Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Our Jesse Tree / Adevent Calendar: An Update

As I mentioned at the end of November, I am really trying to find some age-appropriate Advent and Jesse Tree ideas for my boys: ages 4 and 6. I am not afraid to admit that I was a bit nervous to start this, as we've not been very successful in the past... I have the tendency to create lofty goals and not follow through. Ouch!

I can say that this year, so far, has been a HUGE success. From the first day, the boys have been genuinely excited to be detectives and follow my clues. Plus, it's been exciting to see how things worked out a little different than I initially anticipated.

Day 1: Regus 2 showing off his work.
He loves using the hole puncher.
I will admit that we haven't been able to complete the ornaments on Sundays. I guess we're just a bit rushed in the morning. Instead, we've just done two days on Mondays to get back on track.

Our Advent/Jesse Tree Process 
  1. We find out what the day of the week and date is, then pick the "clue" card (background paper made out of scrapbooking paper) out of the advent calendar.
  2. I lay out all the available picture cards.
  3. I read* the Scripture written on the clue card. I may offer some inflection in my voice to help with the clue. If it's especially difficult, I'll give them other clues or words to describe the picture they need to find. 
  4. The boys find the picture that matches the story and talk about why it matches the clue (helping their comprehension).
  5. Color the picture, glue the picture onto the clue card, punch a hole, and add string. This might be their favorite part of all.
  6. Finally, hang the ornament on the tree.
  7. When Daddy gets home, either they bring him over to the "branch" (as they call it), or he asks them about it. I love tag-teaming my with Hubby!!

    * It can be tough to make little boys sit still during reading time.
    They are boys — they need to move. Our family rule for any story time is that they can play with a quiet toy but can't make any sound effects (all while sitting near me). This continues to be a work in progress, but I am definitely seeing the benefits. They are able to answer some of my questions, which shows me they are listening.
Here's what our Jesse Tree looks like on Day 19. It's fun to see the boys look over the past days' ornaments and talk about what they've learned.

Day 19: We're almost there! In this picture, you can see
the back "c
lues" of the ornaments and the front "pictures."


What I didn't expect
I didn't realize that the boys would start anticipating the Scripture, based upon the pictures. Before I even read the scripture for the day, they were talking about which Bible story went with which picture. That really blessed me beyond words!


Have you created an Advent Calendar or Jesse Tree with your kids this year? What has surprised you the most?




Monday, December 19, 2011

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie: A Super Easy Recipe

This pie recipe is one of my Hubby's favorite. It's usually his request for his birthday dessert. In addition, I've made it for several church events and am always asked for the recipe. I'm finally sharing it today.

I can not take any credit for this recipe. The original Oatmeal Pecan Pie recipe was made my grandmother-in-law's aunt in Tennessee, who is an amazing cook. She is famous for her desserts. This recipe was then adapted by my mother-in-law to include the "chocolate chip" part. The original version is still a big family favorite.


The other awesome part about this recipe is that it always makes two pies because one is never enough. It's fun to take a pie to a friend and enjoy one, too! Well, maybe that's just me. Plus, unlike most pecan pies, you don't have to have perfect pecans. Just use what you have (chopped, pieces, or whole).

I also love that this pie is best when cooled completely and even better when made the day before — giving me the chance to make it when it's convenient for me. When it's served hot, the pie is much more crumbly.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup + 2 Tbsp Maple syrup (the real thing, NOT pancake syrup)
1¼ cups flaked coconut
1½ sticks (¾ c) butter, melted
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups pecans (for top of pie), chopped or halfed
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 unbaked pie crusts (store bought or your favorite recipe)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350ยบ F.
  2. In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and add remaining ingredients (except pie crusts). 
  3. Divide the mixture between the two pie crusts, then top with pecans.
  4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until pie is set and golden brown. Cool completely before serving. 
Do you have a favorite pie? What do you like most about it?

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Thrifty Thursday: Repurposing T-shirts Project #4. Scarf

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted a new Thrifty Thursday project. I'm continuing my series on repurposing old t-shirts. Today, we're on to project #4: the scarf.

Here's a quick look back at my past projects in this series:
  1. The necklace. An easy, no-sew project.
  2. The petal tee. I loved the way this one turned out. If you already have a t-shirt, this should be super easy. In this project, I made the feminine t-shirt out of an old, men's t-shirt... so that made it a bit more complex.
  3. The re-usable bag. This is a super-easy sewing project. If you are comfortable sewing straight stitches on a sewing machine, this is a good starter project.

There are lots of cool scarf ideas online. However, this one just peaked my creative juices.

Source: Joy Beadworks via Trudy Tarasof from Pinterest

I like that it has a pattern on it. Rather than just copying her idea all together, I decided to make scarves for my boys (they've been begging all season for one). Plus, I promised myself I wouldn't buy any new notions to complete one of these projects, so no embroidery threads for me.

Initially, figuring out a boy-themed pattern proved difficult, as I did not want to give them a leaf-patterned scarf. Instead, I decided to use stars.

First, I cut the parts I needed from the t-shirt. Each scarf included:
  • Main color: 8-in strip, cut from bottom of t-shirt. Cut one end open, so it's one long piece.
  • Reverse color: 8-in strip, cut from bottom of t-shirt. Just like the main color, cut one end open to make one long piece.
  • Background of stars: 1 sleeve cut off from "reverse color" and cut in half to make two pieces.



I found a star pattern and traced it onto the "main color" fabric, using a fabric pencil. To be honest, I ended up using a ballpoint pen and trimmed outside the line. I did this on BOTH ends of the main fabric, just like my inspiration piece.






I pinned the "background" fabric (part of the sleeve from the other t-shirt) to the main fabric. Next, I used the sewing machine to stitch around each star. When you are ready to pivot around the star, just follow these simple steps: (1) leave the needle IN the fabric, (2) lift the presser foot, turn the fabric, (3) lower the presser foot, and (4) continue sewing to the next stopping point. I attempted to take a picture of part of the process. 





After the stars were stitched, I placed the "reverse color" fabric and the main fabric (now has stars stitched to it) with right sides together. Sew them together, but left a large enough slot to turn the scarf right-side out. Finish off the scarf with a top-stitch, and we have a NEW scarf from OLD t-shirts. Doesn't the star scarf look cool with the Star Wars t-shirt?






Regus #1 was eager to try it. As you can see, the length of the scarf is just right for a little guy. If you want a longer scarf, you will need to follow the instructions from the inspiration piece. With that project, you will only be able to get one scarf out of two t-shirts, but it's still really cool!

What other things do you like to re-purpose?