Name Meaning Bookmarks

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

 

I get to review all sorts of curricula, websites, and other homeschool-related things as a member of the Homechool Review Crew. Every now and then though, I get the opportunity to review something different.

CrossTimber is one of those companies as they offer unique and personalized gifts. The great thing is that their products appeal to much more than just homeschoolers since they specialize in name-meaning gifts, and everybody has a name. We were first introduced to their company a few years ago and have gotten different products from them. This time, we received 5 Name Bookmarks from www.Bookmarks.name and a set of AmazingName Print Activity Sheets.

CrossTimber is a family company that was started by the Dehnart family in the late 1970s. From photography to carpentry to printing and graphic design, they've offered many services over the years. Then, in 1994, John Dehnart started the personalized name products portion of the company as a way to show Christ's love and bless those that persecuted him. Now, he and his wife, and even his kids, work together to create beautiful gifts that highlight the meanings of names and are still blessing people through their products.

I bought my three oldest kids name bookmarks four years ago. The foundation of our education is literature, so naturally we do a lot of reading around here. As you can imagine, those bookmarks were in rough shape! I was excited to replace them with new personalized ones and get them for my younger kids, too.

Last time, I spent so much time poring through the 200+ design options in order to find the perfect bookmarks to surprise my kids. This time, I deferred that job to them. There are multiple design themes from which to choose and then many background options under each category.

• Faith & Encouragement
• Castles & Lighthouses
• Celtic, Irish, & Gaelic
• Fantastical & Imaginative
• Musical Instruments
• Sports
• Sunrises & Sunsets
• Flowers
• Animals
• . . . and many more.

My girl spent time looking through all the options and carefully decided on the best one for her, whereas the boys found their preferred styles in less than a minute each. Obviously she is the only one who takes after me! I love that CrossTimber has many options which makes it easy for everyone to find something perfect to match their likes and personalities.

Each bookmark includes a name along with its meaning and origin. After choosing a style, you can also add other personalized features such as a ribbon and corner design punch. You also get to choose what else you want printed on the front of the bookmark from a presidential quote, famous author quote, Bible verse that matches the name meaning, a character quality, or a custom text (for an additional cost.) The possibilities are endless!

We chose the matching Bible verse for our bookmarks. I want my kids to claim Scripture as their own and apply Its message to their hearts. The website says that they "typically start with the King James Version." Because that version is very important to us and we use nothing else ever, I sent an email to John to let him know of my wishes. With all of my other orders over the years, he was quick to reply and happy to make changes. This time, however, I did not get a response and then one of our bookmarks came with a verse from a different version. My kids always double check verses on things like this right away, so not only was I disappointed by the bookmark, so was the boy it belongs to.

On top of that, the oversized envelope was shoved into our mailbox, bending all five bookmarks and the name activity sheets. Thankfully, nothing was creased, so time and some heavy books helped to flatten everything out. Packaging the materials between cardboard would have helped keep it all smooth through shipping though.

We received an AmazingName Print Activity Sheets set for our youngest son last year when he got a personalized Amazing Name video. This time, I chose our 8-year-old to receive the set. He was very excited to have 28 pages of name activities. There are mazes, crossword puzzles, word searches, coloring pages, and both printing and cursive practice that feature the name over 80 times. There is a variety of difficulty levels for ages 3-12. I was surprised to see so many new pages from last time! Some of the worksheets feature characters from the Amazing Name cartoon video, so that was fun for my kids to see.

This really is a fun option for helping young ones recognize and spell their names, but also for older ones to appreciate how special their names are.

Maybe you're looking for a unique gift for someone older. CrossTimber also sells personalized name plaques, coffee mugs, music boxes, and more. There are also names of God plaques that would look beautiful in any home. Just like the bookmarks, there are many different options for themes, frames, and other personalized features. Some of my other Crewmates received a name plaque print, so be sure to check out those reviews, too.

CrossTimber offers many beautiful and special personalized products that would make perfect gifts. Head over to www.Bookmarks.name and you won't be disappointed!

You can connect with CrossTimber on the following social media sites:

Facebook

Pinterest

You can read more reviews of these name meaning gifts on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Make It Monday: Painted Flower Pots

My mom faithfully reads my blog (love you, Mom!), so I couldn't share our Mother's Day craft before the gifts were given. This year, Jake and Alyssa painted flower pots to give to their grandma and great-grandma. What woman doesn't love flowers? Add a personalized pot, and you have a special gift to cherish forever.

We chose terracotta pots and acrylic paint, but you can use any sort of pot (ceramic, plastic, glass) and any paint (tempera, enamel, oil.) If you choose a washable paint, you might want to coat it with varnish or a clear acrylic spray to protect the artwork, especially if you plan to keep the pot outdoors.

 

 

 Once the paint dried, I hot-glued a strip of ribbon around the top.

 

The pots turned out so pretty! I wish I took pictures of all the sides. (Do cylinder pots have sides???) The kids put so much thought and effort into painting different things all around. They were so meticulous that they spent nearly an hour trying to make them special.

 Now I'm sad that I don't have any one-of-a-kind pots at my house! I'm definitely picking up some more next time I'm at the store. These unique pots will be the perfect compliment to my flowers.

What did you do for Mother's Day this year? Do you craft up something special? 

Easter Ideas

I meant to get this up before Easter, but like I said in the last post, it was a hectic week. So, here are a few Easter ideas to remember for next year.

Here is a picture of the kids' baskets. Aren't they fun? They're packed full of things like workbooks, reading books, pencils, sandals, shaving cream (great bath time fun!), and toys. Most of it I got for really cheap (See that pink gardening set? Regularly $5.00, paid $0.98. Or that didj game? Regularly $30.00, paid $4.98!) or free (all the candy and Band-aids after coupons or CVS Extra Bucks.) I love checking the clearance sections at stores, especially after holidays. Some of the toys I've been saving since Christmas and before. That way, I can get the kids some nice things without hurting my wallet.

Notice anything unusual about these baskets? No messy Easter grass! That stuff ends up everywhere for weeks. I've used tissue paper in the past, but it doesn't fill up the bottom as well and doesn't look as nice. This year, I filled the bottoms with shirts, socks, and undies. Jake and Alyssa also got aprons for baking and crafting. I had a nice flat surface to work. After that, I placed everything else on top. Not only did it eliminate the messy grass, it gave the kids a fun surprise once they emptied the top. Bonus!

  

We decided to skip the candy/money route for the eggs this year. Instead, I filled the eggs with pieces of a K'nex set. We ended up with 30 eggs. Two dozen had the parts, and six had a piece of candy. Surprisingly, they didn't care anything about the candy eggs! Well, except for Zac. He's not quite old enough for the tiny pieces yet, but already loves chocolate. The other two were so focused on finding all the pieces of the truck. If they found one of the other six, it was tossed to the side. "Oh, it's just candy." Not only did it eliminate the extra candy, it gives them a fun toy to build and play with again and again. Bonus!

 

These last two pics are the chocolate bowls we made last week. We mixed 8-10 drops of food coloring in 1 teaspoon water. Then, we combined that with 1 cup of shredded coconut in a plastic bag. We put the "grass" in the chocolate bowl along with 3 peanut butter eggs. Add some cellophane and a bow, and you have a cute, little "nest" to give to friends. Jake and Alyssa had fun passing these out at church Easter morning. They're completely edible (once opened!), though the kids dumped the grass out and just ate the candy. In this case, it's all about the presentation. 

Do you have any cute, crafty, thrifty ideas? Leave us a comment. It's never to early to prepare for next year!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Chai Bread

I am a big fan of quick breads: banana, pumpkin, zucchini, chocolate chip,  blueberry, lemon poppy seed . . . the list goes on. My absolute favorite is chai. I had never even heard of chai bread until a few years ago. After I had made the chai tea mix the first time, I came across a recipe for the bread. It's been my favorite ever since. One would think though, that since it's near and dear to my heart, I would keep track of the recipe. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I thought I had a copy of it in my recipe folder. Not there. Not a problem, I thought. I'll just get it from allrecipes.com, where I often find recipes, and where I originally got it. Hmm, not there anymore either. I searched all over the internet, but could not find my beloved recipe. I settled on the one below.

My Happy Helper

He sat like a little puppy, waiting for Alyssa to drop him chocolate chips.

 Ingredients:

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped             1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup water                                                         3 tablespoons chai tea mix

1/2 cup butter, softened                                         1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup packed brown sugar                                     1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs                                                                     1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 cup confectioners' sugar                                     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter, softened                                 4 to 5 teaspoons milk

1 tablespoon chai tea latte mix

Directions:

1. In a microwave, melt chocolate with the water; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture.

2. Combine the flour, latte mix, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.

3. Transfer to three greased 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, latte mix, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Frost tops of loaves.

This was her first time mixing all by herself.

Taken before she spilled chai tea mix all over the counter.

Ready to alternate mixing.

Pro-Mixer

I called. He saw. He ran.

Ready for the oven.

Jake said, "Mmm, I could smell them while I was brushing my teeth!"

Psst . . you can see on the left where someone stole a piece before the picture was taken. I won't tell you who, but it starts with an M and ends with and E.

This recipe was a little different from the other one, (I don't think it had chocolate.) but it was delicious. Both loaves were gone within 2 days. The boys would have eaten it completely by themselves if I would have let them. Yeah, it's that good. Also, I learned a new trick this time. Make the baked goods at night so the kids are getting in bed when it's coming out of the oven. I actually got to lick the frosting beaters!

If you don't want to take the time to make the chai tea mix, (as we showed here) you can buy a latte mix at the grocery store. I recommend making the mix and definitely making this bread. You will not be disappointed!

Chai Tea Mix

We've been making this tea mix for many years now. It's great to drink on a cold winter's night or to give as a gift. The kids even like it since it's kinda like hot chocolate.

Ingredients:

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder                                                   

1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer                                          

1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer      
2 1/2 cups white sugar                                                           
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine milk powder, non-dairy creamer, vanilla flavored creamer, sugar and instant tea. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. 

2. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.

3. To serve: Stir 2 heaping tablespoons Chai tea mixture into a mug of hot water. 

* Note: Yields 3 mason jars.

Add a tag and some homemade biscotti, and you have a lovely gift!

Zac's First Birthday Party!

Have you ever had one of those moments when reality hits you and your mental time frame catches up to real time in an instant? Well, maybe it only happens to us, but it happened this past week. Friday we had Zachary's first birthday party. We know, his birthday isn't for another week and a half but Erika's grandparents head to Florida for the winter soon and we wanted them to be able to be there. The reality catch up thing came as the party drew near. It's a milestone, our last "baby" is no longer going to be a baby. It hasn't happened yet, but it will very soon. You get used to having a baby around after almost five years of little cries, screams, and laughs.  It was one thing when Jake and Alyssa turned one, with each of them we knew we were planning to have another baby. This time this is it. Now we are down to a kindergartener, a preschooler, and a toddler. No baby. I'm sure there will be plenty more crying, screaming, and a ton of laughing; just not the little petite baby kind. There will be plenty more milestones leading to plenty more reality checks, but let's deal with them as they come. For now let's party!

What kid doesn't love a party, theirs or not? Jake asked when he got up Friday morning if it was time for the party. He was told it would start at dinner time. So, instead of asking if was time for the party constantly, he asked if it was time for dinner.

Again we turned to our sister-in-law for a birthday cake. She enjoys making them and does a really good job with different characters and themes. This time we only gave suggestions and left the final say to her. We got a fire breathing dragon complete with fruit roll-up wings. Pretty cool! Our little piggy ate the head and one of the legs, this was only after eating three bowls of spaghetti. I think we might have to start a stricter portion control.

We, of course, plugged in the chocolate fountain and did a lot of dipping, this was something that Jake looked forward to all week and just loved.

Opening presents has got to be the one moment in a birthday party that every child looks forward to the most, especially when you are going to be the one opening the gifts. And it was Jake and Alyssa that did the looking forward to and the opening of all the presents. I think Zac might have gotten a few tears in the paper but he didn't care, he just wanted to climb and beat on the boxes.