Swagger Wagon {the Rothacher original}

January 5, 2013 by Jules 4 Comments

So, the hubs and I LOVE being silly. We also love finding creative ways to tell people things. THIS is what we made about 2 and 1/2 years ago.

I just found this video as we were uploading our most resent video we made WITH all 3 of our kids.

THIS is what I found:

14,678 view and comments like:

THE BEST "Swagger Wagon" spinoff! - Well done! Along with the hard work and attention to detail - was original humor ( "Butt Paste! hilarious! ~ parents know what this is all about ) , and the fact you didn't rip off the original like most others on YouTube.

"Mommy Haircut! --- Big Poppa Gut"! I'm rolling on the floor!

GREAT JOB! 🙂

Hope you enjoy my gift to you: higher self-esteem ;o)

Check in tomorrow for The Roth Babes' Meeting, a "promo video for The Valley 's Q&A meeting".
CUTE even if you could care less about The Valley.

Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Parenting, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Turkey Hand-print Gift Bags {Thoughtful Thursday}

November 22, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I am Thankful for YOU!

Last week I told you that we make a fun fall themed snack mix for our neighbors. This week I'm going to show you how we made the quick & easy turkey hand-print gift bags we loaded the snack mix into for delivery.

Supplies

brown paper lunch size bag {1 for each child}
acrylic paint {we used green, blue, red, & yellow}
small cup of water
small paint brush(es)

How-to Trace & Paint
{my 3 & 4-year-old}

Put on paint aprons, strip down kids, or just go for it!
Lay your child's hand down & trace it with a pencil then retrace it with a marker {avoiding the marker on the kids hand} and then add the legs, eyes, beck, & gobbler
Squire a small bit of each desired paint color onto a paper plate and a small cup of water
Let your child paint the "turkey" {attempting to stay in the lines} with a paint brush {rinsing in water}
Let dry completely before adding snacks for delivery

How-to just Paint the hand
{my 2-year-old}

Put on paint aprons, strip down kids, or just go for it!
Squire a small bit of each desired paint color onto a paper plate
Hold your child's hand out flat & paint the fingers {I did skipped the brown on palm & thumb since the bag was already brown. Then various colors on fingers}: only do ONE hand at a time
Take your child to the sink and quickly wash the hand off well before they touch everything & before you do the other hand.
Let dry completely before adding snacks for delivery

I know this isn't an original, so how do YOU do Turkey Hand-Prints?

Filed Under: Advent 2012, Holidays, Homemaker, Parenting, Projects, The Ones about Link-Ups, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

The Real Homemaker’s Challenge {Day 5}

November 16, 2012 by Jules 2 Comments

I think this has been the hardest post for me to write thus far in this series. There is so much out there right now, from big names with great reputations and big followings, talking to moms about turning-in to their families and ministering to them first and for most. I am going to try and just put it out there with no apologies because I believe its biblical but please hear me out. Many American Christian {SAHM} moms are making an idol out of their carrier. I don't believe our family should necessarily come first in all cases. I think some times we need to sacrifice our ideal family for living out gospel centered lifestyles.

Wanna see where this is going??? continue reading over at the Homemaker's Challenge on the last day of the series, The REAL Homemaker's Challenge.

Miss one? Catch up here:

INTRO to Heart Issues Series

Approval

Comparison

Envy

Filed Under: Holidays, Homemaker, Parenting, The Ones about Homemaker's Challenge, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home, The REAL Homemaker's Challenge

Thanksgiving Neighbor Love’n {Thoughtful Thursday}

November 15, 2012 by Jules 3 Comments

So, many of you know we Rothacher's love a good excuse to love on our neighbors! I wrote about several recipes {HERE, HERE, & HERE} as well as upcycled gift wrapping we often using during last years Advent series.

This past week we decided to make us some chex-mix to snack on. When we get out the stuff to make a snack like this, we go ahead and make a crazy big amount of it and share!!! It's fun to do these simple gestures and I've found my kids asking to make things for our neighbors, mail-carrier, and trash-men if we haven't done anything in a couple weeks. They get so desperate at my laziness that they scribble pictures to stick in the mail box. Yeah, sorry about that cute lil Santa-look-a-like mailman, you have my permission to through them away...just not in my trash can. It prolly already has the trash-man's pictures in it. ;o)

Snack Mix {Thanksgiving Style}

1/4 cup butter
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic pwd
1/2 tsp onion pwd
2 tsp season salt
7 cups of cereal {variety of Chex}
2 cups Reeses pieces
2 cups Cheerios {caramel flavored}
1 bag candy corn
1 bag of bugles {chocolate/peanut butter flavored}
Lots of Love'n!

How to make the mix

PreHeat {bwahahaha} oven to 250'
Melt butter & blend with Worcestershire sauce. Mix all seasonings together then combine into liquid mixture. Stir Well. Mix all cereal {Just CHEX} in a giant bowl, pour liquid/seasoning mixture over cereal and stir {forever} to coat all the cereal evenly.
Dump coated cereal onto 1-2 edged cookie sheets & back for 1 hour. Stir At LEAST once in the middle {after 30 minutes}.
Cut open a paper bag {I used 2 small lunch bag} and lay out flat on a counter. Pour backed cereal across the paper bag {only 1 layer thick} and let dry for ~1 hour.

Once dried, dump it all back in a giant bowl. For this I used a big foil turkey basting pan. Add all your other yummies to the mixture and stir until its mixed well.
Now it's time to make some kind of cute package to deliver your treat to you neighbors. We made Turkey Hand-print Bags {while the snack mix was baking} for each house we planned to deliver some fall love'n.
DELIVER your Thanksgiving Neighbor Love'n door to door or place in mailboxes.
Left overs can be stored in an air tight container for fresh snack'n!

How do you snazz up the classic Chex mix for different seasons? More fun recipes HERE!

Filed Under: Advent 2012, Baking and Cooking, Holidays, Homemaker, Parenting, The Ones about Link-Ups, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

when the shiny wears off…

November 13, 2012 by Jules 2 Comments

So, this past weekend we decided to stay in Vilonia! Yay for in-laws with a “summer home”. Bahahaha

We laughed, we played, we cried. When all the shiny of a new space and toys stopped distracting my littles from the reality of an overnighter in a different home, the tears set in. Well, at least with the 4-year-old.

A minimum of 3 rounds of this little number was belted out in a sorrowful little girl voice {imagine the cadence of Dori "speaking whale" on Nemo}:

I am very SAD. I just want To go HOme. But I caaaaan’t. It’s not really fair. I just want to go HOme but I CAn’t for a couple more days. I can’t have my own way or my own Bed. It’s making me feel like I want to go Out of this room and go see my MomMy. I just want to go Home” {continuing with some variation of the above}

I was quickly reminded that when the shiny of Church Planting begins to wear off, I may just wanna pack my crap and go home!

I don’t do well with change. I like my home. I don’t really wanna find a new home, sell ½ my junk, redecorate, pick new wall colors, reorganize a new space, find room for my growing kids stuff.

I don’t like not knowing the ins and outs of a new place. I liked that I finally found my way around town. I know people and places. I don’t have to always ask for directions or confess I have NO idea what/where someone is talking about.

I like thinking I know what I’m doing and where I’m going. I liked thinking Matt and I knew what we were doing in youth ministry. We knew how to draw a crowd. We were climbing ladders in youth organizations, camps, and making and name for ourselves around the state. {close friends-- stop laughing}

God’s asking me to put on my big girl panties and be willing to at least pull an overnighter. TRUST Him. He’s only got my best interest in mind. I can sing/cry all day long about how I just want to go home. I want my own bed. It’s just not fair. But what I consider home is wrenched. I Really don’t want to lie in the bed I’ve made myself. And I Reeeeally don’t want what’s FAIR. God’s so gracious.

Choosing to trust!

When I do…I think I gonna realized this new plan is way more glorious an adventure than what I had in mind could have ever been!