wall journal

This requires the right place in your house or garage, but it would be neat to see. Each year on a wall in your home (I would choose the storage room in our basement) right down a few things from 2010 each year add to the wall for a wall of memories. You could also use the wall to measure your children each year. We also pick a word for our family each year. A word we work in through-out the year. This year was joy! We constantly remind each other of the word and focus on growing in what the word represents! Enjoy!

A collage of memories

As we wrap up 2010 it is always fun to remember the year with past memories. In the next week work with the kids, husband, and any other family members to create a collage of all the highlights from 2010. You can use magazines, crayons, pictures, ticket stubs. This could be a page in the scrapbook or a piece of art you hang until next year. I would love to hear how you treasure the years past! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Hope your family finds time to create lasting memories! Can't believe that 2010 is almost over and 2011 is on it's way. Looking for ways to kick off the new year stay tuned!! Enjoy!

Adult fun

Each year we always play a game with my mom's side of the family. For years we played Bingo, everyone loves a good game of bingo. Last year my cousin put on our Christmas party and she did things a little different. We did an auction. Weeks before she asked everyone to bring a few things to her house new or used. She bundled them together making them themes like:
brrr it is cold out here -this might consist of hot chocolate and a used sweater
hope your feeling lucky-maybe a lottery ticket
Each player gets monopoly money and we go at it! It was a hit. you can check out more variations here

Last year at Dan's family Christmas we divided into teams and dressed up one player like a Christmas tree. Check it out here

Another fun one is minute to win it. Check out ideas here.
Bunco-you can buy this at many stores

Christmas brunch

Each year our family does a little something special for breakfast on Christmas morning. Monkey bread (great recipe here) is a must, but we may have other things like Christmas oatmeal (oatmeal with a little red and green sprinkles), or Christmas pancakes (pancakes with red or green food coloring). Somehow we try and make Christmas morning a little more then cereal and milk! Any other fun breakfast ideas~
Enjoy!

letter

I love special notes that I write to my kid's and Christmas is such a special time to do jus that. I envision my kid's waking up Christmas morning to not only Christmas goodies in their stocking, but a very special letter to them. A letter that reminds them about the true reason of Christmas and all the things this past year has brought. I have yet to write my letters, but have good intentions. How about you what would you write in your letter?

homemede gifts

We love making homemade gifts and we have a line up of them this year. We are still planning our bake-off and hopes of making lots of homemade goodies for our special neighbors and friends. We also made these this year for a very special lady who helps watch my kiddos on mondays when I work and we made one for mommy. We also made one for my mom combining all the grandkid's (she only has three so we used Malachi's foot, and one hand of Korra's, and one of Makayla's).

Each year we have a special time where both sets of grandparents come over and we eat and enjoy each other. We always give them one gift from or about the kids. This year we made books (from an online source...if you watch careful you can get these pretty cheap this time of year). The books are titles, Lessons learned from these little blessings. It is full of fun things that kid's remind us. Last year we made a book about how to pray for your grandchildren (inspired by my friend, Katie). We have done ornaments in the past as well as frames. It is always a special time to celebrate what grandparents mean to us.

There are so many great ideas especially when you have kids...presents are a lot easier to come up with. I am already thinking about next year!

Ornaments

While E Each year at Christmas time I give my children a new ornament to represent the previous years. This year mMalachi will be getting a quad, because of he has mastered riding his new quad all by himself. Korrayah will be getting a sucker because of her love for sweets. They will hang their ornaments on their own tree along with the ornaments from the previous years. This is my favorite thing to shop for at Christmas. Enjoy!

Christmas chain

This is a small twist to the Christmas chain. On each day that you rip off have a small passage of scripture about Christmas and take time to read that to your children.

Birthday party celebration!

Make and decorate a birthday cake with your children. Get messy and have fun (maybe even lick the mixers). While the cake is baking read the Bible story. After the cake is finished sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and enjoy. This might be a time to share your cake with a neighbor or friend! If you live in Holland area there will be a birthday party for Jesus at Central Wesleyan Church click here for details.

Advent Calendar

This is the first year we are going to be doing an advent calendar and I can hardly wait! My mom picked this one up for us as a house warming gift...and it is the best gift... I am so excited!

So starting tomorrow we will be opening door #1 and doing what tje small tag inside says. Our month is planned with many fun activities such as: cookie baking, fort making, present wrapping, Bible story telling, and much more to get our hearts ready for Christmas day! I am wondering what fills up your advent calendar? If you don't have one check our here on all the neat ways to make one.

Christmas

Wow! Thanksgiving is just over and already time to start thinking about Christmas. This is a super busy time. We can easily get wrapped up in parties, presents, and food. The reason for this special season is Jesus. Don’t get wrapped up in too many traditions this year with-out remembering the real tradition. The tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Over the next month I will try to help you in carrying out some simple fun family traditions!


If you have one or two that you would like to share I would love to hear about them....e-mail me at amandakapenga@yahoo.com
thanks
Enjoy!

table cloth thanks

Sorry this is posted a little late and you may not be able to get a table cloth in time, but I love this one. Place a table cloth on the table and allow all the guest to sign in and write or draw on the cloth as well as date it. Each year bring it back out for another fun year... I am looking forward to possibly starting this one .. now to find the right table cloth. Enjoy!

Being Thankful

This is such a great time to teach your child about being thankful. Start a thathnkful journal with your child and have you child tell you each night what they are thankful for. This is also a great time to express gratitude toward someone. Bake some cookies and write a thankful note and hand deliver them.

thankful list

Each november we take time as a family to compile a list of things we are thankful for. I type out the list and we post it in the house. This list reminds us of our blessings all year long. I also make an extra copy to put in our scrapbook for our thanksgiving page.

Christmas cards

It is that time of year to start thinking of Christmas cards!!! I have done them myself in the past and this year my plan is to keep it simple and order them up online at shutterfly. I have taken several picutes ( a few pictured above and know I am trying to decide which one to use). I am thinking I will combine a christmas card and we've moved into one...not sure? What about you do you make your own, buy them, do online? So far I have loved what shutterfly has to offer. I also love making their photo books (here), and have great ideas for christmas presents ...more on that later! Here are a few of my favorities (check more out here:
If you are a blogger and interested in getting 50 free holiday cards check it out here

cresent thanks

For thanksgiving dinner roll up a special thanks in each crescent roll. You could have each guest fill out the paper as they come in or have each guest write a prayer request. You could read aloud the thanks during dinner. Enjoy!

placemats or place settings

Each year the kids and I make place settings for family and friends that sit around our thanksgiving table. We usually do turkeys with their handprints and stand them up with closepins. On the back of each place setting we write why we are thankful for that person and sign it...love, your little turkey. You could also make placemats and have everyone around the table write why they are thankful for that particular person. Here is what we got so far:

TOO LONG

It has been far too long. If you follow my personal blog you know we just moved into our new home and are trying to get situated. I have a few fun ways to create some lasting memories during the thankful month so stay tuned....and thanks for hanging in there.

fall treats

Halloween is not my favorite holiday, but I do love dressing the kids up and taking them to see family. We always try to bring something to them when we come as well. We have taken them decorated cookies, artwork, pictures, etc. One year I painted their feet (white) and put on black paper. We made ghosts with them...under the ghost was a picture of them and in white chalk it read boo...guess who? We are working on our delivery for this year...what should it be?

fall decor

During the holidays I do not go all out with decorations, but I love to put out pictures from past years. Pictures of their first halloween. I still have one of Malachi that comes out every year. I am pretty sure the picture above will become an every year favorite as well..even if we are not longer zeeland chix.

moving

With moving underway I am looking for ways to ease the anxiety of a new home and new neighborhood. Any ideas would be helpful! thanks

Goals

How about making some goals to start off the school year. Keep track in their very own school journal. On the last day of school come back to the goals and have a reward for each accomplished goal!!

school traditions 101

With a little help from a friend I was able to round up a few ideas from a great link. My favorite idea was the magic school bus. Which came the night before school starts and leaves a giant lunch bag filled with goodies to start off the school year (pencils, notebooks, etc). I also liked the banner idea, where your child runs through a banner on his first day of school and his last (one that simple states first day of school or summer is here). Check it out for yourself! Enjoy!

highs and lows

I think this tradition does not have to be surrounded by school and it could be used way before a child enters school. At the dinner table each night record the families highs and lows for the day. Asking your child what was one thing that went great today and one thing that was not so great. This is a huge door opener for good family communication. Let me know if your family does this... I would love to here if you have a special way of doing this!
enjoy!

growth chart

I am sure you heard this a time or two, or maybe you even did this as a child. Measure your child on the inside of the closet door. This is a neat way to keep track of your child’s growth. I have not done this and it is probably a good thing considering we are moving to a new home, I am sure the buyers are grateful. Another way you could measure the child's growth is with hand prints. There are so many neat things you can do with hand prints. Each year you could trace your child’s hand on a piece of tracing paper and you can lay the hand prints over one another to see how they have grown. You could use and empty wall in your garage to make a hand print garden. Paint several stems and when it is your child’s birthday paint your child’s hand and use it as the flower. Paint the stems in a row and watch how the hand grew. This is also something you could do at Father’s day or Mother’s day. Trace your child’s hand over yours in a special book and each year watch as your little one’s hand begins to get as big as yours.
I am hoping my husband will allow me to have a hand print garden in our garage and measure the children up a painted vine! ENJOY!

dress up

This is for that little princess. Find one of your favorite dresses you have worn - maybe from prom or your wedding. On your daughters birthday put the dress on your child and take a picture. Each year watch your baby turn into a woman as she tries the dress on year after year. Eventually the dress could become passed on to your granddaughter. Little boys could do this idea using on of dad's treasures athletic jerseys.

White walls

This project requires a bit more work, but I think it would be super fun!! Allow for the child to have one white wall in his or her bedroom. Through-out the year allow for the child to doodle on the wall or hang whatever he or she desires. On your child's birthday take a picture of the wall and then repaint the wall white for another year of creativity. ENJOY!

Interview with you

Another birthday idea I was able to start doing this year was an interview with the birthday child. My little guy turns four this month and is at a great age, but I could have done this last year as well. Anyway I asked him basic questions: how old are you? name? favorite colors, foods, person, toy, movie, song, etc. I recorded them for a page in his scrapbook, but you could even do this via video camera. You could have one whole disc on birthday interviews. ENJOY!

school traditions

We will be continuing some birthday traditions for a week or so, but I could use your help! This will be the first year of school traditions for my son who will be entering preschool this fall. I am looking forward to making some fun traditions with him as he begins his educational journey. I plan on taking his picture on the first day of school just like my mommy did and I plan on making him a special breakfast, and slipping little notes in his backpack (once he can read), but I could use some of your ideas. Please e-mail me some ideas to amandakapenga@yahoo.com please put tradition in the subject line. I would love to share them with others, please include your blog so I can give you the credit!
thanks for your help

Birthday fun

Since today is my son's 4th birthday I will share a what we do to make birthdays special at our house. He is woken with a special rendition of "Happy Birthday". Each year we take my son out for lunch on his birthday to his favorite spot (he is four so that usually ends up being McDonald's. For dinner he picks out the meal with reason and the location for that meal (the beach, home, floor, in front of the tv, etc). We end the day with whatever family activity he chooses (movie, tag, big fort, etc). What do you do on your child's special day?

time capsule

At my son and daughter's 1st birthday I had each guest bring something they could put inside a time capsule that each child would open on their eighteenth birthday. Some people brought predictions others brought small gifts or pictures. I have yet to think of a creative way for them to open them on their eighteenth birthday, but that will come maybe you can help come up with a fun time capsule opening party? Anyway to make the time capsule I simple asked for an empty pizza box at pizza hut and decorated it myself with pictures, quotes, favorites, etc. I know you can buy empty paint cans a Michaels as well, but use whatever works be a little creative or buy a decorative box (scrap booking people are not going to like the decorative box thing, so I sure creative memories has something that could be used as well). Good luck let me know if you are doing this or something similar.

birthday letters

Starting on the day my son was born I carefully put words on paper about my feelings on that day and my excitement for the upcoming year. Each year after that on his birthday I wrote another letter to him stating this years past accomplishments and what the year ahead holds. I date the letter and put it in his file ( I keep a special letter file for each child). Someday when he is out of the house (way way way in the future I hope!!!) and off to college I will give the letters to him, but in a special way. 19 days before his birthday I will mail out my first letter to him, the letter I wrote on the day he was born and I will continue to mail the letters in the order I will mail them one right after another with the last one being the one I write on his 19th birthday.
O-kay so this may be a little tricky for me because my son's birthday is in July, but I have 15 years to figure it out. Any ideas on how you could show your son/daughter how much they were loved and are loved on their adult birthday?

table cloth handprints

Each year around birthdays we take out the paint and add a hand print to a white table cloth. It is so neat to see how a child's hand print grows each year.
Someday this will lay upon his graduation table or will hold his own children's hand prints. Looking forward to adding 2010.

All about memories

I have this deep desire along with every other mother to leave a lasting impact on my children, by creating lasting traditions. I hope that by blogging about my ideas and you sharing your we can together create some fun and lasting memories with our families. Enjoy!