Softball Time!

Last Saturday, we enrolled the three oldest girls in T-Ball and softball for this spring season.  This is our first time to participate in an organized sport so we are excited...and a little nervous! :)  We used some of their Christmas money from their extended family and we bought mitts for all and a bat and ball to practice with.  

Last week, I took them out a few afternoons and taught them the basics.  Catching, throwing and batting. A little chilly playing in January.  LOL!

Practices begin mid-March and games begin the first part of April.

Yay for Team Tastet!

DIY: Make Super Crayons!

Here is a fun activity to do with your kids with your old crayons from last year.  

Make it a science activity. :)

Super Crayons

• Spray the muffin pan with a light coating of non-stick spray.
• Place a few bits of crayon in each cup, filling it about halfway full.
• Place in the oven at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes until melted. NOTE: Ovens will vary and yours might do the job in more or less time. It is best to start at a low temp and check the progress in five minute intervals until done.
• Remove and allow to cool.
• Once cool, pop the new super-rainbow-crayons out and start scribbling!

This is a great way to repurpose old crayons and save them from the landfill, and at the same time it is a great rainy day activity that you can enjoy with the kids!  (Not that we have rainy days here in the desert! LOL!)

 So start scouring the house for those crayons bits!

A Simple Trick to Teach Children to Set the Table

Here is a great idea for training your children in the chore of setting the table!

Purchase inexpensive placemats at the Dollar Tree.  Buy ones with limited printing on them.

Draw with a permanent marker where each item should be placed.  Plate, napkin, fork, spoon and knife.  You can also draw a circle for a cup/glass.

Now a chore has been made into a matching game!  

What a fantastic idea!

This idea could be used for your young children or grandchildren.  Children are never too young to be taught a good work ethic. :)

Our Family's Camp Fundraiser Project

This is my post about our daughters' fundraising project to go to Junior Camp this summer. :)

Back in the beginning of the year, we received information about a church camp in CA.  This was our church's first year to send juniors or teens to a church summer camp.  Our family was very excited to have this opportunity not only for our church family but for our own girls!  

The cost, however, was $170 for one child.  $340 for our two daughters.  I knew two things:

1.  I wanted my daughters to earn part of their way to attend camp.

2.  I better take responsibility as a parent to see that we didn't rely on the church to provide their way to attend.  It was my husband and my responsibility to see that we made it happen.

So I Googled and Googled fundraising ideas.  There were the basic ideas but nothing stood out to me.

After much thinking and prayer, I thought of this idea:  Why not grow tomato plants and sell them?  I enjoy gardening and growing things.  So why not take something I enjoy and make a project of it?

It was a risk.  I have never grown any plant from seeds before.  What if it failed?  It could have been a disaster.  LOL!  But we would never know if we didn't try.

So, I did my research.  I purchased this mini greenhouse to do my starter plants.  You add water and each pellet expands.  Plant the seeds and then keep covered.  Seemed simple.

I borrowed a grow light from a friend.  I had read that tomato plants need lots of sun and light to grow properly.  I was scared that we would not receive enough natural sun and warmth.  So I covered my bases and set up a grow light for our seedlings.

And then...the ballast box that was connected to the grow light caught on fire.  :/  The bulb blew out.  The entire set-up was a goner.  Oh man.  Not good.

So I did everything to get those little baby seedlings sunlight.  I put them under the lamp all night.  I put in them in my warm van in the sunlight on the dash.  I would set them in the sun on the dining room floor and keep moving them when the sun moved.

And they grew. :)  I wasn't sure if they would all make it.  Some sprouted later than others.

What did I get myself into?  LOL!

They are getting big!  Since the project takes place over 1-2 months...it is a day by day waiting.

Finally, it was time to transfer them into their own containers.  We had 100 tomato plants.  We used SOLO cups and punched 3 holes in the bottom for drainage.  We then replanted the seedlings.

This is what 100 plants look like in your dining room.  LOL! 

On nice days, I would transfer them to the outdoors for more sun exposure and to be watered.  It was also to acclimate them to the outdoors, the wind, etc.

Then one night, I was moving the table that held the plants...and the table leg collapsed.  With all 100 plants crashing down to the floor.  I also collapsed...into tears.  LOL!  I think if my husband was not there and calmly helped me, I probably would have pitched the entire project.  But thankfully, he helped me replant all the plants back in their cups.  And all but one plant made it.  He was just too small to make it. :)

Then it was time to sell them. :)  We took two days and sold our plants at two different spots beside the road.  The girls stood and held their signs and did a great job.  They loved talking to the folks that stopped.  They even wrote a thank you note to each person along with an invitation to our church.  

We started with 99 plants.  I took four for my garden.  So of 95 plants that they sold, they made $216!  Adding to the $18 they each earned from the one church fundraiser that they participated in (Car wash/bake sale)...the total that they earned for summer camp was $252!

And the blessing on top of this was...we were invited to a local church summer camp here in Nevada.  It will be for juniors only and will be located in Silver Springs, NV.  The hosting church is Faith Baptist Church.  And the cost for this camp is only $65!  So after earning their camp fee, they also earned money for tithe/offering that they will give while they are at camp, and spending money for each for the week.  And there is enough after that to have money for their camp fund for next summer.  Wow.  God is good.  He has truly blessed us in our venture.  He truly blesses hard work.  

One last story...when we were selling our last 20 tomatoes, I kept telling the girls to pray that God would send along another customer.  Sierra prayed and minutes later, a customer pulled up.  She immediately said, "Mommy!  God answered my prayer!  He sent a customer!"  I didn't have to tell her that God answered her...she knew. :)  But then the kicker was...Autumn piped up and said, "I prayed too!  I think that was mine. (Answer to prayer)."  LOL!  I loved it.

And our last seven plants...a lady pulled up and bought all seven.  Addie told me after she left she was praying that someone would buy all seven.

The entire experience was such a good one for us all.  A lesson to work hard.  A lesson to trust God.  A lesson that if you ask, HE will answer.  For HE truly did...and we are thankful.