Praises of a Wife and Mommy

This girly girl isn't afraid of nature!  I love her! 

It was so hard to make this list during Covid-19!   I am not sure we will be able to do some of these activities.    What did you put on your list for summer? 

Who is ready to purchase some amazing art? 

My husband has officiated several weddings this year but this wedding on New Year’s Eve was one of my favorites!  I’m not sure if it’s because it was his cousin getting married or because the simplicity and the beauty of the wedding.   We had fun sparklers as the bride and groom left the ceremony and walked to the reception just a block down the road! It was so beautiful as everyone held out the sparkler and the walked by.  Hope you all had fun bringing in the new year.  Happy 2019 

This lovely group of girls and boys went to camp this week!   6 girls and 3 boys are going to grow closer to God and closer to each other and I am blessed to be a part of it.  

Paxton's Corner Coop Where cupcakes and ice cream collide!  :)  I Scream you scream we all scream for... cupcakes!!!  Yep, that's right we did NOT eat ice cream we had cupcakes!   However, this new place was doing July in January and they had icee cupcakes and ice cream sundae cupcakes!   I had the sundae and I did enjoy it.  I tasted a little frosting from the icee and wow that was super sugary but yummy too!  This was about a 35 minute drive for us to get to but it was worth it and we had some fun! 

This hilarious game will be a great addition to your family get-togethers!   We played this on Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to bringing it to my dad's house for Christmas.   Go get Watch Ya' Mouth now!  You will be laughing and you may just need to wear a diaper because of laughing so hard!  So where is my video?  Well, let's just say that I need a stand for my phone so that I am hands-free because this girl was laughing too much that the video would leave you sick to your stomach because I moved way much from laughing!  There is no way I wanted to do that to you guys so I attached the above video for you to see the silliness and fun of the game.    The first challenge was between my daughter and I.  We had to each take a picture and caption each other's pictures and send it to someone via text and wait for a response back.  Best response wins that round!   Selah won! ...

Learning to knit – how long should it take? It's important to recognize that learning to knit is an ongoing process. There are people who have been knitting for twenty years and still find themselves learning new things. However, the foundation of any knitting project is to learn how to cast on, knit, purl and cast off. Some people are able to learn these stitches in just a few hours, but not everyone picks up the skill that quickly. The first thing you need to do is purchase some yarns , and needles, and get yourself some tuition from an experienced knitter. This does not have to be a professional knitting class; you can ask a friend or relative for help, as long as they are good enough knitter. Starting with the basics There are two main methods of knitting, English, and Continental. The English knitting method is commonly used, and requires the yarn to be controlled using the right hand. Many left handed people find it easier to learn to knit using the Continent...

Oh, happy heart!  Makes me so happy when I see my kids being kids and creating and thinking and being original.  I only took a few pictures of them creating their master pieces in this part of the children's museum but they had fun at everything.   This would have cost me $24 to take the kids here but thanks again the my local library for the pass to go for free.  Love love love them for doing these passes.  They have created many smiles and saved me money.  

After having this Olaf Christmas gift from last Christmas the kids finally had snow that would stick together and make a snowman!   They had a great time and even after this picture was taken they built another one so the snowman would not be lonely.  We have had snow and cold temperatures so far in December but now they are predicting rain on Christmas day!    

Lots of Love celebrates all the ways we show love—from hugs and kisses to sharing and helping others. The sweet rhymes and whimsical artwork in this board book illustrate the special bonds of love between families and friends. Perfect for young children, this book will make you want to snuggle with your little one as you two explore the greatest blessing of all—love! My Review: Thanks Zondervan for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions expressed are 100% my own.   This was an adorable board book with a powerful message, LOVE!   One thing we say all the time at church is "Have faith, give hope, be love."  This book has you hugging, kissing, sharing, helping, and ultimate feeling loved! The book has adorable pictures and good rhymes. 

The words “family activities” and “affordable” don’t often go together as it seems pretty much any family outing cost a small fortune. So, what can families that are on a limited budget do if they still want to be able to enjoy activities together? Not to worry as we’ve got you covered with a variety of budget-friendly family activities. Local Festivals Most cities and even small towns play host to a variety of local festivals throughout the year. You’ll find artisan festivals, Christmas markets, hobby festivals, sports-related festivals, and some towns/cities even host a college fall festival to celebrate the season and the year ahead. What’s great about these festivals is that they are usually free to attend. All you will need to pay for are the purchases you make. If the festival is more like a local fair complete with a midway and rides, be sure to check around for advance ticket offers. Most fairs will offer an advance ticket purchase that provides a substantial discoun...

Need a break from the hectic holidays?  Enter to win the Mommy Sanity Saver Sweepstakes – a $100 VISA GIFT CARD for you and a treasure trove of fun for your little one. Visit Treasure Toons on  Facebook  or  Instagram  to enter. Promotion runs  12/1/16 – 12/15/16 . §    Grand Prize: There will be two (2) grand prizes available to be won, consisting of $100 Visa Gift Card, Treasure Toons DVD, Wonderfully Made CD and frog plush toy. TOTAL ARV of grand prizes is: $240. One winner to be selected from each Facebook and Instagram promotion. §    First Prize(s): There will be 10 first prize(s) available to be won, each consisting of TreasureToons (ARV: $13 each). TOTAL ARV of first prize(s): $130. 5 winners to be selected from each Facebook and Instagram promotion. §    Second Prize(s): There will be 20 second prize(s) available to be won, each consisting of Wonderfully Made CD (ARV: $12 each). TOTAL ARV of second pri...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Flanigan House!   This year we downsized the Christmas tree as we are redoing our living space and are going to be getting a bigger couch soon.   Thanks to Target we got this beautiful tree for only $27!  WOOT!  My favorite think on the tree is the new star on top.  I love the distressed wood look with the lights.  

Once we are adults, a sad thing happens. There is no longer much room in our lives for creativity. Due to demanding jobs and busy lifestyles, our days revolve around pleasing the boss, the tax man and everyone else! But when you’re a kid? This is when you can and should let your creativity shine. And by helping your little ones express themselves creatively, you bring it back into your life too. If the last time you got covered in brightly colored paints was age 9, and you haven’t danced since your teens, it's time to change that! Help your little ones express their creativity, and find yours in the process! Image link Painting and Drawing Drawing is quite a precise art, and once your kids reach a certain age they might feel like they’re ‘not doing it right.’. If this frustration sets in, try switching to painting. This can get far messier! Here is a fun idea. In the summer, if you have a garden, set up a big white canvas outdoors. Fill balloons with different...

If there is one thing common to kids everywhere, it would be their love for crafts. From finger painting at very young ages to building skyscrapers out of popsicle sticks, any hands on activity that fuels the imagination can hold their interest longer than almost anything. If you are looking for something fun and entertaining to do with your kids, why not explore the concept of harmony and maybe even world peace while working together on crafts from around the world. Some crafts are specific to countries while others share commonalities among all nations. To get you started, here are a few ideas. Fun and Easy Dutch Windmills for Kris Kringle Day – December 6 For this project you only need a few tempera paints, paper cups, felt, scissors, glue and an imagination. The paints are for the paper cups that when placed upside down on the table form the base of the windmill. This is where they will use the paints to color the base and when that has been allowed to dry they can draw in th...

It was another hot n humid day here in Iowa.  I determined that movies and indoor crafts was the way to go!  The UPS had perfect timing and dropped off a big box!   So we used some bingo doter's to paint, paper plates for the wheels, and cups for lights.   The kiddos sure had fun driving around and picking up their "baby" from daycare.  :)  

  Can you see how happy he is to get his new personalized book?  :)  We had to read it two times through as soon as we got it.  I would read it over an over if he wanted, I am so thrilled he loves reading books.   Flatten Me and their story: All stories have a beginning. This is ours. Years ago, my husband caught our daughter on film eating a gobstopper – 15 photos taken over 24 minutes and 10 seconds. The photos were arranged in a book and given to my daughter as a special gift. It was love at first sight. My daughter slept with it, ate with it, took it on road trips. Love-worn and long-admired, the book slowly fell apart, just like the fur on the Velveteen Rabbit. Our lives are defined by stories – stories of childhood, of triumph, of loss. Even wild stories of the imagination. When a child pretends to be a pirate or a princess or a fairy, she truly believes she has changed, become part of a different world for that moment in time. She ha...