Category: Ramblings

Christmas Ornaments

~ Life of Momma B ~ Leave a comment

One of my favorite things about the Christmas holidays is that we get to take a break from our normal routine and spend time with family.  As the kids have gotten older it seems harder than ever to stop the crazy busy schedule.  Yet, it is so important.  It won’t be long until they are gone and out on their own.

Each year we set up two trees. The main family tree is our memory tree. A tradition I picked up from my parents is every time we go someplace new or special we pick up a new ornament.  So decorating the Christmas tree is like a walk down memory lane.  “Remember when we went to __________”  and “Yeah, and ___________, that was so much fun”  Each year we pick up 4 to 6 ornaments. So after seventeen years of marriage it is quite full. It is one of my favorite family traditions.

The other tree in my house is the kids tree. It is full of ornaments that the kids have made.  It is a little scrawny tree that they decorate themselves, from the lights to the decorations.  Each year we take time to craft something new.

Ornaments Continue reading “Christmas Ornaments” →

Camera Day

~ Life of Momma B ~ Leave a comment

Did you know that today is Camera Day? Many of us use camera everyday, so why not take some time and work on the Photography Merit Badge.

This summer, Lily and her friends worked on this very badge. She has enjoyed learning to use my DSLR, and now prefers to use the manual setting instead of the automatic features. The group went to one of the local parks to practice what they have learned.

My favorite Explorer level requirement is number 9. The girls are to caption one of their photos with a scripture verse. Here is Lily’s picture of the trail.

verse.png

We used Microsoft Publisher to add text to the photo. Then, we saved the image and had it printed at the local photo store.

Lily chose to use Jeremiah 29:11. Psalms is full of wonderful verses that can be used for this requirement. Check out these for inspiration – Psalm 19:1, Psalm 24:1, Psalm 34:8, and Psalm 145:3. If you have another great verse to use, please share it in the comments section below.

If you are working on the Photography merit badge, check out this additional resources:
Requirement #26

NOTE: The text of the requirements have been simplified here. Please be sure to read the full text in the Girl Handbook to make sure you fully understand the requirements.

American Heritage Girls Merit Badges

~ Life of Momma B ~ Leave a comment

I love being part of American Heritage Girls. My daughter also loves it. As soon as we learned that we were moving she wanted to know if there was a troop near us. Thankfully the answer is yes.

However, I have found that they are lacking one thing. Before you worry, let me explain. My son is a Life Scout. He has 5 merit badges and a service project to complete before he is eligible for his Eagle.  We are very proud of him. There is a great free resource available to Boy Scouts – www.MeritBadge.org. They provide worksheets to accompany every merit badge. As a mom, I wish there were some for American Heritage Girls merit badges.

As a Troop Coordinator in Texas, I made worksheets to help parents with some of the requirements.  I did not complete entire merit badges, but rather tackled some random requirements.  Most of them were for Tenderhearts. As the mom of an Explorer I have began to create worksheets for some of the requirements that Lily is working on. My husband, recommended I share them with you thinking that other parents maybe looking for same thing and there is no need to re-invent the wheel.

If you are a regular follower that enjoys my knitting, cooking and other projects, don’t worry they will continue. However, I am adding a new tab at the top of the page.

Okay, I will quit rambling and get back to creating merit badge helps.

 

Well, that didn’t work

~ Life of Momma B ~ Leave a comment

Do you ever come across an idea and think “WOW, that would make my life a lot easier”. That is exactly what happened to me. Several times on Pinterest I have seen that you can use a can opener to open plastic packaging. So I decided to give it a try.

Don't try this

For Christmas I received a stand for my GPS, so I got out my NEW can opener (yes, I am one of those crazy people who use a manual can opener).  I began on the middle of the right side of the package. The can opener managed to make a few dents, but was not cutting the plastic.

Since that was not working I decided to try the top left corner and see if starting on a corner made any difference. This time I was able to cut a small strip off of the package, but it did not cut the seal. The next thing I know the can opener broke and fell to the floor in several pieces.

The end result was an unopened package and a broken can opener. Please do not try this at home! It was a waste of my time, energy and money. I will stick with using my heavy scissors next time I need to open anything.

Another year comes to a close

~ Life of Momma B ~ Leave a comment

I have been AWOL lately. Life has once again got in the way with my blog. But have no fear, I am back. The latest move has really taken a toll on me. I managed to get everything moved, a few rooms painted and ready for Christmas.

I must admit that with only a week between the arrival of the last of our things and family arriving for Christmas, December was more hectic than usual. I got to spend a week with my dad, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. This is the first time in long while we have all been together for Christmas. While there are still lots of boxes to sort through, everything worked out. And to my nieces delight, I was able to put up the big tree this year and not “The World’s Cheapest Christmas Tree“. It was the best Christmas I have had in a long time. The old saying proved true this year, “it’s not what’s under the tree but those around it.”

As 2013 comes to a close, I cannot help but look back over the past 364 days. Last year at this time, I asked “what is it that I do best?” Obviously, this is outside of my roles as wife, mother and homeschool teacher, but what is it that I do best.  I still love to cook and my passion for that continues to grow. My interest in knitting is growing and my skills are improving. This is all due to your encouragement. Thank you for taking the time to read my post. For those who follow me, thank you!

I am excited about what the new year holds. So good bye 2013 and HELLO 2014.

Happy-New-Year-2014-HD-Wallpaper