Here is a post I shared at Raising Homemakers, about cooking with Preschoolers.
If you want tips for cooking with preschoolers, notes on what skills preschoolers can learn in the kitchen, and some kid-friendly recipes, then head on over and say hi!
Have you taken my survey yet?
I was talking with some moms the other day and the subject of what our kids call other adults came up. One friend said she cannot stand kids calling her Mrs. So-and-So and prefers they use her first name.
Another said she requires her kids to use Mr. or Mrs.
A friend of mine from Georgia wasn’t there when we were talking, but we all talked about how her kids call us ma’am and it is pretty awesome. Gotta love those southern manners!
I don’t really have a strong opinion in this matter. I’ve been called Angela, Miss Angela, Mrs. Mills, Hey You, Coco’s Mom, and Hot Mama. Ok, I made that last one up.
In fact, we don’t have any set rules in our house. I usually refer to another mom according to what her kids call me. For instance, we have friends who always call me Mrs. Mills, so when referring to the mom around my kids, I call her Mrs. Smith. My kids call her that because that is what I call her when I’m speaking of her around them.
Then, I have friends whose kids call me Angela, and so my kids call that mom by her first name.
I’ll admit it, I’m a follower.
I do know that whatever you start out calling someone, it tends to stick. I used to teach in a mentoring program and a little girl there called me Miss Angela. She ended up being part of a group of girls that grew up for a few years with my daughter. Every other girl in that group called me Angela, but this girl was so used to me being Miss Angela that it stuck. It was cute, but a little strange because her whole family called me that and we ended up hanging out socially quite a bit.
I honestly don’t care what other people’s kids call me, but that is probably because my flower-child, hippie mom never cared, either.
But I am curious, do you have a hard, fast rule in your family? How do you handle this with your kids and what do you prefer other children call you?
If you have strong reasons, share those, too. Just don’t judge me. I’m the child of a hippie, after all.
Disclosure: Angela’s Mom was not a hippie in the drug-taking, free-love, hairy-armpits sense of the word. She did however, wear her straight hair parted down the middle, own love beads, and has a very carefree spirit, thus causing her children to refer to her as a hippie for the rest of her life. Peace Out.
Today I am posting at Raising Homemakers, sharing simple gift ideas that encourage homemaking for your daughters. Most of them are a little more fun than the cleaning one shown above 
Come by and say hi!
Today is the final day of 10 Days of Homeschooling Girls!
I know most mothers pray over their children daily. We might do it on our own, in our quiet time, or with our hands on them, as we tuck them in safely at night. So often thankfulness wells up in me when I look at my girls throughout the day. Often, I’ll utter a prayer of thanksgiving or a blessing as I see my daughters going through the day-to-day happenings called life.
I was looking through my I Love My Husband Book the other day (yes, I like to read my old letters to him) and an old prayer I wrote out for Eric made me smile. There is something so vulnerable about sharing your personal prayers with someone. I like knowing that Eric knows my innermost thoughts towards him, and that he knows I lift him up to our Lord in so many ways.
Anyway, since this is the Homeschooling Girls Series, I’m sure you’ve guessed where I am going with this. I think it would be a lovely gift to write out a heartfelt prayer for your daughter and share it with her.
If you’re unsure how to start, here are some things you could include:
Thank God for who she is.
Thank God specifically for gifts and talents He’s given her.
Thank God for strengths you see in her walk with Him.
Praise Him for specific blessings and answered prayers in her life lately.
Pray for her future, her walk with God, the choices she’ll be making.
Pray that she would love God and His Word even more.
Pray that she would grow in knowledge, wisdom, and love.
Pray for any upcoming events that are important to her.
Pray that she’ll be a blessing to others.
Pray for her future husband.
Thank God that you get to be her mom.
That should get the ball rolling 
Thanks for sticking around these last ten days!
Now, a giveaway. I get to give one reader a ticket to the Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Conference! Online, meaning no babysitter needed. No make-up needed. Heck, no clothes needed if that’s how you roll. At $14.95, you can afford to go even if you don’t win!
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and tell me what you’d wear to the online conference if you win! One entry per person, please!
Winner announced Sunday!
Be sure to visit these brilliant women in this 10 days adventure between February 7th-18th! We love these ladies and we know you do too.
10 days of socialization for mom | The Homeschool Chick
10 days of classical education | Milk & Cookies
10 days of large families | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of special needs | Special Needs Homeschooling
10 days of struggling learners | Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
10 days of homeschooling girls | Homegrown Mom
10 days of homeschool enrichment | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of building a spiritual legacy | Mommy Missions
10 days of frugal homeschooling |The Happy Housewife
10 days of Charlotte Mason | Our Journey Westward
10 days of unschooling | Homeschooling Belle
10 days of organization | Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom
10 days of getting started | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of homeschooling boys | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of homeschooling Montessori | Fruit in Season
10 days of preschool | Delightful Learning
Have you thought about starting an American Girl Book Club for your daughters? In addition to having a great time, your girls can improve their literature analyzing skills and learn some American history to boot. Here are some helps to get you started.
Before you start, decide how your club will work.
How often will you meet?
We chose to meet once a month since there are homeschool activities aplenty in this area. Since we were meeting monthly, we read the entire book before meeting. If you decide to meet weekly, you could always read one chapter at a time.
Choose a format.
Will you go through one character at a time or choose a different one each time?
Will you meet at the same home each time or share hostess duties?
Will the kids or a mom lead the discussion?
Will you make time for other activities?
Now, all you have to do is invite friends!
Have a snack that goes with the story you’re currently reading:
Ginger Cookies while reading Kirsten’s stories.
Cream Cheese and Walnut sandwiches for Samantha.
Kit’s Checkerboard sandwiches.
Crafts and activities that go with your book:
Make butter while reading Kirsten.
Make a quilt like Addy’s
Make a purse or blanket for your dolls.
Plan an Outreach:
Collect items for soldiers like Molly and her friends did.
Send blankets to an orphanage or bring coats to a group home like Samantha.
Go on a Fun Outing at the end of a season:
If you live near one of the American Girl Place stores, plan a field trip. We’ve gone to the Los Angeles store with our girls, and it is an experience you won’t soon forget! Just be sure you’ve saved up birthday and Christmas money for a year before you walk in the door
Go on a picnic with your dolls.
Have a tea party with your dolls.
Go skating. Maybe leave the dolls home for this one.
Each character in the American Girls series has supplemental books. There are mysteries, history books, craft books, cook books, activity books, and more. There are even a movies starring Kit, Molly, Samantha, and Felicity.
Disclosure: No money changed hands for the sake of this post. I was not asked to write this by American Girl. They do a fine job of advertising all by themselves, thank you very much. Just wanted to share some fun ideas for you all!
Which American Girl doll is your favorite?
Keep up with 10 days of homeschooling girls and get regular updates by email here. Or, subscribe to the RSS Feed here.
Be sure to visit these brilliant women in this 10 days adventure between February 7th-18th! We love these ladies and we know you do too.
10 days of socialization for mom | The Homeschool Chick
10 days of classical education | Milk & Cookies
10 days of large families | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of special needs | Special Needs Homeschooling
10 days of struggling learners | Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
10 days of homeschooling girls | Homegrown Mom
10 days of homeschool enrichment | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of building a spiritual legacy | Mommy Missions
10 days of frugal homeschooling |The Happy Housewife
10 days of Charlotte Mason | Our Journey Westward
10 days of unschooling | Homeschooling Belle
10 days of organization | Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom
10 days of getting started | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of homeschooling boys | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of homeschooling Montessori | Fruit in Season
10 days of preschool | Delightful Learning
I first heard the idea of planning a mother-daughter purity retreat at a homeschool convention last year, and I knew right away it was something I wanted to do with my girls.
A purity retreat is a one-on-one weekend away with your daughter to have “the talk,” (you know that talk) learn about God’s standard for purity and marriage, and set boundaries for future relationships. Of course, that is just part of it. The other part is awesome fun and bonding time with your girl!
Essential for this particular retreat is Passport2Purity (Book & CD Set)
What I love most about these CD’s is, all the work is done for you! You don’t need to decide which subjects you’ll cover, and you don’t need to worry that you’ll leave out something important during the talks. Dennis and Barbara Rainey cover it all. And, yes, we found ourselves blushing a few times listening to them! This set works for dads and boys, too, by the way.
The CD’s are geared towards 12 year olds, but I went with my 14 year old and we thoroughly enjoyed each lesson. If you have the opportunity, I would recommend going with your 12 year old. Don’t let her age hold you back, though, if she’s older. It’s never too late! Some of the lessons might be on the young side, but you can just go into further depth if needed.
In addition to the CD’s, you’ll receive a workbook for your girl, a parent’s guide, a passport, and stickers. The parent’s guide is invaluable. It includes checklists for materials you’ll need, suggestions for fun times, and great insight for Mom. The passport you fill in with stickers as you complete the lessons.
I went through the materials the weekend before we left, and in retrospect, I wish I would have discussed a couple of things with my husband before we left. It might seem obvious, but there were some questions that came up that I hadn’t given enough thought to. Some my daughter and I worked through together, but some we left open-ended because I hadn’t established a for-sure plan with my husband.
Will your daughter date or will you follow a courtship model? At what age will you allow romantic relationships? What physical boundaries do you find appropriate?
Before you leave, you’ll want to do the following:
Pray! Pray while you’re preparing, while you’re packing, while you’re planning your fun. While you’re at it, recruit a couple people to pray for you, too.
Reserve a place to stay. We found a very nice hotel near a large shopping mall, which would prove convenient for our fun activity. There are many suggestions in the parent guide if you can’t afford a hotel room.
Plan your fun activity. You’ll find more information about this in your guide, including a comprehensive list of ideas. I chose shopping for our activity. Our retreat coincided with Coco’s birthday and she had money to spend on clothes shopping. That might not appeal to some, but it was perfect for us. We definitely bond over shopping. We also hit up Sephora and Coco got a makeover. Too fun!
Think about ones you’ll leave behind. My little one, Soleil, was 7 and though she understood that her turn would come, I wanted her to feel special, too. I wrote her a note and told her how I was looking forward to our time away someday and included a couple little goofy inside jokes we have. I also left her some of her favorite candy since I’d bought some junk food for the trip. She still has this note hanging in her room, it meant so much to her. I also wrote my husband a note, thanking him for providing the money and staying home so we could do this.
Go shopping for materials. The object lessons mostly require household items, so I just had to get a couple of things like puzzles and a balloon. I also got some of our favorite junky snacks to enjoy.
Write in your daughter’s book. There is a place for you and your husband to write letters to your daughter in her book. Priceless.
Consider a gift. The book talks about the importance of a gift and how it is a visual memory of your time together for a long time afterward. A purity ring is suggested, but it was important to us that my husband be there when we gave her that. When I was out getting materials, I found a necklace with two hearts that said, Mother and daughter, friends forever. I gave this to Coco at our dinner and she still wears it all the time. While an added gift wasn’t necessary, it was definitely special. There is a list of more gift ideas in the book.
Invite your daughter! We gave Coco the retreat as part of her birthday gift. I made her an invitation and wrapped it up, along with her passport to add to the excitement.
There are a few hands-on object lessons included in the workbook. I strongly recommend doing these lessons, they are simple and leave a lasting memory of the subjects covered. My daughter and I just revisited one the other day, when we talked about a certain singer bouncing back and forth between highly publicized relationships. We spoke about how part of each person will be with her forever, and remembered a certain project involving nothing but glue and construction paper.
That lesson took a few moments, yet the point is burned in her brain forever.
Coco and I had our celebration dinner at Rainforest Café, one of her favorite restaurants that we’ve only been to twice. I gave her the necklace, and we giggled and had some silly fun. Afterwards, we took funny photos in a photo booth outside the restaurant. Coco still has our photo strip up in her bedroom, and it’s another memory of our great weekend.
My sister-in-law Destiny had gone through a purity program as a teen, and entered her marriage to my brother with her purity saved for him. Destiny shared a letter with me that she had written at the age of 14 to her future husband, and offered to let me share it with Coco during our retreat. I have to say, this was incredibly impacting as we sat together and read her aunt’s 14 year old handwritten letter to her future husband, Coco’s uncle.
I can’t decide what the best part of this experience was. Seeing Coco’s eyes well up as she read our letters to her. Talking about her future with boys and being blown away by how insightful she is. Hearing her heartfelt prayers and being so thankful my daughter knows Jesus. Staying up most of the night; chatting and giggling in our double beds, snacking on hot cheetos and sour patch kids. Walking around the mall, giggling and giddy, exhausted from staying up all night.
Seeing my daughter as a beautiful young woman that will one day make a lovely wife for some blessed man.
Lots of topics we covered during the retreat are things that will need to be talked about more than once. Our weekly tea time has been a great time to refresh and chat some more about these things. This isn’t a one-time discussion, it’s an ongoing dialogue that will last throughout her teens and up to marriage.
*Affiliate link. I am not associated with Passport to Purity, and they do not know I am writing this review. However, if you purchase this from my Amazon link, you’ll be supporting this site.
Have you considered a purity retreat with your daughter?
Be sure to visit these brilliant women in this 10 days adventure between February 7th-18th! We love these ladies and we know you do too.
10 days of socialization for mom | The Homeschool Chick
10 days of classical education | Milk & Cookies
10 days of large families | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of special needs | Special Needs Homeschooling
10 days of struggling learners | Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
10 days of homeschooling girls | Homegrown Mom
10 days of homeschool enrichment | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of building a spiritual legacy | Mommy Missions
10 days of frugal homeschooling |The Happy Housewife
10 days of Charlotte Mason | Our Journey Westward
10 days of unschooling | Homeschooling Belle
10 days of organization | Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom
10 days of getting started | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of homeschooling boys | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of homeschooling Montessori | Fruit in Season
10 days of preschool | Delightful Learning
