Top Ten Posts of 2013!!

 

Hello friends!  It is always SO fun to look back on the year and see what YOUR favorite posts were.  I am always a little surprised at what people look at most, but this year I was also thrilled.  I could not be more proud that FIVE of the top ten posts for Blue Skies Ahead were Family Home Evenings that we shared!  I love the idea that even one person is looking at this little blog and taking away something that could possibly help teach their children or strengthen your family just a little bit more.  

Without any further ado...I give you Blue Skies Ahead Top Ten Posts of 2013!!

#10 Nephi's Broken Bow Family Home Evening

Not only did the kids get to learn a wonderful scripture story about one of my heroes...but they got to make and shoot mini bow and arrows too :)

#9 Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins

After having my 5th baby last March I once again was on a journey to get FIT!  These delicious muffins are healthy, filling, and the kids love them too.

#8 Joseph Smith and the Gold Plates Family Home Evening

Any fhe with a fun treat is sure to be a hit...this one also taught some wonderful lessons about the Prophet Joseph.

#7 Nephi gets the Brass Plates Family Home Evening

After talking about how courageous Nephi was in obtaining the brass plates, the kids got to complete their OWN Courage Obstacle Course.

#6 Power of Prayer Family Home Evening {The Prophet Enos}

Helping our kids remember ALL the things we can pray and thank our Heavenly Father for.

#5 Crazy Kool Valentines

These valentines were quick, easy and perfect for boys OR girls!

#4 Fresh Apple Cider Floats

Seriously...now I'm craving one!  These floats were kind of amazing :)

#3 Spring has Sprung Activity Jar

This project had a lot of bright, funky washi tape...need I say more?! ;)

#2 Crazy Hair Day Ideas

This was a great way to do some Crazy Hair for any hair-challenged mom like myself ;)

And finally...

#1 Spiritual Crocodiles Family Home Evening

One of my kids favorite family nights to date, we learned all about Spiritual Crocodiles, and how to be on the lookout for them!

What a wonderful, blessed year we had.  Thank you so much for joining us on our journey to look for the good in everyday...I can't wait to see where 2014 takes us!!

Family Movie Night {How the Grinch Stole Christmas}

 This past weekend we once again had our Friday Family Movie Night, this time the feature presentation was How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  This is one of our absolute favorite Christmas movies, so the kids were super excited.  Plus, my husband was out of town and I had promised them we could camp out under the Christmas tree and watch it...it ended up being kind of a magical night.

Before our movie got underway, I prepared these super easy and yummy Grinch-themed treats for the kids to enjoy.  I have seen BOTH of these ideas on Pinterest...but when I tried to look them up I could never find the exact links!  So please leave me a comment if you know where these darling ideas came from, I definitely cannot take the credit!

First up, we made Fruity Grinch Kebobs.  Just green grapes, strawberries and a mini-marshmallow make up this treat, and the kids loved sticking everything on the toothpicks.

For our drink I made up these really simple Grinch Floats.

All I did was dip the tops of little mason jars in some green crystal sugar.  Then I filled the cups with some lime sherbet and topped them off with Sprite.  After that I just threw in some festive straws and we were ready to begin our movie!

Thanks so much for stopping by Blue Skies Ahead today!!

Simple and FUN Elf on the Shelf idea {PicMonkey}

 I'm curious...how do you feel about the Elf on the Shelf trend?

I personally love it.  We have never used our elf the way he is intended...as someone that watches to see if the kids are good and reports back to Santa.  Our elf is simply a cute little guy that does silly thing around the house and completely adds to the magic of the Christmas season.  My husband and I enjoy staying up and trying to think of creative things for Christopher to do.  However, I'm not gonna lie...3 years into it and its getting harder and harder to stay original and not do repeats.  

As I was trying to think up something fun I could do, I thought of editing some pictures on my FAVE site, PicMonkey.  The thing I loved most about this was it took me under 15 minutes and now I have these darling pictures of my kiddos.  I had Christopher sitting next to all the pictures with a sign that said "My best friends from the North Pole"

Avrie the Reindeer

Britton as Santa Claus

Cohen the Cute Cuddly Boy

Kendall the Snowgirl

Skylar the Elf

Too fun, am I right?!

Do you do Elf on the Shelf at your house?  If so...how do you find new ideas and PLEASE share them! ;)

Linking up HERE

Printable Christmas Bingo!

 Man, I am loving the printables this week!  I mentioned yesterday, but it has been FREEZING in our neck of the woods.  This means that I will do just about anything to avoid leaving the house...and it means I am having to find some fun ways to entertain the kids :)

My younger kids, 2 and 4, are both at great ages for playing BINGO.  We played for quite a while, in fact we only stopped because my little guy had to leave for preschool.  And using M&M's doesn't seem to make it any less fun either ;)

If you are looking for a fun, simple activity to do with your kids at home, for a school party, or even Activity Days feel free to print out your own BINGO sheets and calling cards below!

I had some serious trouble figuring out how to do the calling cards...not the best at technology here ;)  Sorry I couldn't get them all on one page, just print out both pages below and you will have all the cards you need to play!

I hope your kiddos love this BINGO game as much as mine did!  Have a wonderful, WARM day! 

Linking up HERE

Printable Christmas PlayDough Mats!

 Happy December everyone!  It is the beginning of the best and busiest month of the year at our house ;)

I promised myself I wouldn't get SO caught up in Christmas prep that I ignored my kids this year, so today I whipped up a few really simple playdough mats that I printed out, laminated and then enjoyed with my kiddos.  They loved decorating the tree and making their own gingerbread man.  I got in on the fun and enjoyed creating accessories for the snowman :)

The fun thing about these playdough mats is that they simply get the creativity flowing, then its fun to see where your kids take it!

Isn't my little guy cute? ;)

Here are the printables if you want one for yourself!  Just right click, save, and print away!  I laminated mine so we could use them again and again, but plain old cardstock would work for a few times too!  

I hope you enjoy these with your kiddos, and thanks so much for stopping by today!!