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Family Easter Traditions 2015 - One Small Child

Mom Talk: Family Easter Traditions

Holidays are a great time to get everyone together and share in family traditions. We love to hear how different families celebrate. So, today we’re sharing some family Easter traditions from a few local moms.

Family Easter Traditions 2015

SueAnn:

We have a big family and every year we get together on the river bottoms and have a big Easter egg hunt for the kids. The teenagers get to find a bag filled with candy. They love it because they get to feel like they are not a child anymore but they still get the thrill of hunting for something.  We always have an open-pit fire so everyone can roast a hot dog for lunch and there is always good food to go with them.  Then we get to visit with each other and catch up on what is happening in each of our lives.  This is a great time for everyone and the kids especially look forward to it.

Katy:

I like to split the Easter holiday into two days.  We try to do the Easter Bunny activities, which include egg hunts, candy and fun activities on Saturday. My favorite thing the Easter bunny gives the littles are a new Sunday church outfit. Maybe a dress shirt for the boys and a dress for the girls. We often are given a book about Christ for the littles to read as well.

We reserve Sunday for more religious events.  We want Sunday to be Christ-centered. We talk about the Savior and how important He is in our lives and that He rose from the dead that day. This year, I want to try this Easter activity centered on Jesus.

Bethany:

Growing up my Mom always made Egg Asparagus Casserole on Easter. She would just use sliced bread, nothing fancy, and dry it out a little in the oven. Then we would have to count all the eggs and make sure we found them all because my Mom made sure that there was a enough for the casserole. If there were cracked eggs the coloring would soak through, and we had multi-colored casserole.

For my little family, we stay in Blackfoot for a city hunt and support the activities where we live.

Samantha:

I have the fun opportunity to start Easter traditions with my little family this year. My daughter is just over and year and we’re expecting a son just after Easter. I want family traditions to be a big part of their lives, so I’ve put a lot of thought into how we celebrate holidays now.

I know my little girl will love hunting for Easter eggs and we’ll probably let her indulge in some treats. I adored the gift baskets the Easter bunny brought to me as a child and plan to carrying on that tradition on as well. I hope to do the egg hunt and bunny basket on the Saturday before Easter Sunday so that we can have a more religious celebration on the Sabbath. I fell in love with this idea from Your Home-based Mom. You read the Easter story from the bible with fun trinkets that help you remember it. I especially love this for little kids.

As a child, I always got a new dress to wear to church on Easter Sunday. I loved getting all dressed up in something new. I hope my kids will love these traditions as much as I did when I was a child.

Share with us! We’d love to hear your family Easter traditions!

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My St. Patrick’s Day Tradition

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Growing up I knew what our St. Patrick’s Day tradition was. There would be green everywhere I turned. Green decor, green milk, green biscuits at dinner and of course green clothes. But something that never happened on St. Patrick’s Day was my mother wearing green. Ever.

My mother is half Irish and just so happens to have green eyes. (Being adopted that never was an excuse I could use). She took great pride in trying to keep up Irish traditions even though her mother died when she was 16 and her father just after she enlisted in Vietnam as a nurse. Her source for family traditions was gone so early in her life that she kind of had to improvise and come up with something new to make the holiday fun for the kids.

Every year she would prepare breakfast with as many items she could put green food coloring in. When I would come home from school I could always smell the Corned Beef and Cabbage cooking. Do I like Corned Beef and Cabbage? Not even close, but the taste and smell will always bring me back to my mom. She served it with vinegar, green biscuits many years and sweet iced tea, being that not only was she half Irish, but she was also from the South. There is just something special about the nostalgia that comes from sitting down to a meal you’ve had so many times over.

But there is also something exciting that comes from changing those traditions just a little and making it into something new with your own family. I love to cook to celebrate holidays, like my mom, and always look for something new and fun to try. The best kinds of recipes are the ones the littles can help with because you can talk while you cook, teach them a skill and get a wonderful treat out of it!

One of my favorite places to get recipe ideas is the blog Oh So Delicioso. They have several recipes for St. Patrick’s Day but by my favorite is the Neon Green Punch since I have small children that love the color! Electric green is a head turner and since it’s not too sweet I don’t have to worry about giving a second glass to my kids. Another one of my favorite sites for recipes is Weelicious as well (you can see the natural green recipes here).

I have found that with modern traditions, it’s not necessarily about having the exact same thing each year but that you do something each year so your kids know about the holiday and what fun you can have with it. My kids are all preschool age and younger so the big school parties won’t happen until this coming fall. Until then we have the opportunity to make each holiday unique to us and what we love.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Mom Talk Monday: Cherlyn Jenkins

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-Tell us a little about your family and why it is special?

My family is special for many reasons. We are blended and trans-racial family. My husband had 1 daughter and twin boys when we married. One year and 10 months after we married we adopted our our next son and 15 months later were able to add our youngest son through adoption. My husband and his children are African American and our sons and I are Caucasian. Whenever I think of our family, I think of a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream that one day . . . little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” That is our family.

-What do you do for work/volunteer outside of being a wife and mom?

I was a school teacher for 20 years and quit my job when my boys were 1 and 8 months old to start my own company. I designed a coat that is safe to be worn with a car seat. It is called the Cozywoggle. (They are currently available online here.) I have been in business for almost 3 years now and it has been a wild and amazing ride.

-Is there something your family does on a regular basis for quality time?

We have quite an age spread in our family. Our oldest is 18 and our youngest is 3. Our family’s favorite activity is to spend time at the beach when the weather is good. We also love visiting the monuments and museums at the nations capitol together.

-How do you take time for yourself to recharge?

For me it is very challenging to find time to recharge myself but I am realizing the need for me to do so more every day. I am really drawn to yoga and am finding that practicing is really bringing balance and calm into my life. I also LOVE the occasional night out with girl friends.

-What is your go to, never fail and in a pinch recipe?

Crock pot chicken tacos!

-5 or 6 Chicken breasts

-One jar of salsa

-1 packet of taco seasoning

Put everything in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. When it is done cooking, stir and the chicken will shred. Delicious. I freeze the leftovers for enchiladas and taco soup.

-What is the one product you can not live without?

My crock pot and my Deep Dish Covered Baker. They both make for easy dinners which are important for me.

If your interested in being featured on Mom Talk Monday, email us at [email protected]. Subject line “MOM TALK”.

Christi mom talk - One Small Child

Mom Talk Monday: Momtrepreneur Christi Kotter

Mom Talk Monday

We are so happy to introduce you all to Christi Kotter of Lily’s Closet for Mom Talk Monday! She is a friend of ours and we love her darling children’s line. The fun geometrics and feathers are adorable and we love all of it from the scarves, skirts, dresses, headbands, burp cloths and slouchy beanies. Get to know this amazing Momtrepreneur and how she makes time with her family count. When we started Mom Talk Monday we knew she was a woman we wanted to feature!

-Tell us a little about your family and why it is special?

Our family started out with Kevin and I as high school sweethearts which I think is pretty special. We have been blessed with two darling little boys, and then were pleasantly surprised with a little baby girl 2 years ago. They are my whole universe.

-What do you do for work/volunteer outside of being a wife and mom?

I recently chose to be a stay at home mom and at the same time opened my own sewing business so that I could both support my family and be home when my children need me the most. The clothing is modern children’s clothing and we named the shop after my little girl, Lily’s Closet. It has been the greatest blessing to be able to work from home. I am so grateful for the bonding time with my children. Aside from that I constantly devote a lot of my time to my church and I love every minute of it.

-Is there something your family does on a regular basis for quality time?

Yes we are devoted San Francisco 49er fans! We love making great food and watching the games as a family. When it’s not Football season we love the outdoors we love to go hunting and fishing together. Family time is our favorite time.

-How do you take time for yourself to recharge?

This is something I think we all as mothers need to work on. We devote so much of our time and ourselves to our family that it’s hard to take time for yourself. But I suppose if there is anything I do it would just be a simple relaxing bath with lots of bubbles and some warm hot chocolate. 🙂 And the occasional pedicure sure is nice.

-What is your go to, never fail and in a pinch recipe?

Oh my goodness this happens way more often then I would like to admit but my “Oh no what’s for dinner” go to recipe is believe it or not Shepard’s Pie. Good old comfort food. However most recipes call for red sauce when making this, but we do it differently and I think it tastes way better!

Ingredients:

1 lb Hamburger

1 Can Green Beans Drained

1 Can Corn Drained

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Cup Milk

1-2 Cups Mashed Potatoes (Instant works just fine!)

1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Brown Hamburger and drain the fat. Put cooked hamburger in a casserole dish, layer on the green beans then the corn. In a separate bowl mix both the soup and the milk, then pour on top the other ingredients. Lastly top with mashed potatoes and then spread the cheese on top. Cook at 350 for 35-40 minutes and enjoy!

-What is the one product you can not live without?

Disposable Diapers! LOL, just kidding, this is going to sound funny but recently I have developed a love for lipstick. Which I never thought I would say however, as a mom of young children you are constantly running errands and half the time you have a questionable mysterious substance on your clothing. You don’t always have time to fix your hair perfectly or put on your makeup so frequently on those occasions I find that if I put on a dab of lipstick it makes me feel a little prettier and like a lady.

Thanks for the opportunity to let me share a little bit about myself. We absolutely LOVE One Small Child, it’s such a wonderful family business. Thanks for all you do. xoxoxoxo

See for yourself some of Christi’s amazing designs!

Arizona Dreamin’ Dress for Baby

Modern Knit Knot Headband (Set of 3)

Lily’s Closet Shop || Facebook || Instagram

If your interested in being featured on Mom Talk Monday, email us at [email protected]. Subject line “MOM TALK”.

Old Alarm Clock Background - One Small Child

Day in the Life of Mom: Bethany

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Highlighting one of our own One Small Child Moms and what a not always normal, but somewhat regular Day in the life of Mom looks like.

5:00am – Accidentally hit “dismiss” instead of “Snooze”. I’ll totally get up….

6:00am – Feed the baby. Finally get up.

6:30am – Bring myself downstairs to eat breakfast and do my daily devotional. Somehow even when I am alone I eat standing up. I stare at the overflowing dishes in the sink from last night. I lay my bowl on top.

7:00am – Exercise to either Jillian Micheals or Richard Simmons. Feeling lazy, Richard it is.

7:30am – “Mommy! Where are you?” I get the kids cereal and turn on a show for them. After a few snuggles I do some laundry, the dishes and feed the dog. Throw away a business card my husband wrote on years ago, no way it’s any good. The garbage man takes it away. Bathe the kids and get them dressed for Preschool. There is at least 1 meltdown and 1 toddler argument. Forget on the way out it’s Show and Tell day. Pick a toy, of course for both it’s the wrong one. Go back in and get new ones.

8:55am – Finally getting in the car, good thing Preschool is only a mile from our house.

9:05am – Get home and feed the baby. Cuddle him tight and really enjoy our alone time together since he is our last. Do a little bit of work and hopefully put on “real” clothes. I don’t…

11:15am – Get home, get lunch ready and do some reading/homework. More laundry.

1:15pm – “Quiet time”. My older two no longer nap. I want to cry uncontrollably over this.

1:30pm – Cleaning and de-cluttering. Doing a “Minimalist Challenge” since all of our junk stuff is starting to drive me crazy. I throw away a few more things I hope my husband doesn’t notice. Husband texts me to ask if I have seen a business card with writing on it, there is a lock combo on it for his work locker. He can’t remember the numbers… “I don’t know where it is.”

2:00pm – Sit down to work. Suddenly hear running water upstairs I don’t recognize… my kids put a whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet and flushed.

4:30pm – Start dinner. Husband calls to say he is on his way home and will promptly be called back to work in about 10 hours. Great. Confess to my card crime.

7:00pm – Get the older two in bed. Praise all that is good and holy.

7:30pm – Dishes/work/attempt to watch a show on Hulu. I get half way through one and promise I’ll finish it tomorrow; probably won’t.

10:30pm – Bed finally. Write my “to do” list on the ceiling like Sarah Jessica Parker did in “I don’t know how She does it”. Maybe I’ll try to watch that tomorrow…

Bethany is our social media consultant and works from home. She has 3 children, ages 4,3 and 4 months. Her husband works on call and is away 2 days at a time, so she has a lot of non-alone time. She dreams of a beach vacation, paying someone to clean her house every week and fall year round. Being with her kids and husband is her favorite way to spend any day.

Happy Loving Family Standing In Christmas Store - One Small Child

Mom Talk Monday: Christmas Traditions

Today we are rounding up some of our featured moms for Mom Talk Monday: Christmas Traditions. Every family has traditions they look forward to for the whole month of December. But sometimes adding something new can be fun and inspiring.

Katie Lindsay, and her husband set up a fort in their living room with cameo coverings and Christmas lights. Her four boys sleep in it on Christmas Eve while the wait for Santa.

Our own Bethany has a tradition that many families do. Her children receive pajamas on Christmas Eve each year, but they come from a few special someones. Santa’s elves leave the pajamas on the front door step and ding dong ditch so they are not seen.

Jen Haderlie, the new mom of twin girls, loves to go to Starbucks for a cocoa and driving to see the Christmas lights where she lives. After they get home they read the story of Christ’s birth before going to bed.

We hope you take time to make new traditions, while still enjoying the old ones, with your family this holiday.