Quotable Timeless Tuesday: SISTERS

Posted on February 8, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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When I got home the other day, there was a package waiting for me at the door. Actually, there were THREE packages! All from the same person!

My birthday is next week 🙂 and my dear wonderful sister had sent me some presents!

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.

Marion C. Garretty

Isn’t it fun to get stuff in the mail? I know they say it is better to give than to receive. That is definitely true…but I must admit that it is lovely to open a present from someone who loves you, especially a sister who seems to know just what you need, want and like. Maybe that’s because you grow up together and even though you may not be close when you are young, you still have the same history…or almost the same. Although parents may try to treat each child in the family the same, it is really impossible. There are many factors that determine how parents interact with their children…birth order, temperament and personality of each child and where the parents are in their own life journey.

Sister is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.

Margaret Mead

Are you close with your siblings? My sister and I were not when we were growing up, but now that we are older, the relationship seems more important and the bond grows stronger.

The first package contained a beautiful nightgown, a package of bath tea, a yummy bar of dark chocolate laced with cranberries and an enchanting handmade card. The second package was heavy…a bunch of romance novels…one of my favorite escapes. The third package was the heaviest of all…more books…one of which was a large treasury of women’s quotations!

For there is no friend like a sister

In calm or stormy weather;

To cheer one on the tedious way,

To fetch one if one goes astray,

To lift one if one totters down,

To strengthen whilst one stands.

Christina Rossetti

How did my sister know that I had decided to reserve my Tuesday blog post for favorite quotes? I hadn’t mentioned it to her.

Maybe it’s that special bond between sisters?

So I think it is appropriate to dedicate this first Quotable Timeless Tuesday post to sisters…my sister, in particular.

A sister is both your mirror…and your opposite

Elizabeth Fishel

GREAT news! The publisher is letting us extend the SHARE THE LOVE BOOK BOGO EVENT that is going on right now on my website

You can grab a copy of the book that contains 100 EASY CHILD-FRIENDLY HEALTHFUL COOKING ACTIVITIES AND 100 SIMPLE ECO-FRIENDLY CRAFT PROJECTS at the regular cover price and you will RECEIVE ANOTHER COPY FREE!

In addition, we are adding a special bonus that will remain in effect until Valentine’s Day….FREE PRIORITY SHIPPING, with both books going to the same address.

Head on over to my website to get all the details…this will be a gift of love, not only to the adults who receive the books, but also to the children who get to do the reading, crafting and cooking! If you find yourself wondering what activities to do with your preschooler, this book is the perfect solution…reading, crafting and cooking activities laid out in a simple format that’s as easy as ABC. The fun thing is that you can pick and choose which activities to do when it suits you and your child.

Stop by tomorrow for another new feature of my blog: WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKCASE WEDNESDAY?

MAKE-A-MEAL MONDAYS

Posted on February 7, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Do you notice how lots of people who blog have catchy titles for different days.

Mailbox Monday

Wordless Wednesday

Follow Me Fridays

So, from now on, I’m going to be doing Make-A-Meal Mondays.

Every Monday, I’ll post a recipe that is a favorite of ours…and one that your child can help you prepare…I’m a big fan of kids in the kitchen! Encouraging your child to participate with meal planning and preparation is important because:

Children master skills and tasks when helping in the kitchen…which builds their self-esteem.
Fussy eaters are more likely to eat meals they have helped prepare.
Children learn about where food comes from when they help shop for ingredients and use those ingredients in making the final product.
The time you spend participating positively with your child helps create a life-long parent-child bond.
You can utilize the shopping experience to develop pre-literacy skills…make the list with your child and draw a picture of each item next to each word…then let your child hold the list and check off each item as he or she helps you put it in the shopping cart.

The last few weeks, most of the country has been hit with severe weather…icy rains, blizzards and freezing cold temperatures. I think a cup of hot soup would be a welcome addition to any meal this week, so here is a favorite of ours and one of the recipes that appears in SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING.

The soup commercial on television says it all…eager smiling children sitting around the table in the cozy kitchen, mother wearing an apron, stirring a big pot on the stove. The only thing missing is the delicious aroma of homemade soup. With this recipe, you and your child can make that happen in your home.

ALPHABET CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

You will need: 1 quart chicken broth, 2 Tb diced onion, ¼ cup dry alphabet noodles, 1 cup diced cooked chicken, ½ cup sliced carrots, ½ cup cut green beans, ¼ cup corn kernels, parsley (optional), and a large pot with a cover.

1. In a large pot, mix the broth, onions and noodles and bring to a boil.

2. Lower heat to simmer and add chicken, carrots, beans and corn.

3. Simmer on low with the cover on for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Garnish each serving with parsley, if desired.

5. Makes about 4-5 cups of soup. You can refrigerate or freeze the leftovers.

6. TIP: You can substitute other vegetables if you like…peas, lima beans, zucchini…use your imagination…or whatever you have available. J

7. You can season with salt and pepper if you wish…but go easy…as a nation, we tend to use too much salt which has been shown to create all kinds of health problems.

And just to remind you…this is the last day of the SHARE THE LOVE BOOK BOGO EVENT going on right now on my website

Head on over to my website to get all the details…but please hurry…this SHARE THE LOVE BOGO BOOK EVENT goes away at 11:59pm on Monday night.

Please stop by tomorrow for TIMELESS TUESDAYS…I’ll be sharing some of my favorite quotations.

The Final Lesson of Nanny McPhee: HAVE FAITH!

Posted on February 6, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Have you heard what Jesus said according to Matthew 17:20?

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move.”

We hear a lot about faith…but what is it really?

The dictionary defines faith as, “Confident belief in the truth, value or trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing. It is a belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.”

In the Nanny McPhee movies, the final lesson for the children is: HAVE FAITH!

As parents, I guess we need to answer two questions.

1. Do young children need to have faith?

2. How can we “teach” our children to have faith?

For me, the answer to the first question is a definite YES! Children need to have faith…in themselves, in their parents and other caregivers, and in the natural order of the universe.

Regarding question two, we can “teach” children to have faith in two easy steps:

1. Have faith in yourself…set goals and follow through until you reach them. Also, work towards realizing your dreams.

2. Have faith in your children…show them you believe in them by listening to their concerns and opinions with respect. Encourage their strengths and support and praise their good efforts. Be consistent about expecting them to accept the appropriate consequences for their actions.

A wonderful example of a child who had tremendous faith in himself and in the natural order of the universe can be found in a classic children’s picture book, THE CARROT SEED, written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Crocket Johnson. A little boy plants a carrot seed and always remembers to water it and pull up the weeds. Although he doesn’t get any encouragement from his family, he continues to care for it. His hard work and faith are rewarded when the carrot seed grows…into an enormous carrot plant! When the little boy pulls the mature carrot plant out of the ground, the carrot is SO BIG; he needs a wheelbarrow to cart it away.

In my new parenting book, you will find two activities that extend this learning activity: planting a carrot seed and making carrot soup.