Today is National Popcorn Day!  January 19th!  What a great day!

We eat a lot of Popcorn around here.  We have a projection screen theater in our basement, so we watch A LOT of movies.  And movies just aren't the same with out Popcorn and Candy.


We like freshly air popped popcorn.  Then we load it up with our favorite candy.  My favorite is popcorn and sour gummies.  Yum!  Friday Movie Nights have been a tradition of ours since the first month of our marriage.  We didn't have any money, so we would rent the .99 cent movies at Blockbuster, pop a bag of popcorn, share a Pepsi, and grab a candy bar.

Then we had kids, and we would do Pizza and a Disney movie with the kids.  After they went to bed, we would get take out and call it a great date night.

And now that we have a teenager, our Family Movie nights usually have a few extra kids with us.  But one thing has always stayed the same.  Popcorn and Candy!

Every year when Christmas rolls around, my kids start asking when I am going to make "Suga Nuts!"

1. Offer to watch a single parents kids, so they can finish up some last minute shopping
2. Drop off some baked goodies to your local fire station, on Christmas Eve
3. Go caroling/visit or drop off Christmas cards/children's art work to a nursing/retirement home
4. Drop off new stuffed animal's to your local police station or S.A.F.E. organization
5. Drop off some flowers to the nurses desk at the hospital (they will know who needs them)
6. Shovel the snow from a neighbors driveway/sidewalk
7. Send Christmas cards to Soldiers, Missionaries, Others who won't be home for the Holidays
8. Drop off children's books to a children's hospital or doctors office
9. Collect and deliver clothes, books, toys to a shelter
10. Pick-up some extra wrapping paper & tape and drop it off to a neighbor
11. Pick-up some personal hygiene items at the dollar store, put in a stocking and deliver to a battered woman's shelter
12. Call a lonely neighbor/friend/family member just to catch up, listen and show love
13. Buy a bag of cat/dog food and deliver it to an animal shelter
14. Bake some treats with your children, then drop them off at their school for the teacher's lounge
15. Offer to put up Christmas lights for older neighbors or family/friends
16. Make easy tie blankets and donate to a shelter
17. Offer to run errands or do some grocery shopping for someone that is in need  (a new mom, an elderly person, someone who is sick or recovering, someone who doesn't drive)
18. Have your family play "Secret Santa" for a family in need
19. Have your family "Adopt" a Grandparent that doesn't have family near
20. Make an sincere effort to smile at others, freely give compliments, show kindness & love

My kids FAVORITE thing to eat for breakfast is French Toast.  I make it for them every Sunday, and any day in between that they can talk me into it!  (which is a LOT!)

Last fall I came across a  recipe for Pumpkin French Toast!  How perfect is that for this time of year!?

As soon as September hits, I start making these tasty yum-yums, and score big points with the family.

Pumpkin Pecan French Toast

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 10 slices wheat bread
• Butter, for griddle
• sugar pecans for topping (You can make your own, or buy them in the salad topping section.)
• powdered sugar for topping
• syrup for topping

• Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees.  Whisk together half and half, pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and pie spice until well combined. Pour into a shallow dish.
• Butter griddle and dip bread into egg mixture (allowing a few seconds for it to absorb) then rotate and coat opposite side. Transfer to griddle and cook until golden brown on bottom, then flip french toast to opposite side and cook until golden brown. Serve warm with butter, pecans, powdered sugar and maple syrup.

It's that time of year again.  Back to School.

I always have mixed feelings about my children going back to school.  On the one hand, I love having them home with me.  We love staying up late, playing games, going on bike rides and hanging out.  We spend our summers at water parks, soccer tournaments and family activities.  I hate to see our fun come to an end.

On the other hand, I crave order and routine.  I enjoy letting go of it during the summer, but I do get a little excited about the thought of schedules again.

Every year I like to plan a little Back to School dinner.  I make it a special occasion, one that we look forward to and each of the kids can participate in.  I use it as a night of planning and goal setting for the upcoming school year.   I pick a theme I want to focus on and then go from there.

This year my sister, Hollie, and I were talking and we really liked THIS TALK by President Gordon B. Hinckley.   It's the B's talk.  We were trying to find a way to focus on the the "Be Smart" part of his talk.  After all, it's Back to School.

Then we found a follow up talk he gave,  and I really liked this part.

"For you, my dear friends, the sky is the limit. You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. ........... Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities." 

I knew that this was what I wanted our focus to be on.   I want my children to know that they need to not just go through life.   They can't just let life happen, and go with whatever way the wind blows.  They can not become idle in their dreams, and they can do and be anything that they work to be.  They must live their life with PURPOSE!  Anything can be accomplished when they go forward with a positive attitude.

So I put together these bookmarks for each one of my children with excerpts from that talk.










Once everything was set I made a yummy dinner, (post to come) and my Husband I talked to our kids about our Back To School theme.  Then my Husband gave our kids their annual Back to School Blessings.   I always look so forward to this tradition.  I am a bit of a nervous Nelly, and hearing him give each child a blessing always eases my mama bear heart.  He even gives me one, so that I can embrace the new School year, instead of being anxious and feeling sad about the kids leaving.

We then had each child write down 3 goals in their journal that they wanted to focus on for this upcoming school year.  We encourage them to think about this before our dinner, that way they are inspired and can take this process seriously.  We encourage them to think beyond passing tests, and reading a set number of books.   We want them to remember that back to school is about relationships with friends, choosing the right paths, and making the right decisions with their time as well as good grades. They need to seek out knowledge and truth, and to build on their relationship with their Heavenly Father.

I am now looking forward to this upcoming School year with so much excitement!!  I am excited to see what my kids can accomplish now that they have a clear understanding of our expectations and with their goals they set for themselves.   We are ready to Go Forward with Purpose!!!