{Free Valentine's Day Ebook} Growing in Love: Garden of Charity Family Devotional

Updated February 9, 2015: My Husband and I are now offering our Family Devotionals through our educational site Greenfield Education. We are giving away the PDF version of Growing in Love from February 9-15, 2015. 

Our family has been really blessed by intentionally celebrating God's truth during the holidays. Our kids really enjoyed our Thanksgiving and Christmas books, so we decided to put together a Valentine's Day book as well.


Our children's excitement and anticipation of the coming holiday builds with our family time focused on the holiday's theme, and we like that they are learning valuable lessons along the way. You could even use this devotional as a seven day countdown to Valentine's day if you wish.

Our Growing in Love: Garden of Charity Family Devotional looks at what true Agape love really means through readings, songs, discussion questions, activities, and even decorations.

Here is an excerpt from the introduction:

We all love our families and friends, but it can be easy to act unloving. Our kids squabble over the silliest minutia. I find it all to easy to become impatient with my kids when they have the audacity to need attention when I am doing something as important as working, as necessary as making dinner, or, worst of all, during what I like to think of (or thought of before motherhood) as the self-evident and unalienable a right as sleeping. It is all to easy to think the worst of people or expect the worst out of the situation, rather than believing and hoping the best.

None of us can love perfectly. Only God can because God is love and because we are not God. However, we can choose to be intentional about allowing God to work in us to love more.

This short book is our way of studying true Agape love as a family. This book covers the Charity Chapter (First Corinthians 13:4–8a).

We have also created a variety of printable resources to go along with this short book.

• Printable hearts and flowers with the attributes of true love so you can make growing in love bouquet or garden
• Decorative printables for your home
• Half-page and quarter page printables can even be used as greeting cards

Updated February 9, 2015: My Husband and I are now offering our Family Devotionals through our educational site Greenfield Education. We are giving away the PDF version of Growing in Love from February 9-15, 2015. 

If you prefer to read it in the Kindle format it is also reasonably priced on Amazon, with a link to download the accompanying free printables.

We hope this book is a blessing and help to your family and wish you a lovely Valentine's Day!

DIY Conversation Heart Cookies

We can't buy conversation heart candies here in China so I thought it would be fun to make conversation heart cookies instead.

I saw the cute conversation heart cookies that Martha Stewart made and decided to make my own version with my "low tech" cooking equipment. Her's look prettier, but I didn't have to pay $25 for a cookie stamp to make these (even if it were possible to buy it here), and these cookies are fun and get the job done.

You can even invite your kids to help you make these. Most kids love to cut out sugar cookies and paint on the icing.

Do be sure to let the sugar cookies cool completely before icing and the icing harden completely before adding words, stacking, or serving for best presentation.

Homemade Roll Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Milk (if the dough is too dry)

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients, incorporating flour about 1 cup at a time.
4. If the dough is too dry add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
5. Chill in the refrigerator a couple of hours or overnight. I did find that with all real butter though I had to let the dough soften up a bit after chilling it overnight.
6. Roll small sections of dough at a time to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 400F for 6-8 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.

Powdered Sugar Icing Recipe

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• Food coloring

1. Place powdered sugar is a small mixing bowl and add milk a Tbsp at a time until a nice consistency. Stir until smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
2. Drizzle or paint cooled cookies a solid color with a food safe brush. Sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles if desired.
3. Allow to harden for at least 1 hour before carefully painting words of your choice on the hearts. (Obviously shorter is better as far as word choice for these cookies.)
4. Allow to harden again at least 1 hour before stacking or serving.

Mandarin Mondays: Playing (The Chinglish Files)

Happy Groundhog's Day!

DIY Lovebug Cookies

Give your lovebugs some lovebug cookies this Valentine's Day. These super cute chocolate sugar cookies are sure to put a smile on their face.

I didn't have a bug cookie cutter, so I just used two different sized circles (small jars actually) and then stuck them together before baking. (I dampened the edges to be joined very slightly with milk). I was a little worried about the heads falling off, but this method worked without any problem.for me

You can even invite your kids to help you make these. Most kids love to cut out sugar cookies and paint on the icing.

Do be sure to let the sugar cookies cool completely before icing and the icing harden completely before adding words, stacking, or serving for best presentation.

Homemade Roll Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup butter or margarine softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Milk (if the dough is too dry)

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients, incorporating flour about 1 cup at a time.
4. If the dough is too dry add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
5. Chill in the refrigerator a couple of hours or overnight. I did find that with all real butter though I had to let the dough soften up a bit after chilling it overnight.
6. Roll small sections of dough at a time to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 400F for 6-8 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.

Powdered Sugar Icing Recipe

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• Food coloring

1. Place powdered sugar is a small mixing bowl and add milk a Tbsp at a time until a nice consistency. Stir until smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
2. Drizzle or paint cooled cookies a solid color with a food safe brush. Sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles if desired.
3. Allow to harden for at least 1 hour before carefully contrasting color for stripes and spots on the bugs.
4. Allow to harden again at least 1 hour before stacking or serving.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Fireworks are going off all around here and probably will continue all night long...

But since our sunset comes before your sunrise, you still have time to celebrate Chinese New Year's Eve all day.

Make some potstickers, bake some almond cookies. light off some fireworks (OK maybe not). If you are still looking for other ideas for a Chinese New Year Celebration, check out my free Chinese New Year Activity Book.

And we hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

DIY Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Trifle

I love layered desserts. To me a trifle is the combination of flavors and textures of a bunch of great desserts into one super dessert.

If you make each layer in this dessert from scratch it will take some time.  Definitely still worth it, but if you are pressed for time or just want an easier option, buying the components pre-made and layering them yourself would make this trifle quick and easy.

If you are presenting this dessert in jars, using cupcakes is great because they slide right into jars and make nice layers.

Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Trifle Recipe

• Chocolate cake cubed or cupcakes (homemade or store bought)
• Strawberry cream cheese (store bought or add 1/2 cup strawberry jam to 1 cup cream cheese)
• Strawberries
• Whipped cream or cool whip
• Chocolate chips (optional)

1.  Layer ready made ingredients into glass jar, trifle bowl, or other container. Start with chocolate cake and end with whipped cream and/or chocolate chips.

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) Preschool Activity: Fireworks in a Jar

Another fun firework activity we did were these fireworks in a jar. I saw the basic idea of oil color diffusion at I Can Teach My Child, and added the glitter and sequins for longer lasting fun.

My boys had as much fun with these fireworks in a jar as they did snow globes and played with them for a long time.

This is also another great activity to do around 4th of July.

Chinese New Year or 4th of July Preschool Activity: Fireworks in a Jar

• Watertight jars with lids
• Water
• Bowl or shallow baking dish
• Oil
• Food coloring
• Glitter and/or sequins if desired)

1. Fill a clean jar 3/4 full with water.
2. Add glitter and sequins if desired.
3. Put a few tablespoons of oil in a bowl. Drop several drops of food coloring in and use a fork to break them up into very small specks.
4. Carefully add the oil and color mixture to the jar.
5. Watch as the least dense oil holds the color at the top briefly and then the heavier color droplets begin to fall through the water and diffuse.
6. After all of the color droplets have sunk you can put the lid on tightly and let your child shake the jar filled with colored water, glitter and sequins.

This craft is from the Chinese New Year Activity Book. Enjoy this free downlaodale ebook for more Chinese New Year Activities Crafts, and Recipes.

Mandarin Mondays: Intelligence Mountain (The Chinglish Files)

Groundhog Holiday Preschool Craft: Groundhog Masks

Last year we made these really simple groundhog masks for Groundhog Day. First we read about groundhogs and Groundhog Day, and watched some videos about them. Afterward we made these masks and then my little boys pretended to be groundhogs.

They had such a fun time "popping up" out of their "holes" like groundhogs.

Groundhog Day Preschool Craft: Groundhog Masks

• Cardboard circle or paper plate
• Markers or crayons
• Scissors and hole punch for adults to use
• White cardboard "teeth" and glue stick (optional)
• String or elastic to hold the mask on, or a popsicle stick to hold up the mask

1. Ahead of time cut out eye holes and holes at the side to tie on string or elastic if desired.
2. Give the children markers or crayons and show them a picture of a groundhog. Ask them to decorate their mask like a groundhog.
3. If you want to introduce gluing into this project you can have them glue on two big white front teeth . This was a highlight for my boys.
4. When they are finished decorating tie on string or elastic or secure popsicle stick.
5. Let the children pretend to be groundhogs!

They also wrote or dictated groundhog reports and drew groundhogs.