send to tornado victims.

With your help, I have already sent $515 worth with more on the way!

And Mary Jo created this beatiful frame filler printable for you to download and frame as a reminder of God's great love and faithfulness even in times of great sorrow and loss.

{Please continue to pray for Joplin. It is a long road to recovery and they are going to need monetary and manual labor help for awhile. The city will never be the same but I pray that God's glory be revealed.}

Last week she shared a very sweet, thoughtful gift perfect for grandparents and other out of town guests!

I love the idea of having the boys describe what is happening in each picture! So cute!

This week she shared with us a "summer-time saver" tip.

Check it out HERE if you missed it.

I actually have a summer bag of my own that I keep stocked with sunscreen, bug spray, aloe, swim diapers, pull-ups, wipes, goggles, sunglasses, bandaids, etc. And like Mary Jo, I keep it by the door, fill it with any essentials for the day's outing, grab it and go!

It definitely saves alot of time and hassle since we are pretty much on the go and outdoors {alot of times in the water} during these summer days!

Isn't it cute?

I bought a straw tote from Target {love} and added a few rosettes to it that were leftover from my spring/summer wreath!

I LOVE IT!!

And I LOVE summer! :)

mom2mom {linky party}: Travel Tricks

As today's mom2mom {linky party} is posting, we are driving across Kansas and Colorado! We are taking a family ski trip with 54 people from our church! It's going to be a great week!

It only seemed appropriate for my post today to be about traveling with kiddos. One of my "best kept secrets" for traveling with kids is to bring along coffee filters. They are perfect little "bowls" for snacks while you're driving...and they're disposable! You can pick up a pack of 200 and be set for many, many road trips!


Do you have any great tips for traveling with kids? Link up or leave us a comment!

mom2mom {linky party}: Spring Cleaning tips

Spring is well underway....at least according to the calendar! We've had some crazy weather lately as has most of the country! My goal is to have my "spring cleaning" done before the weather finally decides to warm up. After that I'll want to spend my time outside, not stuck inside cleaning!

I have come across some great Spring Cleaning tips that I thought I'd share for this week's mom2mom {link party}.

1. Do a little inventory of your cleaning supplies. You don't want to be in the middle of cleaning the bathrooms and find out you're out of Clorox Wipes - or another one of your necessary supplies!
2. Compile all of your needed supplies into a cleaning bucket/tub. I have a cleaning caddy from Target that is just big enough to hold all of my usual cleaning supplies. You might need something a little bigger for spring cleaning, but keep everything in one place!
3. Create a check-list of the items that need to be accomplished during your spring cleaning. I found a great "cleaning month" printable from a great blog, CLEAN MAMA, that would be perfect to work from!
4. Involve your kiddos! Yours may be young, but you'd be surprised at what they can do! Grayson (who is 3) loves to use our Bona wood floor mop. He sprays the cleaner and mops it up. Granted, I may have to go behind him and do a little spot cleaning, but he's helping and learning how to help Mommy clean! If your kiddos aren't quite big enough to help, utilize nap time to the fullest!
5. Have bins (or bags) ready for your 'trash", "donate", or "give away" piles. Another blog that I read, Clover Lane , has been getting rid of 40 bags of "...things you don't love, don't use, junk, accumulated stuff, clutter, garbage." I LOVE this idea and have been diligently going through each room and closet in our house! I'm not sure if I'll make it to 40 bags, but I have quite a bit to show for my effort.

Have you started your Spring Cleaning for this year? Do you have any Spring Cleaning tips of your own? Link up or leave us a comment!

mom2mom {linky party}: thank you gift for grandparents

School's out for summer here in Missouri and that means vacations! Today's mom2mom post is about a thank you gift for grandparents (or any out of town guests) that come to visit you this summer.

My parents came to spend a weekend with us last month. Grayson was so excited for his grandparents to watch him play soccer and to see our house. I took pictures the whole time my parents were here: pictures of them at the soccer game, at the animal park we went to visit, and other happenings throughout our weekend.

A day or two after they left, I chose 20 pictures of the weekend and had them printed at Sam's and picked up a small photo album at Target.


I put all of the photos in the left-side of the album and left each right-side "page" blank.

After filling the album, I sat down with Grayson and had him describe what was "happening" in each picture. I wrote exactly what he said on a Post-It note and stuck in on the right-hand "page."


I then went through and typed up all of Grayson's quotes in 4x6 text boxes, making sure to type them exactly how he said them. I thought it added a little more charm to the album.


I printed those quotes, cut them out, and filled the right-hand "pages" of the album. Now it reads as a story of what Grayson thought happened over the weekend trip. We mailed it to my parents about a week after they left, so they had a little gift to say "thank you" for making the trip out to Missouri!


I plan to do the same thing for Scott's parents when we visit them in the next 2 weeks.

Do you have any great ideas for thanking grandparents or other out-of-town guests?

mom2mom {linky party}: crock pot cooking!

I have a confession to make...I LOVE my Crock Pot! I love, love, love to cook (and bake!), but during this crazy heat wave we're having, I love to cook in my Crock Pot. I feel like using my oven to bake or stove to cook just heats up the whole house. I'm probably making that up, but when it's 106 degrees outside, who wants to add any extra heat to the house??

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Crock Pot recipes today during our mom2mom linky party.  These recipes are easy and my family loves them.

                                                                              Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

You can never go wrong with a Pioneer Woman recipe!  Her stuff is DELICIOUS!!  If you haven't checked out her recipes, do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes over on her website.

This Drip Beef Sandwich recipe is one of my favorites.  We eat it about once a week in the fall/winter and it's one of my "go to" meals to bring to someone.  Delicious!!

                                                            Source: smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

I first made this shredded BBQ chicken recipe for 20 people while on a ski trip....everyone in the group loved it!  Serve it on some hamburger rolls with some roasted potatoes or chips and you'll have a meal that will make anyone happy.

 

                                                                                 Source: family.go.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

We LOVE Mexican food in our house.  There are a lot of variations on shredded chicken for tacos, but this is a good one!

Do you have any great "beat the heat" recipes?

Sidenote: We have 790 fans on the Worthy of the Prize FB page! At 1000 fans, there will be a Big giveaway including {but not limited to} Baby Be Blessed, Cap Creations and Pitter Patter Art. Plus, there will be a prize for the 1000th fan and the person who shared us with them! Please "like" our page to help our ministry grow!

And while you are at it, please "like" this facebook page to send $1 to Texas Wildfire Relief. They are going to send $1 for every new "like." What an easy way to help a worthy cause! You can read more about this here. Spread the word!! Thanks!