Mama Jenn

Christmas Thank You Letter for Little Ones (FREE Tracing Printable)

2012-01-26T01:48:00.001-05:00

As a young girl, I can remember my parents insistent on me writing thank you letters. In fact, it is something that I have continued into adulthood. Now that I have children of my own, I want them to show kind gestures of gratitude as well. So, while my older three kids are very capable of writing notes and thank you letters on their own, my 4 year olds need a little bit of help! So, I created Little Letters!

Little Letters is a collection of notes/letters that younger children can trace and illustrate. The idea of this printable is to get our little ones in the habit of having a thankful heart and expressing their gratitude through letters. Plus it is a fun way to sneak in some extra writing practice!

The first FREE printable from the Little Letters collection is the Christmas Thank You letter!

Directions: Simply download and print the tracing page. Talk about being thankful and have your little one trace the note and add an illustration at the top. (Perhaps they could draw a picture of the gift they received.) Then help your child mail the letter or hand-deliver it!

**Be sure to fill in the “Dear ______” part and have your child sign their name at the bottom of the letter. (See below how I wrote Granny and Papa in dotted letters for my boys to trace.)

My little guys loved being able to “write” and illustrate Christmas thank you letters for their grandparents!

Plus they get extra penmanship practice and I feel great about getting them started early with letter writing to express gratitude! It is a habit I hope to develop in them that will stick…forever!

Download the Little Letters: Christmas Thank You printable here.

Mama's Mission of the Month {Jan Mid-month Reminder}

2012-01-17T17:24:00.001-05:00

Alright, all you mama’s who are participating in Mama’s Mission of the Month for January, this is the January 2012 Mid-month reminder about the goals that we set for the month of January. With the month more than half-way over, I just wanted to check in to see how you all are doing!

As for me, God has really been rocking my world in the area of goal setting! In fact, I have been working hard to purpose to do what God wants me to do as opposed to just being concerned about what I want to do. With that said, I have been working on the chore/job chart and playing games with my kiddos, but I have also been working to be more in tune with God’s planning and direction rather than my own!

With that said how are you coming along with your January Mission of the Month? Feel free to leave a comment letting us know how your mission is going! {No, you don’t have to leave an update comment. And yes, you will still be able to write your complete Accomplished post and link it up at the end of the month. The update comment is simply a way of keeping you on track with completing the goals you have set for the month.}

If you have no clue what the Mama’s Mission of the Month is all about, it is basically a monthly blog carnival designed to help me {and you} follow through on some of the goals that we have set for the month! For more information or if you want to know how to join in next month, check out the intro post!

Martin Luther King Jr. Artwork

2012-01-16T14:43:00.001-05:00

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wanted to share some artwork from my kids. Initially my kids did MLK coloring pages from Our Black Heritage Coloring Book. Below is one of my 6 year olds coloring pages.

However, the kids decided that they wanted to draw their own pictures of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I am so impressed with how they turned out!

by KJ (age 8, 3rd grade)

by DC (age 6, 1st grade)

by JJ (age 6, 1st grade)

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual,
"Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
-- "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963

Today we thankfully celebrate some of the freedoms that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was foundational in helping establish!

Mission of the Month: January 2012 {and Dec Accomplishments}

2011-12-31T15:05:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year and welcome to Mama’s Mission of the Month! My hope is that this will help me {and you} follow through on some of the goals that we have set for the month! Perhaps it will also help get us off on the right foot with some of our New Year’s Resolutions! So, if you are a mama and you want to join in, check out the intro post! (If you have already read the rules, you can easily grab the buttons from the Buttons Tab on the top of the sidebar.)

December Mission Update: My December mission was really quite simple…complete & implement our new chore/job system. Well, as simple as it seemed, the hustle and bustle of the holidays plus a pulled muscle in my back has kinda put a strain on me accomplishing this seemingly simple task. So, while I was able to make some progress on planning and designing our new chore/job system, I have not completed it and hence have not implemented it.

My Mission for January 2012: This month will be an extension of last month.

1) Complete and implement our new chore/job system!

2) Start up our family game night again.

What is your January mission of the month?

If you participated last month, how did you do?

Feel free to link up and share! It is a great way to hold yourself accountable! For more information on how to join in, please read the intro post. The linky will be open until midnight, January 5th.

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 19-24}

2011-12-24T22:02:00.001-05:00

We have thoroughly enjoyed Truth in the Tinsel! It has been such a special time for us as we celebrate Advent 2011! I love looking at all of the ornaments that are shared on the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook Page. So, I decided to share our ornaments as well! Here are our ornaments from Day 19 through Day 24!

Now, take all of the ornaments above plus the ones from Days 1-18 and multiply by five!!! Our total number of Truth in the Tinsel ornaments is 120! As you could probably imagine, our banisters are quite FULL! Take a peak:

And here is our completed CHRISTmas Advent Calendar! The back of Day 25 says Merry CHRISTmas!

More of Truth in the Tinsel:

I pray that as you celebrate this holiday season you will take time to reflect on the true meaning of the CHRISTmas!

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Merry CHRISTmas from my family to yours!

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 13-18}

2011-12-23T14:51:00.001-05:00

Now, take all of the ornaments above plus the ones from Days 1-6 and Days 7-13 and multiply by five!!! Our running tally of Truth in the Tinsel ornaments is now at 90! Our banisters have never looked so beautiful!

Here’s a peak at what our CHRISTmas Countdown looks like after 18 days of Advent activities!

More of Truth in the Tinsel:

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 7-12}

2011-12-19T19:10:00.001-05:00

We are thoroughly enjoying Truth in the Tinsel! It has been such a special time for us as we celebrate Advent 2011! I love looking at all of the ornaments that are shared on the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook Page. So, I decided to share our ornaments as well! Here are our ornaments from Day 7 through Day 12!

Now, take all of the ornaments above plus the ones from Days 1-6 and multiply by five!!! Our running tally of Truth in the Tinsel ornaments is now at 60! Our banisters are really starting to fill up! (No room on the tree!!)

More of Truth in the Tinsel:

Pumpkin Snowmen

2011-12-18T23:27:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not, we had our pumpkins displayed on our front porch well into December! Judging by the response on my FB page, I am not the only one! LOL! One of the commenters on the FB thread, suggested that I make Pumpkin Snowmen! GENIUS! {That way I can keep the (snowman)pumpkins on my front porch through January…maybe even February…assuming they don’t rot by then!} Now I call that getting my monies worth! :-) To make Pumpkin Snowmen, you need pumpkins and acrylic paint. While using a primer was suggested, we just used one coat of white acrylic paint and called it good! :-)

After we got all the pumpkins painted, we let them dry for a day or so!

Once they were all dry, we used some black and orange acrylic paint to add some mouths and noses. Yes, those are recycled plastic lids for hats and a scrap piece of fabric for the scarf!

Our front porch has never looked so stinkin’ cute!

A big thank you to my FB friends for suggesting this awesome way to repurpose my leftover pumpkins! The original idea/inspiration for the Pumpkin Snowman came from here!

Winners & Discounts {7 Days of Giveaways}

2011-12-17T13:02:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in my 7 Days of Giveaways celebration! We had some awesome prizes and lots of winners! Scroll down to see ALL of the winners AND get special discounts and coupon codes for the respective products!

Giveaway Day #1: Cooper & Me and the Winter Adventure

Congratulations to commenter #4, Mariah!

Get FREE SHIPPING on any purchase of $25 or more at CooperandMe.com, now through December 15th! Use coupon code: COOPERBLOG

Giveaway Day #2: Grapevine Bible Study: Birth of Jesus

Congratulations to commenter #31, Kala!

Grapevine Studies has graciously offered a discount for my readers: Use the coupon code Advent11 to receive 20% off
any non-sale item from now through December 31, 2011!

Giveaway Day #3: Mattie Grace Gifts

(Giveaway has closed) Congratulations to commenter #16, Lgrottis AND commenter #25, Jill!

Receive 10% OFF any purchase from Mattie Grace Gifts! Through 12/31/11 use coupon code: MAMAJENN

Giveaway Day #4: Pick and Draw

Congratulations to commenter #2, Salhasz AND commenter #97, Melissa A.

Through 12/31/11, visit Pick and Draw and buy your first game for $10 and every game after that for ONLY $8!

Giveaway Day #5: We Choose Virtues

Congratulations to commenter #100, Brandy Castillo!

We Choose Virtues Promo codes:

Get 15% off your total purchase with VIRTUE15.

Get free shipping with SHIPFREE.

Get $3.00 off the Kids Virtue Poster using FAMILY.

(Only one coupon code can be used at a time.)

Giveaway Day #6: Education Cubes Membership

Congratulations to commenter #81, Kim Daougherty, commenter #46 Tanya M, commenter #71 Valerie Harris, commenter #118 L Mcc, commenter #96 GranolaMom4God, commenter #115 Madonna, and commenter #12 Lgrottis!

Giveaway Day #7: My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software

Congratulations to commenter #6, Suzanne Ruckman

Receive $10 OFF the purchase of My Memories Suite 3 digital scrapbooking software! Use coupon code: STMMMS66480

Thank you again to everyone who entered to win! I also want to give a big thank you to all of the wonderful companies who participated by giving away their wonderful products!

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 1-6}

2011-12-15T12:25:00.001-05:00

Now, take all of the ornaments above and multiply by five!!! Our running tally of Truth in the Tinsel ornaments is 30!

More of Truth in the Tinsel:

Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow {Review}

2011-12-15T01:18:00.001-05:00

As a Christian homeschool mother and former athlete, I was definitely interested in reading and reviewing Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow (with Nathan Whitaker). For those of you who don’t know, Tim Tebow is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He is a former quarterback for the Florida Gators, winner of two BCS National Championships, and the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman trophy. Amidst all of the accolades and achievements, Tim Tebow is a Christian, who is open about his faith.

The son of Christian missionaries, Tebow details his early years-from the circumstances of his birth in the Philippines, to his home-schooled upbringing, to his parent’s emphasis on developing his character and deepening his belief whenever possible. Setting the record straight, he tells the story of his long and difficult path to becoming a quarterback, a path that was blocked at every stage by coaches telling him he’d never make it, that he should just give up and switch positions. Yet despite the critics, he believed-not just in himself, but in the plan that God had laid out for him-and time after time his determination and dedication proved his detractors wrong…Tebow writes about life as he chooses to live it, revealing how his Christian faith, family values, and relentless will to succeed have molded him into the person and athlete he is today. (HarperCollins Publishers)

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book because I have been very intrigued by Tim Tebow for quite awhile. I have been so impressed with how he has carried himself and I admire his open profession of his faith. I appreciate that he has used his platform to bring glory to God and has proved to be a great role model. I was very interested in reading about his homeschool upbringing and how it influenced the man he is today. To be completely honest, I would really love to read a book written by his mother. I would love to know even more about how she raised him to have such a impressive balance between being an superior athlete, an excellent student, and most importantly, a God-fearing man! I would love to just sit down and pick her brain!

Here are a few of the interesting tidbits of Tebow’s life, documented in Through My Eyes, that have directly influence my thoughts on raising my own kids.

1) Tebow recalls that his parents were not just casually interested in him and his siblings memorizing Bible scriptures. They required it. In fact, they couldn’t watch TV until they has successfully recited their five verses for the week! I have already seen the fruit of my kids having God’s word written on their hearts!

2) While Tebow’s parents were very interested in instilling Godly values in their kids, they were well aware of the competitive nature of boys and were able to both encourage the competitiveness in beneficial ways. For example, Mrs. Tebow utilized the competitive nature of her boys to get them to excel academically, by putting placemats on the table containing information such as US presidents, periodic elements, and state capitals. She challenged them to be the first to memorize everything on their placemat. I have got all kinds of ideas brewing in my head about implementing this with my kids!

With that said, football is big in my home…huge! So, while the book does include lots of details about his faith, family, and life experiences off the field, there is quite a bit of “football” in the book. So, those who don’t know much about football, may get lost in all the details of that part of his life. While I did enjoy reading the details of his life, both on and off the field, the parts that stood out to me the most concerned his upbringing and how Tebow’s parents chose to instill Godly values into him, which are clearly exemplified in his life as a collegiate and now professional athlete.

Buy the Book: You can purchase Through My Eyes from Amazon.

This product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Mama Jenn’s Family Wishlist

2011-12-14T14:14:00.001-05:00

Do you ever wonder what others are wishing for for Christmas? Well, just in case you’re curious what is on our wishlist this year, check out the Family Wish List page that I make each year to share with the grandparents:

Truth in the Tinsel {2011 Advent in Action}

2011-12-12T04:07:00.000-05:00

We are thoroughly enjoying Truth in the Tinsel. (You can read my review about it here.) We all love the hints, clues, crafts, Bible verses, discussion and activities! We are having such special times with our Advent celebration this year! Here is what our Truth in the Tinsel time looks like:

First, the kids go to our Advent Countdown calendar and read the hint.

After reading the hint, they run around the house in search of the Truth in the Tinsel clue card. Day 1’s card was hidden by a candle on the table.

While the kids are searching for the clue card, I pull out our craft bucket that contains all of the supplies needed for the day’s ornament.

Then we get started on the ornament for the day.

Next, I read the corresponding scripture to the kids while they work on the their ornaments or my daughter reads it to us after we have completed the ornaments. Then we discuss what we read and do the extra activities suggested in the Truth in the Tinsel eBook.

Here are our Day 1 candles drying on the window sill. After they dried, I laminated them for durability.

Since our tree is already quite full from Christmas ornaments made from past Christmases, I had to find another place to display our Truth in the Tinsel ornaments. So, they are hanging from the garland wrapped around our banisters.

After we complete our ornament, we replace the countdown card with the clue card so that the kids have a clear visual of how many days are left until Christmas!

We are LOVING Truth in the Tinsel! This has been our first year having an official Advent celebration/countdown and it has been wonderful! Are you doing Truth in the Tinsel? If not, it is not too late to join in the fun!

Truth in the Tinsel 12 Days TILL Christmas Sale: Get 20% OFF using code 12DAYS
Sale ends tonight {12/12/11} at midnight ET.

Today ONLY (12/12/11} you can purchase Truth in the Tinsel for 20% off!!! There is even a modified 12 day schedule so that you can do a 12 day Advent celebration! (Modified schedule will be on the download link.) So, it is definitely not too late to join in!

Stay tuned for my Truth in the Tinsel post showcasing our ornaments! For now you can get a sneak peek at my Truth in the Tinsel scrapbook page that I am creating with my new digital scrapbook software!

My Memories Scrapbook Software (Review & Giveaway)

2011-12-11T03:42:00.001-05:00

I love scrapbooking! For me, it is relaxing and fun. Plus, I love looking back through the albums and reminiscing with my kids! However, as much as I love scrapbooking, I am about 5 years behind. In fact, I have not scrapbooked a single page for my youngest set of twins! Sad, I know, but I have a feeling that I am not the only one! I even made scrapbooking part of my November Mission of the Month, but sadly, I didn’t make any progress.

You see, I have always been a paper, scissors, glue type of scrapbook girl! I have always admired those who have gone digital, but I just have not had the nerve to try it. Once I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. However, when I was contacted by My Memories to review their digital scrapbooking software, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try going digital…or at least hybrid! So, I decided to give it a shot!

My Memories Suite v3 software is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a comprehensive powerful set of creative tools no other scrapbook software can offer. With its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features, this application is perfect for a beginner to create a complete album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece. –from My Memories Website

Check out some of the pages I have created so far:

These are some photos that I took when we visited the aquarium. I just love how the vibrant blues stand out on the black background. I was able to use a pre-loaded photo only template and add my own colors and journaling. Popping in the photos was a breeze!

We took the kids ice skating for the first time this year. We all had a blast. I was so impressed with how well they all did. In this photo one of my 4 years olds was wowing mama on his skates and then after a few trips around the rink, he was in need of a little rest! For this page I used a pre-designed {free} template that already included the embellishments. The template was designed for one photo, but I was able to easily add a second.

I made a few pages to showcase our Truth in the Tinsel ornaments. Again I used one of the simple photo templates and added the colors and text. For the gold page, I used some of the pre-loaded gold & white jeweled paper. I can’t decide which page I like best. Any suggestions? I could add some journaling in the colored squares on the blue version. But, I love the gold. Or, I could just fill all the boxes up with photos of the ornaments. Hmmm, decisions, decisions! {grins} Luckily My Memories Suite makes it super easy for me to make the adjustments…once I make up my own mind! {grins}

My thoughts: I have LOVED exploring the My Memories Suite! I spent some time playing around on the software and I am quite impressed. It has been so easy to create fun, memorable scrapbook pages! Plus, now that I have had some time to play around with the software, I am completing digital pages in less time that I would be using paper, scissors, and glue! While I don’t have much experience with scrapbook software, I know what I like! And I am having so much fun with My Memories! And, you will have a chance to have some fun with it too! The folks at My Memories have offered to give away the My Memories Suite 3 scrapbook software (valued at $39.97) to one of my readers! On top of that, they have offered a $10 off coupon code to my readers!

Receive $10 OFF the purchase of My Memories Suite 3 digital scrapbooking software! Use coupon code: STMMMS66480

Giveaway Info: (Giveaway has ended)

Would you like to win this awesome scrapbook software?The first and mandatory entry is to visit My Memories and leave a comment telling me the name of one of the digital scrapbook kits or paper packs you would be most interested in using! (There are TONS to choose from!)

Optional (Additional) Entries: The following are additional ways that you can enter to win. However, you MUST complete the mandatory entry above. (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

Join the My Memories mailing list and leave a comment letting me know that you did. (See left sidebar on My Memories blog). (max 1 entry)
Follow the My Memories blog via Google Friend Connect. (See left sidebar on My Memories Blog.) (max 1 entry)
Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
“Like” My Memories on Facebook AND/OR “Like” Mama Jenn on Facebook. Leave a comment for EACH like. (max 2 entries)
Follow My Memories on Twitter AND/OR Follow Mama Jenn on Twitter. Leave a comment for EACH follow. (max 2 entries)
Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did. You can just copy, paste, and tweet the following:

@MamaJennBlogs is hosting a giveaway for @MyMemoriesSuite digital scrapbooking software! Enter to win here: fb.me/GO3UWoUE

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, December 16th! Winners will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win!

For even more giveaways, click the gift below!

This product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Education Cubes Membership {Giveaway}

2011-12-10T03:05:00.001-05:00

Have you heard about Education Cubes? If not, you should definitely check them out! They are customizable learning blocks for all your educational need! Essentially, they are photo blocks with educational insert cards (rather than photos) that you can use to enhance your child's learning by providing fun, hands-on educational experiences. We love our Education Cubes and use them regularly. They are a bit with all of my kids, from my 4 year old twins to my 8 year old 3rd grader!

The photo blocks are soft, which means no clanging dice on the table or floor. They are large (approx 4" x 4" x 4"), which makes them easy to see and easy for little hands to handle. The best part is that they are completely customizable! By joining the Education Cubes Members Only Site, you will have access to over 200 sets of insert cards for your Education Cubes, which means that the learning possibilities are endless! Plus, you will not have to continue re-purposing dice or other blocks to meet your academic needs, which means less work for you!

Essentially, Education Cubes are
large customizable dice!

Check out the Education Cubes in action! My little boys played the Candy Cane Grid Game. They used our homemade puff ball magnets (along with a magnetic cookie sheet) and our Education Cubes (with the Candy Cane Counting insert cards).

The boys have had fun duplicating fractions using the Fraction Pie insert cards. and our Fraction Cups. The older kids rolled the cube, told me the fraction shown, and then duplicated the fraction.

Here my older three kids were playing a bit of Christmas Addition. Each child rolled a cube, counted the gingerbread men, added them up and wrote the sum on their white board! The kids kept a tally of their winnings!

Education Cubes are not just great for math! Carisa from 1+1+1=1 used the You Can Read insert cards (created to go along with her You Can Read! Sight Word Program) to reinforce words in a fun, creative way…water painting.

So, are you interested in winning an Education Cubes Membership?

Giveaway Info: (Giveaway has ended)

As part of the 7 Days of Giveaways celebration, I will be giving away a free Education Cubes Membership to SEVEN winners! Yes, 7 winners!!! {Even if you already have a membership, you can still enter to win! I will REFUND your membership cost!!} The first and mandatory entry is to visit Education Cubes and let me know which of the 200+ sets of insert cards you would be most interested in!

Leave a comment letting me know one of your ideas for the insert cards. (max 1 entry)
Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
Follow Education Cubes via Google Friend Connect AND/OR subscribe to Education Cubes via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
“Like” Education Cubes on Facebook AND/OR “Like” Mama Jenn on Facebook. Leave a comment for EACH like. (max 2 entries)
Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did. You can just copy, paste, and tweet the following:

Enter to win an @EducationCubes Membership from @MamaJennBlogs! http://bit.ly/rZNx6o

The giveaway ends at midnight on Fridday, December 16th! Five winners will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win!

PLEASE NOTE: The giveaway is for the membership ONLY. Blocks must be purchased separately.

If you can’t wait to see if you win, head over to purchase a set of photo blocks and join the Members Only Site so that you can have your own set of Education Cubes!

For even more giveaways, click the gift below!

What’s in the Bible? {Christmas Special}

2011-12-09T15:19:00.001-05:00

I recently took advantage of the What’s in the Bible 6-disk Christmas special for ONLY $37.95 and boy am I glad I did!!! Last night we watched the Christmas DVD and it was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!! It was fun and engaging and I even learned some stuff from it!

Since I was able to cash in on this amazing deal, I still have 5 other DVDs that I am planning on saving as Christmas gifts for the kids, that is if I can exercise some self-control. I can’t wait to see them myself! Perhaps I could sneak and watch them after the kids go to bed! Do you think they would mind if the shrink-wrap was missing on Christmas morning? {grins}

More about this amazing deal: You basically pay about $6.33 per DVD (plus s&h) and you get a total of 6 DVDs which include 10 fully animated episodes plus the “Why Do We Call It Christmas?” DVD. We previously purchased the In the Beginning DVD and paid over $12 for just that one! So, this is an amazing deal! If you are not familiar with What’s in the Bible, be sure to head over and check out this unbeatable special!

We Choose Virtues {Review & Giveaway}

2011-12-09T03:52:00.001-05:00

Parenting is a full-time job! With that said, I am always on the lookout for ideas and products to help me with this highly important job! Instilling values into my children is one of my greatest priorities! So, I was definitely intrigued when first discovered We Choose Virtues.

We Choose Virtues is not a traditional curriculum that you use like a unit study and then move on from. It is actually a teaching tool that you use every day, every year. You introduce the Virtues, then demonstrate them, then capture teachable moments when they are being used…or aren’t. You will be amazed how fast you will all learn to obey (not just learn what obedience is, but actually learn to obey!) and 11 other Virtues too! ~from We Choose Virtues

Asked to review We Choose Virtues, I received the Parenting cards along with three super cute Virtue posters. Everything was just so adorable! But, I was most pleased to discover the substance behind the cute characters!

The Parenting cards (valued at $34.99) are a collection of 13, full color cards loaded with helpful ideas for implementing and teaching the 12 virtues. Each card includes the name of the featured Virtue kid, an inspiring story about the Virtue kid, a virtue challenge, a memorable catchphrase, an antonym, and a related Bible verse. Each Virtue is preceded by the words “I am” as opposed to “I hope to be” or “I wish I was,” which allows the child to take ownership of their virtues. The catchphrase is a positive, practical and precise action statement directly related to the virtue. The antonym provides glimpse into the person they no longer want to be and is the negative form of the virtue, using the phrases “I am not” and “I don’t”.

I also received three posters, including the Kids Virtue Poster, the “I am Attentive” poster and the “I am Patient” poster. Aren’t the Virtue Kids super cute? The Kids Virtue Poster is a complete list of all 12 virtues, their catchphrases and antonyms. It is a great tool to use for daily reminders! While I absolutely love the Attentive and Patient posters, there are 10 other posters with 10 different Virtue kids and the 10 remaining virtues as well!

These products have been a fun and valuable addition to our family. I currently have the three posters displayed in our classroom by the kid’s computer desk.

I have the Parenting Cards displayed on my white board. Each week I display a new card. We discuss the card during our Calendar Board time and we do various activities from the back of the card throughout the week.

My Thoughts: I love that the program provides a positive approach to instilling values. So often I find myself focused on what my kids are doing wrong. However, We Choose Virtues has reminded me to use my magnifying glass and focus more on identifing and pointing out what they are doing right.

There are a lot of different We Choose Virtues products to select from and a few promo codes that you can use to purchase them with!

Promo codes:

Get 15% off your total purchase with VIRTUE15.

Get free shipping with SHIPFREE.

Get $3.00 off the Kids Virtue Poster using FAMILY.

(Only one coupon code can be used at a time.)

In addition to these awesome discounts, I have the opportunity to give away some wonderful We Choose Virtues products! Yay!!!

Giveaway Info: (Giveaway has ended)

A set of Parenting Cards and the Kids Virtue Poster will be given to one of my readers! The first and mandatory entry is to visit We Choose Virtues and let me know which product you would be most interested in!

Leave a comment telling me which of the 12 virtues YOU need to work on the most. (max 1 entry)
Leave a comment telling me which of the 12 virtues your child(ren) need to work on the most. (max 1 entry)
Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
Tweet about the giveaway (including a link back to this post) and leave a comment letting me know that you did.

The giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, December 14th! Winner will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win! For more info about We Choose Virtues, be sure to visit the We Choose Virtues website or the We Choose Virtues Facebook page!

For even more giveaways, click the gift below!

This product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Pick and Draw Giveaway

2011-12-08T03:38:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite games to play as a family is Pick and Draw! While it may look like a simple deck of cards, it is really much, much more. It is a fun drawing game for children and adults alike that teaches you how to draw faces and encourages creative thinking! Everyone can play this game, whether you think you can draw or not! There are step by step directions on how to use the facial feature cards to create your very own characters!

What I LOVE About Pick and Draw:

encourages creative thinking
instills confidence (My son who doubted his ability to draw “good” faces is now impressed with the characters that he has created!)
easy to follow, simple instructions
works on fine motor skills for the younger artist
only requires pencil and paper to play
comes in a sturdy, plastic case
even the little ones can play along (My 4 year olds enjoy trying to draw faces right along with us!)
only costs $10 (makes a great stocking stuffer!)

Details About the Game:

Each deck of cards has five sets of characteristic cards (face, nose, ears, mouth, and hair). You play the game by starting with the sets of cards face down. One card from each stack is flipped over and you use that characteristic to draw your face. The possibilities are endless! Once you are done drawing your face, give your character a name and tell a story about them!

Be sure to check out the Pick and Draw BINGO gameboard that can be used along with the Pick and Draw cards!

Giveaway Info: Giveaway has closed

Now, on to the giveaway! Would you like to win a set of Pick and Draw cards? Creator Rich Davis has graciously agreed to give away a set of cards to two winners! The first and MANDATORY entry is simply leave a comment letting me know you would like to win!

Optional Entries: (leave a comment for each additional entry)

Visit the Pick and Draw website and tell me one thing you learned about Pick and Draw.(There is a list on the page.)
Play a quick game of Pick and Draw online. Name your character and leave a comment with the name.
Subscribe {via email} to Rich Davis’ drawing blog. He shares some great drawing tutorials! (The sign up box is in the top right corner.)
Follow Pick and Draw on Twitter
If you subscribe to Mama Jenn give yourself an extra entry!
Follow Mama Jenn on Twitter and give yourself an extra entry!

The giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, December 11th. The giveaway is open to US Residents only. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you should you win!

Special Pick and Draw Discount: If you can’t wait to win a set of Pick and Draw cards, head over to purchase a set or two. {Hint, hint…Pick and Draw makes great stocking stuffers!} ;-) Plus, Rich has a GREAT discount going on right now! For the rest of the month, buy your first game for $10 and every game after that for ONLY $8!

For even more giveaways, click the gift below!

I received a set of the Pick and Draw game cards for review/giveaway purposes. I do not have to return the game and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Pick and Draw {BINGO}

2011-12-07T12:54:00.001-05:00

When we first got our Pick and Draw cards, my kids drew so much that I am certain that we used up a tree’s worth of paper with all of our fun cartoon character creations! {grins} It was great to see how the kids could come up with characters that looked so different, all while using the same basic facial features! However, we made so many faces that I needed to come up with some way to conserve some of our paper! At first we just used a white board and dry erase marker. But, the kids didn’t really like having to “wipe away” their creations. So, I came up with the idea of drawing multiple faces per page using a 3x3 grid. Our grid soon turned into a gameboard!

I contacted Rich Davis (the Pick and Draw creator) about my idea and we worked together to come up with a new way to play Pick and Draw…

Pick and Draw BINGO!!!

Pick and Draw BINGO is a fun little artistic spin on the age-old game of BINGO! If you already have the Pick and Draw cards, you can download your very own Pick and Draw BINGO board for free! If you don’t have the Pick and Draw cards yet, be sure to head over and purchase a set for only $10!! In fact, during the months of November and December, there is a special going on:

Purchase your first Pick and Draw card game at regular price and get $2 off each additional game!

Pick and Draw makes wonderful stocking stuffers!

If you want to try to win a set of Pick and Draw cards, I will be having a Pick and Draw giveaway soon…very soon!

Directions for Pick and Draw BINGO:

Using the Pick and Draw game, draw a different cartoon face in all 9 boxes on the Pick and Draw BINGO board. Each card may be used only once.
Shuffle the deck and select the top card. Find that facial feature on one of the 9 faces drawn and put a “counter” of some kind in that box (m&m’s make yummy counters and everyone gets something at the end!)
Continue turning over cards one by one. Winner is the first to put a counter in all 9 boxes and yell, “BINGO!” Only 1 counter per box.

The kids LOVE Pick and Draw BINGO and so do I! We have played it many times and it continues to be a favorite! {While it takes us about 20 minutes to get all of our faces drawn, it only takes about 5 minutes to actually play the BINGO part!}

Pick and Draw BINGO is a “sneaky” way of helping improve the kid’s visual observation skills! It can be played with as few as two people or as many as you would like! Not only is it fun for families to play together, but it could be used as a great ice breaker activity at work, a creative group art activity at school or a fun game for birthday parties!

***Download the Pick and Draw BINGO board here***

Mattie Grace Gifts {Giveaway}

2011-12-07T03:17:00.000-05:00

I know I hardly ever post pictures of myself, but I’m wearing something super cute that I just had to share with you! Can you tell what it is?

Yes, it is cute, but, no, I’m not talking about the sparkly jingle bell bracelet that my son made for me. Oh, yes, I think it is cute too, but I’m not talking about my Dollar Tree hat either! Look closer…closer…closer…

Check out this super cute bottle cap necklace that I received from Jonana at Called You By Name. It is from her Etsy shop, Mattie Grace Gifts and I think it is adorable!

Not only was Jonana gracious enough to send a necklace for me, but she also let my daughter pick one out too! Aren’t they just too cute!!!

Mattie Grace Gifts was started to help Jonana and her family raise funds for their international adoption. They will be bringing their new daughter home from Eastern Europe as soon as possible. She is 4 years old and has Down syndrome. Your purchase from Mattie Grace Gifts will help bring their little girl home sooner!

For those who would like to support Jonana in her adoption efforts and purchase from Mattie Grace Gifts, she is offering a special discount just for my readers!

Receive 10% OFF any purchase from Mattie Grace Gifts! Through 12/31/11 use coupon code: MAMAJENN

Giveaway Info: Giveaway is closed.

Jonana has also graciously offered to give away a necklace to TWO of my readers! Winners will get the necklace of their choice! Not only does she carry bottle cap necklaces, but she also makes glass tile necklaces and pendants! Plus, you get to choose either ribbon or a ball chain for your necklace! How cool is that!! So, are you ready to win?

The first and mandatory entry is to visit Mattie Grace Gifts and let me know which necklace you like best!

Keep up with the fundraising efforts by following Called You By Name via Google Friend Connect and leave a comment letting me know that you follow. (See the right sidebar on Called You By Name.)
Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
Follow @MamaJennBlogs on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know that you do.
Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment letting me know that you did.

The giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, December 11th! Giveaway is for US residents only. Winners will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win! Winners will get to choose from the necklaces that are available in the Etsy shop at the time they are notified of winning.

For even more giveaways, click the gift below!

This product was given to me. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and were not influenced by the free product provided.

2011 Christmas Crafts of Christmas Past

2011-12-06T16:52:00.001-05:00

We love doing crafts, especially during the holidays! Here are some of our Christmas crafts from past Christmases {most of which are displayed again this Christmas}!

Craft Stick Christmas Tree Ornament

Life Saver Candy Cane Ornament

Snowman Craft Stick Banner/Ornament

Pinecone Christmas Tree Ornaments

Popsicle Reindeer Ornament

PB Jar Snowman

Popsicle Stick Snowflake & Star Ornaments

Clothespin Reindeer Ornament

Baby Food Jar Snow Globes

Printable Nativity Set

Another Printable Nativity Set

What are some of the Christmas crafts that you have made in past Christmases that you (or your kids) still enjoy?

Birth of Jesus: Grapevine Bible Studies {Review & Giveaway}

2011-12-06T03:15:00.000-05:00

We have been using and loving Grapevine Bible Studies for a few months now. It is hard to believe how much fun stick-figuring through the Bible can be! So, when I was asked to review the Birth of Jesus, I of course jumped at the opportunity!

From Grapevine: Saddle up your donkey and take your children and teens on a trip back to the manger! The timeline of the Nativity will come alive through the Bible study of the characters and events surrounding the birth of Jesus. On this journey students will map the travels of Joseph and Mary as they travel from Nazareth, to Bethlehem, to Jerusalem, to Egypt and back to Nazareth. Through the accounts of Matthew and Luke observe how Herod, the Wise Men, and the Shepherds responded to the newborn King. Strap on your sandals and start your journey today!

Birth of Jesus comes in both a multi-level {age 7+} and a beginner study {ages 5-7} that contains 4 lessons. (Although my boys are only 6, they are successfully doing the lessons right along with my 8 year old using the multi-level study.) This is a shorter study which makes it perfect for the Christmas/Advent season; though is could very easily be used at any time of the year! The Student Book includes lessons pages, timelines, memory verses, reviews and a map. The Teacher Book contains contains lesson notes, timelines, stick figure drawings, a map, lesson goals, key points, memory verses, and review questions & answers. (View a sample lesson here.)

Our Thoughts: We just started the Birth of Jesus a few days ago and we are already enjoying it! As with our Grapevine study of Joseph, drawing our Bible timeline still remains one of kid’s favorite parts of school!

I even enjoy stick-figuring through the Bible too!

We absolutely LOVE Grapevine Studies! While the kids love the drawing, my most favorite part is that we are working through the Bible TOGETHER! So, are you ready to start “stick-figuring” through the Bible with your kids? For details on how we set up and use our Grapevine Studies, check out my Life of Joseph review. To see all of the wonderful Bible Studies available, be sure to head on over to Grapevine!

Grapevine Studies has graciously offered a discount for my readers: Use the coupon code Advent11 to receive 20% off
any non-sale item from now through December 31, 2011!

Giveaway Info: (Giveaway is closed.)

Would you like to win the Grapevine Birth of Jesus study? I have the opportunity to give away a student and teacher eBook to one of my readers! Plus, you get to choose between the beginner or the multi-level study! The first and mandatory entry is to check out all of the Grapevine studies and let me know which one you would be most interested in reading! (There are lots of great studies to choose from!)

Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
Follow @MamaJennBlogs on Twitter AND/OR @GrapevineStudy on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a separate comment for EACH follow. (max 2 entries)
Sign up for the Grapevine Newsletter and leave a comment letting me know that you did.
Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment letting me know that you did. You can copy/paste/tweet this:

@MamaJennBlogs is hosting a giveaway for @GrapevineStudy Birth of Jesus. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/tfmazi

The giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, December 10th! Winner will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win! For more info about the Grapevine Studies, be sure to visit the Grapevine website or the Grapevine Facebook page!

For even more giveaways, click the gift below!

This product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Moments to Remember: “This is the Life”

2011-12-05T17:38:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to participate in Moments to Remember, a linky for homeschoolers hosted by my pals Carisa from 1+1+1=1 and Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations!

Moments to Remember was developed as a simple way to look back on our week as homeschoolers and find photos that encompass the memories we want to remember.

The week may have been tough, there may have been more bumps than smiles, but in the end these are the moments that keep us going, the ones we need to remember.

I took this photo of my older twins a few months back, but I really love it and I wanted it to be part of my collection of Moments to Remember! My boys were lounging on our bean bag chairs with a stack of books and I overhead one of them casually say, “This is the life!”

I want to remember the excitement in their eyes when it all “clicked” and they first started reading! I want to remember how they read everything they could get their hands on! The bigger the book, the better! I want to remember fun times cuddling up with them reading to me! I want to remember their voracious love of reading, hoping that it will continue for a lifetime! These are moments I want to remember!

Mama Jenn

Christmas Thank You Letter for Little Ones (FREE Tracing Printable)

Mama's Mission of the Month {Jan Mid-month Reminder}

Martin Luther King Jr. Artwork

Top Ten Most Popular Posts WRITTEN in 2011

Top Ten Most VISITED Posts in 2011

Mission of the Month: January 2012 {and Dec Accomplishments}

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 19-24}

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 13-18}

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 7-12}

Pumpkin Snowmen

Winners & Discounts {7 Days of Giveaways}

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments {Day 1-6}

Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow {Review}

Mama Jenn’s Family Wishlist

Truth in the Tinsel {2011 Advent in Action}

My Memories Scrapbook Software (Review & Giveaway)

Education Cubes Membership {Giveaway}

What’s in the Bible? {Christmas Special}

We Choose Virtues {Review & Giveaway}

Pick and Draw Giveaway

Pick and Draw {BINGO}

Pick and Draw makes wonderful stocking stuffers!

Mattie Grace Gifts {Giveaway}

2011 Christmas Crafts of Christmas Past

Birth of Jesus: Grapevine Bible Studies {Review & Giveaway}

Moments to Remember: “This is the Life”