by Stacey Schifferdecker

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, but the idea of an annual celebration to thank God for his bounty stretches back through time and around the world. Here are some ways other cultures celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe you can find some ideas to enrich your own family’s Thanksgiving celebration this year.

The ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Chinese, and Egyptians all held harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations. These celebrations continue today in various forms. Jewish families celebrate with a seven-day autumn harvest festival called Sukkoth. Sukkoth commemorates how God cared for Moses and the Hebrew people as they wandered in the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. During Sukkoth, families build small temporary huts out of branches and foliage. Inside the huts, they hang fruits and vegetables such as apples, grapes, corn, and pomegranates. A special ceremony is held each day to remember their Hebrew ancestors and to thank God for the harvest. Families eat in the hut at night and sometimes sleep there as well.

The Chinese harvest festival is called Chung Ch'ui or the August Moon Festival and is celebrated in mid-August. During this three-day celebration, Chinese families celebrate the end of the harvest season with a big feast featuring roasted pig and mooncakes. These palm-sized round cakes symbolize family unity and perfection, so the Chinese people also give mooncakes to their friends and relatives as a way of giving thanks. Legend says that during wartime, the Chinese hid secret messages in mooncakes and were able to thwart their enemies

Vietnamese families also celebrate an autumn festival in mid-August. Their festival is called Têt-Trung-Thu (tet-troong-thoo) or the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is also called the Children’s Festival and many activities are planned for children. According to Vietnamese folklore, parents worked so hard on the harvest, they left the children playing by themselves. To make up for it, parents would show their love and appreciation for their children at the Mid-Autumn festival. One popular activity is a candlelit lantern procession at dawn, often with lanterns the children make themselves. The lanterns represent brightness while the procession itself symbolizes success in school.

Ghana, Nigeria, and Korea also celebrate the harvest is August. Ghana and Nigeria have a Yam Festival because yams are the most common food in many African countries and are the first crop to be harvested. The Korean festival is called Chusok. Families get together and eat special rice cakes made of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts. They also visit the tombs of their ancestors and dance traditional dances.

Southern India celebrates the harvest at a festival called Pongal in January of each year. Named after a sweet rice dish, Pongal features a community feast during which neighbors get together to share their crops and give thanks to everyone who contributed to a successful harvest.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada dates back to 1578, when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in Newfoundland to give thanks to God. This celebration is the most similar to the American Thanksgiving, even featuring many of the same foods and hymns. The similarities stem from the American Revolution, when many Americans who remained loyal to England moved to Canada, bringing their American customs with them. However, the harvest season is earlier in Canada, so they celebrate Thanksgiving in October instead of November. Canadians also celebrate on Monday rather than Thursday.

Other harvest festivals around the world include the German Erntedankfest celebrated in September each year and a Brazilian public day of thanksgiving and prayer celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Comment from More4kids: While there is a lot of bad stuff happening around the world, we need to give pause and be thankful, for us, our kids and our family. From all of us here at More4kids, we wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  

Biography
Stacey Schifferdecker is the happy but harried mother of three school-aged children—two boys and a girl. She is also a freelance writer, a Children’s Minister, a PTA volunteer, and a Scout leader. Stacey has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and French and a Master’s degree in English. She has written extensively about parenting and education as well as business, technology, travel, and hobbies.

No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Father's Day is a time to celebrate dads, and for fathers, it is a great time to reflect on the relationship you have with your children. Maybe you have a great relationship with your children or maybe you would like to be more involved in your child's life. The role of a father is an important one, and many studies show that having a father that is involved is beneficial to the entire family. Of course, not only will your children benefit from you being involved in their lives, but you'll enjoy great benefits too. This Father's Day, consider the benefits of being an involved dad and consider a few of these tips for bonding and becoming more involved with your children. It will definitely pay off big time.

Being Involved – The Benefits for Your Children

First, let's take a look at some of the benefits your children will enjoy when you are an involved dad. Being involved in your child's life is going to include getting involved in all aspects of their lives. As you do this, here are a few benefits your children will enjoy.

Benefit #1 – Greater Success – Studies have shown that children who have fathers who are involved in their lives enjoy greater success in life. They are more successful in their career pursuits, which leads to financial stability.

Benefit #2 – Fewer Problems – Another benefit of being involved with your children is they usually have fewer problems in life. They are less likely to be delinquent, get involved in violence, or have other behavioral problems.

Benefit #3 – Better Cognitive Abilities – Interestingly enough, spending more time bonding with your kids can increase their cognitive abilities. Regardless of your own education level, being involved with your kids can increase cognitive test scores and the likelihood that they graduate high school and even pursue higher education.

Benefit #4 – Better Life Skills – Your children will also benefit from better life skills when you stay involved in their lives. They will build positive characteristics, including social skills, self control, and self esteem.

Benefit #5 – They'll Be Better Parents – Last, when you are involved in your children's lives, they are more likely to be better parents too. You are setting an example for them. If you are involved, they are more likely to be involved and be committed to their family when they become adults. What you are doing now is not just affecting your children, but maybe even your grandchildren.

Being an Involved Father – The Benefits for YOU!

Yes dad, being involved is great for your children. However, you also need to realize that there are some great benefits for you too. When you build up relationships that are strong with your children, you will also receive care and support. Here are several important benefits you'll enjoy as you become more involved with your children.

Benefit #1 – Secure Relationship – First, as you are involved with your children, you'll reap the benefit of having a secure relationship for them. Even as they become adults, that relationship will continue.

Benefit #2 – Effectively Deal with Stress – Being involved in the lives of your children can help you more effectively deal with stress in your life. You know you are doing the right thing and the relationships you build will help to combat stress.

Benefit #3 – Confidence – As you are involved in your child's life, you'll enjoy greater confidence. You will feel that you have more to offer others socially, on the job, and as a parent.

Benefit #4 – You Have Someone to Depend On - When you build up strong relationships and bonds with your children, you have the benefit of knowing that you have someone that you can depend on. Your children will get older, grow up, and become your support network, which is a wonderful thing.

Parenting Tips for Bonding and Being More Involved with Your Children

Sometimes it is a bit tougher for fathers to build bonds with their children than it is for mothers. Some barriers that fathers often deal with include time mismanagement as well as work. Balancing your family and everything else in your life can be tough, but it is not impossible. If you want to bond with your children and become more involved in their lives, here are a few great tips that can help.

Tip #1 – Get Involved in Night Time Rituals – Bedtime is actually one of the best times to bond with your kids. Maybe you can read a bedtime story to the kids at night, complete with all the funny voices. If you have a small child, consider rocking him to sleep at night. Come up with a special game you play before bed or some other fun routine you do each night together.

Tip #2 – Remember Physical Contact – To bond and become more involved with your children, remember physical contact. Sometimes fathers just don't think about it, but a simple hug for your child can really increase the bond you have with them. Take time out for plenty of hugs and kisses with your kids.

Tip #3 – Spend Time Talking – Although you may not have a lot of time, try to take a bit of time each day to talk with your children. Communication is one of the most important parts of being involved in their lives. You want to know what they are thinking and feeling, so talking to them is another important tip for being involved in your children's lives.

Tip #4 – Enjoy Physical Activities Together – Enjoying physical activities together can build a strong bond as well. Consider sharing a hobby that you both enjoy. Work on the lawn together. Workout together or coach a team that they are involved in, such as little league. Doing something together will increase your bond and give you something in common with your child too.

Tip #5 – Consider Sharing Spiritual Activities - You can also consider sharing spiritual activities with your child. In fact, these activities can be very powerful when it comes to bonding. Consider going to synagogue or church with your child, enjoying spiritual stories, praying with your child, or even exploring nature and its mysteries with your child.

Finally, the bond between a father and child is a special one. However, it takes some work to create that bond. There are definitely benefits to being an involved dad, so consider using some of these tips to get more involved in your child's life. You'll both enjoy the benefits for life.

Parenting at More4kids: More4Kids Inc © and All Rights Reserved

Happy Moms Day!

Mothers Day is a special day to really let our Moms know how much we love them. Here are a few quotes I found that help express our love for their dedication and influence throughout our lives. After all, what would we be without our Moms?

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love. (Mildred B. Vermont)

Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly. (Sarah Malin)

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. (Oprah)

Best advice my mom gave me is "Don't let other people make the choices for you and don't let no one push you around." (Gabriela, 11, Canada)

M-O-T-H-E-R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,

"O" means only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her heart of purest gold;

"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"

A word that means the world to me.

- Howard Johnson.

Mother – that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries. (T. DeWitt Talmage)

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. (unknown)

Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease. (Lisa Alther)

A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.  (Victor Hugo)

The Miracle of Life nurtured by a woman who gave us love and sacrifice…MOTHER (Joel Barquez)

No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you -> life (Anonymous)

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother (Abraham Lincoln)

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. (Charles R. Swindoll)

Nobody knows of the work it makes/to keep the home together. Nobody knows of the steps it takes/ nobody knows but mother.

There is no velvet so soft as a mother's lap, no rose as lovely as her smile, no path so flowery as that imprinted w/her footsteps. (Thompson)

The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom. (Henry Ward Beecher)

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. Marion C. Garretty

If I had a flower for each time I thought of My Mother, I could walk in my garden forever. ( unknown)

Happy Mothers Day from all of us at More4kids!

Lets make sure we tell our moms and the mothers of our children how special they are to us. If you are a dad, it is our job to lead by example and show them how important Mother's Day is. Start from the very moment she wakes up to the the good night kiss. This year for example, I had my 6 year old help make breakfast and serve my wife in bed. The look on her face was amazing! And I have more surprises to come as the day goes on.

What I wanted to do today is take a look at Mother's Day. Ask anyone what the most important day of the year is to them and you will get answers ranging from their birthday to Christmas to Election Day. How many will say Mother’s Day? Unfortunately, I would guess very few. For some reason Mother’s Day gets overlooked or down played a bit. Yes, there are commercials all over reminding you to send flowers or buy mom candy… but where is the real sentiment? It is so much more than a gift, or saying Happy Mother's day, it is about truly letting our moms and wives know how much they are appreciated and cared for.

I cannot think of a more thankless job. I hate to even call it a job, but it is work, with long hours, no vacations and no pay. In the end if things don’t go the way they are suppose to then it is mom’s fault. “Well mom didn’t…” or “Where was your mother when you did this…” I have said it myself standing in a public place when I see a child act out, the first thought that runs through my mind is “Where is that child’s mother!?”

With that said, being a mom is also one of the most rewarding jobs there is. Ask almost any mother out there and they will tell you that there is not a more rewarding job/role to have then to be a mother. That pride… that feeling starts the moment they find out that they are pregnant, it as if life now has a deeper meaning… and if you watch, if you pay attention you will see the woman you once knew become one of the most amazing women you will ever meet.

Without moms where would we be as a society? It is safe to say that our society would be significantly smaller, colder and more ill-mannered. It is our mom that teaches us how to nurture and how to love. It is through her guidance that we as individuals learn how to be empathetic and sympathetic to those around us. How many times have you been in a public place and seen a child get hurt and 3 or 4 moms run to the aid of that child. Obviously they are all not the child’s mother, but there is a need there… a willingness to make sure those around them are alright.

I look at the moms that I know, and I think they are all amazing in their own rights. I know that there are many days that if I was in their position I would’ve stayed in bed and covered my head with pillows to block out the existence of all around me… but a mom won’t do that. Even if a mom is sick she is up taking care of those she loves. Moms are self sacrificing… it is in their nature. I don’t think it is a trait that females are born with though… I think it is a trait that they acquire when they have a baby. Moms will go without just to make sure that their children… their husbands… their families are taken care of and have everything they need.

Moms also have the innate ability to make everything alright. You can have the worst day of your life, when you were little you’d come home from school sad over a fight that you had with your best friend at school. Mom would listen to you, wipe away your tears… and tell you how much she loved you and tell you she knew that tomorrow you and your friend would be okay… she’d give you a cookie and everything was okay. When you got older all it took was a phone call to mom, she would listen to you and her words would take all of the pain away. Moms never stop… they never get a day off… they are never really rewarded or credited for all they do.

This year, on this Mother’s Day take the time to thank your mom, and if you are a dad, the mother of our children. Let her know how much she means to you. While in the end moms believe the greatest reward for all they have done is seeing their children turn into happy successful adults… they could all use a little acknowledgment a love from us along the way.

From all of us here at More4kids, we wish you a Happy Mother's Day and thank all moms out there for their love and sacrifice.

No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc. All Rights Reserved

Christmas is so much easier – babies, sheep, angels, stars. It’s pretty much all about love and presents: things your kids can relate to. Sure there’s the nasty part where Herod kills the baby boys, but that’s not an essential part of the story and you can leave it out if you want to.

• Match your beliefs
• Are not too violent
• Include Jesus’ resurrection as well as his death

• Egg 1 – a piece of fur to represent the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem
• Egg 2 – a cracker symbolizing the Last Supper
• Egg 3 – a piece of soap, symbolizing Jesus washing the disciples’ feet
• Egg 4 – three dimes to symbolize the 30 pieces of silver Judas received to betray Jesus
• Egg 5 – a feather to represent the rooster that crowed three times
• Egg 6 –  a thorn, symbolizing the crown of thorns that was put on Jesus’ head
• Egg 7 – a die to symbolize the lots that were cast for Jesus’ clothing
• Egg 8 – a small wooden cross or a nail to represent Jesus’ death on the cross
• Egg 9 – a piece of black paper to symbolize the darkness that covered the earth
• Egg 10 – a piece of cloth to symbolize the cloth in which Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body
• Egg 11 – a rock to symbolize the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb
• Egg 12 – Leave this egg empty to symbolize Jesus’ resurrection

Biography
Stacey Schifferdecker is the happy but harried mother of three school-aged children—two boys and a girl. She is also a freelance writer, a Children’s Minister, a PTA volunteer, and a Scout leader. Stacey has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and French and a Master’s degree in English. She has written extensively about parenting and education as well as business, technology, travel, and hobbies.

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No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © 2007

OUR NEWEST MUSIC CD

Awesome Kids Christian Music

This personalized music CD features your child’s name sung throughout 11 songs and is a great gift for Christians of any age but geared towards children from birth to about age 10. Listen to the samples and judge for yourself. This new album is an original mixture of classical Christian Music that affirms Jesus and God is watching over and loves us.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION on this personalized music CD.

Top of the mornin’ to ya! There’s nothing like a green St. Patty’s Day to get everyone in the spirit of the day of the leprechaun! This St. Patrick’s Day, make the day extra-special and fun for your kids with these fun crafts and great activities!

Looking for the gold!

The night or day a few days before, be sure that ya make some of those Leprechaun Foot Prints and giant shamrocks for ye children!

To make leprechaun feet, take a pair of your child’s old shoes and trace them on to pieces of plain white paper or to really make them “authentic”, use green construction paper!! Make a lot of them because they will take your children on a hunt for the rainbow and the pot of gold when they wake up!

Cut out some huge shamrocks that you can place between the footprints, making a St. Patrick’s Day treasure path of sorts.

Early on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day, place the feet from their bedrooms to where you have hidden the pots of gold. If you want to make it more fun, have the feet lead them to places where they only find a note.

Rainbows with pots of gold

If you don’t have time, just use a regular cereal bowl and tape a little paper handle to it- be sure to make the handle in different colors of construction paper making a rainbow!

If you have even more time, go to a local crafts store and look for some small plastic pots.

To make the treasure at the end of the rainbow even more special, fill the bowls or pots with chocolate foil covered candy coins or butterscotch discs. If you don’t have coins or prefer your children not eat chocolate first thing in the morning and they are old enough to know they shouldn’t eat them put in pennies or other coins!

Hanging rainbows

Rainbows are a good addition to your treasure hunt! You can make them two different ways.

Use a paper plate. Color one side as a rainbow. Cut out and hang from ceiling or light.

Use another paper plate. Cut out streamers of different colors and attach to the paper place with the “rainbow” hanging downward. Punch a hole it top and hang from appropriate place near leprechaun pot.

Table decorations sure to please any leprechaun!

Using small paper cups, make up side down St. Patrick’s Day hats! Make them similar to the way you made the wearable hats, except you can glue the stovetop top to a circle you cut out for the bottom.

Or if you prefer, cut out the inside and fill with candies or treats!

Draw shamrocks and rainbows on white paper plates with crayons or non-toxic markers.

Buy green napkins or paper towels that have a green print on them.

Festive St. Patrick’s meals

For breakfast and for every meal of the day if possible, make sure that every menu includes mainly green stuff or stuff that has a touch of green! Buy a shamrock cookie cutter that you can use for each meal, cutting bread into shamrocks or even cutting fruit into shamrock shapes!

Suggestions? For breakfast, buy the cereal that includes shamrocks! Put green food color in their milk! Have kiwi fruit, green grapes, green apples or green melon instead of the usual bananas!

For Lunch see if you can find bread that is dyed green at the grocery store! Make their sandwich from this special bread and be sure to cut it into a shamrock shape! Put green food color into peanut butter! Serve with green pickles and green celery sticks and green cottage cheese! For dessert, how about some and green jello and green whipped cream or a green milkshake or some krispy treats, cut into shamrocks iced them with green icing!

Dinnertime can be a bit more challenging, especially if you are serving corned beef and cabbage- while the cabbage is green, you don’t want to dye the corned beef! But you can the mashed potatoes! Green cake, green tinted ice cream (or green mint ice cream), pistachio pudding or green jello are also dessert hits for St. Patrick’s Day!

Festive wear

One of the most fun things to wear on St. Patrick’s Day is a BIG leprechaun hat! If you have time, finish the round container of half-gallon you now have. Clean it out and cut the bottom off. Place it on green construction paper and trace it for a pattern to cover the sides of the container. Make a big circle to make the brim of the hat. Be sure to cut the inside out a wee bit smaller than the “hat” so you can push the brim onto the hat. Make a “buckle” with gold construction paper.

If you don’t have any ice cream containers, just make the hats from construction paper. Cut a huge rectangle to make your ‘stovetop” leprechaun hat. Glue or staple together to make the top hat. Cut a circle to make the brim, being sure to cut out the middle which you will push onto your or your child’s head. Add a gold buckle made from construction paper, and you have a hat!

Bow tie or tie- From a paper plate, cut out a bow tie shape or with construction paper, cut out a long tie. Let your child color the tie green and add decorations such as buttons or glitter. Punch holes in the plate and attach pieces of string to attach around their neck. (Be sure to NOT do this with very young children who could become tangled in the string!)

St. Pattys Day is one of our favorite family Holidays! All of us at More4kids wish you and your family a happy Saint Patricks Day.

Kids everywhere love Valentine’s Day! The candy, fun and excitement of telling others how much they love and care for them, and the feeling of being special are enough to mesmerize any young child. There are a number of Valentine’s Day gifts for kids that make great ideas for the occasions. These gifts may be given to a kid, or kids may exchange these gifts. If you are in the market for great Valentine’s Day gifts for kids, you have come to the right place! Keep reading for wonderful ideas!

Valentine’s Day Crayons

Every kid loves crayons! Parents everywhere can associate with me when I speak of those little stubs and pieces of crayons that kids tend to collect. Crayons may become worn down, or broken. Most kids prefer whole crayons that are in one piece rather than one crayon that are broken down into many different pieces. However, they seem to love to hold on to those little pieces. Why not encourage them to do something really creative this Valentine’s Day? Have them create Valentine’s Day Crayons that they can give their friends.

For this gift idea, you will need a cookie sheet, or mold, that has designs that reflect hearts. Next, you will simply gather all those little stubby crayons and arrange them within each section of the mold. Many would melt the crayons down beforehand, but what fun would that be? Just how festive would the colors be? Not very much fun or festive! Your child can help arrange the colors in a certain way. One may choose to outline the outer part with red crayon pieces and the inside with pink crayon pieces. Another child may choose to go for the rainbow effect and just make it with no design and all kinds of colors!

Next, you will want to place the pan in the oven and bake for about fifteen to twenty minutes. You will want to ensure that the crayons are melted completely prior to removing them from the oven. Once this achieved, take the cookie mold pan out of the oven and allow it to completely cool. This may take a couple of hours. During this time, you may want to assist your child in creating some homemade Valentine’s Day cards. Once the sheet has cooled, the Valentine’s Day Crayons should fall easily from the pan. You should then take some red or pink yarn and a yarn needle. Run this through the Valentine’s Day Card and then through the top corner of the heart! Now, your kid can give these crayons and cards to their friends, classmates, and relatives!

Valentine’s Day DVD Cards

If you want to create a special Valentine’s Day Gift for your kid, or you want to help your child create a great gift for another, you may want to create a Valentine’s Day DVD Card! In order to do this, you will need to come up with some pictures that you can scan on your computer. If you are a parent, you may want to choose pictures that show great moments with your kids. If you are helping your child create one for a friend or relative, help them locate pictures that display special moments between them.

Once you have scanned and saved the pictures on your computer, you will want to find a song online that is special to show the receiver how much you mean to them. You can choose from fun and exciting songs like:

“Be My Valentine” by Jack Hartmann

“V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E” by Ron Brown

You can purchase the downloaded versions of these songs at “Songs for Teaching” at http://www.songsforteaching.com/holiday/valentinesdaysongs.htm .

Once you have a song, you can simply open up “Windows Movie Maker” on most versions of Microsoft Windows and open the file where the pictures are located to add them. Once this is completed, you can add the music you have chosen in the “audio” section. A number of special effects, title options, and credits can be chosen. You can then get a blank DVD case and design a cute little Valentine’s Day card as the cover.

This is a personalized Valentine’s Day gift for a kid that will be cherished for many, many years! This also makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for adults as well!

As you can see, there are many creative and great Valentine’s Day gifts for kids that can be made from the comfort of your home. The gift choices mentioned here will be more valuable to the child that receives them than candy, stuffed animals, or standard store bought gifts, and can be enjoyed for a long time!

No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © 2009 All Rights Reserved

Don't forget to stop by More4kids for personalized valentines gift ideas

Make 2010 The Year of the Family

by Stephanie Partridge

As 2011 rolls into view and the holidays are in full swing, our thoughts turn to making those ever popular new year's resolutions.  Traditionally, the theme and intent of these resolutions have been focused more on the individual.  They may resolve to work out more, lose weight, manage their time better or any number of other things that need "tightening up" in their life.

This year, however, take a step outside the box.  Let's not  just make resolutions for ourselves, let's engage our entire family and make resolutions that will help us build a stronger, healthier family.  Get the kids in on the venture and work together as a team.  One great benefit here is that when we all have one common goal, we can support each other.  This will help you stick to our goals.

Family new year's resolutions will also allow you to make decisions as a family, and as each person contributes you may be exposed to ideas you hadn't considered.  What's more, just the act of making the resolutions, creating a plan of action for sticking to them and helping each other stick to them helps to bond you as a family.

In our home, the kids and I are already making our family new year's resolutions.  We are still in the "draft stages" of our resolutions, but these are a few that we are currently fleshing out.  Maybe they will inspire you.

Exercise More

We already exercise – sort of.  I walk a lot and I've become what's know around here as one of "those people" who climb the escalators to emerge from the subway as opposed to passively riding.  By just doing that, though, I have more stamina, don't get out of breath as quickly and am actually losing weight!  But the kids and I have decided that we are going to start exercising as a family.

We have a gym membership and have had it for nearly a year now.  For a while we were going every morning at 5 am to work out.  Then I broke my ankle (I just love icy sidewalks) and was out of commission for several months.  My ankle is healed now and I am back in action so we are all going to get back to the gym and get back in shape!

Eat Healthier

We eat healthy now, clean, with lots of fresh vegetables, lean meats, fish twice a week and whole grains.  But my daughter and I have decided that we are going to start planning out meals for the month.  We figure that this will help us continue to eat healthy with less chance of backsliding, but it will also help us budget and shop more efficiently.  We are also going to shop more regularly at the roadside produce stand.  It is cheaper and the produce is fresher, plus we are supporting our local farmers.

Read More

We are all avid readers, but lately life seems to have gotten in the way and we don't pick up books as often as we should.  So, each of us has identified genres that interest us and we are researching authors in those areas.  We will then hit the bookstores and thrift shops and find books that we like.

Write More

This is a huge one in our house!  We are all writers.  My daughter loves to write amazing stories and essays while my son writes beautiful poetry and songs.  We have all decided that while we will write things that we have to write (for school, my work, etc.) we will also write things that we want to write.  We all agree that taking time to write things we want to write is important because it helps us keep the joy of writing and it does not become a chore.

We have discussed having a writing prompt each week and maybe doing one story, one poem and one article.  I am not sure if we will take that route, but all three of us are pretty enthusiastic about it.  It sounds like fun and it will be a great way to improve our skills and stretch our creative muscle.

Volunteer as a Family

This is something that is new to our list.  The kids recently volunteered at a shelter with our church youth group and they enjoyed it.  We have talked a lot about helping others and the kids and I have always had a passion for helping those who are less fortunate.  So we are talking about things that we can do.  We'll be exploring this one.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Take More Time to do Things Together

We do a lot as a family, but we want to make a resolution to set aside certain times each day to spend together just talking and being together.  We are also talking about making a resolution that we will have two family activities a month (at least).  This may mean riding into DC to go eat and hang out at the National Mall or go to festivals, or it may mean going to a movie, a museum, or any number of things.

Have Family Bible Study and prayer

This is the biggie.  We want to have a regularly family Bible study.  We are currently discussing whether to have it once or twice a week or every night.  We each read our own Bibles and we each have a prayer life, but we want to have that as a family as well.  I picked up a book on devotionals that will take us through the Bible in a year.  It looks great and we can't wait to get into it.  We also want to start praying together, but that will probably be in the mornings.  The kids have each asked me individually to start having family prayer so we are going to start doing that.

We are all very excited and we would love to take you along for the ride!  I will update you here on our progress as well.  This is going to be fun!

The three of us will be keeping a blog of our adventures making and keeping our family New Year's Resolutions.  You can see it at http://itsjustusthree.wordpress.com.  We are each going to hold each other accountable, now you can too!

Biography
Stephanie Partridge is a freelance writer and photographer as well as a FOIA analyst for a federal agency in Washington, D.C. She is a single mom to Jeffery, 19; Micah Elizabeth, 17 and Benjamin, 15. She is also the author of the ebook, “Diet is a Dirty Word.”

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It is that time of year when we all look back on the year we have had and get ready to make our lists of promises to ourselves about how we are going to improve in the New Year. Yes, I am talking about New Year’s Resolutions. We all know the old stand-bys such as losing weight or quitting a bad habit. This year I would like to make a proposal, make your New Year’s Resolutions about bringing your family closer.

I know that at this time with our economy as bad as it is, and many of us face the hardest times that we can remember. It is now, at this time of year that we need to look at all we each have to be thankful for and focus on how to make those connections stronger then ever. What are the reasons you get up each and every day and try to do your best? The answer is the family that you have around you. With a strong family bond in place, it makes even the toughest of times easier to get through. Plus you are teaching your children what is really important in life, and it will encourage them to always strive to not just do their best, but to keep them grounded and focused as they grow. I pray that we have done that with our children, as I am sure that you do.

Now that we have the right focus, our family, it is time to come up with a list of resolutions. I recommend everyone sitting down together to create this list. If everyone has input into the list then everyone is more likely to follow through on the resolutions. Besides, listening to what your kids think on how to bring the family closer may surprise you. For example, we have a 13 year old, a 10 year old and now a 1 week old. While my husband and I always include the kids in what we do (I am not kidding, the only time we have a “date” is if our children already have social engagements with friends), which to many may be obsessive on our part, but that is just the way we have always been and our children actually like it. The point I was trying to make here is that when we asked them what they wanted to see change in the next year it wasn’t that they wanted more or less time with us, they wanted alone time with each of us. So we set up “Dates with Dad” and “Dates with Mom” days.

I would like to tell you that we were great about doing this every other weekend, but we weren’t. We did do it frequently enough though that our children were happy. We also had to get a little creative with what the “dates” entailed, but it could be simply our son going with my husband to run “man errands” such as going to Home Depot or helping my husband put things together. What the kids wanted was our undivided attention for 30 minutes or an hour. It was simple, and they were happy and we were happy. It helps you know your children as people, not just as your kids, and it helps your kids to see that yes you are their parent, but you are a person that they can hang out with and talk to.

There are other things that you can do to help bring your family closer. As a matter of fact, there is a game company that has made a great commercial about “Family Game Night.” One day a week all the televisions are turned off, the video games are put away, you pick out your favorite tunes to play in the background and you all sit down together and play a game, start to finish. Our family game nights are usually either Yahtzee or rummy. We have our own set of rules for Rummy, which makes it a bit more of a challenge, but it is always fun because the kids are constantly trying to go out before their dad who usually beats us all point wise.

If games aren’t your thing and you prefer a movie, don’t go out to the movies, rent or buy one and watch it together as a family at home. Make homemade popcorn, get a couple boxes of movie candy from the store, everyone’s favorite soda and curl up on the sofa together and watch a good movie. The options are endless really. Pick the things you like to do as a family and commit to doing them more often.

Now, you should also focus on ways that you as a family can not only spend time together but make the community around you better. So one resolution that you can make is one weekend a month your family is going to have a “Treat your neighbor day,” pick a neighbor in your neighborhood and do something nice for them. This could be the elderly couple down the road who needs help taking out the trash or doing yard work or perhaps they would just like to come over for dinner. This could also be the family across the street that you know is having a hard time, so as a family you invite them to dinner and a movie at your place. For this one, it isn’t important that your children know another family is struggling, you are doing it simply to be neighborly. If you don’t want to have people over, spend a weekend baking, cooking or creating something to hand out to everyone that lives on your street. Cookies are inexpensive, homemade cards that say “I am glad we are neighbors” are also wonderful.

Finally, a great recommendation for the New Years is taking your kids and spending one day a month at the homeless shelter serving food or volunteering. When you do this as a family it accomplishes a multitude of things. First, it will make each of you appreciate each other a little more. Second, when your kids see you putting the needs of others first it encourages them to do the same. Third, it will instill gratitude for whatever you have in your lives.

The best resolutions are those your family can do together, whether it is more exercise by going on family hikes, or going to museums, art shows, or just about anything you can think of your family can do together. The best part of these types of resolutions is that they are a lot easier to keep because of family peer pressure. Just site down with your family and make a list of activities the whole family can enjoy or help with. This will help your family be accountable to each other.

Don't forget to share your personal resolutions. Make it a point (or a resolution), that everyone in the family must help and encourge each other to achieve these goals. Ahh, family peer pressure, its a pretty powerful thing.

Make this New Year, the best year for you and your family. Strengthen your family bonds with a family New Year’s Resolution list.

From all of us here at More4kids, have a Happy New Year and a great 2009!

by Stacey Schifferdecker

Have you heard the new Christmas song by Matthew West and Amy Grant called Give this Christmas Away? Every time I hear this song or see the video, it brings tears to my eyes.

The video is on the latest Veggie Tale DVD, St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving or you can see it on Youtube.

If you are inspired to give Christmas away, here are some ideas to help you get started. It may be too late to try some of these ideas this year, but you can get a head start on next year.

Fill a Shoebox

The Give this Christmas Away video features children receiving Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes through Samaritan's Purse. Operation Christmas Child is a great way you and your children can share God's love and the true story of Christmas with children from around the globe. All you do is wrap a shoebox (wrap the lid separately) and then fill it with toiletries, toys, and school supplies. You can choose whether you are filling a box for a boy or a girl and for what age. Then you just take your box to a local collection center; the website lists collection sites all over the United States and Canada. Samaritan's Purse asks that you include $7 per box to help with shipping costs. If you pay the $7 online, you can get a code to track where your box ends up.

Can You Spare a Dime?

You know that spare change you find on the floor, behind the sofa cushions, in the dryer, and at the bottom of your purse? Throw it all into a container throughout the year – you'll be surprised by how it adds up! In December, you can give the money to charity, buy a gift for Toys for Tots, or just dump it all in the Salvation Army kettle.

Give Your Time

Of course, one of the messages we want to send our children is that Christmas isn't all about gifts. Sharing gifts is awesome, but sharing time and love can have even more of an impact. Invite an older neighbor to join you and your children to make Christmas cookies or fudge. Offer to babysit so some young parents can go Christmas shopping or have a night out. Invite international students from your local college or university to join your family for Christmas dinner. Visit a nursing home and spend time with the residents, playing a game of checkers or painting the ladies' fingernails.

Share Your Talents

A couple years ago I took up knitting. I don't have much time to knit, but for a while I was whipping out quick scarves for everyone in my family. This year, my daughter has asked me to teach her to knit and to sew. If you have a talent like knitting, sewing, or baking, share those talents with others. Simple fleece blankets, scarves and hats are easy for young hands to help you with and are always welcome at homeless shelters in the winter.

Shop for Others

Do you go to any parties that have a gift exchange? It's fun to see the gifts people give each other, but do any of us really need the things we bring home? Instead, have a party where everyone brings gifts for a charity. You can still have the fun of exchanging and opening the gifts, but no one goes home with another bottle of lotion or Christmas ornament. For children, have a Birthday Party for Jesus and have the children bring baby items that you can give to a women's shelter. What are some ways you and your children have found to give Christmas away?

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Beyond Santa Claus

• B is for Bethlehem
• God Gave us Christmas
• Room for a Little One
• Who is Coming to Our House
• One Baby Jesus

• Away in a Manger
• Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
• Joy to the World
• We Three Kings
• The First Noel
• Come, All Ye Faithful
• Silent Night

• Telling children the story of Saint Nicholas, the real man on whom the Santa legend is based
• Separate Santa gifts from Jesus’ birthday celebration. Take a cue from other cultures, where Santa gifts are given on St. Nicholas day (December 6), New Year’s Day, or Epiphany (January 6).
• If you don’t want Santa gifts to be so far from Christmas day itself, make them just one part of your Christmas celebration. For example, devote Christmas Eve to a celebration of Jesus’ birth and let children open their gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. Or go to church Christmas morning and let the kids open their gifts Christmas afternoon.

Awesome Kids Christian Songs

Great for the holiday season You child will love hearing their name sung throughout 11 songs and is a great gift for Christians of any age but geared towards children from birth to about age 10. Very wholesome songs includes an original mixture of classical Christian Music that affirms Jesus and God is watching over and loves us. Listen to sample songs on this CD.

Halloween is almost here and more than likely your kids are already trying to come up with a great costume. Sure, you could go to the store and buy one, but often the costumes available aren't very original, not to mention all the money you spend on something your kids only wear once. One great idea is to make your own homemade Halloween costumes for your kids this year. You'll ensure your kids have a unique costume that no one else is wearing and you'll save a lot of money too. Maybe you think you have to be a master seamstress to accomplish this – that's not true. There are actually many simple ideas you can find that won't require sewing skills. To help you out, here are some great ideas that you can easily make at home and some great money-saving tips you can use this Halloween as well.

Great Costume Ideas You Can Make at Home

From classic costumes, to box costumes, to character costumes, you'll find that you can easily make most of them yourself. Here are several great costume ideas and instructions on how to make them. Follow the instructions, add in a bit of creativity, and you'll be sure to create some great costumes for this Halloween.

Cowboy or Cowgirl Costume

One easy and classic costume idea is a cowboy or cowgirl costume. All you'll need is a western shirt, a pair of jeans, boots, and a brightly colored bandana. If you can find one, a good cowboy hat will complete the costume.

Mummy Costume

Designing a mummy costume is pretty simple. You'll need white clothing underneath, and then strips of white sheets or some gauze can be used to wrap around your child. You may need some safety pins to hold the strips in place. Make sure you leave ample room for their mouth, nose, and eyes.

Scarecrow Costume

A scarecrow is definitely appropriate at this time of year. You'll need a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. Patches on the jeans make it even better. Use some duct tape on the inside of pants and sleeps to attach some straw so it sticks out. Add a straw hat. You can take an eyebrow pencil and use it to draw triangles around each eye and a bit smile on your child's face.

Soldier Costume

It's easy to dress up your child as a soldier. You'll need some camouflage clothing, camouflage makeup, and perhaps a homemade compass, canteen, and other accessories to make the character believable.

Elvis Costume

Maybe you'd like to dress up your boy like a little Elvis. If he already has dark hair, you won't need a wig, you'll just need to tease it up for hair that looks like Elvis. Otherwise you may need a black wig to pull off this costume. Then add some sequins to black pants and a black shirt, along with a brightly colored ascot. Don't forget the microphone (you can make one yourself).

Quasimodo Costume

Quasimodo, the character from the Hunchback of Notre Dame is an excellent choice for a Halloween costume. You can use cardboard or foam to make the hunch back. Then find a coat that is a couple sizes large for your child along with some old ragged clothing. Wear the hunch back under the coat and tousle the hair for a Quasimodo look.

Dice Costume

If you have some large cardboard boxes around, a dice costume is easy to make. Paint the entire box white. Put a hole on top for your head and holes in each side for your arms. Paint large black dots on each side and you have an easy costume that didn't cost a thing. If you happen to have twins, dressing them both up like dice is an excellent idea.

Television Costume

Another fun costume you can make with a large box is a television costume. Again you need holes for the head and arms. Draw a screen on the front and then draw controls on the front. Milk jug lids can be used for the knobs on the television as well. Consider drawing static on the screen or a scene from a favorite show. You can use a metal hanger or some pipe cleaners to make an antennae for the television.

Old Man or Woman

It's fairly simple to come up with an old man or old woman costume. For the old man you just need a button down shirt, a jacket, dark colored pants, and a hat. Add a cane and a limp to add effect. Use a bit of flour in the hair to give it a gray look.

For the old woman costume, you'll need a dress in a old style. Wear knee highs with the dress and carry a big purse. Again you can add flour to the hair to make the hair look gray.

Playing Cards

To make a player cards costume, you'll need some poster board, markers or paint, some rope or clothes line, and a staple gun. Take two pieces of poster board and decorate them like a playing card. Punch holes in the top of both of your cards and tie with clothesline or rope. Then the costume can merely slip over the head and settle on the shoulders.

Harry Potter Costume

Harry Potter is a popular choice for costumes, and you can make one at home with just a few items. You'll need a black robe, such as a graduation gown. You can make your own wizard hat and a magic want. Make or find some fake glasses as well.

Great Costume Money-saving Tips

Sometimes even making your own Halloween costumes can cost you. After all, you have to come up with the supplies to make the costumes. To keep the costumes cost effective, here are some great money-saving tips that you can use.

Tip #1 – Make Items Out of Cardboard - There are many accessories that you can easily make yourself instead of paying a lot for them at the store. For example, it's easy to make weapons and many other types of props with cardboard. Use tin foil to cover them or paint the items and you have simple and cheap accessories for your costumes.

Tip #2 – Shop at Goodwill for Used Items - If you need specific clothing items or even accessories for a costume, check at a local Goodwill or other thrift shop. Often you can find what you need without spending much money.

Tip #3 – Check What You Have – Before you go shopping for items, check what you have at home. Go through closets and find old clothing that may be used for costumes. You'll be surprised at how you can reuse clothing and other old items to make great costumes.

Tip #4 – Don't Make it Too Complicated - These costumes don't have to be works of art. No need to hem up costumes to make them look perfect. They'll be worn for one night, so while you want them to look good, don't waste your time making it too complicated.

Tip #5 – Use Old Makeup - Instead of purchasing special costume makeup, why not go looking through all the old makeup you don't use often anyway. You'll probably find about everything you need to get kids painted up for Halloween and you won't have to spend a lot of money.

Halloween can be a lot of fun without having to cost a lot of money. Get your kids involved and make it fun. Let them help come up with ideas and then make the costumes. Use these costume ideas and these money saving tips and you and your kids will have a wonderful time.

Would you like to some fun Halloween game and activity ideas that you and your children will love? — Click here!

Unfortunately, many kids today are not aware of the real meaning behind the 4th of July. Many celebrations on July 4th include fireworks, picnics, BBQs, and other celebrations. While celebrating the holiday is wonderful, we cannot allow our children to forget what this day is all about. It's time that kids learn about the history that is behind all the festivities that occur on the 4th of July. If you are not sure where to begin teaching kids the real meaning of this important holiday in the United States, here are some tips that can help.

Tip #1 – Talk to Your Kids About the Meaning of the Day

The first place to start when you want to teach your kids about the 4th of July and its meaning is by talking to them. Talk to kids and find out what they already know about this national holiday. Chances are they have learned some information in school, and you can add to the education that they already have. Spend some time talking about the importance of this holiday, the history behind it, and make them realize it is more than just a day to have a BBQ. Encourage kids to ask questions as well. This is also a great time to talk to kids about how they can celebrate this day in a way that brings across the real meaning of the holiday.

Tip #2 – Find Books About the History

Another great tip to help kids understand the meaning behind July 4th is finding books about the history of our country. While you can purchase books, another option is to visit a library in your area. Check out books that relate to the time of the Revolutionary War and the fight for independence in this country. There are some wonderful books available for children on this topic, such as "The Story of America's Birthday," which is by Patricia A. Pringy.

Tip #3 – Study the Declaration of Independence with Your Child

It's pretty easy to get a copy of the Declaration of Independence. You can get tourist versions or you could simply print it off from the internet. Take time to study the Declaration of Independence with your child. Try to explain what it means in a way that they can understand. Make them realize how important this document was in all the events that led up to what we now know as July 4th, or Independence Day.

Tip #4 – Take Time to Honor Soldiers

Take some time out to honor soldiers while you are teaching your children about the history of the country and Independence Day. Take some flowers or flags to a local cemetery and place them on soldier's graves. As you do this, talk to your kids about the sacrifice that has been made for freedom and how important it is that we never forget about those sacrifices made in the past.

Tip #5 – Show Patriotic Movies

There are a variety of patriotic movies out there and there are many specifically about the Revolution and the birth of this country. Kids love watching movies, so rent a couple of these movies, making sure they are appropriate for your kids to watch, and have a family movie night. These movies can present some of the history in an exciting way. Spend some time talking about the movie when it is over as well.

Tip #6 – Teach Kids Patriotic Songs

You'll find many patriotic songs out there. Teach some of the songs to your kids or allow them to listen to these patriotic songs. Try to explain to them the meanings of the songs that you listen too. This is a great time to teach kids about the National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." You can teach them the story behind our nation's song and teach them the words to the song as well. Many children today are growing up never knowing the words to their own National Anthem. Work with kids and sing along with them until they know at least the first verse of the song.

Tip #7 – Visit Historical Sites

If you live in an area where there are historical sites from the Revolutionary War, visit those sites with your children. Going to the battlefields from the Revolutionary War is a wonderful idea. Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, Yorktown in Virginia, or even George Washington's Estate at Mount Vernon make great historical sites that you can visit as you teach your children more about the real meaning behind the 4th of July.

Tip #8 – Discuss the Meaning of the Flag

This is a wonderful time to discuss the meaning of the flag to your child as well. Teach your child about the colors of the flag, what they mean, and why they are so important. Consider purchasing a flag that you can display. Talk to kids about the importance of the flag and teach them the proper way to handle a flag as well. Remind them that the flag stands for freedom and is an important part of the Independence Day celebration as well.

These are just a few ideas that can help you teach your kids more about the 4th of July and what it really means. We cannot afford to forget the history behind the country we live in. By passing down the real meaning of this holiday to our children, we can keep patriotism alive through the generations to come.

Happy 4th of July from all of us at More4kids!