This weekend I had grand plans of making some fun ornament with the kids (hello, big fat fail) and sharing them with you all. But that just didn’t happen.

Instead we spent the weekend looking for a new (to us) vehicle to replace the one that a few inches of snow managed to total (sigh). In case you were wondering, car shopping isn’t the most exciting thing and can be a wee bit overwhelming. And tiring. And make your brain just fry. It isn’t for the weary.

And the kids, well, it’s life as normal around our house. Assuming you call the above normal. That is how life goes with us, especially when your phone is left sitting on the counter. Apparently much of my free time in the upcoming weeks will be spent deleting (or hiding for future use) pictures that my kids have randomly taken over the last few weeks. Incidentally, we don’t have any great family pictures and I may have threatened told the kids that their lovely images might grace our belated Christmas cards (grins). Wouldn’t you like one?

On a side note – I’m also trying to figure out which two pencils boy wonder used in his few moments of fun. Shudder.

BUT – all that aside, my hubby is home this week, there are cookies to be baked (and eaten)- especially our two Christmas Eve favorites of Molasses and Snickerdoodles, gifts to wrap, books to read, and a Christmas to enjoy.

So no blogging for me this week and HUGE hugs and Merry Christmas wishes to all of you as well. Sit back. Relax. Love on your family.

See you next week!

Caramel corn is one of our family’s Christmas favorites, both to munch on and bag as gifts for friends and family. It’s typically the first thing we bake as a part of our Christmas goodies and something the kids are forever sneaking bites of.

This year though, there’s a girl in our house who has been missing out on that tradition thanks to her braces (big no-no on the list from our orthodontist). BUT we found something that is a yummy substitute and has made that girl SUPER happy – puffed corn.

Instead of using regular air popped corn, when the puffed corn is covered with the same yummy caramel sauce and baked, it is so every bit as tasty as our regular caramel corn.

While I don’t often share recipes here, this puffed caramel corn recipe just seemed like one you all might enjoy. Keep in mind that this isn’t a staple in our house – or we’d all be in big trouble with the dentist (and our waistline), but oh my – so good!

Puffed Caramel Corn Recipe

• 3 bags of puffed corn (we used Frito Lay butter flavored 3.5 ounce bags)
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• optional: add 1 cup of peanuts (we add this to the caramel corn, but usually not to the puffed corn)
• Note: to make caramel corn, replace puffed corn with 7 quarts of air popped corn

1. Add puffed corn to a large baking dish (I used our large turkey roasting pan). If adding peanuts, mix them in as well.
2. Bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a low boil for 5 minutes.
3. Add baking soda and vanilla to mixture, stir in well, and remove from heat.
4. Pour caramel sauce over puffed corn and mix in well.
5. Bake at 250 for 45 to 50 minutes, mixing the corn and caramel again about halfway through.
6. Pull out of the oven; stir again and let cool. Store in an airtight container (should any remain once your family gets their hands on it).

Between this recipe and homemade peppermint bark, we definitely keep our sweet tooth satisfied in December! Does your family have a Christmas staple to munch on?

The following is a guest post from David Nunnery of Teach Them Diligently Conventions, one of our site sponsors. I have been blessed to be a speaker at past conventions and also a speaker at the 2015 conventions.

Homeschool Population is Growing

Homeschooling is exploding across America. The families that are just starting are from every region and state in the US, and their motivations for homeschooling are diverse. Whether embarking on this journey because of bullying, failing government schools, common core, special needs, or a thousand other reasons, families that homeschool are as diverse now as they have ever been. We all have come to this same journey from different pathways. There is no hierarchy to the inspiration for bringing your children home for school. But the largest mistake most new and veteran homeschoolers make is they never answer the question of foundation. In other words, why are you homeschooling in the first place?

When doing an internet search, there are a wealth of strong resources that all teach parents the hows and whats with reviews on what is good and what is trash. In many cases, it can be overwhelming to new homeschoolers and to veterans as well. For many, when things get tough and routines fall apart, children struggle with Algebra, and uncles and aunts think we are hurting our kids, our families struggle and these tensions overflow beyond simply education to marriages, parenting, and every walk of life. Homeschooling is not easy, but it is rewarding.

What is your Homeschool Foundation?

So for a moment, push all of the how-tos aside regarding homeschooling. When building a home or new building, the contractor does not start with walls, or plumbing. The contractor starts with a foundation so the question I have is what is your heart for your homeschool? Is your goal to simply protect your child from a bully or unwanted influences? Do you just want your child to excel and graduate with honors and get into a stellar university? Are you homeschooling because you were homeschooled? What is your foundation? This is the question you must answer if your hope is to be successful as a parent-educator. What is your anchor? And, while academic or protection reasons are strong and compelling for homeschooling, they are secondary. Academics are what makes homeschooling an education just like walls are what make a house. They are important and should not be overlooked. However, start with the foundation and build up from there. The foundation is what puts everything in order and gives it clarity. Without an anchor, you are just floating and without that strong foundation, your structure will surely be compromised or fall.

How Does Teach Them Diligently Help Your Family and Your Homeschool?

We run a series of homeschool events across the country called Teach Them Diligently. Our events are huge with great speakers such as James Dobson, Barbara Rainey, Ken Ham, Stephen Kendrick, and hundreds of workshops on raising a family, health and nutrition, every flavor of homeschooling with curriculum and resources, plus a huge exhibit and resource hall. We have the how-tos—the meat and potatoes of homeschooling—but the point of Teach Them Diligently is to speak to the heart of homeschooling. Our goal is encouraging parents in the discipleship of their children. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation that all the other curriculum, flavors, and resources are set upon. We believe that homeschooling needs a foundation. Answering this question of foundation and strengthening our hold on it changes everything. This is why so many families come to Teach Them Diligently. And, this is the reason that so many say that we are the best homeschool event they have ever attended. It is all about the Gospel, and we invite you and your family to join us there.

David Nunnery is the co-founder of Teach Them Diligently (www.teachthemdiligently.net) and the President of Worldwide Tentmakers (www.worldwidetentmakers.com). His heart is to see families strengthened and equipped as they disciple their children and to raise up a new generation of missions-minded families to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across the street and around the world.