Nurture Mama

Consistent, good habits lead to peace at home

Nurture Mama — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:24:32 +0000

Elder Scott’s address at the April 2013 General Conference was a talk that really stood out to me. I could have highlighted and reposted the entire talk here, but I tried to limit myself to the most significant sections!

“Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity.”

“Children can be responsible for improving the Christ-centered efforts in the home. It is important for parents to teach children to recognize how their actions affect each individual who lives in the home. Children who are made to feel accountable for their actions, whether righteous or otherwise, grow to become trustworthy citizens in the kingdom of God.”

“More importantly, simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.”

-use tech devices as “a tool of protection from the worst of society”. Study the scriptures on phone/ipod throughout the day.

“When we obey the commandments of the Lord and serve His children unselfishly, the natural consequence is power from God—power to do more than we can do by ourselves. Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord. His power is a fundamental component to establishing a home filled with peace.”

“One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.”

“We need not worry if we can’t simultaneously do all of the things that the Lord has counseled us to do. He has spoken of a time and a season for all things. In response to our sincere prayers for guidance, He will direct us in what should be emphasized at each phase of our life. We can learn, grow, and become like Him one consistent step at a time.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, “For Peace at Home”. April 2013 General Conference.

10 Things Not to Say to Your Children

Nurture Mama — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:47:32 +0000

Recently I discovered this post, 10 Things Not to Say to Your Children, via Pinterest. I thought it was a good list to remember and try to remove from my daily conversations with my children. (You can follow the link to get the explanation behind each point, and ideas for what you can say instead)

1. No (running, hitting, yelling, fill in the verb)!

2. Good job!

3. Don’t argue with me.

4. Wait until your Dad/Mom/other person finds out about this.

5. If you do that one more time…

6. You are doing that the wrong way.

7. That is what happens when you…

8. You can’t/Don’t do that.

9. We are (whatever the child doesn’t want to do at that moment), OKAY?

10. You are making me really mad right now.

The strength of the women

Nurture Mama — Fri, 31 May 2013 13:00:30 +0000

“We must never lose sight of the strength of the women. … It is mothers who most directly affect the lives of their children. … It is mothers who nurture them and bring them up in the ways of the Lord. Their influence is paramount. …

“… They are the creators of life. They are the nurturers of children. They are the teachers of young women. They are our indispensable companions. They are our co-workers in building the kingdom of God. How great is their role, how marvelous their contribution.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “Standing Strong and Immovable,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 10, 2004, 21.

Act well the part as a daughter of God and as a mother

Nurture Mama — Thu, 30 May 2013 01:11:25 +0000

“As daughters of God we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences. And yet our part matters—because we matter. Our daily contributions of nurturing, teaching, and caring for others may seem mundane, diminished, difficult, and demeaning at times, and yet as we remember that first line in the Young Women theme—“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us”—it will make all the difference in our relationships and our responses.”

“What e’er thou art, act well thy part.”

“Young women need mothers and mentors who exemplify virtuous womanhood. Mothers, your relationship with your daughter is of paramount importance, and so is your example. How you love and honor her father, his priesthood, and his divine role will be reflected and perhaps amplified in your daughter’s attitudes and behavior.”

Elaine S. Dalton, “We Are Daughters of Our Heavenly Father”. April 2013 General Conference.

Words from a living prophet (April 2013)

Nurture Mama — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:13:21 +0000

“May I suggest a formula that will ensure our success: first, search the scriptures with diligence; second, plan your life with purpose (and, I might add, plan your life regardless of your age); third, teach the truth with testimony; and fourth, serve the Lord with love.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Come, All Ye Sons of God”. April 2013 General Conference.

“A knowledge of truth and the answers to our greatest questions come to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God.”

Story of lighting a field on fire as an 8 year old boy.

“My brothers and sisters, the great test of this life is obedience. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”

“The knowledge which we seek, the answers for which we yearn, and the strength which we desire today to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when we willingly obey the Lord’s commandments. I quote once again the words of the Lord: “He that keepeth [God’s] commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Obedience Brings Blessings”. April 2013 General Conference.

“I admonish you to be good citizens of the nations in which you live and good neighbors in your communities, reaching out to those of other faiths as well as to our own.”

“As this conference now concludes, I invoke the blessings of heaven upon each of you. May your homes be filled with peace, harmony, courtesy, and love. May they be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. May you nurture and nourish your testimonies of the gospel, that they will be a protection to you against the buffetings of Satan.

Until we meet again in six months, I pray that the Lord will bless and keep you, my brothers and sisters. May His promised peace be with you now and always.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Until We Meet Again”. April 2013 General Conference.

“No greater eternal work than within the walls of your own home.”

Nurture Mama — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:41 +0000

“Latter-day Saints recognize the transcendent importance of the family and strive to live in such a way that the adversary cannot steal into our homes. We find safety and security for ourselves and our children in honoring the covenants we have made and living up to the ordinary acts of obedience required of the followers of Christ.”

“There are few things more powerful than the faithful prayers of a righteous mother.”

“Teach yourself and teach your families about the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. You will do no greater eternal work than within the walls of your own home.

“Each of us must stay in condition to respond to inspiration and the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has a way of pouring pure intelligence into our minds to prompt us, to guide us, to teach us, and to warn us. Each son or daughter of God can know the things they need to know instantly. Learn to receive and act on inspiration and revelation.”

President Boyd K. Packer, “These Things I Know”. April 2013 General Conference.

To Every Mother

Nurture Mama — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:18:07 +0000

I was touched by this short video which is being featured on lds.org, produced in association with several faith groups to remind people everywhere of the importance of families.

“Life doesn’t come with a manual…it comes with a mother.”

Rainy Preschool Theme

Nurture Mama — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:14:10 +0000

We have had a lot of cloudy rainy days recently. What better way to celebrate the weather than with a rainy preschool lesson theme?!

Introduce the theme by putting together the rain/number puzzle from the Rain preschool packet by 2 Teaching Mommies.

Read I love the Rain by Margaret Park Bridges.

Make it rain! Follow the directions from Preschool Alphabet to conduct this science experiment. All you need is a pot of boiling water and a tin pie pan filled with ice cubes. The kids thought it was pretty cool when the droplets started forming, and I was able to throw in the words evaporation and condensation in our conversation.

While we were waiting for the water to boil, we did some worksheets from the the Rain preschool packet by 2 Teaching Mommies. We especially liked the lightning letter match: matching uppercase letter clouds to lowercase letter lightning bolts.

Read Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld. This was a really cute story about a little cloud who dreams of doing great big things.

Talk about the water cycle using this image from Deceptively Educational.

Sing a few rain songs: Rain is Falling All Around or The Wise Man and the Foolish Man (from the Children’s Songbook).

Create an umbrella/rainy day picture from No Time for Flashcards. (Our craft didn’t actually turn out this cute. At this point the children were more interested in playing with ice cubes in a bowl, but oh well).

We didn’t have time for Disappearing Clouds by Teach Preschool, but will hopefully get to it later this week (draw clouds with chalk on black paper, then make the clouds “disappear” by painting over them with water).

You can find more great ideas at this Preschool Rain/Clouds/Water Cycle Pinterest board.

Further Reading

Rain Makes Applesauce by Julianne Scheer

Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Blue Sky by Audrey Wood

Little Cloud by Eric Carle

Split! Splat! by Amy Gibson

Clouds by Anne Rockwell

Love is the key in our family relationships-pray for it!

Nurture Mama — Mon, 06 May 2013 01:14:51 +0000

“The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.”

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.” (Moroni 7:48).

“Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others.”

“He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves. That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is.”

“Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion.” (Or see the good in anyone I need to see the good in!)

President Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example”. October 2009 General Conference.

Smoothie Recipe Round-Up

Nurture Mama — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:52:41 +0000

We love to eat smoothies, and we eat them nearly everyday for our mid-morning snack. It’s a great way to get some healthy nutrients into my kiddos (and myself!)

I pull out the blender and toss in the following: 1-2 Tbsp of orange juice concentrate, banana, handful of baby spinach, frozen strawberries, yogurt, and milk. I’ve been adding spinach for the last month or so and it is great–the children don’t notice it. I usually make extra and freeze the leftovers in a popsicle mold. Then I only have to make smoothies every other day, with popsicles served on the in-between days.

But lately I’ve been thinking it’s time to mix things up and add some new flavors. I scoured my pinterest board and recapped the favorites I want to try here. Enjoy! Let me know if you try any and what your favorites are!

Smoothies 101 from Meet the Dubiens: great step-by-step instructions for making smoothies, includes 10 recipes, tips on freezing the leftovers.

Mix and Match Smoothies from Plan to Eat: great overview on the basics of making a smoothie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie from Make and Takes

Strawberry Peach Smoothie from Food for my Family

Avocado Banana Smoothie from Food Your Way

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie from My Blessed Life

Orange Creamy from Family Heritage Recipes

Cran Raspberry Smoothie from Simple Bites

Pineapple Smoothie from Gimme Some Oven

Make your own yogurt drinks from Meet the Dubiens: not a smoothie, but a good alternative

Pumpkin Nutella Smoothie from Kitchen Treaty: yummy….nutella!

Green Smoothie from Pinterest (the recipe was included in the Pin, I can’t find the original source): 2 handfuls baby spinach, 1 cup of chunk pineapple, 2 bananas, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 cup water

And lastly…Frozen Spinach cubes: How to guide to saving and using your spinach before it goes bad, from All That is Sweet in Life

Happy smoothie making!