Fall Craft

Looking for a fun, easy fall craft? Consider mini-pumpkin painting! It's as easy as it looks -- just pick a few of those super-cute mini pumpkins, get out some oil based/acrylic paint and let your creative juices flow.

Here are a few my kids did:



As you can see, they can be very non-traditional in color, though I've seen some done with pumpkin faces, fall scenes, leaves, etc.

Let us know if you try it.

Take Those January Photos!

Yes, I know, after Christmas there probably seems little need to keep pulling the camera out -- but not so! There are many wonderful photo ops for January, especially if you live in a snowy climate. Of course, January is also a good time to just commit more to your photo hobby. Check out supporting websites and blogs like 365 Days Photo Project and Project 365. (I know -- it would have been nice to hear about this by Jan. 1, but it's not too late!)

Here are some fun, photo topics for the month of January:

* New Year's Eve/Day Party or family time. (Of course, if you were in NYC, that's even better.)

* Snowmen. (Oh, those are fun!)
* Kids bundled up to play outside (those are usually very colorful and fun.)
* Winter in tropical or desert climates (in order to make others drool)
* Sledding, snowboarding, skiing . . . . you get the idea.
* Icicles hanging off your roof.
* Fresh snowfall on trees. (And that means soon after the snowfall before the wind blows it away.)
* Family around a cozy fireplace.
* Plates of cookies, muffins; bowls of chili, soup; colorful cups of hot co-co.
* Family game or craft nights.

These "every day" things make some of the best, most memorable photos for your albums. It's the little things that grown children love to remember and talk about.

I do want to caution you that taking photos in bright snow can be tricky. I could say more about basic photography skills that will help you, but I'll just offer a few basic tips:

* Check the settings on your point-and-shoot camera. Often there is a "scenic" or "creative" mode that allows you to fine-tune your settings for things like "snow." (Or "foliage", "fireworks", etc.) This greatly aids you in exposure and white balance (so you won't get that blue snow.)
* Be careful that you do not "shoot" into direct sunlight. Make sure the sun is in front of your subjects -- or better yet, wait for early morning or evening or overcast days (just try not to get the overcast sky in your photo, it could really mess up the exposure, esp. with snow photos.)
* If you have a point-and-shoot camera, and use creative modes, make sure you put the setting on "action" for sledding or skiing shots. This will increase your shutter speed so you can capture the action (instead of getting a big blur.)
* For indoor shots, place your subjects as close to a window as you can for natural light -- then you can turn off the flash. It's harder up north (where it is so dark), but it makes for better-looking photos. Bring in extra light if you cannot use a window and if your flash is too bright, go into your flash settings and just turn it down.

I hope these tips inspire you to keep those cameras clicking during this beautiful time of year!

Easy Last-Minute Christmas Crafts

We are in the last week before Christmas and, if your kids are anything like mine, they are probably driving you a little bonkers with their pent-up energy. I think my kids are going to BURST from excitement, so I have had to come up with some fun things to occupy them as they eagerly await the BIG DAY.

These are just some fun, easy crafts that anyone can do and all they require is paper and crayons!

The first are paper chains. Perhaps you remember these from your own childhood? This is a super-easy version and you can pretty much design anything you want for them -- I had a lot of fun designing these for my younger kids, who are a bit young to design and cut, but were very happy to color:

Here are the basic instructions. Make sure that you fold your paper into an "M" shape and that the arms of your characters go to the very edges of the paper:

After cutting them out, color and design them any way you want!

I found this other printable online. It is a Christmas angel that you print out, color, cut-out and then wrap around and tape so that she can stand up. I used card-stock for her and she makes a lovely centerpiece. I have included the link for this project and while you are at the site, check out all the other really beautiful printouts for all seasons (or if you just like angels and fairies.)

One last printable, also found online -- a beautiful nativity to print and color! My 12-year-old daughter really enjoyed this one. She did the cutting and easy taping together and we have it displayed on a shelf. Again, we used card-stock for this:

We thank the host sites very much for sharing such wonderful printouts with the public and we at 'Tis the Season hope that these little crafts help brighten your Christmas season (and keep the kiddies occupied even for just a few hours.)

For Apple Picking

It's prime time for apple picking in northern New England. The kids and I have had a lot of fun reading some of the books I posted in a previous blog and we learned interesting facts about the history of apples and apples today. For example, did you know that the leading state for apple production -- by FAR -- is Washtington state? A distant 2nd is New York and then the great, state of Michigan (where I grew up.) In fact, the apple blossom is Michigan's state flower.

Here's another one: The most popular apple is the Red Delicious. (Good -- that's my favorite!)

We all know who Johnny Appleseed is -- he was born in MA, but he spent most of his life planting and cultivating apple trees in the Ohio Valley and many of the apple trees there today are descendants of his.

New England isn't slack in the apple department either. In fact, states on both coasts are great apple producers. Around here, you will mostly find Cortlands and MacIntosh. My family is happy about that (they do not share my love for Red Delicious.) For them, the more tart the better -- and since "Macs" ripen earlier than other varieties (and fall and winter come sooner here), we decided that a sunny, September Saturday was perfect timing.

We head across the Connecticut River into Vermont (since it is the closest large apple orchard to us.):

Most of the apple trees there are of the dwarf variety -- perfect for climbing!

Like most orchards, they let you eat as many as you want on the go. My kids can't get enough. They wonder about all the apples on the ground and I inform them that they will be used to feed animals, make cider, and for applesauce.

It's fun to look for an orchard that offers a little bit more for the kiddies. Some have cider mills, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches, but this one is a little more old-fashioned. Here, the kids enjoy the petting zoo (full of cows, deer, goats, chickens, rabbits, and other small, farm animals.)

Not surprisingly you will also find loads of pumpkins and other vegetables. Harvest is in!

A must for apple picking is the ability to buy apple cider donuts. If they don't have 'em, we don't go! It's a once-a-year treat . . . fresh donuts, hot from the fryer (your choice, plain or sugar -- I prefer plain.) Mmmmmm . . . look at the grease on that bag!

And like many public farms and orchards in our rural area, you will find a country store with home-town goodies and souvenirs.

If you are one of those rare folk who do not want to bother trampling through the trees and up the hills in order to fill a bushel full yourself, you can always purchase pre-packaged bags (and still enjoy being at the orchard.)

If you are used to grabbing the apple sales at the grocery store this time of year, I encourage you to consider your local orchard instead. If you are in a mind to make pies, tarts, applesauce, cider, or other apple goodies, you can't go wrong picking the apples right off the tree (bruise-free) and the prices are usually pretty comparable as well.

Don't miss out on this fall ritual. (September is prime time for the northeast and other parts north; October is better in other areas.) You can start here or do a search in your area for orchards. If you have kids, they are bound to relish in the simple fun and the opportunity to get out into the crisp air and you will find memories and traditions to last a lifetime.

Back To School

Thanks for the welcome, Jakki. I hope that I can be a worthy contributor. I will start with a topic that is very close to me right now. School.

Though not an actual holiday, it is an American tradition. When summer light and warmth starts to wane, kids know that school is around the corner. Amazingly, they are usually pretty excited and eager for it, even though it means the end of sleeping in late and lazy days.

For us, however, it doesn't mean getting up early, fixing lunches, and getting on the yellow bus in the chill of morning, for we homeschool. This notion is nothing new in our country, but I still get "looks" and "awe" when the realization comes to light. (I'm sure this has much to do with having 10 children; 7 of them students.)

But it has become a way of life for us now. That doesn't mean it's easy -- far from it. It's overwhelming, exhausting, and the burden I sometimes feel when I think that I have to get 10 children through all grades of school and through all subjects in each grade almost crushes me.

But the early enthusiasm helps set the tone as a new school year falls upon us. The kids are eager for more structure; even our teen is eagerly embracing our schedule. We can only handle so much freedom -- for us, that quickly equals CHAOS! And that means stress. It's odd to think that summer could be more stressful than homeschooling 7 children, but that is a real danger.

Now, even though our kids homeschool, they still love the typical rituals of getting new notebooks, crayons, folders, pencils, and curriculum. I, personally, get a special thrill from the sight of brand-new reading and workbooks. (I even forget, for a moment, that I just spent $500 to purchase it . . .)

To make our first day even more special, we like to take the kids out to Dunkin' Donuts. This is a rare treat, so it is greeted with joyous anticipation. (Ah, it's the simple things in life.) It's even more fun when Dunkin' Donuts makes special donuts for the seasons and holidays! Right now, you can enjoy the chocolate covered variety with fall sprinkles on top.

If you are nowhere near a Dunkin' Donuts (which seem to largely exist on the east coast), I'm sure that other bakeries provide special goodies like this. Another idea is to make cupcakes. Now, we make cake all the time and the only real difference between cake and cupcakes is little cakes versus slices. But kids think that cupcakes are squeal-worthy, so we make them on special occasions. Since we already got the donuts on the first day of school, we will make the cupcakes on the first day of Fall, using the Cake Mate brand sprinkles (that you can find at most Wal-Marts and other grocery stores.)

For extra-fun, add these:


Thus begins our "new year." It's little things that make it special for all of us. It's extra-special to start on Labor Day as dad is home to be a part of the festivities. (Yes, one of the benefits of homeschooling is choosing your start and end days for convenience.) Even if school has already begun, keep in mind that these special rituals, though seemingly minor, really resonate with children. You would be surprised that it is things like this that they remember years later and come to look forward to each year. God bless you on your journey whether your kids learn at school or home!