Planner Perfect

Death by Appointment

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Everything always seems to be running smoothly until I open my planner to reveal… an appointment.

I don’t care if it’s ice skating lessons for one of my children, the doctor or the dentist. I seem to always have the same problem—getting there on time. It’s hard enough just getting myself ready, let alone several of my kids. And when we have to be somewhere it usually gets stressful, such as one of them can’t find one of their socks or a baby is crying when I have one foot already out the door.

Sure, it’s fun filling up my calendar: lunch at noon on the 13th, we’ll be there! Teeth cleaning at 3 o’clock on the 20th, no problem. Science class this Friday, exciting! But when the time comes to actually going to these appointments, I’m not as excited as when I made them. One time, I had all seven of my children with me on our way to the dentist, because my two older ones had an appointment. I of course was running ten minutes late; turned into the dentist’s parking lot on two wheels, and pulled in front of the building with a screeching halt. I put our truck in park, looked back at all of my children in our Suburban and yelled,

"Hurry and get out!"

We unbuckled ourselves, the older ones helped the younger ones, and our feet hit the pavement in record time. We all ran in the front door, I tripped over the foyer rug and out of breath exclaimed,

"The Pentons are here for their appointment."

The receptionist looked at us over her spectacles, then her appointment book, and then back at me with pity and said,

"I’m sorry honey, you’re here too late for us to take you. We’re going to have to reschedule."

It’s amazing how one appointment in my day can be the death of me. Combine that with all my children’s activities and we’ve got chaos! Keeping my children busy and active in the homeschooling community was something I did all the time. I wanted to be plugged in to all the science projects, field trips, and sports, like I was somehow a better Mom by being submerged in all the activities. Keeping busy felt frazzled, which I thought at the time, was a good thing. It seemed the busier I kept us in life, the more successful they would become.

Not to mention the buzz from other Mothers and their children’s busy schedules was the topic of conversation everywhere as if they were heroes;. at my son’s football games, my daughter’s ice skating lessons and even the dentist. Homeschooling your children definitely does not make you immune to an over scheduled life!

But in everyone's defense, including my own, there is so much out there to entice you.

It was then becoming clear to me that I didn’t want to be a part of that busy life any more. I wanted to go back to living and enjoying life, unhurried. Of course that doesn’t mean that I took my kids out of everything, and we never go anywhere; we go and do things all the time, just more at our leisure than by appointment.

For us, when we are just running errands, going to the library, or visiting a museum, we learn more and enjoy each others company. The mistake was made when thinking they were not going to learn anything, or become somebody of importance unless they were in a structured learning atmosphere and pursued a gazillion different activities.

Children do not need to dabble in a hundred different things to find out what they want to pursue, but rather, maybe one or two at the most and knowing and seeking out themselves, personally.

We now focus on that one thing each really wants to put their energy in. Those kinds of activities I don’t mind doing. They have true purpose. They of course have a lot of things they do and enjoy, and being home enables them to do them, and the time to do them well. Life has a lot to offer and God has shown me, that He wants us to live life to the very fullest. I’d rather we all do one or two things at full potential, than a dozen things mediocre.

Being free of an over scheduled calendar allows us to learn about ourselves without the interference of time restraints.

There are the appointments in life that we must do and keep, such as the dentist. But as far as activities and my children are concerned, I want to be focused on the ones that create purpose and meaning, rather than always being frazzled to "Death By Appointment!"

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."

Henry David Thoreau

For information on the, Planner Perfect, Planner, click here.

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Enjoy your children and your life...

Hugs Friends,

Five things I've Learned Most Raising Children

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Parenting with intent comes with a plan...

Having quite a number of children, I've been through a lot of different scenarios with them, and I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and parenting, from them. I have tried numerous parenting techniques, but nothing ever seemed to be what I knew in my heart was right until I started listening to my heart and praying about it. I want to raise my children with intent and that comes with the job of dissecting what I've been doing for years that haven't worked and start understanding my children better, being open to change, and being the best Mom I can be...

Over the years, I've learned a lot, read a lot, prayed a lot, and the biggest and best thing I've ever done in being a better Mother, has been to be open to change.

Here are my top five, core, fundamental tips when raising children:

#1. Teaching our children how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Teaching our children about God should be in our everyday life and conversations; to pray, to trust in Him, to not get caught-up in all the "rules" of Christianity, but to seek God for the plans He has for them. My husband and I have a responsibility to be living examples of how to have a relationship with God and live for Him; leading by example, like everything else, is the only way to truly learn.

#2. No spanking, no time-outs, no forced apologies but rather, we've learned to teach them how their actions affect others, instead. The how and why apologies work better for truly teaching its importance; they come around and say their sorry all on their own. I would rather it come from their heart, than as an alternative to punishment. No short-term control over the moment can teach better than patience and perseverance. Children have good hearts and with our guide and gentle teaching, will want to do what is right.

#3. No rewards such as: gold stars, candy, pizza, and the like as incentives to motivate children. I've learned that the rewards of a job well done is fulfilling in its own right. Once you dangle the "rewards" they are always going to be after the "what's in it for me" mentality. I want them to push themselves to be their personal best, for themselves, for God, and for its own sake. Not for a "reward".

#4. No demands or control for the sake of who's boss. We respect each other, communicate, and understand each other. This mutual respect, usually gets what you're asking from your child without force. and control.

#5. No structured studies. We set learning goals, and execute them. We are flexible, take our time and are under no time restraints. We don't follow the school system, but rather our interests. They have not been turned off from learning and are continually educating themselves. We don't take a break for summer, spring or holidays. There shouldn't be an off-switch for learning. When this is what children are taught, they can't wait to turn "off" that switch, throw their text books and have fun. Why not create an atmosphere where learning is part of everyday life?

"The best leaders are those that lead without force."

Raising children is to be done with intent; get your thoughts, your plan, in your monthly goal pages in your, Planner Perfect, planner, on how you want to raise your family. You will be parenting with purpose!

These are my five, core, fundamental tips for raising children. These tips did not come without a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Well, maybe not blood, but you get the idea.

Mamas, what have you learned most about raising children?

Unschooling and Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Teaching children to read can be fun...or not so fun. It all depends on the child and their temperament. Having gone through quite a few readers, I thought I'd share some of our tips:

Don't be in a hurry. I started out homeschooling my oldest thinking I needed to get her going by age 5. Not so...introduce reading throughout your day, read to them often, and go by their timing. When they are ready to read, you'll have a much better teaching/learning experience. I've had early readers, age 5, and I've had late readers, age 9 and later. They will learn to read when they are ready.

Dick and Jane books have taught 2 of my girls to read. They make wonderful reader books because of their word repetition. Once they mastered these, they've gone to other books they chose, but seemed to always need help with at least one word per sentence; one tip that has helped with this is this: while reading a sentence I asked my girls to underline in pencil words they could not pronounce and continue to finish the sentence, then going back and giving it another try made it easier after reading the whole sentence. They figured out how to figure out words they couldn't pronounce with this method. It was empowering to them to know that they could figure it out on their own instead of always asking me. Both my daughters were frustrated with reading when they had to ask me for help a lot; this tip helped them immensely.

Host book clubs. For 3 of my daughters, we hosted book clubs. It was a wonderful way to read with my daughter and get together with friends and food.

Read together. Reading together is a lot more fun than phonics drills or assignment books. All of my children have learned to read by reading together, going over sounds, and by reading books with a lot of repetition such as Dick and Jane. Reading together doesn't have to be just for the younger ones, find a book that all will enjoy...the older ones like to listen in, too.

Read all the time. My son, Gabe, learned to read by reading everything he could that wasn't in a book. Popsicle sticks, road signs...anywhere. He was frustrated when trying to read from reader books or any book for that matter, and knew that it wasn't for him. I encouraged him to to read everything he sees and as often as he liked. Now he's an avid reader, and at age ten, enjoys books very much.

Learning to read doesn't have to be done like the schools. I've found with 5 of my children (the other two are 5 and 2), that it comes very naturally while living, on their own timing, and with their own style.
If you're stuck with your child learning to read I hope you'll try these tips that I've learned and know you'll enjoy watching them learn to read according to their own style and timing.

Happy Reading!

Teaching Children to Apologize

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:27:00 +0000

Sometimes, teaching children to say sorry is no easy task and boy, do I know it. All four of my boys, after hurting someone, or taking a toy that wasn't theirs to take, never would even contemplate saying sorry. After all, they were mad! You'd think I was asking them to kiss the victim on the lips.

Sorry was just out of the question.

So, what is a mom to do? Like most, we use punishment as our tool to get an apology out of them. It usually works, they'll throw it out at their victim, but do they really mean it when the alternative is punishment?

Using punishment to get the desired results, is a quick-fix tool. It gives us leverage, power, and control over the situation; but does it work with our children's heart? Does it work for the long-haul?

When we are in one of these situations with our children, the most effective tool is to use our relationship to teach them. Using our relationship based on mutual trust and respect that does not involve punishment or control, gives us a powerful advantage...we have their trust to be an influence. Take the time and find out and care about his or her feelings, too, to find out why he acted the way he did. This is all apart of understanding one another and teaching them how to relate. This is also when we can use this opportunity to teach them about why it is important to say sorry, what God says about our actions, and an alternate way to relate with someone.

Don't dismay if you don't see results immediately. Sometimes they might not want to listen to you and this is okay and can be part of the process; walk away and try again when you feel they are ready. If they have taken a toy or hurt a friend or family's child, it's okay to tell them your sorry for them until your child is ready. Their hearts need to be open and ready to listen and in order for their apology to be genuine, it needs to come from within and they need to own that feeling. You can't make it happen and you can't rush it.

You may be thinking that you don't have time for all this, that punishment as consequences is all you need to get their attention. But considering that all relationships take time, commitment and investment, same holds true for child rearing. When you invest your time into your children by listening and teaching, without use of punishment, you are not into controlling the moment, you are into giving them tools for life. You will be influencing your children and still respecting their autonomy and that is very empowering for all involved. It is a beautiful thing to witness a child's sincere apology after a fight, it could be even up to a day or two afterward, but it is from their heart.

How do you teach children to apologize?

With patience, your invested time, and your influence through your relationship...

Here is to us Moms...we need all the encouragement we can get!

Making Time For You

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:04:00 +0000

Planner Perfect Motherhood Series
You can hear more from Jenny over at Mom's Talk Radio with Maria Bailey on National Mom's Night Out

Creating a Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:04:00 +0000

Planner Perfect Motherhood Series

Tips For a Memorable Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:24:00 +0000

What is the first thing that you should do for your Mother's Day?

Plan it!

It may sound silly to plan your own Mother's day, but I'm telling you from experience...it works!

Why?

Well, I have had some Mother's days, unplanned, that have been, well how do I say this... disappointing.

Not that my family doesn't shower me with love, it's just sometimes the love just fizzles out fast in the day.

You moms know what I'm talking about; one minute you're basking in your Mother's day glory and next minute someone is fighting over the cereal box, and your next 10-minutes is with a broom and dustpan and the day keeps going with that same momentum.

Good feeling gone.

To be honest, I look forward to this day as though it were my birthday. After all, I'm a Mom and proud of it! I have 7 babes ranging from eighteen to three and a handsome husband. I would love to wake up to the aroma of bacon and eggs being prepared for me, I don't want to do any housework all day, yet still have a clean home, do something fun like shop for flowers, and I want everyone to be in great moods and that means, no fighting children and everyone showers me with love and kisses!

Is that too much to ask?

The truth is--and this is from experience of course, it is. And that is why having your special day planned is just plain smart. It's taking care of ourselves, and that in turn makes us better Mothers. All the wonderful surprises and love that we receive on this special day, are going to be icing on the cake!

Here is some tips to ensure an amazing Mother's day. You deserve it!

Get out those planners {Ideally, you'll want to be dreaming this up in April; once you get your groove-on with life planning, this will come natural and easy to do. }

In your Planner Perfect, put these ideas in your May goal pages, this is so you can be dreaming up ideas for your own mother, and get a lot of ideas and details down. Transferring this to your daily pages will then be easy. Script your Mother's day header at the top and if you've got a cute flower sticker to adorn your page...stick that on there, too!

(PP tip: I love to keep stickers of different seasons in my planner for just these occasions. It creates beauty on my pages.)

Begin thinking of what you'd like to do for your own mom. My mom is in town and I like to celebrate her on the day before so I can devote attention to her fully and then Sunday is with my own family. If yours is not near, thinking about this earlier is important so you can get your gift sent on time and you've had time to put thought into her and what she'd like on this day, too.

What would you like to do for breakfast? I would love to have a big breakfast with everyone, so I make sure my kitchen is spotless before I go to bed and that I've got my pancake batter ready or whatever I'd love to prepare in the morning; easy for anyone or even I to prepare in the morning. Afterward, having everyone pitch in to pick-up to keep the kitchen tidy or if not already on it, have them pick-it up for you while you read a book or do something for yourself, like getting ready for the day.

Write down how you'd like to have your home look. I love to wake-up to a clean house. So on Saturday, I get my house in order and chores complete by everyone in the family to ensure this. Your Mother's day will feel fantastic with a clean home; even quarreling children are not that problematic if your not staring down messes in every room you look.

What do you want to do in your day? I know this year where I live, the day is going to be sunny without a cloud in the sky...I want to pick out my flowers and hanging baskets. Then come home and children can get on their gardening gloves with me and we can plant all afternoon and follow it up with a lemonade.

In the afternoon, go for a walk, and make sure you have your favorite coffee or tea on hand so you can prepare it for a relaxing time in your day...

Dinner? Write down what you'd like to have happen. I know I'm bored sick of crowds and Mother's day is always busy. I prefer to eat at home with the comfort of my own family. I don't mind cooking, I love it...so preparing a wonderful meal for us will be fun. Having your husband man the grill is one way to keep the kitchen clean and less cooking for you. Enjoy your favorite coffee out on patio while your man grills and you and your children set the table.

Dessert is a must! If you like baking...make your favorite cake the day before and keep it in your fridge for your special day. If your family already does this for you, then you've got this step covered. But if this is something you'd like to help celebrate, make sure you get it done, by baking it or buying your favorite at a local bakery.

Write down how you would like to finish your night. Is it with a bath, painted nails and a good book, once the young kids are in bed? Why not? Get it planned and make it happen.

Ahh...what a great day! And these are just some example that I've done. Your day will be unique to you.

I hope that you see how planning your day and days leading up to your Mother's day is important. Being a life planner is vital for your mental health, personal growth, being completely organized, and ensuring a Mother's day of you deserve..

Have a wonderful Mother's day, friends! I would love to hear all about your Mother's day...leave a comment sharing how you celebrated and how planning it first, sealed the deal!

Hugs,

Ten Summer Fun Ideas to Do With Your Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:10:00 +0000

Swimming is always the best way to celebrate summer and cool down from the heat. But what other ideas are out there? Well, here are some of my top 10 picks for summer fun...

Reading together!

Instead of summer reading programs that try to inspire reading for prizes, try reading together, or find great books, together, for them as summer reads and inspire reading for the love of it, instead.

One idea of book-love, is one my daughters and I have always loved, and that is to host book clubs and the summer can be a fun time to host! Gather some neighborhood girlies, meet 2 times a month, discuss your books with some fun food and you've got some summer fun!

Another idea is to read books that are coming out in theaters, together, and then go and see the movie. We've enjoyed this a lot.

These are some of our fun reads that my children loved reading together all summer long:

Bowling

A lot of bowling alleys offer free summer bowling. Check out your area for one near you!

kids bowl free.com has a list of participating bowling alleys
Rain or shine, bowling is always fun!

Go Camping!
We're big campers and camp as various places all summer long. But camping doesn't mean you have to leave your back yard. You can always set-up camp in your yard, catch fire flies and make s'mores all in the comforts of your back yard. No matter where you are, it will create wonderful memories!

Create! Do Fun Crafts
What child doesn't like crafts? I know my oldest daughter was obsessed! When is craft time? When is craft time?
Here are some fun summer-time crafts to do with your kids: 36 Family Fun Summer Crafts
Check out my craft/diy tab to find out some of our favorites

4th of July, Fun!
The 4th of July is the smack dab in the middle of summer and is so fun to celebrate. Not only is it a great way to study some history on our country's independence, but also a time to make some Independence Day, crafts and games, and make a flag cake, together!

Make a Lemonade Stand
My children love doing this! I throw in some homemade cookies to sell, too, and they've now made some real money!
This is a wonderful way to teach them about money and business. I have my children help pay for the ingredients and supplies, help make the cookies and lemonade, and they learn a great deal about operating a business; this is a fun way to help celebrate summer!

Philanthropy
Teaching our children about helping others is one way to show love this summer. Check out this link for some charitable activities to do as a family

Host a summer slumber party
This one my girls just love, but doesn't mean your sons can't throw a dude bash. Pizza, some fun decor, plan a scavenger hunt and make a fun cake; you've got yourself a killer start to a great sleepover. Include nail painting and girly masks for a girl sleepover, and movies and PS3 games for the boys. Fun that they'll always remember!

Have a Movie night
I love watching movies with the whole family. Drive-in movies are a lot of fun in the summer and/or saving to see the summer kid-friendly movies in the theaters, is worth every penny. We've rented movie projectors and have watched movies in our yard outdoors, invited the neighbors and popped popcorn. What fun! Lay out blankets and throw some pillows out on the lawn and you've got some serious summer fun!
But it doesn't mean you can't have just as much fun watching a great movie at home. Pop a big bowl of popcorn to share and snuggle in on a summer night.

Go to a Summer Concert...
Summer concerts are usually done every summer, check out the happenings this summer in your local area. They can be a lot of fun!

There you have it! My top 10 all time favorite summer fun ideas!

Enjoy!

Planner Perfect Motherhood/Planning Kid's Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Check out my post on ideas for your summer planning!

Ten Fun Summer Ideas to Do With Your Kids

Homemade Honey Oatmeal Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:36:00 +0000

Making Honey Oatmeal Soap

Making homemade soap was so much fun!

With ingredients you have in your own home and just the extra ingredient of glycerin, you and your children will have homemade soap in a snap. We used some honey, oatmeal, cinnamon and clove...when you wash your hands you smell like apple pie!

Ahhh, life's simple pleasures...

This main soap concoction is Martha Stewart's, and you have infinite possibilities.

Glycerin, you can get this at Micheal's, or any craft store; I used the clear glycerin for the soap above.

What we used:
Cinnamon

Oatmeal

Ground clove

Chamomile tea

You can use mold containers that are found at the craft supply stores. I used heart shaped ones that were only a couple dollars each that came with five or so, molds per sheet. But you can use containers you have in your home, such as yogurt cups, cottage cheese containers, or any container you think would make a fun shape.

For each cup of clear glycerin, add 1 tsp. honey and 2 pinches ginger, cinnamon-clove (2 pinches, each), and 2 tsp. oatmeal.

Melting:

To determine how much glycerin you need, fill your mold(s) with water, then pour it into a liquid measuring cup. Chop glycerin into 1/2 inch chunks with a bench scraper. Microwave in a bowl or glass measuring cup covered with a paper towel on medium for 30-seconds intervals until melted but not boiling (you can also use a double boiler). Stir until smooth. Skim off bubbles with a spoon.

If using food coloring: Use a toothpick to add food coloring, stirring until desired color is reached. reheat for 15 second to even out. Mix in essential oil (4-5 drops per 1 cup of glycerin) or other additives.

This is great if your making kids soap. Use a small yogurt cups. (I like the Greek yogurt cups, they have the perfect shape for this. Pour some of your desired soap in the container, put a small toy in such as a small ball, dice, small frog, jack, the sky is the limit, and pour more soap mixture over the top. Let set, and pop out! These make wonderful gifts! For more recipes, there are an abundant on-line. Just Google it and you'll find some.

Molding:

To begin, coat mold with a vegetable-oil spray, wipe out excess. Pour melted soap into a prepared mold, then spray the surface with rubbing alcohol to eliminate any bubbles on the top of soap. Let harden to 2 hours. Then release from mold.

I loved making these and know you and your children will, too!

Happy Homeschooling!

Planner Perfect Motherhood/Parenting

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:10:00 +0000

What is Planner Perfect?

More information on the Planner Perfect, planner

Behind the Pages...

10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals/Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:48:00 +0000

A Copy Cat Recipe:Lunchables Pizza

Have you ever bought the Lunchables pizza at your grocery store for your kiddos? Well, I remember buying this on my grocery day for my babes for lunch to eat when we got home. They loved it! The list of foreign ingredients I didn't love. My children actually re-created this and make it all the time and tastes even better than Lunchables by a landslide!

Made simply with a tortilla, shaped with a cookie cutter, a little dollop of your left over pizza sauce (that you should always have on hand) and some nice mozzarella, pop in your freezer to get nice and cold...

Easy, fun, your kids can assemble; lunch is served.

Click here for this printable recipe

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with tips on how to handle bad days, cultivating curiosity, teaching with Legos, and much much more!

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10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals/Chicken and Mini Roasted Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:19:00 +0000

I love making fun lunches...my kids go crazy! Peanut butter and jelly can get so boring and serving these fun dishes that are quick and fun and nutritious, fills them up for a long afternoon of learning and playing: here's my lunch for today (makes a great dinner, too!).

Flattened herb chicken with mini olive oil roasted potatoes

Super easy to prepare because I had my menu planned for my lunches for my kiddos, too, since they are home, and they just gobbled this one up! Eating and appreciating our food, cleaning up and having fun the rest of the day with full bellies is a one of the many perks of being a Mom...

I found these mini potatoes at Trader Joe's and thought they were so perfect for them! But you can always just buy the small yellow potatoes and quarter them. My babes actually loved dipping their roasted potatoes in little ketchup. Delicious!

Click here to be taken to my food blog, Planner Perfect Meals, and get this, easy, printable recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Dessert. Don't we all love it? Well, this one is top notch and everyone will love it! If you love cookie dough, you'll love this! Fun little snack, absolutely yummy, and definitely a crowd pleaser!!

My oldest was sitting at the counter one day while I was preparing dinner and saw my cookie dough dip go through her Facebook feed and screamed,

"We have cookie dough dip?"

Too funny.

She tore open the fridge and rummaged to find her cookie dough dip.

She ate the rest and ruined her dinner.

Click here for this incredible snack over at PPM

Hugs,

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10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals/Muffin Tin Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:44:00 +0000

Have you heard of Muffin Tin Meals?

Muffin Tin Meals are an American take on the Bento meals. I just so happened to stumble upon this fun blog, Muffin Tin Meals, and fell in love. I bought my large muffin tins for my smaller 3, babes, and they just love it! You can be as creative with it as you want and you have different compartments to put your fun foods in for lunch; mine just freak out!

For this lunch, I made, mini Italian meatballs, served with a toothpick for easy eating, and in the next compartment, some of my leftover spaghetti sauce (for dunking of course). I also served some garlic herb bread from a loaf of crusty french bread, a side salad and cut apples! YUMMO!! So healthy, so delicious, and so fun.

Lunches should be fun and Muffin Tin Meals are exactly that.

My Brock enjoying the meatballs dunked in homemade spaghetti sauce

Click here for my meatball recipe over at PPM...authentic Italian spaghetti sauce, recipe, coming soon!

And for dessert? Check out this peanut butter honey crispy balls! They are healthy and divine!

I made these using some cocoa krispies found at Whole Foods, or they can be found at any Health Market in your grocer, and with some natural creamy peanut butter, raw honey and mini chocolate chips, made a treat straight from heaven! These are just packed with nutrients and they are top-notch, tasty! What a great way to end a Muffin Tin Meal!

Click here for PPM's printable recipe!

Enjoy!

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Kid Friendly Foods/Buttered Parmesan Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:36:00 +0000

Your new quick, go-to kid friendly, meal...buttered Parmesan noodles

I grew up eating this and it is a family favorite! Easy, buttery, creamy and cheesy and perfect for this, 10 Day Kid Friendly Meals! I use good wholesome grass fed cow butter, a little raw milk and freshly grated Parmesan. Delish!!

Click here for this easy wonderful, recipe from PPM.

Don't forget a sweet treat...

Chocolate M&M and Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies

Chocolatey, candy bits, and chocolate chunks all wrapped around a chocolate, moist cookie!

Click here for the recipe!

Hugs!

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10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals/Gluten Free Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:27:00 +0000

The best gluten free pizza

I've been trying to cut out some white flour and sugar; out of my diet and my family's. If I can accomplish this without freaking out my kids too much...I'm a winner. This pizza is awesome and if your children need gluten free foods, this pizza is for you. My family loved it! When you make the crust, it's runny, so you are pouring your crust into your pan. I use a large cast iron skillet that was rubbed with olive oil. The crust is simple using almond flour, herbs and garlic and it has somewhat of a cornbread texture. Topped with your favorite toppings and my easy-to-make pizza sauce, you will feel good feeding your babes this pizza!

Click here to be taken to this wonderful recipe over at Planner Perfect Meals. Be sure to like me or Facebook over there, if you haven't already, for amazing kid friendly meals!

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Planner Perfect Motherhood/ A Series

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:53:00 +0000

Get a look on how the Planner Perfect Method can take your motherhood to the next level

10 Day Series of Kid Friendly Meals/Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:03:00 +0000

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Yes, I am still posting about peanut butter. This recipe is awesome and your kids will love these pancakes! They are rich and full of the peanut buttery taste we love, with fun, delicious bites of milk chocolate, and then topped with smooth maple syrup.

It's a winner!

Need some Homemade syrup to go with that stack? This one will be sure to please.

What's really great about making your own syrup, aside from using just pure maple syrup, is that you can control the ingredients. No HFCS, no junk you can't pronounce, just some goodness in a jar to pour over your pancakes. I found this when, to my sadness, was out of syrup and had just made stacks and stacks of pancakes. Found this recipe and has been my go-to ever since. I don't buy syrup anymore; it's fabulous!

10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals/Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:14:00 +0000

French Bread Pizza

There are so many fun ways to create pizza and this one is so easy and so perfect to make on the day you get back from the grocery store. Why? Because you unwrap your fresh, french baguette you purchased in the bakery, cut in half lengthwise, top with my pizza sauce, I always have on hand for just such an occasion, and top with your favorite toppings! Pop in the oven under the broiler and in minutes; everyone will hear you cut the crisp baguette crust, and pile on a plate. All you have to do is watch them devour!

My kids love the little pepperoni and I do, too! It's so cute and adorns any pizza quite beautifully.

Click here for my complete recipe!

And what's a meal without dessert? How about chocolate chocolate chunk cookies with M&Ms for good measure!

One word:

Winner.

Chocolatey, soft, bursting with M&M candies and totally kid friendly...

Click here to get this amazing recipe from PPM

10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals/Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:57:00 +0000

Bacon and cheddar buttermilk biscuits

These buttermilk biscuits are out of this world and a perfect fit for my, 10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals!

Breakfast is something that can be easily overlooked until the weekend. We get busy, us moms don't want the fuss, and we like the idea of boxed cereals to help us out, especially for us homeschooling mamas because, after all, we've got 2 more meals and a gazillion snacks to go through before days end.

Can I get an AMEN?

But...

Let's take another look at breakfast.

What if we plan our meals and create a baking day in our week so that we can feed our family, well, quick, and deliciously?

Check out my links on baking days and my video below that will inspire you to take a different look at your meal times and how to prepare for them.

We can feed our babes a delicious breakfast, and not be in the kitchen all morning! Scramble some eggs along side these bad boy, biscuits, and you are going to be in heaven!

These buttermilk biscuits are easy to make, light and flaky, and kick any Pillsbury, canned biscuits, in the pants!!

I was in love with my buttermilk biscuits all by themselves with a side of scrambled eggs and my apple jelly to go on top...until I decided to shake it up a bit and add cheddar cheese and crisp, chopped bacon.

Oh.

My.
Gosh.

Your children will love them. Your husband will love them. You will love them.

But don't take my word for it, you must try it out for yourself!

Your breakfast just got delicious!!

Visit PPM for my printable recipe, for baking tips and for these amazing, Bacon and Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits!

Check out my video on how you can create a baking day...let me know when you plan your first one and check out my list of baking day recipes over PPM for inspiration.

Don't miss a post! Subscribe to Planner Perfect and get valuable tips and inspiration sent right to your inbox!!

For information on the Complete Home Management System, Planner Perfect, click here, for more information.

Planner Perfect's eBook full of inspirational tips, here.

Hugs,

10 Day Series of Kid Friendly Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:48:00 +0000

Creamy Pasta with Peas and Carrots, Cream Cheese and Marscarpone

One of the wonderful things about being a mama is making fun meals for them; it just thrills me! Their excitement over the wonderful aromas prancing in the kitchen during lunch time is so cute and part of their whole childhood experience! We have such a great opportunity being our children's mother to bring joy into everything we do and meal time is no exception. If you are in meal-time rut and looking for some new, fun, nutritional ideas...look no further! I have some tried-and-true kid friendly recipes that I know your whole family will love.

My mother's favorite verse that she would script at the top of her planner's page at the beginning of every day was,

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Psalm 118:24

Amen!

For my kid friendly meal for today, I've found this creamy delight. Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis; this dish is the most amazing creamy delight, ever, and a perfect, kid friendly meal! I'm Sicilian and this dish was right up my alley.

Little bow-tie pasta, nutritionally sound with a little peas and carrots, all surrounded by a warm, creamy sauce of cream cheese and marscarpone (you can substitute this with sour cream).

This was a family hit by all seven of my children; it has the Penton stamp of approval.

Make it

Eat it

You and your family will love it

Get this yummy kid friendly meal, recipe, over at my food blog, Planner Perfect Meals.

But what about a fun dessert?

How about making my amazing, rich peanut buttery, flourless, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies? I absolutely love peanut butter and so do my kids. What's funny is that no matter what kind of diet I'm on where I'm depriving myself my usual indulgences for the sake of trying, once again, to get into my highschool size, jeans, the one thing I always crave is peanut butter!!

I can never get enough.

Click here for this quick-make, recipe. Your kids will love this dessert (and if you crave peanut butter with chocolate chunks, too, like me...well, just know that you can start your diet again, tomorrow:))

Enjoy!

10 Days of Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Homeschooling from Amber at A Classic Housewife

10 Days of Cultivating Curiosity from Ami at Walking by the Way

10 Days of Teaching with Legos from Amy at Milk and Cookies

10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling from Amy at Raising Arrows

10 Days of Teaching Home Ec Skills from Angie at Many Little Blessings

10 Days of Copywork and Dictation from Christine at Fruit in Season

10 Days of Nature Study from Cindy at Our Journey Westward

10 Days of Classic Literature from Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler

10 Days of Accidental Unschooling from Heather at Sprittibee

10 Days of Pouring into Your Children’s Passions from Heather at Blog, She Wrote

10 Days of Homeschooling for Free & Frugal from Jamerrill at Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling

10 Days of Adoption from Jamie at See Jamie Blog

10 Days of Math Games & Activities from Jenn at Mama Jenn

10 Days to Wheat/Gluten-Free Meals from Jenn at Dazes of Adventure

10 Days of Kid Friendly Meals from Jenny at Planner Perfect

10 Days of Teaching Writing from Jimmie at Jimmie’s Collage

10 Days of Teaching God’s Word from Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations

10 Days of Simple Homeschool from Karen at Simply Living for Him

10 Days of Online Teaching Tools from Karin at Ed Resources Online

10 Days of Home Organization from Karin at Mommy Matters

10 Days of Delighting in Your Preschooler from Kendra at Preschoolers and Peace

10 Days of Homeschooling 101 from Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

10 Days of File Folder Games from Lauren at Mama’s Learning Corner

10 Days of Teaching Music from Mary at Homegrown Learners

10 Days of Preschool Science from Maureen at Spell Outloud

10 Days of Intentional Parenting from Rachel at Finding Joy

10 Days of Ruling Your Curriculum from Rebecca at Mom’s Mustard Seeds

10 Days of Homeschooling a High Schooler from Toni at The Happy Housewife

10 Days of Lasagna Learning – Teaching Multiple Ages from Tricia at Hodge Podge

10 Day Series of Kid Friendly Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:13:00 +0000

Pepperoni and Mozzarella Stuffed Pizza Bites

What a kick-off for the kid friendly meals, series, don't you agree? These are out-of-this-world, delicious. When you make these for your family and you will be a superstar!

Soft, herbaceous pizza dough, stuffed with mozzarella and mini pepperoni bites; it will melt in your mouth!

I first found these on Pinterest, but let me tell you that with a humble heart, the reason why these taste so darn good is because of my amazing sauce and crust. Once you make these, you'll win the, Best Mom Award, hands down.

Lightly toasted, seasoned throughout, and packs quite a punch! Don't forget to serve my pizza sauce for dunking!

Right before I fold and shape into a pizza ball

nicely wrapped tight into a ball stuffed with pepperoni and mozzarella

Click here for this amazing recipe over at my food site, Planner Perfect Meals

Enjoy and be sure to tell me what you think...or when you do make them, leave me a comment on all the accolades you received:)

.............................................

Heart of the Matter Online Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Listen in on what I will be speaking about Saturday, April 14th @ 2-3 CT. Enter to win the Planner Perfect, planner, and hear me talk in-depth about how to be organized in your life more than ever before.

Listen to internet radio with Heart of the Matter Live on Blog Talk Radio

Join us April 12th -14th, for great speakers and wonderful encouragement

Click here for more information

Hugs!

Easter Hot Cross Buns

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:23:00 +0000

This is quite possibly the best hot cross buns you'll ever make, eat, and devour. It is beautiful, traditional, soft and full of cinnamon and nutmeg. This recipe is wonderful...for the full recipe, click here to be taken to Planner Perfect Meals.

Happy Easter, friends

Easter Bird Nests

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:59:00 +0000

These are so cute and so fun to make with your babes! Check out Planner Perfect Meals for the recipe!

Happy Easter!