Bare Feet on the Dashboard

10
Mar
2015

The Easiest Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Cream Cheese Icing

categories: recipes

I love a good baking hack, and today I’ve got two to share with you to help you make these delicious and super cute little Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Cream Cheese Icing. Thanks to Nestle Toll House for sponsoring today’s post. You need ZERO baking expertise and will end up with the most adorable and tasty teeny little desserts. My kids love them and the Bear has already requested them for his birthday. Read on to find out how to make them, and check out more easy recipe ideas from Nestle Toll House here.

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08
Mar
2015

Easy Mickey Mouse Mini Popcorn Balls

categories: Disney, recipes

We are huge Disney fans at our house, so when we were asked to host a DisneySide home party we were thrilled. I’ll be sharing the party next week, but for today’s Fabulously Frugal Link Party I’m showing you how to make these super cute little Mickey Mouse Mini Popcorn Balls. They are super easy to make, very budget friendly, and bring a little Disney fun in to your snack time or party. Read on to find out how to make them and link up your own frugal posts to the link party below.

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07
Mar
2015

Jonah and the Whale Hide and Seek Game

categories: jesus, kids, play

We’ve loved reading the Jesus Storybook Bible with our kids and creating interactive play ideas to bring the stories to life for them. Today we played a game of hide and seek to give them a new perspective on the story of Jonah and the Whale. You can read the activities we’ve done to go with the stories of Samuel and David, the Tower of Babel, and Moses and the Red Sea. Read the entire series with activities for all 40 stories in the Jesus Storybook Bible Interactive Play Series here.

We read the story “God’s Messenger: Jonah and the Big Fish” from the Jesus Storybook Bible together, and then played a game of hide and seek. The Bear would hide while Pearl Girl and I looked for him, then we swapped. After several rounds, I brought the game back to the story.

Here’s what I asked him: Did I find you every time? Yes. Did I ever stop looking for you? No. Why did I keep looking for you? Because I love you and never want to lose you. God feels the same way about you and He felt the same way about Jonah. When Jonah ran away, God even used a storm and a big whale to bring him back because God never wants anything to get between His children and Him.

It seemed to really make sense to him, and it was a super fun way to spend a morning.

How do you bring the Bible to life for your kids?
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05
Mar
2015

Four Ways to Work from Home Efficiently

categories: blogging, tech

If you are stuck in a cubicle all day or in a job you hate, working from home might seem like a dream life. Working from home definitely has its perks, but it can also be a major challenge and a huge adjustment. The truth is that while working from home is amazing and awesome, it is not always quite as glamorous as you might think. I work part time from home running this site and as an administrator for a non-profit called Young Life. While I love getting to be home with my kids and taking Downton Abbey breaks during the day, it can be very difficult to get things done with two small kids running around. In order to work from home efficiently, I have to be diligent and disciplined. I have to set boundaries between work and family, just like a regular job. Lately I’m trying to implement the four tips I’m sharing with you today to help me be more efficient and keep my work/life balance in check.

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04
Mar
2015

DIY Outdoor Obstacle Course Play Ideas for Kids

categories: diy, kids, play

We are so ready for spring and getting back to our daily outdoor play routine. While my kids play independently pretty well outside, sometimes an activity or a little direction helps to get them moving. We often set up DIY outdoor obstacle course play for the kids using our existing lawn furniture and their outside toys. The course never looks the same and they are always up for racing around, climbing, jumping, and competing. Today I’m sharing how we set up outdoor obstacle course play as part of the Outdoor Play Challenge. Check out the rest of the Outdoor Play Challenge at Building Blocks and Acorns and grab a free printable play calendar with a whole month of fantastic outdoor play ideas.

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02
Mar
2015

20 Ideas for Toddler and Preschool Easter Fun

categories: Easter, kids, preschool

Toddlers and preschool kids are the perfect age to get excited about decorating eggs and having egg hunts, but there are so many more ways to create toddler and preschool Easter fun for your young kids. I’ve gathered 20 of the best activities and crafts for toddlers and preschool kids to help you celebrate Easter with your little ones. BONUS: Did I mention the $1500 GIVEAWAY? That’s right, 3 winners will each get $500 a piece to make their spring a little hoppier and you can enter at the bottom of this post.

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01
Mar
2015

Bringing the Story of King David & Samuel to Life by Anointing and Blessing Your Kids

categories: essential oils, jesus, preschool

We did something really special and fun with our kids this weekend that we’d never done before but definitely will do again – we gave them a blessing and anointed them with oil. It was simple and sweet and our whole family loved it. I felt funny about it at first and thought it might be kind of weird, but it was really the most special thing. We are trying our best to teach our kids about Jesus and bring the bible to life for them using the Jesus Storybook Bible, and this was another way to accomplish that. We simply read the story of Samuel anointing David as God chooses him as Israel’s future king and then gave our kids a blessing. I’ll share with you how we did it so you can try it with your family. Be sure to check out the entire Jesus Storybook Bible Activity Series here at My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

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01
Mar
2015

Getting Rid of Cable without Losing TV Entertainment ~ Fabulously Frugal

categories: frugal, our financial story

We got rid of cable television over two years, and quite honestly we don’t miss it. We were paying over $100 a month for so many channels we could never watch. When we sat down and looked at our budget we knew something had to give so that I could quit my job and stay home with the kids. Cable was first on the chopping block. We found three easy ways to keep our tv entertainment while cutting cable, and I’m sharing them with you today as part of the Fabulously Frugal Link Party. Link up your latest frugal post below and hop around to visit the others to find so many great ideas.

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26
Feb
2015

Kid Art: Painting with Plastic Wrap Two Ways

categories: kids, play, preschool

Art play is a great way to get your kids creating and expressing themselves. We love to try new painting techniques in our home preschool, and found two different way to paint with plastic wrap as part of a month long Painting Challenge. With this challenge, it is all about the process of kids creating art, not a Pinterest perfect finished product. We had so much fun and the kids really loved the reveal after peeling off the plastic wrap at the end. Read below to find out what we did, and visit the Painting Challenge page over at Messy Little Monster to find 34 other fun painting techniques to try with your kids.

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26
Feb
2015

A Preschool Water Experiment to Teach about Moses and the Red Sea Using the Jesus Storybook Bible

categories: jesus, kids

This week we read the Jesus Storybook Bible version of Moses parting the Red Sea during our home preschool, and got the kids involved in a little water experiment to help bring the story to life. Our Moses and the Red Sea preschool activity is part of the Jesus Storybook Bible Activity Series. Kid Blogger Network writers are sharing a different interactive activity to go with each story and you can find them all here.

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