Help Kids Listen in Church {Free Printables}

Our 2 oldest children sit with us in church on Sunday nights.

I want to make sure that they are not only quiet, but that they are also learning something. Even if the message is over their head, they can still learn something if they are taught to pay attention and try to understand as much as they can.

Up until now, we have just helped them find their place in their Bibles and made sure they are sitting up straight and listening to the preacher.  (Read: To the Mom Whose Kids are Wiggly in Church.)

Crayons, pen and paper, and the like have not worked out very well when we have tried to let them draw or color.

I feel like I spend more time and brain power making sure they don't draw on their clothes or spill crayons everywhere than I do actually listening to the message myself.

Perhaps it's not distracting to others around us, but it sure is distracting to me!

But I thought it would be nice to have something to actively engage their brain in trying to understand what the preacher is saying. Just because they are sitting up straight does not mean their brain is necessarily focused on what he is saying.  They could be counting the windows, crossing their eyes to make the lights look like prisms, or looking at the picture in the baptistry.  (I know I did all of the above when I was a kid!)

I came up with several printable pages for kids of various ages to help them listen more proactively while in church.

I purposely kept these simple  so that children can easily learn the instructions and know what to do each week without continually asking you questions during church.

I also made these available in both 8.5×11 size as well as half size sheets.  I've found my children have a hard time holding a full size binder on their lap, so I'll be doing the half size sheets with a half size binder.  But at the same time, some children need to write larger, so I still wanted to make the option of larger pages available to you.

Age 4-6

Download half size sheets here

Age 6-8

Download half size sheets here

Age 8-10

At this age, my children should be old enough to start taking actual sermon notes. I will allow them to start by copying mom or dad's notes if they want until they have gotten the hang of taking their own notes.

Download half size pages here

Free Photo Book and More Frugal Gifts

Here are some great deals for Christmas gifts that I thought I'd pass along this weekend.  I know we can all use help getting gifts crossed off our list without spending a fortune:

Free 5×7 Photo Book

Just pay shipping of $2.99 – this is a great deal, and a great gift for grandparents! Get it here.

$3 photo ornament

Get it here

Free photo mug (just pay shipping)

Get it here

I'm excited to get some Christmas shopping done!  I love photo gifts, and I especially love the prices on these!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission from purchases made through these links.  Thank you for supporting this blog!

Guidelines for Christian Conduct on Facebook

Guest post by Denise Myers

Facebook is a phenomenal tool for communication. It is (along with twitter) one of the leading information and connection sources in the world. This communication tool shows no signs of slowing down. Its potential for good is matched by its frequent and frustrating use for evil. Some are struggling with this technology and its ability to create conflict amongst Christians. Have you heard anyone say…

• “They un-friended me.”

• “Did you read what they said about me?”

• “They shouldn’t talk like that.”

and the most common

• “That post wasn’t about them…it was something different (harmless)…I can’t believe they read into that post…etc.”

Before posting, remember, this is a public forum. Think of yourself standing up before a group of several hundred people (or however large your friend list is) with a microphone making your status announcement. This is essentially what you are doing.

Here are some things that I think could help this tool be a blessing and not a curse.

1. Never post negatively. – People will almost always assume you were talking about them (especially if you are upset with them at the time of posting). If they haven’t had interaction with you recently, do you really want everyone to know how bad your life is? Show everyone your positive side…they’ve got their own issues without borrowing yours. People will also “fill-in-the-blanks” on “who you are mad at” or “who is a jerk” etc.
2. Be quick to delete. – The Bible teaches that you are responsible to the Lord for what you put in front of your eyes. Do you remember the words to the children's song, “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love”? If someone uses bad language, delete the post from your view or if someone continually uses bad language, hide their status updates from appearing in your newsfeed or delete them. If a post on your timeline could be misread, delete it. If you thought it, someone else probably did too. If someone is offended because their post was deleted, explain that you are connected with a lot of people and you don’t want them to be perceived as negative. Explain your sensitive delete key. If they harass you about it, delete them.
3. If you can’t handle it, GET OFF. – Be honest with yourself and set time limits. The Bible says, you are responsible to the Lord for how you spend your time. Know yourself and be strong enough to limit yourself. Ephesians 5:16 – “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
4. Use Facebook as a tool to encourage. – Take a few minutes everyday and post something kind on a deserving person’s wall. Be that person that lifts others.
5. Be careful who you befriend. – Never befriend someone who is dangerous to your marriage or walk with God. If someone is rebellious towards spiritual authority, the Bible commands us to leave them alone as they are appointed unto wrath.
6. If someone questions you about a post, remove it. – There are at least 10 other people that thought the same thing but didn’t mention it. Guard your reputation. No one should celebrate being a murmurer, gossiper or slanderer. The Bible calls each of these practices “sin”.
7. Never use Facebook to send a “Woe Is Me” message. – It’s okay to post needs or better yet, contact someone directly. A child of God is NEVER hopeless, helpless or a failure in life. To say otherwise is to claim God isn’t able to work everything for our good. We are told to even rejoice when others speak evil against us.
8. Know your spouse’s sign on info. – Never keep secrets. Marriages are destroyed when private worlds are created and the person you are supposed to be “one” with has no access to your activity on Facebook.
9. Do not assume a negative post is about you. – It may be, but never assume and let it ruin your day without confirmation. Contact the person quickly and ask, “Was this about me?” They might not realize how their post appears. If someone contacts you and asks that question, delete or explain your comment.
10. Sharing too much information is bad. – Be careful little mouth what you say. Protect your marriage/family bubble. Hackers are looking for your info right now.
11. Watch your language (including spell-check). – Vulgar or obscene language is never acceptable. What is or is not offensive language can often depend on the sensitivity of the reader, and although there are groups of words and phrases which will always be offensive, there are words or phrases that should be avoided simply because they COULD be offensive. If in doubt, don’t! While it has created some funny moments, spell check can have the vocabulary of a “pagan sailor”. Read what you post, after you “post it” to save yourself some embarrassing comments. If you do make a major blunder, delete the whole comment (don’t brag about it).

What other suggestions do you have for guarding your Christian testimony on Facebook?

My Favorite Diapers for Newborns – Now In Larger Sizes

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

Baby #4 is due any day now.

I've made sure to stock up on diapers, and they're all set up in a basket under the bassinet.

But I don't just buy any diapers.

I am pretty particular about the diapers I buy when my babies are little bitty.

Pampers Swaddlers just work better.  After 3 kids, I know that for a fact.

I bought a big ol' box of newborns, and a big ol' box of size 1.  Every time we have a new baby, and I buy the newborn diapers, I am always amazed at how teeny tiny they are!

When this new little one gets here, I will have 2 in diapers.  My 2 year old is in size 4 diapers, and I was very surprised when I heard that Pampers® Swaddlers are now available in size 4 and 5!

I've actually kind of always wondered why they only had them in the smaller sizes, because honestly, I think they're nicer than the other varieties of Pampers®.

One thing I always thought was cool with the Pampers® Swaddlers was that they have that little color-changing line that lets you know when the diaper is wet.

And possibly my favorite thing about Pampers® is that they have the rewards program.  Each pack of diapers and wipes has a code that you can enter on their website to receive points.  You can redeem points for different prizes. Over the course of 3 kids I have received a number of free things from the program, and I'm sure I'll be adding even more points to that stash with baby #4.  Can't beat getting something free from diapers you had to buy anyway!

Give your baby the #1 choice of hospitals (based on sales data).

Do you have kids in diapers?  Have you ever had 2 in diapers at once?

One Big Reason Your Kids Are Sick

There are a number of factors that will contribute to the health of your children – including what they eat and how well they practice hygiene.

But here's a big, big thing that contributes to your child's health — or lack of it.

Chemicals.  Lots of them.

Everywhere you go there are untested chemicals (or chemicals that are known in other countries to be unsafe) lurking in food, household products, beauty products, and in the very air you breathe.

Did you know…?

• There are more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S.
• Comprehensive pre-market safety testing of these chemicals is not required under any federal law.
• The primary U.S. law that regulates chemicals in every day products hasn’t been updated in more than 35 years.
• In the European Union (EU), 1,328 chemicals have been banned for use in personal care products. In the U.S., only 11 chemicals have been banned or restricted by the FDA.
• Scientific evidence continues to point to the chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives as causing or contributing to the rise in childhood behavioral disorders and diseases.

Every person's health is affected by these chemicals, and children are especially affected — even those still in the womb.

Hormone disruption, allergies, and cell damage are just a few of the consequences of repeated exposure to chemicals.

I recently attended a webinar with Healthy Child Healthy World where there were suggestions given of  simple, affordable actions families can take to decrease chemical exposure.

1. Take off your shoes at the door: 85 percent of the dirt in our homes is
tracked inside on the bottom of our shoes. It’s not just dirt, but toxins like
lead, pesticides, gasoline residue and more. Keep your home safer by taking
off your shoes. It’s the public health equivalent of washing your hands.

2. Buy safer body care: Children are exposed to an average of 27 care product
ingredients on a daily basis that have not been found safe for developing
bodies. Protect your family’s health by avoiding products that ingredients
like parabens, synthetic fragrances, triclosan and more. For a list of the most
toxic offenders, download the free eBook, “Easy Steps to a Healthy & Safe
Nursery” at Healthychild.org/resource-center.

3. Open a window: People spend about 90 percent of their time inside,
but indoor air is typically far more polluted than outside. So, open those
windows! Even a few minutes a day can improve indoor air quality.

4. Eat more whole foods: Processed foods may be convenient, but they’re
also loaded with sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings, and synthetic
preservatives. These lack nutrients and many are also linked to health issues
like ADHD and even cancer. Reduce by eating more whole foods.

5. Ban the can: Bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone disruptor that has been linked
to everything from obesity to cancer, is in the plastic resin that lines most
canned goods—from soups to sodas. Avoiding canned food for significantly
lowers exposure. Look for foods packaged in glass or eat fresh, dried, and
frozen options.

Maybe you try to do these things in your home, but what can you do to help protect the children of your friends and family members?

1. Share this information by Hosting a Healthy Baby Home Party!

2.  Alert them to the new NATIONAL availability of Seventh Generation
diapers, wipes and cleaning products at all Target stores. Now it’s
easier than ever to makeover the nursery and cleaning cabinet!

3. Urge Senators to strengthen and pass the Chemical Safety Improvement Act
(CSIA).

Additionally, you can join Seventh Generation for a Twitter party to talk about all-natural baby product options and learn more about the Healthy Baby Home Party.

Did you realize that your children's exposure to chemicals was so great?

What is the first step you think you will take to minimize chemical exposure in your home?

The. Most. Frugal. Gift. Ever.

Ya'll.

This is the last you're going to see of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.  Your time is almost up, and these items will never be available at this price again.

Okay, so here is the awesomest idea ever. I saw it on somebody else's blog and thought it was genius.

Use the books as gifts.

There are 86 of them.  They're 35 cents each.  Some of them are worth 15 bucks a piece.

I'm the kind of person that likes to give gifts to all my friends at church, all my sisters-in-law, and everything like that, but it can get a little expensive.

But now I can give something pretty and nice and worth more than a buck at the dollar tree.  At first I was thinking “Well, that's kind of cheesy to just email somebody a book file with the subject line “Happy Birthday!”

But, I don't have to do it that way!  I can have it wrapped up all purdy-like.

Here's what I'm gonna do:

I can burn the book I want to gift to a CD, print out a pretty insert for the case, and bingo! Really nice gift for dirt cheap! (Don't tell my friends!)

If you want to copy me, here are a couple images you can print to use for the cases.  (Just click the pictures to enlarge them and save  to your computer.)

 Use this one for Christmas presents (duh!) and use your photo editing program or Picmonkey to type in the title of the book.

Use this one for birthdays or general occasions and do the same thing with using photo software or Picmonkey to type in the title of the book before you print.

Or…go to the website where the ebook is sold, save a picture of the cover and crop it to 4.75 in. by 4.75.  It will fit perfectly in the cover of a CD case.

Excited to cross off ALL your gifts for pretty much the entire year?