Capitalization Rules for Pronouns & I: For 4th Grader

 Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQnIb4Hdwys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYDpMfd_5es

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKD5K9ePUlc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDRiur9kBPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxFGB5vErvw

Games:

https://www.turtlediary.com/games/capitalization.html

Plan to Eat: A Busy Mom's Guide to Managing Dinner

I love trying new recipes as much as I love our usual favorites. But keeping track of recipes has always been a bit of an unsurmountable task, especially now with so many recipes available on the internet. At one point I was printing them out and adding the sheets to protective sleeves in a three-ring binder. I've taped up handwritten favorites to the inside of a cabinet door. I used to have quite an extensive database built up in Evernote amongst my various other notes and saved items on the same platform. Lamenting about dinner planning woes to a fellow busy mom one day she mentioned what she uses - an app called Plan to Eat. The app is organized beautifully and has internet and phone accessibility. Recipes are easily imported via URL links straight from their sources wherever you find them on the internet. And you can even print them out all formatted the same way if you want. 

We tend to print out a few of our favorites every few months at the 4x6 size, laminate, hole punch the corner, and add to a binder ring hung by a command hook in my kitchen cabinet. Easy to refer to on nights I am stumped for dinner ideas. 

Want to give it a try? Use my link! https://app.plantoeat.com/ref/StacyQ

7 Year Itch?

Is seven years of silence too long to revive writing? So much to do, and so little time to write. 3 kiddos, homeschooling, crafting, traveling, hiking, reading. Contemplating breathing new life into this blog. 

February Freak Out: Essential Oil Edition!

I am super excited about February with Young Living!
And it is my birthday month so I want to celebrate
- and what better way than to pair it with a diffuser giveaway!

Questions? Get in touch with me! 317.946.4368 or visit tinyurl.com/YLstacyQ

Burn off Cabin Fever at the Urban Chalkboard (Admission Giveaway)!

With the temperatures taking a bit of plunge finally this winter season, cabin fever has been kicking in at our household. This mama isn't wanting to get outside much, but the cooped up kiddos are starting lose their cool. Thankfully, we have lots of indoor options of get out and burn a little of that energy off.

One of our favorite places to keep in the cabin fever avoidance rotation is just a short 30 min north of us (think quick car nap on the way up and back = score!) in Carmel - the Urban Chalkboard. Hoping one of these days a brilliant mama will take it upon herself to open one of these great concepts on our side of town, but in the meantime we don't mind the short jaunt on 465 it takes to get there. Well worth the admission cost and the drive.

What makes Urban Chalkboard so wonderful is the staff, the food, the size of the facility, and the many enrichment activities. From the train table to the dress up corner, an area for littles under 18 months, a reading nook under a tree, a playhouse and kitchen and tubes, balls, dinosaurs and more - there is something for every toddler taste. The layout makes it easy for you to sip your coffee (sooo good) and keep an eye on your kiddos while the amazing staff helps -- giving any tired mama the much needed moment to sit and breathe for a moment.

There is even great programming included from sensory play to baby raves complete with disco lights, bubbles, glow sticks and awesome music!

Matt and I pretty successfully wrote our 2014 Christmas cards out on a visit to the Urban Chalkboard - it worked out well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Introducing the Brand New 2016 Senior Spokesmodel Program: Jackson 2016

So very excited to announce and officially launch Stacy Quasebarth Photography's Senior Spokesmodel program and the very first participant hailing from Whiteland High School - Jackson!

Thank you for being so great to work with!

Puppies and Kitties! Ainsley's Big Second Birthday Bash!

If you know me, you know that one thing I love to do is plan my baby's birthday parties. Lots of crafts and DIY goodness to make them budget friendly of course - but so fun to plan and watch as their little eyes get big at the decorations, cake, and friends and family as they come in the door.

Ainsley has an especially soft spot for puppies and kitties. Wherever we go she always manages to spot a dog and delightfully screams "puppy!!" and always wants to try to give it a pat or hug. And kitties are no different - she will brave scratches just to get a good squeeze of lovings.

Thankful for the many friends and family who braved Saturday's crazy pop-up snow shower and celebrate our little lady's special day with us.

We enjoyed bowls of dog food (Reese Cup cereal) and Meow Mix (colored gold fish crackers), along with platters of cheese complete with toy mouse, and a heaping bowl of delicious Swedish Fish ($1 at Target!), Pink Velvet Cupcakes (Kroger), homemade buttercream and cream cheese icing, a kitty cat cake made from two bread loaf pans of cherry chip (Kroger) cake mix, Strawberry Ice cream (Aldi), pink lemonade and "gold" punch - this one was a complete accident that it turned out gold - pineapple juice, a bottle of sprite, a tub of rainbow sherbert. and ice cubes. "Paw" tato chips (Aldi) and "Pup"eroni pizza - homemade but the pepperoni and cheese and flour for the dough was from Aldi.

Ideas were all a mix of Pinterest inspirations and also inspired as they came to me walking through the aisles at Hobby Lobby.

Paw print balloons, gold glitter paper for the food tags and signs, black puppy and kitty cut outs for the garland and cupcake toppers, pink paper doilies, gold ribbon, gold striped napkins, pink paper plates, white length of chenille for kitty tails all found at Hobby Lobby.

Large glass jars were found at Walmart.

White doilies I had on hand but were from United Art & Education.

Clear party cups I usually find at Party City, but this time I picked up from Target - will be getting them from Party City again as these did not hold up and cracked way too easily. 

Improv Turkey Cheese Ball

Nearly a pinterest fail since I was missing a bunch of the necessary elements - didn't have a neck, head and couldn't find candy corn for a beak. We traveled up north with a cheese ball, stick pretzels, football pretzels and a bag of candy eyes and hope that we'd find the rest.

Along the way, we found all we needed thankfully! Some leftover trail mix at my mom's had the candy corn! And in her cupboard a jar of Nutella worked just was well as icing for the "glue" to hold on the eyes and anchor the head. And we ended up using a bumpy ferrero rocher chocolate head instead of a whopper - I think this was more authentic! ;) -- just hollowed out a bit of a hole into the chocolate, filled with a bit of Nutella and jammed it on the neck. Which of course I didn't have a slim jim but managed to cut down a piece of beef jerky stick to work just the same!

And thankfully Great Grandma always has a well-stocked supply of red fruit roll-ups for the turkey gobbler. :)

Ten Unique Santa & Holiday Time Experiences on the Southside...& Beyond

Well, looks like I waited too long this year to make our Breakfast with Santa reservations with Oak Hill Mansion. We made it last year and were so impressed and had wanted to do it again. We put our names on the wait list in case something comes open, but in the meantime am working up a plan B and thought I would share the ideas as I came across them. Thankfully there is so much we can still do to make some magical memories - even if it wasn't the first couple of things that came to mind. (Had also looked into the French Lick Polar Express which is also sold out by now).

Thankfully I have a long bucket list of holiday experiences I want to do with my kiddos - and thankfully that list keeps growing as I find out more amazing events going on right under my nose.

1. Breakfast with Santa at the Children's Museum - There is always breakfast with Santa at the Children's museum, with Christmas crafts, including decorating a big bag to ride down the holiday slide. Breakfast and a chance to sit and visit and take a picture with Santa and a chance to ride down the slide a time to two early before the big lines start to form for the day.

2. Tuesday, December 2 Starting at 6:30PM: Santa by appointment at Toodleydoo Toys
We visited and fell in love with Toodleydoo Toys last year and their Santa is ADORABLE. Forget crowds and long lines at the mall to visit a wore out Santa -- instead make a date to visit Toodleydoo Toys, be amazed at their toy selection, and walk down the beautifully decorated downtown Franklin streets. (Insiders Hint: take time to make a quick visit to neighboring Anna's Boutique for Mom - their control top fleece lined leggings are the best!)
$18 a child (includes craft, and gift bag) & $5 per additional child

3. Santa at Home Depot in Greenwood off 135: This is a new-to-us one we may try out this year. We love taking part in their free Kids Workshops building everything from bird houses to piggy banks on scheduled Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM. Matt took the kiddos this morning and picked up this flyer while he was there.

4. Tea with Mrs. Claus at Sassafras Tea Room in Greenwood: We have been to their Mother's Day Brunch and would love to do this with the girls if we have time to squeeze it in.
Monday, December 14, 4PM: $18 Includes gifts for the kids, desserts, tea, tax, and gratuity.

5. Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt in Cincinnati: This is more of a day trip but would love to go to something like this! Touted as the most authentic German Christmas Market in Cincinnati features Glühwein (hot spiced wine) and hot chocolate, Christian Moerlein beer, traditional baked goods, holiday gifts and decorations, and live entertainment!  First three weekends in December.
Cincideutsch Facebook Page

6. Jingle Rails at Eiteljorg Museum: Delaney has always loved trains and this one has been on our list for a few years now. With our Oak Hill Mansion mishap, this one is now on top of my list. A visit to the Jingle Rails Exhibit and maybe a short carriage ride around downtown with Yellow Rose Carriage off Monument Circle (after dropping off a letter to Santa's Mailbox and grabbing some hot chocolate at either Starbucks or Southbend Chocolate Company of course!)
November 21 - January 18, 2015 Admission: $12 adults. $6 youth. Kids 4 & under are FREE.
Mon–Sat: 10AM–  5PM. Sunday: 12noon –5PM 

7. IUPUI Alumni Association Holiday Night at the Children's Museum
Wednesday, December 9, 6:30-9:00 PM

We can bring the little ones and enjoy music, good food, SANTA!, and get crowd free access to the carosel and Jolly Slide! 

Adult (Alumni Association Members) - $20.00
Adult (Alumni Association Non-Members) - $25.00
IUPUI Students - $20.00 (with dinner)
IUPUI Students - $10.00 (without dinner)
Children aged 3 - 12 - $15.00
Children 2 and younger - Free

*Children's Museum Membership admission privileges may not be applied to this event*

Cost includes admission ticket (at a discounted rate), a buffet, drinks, and dessert. Make sure to drop off a non-perishable food item for IUPUI's Paws Food Pantry at The Central Indiana Alumni Chapter table.

8. The Magic Snowman performance at Lilly Theatre in the Children's Museum:Free with museum admission. Tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. at the Lower Level ticket booth. Members can reserve tickets in advance online or by calling 317-334-4000. Day-of tickets are available only at the Lower Level Ticket Booth.

Located on the Lower Level.
The Magic Snowman
Performances at 1 and 3 p.m. Nov. 27–29, Dec. 5–6, 12–13, 19–20, 22–23, 26–27, 29–31, and Jan. 1–3, 1 and 3 p.m.
Christmas Eve performance at 11:30 a.m.
ASL-interpreted performance, Jan. 2 at 1 p.m.

45 minutes; ages 4+

9. Mail Santa a Letter on Monument Circle and Downtown Indianapolis Yellow Rose Carraige Ride: Include a return stamp with your letter and mail by December 17 to Santa to get a letter back! $50 for 25 min carriage ride around downtown Indianapolis to see the festive lights, bundled up tight and warm with your loved ones.

10. Ornament Making at Johnson County Libraries: Putting up tree is always so nostalgic, looking at all the ornaments we have bought, received and made throughout the years is always so sweet. To add to our 2015 collection we love to visit the library on their ornament craft days.