Mama Jenn

FINAL Thumb-sucking Update

2012-02-22T03:01:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, some of my most popular posts in the past are those about our battle with thumb and finger sucking. Yes, both of my sets of twins (all four boys) sucked their fingers and/or thumbs. In fact, I taught them to do it! (insert gasp here!)

When they were tiny babies, it was much easier to teach them to get their hands to their faces than it was for me to get up and find their pacifiers in the middle of the night! So, even though I DID teach them to suck their thumbs/fingers, I did not want them to continue with the habit. With that said, I thought I would provide an update on our finger-sucking adventure!

It was May 12, 2010 when I posted about our final solution to stopping the finger sucking habit! I was desperate…and creative, but we have not turned back since! It has been over 2.5 years since I have had a thumb/finger sucker in our family! I guess it is safe to say that we have kicked the habit! LOL!! So, if you would like to follow our thumb-sucking journey, check out the posts below:

Thumb Guards 03.04.09 Explains how we got ourselves into this whole thumb sucking ordeal. Plus, I include details about our awesome success using Thumb Guards for our first set of twins.

Thumb Guard Update 03.22.09 Provides an update from our first attempts at the guards with the younger twins. It showcases our progress (with JI) and lack of progress (with TJ) and how we tried to remedy it.

Relapsed 03.29.09 The peer pressure from TJ’s lack of progress caused JI to relapse.

The Thumb Guards & Finger Guards are Back!! 03.26.10 Explains how we purchased additional guards to combat TJ’s love for his fingers!

No More Thumb Suckers! 05.12.10 We had to get creative, but we found a solution for TJ that TOTALLY worked!

Now that we officially have kicked the habit, I am hoping that our efforts may save us some money in orthodontist work in the future! A girl can hope, right?!?!? LOL!!

So, do you have any thumb/finger suckers? Do you have a success story of your little one(s) kicking the habit?

VeggieTales AND Cooper & Me WINNERS

2012-02-18T18:40:00.001-05:00

Thank you so very much to everyone who entered to win the VeggieTales giveaway and the Cooper & Me Military giveaway! We have some winners!

Commenter #63, Bess Wuertz

Now, onto the Cooper & Me winner:

Commenter #4, Marie Johnson

Congratulations Ladies!!!

Ww for Water {MFW Kindergarten Printables}

2012-02-16T03:01:00.000-05:00

As much as I love the hands-on activities and crafts in our My Father’s World Kindergarten Curriculum, I was not very good about doing the Words to Remember badges with my daughter. So, I came up with something a little different for the boys. I created printable art/copywork pages for them to work on their penmanship while creatively depicting the Words to Remember.

This is the Lesson 10: Ww for Water page from one of my older boy’s kindergarten school year. All we used for this page was some glue and some homemade colored sand. (You could use glitter in lieu of the sand.) Simply add some drops of glue to the paper. Hold the paper upright so that the glue begins to drip down the page a bit, looking like raindrops. Then lay the paper flat and sprinkle the blue sand or glitter over the glue. Shake of the excess and let dry!

You can download the Words to Remember printables from my MFW Kindergarten Supplemental Printables page.

PLEASE NOTE: These copywork printables are only for students who are reading and writing easily. This type of copywork is not a regular part of My Father's World Kindergarten curriculum.

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

2012-02-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

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

How am I doing? Well, despite an unexpected surgery scheduled for this Friday, I have still been able to make great headway with my February goals!

Personal:

1. Commit to daily quiet time (Bible reading & prayer) each morning. I’ve been doing this one…just need to work on getting up earlier!

2. Finish reading Eat That Frog!

3. ~~Finish reading~~ ~~Organized Simplicity~~. DONE!!! This book not only inspired me to do a whole-house purge, but to totally change around the rooms (furniture) in our house so that they better suit our needs!

4. Complete 10 scrapbook pages.

Marriage:

5. ~~Find and begin a couples devotional~~. We did set a day for our weekly devotional time together. But, rather than a book, our plan is to go over what our pastor taught on the previous Sunday.

6. Flirt with my hubby everyday. This has been a bit tougher than I expected! I need to set up a daily reminder or something!

Parenting:

7. Decide on and begin a weekly family devotional. We decided on the downloadable family devotions that go along with The Hands-On Bible. We decided on a night and plan to start this week!

8. Gather scriptures so that I can discipline consistently with The Word. I discovered a jewel!!! The Child-Training Bible!!! While I am in bed recovering from surgery I plan to finish getting it ready to use with my kids! I can’t wait!!!

9. Find a feasible way to have one-on-one time with each child daily. I have tried a few things and I think what I like most is having individual reading time with each child. We cuddle up and they read to me or I read to them. However, I still want to find another way to squeeze in some more one-on-one time…Do any of you mama’s with lots of kids have some ideas you want to share???

Homeschooling:

10. Read The Toothpaste Millionaire aloud to the kids. Not done, but the kids and I are all enjoying the book!

11. ~~Read/watch Hans Brinker and take the kids ice skating~~. DONE!!

12. ~~Find and begin a new daily devotional with the kids~~. I decided on Long Story Short to use with the kids daily…well Monday through Friday, before we start our schoolwork. We still incorporate our Grapevine Studies, but they are part of our “schoolwork.”

Homemaking:

13. ~~Finish completely re-organizing the furniture to suit our needs~~. DONE!! My hubby is so impressed, b/c I am a creature that DOES NOT LIKE CHANGE!

14. Finish purging each room in the house. The only rooms left are the master bedroom, all bathrooms, laundry/craft room, and part of the garage! Woo-hoo!! I am now a firm believer that less is more!! Thanks to Organized Simplicity for the inspiration!

15. Start up SHE Method again.

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family:

16. Write 2 letters.

17. Start sending birthday cards to extended family & friends again.

Financial:

18. Gather documents for tax preparation. Just downloaded Your Blogging Business, which should help with identifying additional info that I need to gather for our taxes. Hope to read it over the weekend!

Blogging/Online Activity:

19. Begin writing and scheduling blog posts @ least 1 week in advance. I’m not going to lie…I am struggling with this one. But, I’ve got some ideas of how to make it easier…don’t worry, if they work, I’ll share them with you! LOL!!

20. Stick with my new schedule for online activity. Being disciplined to do this has been hard, but when I stick to my schedule, I find that I am a happier mom, which means the kids in turn are happier!

With that said how are you coming along with your February 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!

Happy Valentine’s Day {plus a $10 What’s in the Bible Coupon Code}

2012-02-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

I hope that you are all enjoying a wonderful Valentine's Day!! Don’t you just love this cute little What’s in the Bible? Valentine card! (This is just one of four super cute Valentines to choose from!) Want to share this Valentine with others AND get a $10 OFF coupon code for What’s in the Bible Volume #1? In a nutshell, you get What’s in the Bible Volume 1: Genesis for ONLY $5, including s&h! (Use coupon code: LOVE1). Can’t beat that! We have volumes 1 though 5 and the Christmas DVD and love them all! Want more info? Click the card above! (Coupon code is valid today, Feb 14, 2012, ONLY!)

Grapevine Timelines Winner!!

2012-02-11T13:28:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the Grapevine Timelines giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner:

Commenter #68, Jessica8184

Didn’t win?

Be sure to head over to Grapevine Studies to snag these awesome timelines!

While you’re there be sure to check out the Resurrection Study…just in time for Easter!

Cooper & Me and the Military {Review & Giveaway}

2012-02-10T18:06:00.001-05:00

My kids have come to enjoy Cooper! We have Cooper and Me and Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure. So, my kids were thrilled to add Cooper and Me and the Military to our collection! Illustrated and co-written by 13 year old Alexa Peters, this book is about their real-life dog, Cooper.

In this heart-warming story we meet Trooper, Cooper’s best friend, and we learn how he is adopted and bring joy to two children whose parents are both serving in the military. Find out how their family stays close despite being separated.

A must-read during patriotic holidays and for anyone with friends and family in the military, this book helps children know, that even when loved ones aren’t with us, they still love us and think about us.

As with all the Cooper and Me books, this book not only includes a fun adventure, but it also teaches an important Life Lesson and features interactive materials at the back of the book to drive the message home.

Included are activities that help children name and process their own feelings about what they’ve read. Such interactive features in Cooper and Me and the Military include:

Special Memory Creation: a letter that can be sent to our troops serving in the military
Life Lessons: Staying connected with loved ones even when you can’t be together
Connections: thought-provoking questions related to the life lesson
Learning Together: comprehension questions

Our Thoughts: We have enjoyed all of the Cooper and Me books that we have read and this one is no exception! Thanks to Cooper and Me and the Military, we are looking forward to doing what we can to support and encourage our troops through letters! The book even includes a website providing information on how you can go about doing this!

I just love seeing my little guys lounging on our bean bag chairs enjoying this book! In case you can’t tell, my kids are definitely Cooper and Me fans!

Giveaway Info:

Would you like to win a copy of the book Cooper and Me and the Military? I have the opportunity to give away a copy to one of my readers! The first and mandatory entry is to check out the other books in the Copper and Me series and let me know which one you would be most interested in reading!

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!)

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” Cooper and Me on Facebook (and let them know Mama Jenn sent you) AND/OR “Like” Mama Jenn on Facebook. Leave a comment for EACH like. (max 2 entries)
Follow @Cooper_and_Me on Twitter AND/OR @MamaJennBlogs on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a separate comment for EACH follow. (max 2 entries)
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 @Cooper_and_Me and the Military book. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/xAgo7X

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, December 17th! 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!

Can’t Wait to Win?

You can purchase Cooper and Me and the Military for $12.99 directly from the Cooper and Me website! Plus, receive a FREE download of the Cooper and Me Theme Song with your purchase!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Valentines Letters for Little Ones {FREE Tracing Printables}

2012-02-09T23:29:00.001-05:00

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 love and gratitude through letters. Plus it is a fun way to sneak in some extra writing practice!

Our Christmas Tracing Thank You Letters were such a huge hit, that I decided to make to the Little Letters collection! Next up…Valentines Letters!

The Valentines collection includes “Happy Valentines Day” letters as well as Valentines Thank You letters. I have varied the letters so that they could be used for friends or family! Just choose the one(s) you want and print! Here are a couple of samples below:

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. (To see an example of this, see the Christmas Thank You post.)

My little guys loved being able to “write” and illustrate Valentines letters for their extended family!

Then they decided to embellish the top of the page with hearts!

And, they loved using our heart-shaped bottle top stamps!

As an added bonus, 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: Valentines Tracing Printables here.

VeggieTales DVD Review & Giveaway {God Loves You Very Much & If I Sang a Silly Song}

2012-02-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

I don’t know about you, be we are BIG VeggieTales fans! It is amazing how we (myself included) have been able to pick up so many Biblical truths from these little talking vegetables! So, when I was asked to review two new VeggieTales DVDs, God Loves You Very Much and If I Sang a Silly Song, I jumped at the opportunity! Besides, I knew it would make my kids’ day!

VeggieTales: God Loves You Very Much

Perfect for Valentines Day, God Loves You Very Much is the follow-up title to the smash-hit VeggieTales DVD, God Made You Special. The DVD includes nearly 90 minutes of family-friendly content, featuring three fan-favorite VeggieTales stories that teach valuable lessons about love:

Gideon: Tuba Warrior (Trust)
The Ballad of Little Joe (Facing Hardship)
Rack, Shack & Benny (Peer Pressure)

In addition to bonus features and activities, the DVD also includes an all-new “story-song” called Does He Love Me?.

Does He Love Me? is the question the Veggie Kids ask Larry and the answer is found through a fun trip of song and rhyme that gives the answer -- God loves you very much! Join Larry, Bob, Junior, Laura and their pals as they recount all the ways that God shows kids he loves them even when "they forget to blow their nose, or dirty up their clothes!" This new compilation features stories that show uniquely how God cares for us in all kinds of situations! –from VeggieTales

Our Thoughts: As expected, we loved this DVD! While my kids are already familiar with the three classic VeggieTales stories, they were excited to see them again…along with the new song “Does He Love Me?” I was honestly amazed at how quiet my house became as they watched the classic VeggieTales!

God Loves You Very Much can be purchased directly from the VeggieTales website or via Amazon.

VeggieTales: If I Sang A Silly Song

Larry the Cucumber hosts “The Silly Song Telethon” and counts down the top favorite silly songs of all-time... voted for by the fans!! After 20 great silly songs, the fun continues with a surprise introduction of a never-before-seen, new Silly Song picked from thousands of fan-submitted entries. The DVD boasts of over 70 minutes Silly Songs!

Our Thoughts: We LOVED the countdown. It was fun to see which songs were from the first 10 years (aka the classics) and which were from the past decade! Amongst our family of seven, we even had our own contest to see which was our families favorite silly song from each decade. From the first decade (the classics), our two favorites are “Button Button” and “His Cheeseburger.” From the past 10 years, our two favorites are are “Pizza Angel” and “Sport Utility Vehicle.” Amongst the kids, “Gated Community” was a close runner up, although I fought hard for “Where Have All the Staplers Gone!”

As for the new song, “Bubble Rap”, my kids have been singing the chorus ever since we first saw the DVD. They even got excited when a package arrived with bubble-wrap that they could snap along with the song! Take a peek at the song below:

I, too, like the “Bubble Rap” song with one exception. While it is a catchy little be-bopping rap, I don’t like the part where K-Lil says, “What up B-I-T-S. Let’s rock that rap.” I did a COMPLETE double take, because I thought I heard the “B” word. Fortunately, BITS, which appears to be the name of the VeggieTales rap group, flashed across the screen and relieved me! While my kids have no clue about the “B” word, I am still not completely comfortable with that part of the song.

But, overall, we loved having so many Silly Songs all together for lots of laughter and singing along! Check out some of my kiddos singing and dancing along to the “Bubble Rap” song:

Just released today, If I Sang a Silly Song can be purchased directly from the VeggieTales website or via Amazon.

Giveaway Info:

~Giveaway is closed~

Would you like to win a copy of VeggieTales DVDs God Loves You Very Much AND If I Sang a Silly Song? I have the opportunity to give away both DVDs to one of my readers! The first and mandatory entry is to tell me your (or your kids) favorite VeggieTales DVD!

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” VeggieTales on Facebook AND/OR “Like” Mama Jenn on Facebook. Leave a comment for EACH like. (max 2 entries)
Follow @MamaJennBlogs on Twitter AND/OR @VeggieTales on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a separate comment for EACH follow. (max 2 entries)
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 2 newly released @VeggieTales DVDs. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/wx9hji

The giveaway ends at midnight on Monday, February 13th! 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!

This product was given to me for review/giveaway 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.

Homemade Heart-Shaped Marshmallows

2012-02-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

Since Valentines Day is almost here I wanted to share this super cute recipe. For Little Books for Little Cooks on Totally Tots, we read Rhyme Time Valentine by Nancy Poydar. To go along with the book, we made these yummy heart-shaped marshmallows and enjoyed some warm hot chocolate.

Click here for directions to make your own marshmallows ---->

Click here to read my review of Rhyme Time Valentine ---->

Mission of the Month: February 2012 {and Jan Accomplishments}

2012-02-01T14:24:00.000-05:00

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! 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.)

January Mission Update: My mission for January was to complete and implement our new chore/job system and to start up our family game night again. Well, as a family, we enjoyed playing UNO, Hungry Hippo, and Charades for Kids numerous times. Family game night is definitely a keeper!!

As for the chore/job chart, it is not done. But, I have good reason for it not being complete. I have started reading Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider and Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. Both books convicted me on the whole chore/job chart system that I have been trying to implement for the last few months…yes months!

One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all. (Tracy, p.10)

Do I really need to be spending all this time trying to create some elaborate chore/job system? Yes, we need some sort way to keep the kids accountable for their chores, but why waste time re-inventing the wheel, right?!? Just keep it simple! Then, I read the below statement in Organized Simplicity and I don’t think the message could have been any clearer!

Don’t create some complicated chore system that neither you nor your children can understand-simply give them assignments and privileges for accomplishing them. (Oxenreider, p.10)

So, no, the new chore/job system did not get done…and I currently don’t have plans on trying to pull my elaborate idea together. So, we will stick with something simple. What matters is that the kids are learning discipline to do what needs to be done…when it needs to be done…and to do it well…and that can be accomplished without a fancy system.

My Mission for February 2012: God has really been dealing with my on the issue of goal setting and I have been attentively listening and heeding! In fact, my husband and I took a few nights to hash out our goals for 2012! Thanks to the advice of Money Saving Mom, we even categorized our goals into the following groups or focus areas: Personal, Marriage, Parenting, Homeschooling, Homemaking (for me), Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family, Financial, Work (for hubby), and Blogging/Online Activity (for me). With that said, most of my mission for this month will be drawn from my list of goals for the year! So, here is my mission list for the month of February:

Personal:

1. Commit to daily quiet time (Bible reading & prayer) each morning.

2. Finish reading Eat That Frog!

3. Finish reading Organized Simplicity.

4. Complete 10 scrapbook pages.

Marriage:

5. Find and begin a couples devotional. Any recommendations???

6. Flirt with my hubby everyday. (Gotta keep the flame burning!) ;-)

Parenting:

7. Decide on and begin a weekly family devotional. Any suggestions???

8. Gather scriptures so that I can discipline consistently with The Word.

9. Find a feasible way to have one-on-one time with each child daily.

Homeschooling:

10. Read The Toothpaste Millionaire aloud to the kids.

11. Read/watch Hans Brinker and take the kids ice skating.

12. Find and begin a new daily devotional with the kids.

Homemaking:

13. Finish completely re-organizing the furniture to suit our needs.

14. Finish purging each room in the house.

15. Start up SHE Method again.

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family:

16. Write 2 letters.

17. Start sending birthday cards to extended family & friends again.

Financial:

18. Gather documents for tax preparation.

Blogging/Online Activity:

19. Begin writing and scheduling blog posts @ least 1 week in advance.

20. Stick with my new schedule for online activity.

So, I know my mission list for February is quite lofty, but as I said, I feel that the Lord has been speaking to me about setting goals and following through with them. So, I am excited to be working on goals that I have not only discussed with my husband, but have been prayed over by both myself and my husband! Can’t wait to check back in at the end of the month!

What is your February 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, February 5th.

Grapevine Timelines {Review & Giveaway}

2012-01-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

Don’t you just love it when you have a problem and you find a product that will solve your specific problem EXACTLY? Well, that is just what Grapevine has done for me with their newest products: Timelines and Wall Timelines!

We are already Grapevine fans! My kids and I LOVE stick-figuring through the Bible. In fact, we are about to finish up The Life of Joseph. We took a little break and worked on The Birth of Jesus over the Christmas holidays! Now that school is back in full swing, we are excited to finish up Joseph and then begin the Old Testament Timeline!

PROBLEM: Now, back to my problem. For the last few years we have proudly displayed the timelines that my daughter made using our My Father’s World curriculum on the wall in our classroom. Well, now that the boys have started doing the same timelines, I wanted to display theirs. However, that meant that my daughter’s needed to come down…and I didn’t know what to do with them.

PROBLEM SOLVED: Well, Grapevine has completely solved my problem with their Blank Wall Timelines. So, I know what you are thinking…how did a WALL timeline solve the problem of needing to take your daughter timeline OFF the wall? Well, first I printed out the blank timeline. (View a color sample here.) I trimmed the pages and taped them together using the timeline folding method shown at Ginger-Snap-Shots. Then I glued the images from my daughter’s original timeline onto the blank wall timeline.

Using the special taping/folding method allowed me to fold the wall timeline so that it could be easily stored away.

The special taping allows the timeline to retain the folds and lay completely flat when it is stored away. Here is the wall timeline looks like all neatly folded up.

Below is a photo of what the timeline looks like spread the length of my dining room table! I just love how it looks! Isn’t the scroll design great? Now I have a cute, space-efficient way to store the timeline that was once on the wall!

More about the timeline: The blank timeline measures over 10 feet long. However, you can print as few or as many pages of the timeline that you need. I only needed 8 of the 12 pages of the pdf to accommodate my daughter’s timeline.

The blank wall timelines can be used with any study requiring a timeline! There is plenty of room to chronologically draw (or in our case, glue) important events onto the timeline, making it a great visual for any classroom!

Not only does Grapevine have blank timelines (both in color and black/white), but they also have Old Testament and New Testament Wall Timelines, plus Old and New Testament Timeline books/eBooks with teacher notes for instruction. The OT and NT Wall Timelines are designed so that they can be used in conjunction with the corresponding Timeline booklets.

Whether you are in need of the Old Testament or New Testament timeline, or even the blank one to accommodate whatever information you would like to chronologically display, the Grapevine Wall Timelines would make a wonderful addition to your homeschool!

Discount & Coupon Code: All the Grapevine timelines are currently on sale. Plus you can use the discount code JANFS for FREE SHIPPING on any order. (Sale price & discount code expire 1/31/12.)

Giveaway Info:

~Giveaway is Closed~

Would you like to win a Wall Timeline of your choice? I have the opportunity to give away a student and teacher Wall Timeline to one of my readers! The first and mandatory entry is to check out all of the Grapevine Wall Timelines and let me know which one (OT, NT, or Blank) you would be most interested in using and WHY!

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” Grapevine Studies on Facebook AND/OR “Like” Mama Jenn on Facebook. Leave a comment for EACH like. (max 2 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 Wall Timelines. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/zQByuD

The giveaway ends at midnight on Monday, February 6th! 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!

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: At the Aquarium

2012-01-28T03:01:00.000-05:00

Moments to Remember is 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 can remember at time when I was T.E.R.R.I.F.I.E.D to take my kids on field trips unless my hubby was able to come along to help. After a memorable trip to Costco by myself with all five kids in tow (a few years back), it is no surprise that I have been so hesitant to venture out on field trips.

However, I have since become more confident and I actually take my kids to a number of places that I otherwise would not have dared to attempt with five little ones. To date, I am most proud of our trip to the aquarium. Not only did I take the kids all by myself, but I had to drive over an hour to get there (and I don’t like driving). Plus, it was Homeschool Day, so there were TONS and I mean TONS of other kids around. But, we survived…{ahem} I survived! We had lots of fun. We got to see and touch lots of really cool marine life…and I was even able to snap a few photos! Now I call that success! LOL!!

Below is a scrapbook page that I created with some of the photos that I took using my new digital scrapbook software!

Oh, and, YES, I did dress everyone (including myself) in red! I figured it would make it a bit easier to keep track of everyone! Next time I think I should try fluorescent orange! LOL!

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!

**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.}

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:

Mama Jenn

FINAL Thumb-sucking Update

VeggieTales AND Cooper & Me WINNERS

Ww for Water {MFW Kindergarten Printables}

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

Happy Valentine’s Day {plus a $10 What’s in the Bible Coupon Code}

Grapevine Timelines Winner!!

Cooper & Me and the Military {Review & Giveaway}

Valentines Letters for Little Ones {FREE Tracing Printables}

VeggieTales DVD Review & Giveaway {God Loves You Very Much & If I Sang a Silly Song}

Homemade Heart-Shaped Marshmallows

Mission of the Month: February 2012 {and Jan Accomplishments}

Grapevine Timelines {Review & Giveaway}

Moments to Remember: At the Aquarium

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}