♥ Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ♥: The Spirit of Giving

Thursday, December 4, 2008

The Spirit of Giving

I often think of how blessed my children are. I remind them often that not all children have the things that they have. I periodically go through my house and find things we no longer need or use and give them to people who can. Today, we went through ALL of the toys in our house (and yes, it took all day). We were able to gather FIVE large bags of toys that were in great shape, but no longer played with. I gave them to families in need. The people who picked them up were very excited and grateful. I explained to Macey and Jolee that their toys were going to go to children who didn't have many toys. I don't know if they fully understand it, but I know that one day they will. Anyway, it makes me feel good that we are able help others who are less fortunate. Somewhere there are children who are excited tonight to get a "new" toy or will have a brighter Christmas. And, isn't this what the Season is all about? :)

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Dialogue with Emmy

"I love you with my most loviest heart."
Whenever she finds a coin on the ground she says, "Look! It's my lucky day!"
"Once upon a time there were 2 little girls: Mommy, Daddy, Macey, Emmy and JoJo"...
"Mommy, I love you every single day."
When asked, "How old will you be after your next birthday?", she replies, "Free".
Emmy: "I love you!" Mommy: "I love you, too!" Emmy: "I love you MORE!"
Favorite questions: "Why?", "Because why?", "What?", and "What's that mean?"
She's been saying this A LOT lately-- "I'm more hungry"...every 15 minutes!

Jolee's Funny Quotes & Questions

"I don't have peanuts, I have a vagina!"
Grady said: "Jolee, you have school tomorrow", Jolee said: "Oh, the PAIN!, THE PAIN!"
"Every time I push my belly out, my pants pop open!"
"Daddy, I love you so much that I can't let you out of my sight!"
"I'm warm...like a piece of toast."
"I have never, ever, EVER tooted in school!"
"Don't eat the yellow snow!"
"If we had a boy cat AND a girl cat, and they kissed...that would be GROSS!"
"Sometimes the world is a mystery..."
"What are bees' feet called?"
"Zip your lip and throw away the key!"
"Mom's the Mystery Farter!" Note: I'm sure it wasn't me...must've been Daddy!
When deciding whether or not to add chocolate to her ice cream she said, "I'm gonna go for it!"
"It smells like there's a butt in my nose!"
"Mom, I ROCK at this!"
"Tell it to the Judge!"

Macey's Corner: New things I've learned in school

In a handful of soil, there are more living organisms than there are people on the planet.
I have learned multiplication facts by two, three, four and five and division facts by two.
To reduce pollution when shopping, purchase items that are not in a box or that have little packaging.
A refuge is a place where animals and plants are safe.
In statistics, "mode" is the number that appears most often, "maximum" is the largest number, "minimum" is the lowest number, and "range" is the maximum minus the minimum.
A menorah is the candle holder in Hanukkah celebrations and a kinara is the candle holder in Kwanzaa celebrations.
In English, the days of the week start with a capital letter, in Spanish they don't.
In Germany a Christmas tree is called a Tannenbaum
Germany is a country in Europe.
Kwanzaa is a seven day holiday honoring the ancient African tradition of celebrating the year's harvest.
There is a difference between a food chain and a food web. Food chains follow a single path as animals find food and food webs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help them all survive.
Another word for collar bone is clavicle.
Not all spiders spin webs to catch food, some dig holes.
Today I completed 100 math facts in less than 5 minutes.
Amphibians are cold blooded animals.
In a math addition problem, if there are more than 2 numbers, find the facts of 10 and then add the others.
A fish that has spikes and puffs up is called a Puffer Fish.
Veteran's Day is also known as Armistice Day.
The phalanges are bones that make up our fingers and toes.
Check back often! Macey will populate this list.

Savin' Green, Bein' Green, Gettin' Lean

No Paper OR Plastic: Instead of buying giftbags for Christmas or birthday presents (especially for adults), buy re-usable grocery bags that the recipient can use everyday.
Cut it Short: In ALL of the baking I do, I always use less sugar than the recipe calls for. Even if you cut it just a little bit, every little bit helps. And, we never miss it!
No More White Stuff: The next time you have to buy flour, buy whole wheat flour. I use it in all of my baking and my family can't tell the difference!
Challenge Yourself: I got this idea from another blog I visit daily. Challenge yourself to not go to the grocery store for an entire week. This forces you to be creative with what you have on hand. It's also a great way to use up the odds and ends in your pantry. It got a little difficult at the end of the week, but we did it! Plus, the savings from that week were very noticeable on our grocery budget!
Rewards Cards: Take advantage of the rewards cards at stores you shop at often. For example, we use the Office Max rewards/recycle program and are able to get free stuff there with the rewards we've accumulated. I also get special discounts at Dick's Sporting Goods which comes in handy buying my running shoes every six months. Other cards I have are for CVS (they give you money to use on your next purchase), Hallmark (free coupons), all the grocery stores (you get the store's discount plus sometimes discounts on gas), shoe stores (special coupons), you get the picture.
Free Movie Nights: Do you have a Redbox kiosk nearby? If so, you can find Redbox codes online every Monday and Wednesday to get a free movie. And, even if you don't get the codes, movies are only a buck! Bye, bye Blockbuster!
Soccer Mom Must: Car pool, duh!
Don't be a Heel: Don't throw away the heels from your loaves of bread. I don't like eating them as sandwiches, either, but toss them in the freezer until you get several of them. Then, toast them in the toaster and throw them into your food processor...wala!...whole grain bread crumbs! And, they're a lot healthier than most of the breadcrumbs you buy at the store.
Behind Bars: Our family goes through granola bars like you wouldn't believe. I love that my kids like to eat this healthy snack, but I don't like how expensive they are. I found a great recipe that is so versatile you can tailor it to your own likes and dislikes. One pan costs pennies and makes 16-18 bars. Recipe is found above in "Janie's Kitchen".
101 Uses for Vinegar: I use it as a fabric softener (and no, our clothes don't stink!), mixed with water it is WAY better than Windex, my friend Stacy uses it to kill her weeds, I spray it on the counters to help get rid of ants, and this is just a few of things I can think of off the top of my head! Google it and have fun!
Stacking Coupons: Did you know that you can use a store coupon (ie. Walgreens, Target, etc.) AND and manufacturer's coupon for the same item? For example, you can print Target coupons (good only at Target) and clip your mfr. coupon to use on the same item. If you do this when the item is on sale, it's an even bigger bonus...many times you can get it free or almost free!