Showing posts with label My Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Children. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Knitting Mittens for My Kittens


My Top Ten Tips for Socializing Real Kittens

♥♥♥

    Once upon a time, long long ago, three little kittens needed some mittens. Although their momma was still a novice knitter, she took on the challenge. She followed Kelly's Mitten Class from KnitPicks. She began with the oldest and proceeded to the youngest.  The results weren't exactly perfect. In fact, her young son's mittens had some rather large thumbs! Nevertheless, her kittens loved their mittens.

    Once day, recently, the littlest kitten, who now has her own little kitten, sent her momma a Marco Polo video. Her little hands were tucked into her sleeves as she tried to drive! Oh my! Momma's needles to the rescue! Just as soon as momma's needles finished with her grandkitten's mittens, they began clicking away on little mommy kitten's mittens. 

    
Mommy Kitten's new mittens


Grandbaby Kitten's Mittens

    My little kitten was thrilled to have mittens for her and for her little kitten. Needless to say, my knitting skills have increased dramatically. ~smile~ This time I used The World's Simplest Mitten from Tin Can Knits. They have an app now that makes it easy to follow just your size and keep track of your rows. It's great. I used it to make a Flax sweater for my grandkitten, too.

    I hope you have a wonderful week. It's looking to be a wintery cold one here in southern Missouri. Wherever you are, perhaps you'll take up your needles as well. If you do, you might enjoy a cup of homemade hot cocoa with your cozy blanket. 

Warm hugs from Harvest Lane Cottage,
and do try my cocoa recipe! It's a hug in a mug!

ஐღ Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage ღஐ 
...doing what I can with what I've got
where I am on a short shoestring budget!
~~~~~

 "The three little kittens, they lost their mittens,"

By Mother Goose

The three little kittens, they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear,
That we have lost our mittens."
"What!   Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie."
"Meow, meow, meow."
"Then you shall have no pie."

The three little kittens, they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
For we have found our mittens."
"Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie."
"Purr, purr, purr,
Oh, let us have some pie."

The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie,
"Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear,
That we have soiled our mittens."
"What, soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!"
Then they began to sigh,
"Meow, meow, meow,"
Then they began to sigh.

The three little kittens, they washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry,
"Oh, mother dear, do you not hear,
That we have washed our mittens?"
"What, washed your mittens, then you're good kittens,
But I smell a rat close by."
"Meow, meow, meow,
We smell a rat close by."


Sunday, July 6, 2025

139 Things for Kids to Do Without Electronics!

139 Things to Do With Kids Without Electronics
by Laura Lane
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash


Are you running out of ideas to keep the kids busy and happy while they are home? I thought about some of the things we did when I was young long ago. I also included some of the things my four kids did with an abundance of time, no video games or tv, and limited videos. My daughters, Emily and Amy, then added their ideas as well. Some ideas are things to do with kids, and some they do without you. All in all, we came up with 131 things for kids to do without electronics!
Here we go!
  1. Blow bubbles 
  2. Catch fireflies 
  3. Make homemade ice cream 
  4. Read a book together
  5. Child reads alone
  6. Play in the sprinkler 
  7. Ride bikes  
  8. Play with balls
  9. Play dolls
  10. Kickball
  11. Play with cars and trucks
  12. Learn to play jacks or marbles 
  13. Have a pillow fight
  14. Water balloons
  15. Science experiments
  16. Picnic under the stars, under a shady tree or under the kitchen table with sheets over it
  17. Sidewalk chalk
  18. Whittle sticks
  19. Playing outside
  20. Dig in the dirt
  21. Play in a sandbox
  22. King of the hill or play set
  23. Jump roap
  24. Play in a creek
  25. Build a fort with sticks or blankets
  26. Find the thimble
  27. Skits
  28. Exploring
  29. Trampoline
  30. Roll down a hill
  31. Play catch
  32. Wiffle ball
  33. Badminton
  34. Volleyball
  35. Hopscotch
  36. Obstacle course
  37. Climb trees
  38. Garden
  39. Look for 4 leaf clovers
  40. Mow the lawn
  41. Cook together
  42. Blow leaves
  43. Pick wildflowers
  44. Make homemade jam together
  45. Pick blueberries or strawberries or apples
  46. Make slime 
  47. Bake cookies
  48. Go to a drive-in
  49. Make ice pops with water, juice, yogurt or pudding
  50. Sing
  51. Dance
  52. Teach your dog tricks
  53. Karaoke
  54. Dance party
  55. Write a letter to the grandparents by snail mail
  56. Play in a home pool big or small
  57. Fashion show
  58. Overnight hammocking challenge
  59. Make a play or skit
  60. Reenact a movie
  61. Wash the dog or pet
  62. Write and perform poetry
  63. Read a play together with parts
  64. Weirdness contest
  65. Staring contest
  66. Walk
  67. Run
  68. Puzzles
  69. Slap jack
  70. Race hotwheels
  71. Race bikes
  72. Sing lots of rhymes and kids' songs
  73. Egyptian Rat Slap card game
  74. Spoons game
  75. War card game
  76. Go Fish card game
  77. Board games like Monopoly, Battle Ship, Chutes and Ladders etc
  78. Paint a room
  79. Reading Marathon
  80. Manicures and pedicures
  81. Dress-up
  82. Makeover
  83. Private concert for the stuffies (stuffed animals)
  84. Bake cookies
  85. Blind taste tests
  86. Lemonade stand
  87. Gymnastics for fun— somersaults, cartwheels, etc.
  88. Trampoline
  89. String games
  90. Clapping games
  91. Magic tricks
  92. Scavenger hunt
  93. Ice cream run (in pajamas one night) 
  94. Flash mob with just your family 
  95. Volunteer
  96. Make daisy chains
  97. Play house (this includes plant soup)
  98. Climb a tree
  99. Identify birds, wildflowers or trees
  100. Get ahead on school
  101. Field trip
  102. Ride a bike
  103. Crafts ~ Shrinky Dink, Clay, Play Doh, make bracelets etc.
  104. Wash the car in the driveway
  105. Write stories
  106. Swing
  107. Adopt a kitten or puppy
  108. Take pictures
  109. Draw pictures
  110. Play the game "Twister"
  111. Play hide and go seek
  112. Eat popsicles (and try to get them open without scissors)
  113. Sleep all night on a trampoline
  114. Coloring
  115. Charades
  116. Blind man's bluff
  117. Simon Says
  118. Teach them to knit, crochet, or embroider
  119. Make a family and world timeline on a long sheet of paper hung on your hallway wall.
  120. Follow a paper map to a destination
  121. Hike a nature trail
  122. Play in a creek
  123. Catch polywogs aka tadpoles
  124. Watch the sun set 
  125. Coin collecting ~ or any other collections they think of
  126. Star gazing ~ Remember Starlight star bright first star I see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight? Don't forget Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 
  127. Talk about memories, yours and theirs.
  128. Make a scrapbook together
  129. Nerf gun battles
  130. Fly a kite
  131. Water gun fights
  132. Water balloons
  133. Play at the park
  134. Play make believe (anything they want)
  135. Sidewalk chalk
  136. Swim
  137. Lie on the grass and look for cloud pictures
  138. "Build" things with wood, nails, hammers, and saws (with supervision as needed)
  139. There are also lots of outdoor games that can be played by a group of kids outside. Traditionally, the older kids taught the younger kids, but you can always introduce a group of kids to a game.

My daughter, when she was 18, added the following:

"And above all, give your kids freedom in their play. A lot of amazing childhood memories are made by kids using their imaginations and parents being loving and being supportive! Have fun with your kids, but let them also go and act like pioneers together, or build a fort with random things they find. This builds so much character, forms those memories (and isn't that what we want to do for our kids? Help them create wonderful memories?), and teaches them lots of good lessons. To learn, and be healthy, kids need to do things by themselves (and this can be with help). In doing so, they learn, and also learn independence, knowledge, and ultimately maturity, and sometimes wisdom (even from learning a hard way at times)."

Enjoy this time with your children and teens. You may never have this much time together again. Make it count for good. 

I'm now a grandma to one little boy. Oh how he's brightened my world. This list is for grandparents, too. We need to share the joys of our simpler childhood with our littles and not so littles. In it, we'll relive our joys, and enjoy a new level of joy with them.

So, which of these things have you done? What have I forgotten or missed? I cannot wait to hear your thoughts. 

Hugs to you all! Thank you for joining me here at Harvest Lane Cottage.

Laura
Happy at Home

P.S. Please share ideas that I've missed and your prayer requests as well.

You may enjoy:


Find me online here:

Goodreads:    Laura Lane 2025 Goal 60 books ~ 41 Finished so far
Ravelry:         HarvestLaneLaura
Facebook:     Harvest Lane Cottage
Instagram:    @lauraofharvestlane





Thursday, April 3, 2025

An Old Old Recipe for Oatmeal Cookies


I've been making these cookies ever since I can remember. I must have been 10 or 11 when I started making them. The recipe is typed out on a faded card that's bent and smudged. I like it because it doesn't use quite as much butter as most cookie recipes.


Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 c + 2 T butter
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg
1/4 c water
1 t vanilla

3 c oats
1 c flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 c raisins


Beat together butter, sugars, egg, water and vanilla until creamy.
Combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Mix well.
Stir in 1 cup raisins.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Let them set on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before removing them to a rack to cool.
Be ready with a glass of cold milk, a glass of lemonade or some iced tea.

You won't want to wait a moment longer than necessary to take that first nibble!


Note: Sometimes I just use 1 cup of butter since it's easier. I haven't noticed a difference. It will appear a bit gloppy for cookie dough. Let it set a few minutes, and it thickens.


I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
Laura


You might enjoy:


071309

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...


    On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Jesus Christ on the Cross!

    From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

    It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

  • The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
  • Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
  • Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
  • The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
  • The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
  • The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
  • Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit—prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership, and mercy.
  • The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
  • Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
  • The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
  • The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
  • The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

The Twelve Days of Christmas begin December 25th and go through January 5th. 
Happy Christmas Season everyone!

Laura
Blessed to be a Blessing


Friday, December 20, 2024

Not Every Christmas is Perfect

    Once upon a time, the year my children were 10, 4, 2, and newborn, we sold our house in early November. We moved everything into storage, because we had to live in a nice hotel for two weeks while waiting to move into our new home just in time for Thanksgiving. Except. The sellers didn't move out! So, we moved to a cheaper motel.

    We lived in a motel for seven weeks from early November until the day AFTER Christmas! We spent the entire Christmas season with all four little ones and a little dog, in two adjoining motel rooms, watching Christmas decorating and food shows and Christmas specials. What's a mother to do?

    I borrowed a pre-decorated 2 foot tree and headed to Hobby Lobby. I came "home" with snowman decorations, candles, and later, a beautiful Advent book. We enjoyed our Christmas celebration with all the kids piled on one of the beds. It was a Christmas to remember. It was also the Christmas that changed my focus from the stuff of Christmas to the person of Christmas—Jesus Christ.

    Not every Christmas is perfect, but...
THE ORIGINATOR OF CHRISTMAS IS ALWAYS PERFECT.

    If your Christmas isn't turning out picture perfect, focus on the one who is. He LOVES you so much, he gave his life so that you can have eternal life and direct access to Father God—the Creator of the Universe.

Reach out to the Reason for the season—Jesus.

Happy Christmas,
Laura


Tuesday, December 10, 2024

A Little Kringling... Candy Cane Cocoa


Candy Cane Cocoa 
is one of family's favorite winter drinks. 


I always make a big batch in December and hope that it will last.
~smile~


 It's just as good in January or February as at Christmastime. I've had the recipe for at least twenty years maybe longer. Thank you to whoever gave it to me! We've enjoyed it. ~smile~




It makes a great gift in a pretty little jar with a cute tag, too.



Candy Cane Cocoa
A Harvest Lane Cottage Classic Recipe

3 candy canes, crushed
1 c. powdered creamer
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder

 Mix and store in an airtight container.
I now use a food processer to crush the candycanes and combine the ingredients.

Add 1/2 cup of mix to 12 ounces of boiling water.
It's even better with hot milk!

It is also a great coffee creamer. 



A happy Christmas to you from Harvest Lane Cottage!
Laura


Monday, December 2, 2024

Just Something to Think About...Precendents and Children's Gifts


Christmas 2023

Hello everyone! 

    Christmas time is upon us. I wanted to share something that I wrote about a long while ago when my children were young. 

    I once heard some mothers talking about how their children were disappointed when they didn't receive a lot of gifts for Christmas.  It saddened me.  I have a word that guided my gift giving with my children.

Precedents.... What does that word mean to you?

    As I was looking for definitions, most were related to law precedents. That tells me it's a pretty strong word. I am most interested in the first definition that the American Heritage Dictionary presented:
"An act or instance that may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instances."
    This is the definition that has been a guiding thought for me. At times, in the past, money has been tight, and some years not quite so tight. Nevertheless, I always thought about the precedents that I was setting with my children when I chose gifts for celebrating special days and holidays. For instance, even when we could afford it, and we wanted to give our children their first bicycles, we didn't buy such a gift for Christmas or a birthday. We don't give many big gifts—we never have. The receipt of their bikes was an event in itself.

During the year, I look for gifts that I think they will enjoy. I put them away in a box until their birthdays, Christmas, or an I Love You Day. Because I don't usually give big gifts, they don't expect them. Because I don't give them often, they are thrilled when they receive one.

Does this mean my children are disappointed with their Christmas gifts?  On the contrary, they are happy with what they receive.  Thrilled in fact. 

When we don't set a high precedent of expectation, our children are free to be grateful for the gifts they do receive.  They can truly enjoy their gifts without thought of cost or quantity. 

I love my children.  I am not required to give them gifts.  I want to give them gifts.  They know that.  They are thankful and enjoy the gifts because they know I am giving them out of love.

Just something to think about...

Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Laura

Friday, March 8, 2024

Burden Bearing... Don't Be a Donkey!



Burden bearing. I think we've all done it. Someone shares a prayer request, or you become aware of a need that you cannot meet, and you feel such a heaviness over it. It just tugs at your heart and makes you melancholy. You might be anxious or fearful. It can take many forms. The need may be your own, your family's, a friend's, or even a stranger's, and you carry it on your back even though you cannot meet the need yourself. So you pray. Then you pick that burden back up and carry it some more....
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Let all your requests be made known to God. You need to be like Teflon and let the prayer requests slide through the pan of your prayers and onto Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's plate to make things right and bring healing physically, spiritually, socially, and financially.  

Now, I must insert here that feeling a burden to pray for someone long-term is not the same as carrying the burden of that prayer being fulfilled. Keep praying, but don't carry the anxiety of the prayer being answered. 
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
I really need to remember this right now. My own burden of physical pain, our finances, our health,  and the burdens of my children have been heavy on me lately. 
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  
Matthew 6:34  
It's time for me to take it to heart, to really quit worrying about what may happen to me and my husband, to my children, to my family. I need to just take it to Jesus, and leave it all. I cannot control it all by worrying about it.

What about you?
Are you burden bearing instead of making your requests known to God? 

I know I need the second half of that verse. "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Let's seek him on a deeper level, and trust him more.

Laura 
Struggling Under The Burdens
Trying to Release Them to Jesus


~~~~~
Related Posts:
~~~~~
Photo Credit Pixabay.


Thank you all for writing to me. I read every comment. I truly appreciate the support you've all given me through the years. If you'd like a response to your comment, please make sure that I have your email.
Thanks! Laura




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