Frugal Fun for Kids

I received this great article on making musical instruments by using things that you usually have around your house. We love music around here, and these are "instruments" that aren't too annoying, obnoxious, or overly loud! That's right up my alley!

NINE EASY-TO-MAKE MUSICALINSTRUMENTS FOR KIDS
The Craft Corner By Amanda Formaro
webmom@thefamilycorner.com
Copyright 2005

Children love music as much as they enjoy making things. Why not join these two creative forces and make one or all of these fun and easy musical instruments to encourage play and creativity.
DECORATIVE ITEMS
For any of these activities, you can leave the items plain or decorate them. If you need ideas for decorating these projects, try any of the following items. We are sure this list will help you think of even more items you can use. Combine different things such as buttons and glitter or sequins and yarn. Let the children's creativity surprise you!
Keeping items such as these in a large plastic storage container makes for easy access and quick clean up.
sequins
buttons
yarn
ribbon
masking tape
beads
glitters and cellophane
construction paper
magazines
photos
crayons
markers
colored pencils
paint
nail polish

When you are finished constructing your instruments, have a camera ready to take a picture of the band. Record this activity in your child's scrapbook so you can look back in years to come.

TAMBOURINE
2 paper plates
stapler or glue
hole punch
string
jingle bells
crayons
Staple or glue two paper plates together, facing each other. Using a hole punch, make holes around the plates and tie jingle bells to the holes with string. Decorate the tambourine with crayons. Shake to play.
Note: Heavy duty paper plates may be more durable for this craft.
Safety note: If using a stapler, an adult should do this. When finished be sure to cover the staples with scotch tape.

DRUM
empty oatmeal box with cover
yarn
pen
2 pencils
2 spools
construction paper
crayons
Before beginning, you can decorate the oatmeal box with construction paper and/or crayons for a colorful effect.
Place the cover on the box. Use a pen to make a hole in the center of the cover and in the center of the bottom of the box. Through these holes, pull a piece of yarn long enough to hang around child's neck and down to their waist.
For the drumsticks, place the spools at the ends of the pencils, secure with glue if necessary.
Beat to play.

CHIMES
ruler or stick
washers
nail polish
string
mixing spoon
Hang the washers from the ruler or stick with pieces of string by wrapping the string around the ruler or stick and securing. Strike the washers with the mixing spoon to play.
Note: You can make this craft colorful by painting the washers first with different color nail polishes, such as red, gold, glittery, etc. Parents should supervise this partof the activity closely.

HORN
paper towel roll
waxed paper
rubber band
pen
Cover one end of the paper towel roll with waxed paper, secure it with a rubber band. Punch a row of holes along one side of the roll with the tip of a pen.
To play, sing a tune into the open end of the horn.

CYMBALS
two matching pot covers
yarn or ribbon
Tie the ribbon or yarn around the handles of the pot covers.To play, strike together.

XYLOPHONE
tall glasses or jars
water
mixing spoon
Fill the glasses or jars with different amounts of water. The more water in the glass, the lower the pitch will be. Having less water in the glass or jar will raise the pitch.
To play, gently strike the glasses with a mixing spoon.
Note: This instrument should probably be played by older children in "the band" because of the use of glass.

COMB BUZZER
pocket comb
tissue paper
Fold a piece of tissue paper over the tooth edge of a comb. To play, hum through the tissue paper.

GUITAR
empty shoe box
rubber bands
ruler or stick
Remove the cover from the box. Stretch the rubber bands around the box. Attach the ruler or stick to the back of the box on one end to act as the arm of the guitar.
To play, strum or pluck the rubber bands.

HAND BELLS
2 paper towel rolls
hole punch
4 jingle bells
string or yarn
Punch a hole in each end of the paper towel rolls. Tie two jingle bells to each side of the paper towel rolls by running string or yarn through the holes and carefully tying off. Shake to play.

Have fun and let creativity and imagination run wild! Record the band's first song and play back for some great giggletime. Enjoy!
******
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazineat http://familycorner.com/

Be sure to check back often, as I will be putting more fun thins for kids to do on my blog. E-mail me with any ideas that you may have too!

Our Quiver is Filling!

I am constantly amazed and humbled at the great lessons that I am taught from my own children, and today was no different. I must digress for just a minute. We have recently discovered that we are expecting baby #4. We are obviously very excited, but at the same time the sinful and selfish thoughts seem to creep into my mind. The ages of our children right now are 5, 2 , and 11 months. So, it's easy to think "Lord how can I do this?" and "I'm not doing so great with these three! How can I take care of another baby?!" All of these thoughts totally focus on myself, instead of The Creator of life. Not to mention the world's view, which floods me with the the thoughts that having four children is insane!

So, now that you have the backgroud, let me tell you about the lesson. As I was having some Bible time with my two older kids this morning, we were reading "Boys and Girls Playing" by J.C. Ryle. This book is a collection of children's sermons that contains eight short talks for young children given by Ryle to the boys and girls of his congregation in the 19th century. The sermon I was reading was centered around the text found in Zechariah 8:5. It reads "The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing." I had to hold back the tears as I read these words:

"Learn for one thing that God thinks about boys and girls and notices what they do. He does not only tell us about the men and women of Jerusalem. He makes mention of the "boys and girls." He tells us it will be a good time when there are MANY of them, and that it will be a good time when they play in the streets."

"Some folks do not care to see children, and say that there are too many of them in the world. These folks are not like God. The great God in Heaven loves children. He knows that there will be no men and women by and by if there are no children now. He says in Psalm 127:4 and 5, 'Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.' Folks who do not like boys and girls, and are cross with them, ought to remember that they were once children themselves."

"There is much about children in the Bible. Read the histories of Ishmael, Isaac, Benjamin, Moses, Samuel, and Abijah. Read the Proverbs of Solomon and see how often that wise man spoke of children. Read the Gospels and see how Jesus Christ noticed little infants and took them in His arms and blessed them. Read the epistles of the Apostle Paul and see how he speaks of children. These things were written for our learning."

"Dear children, remember all this and do not forget it. You are never too young or too little for God to take notice of you. You are never too young or too little to begin thinking of God. Are you old enough to be naughty? Then be sure that you are old enough to be good. Are you old enough to talk? Then be sure that you are old enough to say your prayers. Are you old enough to learn bad words? Then be sure that you are old enough to learn [Bible] texts. Are you old enough to know and love your mother? Then be sure that you are old enough to know and love Jesus who died to save your souls."

"Boys and girls, remember this first great lesson: God takes notice of you. Mind that you take notice of God."

What a great lesson and reminder to me of the awesome blessing that children are, and the joy that is seen in watching them play. The Lord is constantly refining me by giving me days that I am utterly dependant on Him, but, He is using us as parents to do the great work of bringing them up "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." I can confidently rejoice in His filling my quiver, because I know that the more that I am loving these children, the more I am becoming like Him. This is the means by which He is working in my heart. I need the children's sermons more often!

My Frugal Favorite Things #2

YARD SALE TENNIS SHOES? Yes, yard sale tennis shoes! They are a great bargain at $.50 to $1.oo a pair. The key is to look for the really dirty ones though! Those are the cheapest because the former owners think that they are a lost cause. BUT, (here's where my favorite part comes!) the secret to making them wearable again is in the cleaning. This is more than just throwing them in the washer. Take an old toothbrush, not your husbands, and some comet or ajax with bleach (not the liquid stuff, the bleach is already in the can!) In a bowl, make a paste of water and comet, then scrub all over the shoes. This works great for scuffs on toes and leather shoes do really well. The canvas type do not do as well, but they still clean up pretty good. I just let them sit, with the comet on them, until I can throw them in with some laundry.

This weekend I found three pairs of Nikes and two pairs of Stride Rites at some yard sales. They looked practically brand new after I cleaned them! You just want to make sure that the shoes are not too worn. You can't repair that (anyone who can, please e-mail me and tell me how!) And sometimes, a new pair of laces makes all the difference. Yard sales and thrift stores are a great place to find kids shoes. I would recommend checking the insides first though. I just like to make sure they're not too icky or torn up on the inside, and that they will be comfortable for my kids to wear.

E-mail me and tell me any great find that you have had a yard sales. Happy scrubbing!

Was Katrina Intelligent Disign?

Just a quick post today. I wanted to provide the link to this great article by John Piper, (everything he writes is great!) This is from his website Desiring God:

http://www.desiringgod.org/library/fresh_words/2005/090205.html


Also, here are some great verses from one of our pastors, Tim Senn, who preached this past week concerning the truths of God's Sovreignty as well as our responsibility to help the hurting.

How Should We Respond to Disaster

Acknowledge God’s sovereignty.
Isaiah 45:7 ”I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
Amos 3:6 “Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?”

Revere God’s power.
Psalm 147:18 “He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.”
Psalm 135:6-7 ”Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.”

Take comfort in God.
Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”
Deuteronomy 32:39 “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”
Job 34:14 “If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.”

Trust in God’s wisdom
Job 37:5 “God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.”
Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Increase our knowledge of God
Psalm 148:7-8 “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!”

Be humble
Psalm 8:4 “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Job 22:29 “For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.”

Receive God’s invitation to grace
Amos 4:6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.

Express compassion and mercy
1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Reorient our priorities
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Place hope in God alone
Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Desire heaven – what is really valuable
Hebrews 11:10 “For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”
Romans 8:19 “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Remember the sufferings of God’s son
Acts 2:23 “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”