Getting fresh air during this time is a must! We have a pool which the kids have been using daily but here in Florida we already have summer weather so it’s super warm out. Thankfully we have large shaded trees in our front and back yard that we are utilizing the shade to do activities underneath them without sweating half to death! 

Hands down, sidewalk chalk mosaics has been my kid’s favorite thing. It is easy, colorful, and fun to look at! Incredibly even with rain and our sprinklers on it has held up for a week! When people go for walks they are able to enjoy my kid’s creation which makes my kids happy! 

Materials needed

If your state is still on quarantine lockdown and you do not have the materials at home do not fret because you can find them easily on-line. 

Colored chalk

Painters tape

First, decide where you want to make your mosaic art at, on the sidewalk, driveaway, etc. Then plan on how you want your mosaics. We opted for the sidewalk because it has lines separating each cemented area. Decide if you want squares, triangles, etc. Next, use the painter’s tape and start taping down how you want your shapes on the area you are making the masterpiece at. 

Once all of the painter’s tape is down then start using different colored chalk and fill in these areas that are open. Make sure that the area is fully colored even up to the tape.  My kids got really creative, they did some patterns in some of the areas instead of using solid colors. Finally when everything is colored then pull off all of the painter’s tape. This is the exciting part to see the completed project. Now your kids have transformed a super cool piece of artwork that everyone can enjoy and there is no mess to clean up inside your house! 

What fun art have you made with your kids lately outside? 

This article may contain affiliate links. Feel free to see Mama to 6 Blessings Disclosure Policy if you have any questions. 

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Our alternative is the day before Easter is to drive down to my parents and visit through the window.  I am going to make them homemade bread, the kids made them cards and we made them the craft I am about to show you. My mom will leave their Easter baskets outside for them. Then we will come back home.

What mom or grandparent does not like a footprint or handprint crafts from their children or grandchildren? I have several of them from my children from over the years. They are special to me, at times I pull them out and show the kids.  They get a kick out of putting their hands over their little handprints from years earlier to see how much they have grown but honestly, it breaks my heart. Time goes by too fast! This bunny craft is definitely one that will be a special keepsake!

Thankfully I already had all the materials at home to make this craft. Since we are in quarantine I am trying to not leave the house unless it is essential like food shopping. If you do not have any of these items you could either substitute or purchase them on-line, no need to leave your home to purchase any of them.

Bunny craft materials

• Acrylic Paint ( I used a slate gray and white mixed together but you can choose any color you want your bunny to be, it may also depend on what color paper you use as well)
• Paint brush
• Paper (I have a huge roll of paper that I cut to my desired size but if you have one child you can use 8 1/2 x 11 paper, more than one child your paper may need to be larger)
• Sharpie Markers 
• Cotton balls
• Glue 
• Your kid’s feet

Gather all your materials. If you are mixing your paint colors together to get a specific color you mix them in a paint tray for easy clean-up. I sat on our tile floor for this project because if we spilled paint it would be easy to clean up. I also had a package of baby wipes nearby so that when I was done with each child’s foot we could clean up some of the paint off the bottom of their foot so they would not make too much of a mess on the way to the bathtub where they could wash off the rest of the paint.

I painted the bottom of my oldest’s left foot and firmly pressed it down on the paper. ** Make sure you leave room on the paper to draw the bunny ears and grass. We did our footprints too high on the paper which made for little room for the bunny ears. Then I continued this process of painting the bottoms of the left feet (so they are all going in the same direction) of each of my children by age so that the bunnies would go from big to small. Once the bunnies dried I used a gray Sharpie (which was the closest to the paint color) and drew bunny ears.  Next, I used various shades of green Sharpie Markers and make grass.  I also added their names next to each bunny. Then I placed a small amount of glue (just above the toes) and added a bit of cotton ball on the glue. ** I was able to get 3 cotton-tails out of 1 cotton ball.  The craft we made for my mom I added Some bunnies love you at the bottom of the paper and for the one I made for me I added Mama’s little bunnies.

What do you think? Hopefully,  grandma will love it! What handprint crafts have you made with your children lately?

Be sure to check out my other handprint and/or footprint kids crafts:

Baby chick handprint

Shamrock Handprints

Handprint Hearts

Turkey Handprints

Handprint Paper Plate Pumpkin 

Father’s Day Handprint Keepsake

Snowmen Footprints

This article may contain affiliate links. Feel free to see Mama to 6 Blessings Disclosure Policy if you have any questions. 

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Buying on-line is convenient but it can come with a risk.  Unfortunately people take advantage of those that shop on-line by stealing their packages once delivered at their front door. The media calls these thieves package pirates or porch pirates. These people prey on innocent people who have had packages delivered and left at their doorstep by stealing their packages. I do not know about you but this makes me furious! Thankfully I have not been a victim because I have taken these steps:

When you order on-line keep tabs on when you will approximately receive your delivery. Most times when you order the company you ordered from will e-mail you a tracking code and you can track when you will receive your delivery. In doing so you can possible adjust when you can be home so the package(s) do not sit at your doorstep unattended. 

If you are not going to be home possibly have your package delivered elsewhere. Maybe a place of employment, a relative or a neighbor who will be home. When ordering on-line there is typically an option to have your item(s) shipped to a different location then the bill to.

You can also have items shipped to store instead of having them delivered to your home. Most retailers consider this free shipping verses shipping it to your home where you maybe charged a shipping fee. 

You do not see it to often as an option when ordering on-line but most times there is a place to add comments or special instructions where you can make a note for a request for signature upon delivery.   

If you are going out of town the United States Postal Service will hold your mail and/or packages. You can simply go on-line or go directly to the post office and fill out the short form to put in for the dates you want your mail held and re-started. 

Install a security camera by your front door to give you a bird’s eye view of  any packages that are delivered.  My family went away for a week and even though I had our packages held with the post office other carriers delivered my packages. Hundreds of miles away from home I was able to keep watch of the packages by way of our front door camera system that were left at my doorstep. After I saw them left I was able to contact my neighbor to take them for me and hold them for me until I returned.

Talk to your neighbors. Make a pact with them that you will keep an eye out for them if they do the same for you. 

Have a designated area by your front door that your packages can be delivered where packages can be concealed once delivered. Things like a large potted plant or outside decor. 

What are some ways you are keeping your packages safe?

This article may contain affiliate links. Feel free to see Mama to 6 Blessings Disclosure Policy if you have any questions. 

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Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

3/4 cups softened salted butter 

1/4 tsp. salt (1  1/2 sticks)

1 large egg

a small pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cups of sugar

toppings for cookies

plastic wrap

I am all about not separating my ingredients and tossing everything in my mixer which makes life so much easier. Personally from any recipes, I have made separating ingredients (wet with wet, dry with dry) the flavors have always tasted the same to me.  First, the kids and I go through all our cookie cutters and pull out our favorites to use.  Then we pull out all of our ingredients out of the pantry and refrigerator as well as the measuring instruments.  With excited kids gathered around my kitchen counter we are ready to go! 

We measured out all our ingredients into the mixer: flour, salt, sugar, vanilla, and butter. Next, we added the remainder of the ingredients in the mixer. Then we rolled the dough into a large ball and wrapped it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for an hour. 

After the dough is chilled I sprinkled flour on the clean kitchen counters as well as giving my rolling pin a good coating of flour and rolled the dough out. using a rolling pin.  After the kids cut out the cookies using their favorite cookie cutters they placed the cookies on a baking pan. (To avoid broken cookies, I highly recommend using a silicone mat). NOTE: If your dough starts to fall apart roll it back into a ball and put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and then continue the process. Once all the cookies are on the baking pan the kids used different dye-free decorations which I bought at Aldi’s. Finally, bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. If you like your cookies a little more firmer bake for a few more minutes. 

When the cookies are done baking allow them to cool on a baking rack. Once the cookies are cooled it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! I know they are not beautiful or Pinterest perfect but the memories we created were perfect for me! They make a nice treat this time of the year or a nice gift for a loved one.

What are your favorite cookies to make with your children? 

This article may contain affiliate links. Feel free to see Mama to 6 Blessings Disclosure Policy if you have any questions. 

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I love reading to my younger children. Even more so during the holiday. All curled up on the couch together reading holiday books to get you into the holiday spirit! My favorite! My little one does not sit still for more than a few moments so the books I read to him have to grab his attention all while being short and sweet. 

I recently came across these two amazing books that he enjoys by Zonderkidz. The first book, Snuggle Time Fall Blessings. This adorable padded cover board book celebrates all the best parts of autumn together—pumpkin picking, colored leaves, hayrides, and more! Carving pumpkins. Fresh baked apple pie. Leaf piles. Featuring Glenys Nellist’s whimsical read-aloud rhymes and Cee Biscoe’s cuddly illustrations.

Let’s go apple picking,
Shake them from the tree.
Round and fat and juicy,
The big red one’s for me!

Snuggle Time Fall Blessings is available for purchase for approximately $9.50 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Christian Books or other fine book stores. 

The 2nd book my little one is enjoying is Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. This book is so precious. This book is full of sweet whimsy rhymes that make if  perfect for any young reader and their family.

Like the gardener thankful for every green sprout, and the fireman, for putting the fire out, readers are encouraged to be thankful for the many blessings they find in their lives. Spinelli exhibits her endearing storytelling with this engaging poem, reminding children how blessed and special they are. Meant to be read aloud, this heartwarming picture book will be a treasured keepsake for parents and children alike.

The gardener’s thankful for every green sprout.
The fireman, for putting the fire out.
The artist is thankful for color and light.
The clown for her costume silly and bright.

Thankful is available for purchase for approximately $9.00 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Christian Books or other fine book stores. 

I love that both of these books are faith based. Not only do they grab my little one’s attend with the brightly colored illustrations but they are short reads so that he does not loose interest. They are a great books to read this time of the year as they teach about thankfulness. Reading these books to my little ones will be our new Thanksgiving tradition. How about you, what are your favorite Thanksgiving books to read to your children? 

Mama to 6 Blessings wrote this post on Zonderkidz. This is not a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way.   Mama to 6 Blessings is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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While visiting, shop from the largest selection of Crayola products and discover one-of-a-kind souvenirs at the Crayola retail store. Pick your very own collection of Crayola crayons and markers from 99 of Crayola’s most popular colors. The retail store is open to the public daily; 365 days a year.

SAVE $4.00 Off General Admission – Purchase tickets online to SAVE $4 Off general admission to Crayola Experience Orlando. 

Mama to 6 Blessings wrote this post on behalf of Crayola Experience Soccer and US Family Guide. This is not a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way.   Mama to 6 Blessings is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Are you like I was? How can you stay out of debt? Here are quick tips on how to stay out of debt:

Always pay off higher interest rate debts before lower interest rate debt.  As mentioned the interest rate was high and sometimes it was as much as what I owed on my purchases.

Do not live beyond your means.  I know people who just buy, buy, buy to just have stuff.  When I make a purchase I think, “Do I need that”? Most of the times its no so I do not buy it.

Make sure you have a budget.  Consider all of your bills, leave money for emergencies and do not spend outside of your budget.  Example: If you paid off a car loan then set the monthly payment aside as if you were still making the payment so that when the time comes you have the cash available to pay for a new car and not to have to take a loan. Maybe open up a separate car fund bank account and place that money in your account that you would have used as the car payment.

As I mentioned I racked up a high debt on a credit card. The credit card had a high interest rate. I felt like I could not get my head above the water. So even though it took me awhile to pay it off I was able to transfer the amount from a high interest rate to a lower interest rate credit card.

When my husband and I met he had student loans.  It literally took us 11 years of our marriage to pay these loans off.  Hind sight is 20/20.  He says if he could have done it all over again he would have taken classes at the local college instead of a university because it was more expensive. His loans were a burden to us because financially we were trying to start our family.  So little by little we paid his loan off. When it was all said and done it was a huge relief.  Financially it does not have to be a burden because there are programs that can help students with their student loans.

Keel Associates can help you lower your interest rate on your credit card.  All you have to do is give them a call! Do not put it off any longer! What tips do you have to stay out of debt and keeping your finances in line?

 This is a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way. Mama to 6 Blessings is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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I think having these types of organizations is wonderful. It is important to get the word out on how beneficial breastfeeding is.  When I was pregnant with our 1st child over 14 years ago I planned on breastfeeding him but he was a big baby so not only did I breastfeed him but I had to supplement. When baby 2 came I was determined to only breastfeed. That determination paid off because after I was able to achieve nursing him consistently without supplementing I knew I could nurse all my babies after that.  Fast forwarding now to baby 6 I have been nursing for approximately 14 years! 

I do get quite a bit of grief from my family as well as strangers as to why am I still nursing my 3 year old.  Basically my thoughts are why do you care?  But in case you are wondering, he is our last unless God has other plans.  It is STILL a special bond that we share, he does not nurse all day long and why not – he is only 3! Do not judge me, please. 

Yes, it can be intimidating breastfeeding in public – I do not like people to stare and pass judgement.  Since he typically nurses a handful of times a day I try to breastfeed him at home to avoid the stares and whispers from passerby’s. 

Even the pediatrician disagreed about nursing my little one this long but ultimately I am the mom and knows what is best.  Studies have been done that the longer children are nursed, the more brain power they have.  Since my little one is a preemie, I want to set that solid foundation for him. 

Not only is breastfeeding beneficial for the babies health but it creates a special bond that only mom and baby share.  Why give that up if you do not have to.  It is perfectly fine for a child led weaning. In his own time he will stop so for now I enjoy sharing this season with him because once it’s gone that is it.

Society can have sick thoughts about breastfeeding.  It is NOT a sexual thing and I wish people would not look at it like that. I do use a nursing cover because I like to keep it private.  Some have suggested that mom’s nurse in the bathroom. Nope, not this mom, do you eat your meals in the bathroom? Gross!  Just so you know it is illegal for anyone to tell you that you are not able to breastfeeding your baby in public. I hear too often that businesses have asked women to stop or leave. No your rights. 

I will get off my soapbox now but I write this to share with you that I have had many obstacles in my breastfeeding journey.  From not producing enough milk, to sore and cracking breasts, babies having a hard time latching to weaning babies. It has not been easy.  Whether you are a mama to a new baby or an older baby do not give up if you are that nursing mama. You got this! 

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I have tried so many things to teach her how to read. Reading books, printed worksheets, games, expensive curriculum’s, etc. but honestly these things have not worked.  She gets frustrated and wants to stop.  Recently we came across Reading Eggs which is an online reading program that uses scientific research to help children learn to read in just weeks.  I figured what do I have to lose, let me give it a try!  

My daughter sat down in front of my laptop and we created her an account.  Not knowing really where her reading level, I had her take the on-line assessment test that Reading Eggs offers.  I am glad she took the assessment because I  had no idea how behind she really was.  The assessment graded her reading skills with tests that assess high-frequency sight word knowledge, phonic skills (letters and sounds) and content area vocabulary. 

Reading Eggs started her off at her current reading level.  She started with letter sounds and 3 letter words.  In doing so she played games, read short books and listened to songs.  During her first sitting in just an hour she went through 3 lessons! She did not want to stop!  When she completes each lesson she moves up to the a new lesson which are 40 long and eventually to another level.  Each lessons has has 15 quizzes, with 20 questions in each quiz. These are mastery quizzes, so a child only moves onto the next quiz after they get all 20 questions correct.

Reading Eggs is filled with colorful animations, entertaining characters, catchy songs, and exciting rewards.   Children will learn core skills which will turn them into a confident and fluent reader:

• phonics
• sight words
• phonemic awareness
• vocabulary
• reading fluency
• comprehension
• spelling
• grammar
• writing (hundreds of worksheets are included FREE with your subscription)

By the 2nd day she used Reading Eggs she was able to start forming 4 word sentences!  Plus her siblings were gathered around her wanting to play also! Each day she wakes up asking to get on Reading Eggs even before she has breakfast! This is a huge accomplishment and encouraging because we had hit a huge roadblock! Her favorite part is receiving the golden eggs. After each lesson children receive golden eggs which are used to purchase clothing and other items for their Avatar character at the mall. She is a girl so she loves to shop!

On top of that she is using the Reading Eggs workbook. These fun illustrated workbooks are jam-packed with essential literacy and numeracy skills children learn on Reading Eggs and Mathseeds – skills that will stay with them for life.  I love this workbook because as a homeschool  mom  I have physical paperwork to show her progress in her portfolio. 

Reading Eggs has 3 different subscriptions; for 2-4 children $89.00, $50.00 for an individual annual subscription and for 1 child month is $9.95.  Once our trial period is over my family will definitely be purchasing the 2-4 children subscription so that my younger 4 children can incorporate it into our daily homeschooling.

How are you teaching your children to read? Are you hitting roadblocks like we have? Give Reading Eggs a try for free for 4 weeks! Hurry because this offer ends September 7th!

Mama to 6 Blessings wrote this post on behalf of  Reading Eggs. This is a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way. Mama to 6 Blessings is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Typically I am frugal with our homeschooling but this year I have found ways to save.  It could have been a lot more expensive for our family if I did not utilize all I could in our homeschool curriculum.  Check out these practical ways you can save money on purchasing your homeschool curriculum:

Borrow curriculum from friends or other homeschoolers.  Thankfully I have friends who have used curriculum in the past that have offered for my family to use this year so I would not have to purchase it.  A total blessing because it costs me nothing! 

The internet is loaded with free homeschool resources and curriculum for kindergarten through high school. Sites such as Easy Peasy Homeschooling is a one stop curriculum resource for all subjects.  My favorite on-line resource is Pinterest because it is loaded with tons of free homeschooling resources.

Free Apps.  There are tons of free educational apps out there.  Many of them offer 30 days free and if you like it you can purchase them.  I find educational apps great for on the go for my younger children, it keeps them occupied while learning. 

Utilize the library.  I admit I am awful at this. This year we will be using several books from the library for our history.  Most libraries also over free streaming and downloads (Hoopla, Cloud Library, Over Drive, etc.)  you can use with all sorts of books, movies and eBooks.  My problem is that I am always late returning these books so I have to stay on top of  it so I do not have fines! 

Sign up for e-mail newsletters from your favorite curriculum sites. Many offer great deals over the summer as well as free shipping.  You do not want to miss those great sales! 

Purchase used curriculum.  I could not believe how much money I saved this year on curriculum purchasing used.  I scoured used curriculum on Facebook groups, e-bay, Thriftbooks and other used curriculum sites to find some amazing deals.  For instance curriculum that would have cost me almost $200 came out to $100.00! The bonus was what I purchased was a bulk of my son’s curriculum! I will admit one of the books had quite a bit of writing in it so I spent lots of time erasing in the pages. If you purchase make sure you ask if there is writing in the books prior to purchase.  NOTE: Be careful because I have heard that their can be scammers on-line who will take your money and not ship the curriculum and then they delete their accounts. Another place to purchase curriculum is at used curriculum sales where homeschoolers come together to sell their used curriculum. In my community there are a few of these over the summer which has saved me quite a bit of money! 

Hold onto curriculum you used for your older children and use it for your younger children.  I have a filing cabinet full of past curriculum that I used with my older children that I am saving to use with my younger children.  At times I have to purge them out due to lack of room but for the most part I have pulled the curriculum out and have used it for my younger kids.  

Purchase curriculum you can use for your whole family.  Last year 4 of my children used the same history and science curriculum.  I did have to modify it for my younger kids because some of it was a bit too much but I was able to save money only having to purchase 1 book for history, 1 book for science verses 4 books for each. 

Do not stress out looking for curriculum. What might work for someone else’s child may not work for yours so try different options.  Ask around what other parents are using curriculum and maybe see if you can take a look at it prior to purchasing to see if it works for your child. What ways have you saved on purchasing your curriculum? Share by commenting below! 

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