10/2/2020 0 Comments What to do on a SundayAh, Sundays. I love having these special rest days to take a break from life, be with my family, and spend time with God. Some weeks, my family’s Sundays are all about togetherness, and we spend time playing games, taking walks and drives, and talking. Other times, everyone is tired, and we all curl up with a book after church. There isn’t a right or wrong Sunday style, as long as it involves rest, as God commanded. Here are some of my favorite renewing and refreshing Sunday activities!
Sleep In Missing some sleep? Try sleeping in a bit or going to bed early on Sunday to get a head start on Zzz’s. Journal Sunday afternoons are my favorite time of the week to journal, pray, and discuss tough stuff with God. Having a larger, school-free chunk of time makes it easier to focus, and it can help you fill up your spiritual cup for the week ahead. Write Cards or Letters Is there someone in your life who could use some encouragement? Write a card or letter to them on Sunday so it’s all ready to be mailed on Monday morning. Even better, pray for that person as you draft their note! Serve at Church While you’re at church on Sunday, find ways to serve there! Check out this post for lots of ideas on ways to serve at church. Read Have fun while filling your brain up with inspiration and knowledge by reading a book (or three). If you need recommendations, we’ve got dozens over here. Have Conversations Make time to have real conversations with the people you love. Call up a grandparent and chat about their life when they were younger. Or, sit down over cookies with a parent and talk about the stuff going on in both of your lives. Take Care of Yourself Try giving yourself an at-home facial or using some of our 2-minute self care activities to take care of your body. While you’re at it, bring a mom or sister in on the fun. Make a Craft Pull out your craft supplies and make a wreath, pencil holder, bookmark, canvas tote, hair accessory, or magnet. What does your typical Sunday routine look like? Love, A
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9/25/2020 2 Comments Ways to Serve your friendsWelcome to week 4 of our Ways to Serve posts. Today I am covering ways to serve your friends. If you have even just one true friend, that is better than a bunch of fake friends. True friends stick by us no matter what. They are the ones that tough it out with you, laugh with you, cry with you, hang out with you, and everything in between. You know that you can always go to them when you REALLY need it. Let your friends know that you appreciate them by serving them. Not sure how? Check out my list of suggestions below.
1. Send them a card 2. Make them a gift 3. Surprise them 4. Call them 5. Ask if you can help with homework 6. Just sit down and talk (or just listen) 7. Give them a hat (just wanted to throw this in because today is national hat day). I want to challenge you to put these ideas into action this week. In fact, try putting it into practice all month long! You will end up with stronger friendships and even realize you have more friends than you thought! -B 9/18/2020 0 Comments Ways to serve at churchThank you for joining us for week 3 of our service series! Today, we’ll be talking about how to make a difference and show love at church. Let’s get started!
Love, A 9/11/2020 0 Comments Ways to Serve your COmmunityWelcome to Week 2 of our “How to Serve” series! Today I am going to cover how to serve your community. I chose this topic for today, because today very is special for our country. It is the anniversary of 9/11. For those of you who don’t know what is, I am going to give you a quick history lesson.
It all happened on September 11, 2001. It was an ordinary day, people were going about their daily lives. Four airplanes left en route to California. All of the flights seamed normal. They had mostly normal passengers and nothing was suspected. To everyone’s surprise, each of the 4 planes had terrorists on board. They highjacked all 4 planes to try to cause destruction. They caused one plane to crash into the Pentagon. They tried to get another plane to crash into Washington D.C. but they failed and crashed into a field. The other 2 planes flew into the Twin Towers in New York. The ones that flew into the Twin Towers were the most destructive. The first of the 2 planes crashed into the North Twin Tower. It was devastating. The story was immediately broadcasted over all news stations nationwide. A few minutes later, the second planet crashed into the South Twin Tower. Thousands of people died and others were trapped in the destroyed buildings. First Responders pour onto the scene. They rescued many people, and a few First Responder’s even gave up their lives to save strangers they never knew. Sad story, isn’t it? As you read this list, think of all the people that have, or are willing to, help you, and you don’t even know them! 1. Take cookies to Police, EMS, Firefighters, etc. 2. Do yard work for your neighbors. 3. Make cards for doctors and nurses. 4. Take food to homeless shelters and food banks. 5. Volunteer at your local library, nonprofits, pet shelters, homeless shelter, and/or nursing homes. 6. Go visit an elderly neighbor. 7. Get a group of friends together to “window visit” people in nursing homes. 8. Help tutor younger kids. 9. Hold a bake sale to raise money for a missionary, nonprofit, or cause of your choice. 10. Help your church with yard work. Did you find anything in this list you would like to do? Try getting a group of friends together to help you! -B 9/4/2020 0 Comments Ways to serve your familyWe are so excited to announce a new four-week series of blog posts about Ways to Serve your Family, Friends, Church, and Community! This week, I’m going to share ideas with you on how to serve your family. Enjoy!
1. Read to or play with a younger brother or sister 2. Before you do something fun, walk around the house and tidy up 3. Help make a meal 4. Do an extra chore that doesn’t get done often, like wiping the baseboards 5. Tell mom and dad how much you appreciate them 6. Ask your family members if there is anything you can help them with 7. Leave encouraging notes around the house 8. Pull weeds around the house 9. Do a chore or leave a fun surprise, like a note or dessert, for a family member who is having a rough day 10. Help make a grocery list and find coupons for things your family normally buys 11. Slip one of your old toys or books into a younger sibling’s toy bin for them to enjoy 12. Make a scrapbook or photo collage to help your family remember a special trip or holiday 13: If you know how to sew, sew buttons back onto clothing and mend holes to extend the life of your family’s clothing 14. Spend extra time caring for your pets 15. Plant a garden or grows herbs and vegetables in pots 16. Learn some song/hand games to play with toddler and preschool aged siblings in the car Which way to serve your family are you going to try first? Don’t forget to come back next week for more fun ideas on service! Love, A Whether you have already started school or are planning to start soon, it’s always good to be prepared. I was thinking about the posts that we have done in the past and I realized that several of the crafts we have done could be used in school. I assembled a list of them here. 1. 3 Ways to Make Bookmarks Everybody needs bookmarks...... especially cute ones! They come in handy for marking assignments, calling out the attention of a notebook page, or giving yourself a reminder to look at something. 2. Make An Adorable Pencil Holder This pencil holder is so cute, so practical, and so easy to make! It is perfect for storing all your pens, pencils, scissors, highlighters, and anything else! 3. Hanging Pencil Holder I love this craft. My co-blogger, A, really outdid herself on this on this one! You can use this great portable pencil holder anywhere. That means you could even do school in a tree! Note: I don’t actually recommend doing school in a tree. There are way too many complications and hazards with that. 4. DIY Dotted Canvas Bag When carrying your school books, holding them in your arms isn’t ideal and you can’t get to them as easily when then are in a back pack. Canvas bags are the perfect choice. They are easy to carry and you can slide your books out when you need them. 5. 5 Ways To Store Books
Everybody has books, and you can’t find your books if they are here, there, and everywhere. Use these simple techniques to have your books organized in no time! I hope these 5 school crafts and tips are helpful. Thanks for reading! -B 8/21/2020 0 Comments How to be a tween-preneurBusinesses are fun. Yes, they can be a lot of work, but there is great satisfaction in having complete control of your own business, selling/providing things that you and your customers love, and making money. In this post, I’m going to give you all the basics of becoming a young businesswoman! It's a bit long, but I hope it will be a valuable resource for you. :) Getting Started 1. Decide what kind of a business you want to start. To come up with ideas, try thinking about what you’re good at, what you enjoy doing, or what problems in your neighborhood need solved. You can also check a kids’ business book, look online, or ask friends and adults for ideas. Make sure that there is actually a market for what your business is offering (i.e., that people are willing to buy your product or service). 2. Then, try to price your goods appropriately. You can look at competitors and see what they’re charging to help you decide. How is our service different than your competitor’s? Do you have more or less experience than they do? These things can help you pick the appropriate price. 3. After that, it’s time to design your marketing! Print up flyers, create a website, or ask your parents for permission to set up social media accounts for your business if you are over 13. B and I both love the design software Canva for making advertisements and social media posts. Taking it Further Take your business knowledge a step further by reading some business and money books! They offer tons of great advice on being a business person that I just can’t cram into this post. Here are three of my favorites: The Everything Kids Money Book Image courtesy of Barnesandnoble.com Understanding Business Image courtesy of myubam.com Entrepreneur Academy Image courtesy of friends.kanemiller.com Words of Advice
I think that running a successful business a tween or teen is entirely possible! One thing that I recommend to help you get customers is to be professional. Go the extra mile and be so prompt and knowledgeable that you will surprise your customers with how young you are! You've got this, tween-preneur! What other questions do you have about being a young businessowner? Please share them in the comments! Love, A 8/14/2020 0 Comments Nail FunI don’t often do my nails, but it is fun! There is so much you can do with them. Whether you want a casual look, or something flashy for an occasion, you can make your nails match. Let’s get started!
Supplies you need: * Nail polish (several colors) * Make up sponges * Q-tips * Tooth picks * Nail polish remover * Paper towel 1. Set up your workspace by laying out your paper towel. 2. Check out our Pinterest board “Our Favorite Crafts” to find some ideas, then try them! 3. Follow us on Pinterest to get updates when we add any pins to our awesome boards. It’s as simple as that! I hope you found some good ideas. Thanks for reading. -B 8/7/2020 0 Comments 20 Fantastic Acts of KindnessLet’s start an incurable global pandemic together! A pandemic of kindness, that is! Would you like to start spreading acts of kindness around the globe? Here are 20 simple ideas that are perfect for tween and teen girls! Note: Make sure to get permission from your parents before visiting any other websites.
I am so excited to get started with my acts of kindness! Which act are you going to try first? Love, A 7/31/2020 0 Comments Sidewalk ChalkDuring these crazy times, I’ve noticed that a new group of people have been born: chalk artists. Many creative people have started using their skills by creating beautiful artwork out of chalk. They have been covering sidewalks for the world to see. I am not a chalk master, so I cannot show you how to create masterpieces, but I can show you some fun ideas. Let’s get started! Supplies you need: * Sidewalk chalk * A sidewalk 1. Hopscotch Hopscotch is a simple game, but so much fun! Something about throwing rocks and jumping is so entertaining. I even caught my mom having a little fun with on this hopscotch board. Make your hopscotch on the sidewalk in front of your house (if you have one) and you might catch you neighbor hopping down the path as he or she crosses your board. 2. Walk the line This is another fun chalk game that you and anyone walking by can play. Make a loopy, crazy, zigzag, and confusing line that has a start and a finish. Try to walk from the start to the finish without getting confused. You could even make a couple “levels” with each one getting harder and harder. 3. Use what you have
Want to draw something, but you don’t know what to draw? You needn’t look any farther than the sidewalk for inspiration. Turn a crack into a river or street, make a weed into some hair or a forest, transform a hole into a lake or canyon. Get creative! I hope that I helped you get creative. Have fun and stay safe! -B |