Top Ten Gifts for Kids

Ems AND Jules here-

We decided to team up for a pre-Black Friday post on what to (and what NOT to) buy for kids!  Our focus is on the younger set of children, because as kids get to the pre-teen era usually only technology-related gifts and/or very specific requests will suffice. 

After a dozen Christmases between us, we have experienced many wonderful gift-wrap explosions on holiday mornings-- and we have come to know which presents are actually useful and which ones will be lost, broken, or forgotten before New Year's Eve. Before you delve into our fantastic list... here are a few disclaimers:

• Know your child: Some kids love to play with toys, some do not. Don't buy your child something "just to unwrap" when you know they will lose interest very quickly.
• Our list is a suggestion, not every gift is perfect for your child!
• Our list is focusing on things you can wrap-- the MOST appreciated gifts for multi-children families are: gift cards (to stores, restaurants, etc.), movie theater tickets and museum or zoo family-passes. 
• All toys CAN get lost or broken! Teach your kids responsibility in caring for their possessions and have them clean up parts and pieces thoroughly.
• The point of Christmas is NOT about gifts... it is about the Savior, so don't spend all your money on a crazy day of presents that your kids may not appreciate.

10. Magnatiles- Definitely the most expensive gift on our list, but they are worth it! If you want to ask grandparents to buy them-all the better! They are magnetic blocks that easily make castles, rocket ships, farmyards, whatever they can imagine.  Kids ages 1 to 10 really enjoy creating fantastic sculptures.  These are definitely an always-played-with-toy in our house!

9. Dolls- Now, we have never bought a doll directly for a boy, but little boys enjoy dolls too! From washing them in a sink to feeding them a pretend bottle, kids love to mimic parents caring for little ones.  You can pick up cheap accessories at the dollar store, and try not to spend too much on the doll-- fancy dolls become boring very quickly.

Last Christmas Doll bed & Baby

8. Family Board Games- Start a new tradition of a family game night or simply let the older kids rule over the younger ones in some hefty competition-- board games are an awesome gift! Start them with Candy Land and work your way up to Life & Monopoly (well, only if you want some real arguments...). And although we are focusing on the younger set, there really are SO many spectacular games out there that older kids enjoy --Pandemic, Forbidden Island, Clue, etc.--so really explore this area of gift-giving.  It's a great change of pace from PlayStation.

Candy Land fun!

7. Little People, Figurines, and/or Superheroes- We received the Little People bus as an early gift and added to our Little People collection through hand-me-downs and garage sales.  They are quite expensive new, but very attainable in the Craigslist world.  Plus any figurines you can get at the Dollar Store or Wal-mart can be used for imaginative play.  Children love to set them up on blocks, put them in rocket ships, or make believe they are climbing the "furniture mountains."  

Boys love soldiers and the plastic kind are affordable and easily replaceable. I usually buy 4 bags every Christmas and watch them go town! Well, to battle. Just be prepared for the inevitable rubble of strewn soldiers to be found in random nooks and crannies of your home. Take comfort in the fact that you are not out the big bucks. If a toy is going to get lost, it might as well be cheap!

Lissie Little Person

6. Doodle-Pad- The reusable service is great for car rides, dentists office or even letter practice.  We received a cheap one years ago, and it has been a great way to make quick, non-messy drawings.  You can go high end or super cheap depending on what you want.

5. Legos- Good for all ages, these are a gift that can really stand the test of time. Literally hours of play potential here. Rivaling the Magnatiles in price and the toy soldiers in "spreadability" (I made up this word to describe toys that literally creep into all rooms of your home), however, these are not for the faint of heart. Be sure your child loves to build! If he or she does, they are worth the investment for sure. Stuck for storage? I use an under the bed rollout bin to house all the Legos. And a tip: take pictures of your kids creations! It will make scrapping them at cleanup time MUCH easier.

A Lego contraption of Nate's: I think it's a gun? He's made candy dispensers and banks, too...very cool stuff!

4- Wooden Blocks- At first glance, blocks can be the standard, ho-hum gift. In actuality, if you teach your children to make roads, castles, prisons, etc. their imagination will blossom.  Using the figurines from #7 above, kids can make forts, create battles, re-create fairy tales or simply knock them over with rubber bands.

Mom tip: Just like with Lego creations, be sure to take a picture of their castles & towers so when a younger sibling knocks it down there will be fewer tears...

3. Play Food- We've witnessed kids of ALL ages who like to make pretend food in a kitchen. Don't have room for a real play kitchen? Just buy the food. Give the kid a box to be a microwave or an oven and let them imagine. Younger kids love making meals at a restaurant and older kids even like to join in! From make believe grocery shopping to a tea party- nothing beats imaginative play! 

Just watch out for older boy siblings who may be tempted to use the plastic French baguette as a bat or the canned veggies as grenades. Just saying.

2. Craft Kits- From Wal-Mart to AC Moores, craft kids are an easily attainable and very entertaining gift. From jewelry to race cars, kids can make anything from these relatively-easy-to-use kits.  Parents don't have to buy extra supplies and it usually cleans up quickly!

1. Coloring Supplies- No matter how many crayons a family has, it's never enough. Good quality (i.e. Crayola) crayons, markers, water colors, paper, stickers, etc. are always appreciated. Coloring and drawing can occupy children for hours, and rarely do they outgrow the creative outlet of art. Affordable, disposable, and much desired-- art supplies are fantastic!

Many kids like to draw, as opposed to color, so a ream of paper and a bunch of colored pens would be a super gift.


And not to be outdone--- here's a mini-list of things to avoid:
1. Battery-eating toys (After two rounds of batteries, these toys will never work again...)
2. Super noisy toys (These will end up hidden in a closet by a mother with a headache)
3. Take-up-a-lot-of-space-toys (Oh you got a great deal on the life-sized space ship? Um... keep it at your house we'll play with it there...)
4. Stuffed animals (They already secretly multiply without buying new ones)
5. Million-tiny-parts toys (They are destined for the vacuum canister).


Do you have any must-have toys that REALLY entertain your kids? Let us know via comments!! We want toys & gifts that keep kids AND parents happy :)

Either way HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Now you better go shopping....

Easy Rule #35872- Don't go with the fad toys, because they put the "fad" in "fading interest."

Easy Rule #24532- Buy with storage in mind. Clear your home out before Christmas to make way for the new goodies!

First Snow Day Traditions Continue

Jules here-

On Friday, we awoke to a little less than one inch of snow which Lissie proclaimed, "Is today winter?"  Though winter doesn't technically begin until Dec. 21st-- up on top of the mountain, winter has definitely commenced- cozy fires, hot chocolate, and of course SNOWMAN PANCAKES!

Lissie & Grace immediately remembered the annual tradition and eagerly scrambled to the breakfast table to help assemble their delicious creations. From chocolate chip eyes to blueberry buttons, they all turned out delicious! (Except, of course, James's gluten-free buckwheat pancakes that tasted like straw- he still ate them).  A dollop of cool whip added to the sweet, syrupy, sticky mess!

After breakfast, they donned their winter apparel (which of course took FOREVER to find, assemble, and size for each...).  We knew the snow would probably melt by afternoon, so an 8 AM snow-play date made sense.  They made snow angels, threw fluffy snowballs, and loved exploring the snowy mountain scenery.

Snow Angels on the deck!

After defrocking, we curled up by the fire to build with blocks.  James asked Grace to build him a "golf course" and soon we had come up with a fantastic way to pass the time- mini-golf!  We made several different versions with obstacles, ramps, and make-shift (pretend) water traps.

Of course we started some homeschooling after all the fun, but the day had the feel of a holiday.  We attended our first ski swap that evening to get Grace outfitted for her first real "ski season" and went out to a local restaurant for fried clams and ice cream- yum! 

Easy Rule #54354- Take a moment to celebrate the change of seasons- it'll make the pile of snow gear in your hallway more tolerable.

Digesting it All

Jules here-

Though I have alluded to it before, I need to reiterate the reality of my diaper situation: my now-3-year-old-son has chronic diarrhea. It has been three years with only a handful of "normal" diapers to deal with-- imagine the amount of wipes I go through.  If I don't change his diaper within 5 minutes after he destroys it-- his poor Irish bottom because so irritated that I have to forcibly put him in the tub.

Still obsessed with golf..

Now that you are thoroughly grossed out, you may understand the desperation I feel in trying to pinpoint the allergen that terrorizes James's digestive system.  He has an elevated white blood cell count associated with allergens- but so far we can't find the food source. We know he's allergic to dust mites, dogs, cats, walnuts, and barley; he does not consume barley or walnuts on a daily basis. And I hope he's not eating too much dust. Because he's growing so well despite his problems, we have tried elimination diets rather than more invasive procedures.  Here's our journey summed up so far:

Mmm.... lactose free

Lactose Free:
Positives: Lactaid milk substitutes beautifully in cooking.  Cabot Cheddar is naturally lactose free!
Negatives: Expense! Lactaid milk is TWICE as much as regular milk.
Result: Initially an improvement, after 1 week he was back to his normal digestion.

No dairy products at all, including ice cream

Dairy Free:
Positives: Ummmm.... not many.  "Milk" is labeled clearly on most items.  They make dairy free chocolate chips at Trader Joes which is nice. Many people are milk-allergic/sensitive so there are plenty of items.
Negatives: Milk substitutes taste nothing like milk.  I enjoy a vanilla soy milk on my cereal- but drinking it plain- bleck.  The worst milk concoction I came up with was rice milk hot cocoa- it was inedible.  As for "soy cheese" my mom threw it out after tasting it saying, "No one should have to ever eat this. I need to eat something to get that taste out of my mouth."  
Results: Once again, initially (1 month) there was an improvement, but he slowly returned to his baseline status. We stayed dairy free for 8 weeks.

When one kid is dairy-free-- you have to sneak the other ones out for ice cream!

Egg Free:
Positives: Eggs aren't in that much pre-packaged thing. We had to make eggless pancakes (which tasted o.k.) and an eggless birthday cake which tasted pretty normal I think....
Negatives: The simple "breakfast for dinner" scrambled eggs dinner were out the window. Otherwise, this wasn't too hard.
Results: Nada. No change.

Soy Free:
Positives: Labels are labeled "soy free." This was a more "all natural" diet and I would recommend it for anyone who wanted more "whole foods".
Negatives: Wow- soy is in EVERYTHING. Check anything that comes in a box or a bag- it probably has soy: Goldfish, crackers, cereal, breads, snacks, etc.... Soy Lechtin or Soybean oil, or simply Soy.  It made me really question our food supply if it so heavily processed- and I am someone who cooks mostly from scratch!

No bread at all- except for Bertucci trips... who could resist that?

Gluten Free: (Just started this trial 3 days ago)
Positives: Everything is REALLY well-labeled. This is a fad-diet so there are TONS of substitutes for normal food. Whole isles are dedicated to GF products.
Negatives: No bread or pasta. The GF bread runs about $6 for a small loaf, and it's not very good. We are sticking to rice cakes, corn tortillas, and simply no bread.
Results: Pending... we'll find out how is tummy is in a week or two....

Overall challenges and suggestions if you need to do an elimination diet:
1. Making sure my kid isn't hungry. Before each trial I go to pinterest and search recipes, substitutions, etc.  I have snacks/food handy so he can have something all of the time.
2. Have fun substitutes too. James was soy-free on Halloween, so I made sure I had extra starbursts and candy corn for him (he couldn't have any of the chocolate candy). I am blessed that he is SUCH a good sport about not being able to have certain food items (For example, we were at a restaurant that offered free ice cream for kids for dessert, but he was dairy free. I grabbed one of the after-dinner mints and said he could have that instead... he didn't even fuss!!!)
3. Be patient. Elimination diets take time, and it's hard to want to rush the results.  It can be exhausting cooking two breakfasts for your children so one can be allergy-free.

Normal waffles to the left, GF waffles to the right-- you needed A LOT of syrup to swallow them down....

4. Listen to a nutritionist. James's gastroenterologist has a full-time nutritionist to offer suggestions during elimination diets so the child does not miss out on key elements of his/her diets. I know a few parents who take his/her kid off of dairy, and don't even consider the loss of calcium, etc.
5.You are going to screw up. Seriously- you will not be able to be 100% at this-- I am very vigilant about James's nut allergy as he has an anaphylactic reaction-- but a food sensitivity is so subtle that it's hard to keep him from Pizza Hut when the crust might have soy....

 No matter what-- James has been a great sport about his elimination diets and he often asks, "Wait, am I dairy free still?" Or, "Can I have tootsie pop or does it have soy?" And surprisingly he reacts well when I tell him yes or no to each item.  Though he still is quite wary of milk (I tried 4 different varieties to get him to drink milk during the dairy free time) and he'll ask, "Is this Grace's milk? Or James's milk?" and he hesitates to drink it...

Easy Rule #87979- Don't ever complain about other children's annoying allergies, because God might want to teach you a lesson in empathy. I've learned my lesson all to well.

Easy Rule #3535- "Dairy-Free Cheese" does not exist. It's never a good idea.

And a HAPPY ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY to my adorable nephew CHARLIE!! (And happy birthday to his mom too-- she was blessed with a baby on her b-day last year!!):

Looking like a cabbage patch kid

A Homemade Halloween-- and Birthday

Jules here-

Alas, with the move, house-hunting, homeschooling, holiday and working-- I have been greatly neglectful in writing blog posts (and yes, Ems has her own list of lame excuses too...). Our biggest fans have unrelentingly pestered us, so here it is :)

First, I have lovely pictures on my camera-- but I cannot find my camera cord to download the them; I may have put it in storage. For now, I am relying on my fantastic friends and family to help film the important moments, and you'll have to use your imagination too... 



Halloween 2013 Fantastic Used Costumes = Free

Throughout the years, I have been so blessed with hand-me-downs, consignments store finds, and garage sale deals-- that I have never purchased a costume at full-retail price.  After moving away from my local-haunts, I had to go to Wal-Mart. UM--- $25 for a kid's costume?!? Seriously? At best, I could spend $10 per kid on generic, skimpy costumes that we would have to layer so much that they would be unrecognizable as we traipsed around the chilly neighborhood. 

 

Of course, I turned to Pinterest for help.  After scouring "last-minute-kid's-cheap-costume-ideas", I had some simple ideas on a "how-to".  I saw a simple tunic-style cut-out of a pumpkin which inspired me (follow the link if you want the how-to on that one)


Follow this link for instructions: http://oyveyaday.com/diy-halloween-no-sew-pumpkin-costume-in-under-10-minutes-for-under-10/



After seeing the simple felt pullover, I was inspired (mostly by the cost of "real" costumes), to totally create hand-made costumes.  Armed only with $12 and my hot glue gun, I headed to Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store to create 3 costumes without sewing, in two days. Grace decided she wanted to be the sun, so naturally I made James the moon, and Lissie a fluffy cloud (mostly because I had this awesome hand-me-down hat she could wear):

Obviously I did not make our friend's Ninja Turtle costume...

I purchased 4 sheets (paper-sized) white felt, 4 sheets of yellow felt, 2 yards of black felt (I think background blue for the sun & cloud would have been nice, but that would have cost another $6 to purchase them separately), dollar store hats & mittens, and I made my own face paint.  I used cotton balls for the cloud and we also glitter-glued sparkle over the sun & moon.  The kids liked helping glue the cotton balls on, adding "bling", an watching me hot-glue the outfits.  PLUS- the kids could wear regular clothes (including jackets) and have their arms free for holding candy!

Though I was proud of our make-shift Halloween costume-making, when I arrived at the library story time, one mom had sewn an exact replica of Little Red Riding Hood's dress AND cloak.... so my hot-glued cotton balls looked a tad shabby-- but who cares- it's Halloween and just plain fun!

The day after Halloween is not only All Saint's Day-- it's also James's birthday! I no longer have a terrible-two year old, I have a still-not-potty-trained THREE year old!! Of course, he wanted a golf-themed cake, and we took him bowling of the first time with friends.  He LOVED it.

James's Golf Cake

The flags were toothpicks with construction paper (Grace made them), the big golf ball and tee are real. The sand traps were graham crackers, and the mini-golf balls were white sixlet candy.

Big Guy is Three!

I cannot sew, I'm not very fancy, but I managed to pull off Halloween AND a birthday, and blogging about it-- kudos to me :)

Easy Rule #11111- You don't need fancy costumes or a lot of money for kids to enjoy holidays.

Easy Rule #45456- The best way to start out a candy-focused holiday is to start the sugar-indulgences before breakfast.

I think we need a sugar-detox



At a Slower Pace

Jules here-

"No, I got it!" The grizzly voice bellowed as I precariously guarded the old man on the not-recommended step stool. "See," he gloated after admiring the now-hung mini-blind, "I told you that I could fix it." He proudly gazed out his window at the yellow and orange leaves decorating his lawn and muttered something about having to rake them up, as I tried to reiterate my post-stroke instructions.

My view from work is pretty amazing

Though I am still a homecare occupational therapist in New Hampshire, my new job has thrust me into the true New England setting. After residing in Southern New Hampshire for the past nine years, I thought I understood the Yankee mentality- I was wrong.  The lower 1/3 of New Hampshire has slowly been infiltrated with Massachusetts residents and has become a suburban wonderland. Of course, my prior town had two town-Lake beaches, miles of hiking trails/scenery, and quaint covered bridges as any quintessential New England area, BUT I was only a ten minute drive from Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond and numerous restaurants.

 

Up North (say in thick Maine Accent for emphasis), most patients live on dirt roads without cell service, cable, or even neighbors within a mile.  Instead of seeing 6-7 patients a day, I barely get to 4-5 while driving 15-25 miles between patients.  Some of my patients have to drive 45 minutes to a grocery store, pharmacy, or doctor's office.  Though I am enjoying the books-on-CD, the fantastic fall foliage, mountain & lake views, the isolation (i.e. no bathroom breaks) does take some acclimation. 
The people in this area are different too; most have lived in the same home their entire life- on a mountain, on a dirt road, with some "junk" scattered about.  We always judge the houses with a rusted-out car, peeling paint, and overgrown yards-- but they are not concerned about our opinions.  The residents of Northern New Hampshire care about survival.  Jobs are scarce up here, and many open sugar shacks (maple sugar) in the spring, make their own jam from wild blueberries to sell to the tourists in the spring, open plowing and landscaping businesses (for the wealthy "vacationers"), or sell scrap metal to local dumps.  No job is beneath them, and their pride comes with home ownership, chopping and stacking their wood for winter, and helping neighbors in need.  They would laugh at the suburban mindset of "keeping up with the Joneses" and prefer privacy to contrived socialization.

Outsiders view the Yankee privacy as coldness, apathy, or selfishness, but in reality I think these people are used to being quiet and listening, not prattling or complaining about the weather.  When you walk outside in the winter here, deafening silence will greet you. After the animals have nestled into their winter homes and snow blankets the Earth- the only sound you'll hear will be the sound of your boots crunching the snow as you make your way to the woodpile for provisions.  You become used to your own thoughts rather than the background chatter and distraction of a busy city or neighborhood.  These northerners reflect much of the early colonists' strength, determination, and spirit, and they are true survivors in this harsh landscape. 

Many of my patients scoff at the idea of "going to a gym" or "lifting weights" as they stack cords of wood, manage acres of land, and work odd jobs well into their eighties.  The women up here would never wear unpractical shoes or worry that their winter coat isn't flattering- they are hearty, direct, and not concerned with the frivolity of southerners.  They may not be as conversational as the South or seem to be interested in you- but when you allow them to open up (at their own pace) their stories are just as rich as interesting as anyone's.  Plus, their determination to "get better" and back to their chores rivals any of my past patients'. 

As I watch my 82 year old stroke patient start his daily 1/2 mile walk to his mailbox with his walker, I realize that though I wouldn't recommend this area as a retirement plan- necessity and nature may provide more therapy than I ever could.

Easy Rule #542490- An old dog can learn new tricks- you just have to let them think they came up with the idea.

Easy rule #56098- Minivans aren't really made for back-country driving.

Picture It

Ems here:

Theo's iPod may be out of service for a bit. We have caught the perpetrator, hoist by her own petard, as it were :

Brian and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary this week! He bought gorgeous roses reminiscent of my autumnal wedding bouquet; love you, honey!!

Biggest brother reading to littlest sister....awwww!

And lastly, Simona tries to hide whilst blatantly stealing cheese from our taco night fixings bowl; it's the old "I can't see you so you can't see me" routine....

Easy Rule #12565: Make sure you keep snapping random photos...these days seem to fly by!

Oh, and please say a prayer that both my allergies and my grumpiness depart from me rapidly. The onset of cool weather is not being handled well (boo hoo, I hate the cold!!).

It's A .....

Ems here:

Just a quick post to share the exciting news! It's a GIRL !!! Girls are making a comeback in our home, and the ratio is now 5:3; not too shabby, ladies!

The boys are quite disappointed, I must say, and Josephine is thrilled! Simona has no idea why my stomach is called "baby," but I'm sure that in another year she will be overjoyed at having a little sister close in age.

I will post again soon as I have been getting harassing text messages from someone (hi Chrissy) about my lackluster performance as a blogger recently. 

Between my husband's two jobs, soccer, lacrosse, keeping the house sanitary, home schooling, and feeding the kids, this month has literally flown by. For someone as naturally lazy as myself, this busy-ness is quite disturbing, and I am unable to perform basic tasks like "reading a book" or "stringing cohesive thoughts together" without falling asleep.

Hopefully this post made sense. Off to dreamland!

I will leave you with a photo I have titled "Gabe in a Tree."

Easy Rule #6221: Girls rule and boys drool.