Hearts at Home

I have been able to attend the Hearts at Home conference for a few years ... and it is amazing!

“Do you want to be refreshed, revitalized, challenged, and educated to grow in your marriage, mothering, friendships, and faith? You’re not alone! Come to a Hearts at Home conference and join with thousands of moms who share the same desire. Registration is now open at www.heartsathome.org.”

 I promise that you will not be disappointed!!

Little Mama's Christmas Round-Up

This "Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt", from Layers of Learning is a great activity that you can do with your family.  Maybe it could even become a tradition!  I shared it with my local MOPS group, and it was a hit!  Click here to go to the page for a printable version.

I absolutely LOVE this idea!  Homemade pizza shaped like snowmen!  You could totally change the ingredients to fit your taste.  Maybe use mini pepperoni or sausage instead of olives.  This great idea comes from Delia Creates.  Click here to view her instruction page.

The 36th Avenue has put together a collection of WONDERFUL Christmas printables!  They can create great opportunities for imagination and creativity!  Check them out here!

Tell the Christmas story with handmade ornaments from Little Blots!  These are adorable, simple and inexpensive to make!  A great activity to do with kids or just do them yourself!  Directions and printables can be found here.

52 Mantels has a great idea for decorating or gift giving! I'm thinking this would be a perfect teacher gift!  Fill a shadow box with ornaments!  Instructions can be found here.

Create a family tradition with this idea from The Imagination Tree!  The idea is to pack a "Christmas Eve Box."  She suggests items like new pajamas for everyone, hot cocoa, popcorn and more.  See her idea here.

 One of my favorite decor ideas is this tomato cage, lighted Christmas tree.  I have seen this all over the web, but these instructions come from New England Design and Construction.  I have a bunch of tomato cages stored in my shed for the winter!  They have some other neat ideas too!

I have a TON of extra buttons in a box.  I use them from time to time on various craft ideas, but I think I have found my favorite idea!  This one comes from Martha Stewart.  Yes, I love Martha!  This adorable wreath ornament is made of buttons, floral wire and a piece of ribbon.  You could definitely do this with the kids too!  Check out the instructions here.

Save your scrap pieces of wrapping paper ... you know, the ones that are not big enough to wrap anything.  Adventures of a DIY Mom made this cute craft using craft paper, but I think you could also use wrapping paper scraps.  Get the instructions here.

Subway art is super trendy right now.  While He Was Napping has a FREE subway art printable that is Christmas themed.  Check it out here.

And another FREE subway art from Eye Candy:

And now the finale ... tips from August Tea Photography on how to capture great photos of your Christmas tree!  This is so helpful to me because I am still learning what settings to use in various environments.  Read the post here.

Merry Christmas from Little Mama!

Pomegranate - Super Fruit

Pomegranates are in season!  These super sweet fruits are in season roughly the end of October through the beginning of November.  These fruits are not only delicious, but they have super health benefits too!  They are packed with antioxidants, various vitamins and folic acid.  Research has also shown the potential to combat certain cancers, arthritis, coronary disease, Alzheimer's and other aging ailments.

So, what the heck do you do with them?  Looking at a pomegranate, I can't help feeling a bit perplexed.  Have you wondered, too, how to use this fruit?  Here is some help!

Preparing a pomegranate can be a bit messy.  It's dark red-purple juice will stain anything it touches.  I used a paper plate to cut mine.  The juices pooled toward the center of the plate.  You may want to wear an old t-shirt in case you get spattered ... I did!

Cut into the crown of the fruit with a large knife.  There is a thick chunk of membrane that you will be cutting into.  Cut down about 1 to 2 inches.  If you cut down any further you will slice open the seeds ... You just need a slit that you can get your fingers into to break it open.

Work your fingers into the cut and gently break it open.

Follow the same process on each half, breaking the fruit into quarters.

Gently break the seeds away from the membrane over a large bowl.  One fruit will yield a generous amount of seeds.

Finally, gently rinse the seeds in cool water to remove any membrane that is stuck to them.  Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

So, now what?  Well, the seeds are super yummy to munch on just the way they are.  Also, try sprinkling them over a salad, pancakes or waffles or frozen yogurt ... get creative!

Want juice?  Personally, I would recommend buying it by the bottle, but if you really want to make your own ... it will take about 2 pomegranates to yield one cup of juice.  Give the seeds a quick pulse in a food processor and then press through a sieve.

Though I haven't tested it, I have also read that you can freeze the seeds by spreading them in a single layer on a sheet pan until frozen and then placing them in a freezer bag.