Choosing Chores for Our Toddler

Posted on October 26, 2013March 5, 2015 by Mama

This morning my husband started sorting laundry and our ornery three year old immediately started wallowing around in the filthy, stinky piles of used clothes — how’s that for a visual. After asking our son to stop, explaining to our son how ”yucky” it was and scolding our son for not doing what he was told, my husband quickly changed gears. (He’s a really good Dad, by the way.)

My husband suddenly stopped struggling with the situation, and flipped it into a fun task for our little guy by asking him to help sort all the clothes by color. From the other room, I heard them picking up pants, socks and shirts, declaring a color and placing them in appropriate piles. (I swear I do more smiling with just my ears often times.)

After the basket was empty, my little man ran into the kitchen and begged me to come see what he had done. He ran ahead of me and by the time I arrived, he was standing smack dab in the middle of all the piles, hands on hips with the biggest self-approving smile I’ve ever seen. I appropriately fawned all over his completed chore and told him I was proud; but better yet, I knew he was proud of his own accomplishment and that was a very good thing to see.

photo credit: pasukaru76 via photopin cc

Saturday Sparks: Trunk or Treat Decorating Ideas

Posted on October 19, 2013February 11, 2015 by Mama

There’s a fun little Halloween trend here in the Midwest called Trunk or Treat. I don’t know if it’s popular all over the nation, but it’s a fun family alternative to traveling house-to-house on a cold, dark October night.

Trunk or Treat is usually sponsored by local churches, but some businesses and organizations have adopted the event and Trunk or Treats can be found in parking lots all over town. It’s a simple concept where people use their automobiles as the venue for handing out candy to local children. Each trunk (or car, trailer, truck bed etc.) is decorated with a theme, and folks pass out candy to the costumed kiddos as they ”trick or treat” at each vehicle.

If you’ll be treating your trunk to some fine decorating as part of one of these events this year, today’s Spark is just for you. Some churches request Biblical themes for each vehicle, which is a lot of fun, but if the sky’s the limit here are a few ideas for a fun Halloween.

Saturday Sparks – White is the New Orange

Posted on October 5, 2013February 11, 2015 by Mama

When I think of Halloween I naturally go to orange and black in my head, but why not mix it up a bit and swap out your in-your-face oranges with some nice cool whites. Your decorations will immediately feel more sophisticated and fresh, but you will still get a festive look for your entire house. You might even find it easier to transition right into your autumn Thanksgiving decor with minimal effort.

So go ahead, give white a try and class up your spooky spots for this haunted holiday.