Author - Kishona

A Mom’s Review of The Star : The Story of the First Christmas

November 20, 2017

My family and I saw the new Christmas movie, The Star: The Story of the First Christmas, on opening weekend. Here are my thoughts about it in case you’ve been wondering whether or not to take your children to see it.

“Just because God has a plan, doesn’t mean it’s not going to be hard.”

Would you expect that line to come from a Hollywood-released children’s movie that doesn’t involve singing vegetables? (Love you, Veggie Tales!)

I didn’t either.

And yet, this past Saturday morning, as I sat with my husband and our three boys in a sold-out theater full of excited little children (and parents and grandparents), those words were heard by everyone in attendance, as we watched the new Christmas movie, The Star.

Released by Sony Pictures Animation & Affirm Films, The Star follows the story of a little mill donkey named Bo and his animal friends whose adventures put them in place to witness the events of the very first Christmas, including traveling with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.

Yes, most of us know the story of Jesus’s birth. Most of our children know it by heart as well. However, The Star does a good job of showing some of the deeper emotions and themes of the story of the birth of Jesus that our kids may not have grasped yet while still being funny and lighthearted, as evidenced by all the giggles and laughs we heard all around us from both little ones and old ones alike.

And thankfully, not ALL of those laughs came from jokes based on crude humor (unlike so many kids’ movies and shows recently).

(This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission if you purchase through the links.)

THINGS THAT I LOVED ABOUT THE STAR:

Mary and Joseph are portrayed as very relatable, very normal people who love God and are trusting Him in this most unusual plan He has called them to. Mary speaks the line I quoted at the beginning while she and Joseph struggle to understand why God chose them and why things aren’t going better if He did. I don’t know if many children have ever listened to the story of Mary and Joseph and thought about what it really meant for the couple to be obedient to God’s plan, but I love that this film pauses to give kids that chance.

I also love the interactions between Joseph and Bo the donkey. (If Joseph sounds familiar to you when you see it, it’s because he’s voiced by Zachary Levi, whom most of you will know as “Flynn Rider” from Disney’s Tangled. He is just one of many in a long list of good voice talent in this movie!)

As a mom who’s gone through pregnancy and labor three times, I appreciated how they showed Mary’s labor progression, even her breathing through the early contractions. (Although at other points in the movie, she was moving considerably well for a pregnant chick.) It might seem like a little thing, but again, it makes Mary a bit more real than other productions that breeze through the delivery as though it required very little of her (looking at you, The Nativity Story.)

One of my favorite sweet moments in the movie happens when Bo decides to pray, and I love it because he mentions how often he’s seen Mary pray. (And Mary and Joseph pray multiple times during the movie). It’s a subtle message to parents that we are being watched by those little ones around us and a reminder to us to be setting the example they need.

Another slightly subtle but so amazing message comes through Herod’s soldier’s mean dogs – the “bad animals” of the movie. When finally freed from their literal chains, they are given a choice to change and be truly free. There’s even a lesson of forgiveness and grace when Bo sees them again at the manger. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it was one of my favorite parts of the movie.

THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE MOVIE:

While they did a good job of staying true to scripture, as with most movies and works of fiction, the filmmakers do take some poetic license in the film of which you might want to be aware.

The way that they write Mary and Joseph’s wedding as happening on the same day as her return from Elizabeth’s and prior to revealing her pregnancy may be an issue for some because it makes Joseph’s struggle with it all a little less of a struggle. However, they do show him seeking God for wisdom in his confusion, and God speaking to him…without bringing up a discussion of broken engagements and suspicions of infidelity (and what THAT means) with a young audience. (When your kids are older, you can promote them to The Nativity Story, which I still love despite Mary’s easy delivery, as it digs a little deeper into Mary and Joseph’s story, emotions, and struggles.)

Not a huge deal, but I noticed that the wise men come across as “not as wise” at a couple of points, but I’m pretty sure that was done so that their three camels would have something to help with. 🙂

The story also follows the more traditional telling of the Christmas story – the one used to create our nativity sets and such, where the wise men and shepherds are all at the barn/stable at the same time- versus the Biblical one where the wise men come along a bit later “to the house“ where “they saw the child with His mother Mary.” (Matthew 2 tells about the Wise Men’s visit after following the star, and Luke 2 shares the story of Jesus’s birth and the angels appearing to the shepherds.) But whenever they came, they all came to celebrate Jesus and worship Him as the promised Messiah, which is the point of Christmas.

(By the way, make sure to read the Biblical accounts to your children. While talking animals are fun, our kids do need to know what the Word of God says even more. It’s best not to get your theology from a donkey.)

Having seen my share of animated children’s films over the years, I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Star movie when we arrived at the theater. I had high hopes but not-as-high expectations, to be honest. However, I truly enjoyed it. Sure, it’s not perfect, but overall it was a delightful film with fun characters and plenty of heart.

Our boys liked it, too.

In fact, when I asked them about it, trying to get an “official review” from my kids for you all, that’s exactly what they said. 🙂

Elijah, 7: “I liked it. It’s really funny.”

Josiah, 4: “It was funny. I liked it.”

(These are direct quotes, too. Haha)

With as much as they have been talking about it since we saw it, reliving their favorite moments and asking when we can see it again, I’m pretty certain that The Star is destined to join our movie library and claim a top spot on our must-see-every-year Christmas movie list.

My boys and I weren’t alone in our opinions of the film, either.

The entire theater erupted in applause after the final scene of the movie, and I heard little kids in front and behind me telling their parents, “I liked that movie!” and “That was good!” and even a disappointed, “Is it over?” (Oh, and the closing credit artwork is kind of adorable!)

So, if you’re thinking of taking your children to see The Star, I definitely recommend it.

It’s a great way to celebrate the the birth of Jesus, the true Star of the season.

*Note: This is not a sponsored review.*

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7 Simple Dishes Your Child Can Make for Thanksgiving

November 16, 2017

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7 Simple Dishes Your Child Can Make for Thanksgiving - Life in Lape Haven. Our kids like to be a part of everything we do, so it shouldn't have surprised me when my oldest really enjoyed making something "on his own" to take to our family Thanksgiving gathering. Here are 7 easy recipe ideas that your children can help make for your holiday meal or other celebration.

When Elijah was still a little-little guy, about 3 years old, we added a new tradition to our family Thanksgivings that he has faithfully continued every year since. In fact, it only became a tradition because he asked to do it the following year. I might forget it, but he always remembers!

Every year, Elijah gets to make a “special” dish to take to our families’ Thanksgiving meals.

It all started because I was trying to keep him busy while I was prepping my contributions: sweet potato casserole and apple pies.

He wanted to help, but he wasn’t quite old enough to peel potatoes or roll out pie crust. So, I reached back into my childhood and came up with a super easy side dish/dessert he could make: fruit cocktail with marshmallows. 🙂

I know, not exactly your normal Thanksgiving fare, but it was a dish my grandma often served with our meals when we visited when I was little, so I knew our family would be familiar with it.

Plus, all it requires is emptying a can of fruit cocktail into a bowl and stirring in miniature marshmallows. Elijah could totally do that. I opened the cans for him, let him dump it into a bowl, and had him stir as I poured in the marshmallows. Then he put it into the refrigerator until it was time to leave.

He was so excited and proud of himself for “making” something for the day. He carefully carried his creation to and from the car and into my parents’ house.

When it was time to eat, he made sure that everyone knew that he had made the fruit cocktail. 🙂

And they made sure to compliment him on his tasty dish, especially my grandma, who knew exactly where the “recipe” came from.

The following year, I completely forgot about it, but as we got closer to Thanksgiving, Elijah asked me if he could make “his” fruit cocktail again.

And so, it’s now “his” fruit cocktail.

And for him, it’s a special concoction for special occasions. His memories of it are predominantly found in our holiday meals, so to him, it IS Thanksgiving fare.

In talking about Turkey Day this year, he was listing all the things he loves about the day, and he put making fruit cocktail right up there with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (one of our other big traditions here) and ALL. THE. PIES.

I had no idea that it was that important to him.

But it makes sense.

: Teaching Josiah how to make “his” fruit cocktail.

: Josiah, doing some quality control.

In a day where everyone is bringing something for the feast, what better way to be a big part of the day than to contribute to the table, too?

While for me it was simply a way to keep him busy, that small offering gave Elijah a deeper sense of belonging, allowing him to be an active part of the day, contributing to the celebration, and making something special for his family.

It’s no wonder he never forgets to make it every year. 🙂

With that in mind, if you’d like to give your younger ones a chance to bring something to your family’s festivities this Thanksgiving, I’ve scoured my recipes and those online for a few simple dish ideas your children can create for the holiday table.

(This post contains affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission when you purchase through the link.)

7 Simple Dishes Your Child Can Make for Thanksgiving

1. Fruit Cocktail: A can or two of fruit cocktail in 100% juice. (If using 2 or more cans, you can drain the liquid from all but one). Stir in at least a cup of miniature marshmallows. It’s really just to your preference. Chill in lidded bowl until ready to serve. It’s best if made a couple hours ahead so that the marshmallows soften just a touch. Too long, though (like a couple days), and they will start to dissolve.

2. 5 Cup Fruit Salad: If you want to be more adventurous than just one can of fruit with marshmallows, you can try this tasty dish here. Made of just a cup of each ingredient, it’s easy to put together!

3. Cranberry Sauce: If you’re using the stuff in a can, let the kids take charge of that one. 🙂

If you’re using fresh cranberries, kids like to mash stuff. 🙂 Or you could make it quickly and make Cranberry Sauce in the Instant Pot, but I doubt the kids can help too much beyond stirring there. (But I love my Instant Pot, and might try this recipe myself!)

4. Compound Butter: Most Thanksgiving menus include rolls, bread, or biscuits of some kind. Make it extra festive with some “fancy” butter.

You could take it even further and let your kids make the actual butter, too! Here are instructions for two different methods: In a Stand Mixer or in a Jar

5. Rice Krispie Treats: Cereal, butter, marshmallows. This one’s easy. And if you’re worried about the stove, melt the marshmallows in the microwave.

Want to make it more festive? Try these adorable Turkey Rice Krispie Treats or make it chocolatey (never a bad thing!) with this Oreo-based recipe.

6. Cheeseball: While there are lots of variations for this classic appetizer, they all tend to be simple to put together. Here’s a tasty looking Bacon Ranch Cheeseball that your kids could assemble with only a *little* mess 😉

7. Turkey Veggie Tray: With a little help or supervision with the cutting part, I know my boys would have fun assembling a fun veggie tray for the day.

BONUS RECIPE IDEA: Sweet Corn Spoonbread (also known as Corn Bake): Yes, this involves the oven. But hear me out. This is a simple dump-it-all-in-and-mix-it-up recipe. Kids are good at pouring stuff into the bowl (and many are good at missing…I know). With a little adult help with melting the butter, opening cans, and using the oven, your slightly-older kids can handle this one and have the joy of taking one of the “big dishes.”

Of course, you can include your children in numerous areas of the meal prep, even if they can’t make an entire dish all by themselves. Letting them have a part in creating the meal, which is kind of the centerpiece of Thanksgiving Day, will give them a sense of accomplishment, purpose, and pride, while creating new family traditions and memories to last a lifetime.

That’s something to always be thankful for, right? 😉

WHAT DISH DOES YOUR CHILD LIKE TO MAKE or HELP MAKE?

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How to Find Your Quiet Moments When Life Is LOUD

November 10, 2017

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How to Find Your Quiet Moments When Life Is LOUD - Life in Lape Haven. As moms, we all have days when the demands are constant, the noise is incessant, and all we need is a quiet moment to focus. Where are they hidden throughout your day?

I’m sitting here on the couch, enjoying one of those very rare moments when my house is quiet in the middle of the day. Sure there is the white noise of the baby monitor close by, the whir of the washer in the other room, the click of my keyboard keys as I type, and the hum as the furnace decides it’s ready to chase away a bit of the fall chill in the house. But other than that – it’s still and quiet.

Our little guy is upstairs napping, our oldest son is at school, and my husband took our middlest to the store with him.

It’s just me and silence.

This is that golden silence that every mother needs on occasion. The calm hush we long for when our kids are bickering, the baby is squalling, the dog is barking, and the oven timer is going off to remind us to hurry along before we burn dinner.

It’s that elusive peace that we are willing to stay up *just* a bit longer for after the kids are put to bed, even when we’re dead-on-our-feet exhausted.

It’s what we need to catch our breath and refresh our souls, and then even when we manage to find it, it’s fleeting.

Like now. Little man is waking up from a shorter-than-he-and-I needed nap.

SEVEN HOURS LATER…

So, that was a nice 15 minutes of quiet earlier today. 🙂

(This post contains affiliate links which mean at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission when you use the links. You can see my disclosure statement for more.)

I know you understand those days, moms (and dads). And I know we all also have those days where even 15 minutes of quiet is nowhere to be found.

A lot of my days feel like THAT: days where the demands are constant, the noise incessant (even just when the kids are nicely playing, it can be…energetic), and I feel unfocused, scattered, or overwhelmed. Those loud days can be difficult parenting days.

It’s hard to “mom” well when you can’t even hear yourself think.

However, lately God has shown me that there ARE moments throughout my day that, while not perfectly calm and still, are moments where I could enjoy a pause or get mentally organized or just talk to Him.

But every time I get a moment to myself, whether I’m doing dishes while the boys play upstairs, folding clothes after bedtime, driving home with two boys asleep in the car, or even when I’m getting my makeup on or taking a shower – I’ve been filling up those moments with distractions.

And it’s not always Facebook. 🙂

In fact, usually I’m trying to be overly-productive.

I can listen to a podcast or watch a webinar while I’m making dinner or just cleaning up the kitchen.

Having the Kindle app on my phone means that I can read a book while brushing my teeth or drying my hair.

Amazon.com – Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices

Or maybe I’m listening to music as I sort clothes in the laundry room.

And of course, when my boys are otherwise occupied, finally getting to watch something on TV besides Paw Patrol, Wild Kratts, or Tumble Leaf (an Amazon series) is kind of appealing for my clothes-folding or dusting in the living room.

But my multitasking has also been over-tasking my focus and leaving me feeling disconnected from myself and from God.

By filling up all my possible quiet moments, I have been taking away my chance to pause and ponder – like finding the root of recent disciplinary issues with my boys, thinking through blog post ideas that I wanted to write, planning ahead for upcoming family events, or most importantly, praying or meditating on God’s Word and giving Him space to whisper direction, correction, or vision to my heart. (Nothing will renew your strength for the day better than finding time in God’s presence – even if it’s only a few seconds.)

So, I’ve started appreciating those short blips of calm that I find in my days and using them more wisely – by just letting them be truly quiet moments (or maybe “quiet-ish” moments – as quiet as they can be with life still going on around me.)

I turn off the noise that I can, leave my phone alone, and I think, pray, and listen.

Once again, I feel focused, capable, and in control. I’m better able to handle the ever-present “busy” of my kids and the many demands of being a mom, wife, and homemaker.

I’m not saying that when you have a spare moment of your own that you can’t watch TV, listen to music, catch up on your favorite blogger’s posts 😉 or read a book. We need that time, too.

(In fact, we love our Amazon Prime membership because of all the shows, movies, music, and e-books we get in addition to our free 2-day shipping 🙂 – Join Amazon Prime – Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime – Start Free Trial Now)

However, if you are filling EVERY spare moment with your own distractions, you will eventually feel the loss of the peace and preparedness that comes in the quiet.

So, if like me, you’ve felt out of sorts and need to recharge or refocus, look for those little moments where, instead of filling them up, you can pause to appreciate the quiet and let God refill you.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR QUIET MOMENTS DURING THE DAY?

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A Fun Way to Teach Your Children About God’s Great Commission

October 13, 2017

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A Fun Way to Teach Your Children About God's Great Commission: A Review of The Whole World Needs Jesus by Ann Dunagan. This delightful children's book is full of whimsical illustrations and a message encouraging kids to share Jesus's love with everyone.

I was ten-years-old when God first sparked a heart for a mission trip in me. While I knew that we needed to share the gospel with others all over the world, being a missionary, in my young mind, was only for someone who spent their life preaching in a remote village somewhere.

I didn’t know you could do short-term missions until a group of teenagers with Teen Mania visited our church. They ministered with a drama and gave testimonies of what God had done on their recent one-month mission trip.

From the moment I heard them sharing their experiences, I knew that one day, I would be going somewhere on a mission trip, too. In fact, I began looking forward to turning 16, not so that I could drive, but because that was how old I had to be to go with Teen Mania on a trip.

As it turned out, I waited 7 years for that dream’s fulfillment, but it was worth it. My senior year in high school, my youth pastor announced that our youth group would be going with Teen Mania to Mexico that summer. Everyone knew that this was “my” trip.

While God didn’t call me to be a full-time missionary, those weeks in Mexico deepened the passion I already had for ministering in my own city and gave me a better understanding of how to pray for and support those serving around the world as missionaries. It also gave me the desire to go on more short-term missions at some point.

Elijah’s heart for the world started even earlier than mine. His was spurred on by a number of things, including a special offering project during his first year at vacation Bible school, Mommy sharing videos with him of how people in other countries live, and by being surrounded by mission-minded family members. (Both my dad and Brad’s dad have been on multiple mission trips each, and Brad has been on several trips himself. I’m actually the least traveled of our family “missionaries,” although Brad and I would like to go on a trip together and eventually take our boys, too.)

However, even when we aren’t flying out of the country, our family is still passionate about reaching the world with the love of Jesus.

So when I saw Ann Dunagan’s posts about her children’s book, The Whole World Needs Jesus, I knew it was a book I wanted to read with our boys. When she requested volunteers to review the book, I signed up as soon as I could. (So, yes, I received a copy of the book for free, but as always, all opinions are my honest thoughts.)

In case you aren’t familiar with Ann and her family’s ministry, she and her husband, Jon, founded Harvest Ministry in 1987, and they have traveled with their family and shared the love of Jesus in about 100 countries and on every continent, starting new churches and caring for orphans.

As parents of 7 children and now grandparents as well, part of the Dunagans’ ministry is encouraging Christian families to become strategic for God’s Great Commission, and they offer mission-minded books and resources for families on their website, MissionMindedFamilies.org.

The Whole World Needs Jesus is Ann’s newest book, an adorable hardcover children’s story with a fun rhyming style; engaging, colorful illustrations (drawn by the Dunagans’ daughter, Caela); and most importantly, a message that focuses on fulfilling the Great Commission no matter where we are, how old we are, or how different the people are to whom God sends us.

As a Christian mom and a children’s church teacher, I’ve read my fair share of children’s books over the years. And while there are some books that you read to your kids just because they like them, this book definitely falls into the category of “books you ALL actually enjoy reading together.”

The first time my boys read it, I had my 7-year-old read it out loud, so I could have the fun of watching their expressions as they heard the story and reacted to it (especially the surprising or funny parts) and delighted in exploring all the drawings.

: This book is perfect to young readers.

: Reacting to the different foods people eat around the world.

: The gospel is the heart of this adorable book.

: Bright, whimsical, engaging pictures get my 4-year-old’s attention.

And since this IS a children’s book, I wanted to get my kids’ thoughts on it, so we read it a few more times over the next couple of weeks before I asked them for their opinions.

Here’s what they had to say:

Elijah (7): “I like the illustrations because they are funny. The book tells you that you need to tell people about God. That everyone needs to know about Jesus. People have sinned, and we need to share that Jesus loves you.”

Josiah (4): “I like it because it tells Jesus around the whole world. I like it because they get them to listen to good stuff. They tell people who live in igloos and shacks.”

Kishona (n/a) 😉 : “One of the main themes in the book is that no matter how different someone is from us (where they live, what they look like, what they live in, what they eat, what language they speak, or how old they are) – God loves them and has given us a part to play in letting them know that. My boys were giggling over the different foods suggested, but they were also fascinated at this tiny glimpse into the different cultures and peoples around the world. That’s a great conversation starter and an opportunity to talk about compassion and thinking of others, as well as being grateful for all that we often take for granted in our own country.

The book also reminds the children that every believer has a job to do to reach the lost, whether it’s actually ‘taking the Good News to all those far away’ or being among those ‘who will help, who will give, who will kneel down and pray.’”

It’s so important that we instill into the next generation the very foundational Biblical call to share the gospel with everyone they can, fulfilling God’s Great Commission – whether it’s kids in their school or someone on the other side of the globe – and this book is a wonderful, engaging, and memorable tool to help us do that.

If you would like to get your own copy of The Whole World Needs Jesus, you can visit Ann’s site, MissionMindedFamilies.org. (This would be a great Christmas gift for your kids or grandkids or as a donation to your church’s children’s ministry).

**I’m also very pleased to offer a copy of The Whole World Needs Jesus for one of my readers via my giveaway below!** (I’m keeping our copy, though. Haha!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for entering! This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only and runs from Friday, October 13 (12:00 a.m.) through Thursday, October 19, 2017, at 11:59pm EST (I know, specific.). The winner will be notified by email within 48 hours of the contest ending. Winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected.

10 Homemade Family Costume Ideas & How We Made Them

October 2, 2017

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10 Homemade Family Costume Ideas & How We Made Them - Life in Lape Haven. Our family has done theme birthday parties and dress up a lot in the last 5 years. Here are ten fairly easy, inexpensive, and fun family theme costumes for parents and children.

I know I’ve mentioned a few times in the past how much our family likes doing costumes (see Elijah & the Ninja Skills, for example).

My boys love playing dress up on any given day, which is why they have a costume box in their room and why I have face paints in the bathroom (I’ve done quite a few spontaneous face painting sessions with them “just because”). But they especially like costumes for birthday parties and our church’s annual Fall Fun Fest, and they LOVE it when we all dress up with a family theme.

In looking for a fresh idea for this year’s family costume for the Fall Fun Fest, I began to think about all the different ways we’ve dressed up with our boys in the last 5 years (we didn’t really do much as a family until Elijah caught the “costume birthday bug” from his cousins’ party when he was 2).

So far our family has done 10 different costume themes…in 5 years. 🙂

Before we had kids, I had my own stash of costume items from years of teaching children’s church (we did a costume day to match our lesson theme at the end of every unit), working with youth groups (one group had 4 theme nights one year, complete with costumes), and of course, Christmas plays and drama skits, so I’m usually pretty prepared for almost any character I need.

Now that stash has expanded quite a bit to include costumes for all my guys.

And lest you think that we spend a fortune on our fun, let me reassure you – we do this as inexpensively as possible. Most of our outfits are pieced together from what we have on-hand, then supplemented with thrift store finds, Dollar Store deals, and LOTS of creativity. (Again, I save everything we use so that we can repurpose it down the road.)

Since I know that this time of a year is kind of the peak of costume season (my own search started this post, after all), I thought perhaps you all would like to see our repertoire of family costumes in case you need some ideas for your own.

PIRATES

Elijah’s life would never be the same once he learned that you could have costumes at a birthday party.

Little Pirate: For Elijah, I took a white t-shirt and black pants and cut them jagged on the edges. On the shirt, I cut a slit at the neck then added a few holes to thread a strip of red rawhide through it. A black vest, bare feet, a red polka-dotted tie for his bandana, and a lucky find of a pirate hat, then all he needed was a parrot.

Lady Pirate: One of my most fun pieces in my stash is that crazy multi-color satiny skirt. It makes a great pirate skirt, and with all those layers, you can definitely hide a dagger in those granny boots. I added a ruffled white shirt, some dangly jewelry, a silky bandana, a few braids, and a colorful belt.

Captain Hook: The most elaborate of the costumes was Brad’s, but again, it was mostly thrift store stuff, including the Jack Sparrow wig and Captain Hook hat (both awesome finds!). For his lacy cuffs and cravat, I used the trim off a set of old curtains, and stitched the trim onto sock ends for his arms and a strip of fabric to tie around his neck. His hook was made using a pop bottle bottom, a black sock, and a Dollar Store toy hook.

PEANUTS

As a HUGE fan of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts, no other party theme would do for our 3-year-old Elijah, whose one real request was that everyone come in costume.

Sally: I actually had a “Lucy” style blue dress and wig in my stash thanks to a recent Charlie Brown Christmas play at church, but as I was nursing 3-month-old Josiah and still losing pregnancy weight, that dress didn’t fit. Thankfully, I found a workable pink dress at the thrift store to add black dots to so that I could be “Sally.” I added some pink shorts for bloomers and wore black flats since I didn’t have any saddle shoes.

Snoopy: Brad’s costume is courtesy of my mom’s genius: a white t-shirt with a black “spot” on the back, white sweatpants with a tail added, a white hat with black felt ears, and a nose made from a pop bottle covered in white fabric.

Woodstock: Our little “Woodstock” came together with a yellow onesie, some yellows feathers on fabric, yellow feathers on a hair clip, and a touch of orange makeup on his nose.

Elijah also used his “Charlie Brown” t-shirt later that year for our church’s fall fest. By then Josiah had outgrown his Woodstock, so we put a red striped shirt on him and let him carry his blanket. Boom! “Linus”!

Two fall fest’s later, we all wore our Peanuts outfits for the church’s event.

NEWSIES/TURN OF THE CENTURY

For Josiah’s first birthday, I wanted a costume idea that he would tolerate (since he wasn’t as into costumes as much as Elijah yet), so we did a Newsies party. Little boys in suspenders, knickers, and caps = adorable!

: Our little newsies

: My complete outfit

Boys: The caps had to be ordered, but the knickers were just cut off pants with buttons added at the knees. Their suspenders were blue elastic pinned on the front and back of their pants.

Me: The hardest part of my costume was my hair – I could have used a lady’s maid. Long black skirt, puffy white shirt (something my mother-in-law found), a pretty pin from my grandma used as a broach at my throat, and an apron.

Brad: Cap and suspenders from the…yep, thrift store.

CIRCUS

Elijah’s 4^th birthday party theme was “Circus” because we knew it provided fun decorations and lots of different costume options for our family and friends. Also, my dad used to be a professional clown, so we knew we’d have an awesome clown (or 2) at the party.

Clown: My mom did Elijah’s makeup since my dad has the real clown make up. His costume was again a mix and match of his closet and the thrift store. Recognize those suspenders from his Newsie outfit? His hat and silver honking horn were from the Dollar Store. And that face in this picture? I don’t know, but it made him look like a creepy clown rather than the sweet cute clown he was!

Ringmaster: All I needed was a top hat from the discount store and a red jacket from the thrift store. Ruffley white shirt, black pants, black knee boots.

Lion Tamer: Josiah had a cute little overall set with safari animals on it and a khaki sun hat. We called our big Labradoodle, Vinny, his lion.

Human Cannonball: Brad’s old paintball pants, a motorcycle helmet from his dad, and a black long-sleeved t-shirt striped with reflective duct tape. Yep.

**Oh, and PARTY BACKDROP TIP** Grab a few plastic tablecloths from the Dollar Store in the colors of your party theme. Make a “hem” on one end of each tablecloth by folding it over and taping it. Slip a rope through and hang it. It worked really well for my circus tent.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Having enjoyed his birthday costumes so much, Elijah had a very ambitious idea for what he wanted to be for our church’s next Fall Fun Fest: The Tinman.

This one took some research for the face paint, but it was really fun to do. And when I found a lion costume at the thrift store for Josiah, it was perfect! Brad and I weren’t actually going to dress up, but the afternoon of the event, I decided it would be fun. That scarecrow and very minimalistic Dorothy came together in about 2 hours. Haha.

: Tinman and His Heart

: Cowardly Lion with His Medal for Courage

Tinman: The face paint really makes this character, so I watched a couple of YouTube videos to plan it out, and we tested it a few days ahead of time. (I just used a cheap eye shadow palette with lots of grays, silvers, and blues at the Dollar Store.) His chest piece is a puffy winter vest spray painted silver.

Lion: Again, face paint makes it so much better, and again I used cheap makeup and YouTube videos. Haha.

Scarecrow: Since this was thrown together quickly, I used what we had: a flannel shirt, scrap fabric for patches, embroidery floss for the patch stitches, and a few makeup accents. The straw-like fringe at his neck and cuffs came from a pair of tan socks that I could spare.

Dorothy: The only thing I didn’t have was red shoes, so I spray painted a cheap pair of white tennis shoes with red, then added glitter. They did get a little stiff from the paint, but it was only for the evening, so I survived.

NURSERY RHYME CHARACTERS

It can be tricky to find costume-friendly party themes for little ones, but the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes for Josiah’s 2^nd birthday was perfect.

: Little Boy Blue blowing his horn

: Humpty Dumpty on the wall

Jack & Jill: Brad and I just had to look as though we’d fallen down the hill, so we cut some tears in our thrift store pieces, then added some “dirt,” some bandages, and a pail for our water.

Little Boy Blue: Overalls, straw hat, horn, and a sheep. Done.

Humpty Dumpty: This may be one of my favorite costumes ever (along with the Tinman). Again, face makeup helped. The egg was cut out of white foam board, and then I glue straps on the back so Elijah could wear it. I stuffed a small pair of tights and added some of Josiah’s baby shoes to make Humpty’s legs, and Elijah wore those around his waist. For Elijah’s brick wall pants, I used a sponge to paint bricks onto a pair of red pants. So fun.

SUPER HEROES

Elijah’s 5^th birthday wasn’t your typical Super Hero birthday. Nope. Elijah specifically asked that it not be any KNOWN super heroes. He wanted to make up his own and have everyone else come as original super heroes, too. (I love my creative boy!)

Aaaand I blinked! Super.

: Star Power Kid & Line Power Guy

: Brad as the villain getting silly-stringed at the party.

Line Power Guy: Elijah came up with his character, named him, and helped me design Line Power Guy’s logo – the lightning bolt with a line. I used adhesive-backed felt to create the insignia and stuck it to one of Elijah’s athletic shirts. His used his gray gloves from Humpty Dumpty, a belt from Mommy, his snow boots, and my mom and I had made the capes several years before. Add a cheap mask, and you’re done.

Star Power Kid: Line Power Guy’s sidekick (Josiah) had felt insignia like Elijah. I just stuck his to a pair of his pajamas.

While my costume was easy and I got to be a good guy, we had a little fun and made Brad our villain. Using those paintball pants and that once-duct-tape-striped black t-shirt, we added some of his random paintball gear and a water gun.

KING, QUEEN, & KNIGHTS

My nephews who started us off with the pirate party once again had a costume birthday that year, only my boys didn’t decide until the day before that they wanted to do a NEW costume idea for the gathering.

Can you believe our royal family was put together in less than 24 hours?

: My quick picture at home. Josiah was excited!

: Elijah took his role very seriously.

: My noble protectors.

Knights: I found a table runner at the thrift store for the boys’ tunics. I cut it in half, then folded each length in half and added a hole for their head. With gray or black turtle necks and dark pants underneath, the tunics were belted with rawhide string. For their armor, I bought generic Storm Trooper pieces from the Dollar Store, cut off the bottom of the mask to make it a helmet, got out the gray spray paint, and strapped them on. And the snow boots came back into play for their feet.

Queen: I had that awesome gown hanging in my closet, so all I had to add was some clearance jewelry from Walmart (including my dangly headpiece – it’s a necklace!)

King: We recycled the shirt, lacy collar and cuffs, and knicker-pants and stockings from Captain Hook, but changed out the robes and added a spray painted headband for a simple crown. (Hey, I only had so much time!)

STAR WARS

A Star Wars party was inevitable for our household, and Josiah claimed it first.

Luke Skywalker: Josiah wore an adult-sized tan hoodie as his robe, a cream color shirt/tunic, and tan pants with his white socks pulled up over them (Luke wears some kind of tall boot thing). Bubble wand sticks make easy light sabers.

Finn: Found this costume on clearance at Kohl’s and snatched it up. Easiest costume of the day.

Leia: I went with Princess Leia when she was on Hoth because the long white dress that we all usually think of was way NOT practical for a mom hosting a 3-year-olds birthday party. So, we went white turtle neck, white pants, white puffy vest, grey snow boots, braided hair, and a Dollar Store blaster gun. Pew- pew!

Han Solo: Of course Brad had to be the Han to my Leia, so I found a black vest that looked more utilitarian, a cream color shirt, put a red-tape stripe down his jean legs, and made a cardboard belt buckle.

Chewbacca: Even our dog Vinny got to dress up. I was looking for a way to make a gun belt for him when I noticed that some shelf liner that we had had an interesting texture to it. I looped it over and pinned it together in a circle. He loved it. Hahahaha.

Since I was too pregnant to be Princess Leia from Hoth by the time the fall festival came around, I switched up my costume a tad. I found this silly “That’s No Moon” Star Wars Maternity t-shirt, and my boys stayed with their original costumes.

This is the only family picture we got that night.

PJ MASKS

Our most recent costume party was Josiah’s PJ Masks birthday. He was super excited to be CatBoy.

CatBoy: We found his mask on Etsy, and it was adorable and the same price as a hard plastic one from the stores. For his costume, he had a pair of pajamas from Christmas that you can draw on, so I drew the CatBoy emblem and a few stripes.

Gekko: For Elijah’s Gekko costume, I used felt and some spray adhesive for the logo, and then we added some green spray to his hair.

Owlette: Hello, red cape! You’ve been around a while. 🙂 I also used my red super hero mask and glued it to a red feather mask I’ve had forever.

Romeo: Brad got to be our villain again, and the boys thought it was especially fitting since Daddy already had the streaks of gray in his hair like the cartoon bad guy. We purchased a lab coat (that Brad later used at our Maker Fun Factory VBS), and I pulled some cleaning gloves out from under the kitchen sink.

Ninjalino: Since Isaiah was so tiny, Josiah decided that he should be one of the small Ninjalinos that work with the Night Ninja. Thankfully, we had a long-sleeve romper with a hoodie with some navy blue on it.

So, there you go. Ten costume themes from our family in the last 5 years.

UPDATE

Here’s what we decided for our Fall Fun Fest theme. We actually opted to take part in the Trunk or Treat this year, so of course, our costumes had to match. Our theme was Peter Pan, with our vehicle being transformed into Captain Hook’s pirate ship. With the help of my mom, we created a boat end out of cardboard boxes, with a PVC pipe mast with plastic tablecloths as our sails.

: Our family as our “Peter Pan” characters.

: Our pirate ship trunk.

: Captain Hook & Smee

: Tiger Lily; Wendy, Michael, & John Darling, Peter Pan, & Captain Hook

Our cast of characters included:

Captain Hook: Recycled from our pirate party costumes

Peter Pan: A large green t-shirt cut jagged, with the neckline adjusted a bit became an easy tunic, which we paired with some green leggings (surprisingly hard to find when we wanted them). I picked up a pair of brown ankle boots at the thrift store, and we used felt and feathers to make his hat.

Wendy Darling: All of the Darling children are pretty simple costumes since they headed to Neverland in their pajamas! I found a blue nightgown at the thrift store, but added a blue robe and some white leggings to the ensemble because October in Ohio can be cold. And it was cold the night of our church event. A simple blue bow on my ponytail, and some black flats as slippers, and I was done.

John Darling: Josiah was so proud of his top hat and glasses! I ordered his hat online, and we found a pair of cheap black sunglasses at the Dollar Store and popped out the lenses. I put him in a large white button down to mimic an old-fashioned nightshirt (with some pants underneath) and picked up a robe for him at the thrift store. And he was adorable!

Michael Darling: This was the easiest costume of all! Isaiah in some footie pajamas with a blanket and teddy bear.

Tiger Lily & Smee: My mom made these costumes for my dad and herself, with lots of creativity and a little more sewing (especially the fringe on hers).

So now to plan for next year…

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Tried It Tuesday: How to Dye Dry Pasta

September 12, 2017

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Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Dye Dry Pasta. Colored pasta noodles are great for kids' crafts, art projects, and sensory bins. Here is how I dyed dry pasta using food coloring for our vacation Bible school Maker Fun Factory and the tips I learned through the experience.

This year our church’s Vacation Bible School was one of my favorite themes ever.

“Maker Fun Factory” was a very hands-on curriculum all about how we’ve been “created by God and built for a purpose.” Throughout the week, the kids were encouraged to be creative and inventive as they learned Bible points and stories focused on knowing God has a plan for each of us.

As a member of the VBS Preschool Team, I helped in the planning and preparations, and in the process I got to try out something I’ve wanted to do with my boys for a while: DYING DRY PASTA.

(And I got to try it out thoroughly as I dyed 6 boxes worth of pasta! :))

This dyed pasta was used for crafts, such as bracelets and picture frames and robot decorations, but you can also use the pasta for fun sensory bins or boxes, too. And while we only needed wheel-shapes that mimicked gears for our Maker Fun Factory theme, you can dye any size or shape of pasta that you want, all with this same simple technique.

Having never dyed pasta before I volunteered to do it, I had to get my Pinterest research on, and then make sure that I didn’t mess it up.

What I found was that there are lots of pins about dying pasta, but not many of them give you very specific details on how to do it. So, as I was undertaking this task, I made sure to get the details for you. (You’re welcome.)

HOW TO DYE DRY PASTA

What You Need:

Pasta – As I mentioned, you can use any type, size, or shape of pasta. Larger pasta noodles might require a little more liquid & coloring, though.

Food Coloring – For ours, I did 9 (yes, 9) different colors. We had a rainbow of options. I used your standard food colorings of red, yellow, blue, and green, in addition to the neon options of bright pink, purple, teal, and neon green. Then I also combined red & yellow for a fun orange.

Distilled Vinegar – You can also use Rubbing Alcohol, but since little kids like to put things in their mouths, I went with vinegar.

Plastic zip-top bags – Since I was going to be making so many batches of pasta, I designated a bag for each color. If you are only doing a few, you could try to use one bag for similar colors (For example, do yellow, then orange).

Baking sheets or trays – You’ll need to let the pasta dry after you dye it, so make sure you have enough trays ready to spread out the pasta.

Parchment paper or wax paper (optional) – You can line your baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. This just helps with clean up and transferring the dried, dyed pasta into storage bags.

What You Do:

: Using the napkin holder to hold my zip-top bag.

: Vinegar & food coloring added.

: Measured out pasta.

: Mixing, shaking, smooshing to coat the noodles.

: Letting the color set.

: Laying out the pieces to dry.

1. Mix Up Your Coloring.

Put 2 Tbsp. of Vinegar into you zip-top bag. *TIP: I used our napkin holder to support the bag so it was easier to add each item.

Add in at least 10 drops of your color. I found that for a brighter color, especially with the darker shades, I used up to 30-40 drops. (If I used 30 drops or more of color, I also used an additional tablespoon of vinegar to help get the pasta covered well.)

2. Add Your Pasta

I used 2 cups of pasta for each color. Pour that in on top of your coloring in the bag.

3. Mix It All Together

Seal up the bag, making sure to get most of the air out of it. Then shake, squish (lightly), and massage pasta in the bag to thoroughly coat it in the color. This can take a little while, especially if your pasta has some nooks and crannies. This is a great job to allow your little helpers to do.

4. Let It Set

Lay out the bag of pasta as flat as possible, and let it set for about 10 minutes or so. Be careful of letting it set TOO LONG – pasta sitting in liquid will start to get gummy and soft after a while. Flip it over a time or two during that time so that the liquid isn’t just on one part of the pasta.

5. Dry It Out

Carefully pour your pasta out onto the parchment –lined baking sheet(s), spreading it out into one layer. This part can take some time, as you want to avoid having the pasta pieces touching. Then set the baking sheets up and out of the way or outside to dry. Depending on how warm or humid the day is, your pasta should dry within 20-30 minutes. Give the trays a little shake every so often to help keep the pasta from sticking to the paper. *CAUTION: Beware of curious pets eating your pasta if you have it where they can get to it…such as outside on the ground. I speak from experience and from having lost half of my blue and pink pasta batches to a curious Labradoodle.

6. Store It /Use It

Once it is COMPLETELY dry, you can transfer the pasta to a zip-top bag or a lidded container until you are ready to use it. Store it somewhere cool and dry. (One of the ladies at church stored some in her car for a few hours…in the middle of summer…and it got really soft and squishy.)

: Purple drying

: My slightly reduced batches of turquoise & pink…thanks, Vinny.

: Neon green drying.

: All the colors!

Need ideas for what to do with your pretty dyed pasta? Honestly, your kids will probably come up with some amazing ideas on their own, but if you need a place to start, here are some fun pasta projects:

Make jewelry by stringing pasta together .
Create artwork by gluing pieces onto paper or paper plates (check out these LIONS & these FISH).
Dump it all into a fun sensory bin & use a variety of pastas for different textures & shapes (More on sensory bins)
Make pasta sculptures.
Create beautiful mosaics with pasta & clay.
Slide together one of these wiggly pasta snakes.

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE WITH YOUR DYED PASTA?

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Author - Kishona

A Mom’s Review of The Star : The Story of the First Christmas

My family and I saw the new Christmas movie, The Star: The Story of the First Christmas, on opening weekend. Here are my thoughts about it in case you’ve been wondering whether or not to take your children to see it.

“Just because God has a plan, doesn’t mean it’s not going to be hard.”

THINGS THAT I LOVED ABOUT THE STAR:

THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE MOVIE:

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7 Simple Dishes Your Child Can Make for Thanksgiving

7 Simple Dishes Your Child Can Make for Thanksgiving

WHAT DISH DOES YOUR CHILD LIKE TO MAKE or HELP MAKE?

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How to Find Your Quiet Moments When Life Is LOUD

SEVEN HOURS LATER…

So, that was a nice 15 minutes of quiet earlier today. 🙂

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR QUIET MOMENTS DURING THE DAY?

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A Fun Way to Teach Your Children About God’s Great Commission

Here’s what they had to say:

I’m also very pleased to offer a copy of The Whole World Needs Jesus for one of my readers via my giveaway below! (I’m keeping our copy, though. Haha!)

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10 Homemade Family Costume Ideas & How We Made Them

So far our family has done 10 different costume themes…in 5 years. 🙂

PIRATES

PEANUTS

NEWSIES/TURN OF THE CENTURY

CIRCUS

THE WIZARD OF OZ

NURSERY RHYME CHARACTERS

SUPER HEROES

KING, QUEEN, & KNIGHTS

STAR WARS

PJ MASKS

So, there you go. Ten costume themes from our family in the last 5 years.

UPDATE

So now to plan for next year…

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Tried It Tuesday: How to Dye Dry Pasta

HOW TO DYE DRY PASTA

What You Need:

What You Do:

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE WITH YOUR DYED PASTA?

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

**I’m also very pleased to offer a copy of The Whole World Needs Jesus for one of my readers via my giveaway below!** (I’m keeping our copy, though. Haha!)