*Updated: Thank you so much for filling out our survey! We had plenty of responses and the survey is now closed. Thanks so much!*

If you have a few minutes, would you please fill out our handy dandy blog reader survey? It will help us ever so much!

hugs and squishes,

Caroline & Elisa

P.S. Don't forget to enter our current giveaways! 

1. McDonald's Family Time Giveaway 
2. Cherished Emblems Giveaway 
3. Undercover Mama Giveaway

How much do they love families?

When I was getting ready to write this post, a hymn popped into my head, “While of these emblems we partake…”

Which of course got me to to thinking about what an emblem really IS and why they are so important in the LDS culture. As Mormons, we have daily and weekly reminders about the covenants we have made, (the sacrament, garments, your CTR ring)  and the blessings that they bring.

Cherished Emblems wants to help you remember those blessings, and so they have created beautiful, faith-based medallions that can be displayed in your home or carried in your pocket.

These gorgeous medallions are handcrafted from original artwork, made of solid bronze, and will truly to be cherished for generations to come.

WIN IT!

One lucky reader will win their choice of Cherished Emblem medallion, a black acrylic display stand, and a velvet pouch!

HOW TO ENTER:

• Leave a comment - Go to Cherished Emblems and look around, then come back and tell us which medallion is your favorite!
• Follow -  @CherishedEmblem on Twitter or Cherished Emblems on Facebook - one extra entry
• Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet - one extra entry  (sample tweet: I just entered to win a @cherishedemblem from @mmbcommunity http://ht.ly/3w11T)
• Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post - one extra entry

Details:

Please be sure to leave your contact information in your comment, and to leave a separate comment for each entry! Giveaway will close Tuesday, January 4 at 9pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Winner has 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks and good luck!

I love this book.
I really, truly do.
It is an amazing resource for parents, and here’s why:
Bethany Williams is REAL. She’s a REAL mom, who gives REAL advice and strategies for parenting, and she has a sense of humor about it all.
She says parenting is a battle, and you need a plan. You need real life strategies and support, and more importantly, that you are not alone.

“I have never met a parent who said that they successfully got their child through their teen years and off to adulthood without one single battle. The most frustrating part of the journey is that even parents quite close to you will keep silent about the struggles they are facing with their teen. It can feel like you are on this journey alone. Rest assured, you are NOT on the journey alone. Others may not want to discuss it freely, but many are struggling right along with you.”

From Mother to Mentor and Father to Coach is a practical guidebook that starts at the beginning. She dares to ask WHO do you want your children to be? And then she offers step by step advice that will help your children grow into the people that you want them to be. (YES!)

“If they are getting bad grades and misusing privileges, they they should lose some of their rights. If you continue to allow them all of their rights despite their inability to handle their responsibilities, then you are preparing them for heartache later in life… rights and responsibilities are inextricably linked.”

Bethany takes your hand, and navigates you through the rights and responsibilities of your child. She stresses the importance of a mandatory family time (but it should not be used as discipline!)  She talks about money, and how your children can learn to use it. She says you should figure out what motivates your child (money, video games, phone time, etc.) and align incentives based on their motivators; for example, if your child can keep their grades up (and she says that instead of saying “get straight A’s” that you make sure your child is doing the best they can, according to their abilities), then they can earn an incentive such as an extracurricular activity.
Children are required to participate at home. They need to pitch in. They need to do laundry. They need to cook dinner… and you need to let them.

“When you give your children everything they want… you don’t think about how frustrated they could be as they grow up, not understanding or knowing how to create the life that they want.”

I found myself nodding along as I read, and was very impressed with her practical parenting solutions.
You should definitely check this book out, (on second thought, you should probably just buy it) because you will use it as a reference.
Like I said, LOVE.
- - - - -
Caroline is the managing editor of MMB. She knows that she shouldn’t start her sentences with “and” but refuses to conform. She likes to draw cartoons and talk about life in general at The Bingham Diaries.

Sometimes, we come across a product and think, “Man, I wish they would have had that when I was pregnant/nursing/just had a baby,” and MMB-ers, THIS is one of those times.

As any breastfeeding mother will tell you, it’s a little tricky to get the whole, “nursing modestly without flashing anyone” thing down. And then when you do get that part down, then you worry about your sides or your back hanging out (especially when it’s the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th child!)

Undercover Mama was made FOR moms, BY moms, and they understand the need for a modest, lightweight, non-bulky alternative to the traditional nursing wardrobe. This product that should be on every new mother’s MUST HAVE list. It’s a undershirt that attaches to your bra, and keeps your garments, back, sides, and belly covered while you nurse! It can be layered under any shirt,  and is a stylish and affordable alternative to a nursing wardrobe.



Here’s what Heather, one of our nursing moms, had to say:


These Undercover Mama people, they're geniuses!! Just looking at this,I thought Dang! Why didn't I think of this!? It was obvious I was gonna LOVE it. And I do. It's really simple, you attach the straps to your bra, and Ta-Da! your shirt is a nursing shirt! It covers enough of my top to make my deep V shirts modest, and it's long enough that the world doesn't have to see my undies when I bend over (a plus for everyone, not just me!).


Remember when you were pregnant and you discovered the Belly Band? Well, this is the Belly Band for Nursing mamas. Seriously. If you aren't nursing at the moment, file it away for when you are. And tell your girlfriend who is nursing about it because, I promise, she wants one. And probably two or three or four. Because they're that great!

We are giving one lucky reader their very own Undercover Mama!


How to enter:

• Leave a comment on this post telling us why you should win, and what color you would choose!
• Follow or subscribe to this blog  - one extra entry
• Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet - one extra entry
• Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post - one extra entry

Details:

Please be sure to leave your contact information in your comment! Giveaway will close Tuesday, January 4 at 9pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Winner has 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. 

Thanks and good luck!

eShakti is a online clothing shop for women, that allows you to customize and tailor any item they sell to your specifications. What does this mean for you? Well, have you ever loved an item of clothing but wished it were just a little bit different? Maybe you want the neckline a little higher, or the hem a little lower; you wish that, that dress was calf length, or that these sleeves were longer.
eShakti knows women want options, and that’s what they give you. Naturally, when they came to MMB and asked if we would like to review a sample, we said YES!
Elisa and I both chose the same coat. (Total coincidence, by the way. Obviously, we both have great taste)

Meet: the Asymmetrical Collar Felted Pea Coat
Now I am a hard-to-size person, mostly on account of that I’m a short-waisted, and round-ish, with long legs and a small bust. Translated to a clothing: the neck and waist lines are always too low, and don’t even get me started on darting.
I put all my measurements into the eShakti fit chart (size 0- 26W!) and then hit submit.*
Less than a week later, I had a gorgeous coat waiting on my doorstep.
The cut of the coat is beautiful. It fits me exactly the way it should. The off center buttons are large and easy to button, even with gloves on, and the collar, OH! I die.
My only complaint is that the coat does not have pockets. And had I known that before hand, I would have requested that pockets be sewn in, or I would have chosen another item altogether. (Because let’s be honest, I never even thought to look whether or not a winter coat had pockets. I just assumed that it did.)
I love this coat, and have worn it out and about a few times. Each time I’ve worn it, I’ve gotten compliments because it is a beautiful piece of clothing.
I just wish it had pockets.
- - - -
Disclosure and all that jazz: We each received a sample item from eShakti to review. All expressed thoughts and opinions are our own. Pinky promise.

Infertility through Circumstances.

What in the  world does that mean?

That means that there are circumstances- besides fertility issues-  in your life that prevent you from having a baby. It can be health issues such as: placenta previa which would you put your life in danger if you had another baby or it could be gestational diabetes. It could occur in many different forms. For me it is my mental health.

In 2007 my husband got his very first real job as an associate for a  law firm in downtown Washington D.C. We moved our family of six- including a 5 year old  girl, 3 year old twin boys and a 1 year old boy, across the country, away  from both of our families and bought a house when the economy was just  beginning to dive.

We decided to try for another baby. Month after month went by without anything  happening. This was strange for me, as I had always gotten pregnant very  soon after trying. Six months later I fell into a deep depression and  became suicidal. Six months later I was officially diagnosed with Major Depression.

I was hopeful that I would be on Meds for four or five months and we  could start trying to conceive again. Four months later I stopped sleeping, became very talkative and hyper and was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. 

Since then I have been on and off  medicine-mostly lithium-- trying to get pregnant and yet always becoming manic and going  back on my medicine. One time it worked and we became pregnant. I  was overjoyed. I also became very manic. Two months later, we miscarried. My heart broke and I went back on medicine.

It’s been 3 years since  we first started trying to have a baby again. My friends have gotten pregnant, had the baby, gotten pregnant again and had another baby. My twin sister is pregnant and didn't tell me- she was worried that I would be hurt.

This was never my plan. But it is part of Heavenly Father's plan and I am grateful. I am grateful lithium works for me, that it controls my mania and depression. I'm grateful for my four beautiful living children who make me laugh each and every day. And,  I'm thankful for the chance to try again. One day. When the time is right.

----

Megan is a stay at home Mom, PTA Board member, Piano teacher and runner who struggles with Biploar disorder and blogs at www.pinkpanda2.blogspot.com

Are you going to a New Years Eve party this year? I have the perfect dish for you to take that will leave everyone singing your praises and begging you to bring this dish to every gathering you attend!

My family begs me to bring these to every get together we have-- including the picnic at the beach. They are seriously that good!

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
1 can (8oz) whole water chestnuts, drained
1 package (16oz) bacon, sliced in half
6 Tbsp Chili Sauce (or ketchup)
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (regular mustard works, too)


Wrap each water chestnut with 1/2 slice of bacon and secure with a wooden tooth pick. Arrange bacon wrapped chestnuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan (9x13).  Broil until crispy-- 5-7 minutes. Drain. Blend Chili sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Spoon the sauce over each chestnut. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Yeild: 30 appetizers

* I usually use 2-3 cans of chestnuts and then as much bacon as is needed to wrap all the chestnuts-- that amount will fill a 9x13 pan (and give you way more than 30 appetizers).  I always double my sauce! 12 Tbsp of the chili sauce = the entire bottle. If you run out of sauce, just  make more.

---

At the end of a LONG day, saying those little words, "Good night! I love you... NO NOISE!" are like a free pass to Disneyland. 

I adore my children. I even adore most of the time I get to spend with them (which is approximately 13 waking hours a day, not to mention countless moments in the wee small hours of the night.) I wouldn't trade my job for a seven-figure salary, honestly, I wouldn't.

But on days that start too early, are insane all day and then finally fall apart completely by 7:00 pm, I am so grateful to tuck them into their beds, with our nightly rituals safely in place, close the door and walk away.

You see, generally they go right to sleep. They are nice that way. Then a few hours later, when I can't keep my own eyes open anymore, I get to sneak in. I cover them with blankets, smooth their hair, kiss their foreheads, and thank my Heavenly Father for another day that I had with them. I always pause to breathe and remember; they will be towering over me within years. I have such a short while that they are MINE.

Some days are way harder than I ever bargained for, but I am absolutely determined to live this quote:

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."  (Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, November 2008)

Dave an I were engaged during the holiday season back in 1999.  In fact, our wedding was planned to take place a few weeks after Christmas.  So during the entire month of December, we were anxiously getting everything ready for our special wedding day.

Because it was the first time we were celebrating Christmas together, I was extra excited to see what gift I was to receive from him....thoughts of sugar plums and anything romantic danced in my head during that time.  When Dave came to my house on Christmas Eve, he told me he had my gift.  Knowing I just couldn't wait until the next morning, he asked if I wanted it now.  Of course I did!

He went to the back of his car, and from the trunk, brought out a gift bag.  I excitedly opened it to see what was inside.

It was a day planner.

The look of disappointment could not be hid from my face.  He knew immediately something was wrong.  And I felt so awful for a couple of reasons.

1. That I didn't like it.

2. That he knew I didn't like it and felt absolutely horrible about it.

He said it took him such a long time to come up with the perfect gift for me.  And he thought with my busy life that was to be ahead of me after we were married, (job, school, numerous church callings, etc.) I could use a planner to organize my time and energy.

All I saw was a book full of dates and papers and nothing romantic about it.  All my sugar plum thoughts went out the window in a sweet rush of speedy disenchantment.

Looking back on that time in our lives, I see someone who really put time and thought into something so sweet for me.....and I, the immature girl at the time was just horrible.

Our Christmases each year have always been one of joking when it came to what Dave would get me....since I started things on such the wrong foot with him in the gift receiving department.  And it is something I can never take back...but learn from.  As the years have gone by, I've come to appreciate every gift Dave has given me.  In fact, the following year, Dave gave me a beautiful diamond ring that belonged to his late grandmother.  And every year after that he has really done an amazing job in trying to make me feel special with the gifts he has given me.  And I have really tried to do the same.  And I've learned that there is more to this holiday season than what we receive, but what we give to those we love around us.

And really, when it comes down to it.  It's not my birthday we're celebrating, right?

---

Katy is a musically inclined wife and mother of three who enjoys life's many adventures...especially when cheesecake is involved. Ahhhh...blessed cheesecake.  Her roller coaster of thoughts can be found at http://www.ourdaisylife.blogspot.com/.  admission is always free.








*picture self owned

The Winners for the icaughtsanta.com giveaway are as follows: 

Comment: 
14 - Monica
19 - Tracy
22 - Nina
4 - Kris
13 - HJF 

You have until tomorrow December 24th at NOON MST to get me your email addresses-- otherwise the gift certificate will be given to someone else.

The winner of the Thanksgiving Point Yearly Pass is: 

1- Zina

Zina, You have until December 24th at NOON MST to get me your address so I can get that in the mail to you. Otherwise we will pick another winner.

Our city has a tradition: Christmas Street Parade, on the first Saturday of December. Some years it is rainy, or snowy, or one of the bag pipers falls down from a heart attack. We don't always stay to the very end.

This year it was chilly. Even with gloves and hoods pulled up we still had cold toes. I was standing with my 9 year old and 12 year old as the last entry in the parade drove by.

There was a real white-bearded, fairly slim Santa, cheerful and waving and inviting us to the park for hot chocolate, cookies and toys, "...lots of toys. I have a full truck load of toys!"

"Is it free?" I wondered? I only had three $1 bills I had found in one of my coat pockets searching for my gloves.

Sam really wanted to go, so we walked the two blocks north to the park, away from the direction I had parked the car at the bowling alley just before the parade began.

A line was forming, snaking along the sidewalk from a little Santa cottage that is there year round. I had noticed the sign at the park before, "Santa's line starts here" but didn't know the tradition behind it.

The middle school band played Christmas music under the pavilion. Santa posed with the City Council members, including our own Grandma Sandy. Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer and the Cat in the Hat and Frosty and the high school Eagle mascot entertained the line, walking up and down and posing for personal photos.

I asked my children what they would tell Santa they needed. Sam said "Halo Reach" and had to explain to me what that meant, and Roxie corrected me, "Not what I need, what I WANT" which is a webkin wolf.

Santa's elf helpers (4 of them) were line control directors. To keep Santa from getting stormed with children? I asked one elf, "What is the difference between vulcan ears and elf ears?"

"Who you work for!" She said she started coming to the park after the parade when she was 7 years old, and he has been the same Santa--she is 18 now. Every year he does this, buys the toys himself, puts together all the gift bags with Mrs. Santa, and also goes to the soup kitchens, Boys & Girls' clubs. It is what he does. He looks the part, but a healthier version of the icon.

We waited for our turn. Sam went first, and as Santa reached for an age-appropriate gift bag he asked Mrs. Santa to go get the soccer balls out of the truck. It ended up being a volley ball, but we forgave Santa that easily.

As Roxie sat on his lap, looking a little unsure about what to tell him now that she was up close, he looked in her eyes and said he could tell she was a good girl. He asked her if she said her prayers.

She nodded.

He said he could tell that she did, that it showed in her face and he asked her to always remember the Reason for the Season and how important He is, that He is why we celebrate giving, because of everything He gave us.

I was nodding my head, tears streaming down my face.

Santa gave Roxie a clear plastic gift bag full of all kinds of things and then he stood up and came the three steps over to me and hugged me.

I cried harder. He patted my back, handed me a huge candy cane, grabbed a big Simba stuffed animal and gave it to me and smiled at me and told me it was okay.

Why such an emotional response? I felt like a little kid. I was thinking of all my early Santa wishes, that he would make everything that made me sad all better and bring me what I really needed/wanted; the early years of our marriage when we didn't want to lie to our children about make-believe stories and boycotted Santa decorations on our tree; our change to gradually accept him as culturally relevant and important and watching in amazement as the older children perpetuated the Santa myth with instructing their younger siblings on leaving cookies-for-Santa etiquette; and my understanding spiritual similarities between Santa symbolism and Christ as a Giver of Life, not just wrapped seasonal gifts.

It was complicated but really simple, too. I felt such love and amazement at this sweet and kind and thoughtful Santa and blessed to hear his testimony to my daughter of the real Christmas.

We walked the four blocks back to the bowling alley and our car, cold toes, and warmed hearts.

Sam is thrilled with his volley-soccer ball. I saw Roxie playing with a stuffed wolf from this Santa last night.

I am thankful for all the Santas everywhere, but especially mine. I will wait in line for him next year, snow or rain or cold wind, with or without my children.

---
~ Jennilyn Babcock Landbeck

---
~ Patty Ann

I believed.  I listened for sleighbells.  I left cookies...and milk.

Did you?

Now, I am a parent - faced with a looming juncture in my parenting journey - to go all-out in upholding and recreating the lore, wonder, and magic...aaand commercialism and distraction of Santa
...or not.

Considerations:

• My husband is anxious about it.  He doesn't like imagining the day our daughter says, "So...you lied?"  We both don't like the explanation that would be required thereafter, wherein we distinguish between pretending because it brings joy and happiness into our lives and having faith because it brings joy and happiness to our lives.  Because our lives are founded upon many things that others would tell our children are pretend/make believe/a lie (scathing!)...is it risky business to add the Santa tale to the mix?  Hypocritical?  Confusing?
• But then there's a girl called Melody (pseudonym).  A girl from a family we know and love...who elected to leave Santa out of their Christmas traditions.  A girl, who at age six , approached her parents and said, "Please, please can we have Santa this Christmas. I want to believe."  When this was recounted to me, I'm pretty sure the portion of my heart dedicated to Christmas (there's a whole portion, I'm telling you) flamed up, red hot with Christmas spirit and tingles.  Santa isn't all bad...and is it my right to take the choice to believe away?
• So do we leave it open and up to our children, with mantras such as, "It's up to you what you believe"?  Because again, when it comes to our other beliefs (mostly intangible), there will be no mistaking what we believe.
• Do we dissolve the jolly fat man image and replace him instead with Saint Nick?  We could acknowledge the story and the man  - after all, there's no denying our children will be exposed to this iconic figure.  Perhaps we should instead be asking what our angle will be on who he is, and what he represents.  Can a certain type of Santa work in harmony with our interests in keeping Christ in Christmas?  I'd like to think that's what this Santa was all about:

• Lastly, should we take this middle road (there is such a man, he is a wonderful legend that represents the spirit of giving - a man who understood how Christ would have us be), does that mean no gifts from Santa?  No farce?  No reindeer tracks in icing sugar nor watching at windows, by starlight?  Are we robbing them?

---

Angela Noelle  waved fare-thee-well to her previous playgrounds (the classroom,  office  and art gallery) in favour of drinking in every delicious   moment of  motherhood on offer. Now she juggles that privilege with her  nesting   instincts, design contracts, sales work, her churchy  responsibilities, pregnancy cravings, and the need to straighten things –  all with her  cherub (Esky) in  tow. You can read more from a Mormon Mum in New Zealand over at Angela Noelle's blog, Striking Keys.





Saint Nick image from Vintage Feedsacks (free vintage clipart).

My sister has this little stuffed Elf that she has in her house that "magically" moves every single night to a new spot in the house. Her kids LOVE it and she loves it because boy-howdy! Are her kids ever GOOD during the month of December.

My sister's friend doesn't do Santa at all with her kids-- so instead of the moving Elf, she has a picture of Jesus that she moves every night in the month of December. The idea with that being that Jesus is always watching you.

I personally celebrate Jesus AND Santa Claus.

Santa Claus comes to our house and leaves us presents-- and Jesus is always present in everything we do.

Some people do both.

Some people don't do Santa Claus at all.

What do you do?

Ready, Set Discus!

Last year my husband and I went to GREAT lengths to make a video of "Santa" leaving the presents under the tree. We actually included jingle bells, and some major ho ho ho-ing, too. It rocked our kids worlds! They played that video (which just happened to be on their flip camera that they got for Christmas) to everyone that came to see us for the next two weeks!

This year we have something easier in mind: I caught Santa – right next to MY tree!

 <--- That right there?

 It’s MY Christmas Tree! And that’s MY Fireplace that Santa is kneeling in front of placing all the kids presents!

 My “Santa Doubter” is going to flip! She wants so badly to still believe.

This photo is going to rock her world!

And,  the best part of it all? It took less than 5 minutes to make this! FIVE MINUTES! 

First,  I used their  free iPhone App.  I had the picture taken, made and put up on Facebook and emailed to my husband and sisters in less than 5 minutes!  I even had 3 phone calls about "how did you do that? I want one!" in those 5 minutes.


Next, I got out my “good camera” and took another picture and went to the website and created the photo you see on the blog. I had the whole thing done in under 10 minutes. It only took longer because there are options to tweak the photo and to tweak the Santa to have the same “colors” as your tree. By taking the extra time, I think it actually looks like he’s real.

My Dad even called me to ask “How much did you spend on hiring that Santa to pose in front of your tree?!”

Now for the fun part! icaughtsanta.com is offering FIVE gift cards to our readers to get your own proof of Santa’s existence. Your kids are going to LOVE this!

To Enter:

Simply leave a comment on this post.

for additional entries:

Extra Entry 1: Subscribe to our Newsletter:

Name


Email

Extra Entry 2: Become a blog follower
Extra Entry 3: Follow us on Twitter, @mmbcommunity
Extra Entry 4: And join us on Facebook.

Giveaway Details:

• Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
• Giveaway only open until December 23rd at 6:00pm EST
• Be sure to leave your email address in the comments so that we can get your gift card codes sent out in time for Christmas!
• Winners will be chosen by random.org 

If you can't wait to see if you are one of the lucky winners, then you can use the code MMBCommunity for  25% off at checkout!

For more chances to win please visit our sister sites: Local Community Hot Spots, CBC and LeeLou Blogs

I spent my first six Christmases in Ohio - with snow, actual icicles, earmuffs, and the anticipation of a Christmas turkey.  Every year since, I've been in New Zealand for Christmas - with sun, sand, barbeques, and pohutukawa (pictured above) in full bloom.

In fact, one of my clearest memories soon after immigrating, being thickly-accented and bright-eyed at a NZ school, was being seated in a school hall singing a very foreign and kooky carol titled, "Christmas on the Beach,"  en masse, as the season approached.  It took some getting used to.

In New Zealand, most Kiwis associate Christmas with their longest annual holiday and an opportunity to escape to their bach or crib (both terms for small, cheap holiday homes) for a week or two of relaxation.  School has its largest break at the same time, and this small island country flocks to the beaches in jandals (flip flops) for games of cricket and touch rugby...some on Christmas day.  Yet with such a mighty contingent spending the festive season on the sand, it's remarkable to have so much space to yourself - as a New Zealand beach is rarely crowded.

While some stay away from the scorching, southern hemisphere rays, and others deliberately bake under them, what most Kiwis have in common at Christmas is an interest in spending time with one's family.  While this is good and swell, it's a shame that country-wide the religious significance of Christmas has largely been shelved in place of this "family day" focus, alone.  This shift has been so great that many schools no longer sing or present Christmas carols or shows that make any reference to Christ...for fear of offending someone.

For most, this family day and its lead-up entail a roast dinner (a couple of chickens will often do), and decorating a tree together.  For many it also involves Santa, hanging stockings, presents, making a Christmas fruit cake, and singing carols by candlelight (which has to be scheduled pretty late at night, given that at this time of year it's not getting very dark until around 9:30pm).  Some still honour the tradition of viewing the Queen's Christmas message (we're part of the Commonwealth, after all), and others attend a church service in some form.

All in all, those who are clinging to the "Christ" in Christmas are definitely in the minority, but His significance to those who do is almost always respected.  One thing that believers and the less-so do equally well in New Zealand, is remembering Christmas is about giving, and I each year I find opportunities a-plenty to smile as I see generousity and love evidenced in the actions of many.


---

Angela Noelle  waved fare-thee-well to her previous playgrounds (the classroom,  office  and art gallery) in favour of drinking in every delicious   moment of  motherhood on offer. Now she juggles that privilege with her  nesting   instincts, design contracts, sales work, her churchy  responsibilities, pregnancy cravings, and the need to straighten things –  all with her  cherub (Esky) in  tow. You can read more from a Mormon Mum in New Zealand over at Angela Noelle's blog, Striking Keys.
















Ppohutakawa photograph by Hans Spruijt; Beach Santa image uncredited,  available online via Google Images; and The Nativity sourced from The Gospel Art Picture Kit online (LDS.org).

Christmas French Toast Casserole
5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan. 
2. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Recently,I found myself engaged in a conversation all about family Christmas traditions.  My friend asked the group what traditions they have which bring the true meaning of Christmas to life. 

I told her that each year on Christmas Eve our family has a tradition to give Jesus presents.  We all decide what we can do, or correct in our lives.  Thinking like this gives us the chance to deliberately choose to accept the atonement and the "living waters" of Jesus Christ. 

After I shared this Peck family tradition, another friend commented.  She said that her family has the same tradition, but instead of just talking about their gift or writing it down, they put the papers in a stocking.  Apparently, they have a large white stocking which they use to hold the letters to Jesus. 

This friend told me that every year she takes a quiet minute to look through the old papers and remembers how her family has changed and grown.  I thought this was a beautiful image, and a great idea!  I am going to get a stocking, or a wrapped box that is always out at Christmas time reminding us that the only thing we can give to Christ is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. 

Elder Oaks has said that the only thing we can give Christ is our will to do good.  I completely agree with this and love this family tradition to teach this lesson to my children.

Merry Christmas!  May all your traditions bring the spirit of love into your homes too. 

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Nicholeen's parenting blog is http://teachingselfgovernment.com

Once again, this Sunday the Relief Society Binder completely passed my by.

How it can bypass a whole row of women, is of great mystery to me, but I've decided to do something about it.

MMB-ers, I present to you: A How-To Pass the Binder Diagram.

(click to enlarge)

Feel free to print it out, and stick it in YOUR Relief Society binders. I made it letter size and everything.

Vermicomposting.

 It sounds nasty, right?  Like vermin...composting stuff.  Ewwww.....


We started vermicomposting in our garage just over a year ago now, and seriously: it is SO SIMPLE.  In a nutshell, you keep a box of worms handy, and feed them raw fruit and veggie scraps.  You give them a quiet and dark place to live, and they eat the produce and leave you with worm castings, which are an amazing addition to your garden soil.

The quintessential guide to vermicomposting is Mary Apelhopf's book, Worms Eat My Garbage.  It's more like a really big pamphlet than a book, but that's because this is really simple stuff.  If you're interested in setting up your own compost station, I definitely recommend her book!

Here is how we've dealt with our system:

• I started with a medium-sized styrofoam cooler, picked up from a Freecycler, punched full of holes for ventilation.
• I tore black and white newspaper into strips, and got them sponge-damp, and filled the box halfway full
• I added half a pound of red wriggler worms purchased at the farmer's market.  They multiply, but they hate light.  I've never actually seen more than a worm or two!  You can purchase worms online, too.
• One pound of worms can eat about 3 pounds of food scraps a week- if you chop the food up, they can eat it faster, but it's not necessary.
• I like to add the scraps to the corners of the box, rotating around clock-wise, so it's spread evenly.  You'll want to add a handful or two of dry newspaper strips every time you add food, to combat the moisture and to cover the scraps.
• For all intents, every vegetable and fruit has fruit fly eggs on it: either freeze the scraps or microwave them to kill the fruit flies, so you don't get an infestation.  Fruit flies won't hurt anything, but they sure are annoying!
• Bugs and mold is normal in the vermicompost bin.  I've found small amounts of white mold, roly poly bugs, and other tiny bugs and wormy things I can't identify.  As long as you  keep good conditions in your box (food, not too much) these bugs and worms will stay in the box and break everything down.  (If they're leaving the box, you know something's wrong in there.)
• This doesn't smell.  Promise.  Worms like dark, and don't like vibration- too much stress, and they'll actually die.  Otherwise I'd have this bin under the sink, but the garbage disposal and dishwasher would be too much for them.  

Do you like to play board games with your family? Have you every stopped to ask yourself why?

We know there are many great reasons why playing games are good for children: learning social skills, learning how to take turns, learning how to think critically, and more. But when you pull a board game off the shelf are you really thinking “I need to help Johnny learn some critical reasoning skills tonight.”? I don’t think so.

Since we’ve started our board game and card game video reviews, people have wondered if that’s all we do. They’ve wondered if we simply play games every day. Well, the answer to that question is a resounding “no”.

Like most families, our lives of full of many activities every day that have us all going in different directions. And even after we get back home after school and work, there are yet more activities that keep us running around. Lacrosse practices, soccer practices, dance practice, boy scouts activities, piano lessons, and guitar lessons. The kids also need to fit in their school homework to the mix. Then throw on top of that the meetings mom and dad have as well as trying to fit in a date night. And what do you have left? The weekend. Nope. Because that’s taken too with all the sports games and such.

If you’re a parent (which we assume the readers of this typically are), then I’m sure you’re just nodding your head in agreement. Or you could be saying, “You ain’t seen nothin’ brother. We also have swimming lessons, voice lessons, karate, city council, school board, yada yada yada.” The point is – we’re all feeling the demands of many activities on our families. So what can we do?

Well, there are a number of things we do to try to keep our sanity in check and to make sure we keep focused on what matters most. And what we feel matters most is our family.

Experience life together
Part of developing a good family is providing experiences for our children to be well rounded. So we sign them up for various activities to let them discover things that they enjoy. But in doing so, we try to minimize the strain on our family time. So we let each child select a sport and a musical instrument, but limit it to one at a time. When possible, dad takes the coaching role to be there with them. And when there’s a performance or a game, we all go together to support each other (as much as game schedules allow).

Make the time
Another key to keeping the family together is simply making the time. Even with all the evening activities we make eating dinner together as a family a focus (another benefit of coaching the sports teams is dad can pick the practice times). Sitting down together for even a few brief minutes in the evening can help keep us grounded.

Two other points during the week that we make the time for is attending church services together every Sunday and having a Family Night every Monday. Both of these activities are great ways to recharge our batteries every week and show our family what’s important to us.

Family Game Time
So family game time usually crops up during those recharging activities (ok, not during church, but during that day). And it’s not always board games and card games either. A Monday family night game might be an obstacle course in the back yard, or animal charades, or karaoke. But it’s something that we all do together to have fun. But our board game closet does get the most visitors on those days.

Sunday afternoons are great times to pull out a board game or card game and sit down together and enjoy one another’s company. On Monday nights we make sure to all play together, but on Sunday, board games or card games are usually in smaller groups. Stealing away to a child’s bedroom for a card game is great one-on-one bonding time. And sitting down with two siblings that weren’t getting along earlier in the week and pulling out a cooperative board game can be a great way to get them working together again.

While those may be the most frequent times we play board games as a family, they aren’t the only times. The trick is being able to set aside your cares long enough to spend a little bit of your time with your kids in fun mode. If you have a stash of some simple card games, it really only takes 5 minutes to share some special moments with your children. And that’s why we really play board games – to simply share more moments together.

Oh and did I forget to mention how much joy can be had from getting everyone out in the garden to weed? Well, that’s probably because we’re still working on that one.

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- The Board Game Family

A wise friend of mine sent me this in an email:

“It is amazing how staying away from friends makes all the difference with children.  WE had a week like that last week, and now the children are getting along much better.  Wow, life is ever so interesting.”

I think it speaks for itself, but it is a great reminder that we often go looking for fulfilment and pleasure outside of our families, when the real fulfillment, joy and pleasure was meant to happen within our families, at home.  If we get enough time alone, as a family, we become closer and then we develop the kind of power we need to really influence the world for good. 

I am always able to tell if someone comes from a strong, close family.  They are different somehow, and usually more happy.  I know I can make the world a better place just by being a really great mother/parent.  The best things are always simple, that goes for improving our communities and nation as well.  Amazing!

Visit Nicholeen's blog http://teachingselfgovernment.com before Chirstmas and type in the code word holiday1 and get a discount on her book Parenting A House United



Nicholeen Peck
*Wife, Mother, Foster Parent
*Author: Parenting A House United, http://teachingselfgovernment.com
*Public Speaker and Star of BBC program The World's Strictest Parents

I love young adult time-travel. So when I heard that Jeffrey S. Savage had written a new book titled The Fourth Nephite I quickly volunteered to read it for a review.

Here's the back liner of the book:

Busted. Football star Kaleo Steele gets caught under the high school bleachers with the wrong group of friends. Even worse, he's caught by his seminary teacher, Brother Mortensen. If Kaleo gets turned in, he'll be in jeopardy of missing the regional championship game.
It doesn't help that Kaleo has been cutting seminary class. What's the point? Mumbo jumbo stories about gold plates and Joseph Smith? Brother Mortensen decides Kaleo is ready for an extraordinary "field trip"--one that could alter the course of his life and heart.
Reluctantly, Kaleo begins a journey that sends him to meet a mysterious old blind man and travel an underground maze before pushing through a battered wooden door only to find himself in Palmyra, New York, in the fall of 1827.
Soon, Kaleo and a nineteenth-century friend named Jennie are caught up in a battle between treasure seekers--led by Alistair Blackburn, a necromancer, hired to steal the gold plates--and the young Joseph Smith, who has sworn to keep them safe.
In his quest to find a key that will send him back to his own time, Kaleo will have to decide for himself what to believe and who to trust. Before it's too late.

This book is such a fun read. A small blurb is placed before each chapter. It is written as though Kaleo is talking to the reader and gives just a hint of what the following pages hold in store. What a wonderful writing device to pull you into the story!

As you read about Kaleo you find he is a guy you want to see succeed. You're there hoping he won't go with his friends to a party where you know something bad will happen. You listen as Kaleo reasons his doubts away and convinces himself it will be all right. You feel Kaleo's horror as he is caught by his seminary teacher. And you also feel his panic as he worries that all the years he has trained in football to play for college football scouts may never happen because of that one split second he let down his guard.

As I followed Kaleo on his trip to visit Ladan when he became lost in the tunnels and found himself in Palmyra, New York in 1827, I couldn't help but wish seminary teachers today could actually send troubled teens on the same adventure. But then I realized...all our youth need do is read this wonderful book that shows the prophet Joseph as a real person whom they would probably like if they had a chance to meet him.

I strongly recommend The Fourth Nephite. It's a wonderful, fanciful novel that not only entertains, but teaches.

(I was given a free copy of this book to read. I reviewed it because I liked it.)

Kathi Oram Peterson is the mother of three, grandmother of two and wife of one. She has always loved books, whether she’s reading or writing them. Her first published novel was The Forgotten Warrior (2009) followed by An Angel on Main Street (2009). Her new novel, The Stone Traveler is now in stores. Her next novel, River Whispers, will be released in the spring of 2011.

Photo by Marc Reynolds