My own kids have been helping to do their own laundry since they were 3 and 4 years old.   I just thought I would share this cute video of  Jendi’s children doing laundry.  I think you’ll really enjoy it! (And hopefully be inspired.)

By the way, this is a great summer time “training” project…which should help relieve stress during the busy school year if you have older children.

*You can visit Jendi’s blog, by clicking here.

Note: By the way if you’re interested in doing your own Vlogging (video blogging), Jendi offers some great tips!  Check it out by clicking here.

“Because Mom Makes them Better” was my youngest son’s quote this morning immediately after my middle son said that it was better than Braums.   I don’t know if I could exactly compete with Braums, but the price sure is better. (BIG GRIN)

You may be surprised that I served this for breakfast.  For a quick breakfast, I used to feed them some bananas with peanut butter smoothed over the top with a small glass of milk. Suddenly, I thought, why not make breakfast super special by serving it all mixed in a smoothie! (Great idea, mom!)

Here’s the pic, to entice you a bit…

Note: I found these three glasses at the thrift store for 49 cents each.  I swiped them up to make our smoothies a little more special.   We were praising God for a special find…because the fact is there were just three of them….which made me think immediately of my 3 sons.

Here’s the original recipe:

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup P.B.

• 1 ripe banana

• 2 tsp. maple syrup

• 4 ice cubes

Use blender to mix till smooth & creamy.

To make enough for my boys:

I toss in 3 bananas, 3 tsp.maple syrup, 2 or 3 cups milk, 3 large hunks of P.B. with my spatula, and 8 -10 ice cubes.

Tip: About 15 – 30 minutes before making our smoothies, I toss the bananas in the freezer to get them really cold.  You can also use frozen bananas that are getting a little soft and store them up just for banana smoothies.  Just slice into frozen chunks and toss into the blender.

Yes, the peanut butter can be a little fattening, but oh, it adds such a nice thick, rich texture like a Braums treat. Big $avings!

About my day:

My 3 boys have made me feel very special today with all the hugs and “Mom, I love you” expressions.  I received a couple of flowers, a card, a nice & cold frappuccino and didn’t have to cook breakfast (my hubby bought the boys donuts for this morning.)  I also received a little gift package from my secret sister and she did a terrific job of choosing all the favorite things that I like.

For lunch I requested my traditional Mother’s Day meal:  A Braum’s hamburger and a butter pecan malt.   I told my boys the story behind the “butter pecan malts”… After I gave birth to each of my babies, my hubby would bring me a butter pecan malt to the hospital.  It was my first requested “meal” if you can call that a meal? (Whatever the answer is to that, I’m still smiling content here.)

I want to personally wish every mom reader here a “Happy Mother’s Day.”   I hope this day you feel as special as you are!

As I young child, I remember being taught the value of keeping one’s promises.  “A man’s only as good as his word,” was the saying I often heard…

Don’t you love the fact, that God keeps ALL of His promises!?!  Still yet we see the rainbow which reminds us of the promise He made after Noah’s flood.

God’s Word assures us…

Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

A little personal story…

Just for fun, I wanted to share little personal story from my childhood days.

When I was in second and third grade, I often slept with my Raggedy Ann. During thunder storms, I hugged her tightly. Having no brothers or sisters, it was so comforting to be able to talk to her at night.

After having a man come to our home to demonstrate the value and importance of new smoke detectors in case of fires…and being shown terrifying slides of the devastation that fires can do to one’s home…I began to make solemn promises to my Raggedy Ann that if ever a fire were to take place in our home… I would NOT leave her behind…I would escape with HER tightly in my arms.

Today, I still have her…and she resides in my kitchen. I still smile when I see her and am reminded of those nights that I talked with her as a little girl. I imagine she holds some secrets that never another ear has heard…except my Heavenly Father above.

For “Thrifty Thursday” I thought I would offer you some ideas to create some quick and easy breakfast meals.

With cereal costing  mega bucks per pound, I think it’s time we ban the cereal isle and make our own breakfast! (And please feel free to share some of your own ideas with the readers here.)

Breakfast is a very important meal.  Studies have shown that children who eat a balanced breakfast are more alert in school, perform better and in many cases are less prone to bad behavior than children who skip breakfast.

Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas for kids:

Eggs – Eggs are versatile and nutritious, plus most kids like them. Scrambled eggs are quick to make;  you can add a little chopped turkey ham, cheese, chopped tomatoes or mushrooms.  Simple boiled eggs with slices of toast will make an excellent breakfast too.

Bake Ahead Muffins – Muffins aren’t always the most nutritious meal, but if you bake your own muffins you can use mashed banana, chopped walnuts and a little honey for a naturally sweet breakfast muffin.

*You can also replace half of the amount of white flour for healthier whole wheat flour.  And you don’t have to stick to just sweet muffins; try a savory turkey bacon and chive muffin or cheese and turkey ham muffin. Bake them the night before for a quick and healthy breakfast.

Fruit – Try a fresh fruit salad with a yogurt and cheerio dip. Using a rolling pin, mash a handful or two of whole grain Cheerios in a plastic bag and transfer to a bowl. Fill another bowl with yogurt and let your kids dip the fruit pieces in yogurt then in the cheerio mixture. Whole grain Cheerios have a lower sugar content then many of the cereals on the supermarket shelves.

Pancakes – Prepare a basic pancake batter the night before, cover and refrigerate in the morning. In the morning all you need to do is heat the grill and your entire family can enjoy delicious homemade pancakes. Serve with a little maple syrup or jam and some fresh fruit on the side.  *Peanut butter can also be spread on pancakes for a different flavor.

Pizza for Breakfast – Split a couple of bagels in half, top with a little pizza sauce, grated cheese and some chopped turkey ham. Place under the grill for a few minutes and you have a nutritious breakfast pizza. You can also use English muffins or pita bread.

Breakfast Burrito – Wraps are a great alternative to toast and cereal. You can make a scrambled egg breakfast wrap with a little bit of  turkey ham or cheese added to it or you can add a little cream cheese and turkey or even make a breakfast pizza burrito.

Oatmeal -  You can use your crock pot to make delicious oatmeal that will be ready in the morning.  I also found a nifty recipe earlier this week for “Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal” that I intend to try really soon.  (It looks yummy!)

Remember breakfast doesn’t always have to consist of the traditional toast, cereal and eggs.  You can experiment a little to keep things interesting.

As a final note, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to always make the perfect family breakfast. If your kids really aren’t hungry at breakfast time a simple banana (or peanut butter spread on a banana) and a glass of orange juice will give them an instant boost.

Do you remember how it felt when your close friend shared a secret with you?  Didn’t it make you feel kind of special?  Even privileged and honored that your friend trusted you with her valuable secret?

On a deeper level, I believe it created a closer bond between the two of you…after all, you both shared some secret information that none of the rest the world around you knew.

I love to share secrets with my boys.  I like making them feel like they’re really special to me when I share something that nobody else knows.  For instance, last night I shared a simple secret with my 12-year-old son.  I whispered quietly to him that I have a pumpkin pie hidden in the back of the fridge for Wednesday night after church.  I could tell that he was thrilled.  He promised that he wouldn’t tell anyone…and I know that I can trust him.

Of course, I do this with all of my boys from time to time.  I share silly secrets that really don’t mean anything…but they still seem to make my boys feel special.  On the other hand, I’ve also had a serious discussion with them about when one should keep information to themselves and occasions when one should tell information that they know.

Sharing fun, silly secrets with your children can be so enjoyable.  You’ll even find yourself feeling like a little kid again, too…sharing little giggles, whispers, winks, and those little mischievous grins.

Here’s a couple of graphics you can use for facebook (right click to save to your computer)

Valentine’s Day Free Printables:

*Printable Valentine’s Day Cards

*More Free Printable Valentines

*Valentines Printables (stationery, invitations, bookmarks, grocery lists and more.)

* Valentine’s Especially for kids

It’s no secret that kids love to snack.  While kids are young they use a lot of energy that requires constant refueling of their hungry tummies, but as you know, buying pre-made snacks can be quite costly.   It only requires a little planning to keep snacks fun, exciting and affordable.

Here’s a few healthy and fun snack ideas for kids:

Fruit on a Stick – Cut up a bunch of different fruits such as apples, bananas, kiwis, mango and add a few grapes. Thread them onto a skewer for a delicious summer time treat. To make it a little more special add a few pieces of marshmallows between the fruit.

Pickle on a Stick – If your kids love pickles, put a big sweet or dill pickle on a stick.  They’ll think it’s extra special.

Quick Banana Ice – Take a few bananas and mash them in a bowl. Cover and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Remove from freezer, fluff up with fork for a healthy, ice cream like treat.

Pitta Pizza – Spread a little tomato sauce on a pitta bread and cut into small triangular pieces. Top with a little grated cheese and place in a moderately heated oven for about 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.

Sweet Tortilla Shapes – Using small fun shaped cookie cutters cut fun shapes out of a tortilla (wrap). Place on non stick cookie sheet and lightly brush with a little butter. Lightly sprinkle (you only need a little) with a mixture of 1 part cinnamon and 3 parts brown sugar and bake in a moderately hot oven for 10 minutes for a sweet and crispy treat.

Frozen Mandarin Wedges – Peel a few mandarin slices and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for about an hour for a thirst quenching treat.

Banana Wheels – Place a cup or so of cheerios in a plastic bag and using the back of your hand or a rolling pin flatten until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Slice a banana into rounds and place a few at a time in the plastic bag. Shake lightly to cover the banana pieces (banana wheels) with the cheerios mixture.

Mini Wraps – Lightly spread a tortilla with a little cream cheese and place one or two slices of thin ham or turkey over the cream cheese. Roll tightly and cut into small rounds.

Jiggly Fruit – Make a portion of strawberry flavored jello per package instructions and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Open and drain a can of fruit cocktail and add to the jello and mix. Place back in the fridge until jello is fully set.

Ants on Boats – Cut a few apple wedges and spread thinly with peanut butter. Add a few raisins over the peanut butter and enjoy. You can also use cream cheese instead of peanut butter.

Pick and Mix – Kids seem to really enjoy the variety of finger foods rather than eating a lot of one thing. A great snack is to place a selection of finger foods on a serving plate and let the kids choose. You can serve a combination of foods like carrot sticks, cucumber rounds, cherry tomatoes, pretzels or pretzel sticks, small savory crackers, bread sticks, little cubes or slices of cheese, small slices of ham or turkey, grapes and other pieces of cut up fruit, mini muffins, and dried fruit such as raisins or apricots.

*Please share some of your own fun snack ideas for kids by commenting below.