TOS Review: Notable Novelists

Notable Novelists is a fun and easy way to introduce your students to influential novelists of the 20th century.  The set of cards is the same size as a standard playing-card deck, so it is easy to keep in a purse, back pack, or the car.  The rules of the game are basically the same as "Go Fish", except you are trying to make sets of three - author card, library card, and bio card - rather than pairs.  We found the illustrations to be appealing caricatures, and my children liked just browsing through the deck and reading about the different writers.

Eighteen different authors are featured.  Unfortunately, many of them are ones I have not read myself, let alone introduced my children to.  While I am using this game to help my children become familiar with the names of the authors and their works, it has sparked a desire in myself to at least try out some of the books listed.  I know not all of them will be my cup of tea, but I am interested in seeing what made these writers the "greats" of recent times.

As I mentioned, Notable Novelists is easy to play - there were no frustrated participants here.  We were playing the game as soon as the cards were shuffled!  I think it would make an excellent game to play on the go, as the only necessary pieces are the cards, and most people will understand the rules immediately.  I would recommend this game for anyone who can play "Go Fish" and read well enough to be able to say the authors names - probably age 8 and up?

If you are looking for a great travel game, a unique stocking stuffer, or a small or educational gift to keep on hand, Notable Novelists may be just the thing for you!  It is available for $10.95.  I'm tempted to get a copy for my brother and his fiancee (they both have masters in library sciences) just for fun!

***Disclaimer:  I received this game in exchange for my review through the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  All opinions are my own.

Christmas Helps For a Busy Season

I don't believe I've said before, but the church we belong to is The Salvation Army.  Mr. Man grew up in it, and my family joined officially when I was 15.  It is the church that Mr. Man and I were pastors in, and are now working on rejoining as pastors.  

If you know anything about The Salvation Army, you know that they do a LOT of social service ministries, especially around the holidays.  With all the planning and work that goes into ministries like bell ringing and angel trees, Christmas really gets going by the beginning of October for many Salvation Army officers.  The most important thing to me during this time is that my children not grow up feeling that the season was "ruined" for them by how busy their parents were and the lack of time spent together.  I know many families see an increase in activities during this time of year, however, whether they are in "the ministry" or not.  I'd like to share some tools that may help cut down on some of the craziness, and even help keep the focus where it should be - Jesus!

Photo Credit:  stock.xchng

• A tool I just discovered last year was The 12-Week Holiday Planner by Sheri Graham and Marilyn Moll.  It starts October 1st (whoops!), and has all kinds of goodies in it like check lists (shopping, cards, gifts, etc), menus, recipes, schedules, gifts to make, and more!  I'm excited to try it out this year!  You can also sign up to be notified of updates to the planner if you choose to buy it!
• On a tight budget?  There are free ones available, too.  The FlyLady has a holiday control journal, which starts before Thanksgiving, that you can print out and pop in a binder.  Organized Home has tips on how to create your own Christmas planner, as well as forms you can print out.
• I haven't tried it, but the Springpad app sounds like a useful thing.  I'm a list-maker (I'm making one right now!), and this seems like just the thing for me - if I had a phone that used apps...  I often have pieces of paper floating around with lists of things I wanted to remember or look into later.  I'm definitely trying Springpad out!
• Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam has a list of quite a few Christmas traditions to try with your family.  I really want to do some of them with mine.  I'd love to try out something she mentions in the "Candy Cane Trail" post - only opening a few presents per hour.  I'd love to slow down the whole morning, and make the kids really focus on what they just opened, rather than flinging off the paper and then moving on to the next present.  It just sounds so peaceful!  And, lastly...
• Do you read A Holy Experience?  If not, YOU SHOULD!  Ann Voskamp has a way of connecting EVERY. LITTLE. THING. to living a more full relationship with God.  One post was about the power going out in their pig barn and her sons working together to keep the pigs from overheating.  Somehow, she found a spiritual application in it!  And, it touched me!  Anyhow, if you sign up for email updates from her blog, there is a link at the bottom of each one for her Jesse Tree Journey, which she wrote with Nancy Rodden.  If I do nothing else this Christmas season, I want to make sure I do this advent series with my family.  We need it.

I hope you've found something in that list to help you out this Christmas season - whether it is a way to stay better organized or an activity to help recenter your family on the true meaning of the season!


**Note:  The link to The 12-Week Holiday Planner is my affiliate link.

Made By Me Monday & Pattern Review

Today I'm going to share the nightgown I made for Super Girl for Christmas, since I haven't done so yet! I intended to make pajamas for all three kids. I got 1 1/2 sets done. There is a partially finished fleece footie sleeper in my packed-up sewing stuff - thankfully it's neutral, so I can finish it for this new little guy!

I started with a flannel I found at Walmart. When I saw it, it SCREAMED Super Girl at me! She loves these colors, peace signs, and doodles/graffiti. I went ahead and bought some, stashing it away for this project.

Next, I looked at the pajama patterns I have, and chose McCall's Easy Endless Options #5744, which is now out-of-print. I decided on View C, a long-sleeved, knee length night gown. Once I had my fabric washed and started cutting, I realized I didn't have enough to do the entire gown from the flannel. [That's what I get for not choosing the pattern FIRST!] I dug a small piece of black jersey out of my stash, which I'd picked up at a thrift store, and made a layered-style sleeve. After I got it put together, I realized that Super Girl would feel like the neckline was a little too low, so I added a triangle of jersey to the neckline to give a little more coverage. It kind of adds to the layered look, too.

Please ignore my door knob, and the slightly crumpled flannel.

I found the description of "easy" to be true to this pattern. There were not many pieces to cut, and it went together quickly. The instructions were good, and it came out looking like the drawing (aside from my alteration of the sleeve). The hardest part was trying to edge the sleeve hems with bias tape, which didn't work, and I quickly removed. The original pattern did not call for this, I just thought it might be easier than hemming the sleeves. I was wrong! I will definitely keep this pattern in my stash and use it again, as the largest size still fits Super Girl, for now. Since the pattern I bought goes from size 7 to 14, I can use it several times for Little Miss in the future, if I want to.

Note: I am not affiliated with McCall's or Walmart in any way. I bought my fabric and my pattern - though I did get the pattern during one of JoAnn Fabrics' 99¢ sales! I am not affiliated with JoAnn Fabrics, either. ;)

Made-By-Me Monday & Book Review

For Christmas, I decided to make a hoodie for Wonder Boy. I chose a pattern from the book Sewing Clothes Kids Love: Sewing Patterns and Instructions for Boys' and Girls' Outfits, by Nancy Langdon and Sabine Pollehn.** The book: I bought this book because many of the projects looked like things that Super Girl would LOVE to wear, especially if she had helped make them. I loved that it had a wide range of sizes, from 18 months to 12 years, meaning I can use the patterns for years to come, and possibly even make matching items for the two girls. It also has several chapters with great advice on how to construct quality pieces of clothing which are also unique. My absolute favorite page is the one where you can write down ALL of your child's measurements. However, this is also where my disappointment set in. I eagerly measured all three children, and recorded those numbers. I then compared those numbers to the sizes of the patterns. I discovered that Super Girl is just too big for the largest size of these patterns. At almost 10, she is 5' and 108 pounds. I didn't think about it in the store, because she was in a size 12 in commercial clothing at the time. Little Miss is still a bit on the small side for these patterns, as she is a little peanut of a thing. I also discovered that the patterns don't include seam allowances. However, I look forward to making items for Little Miss in the future using these fun and easy patterns. I will just keep in mind that these patterns go up to a size 10, more realistically. Lastly, while the book includes boys in the title, there were only two patterns I'd actually use for a boy.



The hoodie: I wanted something warm, so I chose a remnant of camouflage fleece, as well as a remnant of coordinating green fleece. I picked the fleece up on mega-sale the day after Thanksgiving. I used the "Imse" pattern, which had options for feminine or masculine styling. I chose a straight sleeve and sides, and rounded hood. I embellished it with a couple of old military patches that my dad gave me. The pattern went together quickly and easily, and I was pleased with how it came out. However, I made a size "large", and it will possibly not fit Wonder Boy next winter. Keep in mind that he is still a rather slight boy right now. He is just now growing out of size 10 in commercial clothing. If he has an honest-to-goodness growth spurt, it will definitely be too small.

**Note: This post contains an affiliate link. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I purchased this book with my own money (ok, I did use a 40% coupon).

Christmas Cards by Shutterfly

I confess, I haven't sent out Christmas cards in years. So long, in fact, that I can't remember when the last time was! I don't even give them out in person! Don't get me wrong - I always mean to. I just never get around to it! With a little one that seems to change every day, I find my desire to send some cards out this year to be even stronger! I was excited when I saw an advertisement for Shutterfly's blogger special - in exchange for writing a post about their photo cards, I will receive 50 cards free! I don't know about you, but this fits my budget perfectly!

As I have never ordered from Shutterfly before, I headed over to check out their selection of Christmas cards. I've seen numerous deals for photo cards for free or next-to-nothing, but I never really found any I wanted to pay the shipping for. That changed when I got to Shutterfly's site! They have page after page of card designs! There are options available for one photo, or if a photo collage is your taste, they have quite a few of those, too! It's so easy to customize your design choice with your family's names, and then drop your photo into your card. The cards are printed on cardstock, which appeals to me, as I've received bent photo cards from friends and family more than once. If you prefer photo paper, they have that option, too.


After making six different cards, this is the one I finally chose (except it will have our names and my own children on it, of course!). I liked so many of the designs, it was hard to only pick one! Shutterfly also has many other items you can customize with your photos - what grandparent wouldn't like a mug or calendar featuring their precious grandchildren?

If you haven't gotten started on your cards yet, you can click here and use the code ZP9A-4N4K-TWWZ-EUC5C5 to get 10 cards free - just pay shipping and handling, which starts at $5.99. Hurry, because this code only lasts through December 8th!


* I am receiving photo cards from Snapfish in exchange for writing this post; however, the opinions expressed are all mine.

A Good Idea For Gifts

Last year Mr. Man and I decided we'd had enough of buying Christmas gifts for our parents. Don't get me wrong - they're always grateful, it's just that they don't really need anything, and generally buy the things they want on their own. We felt it laid upon our hearts to give to someone who truly needed it instead. So, we chose to give through World Vision. We already sponsored a child through World Vision, and were thrilled with all the different gifts found in their catalog. The prices range from less than $20 to over $1000, with many options under $50. There are so many things to choose from, too! Fruit trees, animals, clothing, medical care... the list goes on and on. Purchasing our honorary gift was easy. Mr. Man went online during his lunch break, chose the gifts we'd decided on, and was able to print very nice cards to present to our parents. We were very excited to get the new holiday catalog a few weeks ago. We plan to do a gift each month in the new year, as a way to teach our children to care for others. I think the hardest thing to do will be choosing what to do first!

Christmas Party

Last night was the Christmas party for Mr. Man's employer. It was in Chicago, across the street from Wrigley Field. It was interesting, driving up there. We lived in that neighborhood 10 years ago, and I always like to see if my favorite places have changed. I would really like to spend a day walking around there some time. The last time I was there was a year ago, and it was February - we didn't do much walking around.

Anyhow, the party was nice. It's a small office, so it wasn't really crowded. I still think I only met a handful of the people that were there. My brother stayed with us last night, so that he could watch the kids for us. That way they were able to go to sleep in their own beds, and he's also comfortable with our dog. Plus, he did it for free.

Today, being New Years Eve, I am planning to do an appetizer dinner like we did when I was growing up. We always had a plethora of deep fried stuff, like chicken nuggets and mushrooms. We also had spinach dip and little things my mom would make. We'd load up the table and snack all night long. I don't know if any of us will actually make it to midnight this year, but I'll do what I can with the snacks.

Is this the last year for Santa?

Christmas is done. I am sort of relieved. I spent a restless night last night, concerned that the kids would think Santa didn't come, and wondering why he didn't. See, we didn't have ANY gifts under the tree that were marked from "Santa", and there were only a couple small things that weren't wrapped - none of them things the kids had asked for. But, this morning they seemed happy, and enjoyed their stockings, even though there wasn't a lot in them (especially compared to previous years).

I think this may be the last year for Santa. Wonder Boy will be very-nearly-10 next December, and Super Girl will be 8 1/2. I think I'll be relieved when they don't believe any more. It's easy to explain "we just didn't have as much money this year", but not easy to explain why Santa didn't bring anything they asked for. I'm relieved that they didn't really seem to notice. I have to discuss it with Mr. Man, but I don't want to "do" Santa (or all those other holiday characters) with the new baby. It won't be old enough to understand even a little bit until 2011 - I'm certain by then the older two won't believe in Santa any more. Playing Santa really is more fun when you can afford some of the stuff on their wish list.

Next year I'm looking forward to focusing more on the real reason for Christmas. I never feel like we do as much as we should.

On a side-note: my mom and brother ordered bockwurst for Christmas again! I was sort of disappointed, because I thought we hadn't gotten any (usually I help pay for it, instead of my mom). But, I was the one surprised on Christmas morning this year! YUM!

My Awesome Kids!

Today was distribution day for Christmas assistance! WHEW! We had to take the kids with us, and I was really worried that they wouldn't behave well. After all, it's cold there, and there are lots of brand new toys to mess with and beg for. When we got there, Wonder Boy and Super Girl went straight over to the food area, and helped pack bags and boxes for the families. No one had to tell them to stop doing something, quit acting up, etc. I was very glad, because I was busy finishing up the handful of Angel Tree bags that didn't get finished the night before.

Once the people started coming to pick up their food and gifts, things still went pretty well. The kids really enjoyed helping out, and everyone commented on how great they were! They really were a big help, running back and forth to deliver bags of gifts, moving bags and boxes of food, helping bring in carts from the outer door . . . It could have been a really stressful day if I'd had to keep on top of them to behave. I'm so thankful they were good! I'm hoping they learned a little something about helping others, too.

So Tired . . .

We spent another day at the warehouse today. I ended up wearing 3 sweatshirts. By this afternoon, we had in all the Angel Tree gifts that we were going to get before distribution. We spent the rest of the time making up bags for the kids who did not get anything from the Angel Tree. Some of them were really HARD - the kids were teens and not really into anything we had, or the parents had asked for outlandishly expensive things that we didn't have anyway, and gave no other clues as to what the kids were into. I really disliked having to guess what a child liked. Not all boys are into sports and stuff, and not all girls are girly.

I strongly campaigned for my mom to not accept any requests next year for video games or systems, Ipods, designer clothes, or things that cost more than $50 or so. We didn't get even ONE of those items in. There were maybe 2 kids who got video games, and those weren't very expensive ones. I told her that if she's going to take requests for those things, she's got to at least make sure she gets a better idea of what the kids like ASIDE from the expensive stuff. I think it's ridiculous for a mom to request for her 4 kids: a Baby Phat coat, an Ipod, a Nintendo DS, a WII, an electric guitar, and a good digital camera. The first three things were all for one kid, and all the mom requested for her. Thankfully, my mom knew the people, and was able to give me some direction for the girl! I understand not being able to provide Christmas gifts for your child, but when the only items requested are all $100 and over, I have to wonder if that family really needs help, or if they're just signing up because their income qualifies them.

I'm way too tired and ill feeling right now - I need to stop my ranting and go to bed!

Welcome to the Last Frontier!

Oh, wait. This isn't Alaska, just western Illinois! You could have fooled me, though - everything is covered in an inch of ice, thanks to an ice storm that came through several days ago. We arrived yesterday afternoon to ice and broken branches everywhere, including some of the neighbors' tree on my parents' garage. It's also -3 degrees here, without the windchill. I can't believe it! Usually it's WARMER here than our house. We regularly have snow when we leave our house, only to arrive at my parents where we feel almost as if we could be wearing jackets!

Anyhow, my parents (who are pastors) canceled church this morning because of the sub-zero temperatures. Their members are mostly elderly, and some of them were still without power from the ice storm. Out of concern for them, my dad decided it would be best if they all stay home and not try to navigate the ice.

As for us, we ended up at the (unheated) warehouse where my parents are running their church's Christmas give-away from. Toys and clothes needed sorting, and some children had not received very much through the Angel Trees. We spent hours supplementing what had already come in with the extra clothes and toys that were there. When we were all cold enough that we couldn't take it any more, we went and had dinner. There's still LOTS more to do tomorrow!