The Blog

Encouragement · November 11, 2012

LIGHT ‘EM UP ’12

CHRISTMAS. The joy of it makes you want to just do something for others. REALLY DO SOMETHING. You just want to see the joy you feel, radiate on their face. YOU WANT TO LIGHT ‘EM UP. Well now you can. YOU CAN REALLY DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS and you can do it WITH YOUR CHILDREN! This is so easy and I truly don’t know who gets more joy out of it–the recipient (think garbage man, mail man, bag-boy, teacher, etc.) or your child when they see the joy on the garbage man’s face or YOU when you see the joy on your child’s face as they observe the joy on the recipient’s face. It is almost too–too–too exactly what Christmas is meant to be–the celebration of giving in honor of the giver of the greatest gift–Christ! One of my FAVORITE blogger friends–Courtney DeFeo started the LIGHT ‘EM UP campaign last year and it was a big hit with moms because it is so easy and rewarding. This year we and other moms are partnering with Courtney to see if we can light up communities all over the country. We cordially invite YOU to join us in a celebration of JOYFUL giving in your community. Yes? No? Please??? You can …

Parenting · November 9, 2012

How to Teach Good Character to Kids

Good character… it’s something all moms want their children to have. But how do you teach it? Watch the video below then check out all of iMOM’s Good Character for Kids series. Next, download the printable tiles to post around your house, or to give to your children. Here are just a few of our Good Character for Kids printables!

Encouragement · November 7, 2012

The Key to a Good Future

Love This · November 5, 2012

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet is my kids cake of choice. I make it for just about every birthday and since Christmas is Jesus birthday, Red Velvet is our Christmas Eve tradition, too. So here it is and it is easy… Just throw it all in the mixer, bake and frost. I made this recipe into four layers because one layer usually gets eaten before I get the cake frosted! 4-Layer Red Velvet Cake Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ingredients for Cake: 2 ¼ cups Buttermilk 3 cups Oil 2 tsp Vanilla ¼ cup Red Food Coloring 2 tsp Vinegar 4 Large Eggs 5 cups Flour 2 tsp Baking Soda 3 tsp Cocoa Powder 1 tsp Salt 3 cups Sugar Ingredients for Frosting: 2 sticks of Butter at room temperature 24 oz Cream Cheese, softened 3 cups Confectioners’ Sugar 2 cups Pecans, chopped Directions for Cake: Combine and mix first six wet ingredients. Slowly incorporate remaining dry ingredients, mixing until well blended. Spray four 9-inch pans with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Allow cakes to cool completely before removing from pans. Directions for Frosting: Using a hand mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth and …

Parenting · October 25, 2012

The Parent Rap

This is hysterical! We are this family!

Parenting · October 23, 2012

Fashionably Wasted

This makes me very sad. It used to make me mad, now it’s just sad. We are killing our kids by making drinking and smoking marijuana fashionable and tolerantly illegal (meaning very little legal ramification if caught). I have featured Urban Outfitters apparel above, but there are other companies with similar products. You can read the latest 11 Urban Outfitters Controversies here–they like to push the envelope more than most. I envision the creators/owners/designers of Urban Outfitters as over-aged rebellious wanna-be teens intent on profiting from their mistakes by leading others down the same path. Certainly, they are a conscienceless group. There is another way to make money, they are just enjoying being too wasted to care. Compare Urban Outfitters to Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Tom’s Shoes. Tom’s Shoes appeals to the same target market of the population, 18 to 30 year olds, but he has made giving to the poor fashionable. For every pair of shoes you buy, he gives one away for free. Choices–it is all about choices. Nations, companies, families, and individuals all make choices every day for good or for bad. There is no neutral choice and every choice has the potential to effect someone else. Some of …

Parenting · October 22, 2012

3 Reasons Why Kids Cheat

Whether cheating stems from laziness, fear of disappointing, or pressure from parents, the temptation to cheat is everywhere! Help your children understand your views on cheating with iMOM’s I Will Not Cheat Pledge.

Parenting · October 12, 2012

How Parents Make Their Kids Hate Sports

Organized sports for kids, whether it’s baseball, soccer, or lacrosse, can be great at teaching them teamwork and discipline. But that benefit can quickly be lost when a mom or dad do things that can make a child hate competing. So avoid these seven things parents do to make your kids hate sports.

Parenting · October 5, 2012

Teach Your Child How To Manage Time

I have an ulterior motive for teaching my kids to manage time well—They’ll have more time for me! It’s true. As my kids have aged their academics and extracurricular activities have squeezed out family time. There are a lot of opportunities out there and most kids get involved or over-involved. If you add a cell phone to all of that, a lot of kids can run out of time, and “Lost time is never found again,” as Benjamin Franklin said. So manage the family calendar and teach your child how to manage time with these four tips from Lesson 2 of Every School Year Counts (a free e-book). Download Lesson 2 below.

Parenting · October 3, 2012

How to Help Your Kids Improve Their Grades

Many times a child may struggle with a particular subject or teaching style. The trick was to keep them confident despite difficulties and to keep an eye on problem areas that don’t resolve.