We’ve been focusing on giving this Christmas and that is why the Big Book of Character was a perfect story to read before we got started on our simple neighbor gifts. There are so many great stories in this book including; Chipmunk’s Charity, Courage Isn’t Crazy, Humble Before A Tumble, Bad Company, and Kindness Moves the Bear. Each story features character building reflection questions and Bible verses at the end.

Can you guess which one we read? We also made an acorn ornament that went along with it and attached those to our snack bags.

Simple Gifts for Neighbors

One of the most important aspects of this activity was where the gifts came from. First, the ornaments were handmade and the kids spent an hour or so making them. Second, the snacks were purchased with money they had earned for working around the house. That made these gifts very meaningful for the kids. To them, it was quite the investment.

They really had a lot of fun stamping their bags and talking about what they were going to put on them and why. This gave the gifts a personal touch and I’m sure the neighbors will notice because they aren’t exactly picture perfect.

I helped hole punch the bags and tie the ribbon on them with their handmade acorn ornaments.

Maybe the neighbors will think they are as cute as I do! However, the ornaments represent the kids sharing what they have with others.

I explained to the kids before we went out that although our neighbors may not be in need, everyone can use a little charity to help brighten up their day. Also, by putting Jesus loves you on the snack bags, we were sharing God’s word. Most people could use more of that in their lives so the kids were even more excited to hand them out!

Do you give gifts to your neighbors for Christmas?

Need more help getting your kids focused on the true meaning of Christmas?

We have all sorts of fun activities, recipes and family fun that are inspired by a Children’s Christmas book that share the real meaning of Christmas! Make sure to follow along, you can take a look at the schedule over at Inspired by Familia blog.

Here are our fabulous bloggers and their books:
Inspired by Family – the Christmas Cookie
Meaningful Mama – The Crippled Lamb,
Teaching Mama – The Legend of the Candy Cane
Beautiful Messy Motherhood – A Carol for Christmas,
Happy Home Fairy – M is for Manger
Simple home Blessings – Who is Coming to Our House?
The Chaos and the Clutter – I Spy Christmas
Creative Family Fun – The Birds of Bethlehem
Sunshine Whispers!

The post Simple Gifts for Neighbors to Help Kids Learn About Charity first appeared on True Aim.

I’ve tried to set a standard, but then there are days where Bible stories around the breakfast table turns into prayer time which turns into crafts which leads to history – you get the picture. Before we know it, my husband gets home and we are still in jammies, but usually surrounded by a creative mess of learning and giggles. They are indeed some of our best school days.

Finding Beauty in Messes

Last week my husband set up a business dinner with one of his executives from New York and wanted the kids and I to go with him. I thought it would be nice for the kids to make a card for her since she was traveling away from her own family. As soon as I suggested the idea, my pajama clad crew were up the stairs digging through boxes of creative supplies to use.

They excitedly pulled out stickers, dot stampers, markers, paper, pens, glue, and anything else they could get their hands on. Their hair was still messy, their faces still sleepy, but they were ready to go! So, pajama morning it was, simply because it could be!

I watched as the kids giggled, helped one another, shared, and considered what a complete stranger would enjoy. When I asked my daughter what she wanted her card to say, she replied, “Welcome to Texas, We love You!” I almost encouraged her to write something else considering that she had never met this lady, but realized that those words were a reflection of her heart.

What started as an idea to make a stranger feel welcome for dinner turned into an hour of creative mess. Paper thrown left and right, ink marks on the table, glue oozing out of every inch of my two year olds cards, and a whole lot of laughter. Almost ten cards later, they had a large stack of cards made with such love for someone they would only meet for the first time later in the evening.

As I quickly snapped pictures trying to capture the fleeting moment, I was overjoyed with the utter mess before me. It was beautiful. It was chaos non the less but it was the perfect reflection of what I want for my kids. As we got ready (finally) for our dinner date, I was so blessed to watch as my kids could hardly wait to hand over their labor of love.

Sitting around the restaurant table they politely handed their handmade cards to a woman they had just met and explained what they did for her as she opened each one. My heart was melted into so many pieces as I felt such a sense of pride for how homeschooling was represented that night.

As much as the activity was great for both art and writing, what meant the most was the attitudes that they showed. Homeschooling has allowed me to invest so much into my children every hour of the day. I love the freedom to watch a beautiful mess be created around my table each day as their hearts develop.

Clearly some days are just meant for pajamas and beautiful messes!

The post Beautiful Messes first appeared on True Aim.

It’s easy to get caught up in the summer hustle.  We HAVE to do this, go there, see that.  While we are checking off our summer bucket list, others are struggling to keep their heads above water.  To help those in need and end hunger, use these 15 minute chicken dinner ideas and put “bring someone a meal” on your bucket list.

Helping people in need is a big priority in our home because we want to teach our children that life isn’t fulfilling when we just live for ourselves.  When we serve others, it changes our attitude which affects our heart.  Selfless giving does more for a persons character than any amount of training can.

I recently had Audrey help me make a meal for another family.  Even though we are so busy, it was easy to make a double helping of this Tomato, Garlic and Basil Chicken Pasta.

With Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken, it only takes 15 minutes.  Plus, you’ll be helping feed even more people in need because Tyson has partnered with Champions for Kids for a program called #SummerofGiving.  For every bag of product purchased, 1 meal will be donated to a child in need by Tyson!

Ending hunger is a very important initiative to Tyson Foods.  The Tyson Family Foundation initiative, KNOW Hunger is a project designed to encourage people to KNOW the scope of hunger in their own communities and get involved in relief efforts, so someday there will be NO hunger in our country

Walmart has also joined in the initiative and has promised to feed 5 million kids this summer!

So we went there and looked for the Summer of Giving display where specially marked packages of Tyson products are sold.

Tomato, Basil and Garlic Chicken Pasta

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

This light and flavorful pasta will have you coming back for seconds.

Author: True Aim

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb Bow Tie Pasta (Or your other favorite pasta)
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ Onion chopped
• 1 can Italian Diced Tomatoes
• 2 tbs White Cooking Wine
• ½ bag Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips
• 10 leaves Fresh Basil chopped
• Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat a large pan over medium high heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. As the pasta cooks, add the oil to the pan with the onions and garlic and cook until the onions start to get translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Next add the tomatoes and cook until they start to simmer. Add the white wine and bring back to a simmer.
4. Toss in the chicken and basil, bring back to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. Serve over the pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

3.2.1311

For another easy Chicken Dinner idea, try my Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder. 

Are you helping to end hunger this summer?  Learn how you can get involved with Champions for Kids and help provide meals for children in your community.

The post Ad End Hunger with 15 Minute Chicken Dinner Ideas #Summer of Giving first appeared on True Aim.

This month start a new tradition and teach your children one of the most important values you can.  Try making these simple DIY thank you cards as a family and show appreciation to people in your community.

Simple DIY Thank You Cards

Materials:

Cardstock or pre-folded cards

Different colored scrapbooking/construction paper or washi tape

Regular scissors and edgers

Glue

Coloring supplies

Printable “Thanks” Tags

It’s crazy how easy these are to make!  First, if you’re using a full sheet of cardstock, fold it in half with the short edge together.  Cut the sheet in half and fold it in half again on the short edge to make your card.

Next, have your children cut long strips of different colored paper and use kraft edgers to make a decorative cut on one end of the strips.  To make this even easier, you could cut lots of strips ahead of time and just have your children do the decorative edge.

Glue the strips with the straight edge lined up with the top of the card.  To make this part even easier, you could use washi tape!

You can print these free “Thanks” tags by downloading the template below.  Cut them out ahead of time or have your children help.

Glue the tags over your paper strip collage and Voila!  Heat up some hot chocolate and make a bunch with the whole family.

Now that you have your cards, make sure you put some in your bag.  When you are out and about this month, have your children give the cards to people in the community like your waiter, cashier, or someone who says something nice to them at the store.

You could also plan a special delivery to the fire or police station; even the family doctor.  These little gestures of thanks go a long way in making someone’s day better and instilling values in your children!

The Giving Thanks November Family Challenge

How are you giving thanks as a family?  We would love to hear about it!  Please leave a comment or grab a button and link up below.  You can also send me a picture of your idea and I will post it to my facebook page.

Need more inspiration?  Follow the Gift of Giving Pinerest board with tons of ideas to help you teach your children how amazing it feels to give to others.

Follow The Gift of Giving by Janine, TrueAimEducation.com on Pinterest

The Family Network

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Play with Your Family
Fun on a Dime
Serene is My Name Not My Life
LDS Parenting
Mom to Three Babies

The post November Family Challenge: Giving Thanks with DIY Thank You Cards first appeared on True Aim.

It’s that time again!  Kids are going back to school.  While most parents are thinking about what to put in lunches, for some, that is the least of their worries.  Imagine having to travel hundreds of miles to get the medical help your child needs, but having no place to stay, and little money for anything else.  Some parents end up on hospital chairs, even floors.  They might succumb to the vending machine for a high-calorie mini meal.  But there is a place of refuge that helps keep families together and meets all their minor needs.

What is the Ronald McDonald House?

The Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home for thousands of families across the country who have children undergoing medical treatment.  Not only do they provide a safe place to stay, but they try to meet every need a family might have.  Healthy snacks are just a small part of the services they provide, but they can make a world of difference.

After I learned about the need they fill, I jumped at the opportunity to partner with Champions for Kids and Dole to help my local Ronald McDonald House.

It was easy to see what the House needed by going to their site and checking out their wish list.  To fill their needs I got my community involved by doing a small food drive at local stores in my area.

I called several stores and a lot of them said no.  But a few said yes and allowed my daughter and I to bring a box with signs to put at the front of the store.  Some of them even allowed me to put it right by the check out area!  I filled the boxes with a few Dole Fruit Bowls and Squish’ems Snacks to encourage donations and it worked!  I came back to find several more items donated.  (See our whole experience on Google+.)

When I went to the Ronald McDonald House to donate all the items, not only was I greeted with a warm welcome, but they gave me the grand tour!  If you have the chance to visit a House, you will be inspired and compelled to do more.

Families are welcome to stay as long as they need!  Their worries are relived and they only need to think about their children’s recovery because almost everything else is taken care of.

Healthy snacks are always available just in case families have to rush to the hospital.  Spaces for recreation and play are there to help them de-stress.  Free personal care items are always on-hand because grabbing a tooth brush is the last thing on people’s minds in an emergency.

The Dole Back to School Snacks Project

Champions for Kids and Dole want to make it easy for you to help your Local Ronald McDonald House or favorite charity and provide healthy snacks like Dole Fruit Bowls and Dole Squish’ems Snacks for kids and families in need.

To learn more about Champions for Kids watch the short video below or visit their website, and check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about Dole’s Healthy Snacks, visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.

Get even more inspiration for giving back by following me on Facebook or Pinterest.  Thanks for your support!

The post Healthy Snacks for Kids: Dole Champions for Kids Back to School Challenge #Dole4Kids first appeared on True Aim.

Before you call me a “Grinch,” or congratulate me for pointing out the obvious, please read on – I need your help.  But first, lets all review the true reason for the season.  Two thousand years ago God gave mankind the ultimate gift – His only Son, Who rescued us from certain death, by taking our place.  There was no greater gift in history.  In fact, His gift was so great it overwhelmed the entire world.

A monster called Rome was the first to be overcome by God’s great gift.  As Christians were nailed to crosses, burned at stakes and fed to lions, they continued to sing the praises of their loving God and His wonderful gift.

The mighty Romans were dumb-founded as they witnessed Christ’s gift spreading like a wild fire, from heart to heart, until the official religion of the Roman Empire became “Christianity” – the religion of those fed to the lions!

Throughout history the hardest of hearts have been transformed by God’s gift, from Paul and Constantine to a humble bishop named Saint Nicholas.  St. Nicholas did not have a work shop in the north pole, nor reindeer, or even a single elf. He had something better – God’s eternal gift and a passion for “regifting!”

So what is my point?  Here is it:  There is no such thing as Santa Claus – just a generous God and His faithful followers regifting God’s love to the entire world.  There is a last minute Christmas gift I need you to add to your list.

The post The Gift Santa Can’t Give! first appeared on True Aim.

Ornaments 4 Orphans

Bracelets with Purpose

Give Jewelry is a sustainable movement to provide food for orphans throughout Indonesia. Under Indonesian law, only citizens of the country can adopt children from its orphanages. That means, most of the orphans will live in the orphanages their whole lives. The purchase of 1 bracelet provides an orphan with 1 WEEK of food, hope, and shows them the LOVE of God through strangers like YOU!

Most of the bracelets are under $15 and my favorite are the charm bracelets and leather bracelets here.  Checkout Give Jewelry’s amazing documentary of their recent trip to the Orphanages they support and follow them on Pinterest to get updates on all their new jewelry designs.

Mercy House

Women in Kenya are in desperate need of maternity care.  Mothers often force their daughters into prostitution and 20,000 children are trafficked for sex every year.  When young women become pregnant they are kicked out of school and have no where to go for support.

The Mercy House was founded by one of my favorite bloggers.  You can watch the video about her story here.  They exist to provide alternative options for pregnant girls living on the streets and also aid them in education, nutrition, housing, prenatal/postnatal care, Bible study, counseling and job skills for sustainable living!

Even more gifts that give:

Love 146– Shirts, accessories and partner stores that help end child trafficking and exploitation.

World Vision– Gifts that empower impoverished people around the world.

Peru Paper Co.– Handmade staionary designed and crafted by Peruvian Women.

Serrv– Beautiful home goods and more.  A founding member of the Fair Trade Federation.

Krochet Kids– Clothing and Accessories that create sustainable economic development programs to developing countries.

Save the Children– Provide relief to children around the world.

Christ Kitchen- Gift Baskets full of edible goodies provides opportunities for women living in poverty in Spokane, Washington.

Women Helping Other Women– A Non-profit Bakery providing jobs and training to women in unfortunate situations.

Lambs Farm- A variety of edible gifts and candles, they help people with developmental dissablities live as independantly as possible through training and education.

Cookies for Kids with Cancer -100% proceeds go to fund Pediatric Cancer Research

Can you add to this list?  Please leave a comment!

Is your budget tight this season?

The Gift Santa Can’t GiveWould you like to participate?

Grab a button and link up below!

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The post The Gift of Giving: Holiday Gift Guide first appeared on True Aim.

Giving the “Gift of Giving” is a hard gift to give!  In fact, it took my husband and me several months to give this gift to our children.  That is partly because our two and four-year-old didn’t want to accept our wonderful gift and partly because we underestimated the complexity of it all.

Round One:

“Aaaaaahhhhhh!” I heard my little girls screaming.  I ran into the room expecting to find hurt children, but the only thing injured was a poor Barbie being ripped apart in a ferocious bout of tug-of-war!  “Emma and Audrey, what in the world is going on?” I scolded.

Emma, my two-year-old whaled, “Audergsfy norotsab harygg ruis neeeee!”

Yeah, I couldn’t understand her either.  So, I asked my four-year-old who was just barely more articulate than her sister.  In between her sobs, I discovered that the fight was over the one and only coveted “Singing Princess Belle Barbie!”

Audrey had willingly shared all her other Barbies, but drew the line with her Singing Belle – feeling entitled to it because it was her favorite.

“Oh how generous Audrey!  You only want to share the Barbies you don’t like!  If you really cared about your sister you would want her to have the best.  So, for the rest of the day I want you to be a generous big sister and let Emma play with your favorite Barbies!” I commanded.

“Yes, Mom.”

Round Two:  

“Five minutes later, I heard my little girls screaming for a second time, “Aaaaaahhhhhh!”  This time it was Audrey who ran into my room, ahead of her younger sister, for a  preemptive explanation,  “Mom, I tried to share my favorite Barbie with Emma, but she won’t take it!”

Moments later, in rushed Emma, tears rolling down her chubby cheeks holding Cinderella.  Cinderella was once coveted just like Belle, but that was before her “unauthorized” hair cut and torn dress.

“Audrey, why is Emma holding Cinderella?” I questioned.

“Well, you said that I had to give Emma my favorite and I decided that Cinderella is actually my favorite, so I tried to give it to her but she won’t to take it!” she explained.

It was an interesting twist, but I wasn’t buying it and from the look on Emma’s face neither was she.  If this was actually Audrey’s favorite Barbie, I could save tons of money by shopping for her future presents at the dump!  Nice try Audrey!

Round Three:  

Wanting desperately to instill generous hearts in my daughters, I teamed up with Dad for a little lesson on sharing.  After dinner I placed the “last” cookie on Dad’s plate.

Step 1:  Dad wanted to eat the whole thing himself, but decided to ask the girls what they thought first.  Amazingly, they were now all for sharing and they gave him several good reasons why sharing was so important.

Step 2:  Finally, the girls convinced Dad it was good share.  So, Dad broke off a few crumbs for the girls.  Needless to say, they weren’t thrilled.  Dad didn’t understand.  Why should he share more?  Again, they gave him some great reasons.

Step 3:  Dad divided the cookie into four equal pieces; one for Mom, one for Audrey, one for Emma and one for Dad.  The girls were so grateful and sharing was so much more fun than Dad had ever imagined, that Dad didn’t want to eat his piece – he wanted to share it too!

So, he broke it into three more pieces, but this time two were big and one was small.  “I love you girls so much that I want you to have the big pieces!” Dad insisted.  And then something amazing happened, they both refused!  They wanted their Dad to eat the bigger piece.  Back and forth they argued, “No, I love you more and I want you to have the biggest piece!”

At last, my children learned the joy of selfless giving!

The post A Hard Gift to Give! first appeared on True Aim.

This month I have partnered with the Family Network to bring you some insightful and exciting ways to develop a giving heart in your children.  Join us, as we “Give the Gift of Giving” to our families.

Give the Gift:  Give back to your community as a family.  Then leave a comment, add a photo to Facebook, or email me about it.  You can also link up any ideas on how to give back with your family, favorite charities you support, or how to develop giving hearts.  We will be featuring your posts throughout the holiday season!  So, make sure you follow us and spread the word!This link up will be included in each post in the Series. That means your posts will be featured for a whole month!

Posts in this Series:

A Hard Gift to Give
Gifts that Give Back

 The Gift Santa Can’t Give

Follow our Pinterest Board 

Feel free to grab a button!

Family Network Partners:

Play with Your Family
Fun on a Dime
Serene is My Name Not My Life
LDS Parenting
Mom to Three Babies

*By linking up, you are granting me permission to use and/or re-post photographs from your blog or website.

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The post The Gift of Giving: November Family Challenge first appeared on True Aim.