Have you ever had your children help you make jam? It’s an annual spring tradition over here! AND my kids appreciate the jam so much more since they helped make it.

I know many people are intimidated by jam making, but I’m here to tell you that freezer jam is so simple! If you’ve never done it, here’s the gist of it:

1. Mash up the fruit (we like strawberry)

2. Add the sugar

3. Add the pectin (the stuff you buy at the store)

4. Mix all together

6. Put in jars

See?! Simple! All the directions with amounts are included in the pectin so it’s even more simple. AND it usually takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. That’s my kind of project!

Here are the directions for strawberry jam in more detail, using the directions on my pectin, with hints by yours truly:

Supplies/Ingredients:

Canning jars with lids and rings (Each of my batches fills about 5 1/2 small jars)

2 pints strawberries (I wait until they go on sale for a buck in the spring. Doesn’t matter if they’re a little over-ripe.)

4 cups sugar

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 pkg pectin (Whenever I share this jam with people, they say, “Wow! This is the best jam I’ve ever had. What did you do different?” You think I’m kidding. I’m not. The secret?! This stuff: Certo Liquid Pectin. It’s no fail. It always sets up and is so easy to add. You can find this by the canning jars at the store. There are 2 packages in the box; you only need one per batch. I don’t know why, but it really does make all the difference.)

Directions:

1. The trick with jam is EXACT measurements. If you add less or more of something, it will not set, and you’ll end up with a nice syrup instead. So measure carefully!

2. Cut open your pectin and let it sit while you mash and mix.

3. Mash the strawberries. A potato masher works really well for this. If you don’t have one, just put it in your blender and put it on pulse. You don’t want a syrup; jam is supposed to have chunks of fruit in it. Mash until you have 2 cups.

4. Add 4 cups of sugar. Mix. This is a great task for your kids! Be sure they mix slowly.

5. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. I usually get my jars ready while I’m waiting. I rinse them to rid them of any dust and dry them well. Another task the kids can do.

7. Pour the pectin into a cup or small bowl. Add 2 Tbs lemon juice and mix.

8. Add the mixed pectin and lemon juice to the sugary strawberry mix. Oh, yum! Stir for about 3 minutes (until the sugar is dissolved). Kids can help with this, as well.

9. Pour into jars. Leave a little space at the top for expansion during freezing. Put lids and rings on.

10. Let sit on the counter overnight and spend the day admiring your work!

11. The next day, put some in the fridge to enjoy now and some in the freezer to enjoy during the winter.

Oh, look how pretty the jars look sitting on your counter!

Park City currently has a Lego exhibit called The Art of Brick. If you have a Lego fanatic in your house, you won’t want to miss this! This man makes life-size creations out of Legos. (I’m talking, some of them are taller than me!)  They are really, really cool! My son was in heaven.  He kept walking around and around the museum, saying, “Mom, I’m getting all sorts of ideas.” What more could I ask for from an art exhibit?

My son’s favorite. Flat Legos were used for this one.

For more details on the exhibit in Park City, go here. Did I mention it’s FREE?! Oh, and hurry. Because the exhibit is only is until April 21st (that’s this coming Sunday)!!

My daughter’s favorite. Notice the cat is as big as she is!

For background info, professional pictures, and the likes, visit the official website.

For those not in Utah, check here to see if he’s coming near you!

One of our good friends had a near-assault this weekend in the boy’s bathroom. The kid is 8. The man tried, but the boy knew what to do and was able to get away. Their family had spent a lot of time talking about this exact situation, and I couldn’t be more proud of our friend! But, it’s been weighing on my mind all weekend.

What do you do to protect your boys in the bathroom when Dad is not around to go in? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.

For our family… I always stand outside the door. If I can, I’ll stand there with my foot in the door and talk with my son the whole time. And I always tell him to scream if anyone  gets near him in a weird way. I have no problem barging in, if that happens!

So, what do you do?

My son turned 8 this past fall. His birthday request was for a Pirates of the Caribbean party with his friends. He’s never seen the movies so I’m not sure what brought it on, but okay! For his 5th birthday, we did a pirate party so I used some of those same ideas and just adapted them to fit the new theme and age. Easy!

Invitations: I honestly can’t remember what we did and have no pictures. I think we bought the invites at the party store and asked everyone to come dressed as a pirate (optional, of course).

Costume: My son wanted to look like Jack Sparrow, of course. I couldn’t rationalize spending tons of money on a fancy, pre-made costume so we headed to our local thrift store and put together our own costume. We used this picture as the inspiration:

Printed it off and took it with us. My son doubted some of my choices, like the yellow button-up “church” shirt, but when he saw it all together, he couldn’t have been happier. Oh, the joy in the dressing room, as each piece made it closer and closer to his vision! I have to admit, I was pretty pleased myself. Here’s how ours came out:

Pretty good, huh?! And all thrift-store finds. (click on picture to see the details closer) We spent less than $10.oo on the whole outfit.

I’ll list how we put it together to get your creative juices flowing. As mentioned, we started off with a long-sleeve light yellow button-up shirt. It was a little big so we rolled the sleeves up. So pirate-ish, right?! We left it un-tucked and only buttoned the lower buttons (just to keep it on, mainly). Over that, we placed another button-up. It’s a black shirt with no collar (I actually think it’s a lady’s). There were different alternatives, like just a plain, black button-up that I could have cut off sleeves or the collar or a black vest itself, but this was his pick so we went with it. I think I may have cut off the sleeves on this one; I can’t remember. I think Jack Sparrow’s is a dark blue, but the black was easier to find and worked well. It was okay that it was big, too, because the belts cinched it all in. After that, we went belt hunting. Same as before, didn’t matter if they fit really because we could just tie them on, which fits pirates so well. We got three in varying thicknesses. We even found one with skulls (over his shoulder). Score! We bought an old pair of black sweat pants, and he cut them to look worn and pirate-ish. He didn’t like Jack Sparrow’s. We then headed over to the fabric store, and he picked out some plain brown fabric. I cut it into strips that he could tie around his waist and head. Once again, he didn’t like the “fancy” ones Jack Sparrow had; my boy likes plain. We used two on his waist, and then just the one on his head. He didn’t wear shoes since the party was at our house. He had his own sword and gun, and he raided my jewelry box for big rings. His only complaint was that he didn’t have the dreadlocks. Ah, well! What are ya gonna do?!

Starter Activity: I always, always have a starter activity to keep the kids entertained until everyone arrives. I highly recommend it. We did a Transformation Station, where the boys could dress themselves to look like pirates. It was cute to see them all helping each other and giving advice. I provided strips of cloth for head or waist ties, eye patches (I made them using black craft foam and yarn. I cut them into a eye patch shape and threaded yarn through each one.), black eye liner for adding scars, and some extra thrift store clothing we picked up.

Games/Activities:

Treasure Map Craft: Every pirate needs their own treasure map, right?! I went to my local copy store and got some brown resume paper. I burned the edges before the party. I provided crayons in sand buckets and let them design their own map. When they were done, they crinkled their map to make it look more authentic. This was quick, but the boys really enjoyed it! They took their maps home.

Pin the “X” on the Treasure Map: This is simply a version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. I drew a treasure map, they each got an X, and then tried to place it blindfolded in the right spot on the map. I laminated it years ago so it’s totally reusable.

Sink the Enemy/Walk the Plank: For this game, you need a bunch of foam balls and a “plank” (I used a sturdy board elevated on bricks from my garden). I put the plank in the middle of my yard and an even amount of balls on each side. Split the boys into 2 teams, and put one on each “ship” (or side). I blew a whistle, and the boys threw as many cannonballs (foam balls) as they could at the other ship. They can pick up any balls that come their way. I blew the whistle again and all action stopped. The boys then counted the balls on their side and whichever ship had the most cannonballs was sunk and each boy on that team had to walk the plank. Repeat as many times as they want to play. We changed teams part-way through so every boy got a chance to be with the birthday boy. The boys also loved it when I pretended to be a shark trying to eat their feet as they walked the plank.

Throwing cannoballs at the other ship

walking the plank

Davy Jones’ Locker: This is just a version of Sharks and Minnows. One adult is Davy Jones. (Wouldn’t it be cool if he was in costume?!) He stands in the middle of the “ocean” with all pirates on one side of the lawn. He yells, “Abandon Ship!” All pirates have to run to the other side. Anyone tagged by Davy Jones is sent to Davy Jones Locker (the side lines) and is locked up (out). Repeat. My husband wanted to do this one, and the boys stayed locked up until he had caught everyone. Then we restarted. This was, by far, the favorite activity of the day!

“Abandoning Ship” (running away from Davy Jones)

Treasure Hunt with Pirate Loot: You can’t have a pirate party without a treasure hunt! I chose to do clues (and made them all rhyme ’cause I’m cheesy like that) that sent them from one clue to another until they finally found the treasure. I wrote them on parchment paper and burned the edges to make them look old. I hid a big box, but it would also be fun to hide the individual small boxes for the kids. I gave each boy a brown paper bag with their name on it to store their loot in. I glued on a picture of a skull and crossbones. When we did the party before, I found these small treasure boxes at my party store that we used for storing loot instead:

reading a clue

the loot

We didn’t have time for the two games listed below, but I had them planned, just in case we had extra time. I think they’re fun, too!

Dig for Treasure: Hide gold coins in your sandbox for your little pirates to dig up.

Capture the Pirate Flag: Split into 2 teams and use a pirate flag/bandana for the flags. Play normal Capture the Flag.

Cake and Drink: I’m all for simplicity so I did cupcakes this year. We chose chocolate with chocolate frosting. I baked some “gold” into each one by placing a Reese’s peanut butter cup in the batter before baking. When the boys ate the middle, they found gold! We topped each cupcake with a Jack Sparrow cake topper. (I made these by printing off a picture of Jack Sparrow from the internet onto card stock. After cutting them out, I taped a toothpick to each one.)

I also made a “Bloody Drink:” Fill ice cube trays with red-colored drink (e.g. raspberry lemonade or red kool-aid). Freeze. Pour lemon lime soda into clear glasses, and add the red ice cubes. As the ice cubes dissolve, red swirls drip down, making the drink look bloody! (I couldn’t get a good picture of the swirling red.) The boys loved these!

We finished the day with presents and letting the boys play “pirates” while waiting for their moms to come pick them up.

Take Home Favors: The boys took home their pirate loot from the treasure hunt, any clothes they used from the transformation station, and their personal pirate maps.

Thank yous: I’m a firm believer of thank yous! (Don’t get me started…) I always take a picture of my son with each friend and the gift they brought. I then print off the pictures, we attach them to pirate scrapbooking paper, and he writes a personal note on the back. I love using the pictures because it’s easy for us to remember what was given.

This party lasted 1 1/2 hours, which I have found is perfect for me. I could have made it last two by incorporating the other games.

For more pirate party ideas, go here (this is a link to our previous party, catered to 5-year-olds). Some of the ideas are similar, some are different. And you’ll see the incredible cake I attempted to make!

This year, instead of butterflies, I ordered an Ant Farm for my kids. I thought it’d be fun for my kids to see what goes on underground. It has been so interesting to see how busy those ants are. They seem to never stop working. They are truly a colony, in every sense of the word; every ant seems to have a specific job, from tunneling, to scouting, to retrieving food, to even burying their own dead. They even take time every day to bathe themselves. So interesting! And the tunnels?! Just plain cool.

Want some for yourself? Go here.

PS  My kids are still begging for butterflies. Stay tuned. I’m sure we’ll have those before the month is over. (Oh, what a spring tradition I have started!)

There are many versions of this on the internet, and I know I’ve shared this before. But, it is my #1 hit this month, and I’ve received numerous emails and comments about how simple this version is compared to others out there so I thought I’d share it again. My kids look forward to this every year! We open the eggs while eating our Jerusalem-style dinner (idea shared at bottom of post). It keeps the kids fairly entertained while we tell the real Easter story.

Preparation:

(1)  Number 12 plastic Easter eggs (with a marker or stickers)

(2)  Put the following items in their respective eggs:

1.  a leaf–real or plastic (if it vaguely resembles a palm branch, all the better)

2.  a piece of cloth with a little perfume on it

3.  a piece of tortilla, pita or bread, or white clay shaped to look like flat bread

4.  a picture of Jesus with children or of a temple or a picture of your family

5.  three dimes

6.  a piece of purple cloth or paper

7.  a cross made out of wood, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, or paper

8.  a nail

9.  a piece of paper that says THE KING OF THE JEWS

10.  a little bundle (wrapped in fabric, a baggie, plastic wrap, etc) of spices–cloves would be nice

11.  a stone–rounded would be best

12.  leave empty

(3)  If you have a Gospel Art Picture Kit, get these pictures: 223, 225, 227, 228, 230, 232

Lesson and Activity:

You can hide the Easter eggs and have your children go on a hunt for them, and then have them take turns opening them in the right order.  Here are some explanations and corresponding scriptures for the items in each egg.  The explanations are four-year-old appropriate, scale up or down as necessary.

1:  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people waved branches because that is what people used to do when a King walked by (Mark 11:8-9).

2:  Later, Jesus had a special dinner with his friends.  A woman came and poured perfume on his head.  This showed that she knew He was the Christ and would die soon (Mark 14:3).

3:  The next day, Jesus had another special meal with his friends.  We call this The Last Supper.  This is when the sacrament began because Jesus said that people who followed Him should have bread and wine or water to help them remember Him (Mark 14:22).

4:  Jesus went to a garden to pray.  Here, He suffered for our sins.  Because He did this for us, we can repent and live in heaven again (D&C 19:16-19).

5:  Judas was supposed to be one of Jesus’ special friends, but instead he helped other men arrest Jesus.  He did this because those men paid him money (Mark 14:10-11).

6:  After Jesus was arrested, the soldiers were really mean to Him and made fun of Him.  One thing they did was put a purple robe on Him.  Only Kings wore purple robes.  What they didn’t realize was that He really was a King (Mark 15:16-18).

7:  Jesus was crucified (Mark 15:25).

8:  When the soldiers put Jesus on the cross, they pounded nails in His hands and feet (D&C 6:37).

9:  Another thing the soldiers did to make fun of Jesus was to put a sign on the cross that said THE KING OF JEWS—thinking they were making fun of Him, when in fact, He was the King of Jews (Mark 15:26).

10:  After Jesus died, His friends put His body in a tomb.  Later, some of the women who followed Him came to the tomb to put spices on His body.  This is something they did back then when someone died (Mark 16:1).

11:  The tomb had a rock that rolled over the opening to seal it.  While the women were walking to the tomb, they wondered how they would get the stone out of the way (Mark 16:3-4).

12:  When they got to the tomb, they were amazed to find that the stone had been rolled out of the way!  Jesus’ body was gone (Mark 16:6)!  Then an angel came and told them, “He is risen; He is not here” (Mark 16:66).  This egg is empty because Jesus’ tomb was empty.  Jesus’ tomb was empty because He was resurrected!

*Be sure to bear your own personal testimony to end the lesson.

Special Easter Dinner:

It is kind of fun to have a simple dinner, like they would have had back then, before having your lesson.  An example would be serving flat bread, sliced cheeses, fresh fruit (grapes, apples, olives), grape juice, and maybe some cold meat slices (summer sausage).  You could even dress in simple robes and sit on a blanket on the floor.  Children always enjoy this!

Part of our Easter dinner. We also had pita bread and grape juice. This was so much fun!

I was asked to do the treat for my son’s “spring” party. The room mom requested something different than cookies or cupcakes. And I was told the kids would be at my station for 15 minutes. Well, eating a snack does not take 15 minutes, and I didn’t want to have a lot of idle time on my hands so I came up with this cute treat idea. A “craft” and treat all in one!

1. Make your basic “dirt cup.” We used chocolate ice cream for the base. Pudding also works, but ice cream was easier in this situation. Then, add a couple of scoops of crushed oreos. The room mom used her food processor to crush them, and got it really fine without the frosting getting all over. I have also used chocolate teddy grahams for less mess. Dirt cups must have a gummy worm! We also added some gummy bunnies.

2. Provide a whole array of marshmallows. We got small and large, and also provided white and colored. Using toothpicks and marshmallows, construct a bunny. This is so open-ended, and the kids did a great job! They used scissors to cut the marshmallows, if they wanted. We also provided food markers so they could make a face on their bunny. And all bunnies need a carrot, so we bought those candy orange slices and cut them into triangles to resemble carrots. (You can see mine at the bottom right. Some of the kids had their bunny holding it. So cute!)

So much fun! Wouldn’t your little bunnies love this as an Easter treat?!

We had a fun surprise last night, and I had to share. Our doorbell rang, and when we went to answer it, there was simply a sign on our door that said, “We EGGED your house. Look for 12 eggs in your yard. Love, The Easter Bunnies” An anonymous neighbor left 12 plastic eggs hidden in our yard filled with fun surprises. When my kids read the note, they ran out the door, so excited to go on this simple egg hunt and see what was inside each egg. I had a smile on my face all evening to think that someone thought of us! What a great tradition!

And thank you to whoever “egged” us last night! It was such a fun surprise!

 

PS  I also think it’d be fun to do like the “Boo,” where when you are egged, you get to pass it along to someone else, and then they pass it along. They could even use the same eggs! You could put a sign on your window/door that says, “We’ve been egged” and then maybe everyone in the neighborhood would have a chance. Good neighborhood fun. Just a thought. This was so fun! I’m so glad someone did it to us!

A repeat from the past, but I wanted some new content up. I’ve been really sick this weekend and haven’t had a chance to get some new posts up. Thanx for your patience and understanding!

Another messy, but fun project!! (sorry my pictures are so dark–not sure why!)

Supplies:

shaving cream

food coloring

cookie sheet (optional)

paper

paintbrush or craft stick (optional)

something flat (like a ruler or craft stick)

Procedure:

1.  Put a pile of shaving cream on the table or easel (or for less mess, do it in a cookie sheet).  (*not safe on wood tables*)

2.  Let your children choose some colors of food coloring (I let them choose one or two, or the colors have a tendency to turn brown). If they choose more than one, be sure to discuss what happens when they mix the colors!

3.  Have your children play in the shaving cream. I like to let them use their hands, but because of the food coloring, their hands may be colored for the rest of the day. If you don’t want this, have them use a craft stick or paintbrush to mix. (or my friend, Gina, suggested using latex gloves)

4.  When they are satisfied with the color (nice swirly colors), have them take a piece of paper and press it flat on top.

5.  With your help, gently peel it off and let your children continue to play in the shaving cream.

6.  Using your flat tool, scrape off any excess shaving cream. Allow to dry.

7.  When dry, trace some egg shapes on it and cut them out (I like to have the children cut them out).

*I love using shaving cream as a learning resource!! Have your children practice writing letters, numbers, and their names! They love it because it’s fun, you love it because they’re learning, and it’s kinesthetic, which helps children retain info better! You can’t go wrong!

Oh. My. There are no words. I heard about the Waffle Truck, but I had no idea it was so deelish!

So, the Waffle Truck is a truck that serves gourmet, liege waffles right out of its truck! It travels around Utah County and changes locations every day. You have to like their page on Facebook to see where they’re going to be that day. Really fun! (And isn’t it beautiful?! The wife of the owner painted it.)

A week or so ago, I was doing a “Boy’s Night” with my boys. The Waffle Truck was in a location near our home so we decided to try it out. After my son’s soccer game, we loaded up with some friends from the team and went. We told the kids it was a mystery we had to solve and drove to the location. We didn’t know exactly where it was going to be so it was fun to have them looking for the truck. There were screams all around when we saw it!

There were about 10 people in line. The line moved very quickly; they definitely have a good system. You order a waffle (it was $3.50). These are gourmet, dessert waffles so big and thick. You then pick your toppings. They have fruit, cream, Nutella, etc. These are a buck to $2.00 a piece. My family ordered the special for the night, which was stuffed chocolate with cream on top ($5.00).

Our verdict:  First off, it was beautiful. The cream looked like a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. But it doesn’t taste like ice cream. My son dove right in and spit it out. It’s European cream, which tastes like butter. My friend, who lived in Germany for 2 years, said to just spread it on top. We did and pushed the rest to the side. By doing that, the cream added to the yumminess, but didn’t overtake the rest of the flavors. Perfect. We gobbled it down. The waffles were very, very rich. My boys and I shared one, and it was plenty. We brought our own water. So glad we did! I also tried my friend’s; she ordered Nutella, strawberries, and cream (pictured above). I don’t know which I liked better. We loved it and will definitely be going back!

Want to try the Waffle Truck for yourself? Go here. I promise. You will not be disappointed!!