Grandma Bonnie's Closet: post

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Guest Post: New Cake from Life with Tootsabella and The Rose

So you all know how much I love making and decorating cakes. Well my daughter in law over at Life with Tootsabella and the Rose has been kind enough to Guest Post here today and share one of her cakes with my readers. I hope you enjoy and stop over to visit her blog.

I have recently started back up making cakes again now that my youngest is a bit older. Here is a cake that I had made for a boy going into high school. The school supplies that are on the wires are from Michaels in the scrap-booking area. I put straws in the cake to put the wire in so the lead from the wires did not go into the cake. The High School and Freshman sign are taped onto sucker sticks and stuck into the cake. It worked out really well. I had a wonderful time making this cake. If you want to see more of my cakes, check out Life with Tootsabella and The Rose. I have a Sofia the First cake on my blog. My kids are obsessed with Sofia and Doc McStuffins. I hope you enjoyed my post. Have a wonderful day!!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Guest Post: Happy Helpers

I am delighted to have Becky Jane from Rise Above Your Limits guest posting here on Grandma Bonnie's Closet. I hope you all enjoy her post. Please stop over to her blog and see what a mother of eleven children has to say!

Happy Helpers

Let’s face it…it’s a roller coaster ride when it comes to getting consistent, good help from our kids!

If you’re the Mother of more than one child, you might have noticed that there are times when one of them is especially helpful, and the others are especially un-helpful. This has always been a dilemma for me.

I am always grateful when one of my kids picks up a mess without being told, doesn't argue when asked to do a chore or actually does their chores without being asked. I’m especially grateful for the kid that is extra cheerful and kind! *smiling*

HERE’S THE DELIMA…the child that is being extra helpful can see that he/she is doing more work and it isn't fair...HOW do I encourage this child to continue on and yet not feel picked on because of their good deeds?

Right now, my best helper is my 12 year old son. He seems to be always there and ready to help when everyone else is complaining about helping, and sometimes he gets tired of it. He likes to help (I know, enjoy it while it lasts), but I don’t want him to feel over-USED while everyone else is playing and having a good time.

Several years ago I came up with a solution...a way of secretly rewarding that special helper child. In my closet I have a special tote with 'THINGS' in it...things that my kids like such as toys, umbrellas, fun socks, hair stuff (for the girls) etc., and of course $$$ (for the older ones)! Whenever I see someone repeatedly going the extra mile, I secretly pull them aside and let them pick something out of the tote.

The only rule I have is they cannot tell the other kids that they got something; it must be kept a secret! This makes it even more fun for them! They also understand that their rewards will come at inconsistent times…they can’t ask for a reward or expect to be rewarded every time they are good. (Being good has its own rewards)!

In order not to break-the-bank, I keep my eye out for sales and the dollar store carries some fun items too! Don’t make it a financial burden, keep the ‘THINGS’ inexpensive yet fun!

This system of secret recognition has worked out quite well for our family. The child is rewarded and encouraged to keep up the good work!

Being the Mother of 11 children, I hope I’ve learned a few things…

Written by - Becky Jane author of http://RiseAboveYourLimits.blogspot.com/

Monday, August 22, 2011

Guest Post: Halloween is Coming

I am happy to have my daughter-in-law from Life with Tootsabella and The Rose guest posting here at Grandma Bonnie's Closet. I hope you enjoy her post. Please stop over and check out her newest post.

Halloween is coming...

I have visited many stores lately and have noticed Halloween is making it's way to them earlier than usual. Halloween is a really good simmer down from the Summer. It's my family's favorite time of the year because there is so much going on and it's a good lead to the holidays. I have included some great costume ideas and if you have a baby handy, a great big pumpkin photo idea.