Symbols of Christmas Story For Children-Great Family Home Evening Lesson

Children learn by seeing, touching and experiencing. This is a great story to teach children the true meaning of Christmas and help them see that many of the decorations and symbols we use today help remind us of Christ.

In addition to Family Home Evening each December, I have also  used this as a Christmas Sharing time in all three of the primary presidencies that I've had the blessing of serving in. 

Just bring a gift bag containing each of the symbols represented. As the symbol is mentioned, pull out that item and ask a child to stand at the front of the room and hold the item, Then pull out the next symbol and continue on. You will end up with 8 children standing in a row at the front, all holding their symbols of Christmas.

At the end of the lesson, I send home a copy of the story with each child along with a  candy cane.

If you can't find all the the items listed in the story, I've attached some clip art that you can print. Just cut out each symbol separately and place in the bag. Simply click on the image and print it out.

Christmas Kindness Calendar for Kids!

Friends, 

I am so excited to share this with you all!

My family loves, loves December and everything Christmas. In an effort to keep a Christ-centered focus and not get too carried away with the commercial aspect of Christmas, we have implemented a Christmas Kindness Calendar for the past few years.

This is a simple and inexpensive way to help children reach out to others and remember to serve during this time of year.

Just click on the image to open it in a new screen and right click to print the image or "save as" to save it to your computer.

Check out my website here to find ways that adults can also simplify this time of year.

A Savior is Born!

The reason for this blessed season. A Savior is Born!

Join me on Instagram #abundantlife30 for a December abundant with reminders of and messages about Christ.

Go here to view this beautiful video from Mormon.org

It's all about perspective

No Nonsense November: Learn to Count The Ways That Your Abundance Cups Runneth Over.
This is something I have learned time and time again in my life. It is so important to take a personal inventory of our own blessings without comparing them to what others may have.

"Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows." -President Thomas S. Monson.

The free printable above can be printed as a high quality 5" x 7".

No Nonsense November-Daily Schedule and To-Do's

No Nonsense November-Tips for organizing your daily tasks and prioritizing your schedule

I find that if I don't create a daily list of things I need to get done, I end up going in circles all day trying to figure out what I should be working on and towards.  When I write down what my priorities are in regards to what I need to accomplish, I am able to plan my time wisely, and have more time available to focus on my family, spend time with friends, serve those around me, and reach personal goals.

After trying many different systems, this one has worked best for me, and I have been using it daily for many years.  I realize that technology now allows for task tracking and prioritizing, and that I can manage this on my phone,  but I am really trying to put my phone down during the day so as to limit the distractions that I face with social media, online shopping, Pinterest and other diversions that befuddle my course and goals.

I am also trying to be more present with my children, and find that if I am looking at my phone all day, even if it is for something good, like my to-do list, I lose that connection with them.

So, here it is. Plain, simple and inexpensive, yet it works like a charm:

I purchased a small white board and dry erase markers. Every night I evaluate about what I have accomplished that day, and what I need to get done the following day.

At the top of the white board I write down the day of the week and what I need to get done that day based on priorities. There are always things I COULD do, but I try to limit it to what needs to be done that day. Then I list a few "If time permits" tasks that would be nice to get done if I have a bit of extra time.

I simply cross off tasks as I complete them and work my way down the list. The tasks that don't get done that day simply move up the list for the next day and become higher priority to ensure that I complete them the following day. While it is fulfilling to cross items off and see the fruits of your labors as you go, this system is also very forgiving since everything can be easily erased and modified. 

This tends to reduce stress for me since I can determine that I don't have time for something that day, but that I can make time for it the next day. Since it's on the board already, I won't forget to add it to the "to-do's" for the following day.

I don't mount the board on a wall, instead, it is usually sitting on my kitchen table. Not having it hung up also allows me to move it to my computer desk so I can look at it while I complete computer- related tasks such as paying bills, and I can also set it on my nightstand while I am organizing my thoughts and tasks for the following day.

This system has made me a more organized mom and spouse, and allows me to spend my time more wisely so I can move forward to more meaningful activities.

I love this quote by Bishop John H. Vandenberg, former Presiding Bishop of the LDS Church, "

• “I feel that goal-setting is absolutely necessary for happy living. But the goal is only part of the desired procedures. We need to know which roads to take to reach the goal. In many cases we set far-reaching goals but neglect the short-range ones. With such short-range plans, we need self-discipline in our actions—study when it is time to study, sleep when it is time to sleep, read when it is time to read, and so on—not permitting an undesirable overlap, but getting our full measure of rewards and blessings from the time we invest in a particular activity” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1966, 94).

Simply cross of tasks as you complete them and work down the list.

No Nonsense November-Gratitude

No Nonsense November: Take time to show gratitude for those who have blessed and influenced your life.

Our family decided to try something a little bit different this year for the month of November. Instead of our using "Thankful Tree' where we think of things we are grateful for on each day of the month, we decided to remember the many people who influence and bless our lives. We created little leaf thank you cards and my children wrote notes of gratitude for all the people who help them. 

So far, this has been a memorable lesson for us that we are surrounded by do many good people who serve and bless our lives on a daily basis. We are excited to see this project through to the end of the month.

In the words of President Monson, "Gratitude is a divine principle. Do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive?

Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love.

Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and conflate our blessings. We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate with our hearts an attitude of gratitude. May we ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love.

Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude."

You can check out this snippet from President Monson's talk here.

No Nonsense November: Simplify Gift-Giving This Year

We started this gift-giving tradition with our children about 6 years ago and it has really changed our focus from gifts, gifts, gifts under the Christmas tree for our children, to a more Christ-centered one.

Our children know that this is how we handle our gifting to them, and they are totally on board with it. In fact, instead of long lists of wants, their Christmas wish lists tend to be very well thought out and composed of things they really want and need, instead of a list of all the cool things their friends have.

They still get a gift from Santa and a small gift from each sibling, and this seems to be a perfect recipe for us to enjoy the fun and excitement of Christmas without going overboard.  This has allowed us to feel the thrill of gift giving and receiving, but now we have more time, energy, and resources to focus more on the real reason for the season-the birth of Christ.

President Thomas S. Monson gave a meaningful talk about gifts titled "Gifts", that really puts things into perspective. Go here to check it out. It's worth listening to!

No Nonsense November Day 9: Dates!

No Nonsense November: Interviews and fun with school-age children and teenagers.

I was thrilled to get to take one of my daughters on a mom-daughter date yesterday and was truly humbled and enlightened as I listened to her concerns and goals. Try scheduling an hour or so for each of your children every month where you can just focus on them. It is definitely a delightful experience.

My husband and I have decided that once our children turn 5 years old, they get to start going on monthly "dates" with dad or mom. One month I take one child and my husband takes the other. The following month we switch and both take the other child.

We keep these pretty low key at my house and don't spend much money on them. The idea isn't necessarily to entertain, but to spend quality time listening and counseling. Having fun is always an important part of this, too!

It's amazing how you can truly get to know your child and feel of their spirit when you take them out of the distractions of other siblings, school, extra-curricular activities and electronics.

Here are some of our favorite "date" activities:

• Go on a bike ride
• Hike a local trail
• Go to the local library and research something interesting to both of us
• Treats at the local gas station and then head to the temple for a walk around it
• Grab our favorite book and take it to the canyon to read it aloud to each other
• Picnic at the park
• Sweet treat and chatting at a local bakery

 “Just a few quiet moments in an interview with a son or daughter can teach a father or mother much about the child…Holding parent-child interviews regularly and creating a positive atmosphere for communication provide opportunities—not only during the interviews but also at other, less formal occasions—to teach and counsel children, listen to their concerns, and to strengthen relationships.”- Wendell P. Droubay, "Heart to Heart", June 1997 LDS Ensign.

Go here to read this insightful article about parent/child interviews.

No Nonsense November: Day 8- Consequence Jar for Children

No Nonsense November Day 8: Teaching about Consequences

Consequence Jar for children that contains extra household jobs that they "get" to do when they make a bad choice. This teaches children to take responsibility for their actions, and also that we can't choose our consequences for bad choices.

Be careful not to call this an "Uh-Oh" jar. We ALL make mistakes! Mistakes are different from bad choices.

We have a simple mason jar that is labeled as a "Consequence Jar" and when my children fight with each other, or make other bad choices, they choose one slip of paper from the jar.

Each paper lists one extra chore they need to complete. This is different than the regular chores they do each week to contribute to the family.

No Nonsense November Day 7-Hanging Clipboards

No Nonsense November Day 7: Reduce Homework Clutter by Organizing Family Information on Hanging Clipboards.

You will never lose homework or other important school documents this way! We also have our daily chore charts on clipboards and hanging in our "family command center"...more on this another day.

No Nonsense November Day 6- Pre-Plan Meals

No Nonsense November Day 6: Planning your meals in advance saves you lots of shopping, prep and cooking time. 


There are many ways to mange this. We use a hanging board with recipe cards for each day of the week. Another idea is to use a simple magnet board from the craft store and attached recipes, cards with a meal idea, or even a list from a notepad.

No Nonsense November Day 5- Kids in the Kitchen

Day 5: Get your kids to help with family meals! 

Doing so allows them to learn necessary planning and cooking skills and also takes a bit of the load off of parents. This is a win-win!

No Nonsense November Day 4- Daily Focused Time With Children

Day 4- Schedule daily time spent one-on-one with little children

At my house, we call this "Special Time" for my children who are not yet in school all day. 

This is something I started doing with my oldest daughter, when she was small and I was working from home. I wanted to make sure she got my undivided attention on a regular basis and
"Special Time" was created. She grew to know what this was by name and we both looked forward to it everyday. It was a time for me to put away my schedule, laundry and errands and just bond with my daughter on her terms.

We still do this today with my boys, and it is usually when my baby is napping. My baby gets solo time with me when my preschooler is in school.

The premise of this is simple. Make sure you schedule some time each day where you can be away from other distractions and focus just on your child. And just play! Not a play date with other children, this is just you and your child. Read book, play a game, role play or just chat. In such a fast-paced world, sometimes we lose track of this relationship bonding time that young children need. 

I recently finished reading President Neal A. Maxwell's biography, "A Disciples Life," and he referred to this quality time as "prime time for prime people." 

Other people, friends, and co-workers will come and go, but these family relationships are meant to last forever.

No Nonsense November Day 3- Real-Time Calendars

Day 3: Use an online calendar that be synced with family members for a real-time view of your complete schedule.

This way, everyone has real-time access to events and commitments.

Google has one that I love and if you have a free Gmail email account, their calendar is available to you at no cost and can be synced with your phone or tablet.

Go here for more information about Google Calendar 

or

Go here for more information about how to sync it with your particular electronic device.

No Nonsense November Day 2-Collaborative Calendaring

Day 2 of No Nonsense November: Collaborative Calendaring

As parents, we are responsible for not only our own calendars, but also that of our spouse and children.  Do you get a little overwhelmed trying to keep track of it all?

Pick a regular time and day each week to sit down with your spouse/family and do some collaborative calendaring.  

Having everyone on the same page and knowing in advance the adventures of the week/month will make this go more smoothly.

Since my children are still very young, my husband and I manage their calendar along with ours. While we make it a point to discuss with them what we are up to for the week and get their input when necessary, we have found it easier to keep track of it ourselves for the family.

My husband and I sit down every Sunday evening after we put the kids down for bed for a 15 minute calendaring session where we both pull out our electronic calendars and discuss commitments for the week and also look forward at the entire month. We sync certain calendars when necessary (more information on this tomorrow). 

Taking a small amount of time to do this each week has made things go more smoothly for our family, and we are able to know when we need to be where, and also when we are over scheduled and need to reduce commitments.

More tips tomorrow on some electronic resources available for calendaring and how you can effectively share specific calendars with your spouse and other family members.

No Nonsense November Day 1-Schedule your Priorities First

Day 1: Priorities

The first day of the month is a great time to prioritize!

Grab your calendar and write down when you will do the following this month:

1-The day you will attend the temple 

2-When you will hold Family Home Evening

3- When you will Do your Visiting/Home Teaching

Remember the rock jar (on the website) that shows the blessings of putting some of these important things first? It is so much easier to look ahead and commit to when you will do these things, than to look back at the end of the month and feel sad at the end of the month that you didn't make the time to do so.

No Nonsense November!

Follow along here and on Instagram starting November 1 for

 "No Nonsense November!" 

Get daily tips on simplifying family and home responsibilities as well as some of the time management strategies I learned during the years I worked for Franklin Covey and how I have modified them from a business focus to home and family life.