Burgers and Novels-Slowing Down to Write
17 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Books, Writing Tags: burgers, characters, novels, stories, time, writing
This is a lesson I have been learning as I work on my novel. For the most part of my story line, I have lived quite a bit of it in my head before I sit down to type it onto the actual page. My characters are people to me and I know their thoughts, feelings, what they would or would not say-MOST of the time. There are times that I am typing a chapter and scene and those characters do surprise me. You have to give your characters, your imagination, some breathing room when you are writing. I find that to be when a beautiful magic happens on the page, within the story, within my characters’ lives. Those moments make me catch my breath and realize that I am just the avenue in which this story has chosed to get out into the world. For me, that is humbling, frightening, and exhilirating.
But sometimes…sometimes, you guys, I want my characters to hurry up and get where I know they are going. I find myself rushing the scene a bit, taking them too quickly to a place that they are just not ready to go. What do I get when I allow that to happen? A mess. A headache. A moment (sometimes days worth of moments) of confusion and a question of “why won’t this chapter work???” Recently, when this happened, I realized I was taking the book to a place it wasn’t ready to go yet. My characters weren’t ready for that conversation. Oh, that conversation is coming, but I was in such a hurry for them to have it, for the tension to peak and some juiciness to occur, that I rushed the story. I realized that if I continued that I was robbing the reader of the details of the story. As well, this book would turn into a really bad short story instead of a really great novel.
Compare it to the best burger you’ve ever eaten (Yes, I know this is weird…). You have the basics-2 buns and the meat. Put on a plate, a paper napkin, for some of you just your hand…:) It’s a burger. With or without any of the additions or condiments, it’s still a burger. A plain one, a boring one in my opinion, but still a burger. If you are starving, or in a really big hurry, it would do so to say. But…take those basics and add the juicy goodness of veggies and condiments, and that burger changes from “just a burger” to “Holy cow! This is the best burger I’ve ever eaten!” Yep, that’s what slowing down when I write sometimes does for me. I don’t want just a plain burger novel. I want a “Holy Cow, this is the best novel I’ve ever read, give me more of that juicy goodness PLEASE” novel. One that people want to linger over and savor and taste…Seriously. But in order for them to want to slow down and savor it, I have to slow down sometimes and savor it as I write it. I have to choose to not be in such a hurry for my characters and their story to just Get There Already!!
I’m wondering what in your life, or your writing, you rush through to just get there already?
Staring Up,
KP
Aaaagggghhhh! Chapter 4!
14 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in Writing Tags: characters, novels, voices, writer's block, writing
Many of you know that I am working on my first novel. I love everything about it. Creating a new world with new people and personalities, among other things, is one of my favorite things to do in life. I was chugging along at quite a pace until I hit chapter 4. Seriously, this chapter stopped me in my tracks. I would stare at the screen on my computer and try to make my fingers move, but nothing (of any worth anyway) would come out. I decided to plug away at it anyway, fully knowing that I did not like what was happening and coming out of my brain, onto the paper… Once the chapter was “finished”, I read it and reread it and with each reading-it did not grow on me. I actually hated it a little more with each reading. So, I did what any great writer would do. I abandoned it. I walked away-from my beautiful and lovely world, from my amazing characters, from the gripping and fantastic story line (if you skip chapter 4), from the voices in my head. Yes, writers are a bit crazy with those voices in our heads. 
Then, Thanksgiving and Christmas hit. My life became unbelievably crazy! November and December as a music teacher are absolutely something you would not believe. But, through it all, the voices of my characters became louder-the world became clearer-and chapter 4 sharpened up in a way I didn’t expect. My fingers were itching to be back at the keys typing away. And yet, I had no time. I couldn’t afford to stay up all night and get it all on the page because I had 225 students expecting me to be at the top of my game, just as I always expect them to be at the top of their’s. So my precious characters, and their voices screaming in my head, had to wait.
And now those holidays are over…my life has slowed down to a semi-normal rate (which honestly is NOT normal for anyone, but is how I like it), and I am going to try to silence my character’s voices this weekend. They are now shouting at me in a volume that you would still be able to hear over a freight train! So chapter 4 is going to finally come together and make it on paper the way it should be. And my “Aaaagggghhhh, this chapter is so crappy and unbelievable” is about to turn into “Aaaagggghhhh, this chapter is so amazing and unbelievable!” Turns out walking away for a bit was one of the best decisions I could have made for this manuscript. I can’t wait to continue the story and finish it up. Now, I have to go write. My heroine has hit sounds levels you wouldn’t believe!
I’m wondering how other writers handle this kind of block when they are writing? Have you ever walked away from a manuscript and come back? What were your results?
Staring Up,
KP
Chairrail or Cardrail??
01 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Crafts, Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: cards, chairrail, Christmas, display, ideas
When my friend asked for card display ideas on Facebook the other day, it got me thinking. How was I going to display the Christmas cards we received?? Yes, I know I could use the clothesline idea I suggested to her, but mine is hidden away in our office/music room. No one would see the cards when they came over. I really wanted them to be in one of our social living spaces. I use to have a gold tree you could stick cards into, but it really drove me crazy. First, it wasn’t big enough for all of the cards. Second, the cards would fall down constantly at the base of the tree. Eventually, I would give up putting them back on the tree and would have a puddle of cards instead of what I had originally envisioned. It was annoying! So…I went to thinking on what we could do in this house.
When we lived in Scottsdale, I had an extremely creative friend named Katie. Seriously, she was off the wall talented. I wish you could have seen her house (well, some of you have probably…) but I was always in awe of how she put things together. There was a sophisticated quirkiness about her style that I always loved. She is also an amazing artist. Just look at this painting she did! It sits on our mantle over our fireplace and I LOVE it!
My favorite painting by my friend Katie
Anyway, my friend Katie, and another friend Tiffany, use to hang their pictures around the archways and doorways in their house, usually near their entryway. I loved the way this looked and I do have a great archway just as you enter our house. But-the sides to the archway aren’t even so it wouldn’t have worked very well. As I looked around trying to decide what I could do, my eyes fell onto our chairrail in our dining room. I decided I would use the chairrail almost like a frame ledge and put the cards along the chairrail. Using just some tape and the wall, I had discovered my Christmas card display area in this house! It added so much fun character to the dining room. We use the dining room so much during the holidays that it served as a fun reminder of all our loved ones each time we were in there. It was also fun for our friends and family to see their card displayed in such a prominent way. Here’s how it looked:
So, for this house at least, we know what to do with our Christmas cards. It’s just another way this house, and Tyler, are starting to feel like home. Yes, I know I just said Tyler is starting to feel like home…it sounds strange even to me. It’s probably about time…we’re working on our 3rd year living here!
Staring Up,
KP
Top 12 of 2011
01 Jan 2012 3 Comments
in Books, Uncategorized Tags: 2011, Across the Universe, Amanda Havard, Andrea Cremer, best of, Beth Revis, books, Bookshelf Banter, CaraLynn Schultz, Cassandra Clare, Colleen Houck, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Divergent, Graceling, Hourglass, Kristin Cashore, Laini Taylor, Lauren Willig, Mortal Instruments, Myra McEntire, Nightshade Series, Pink Carnation Series, Spellbound, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, The Survivors, The Tiger Series, top, Veronica Roth
Books, Books, and More Books!
Books happen to be one of my favorite things on this earth. If you hang out with me for any length of time, you are sure to have to endure a conversation regarding books with me. I read and review books on a couple of sites, and most of you know I have a dream of being a published author myself (I’m working on it!!). If I could get paid to read and review books, I would jump on that gig too! On one of the sites I write for, http://bookshelfbanter.com, we did a 12 days of Christmas feature each day leading up to Christmas. Each book reviewer had to rank their top 12 books or series that they had read in 2011. Please feel free to head to the site and check out the other 3 reviewers lists as well. There are author interviews, book reviews, entertainment news, etc. A plethora of information regarding one of my favorite topics-Books!
I thought I would share with you my list of my favorite books or series that I read this year! If you haven’t read these books or series yet, they are definitely worth your time! In the next couple days, I’ll be completing the entire list of books I read this year for you. I didn’t reach my goal of 100 but I did read a bunch of books! MOST are worth taking a look at-although not all of them. I will, of course, let you know on the list. The following 12 books, however, are SO good. Enjoy!
#12 Graceling by Kristin Cashore
#11 The Survivors by Amanda Havard
#10 The Tigers Series by Colleen Houck
#9 Spellbound by CaraLynn Schultz
#8 The Pink Carnation Series by Lauren Willig-There are a lot of books in this series!
#7 The Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer
#6 Across the Universe by Beth Revis
#5 The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
#4 Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
#3 The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
Okay, I struggled with the next two because I loved them both SO much! You could easily probably switch them or put them in a tie for me. I am anxiously awaiting books #2 for both of these books more than any other ones out there right now.
#2 Hourglass by Myra McEntire-So GOOD!!
And…Number 1 is….
#1 Divergent by Veronica Roth!!
Now, go out and pick up a good book!
Staring Up,
KP
Pictures, Cards, and More, Oh My!
01 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Crafts, Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: clothesline, clothespins, display, pictures, twine
Clothesline Picture Display
A couple of weeks before Christmas, I had a friend ask for ideas on how to display Christmas cards when she was on Facebook. She wanted a creative way to display them. I suggested a clothesline idea that I use for pictures throughout the year in our office. I thought it was something she could use to display her cards during the Christmas season and then use throughout the year displaying pictures. It’s a super easy and cute way to display pictures all at one time without having to fuss with frames so I thought I would share it with you. We all know that we have tons of pictures on our computer or sitting in boxes that we never display because we just don’t have a frame for them, or we don’t want to take the time to change them out. My…we are lazy creatures, aren’t we?? I tend to be picture heavy in my house. I would rather have pictures of my friends and family around my house than specific artwork. Because of this, I have run out of room on my tables for frames. Seriously, if I added more without taking some away it would look obnoxious and cluttered. I hate clutter. So, I made a clothesline picture hanger to stand in for art in our office/music room. It’s simple and easy to make.
First, go to your local hardware store and buy a couple of cabinet/drawer knobs. Any style that fits your fancy will do. I chose a simple one at the time I did this. However, I am in the process of changing my house over completely so this will probably change in the next couple of months. As will the line I am using for this idea. Here’s the knob I chose:
Drawer pull in wall
While at the hardware store, buy the correct screws in order to screw the knob into the wall. You can replace the screws that come with the knob for pointy ones that will go directly into the wall. This will save you from having to predrill a hole, etc. I found them in a little bag in the screw section. Once I had my knobs screwed into the wall, then I took twine and tied it around the knobs, stringing it between the two. Next, I took my pictures and attached them to the twine with clothespins. It’s really that simple! Here’s what my extremely simple version looks like right now:
Simple version of this clothesline idea
Now, I know there are a ton of creative types out there that can and will jazz this idea up. You might want to use a fun ribbon instead of twine or use some fantastic antique knobs. I’m planning on finding some fun and quirky white and red knobs to change mine out with once I get to the office. My bedroom honestly has to get finished first. Also, you could add buttons to your clothespins or fabric flowers or both! You might want to try using jazzed up bobby pins instead of clothespins. Whatever your fancy or style, I hope this has helped you think about different ways you can surround yourself with your loved ones in your favorites places and spaces.
Staring Up,
KP
Another Christmas Craft
31 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: canvas, Christmas, craft, paint, paper, scrapbooking, tree
You can tell that most of my musicals for the year at school are done, and I have been on school break because I’ve been able to blog more often as well as get some projects finished that I’ve been wanting to do for awhile! It’s been a grand 2 weeks while I’ve been on break and at home with my family. I return back to school on Monday. While I’m a little sad to be going back to work (I love being home!), I am excited to get back into the classroom. I only have 1 more musical to go this year so my time should be freed up quite a bit more. This should allow me time to get back on a running schedule (can I get a Hallelujah??), finish some more projects, and write some more on my novel and the picture book I’m working on. BUT-None of that is why I am actually writing today!
Awhile back, my family went to my two oldest creatures’ school for their annual auction. It was full of wonderful deals and beautiful items, as well as crafts made by each class. One of the things for sale there I later found out had been on Pinterest.com. Yes, Pinterest strikes again! When I saw it, I fell in love with it. I didn’t want to buy it, though, because I knew I could make it easily-and I had already reached my maximum bids on other items to be honest! So…I took a picture of it in preparation to steal the idea of course!! You can see the picture I took above…
So, once I pulled out all of my old Christmas papers from my scrapbooking days, and bought a couple more that I liked, I was pretty much ready to go. I bought two canvases big enough fit the scale of my dining room wall. I am in the process of changing my social living areas in my house to turquoise and red (for the most part), so I decided to go ahead and make these canvases colors to go with that scheme. I painted each canvas a terrific turquoise color. It took me 2-3 coats of turquoise acrylic paint to get the smoothness of the color I wanted.
While the canvases were drying, I began the paper cutting and rolling part of the project. You will need to take your 12×12 scrapbooking paper and cut it into 2 1/2 inch strips. My bottom row of paper was 12 inches long. I curled it around 3 crayola markers stuck together (whatever works, right??) and hot glued the paper together. Then, I hot glued the rolled paper to the canvas about 2-3 inches from the bottom, centered. With each new strip of paper, I would cut off a 1/2 inch from one end and do the rolling and gluing process again. I continued doing this until the last piece was small and perfect for the top of the tree. To help with the exactness of my cutting, I used my wonderful scrapbooking paper cutter. These cutters are perfect for any type of paper projects you might have going on. They have rulers attached to them and you cut with just a swipe of a little blade. They are great helpers to have on hand. I had bought glittered circles and stars from the scrapbooking section of Michaels to add to the tree in order to look like ornaments. Once I was finished, I used brown paint to make the tree base. Using the pointy end of the paintbrush, I placed dots around the tree base in a complementary color. And Done! The tree canvas was finished! I made two of them and placed them on my dining room wall where I already had some everyday artwork hanging. I just replaced the everyday artwork for the season, but I left my crosses. In our family, it’s important to remember why we celebrate Christmas to begin with-Jesus Christ-so I felt like the crosses between the trees were fitting. Here are the finished pictures for you to see!
One of my turquoise tree canvases up close
Canvases in Dining Room with Crosses
These cute canvases were so easy to make and were a great pop of color and Christmas spirit in my dining room. I hope this inspires you to do something creative today!
Staring Up,
KP
Letter and Crayon Canvases
30 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: art, crayons, family life, kids activities, paint, pinterest
Lately, thanks a lot to Pinterest.com, I have been inspired to do a few projects that I have been putting off for awhile. A few years back, I found these fantastic mats for frames on Potterybarn Kids. They were on clearance and I loved them. Each of them had a letter cut out of the mat. I bought one mat for each of my little creatures (D, J, and Z) and had big plans to do something simple. I thought I would buy some simple black frames, stick some fun scrapbooking paper behind the mats, and hang them quickly in the playroom. Zip, Bam, Boom-Done, right?? Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans, right? No…neither do I. I do know, however, that mine never seem to go as I planned. This one was to be no exception. It turned out the mats were 18″x18″. Believe it or not, frames this size aren’t easy to find. I had a few options. I could have frames custom made with my handy-dandy 40% off coupon at Michaels, cut the mats down to an easier size to fit a normal size frame, buy the frames from Potterybarn which (shockingly) were way more than I really wanted to pay, or stick them in a closet to deal with later. Can you guess which one I went with??
You guessed it! The mats went into a closet and stayed there for a few years. Well, truthfully, they went into a box and moved from Arizona to Texas with us and then made it back into another closet in the new house. Yes, I know that’s just sad and lazy. Whatever…
Anyway, the art teacher at the school I teach at did a crayon and canvas project with one of the grade levels this fall. It was an idea she found on Pinterest, and she suggested I could do it with the boys for fun over this Christmas break. Here’s the gist of what she was suggesting:
Cute and fun, right? On our school’s project, Sarah painted the words Faith, Hope, and Love in the middle. It is beautiful, and I loved it. I didn’t want to do the same thing though…and then inspiration struck. What about those mats?? I went and bought 3 canvases which were bigger than the mats. I also bought 3 96-count boxes of crayons. After painting the canvases different colors and the mats different colors, I hot glued the mats onto the canvases. It took 3 coats of paint on the canvases and 3 coats on the mats to get the depth of color I wanted, so during the wait time between coats, the creatures and I unwrapped crayons.
Now, there is a quick tip to make this go a little faster so, of course, I’m going to share it with you! There must be a parent or an older kid helping with this. I took an exacto knife and sliced down the paper of the crayon. My boys sat there waiting for each crayon and would then rip the already cut paper off. Once we started this, it went MUCH faster and we didn’t have any broken crayons to contend with. Once the crayons were naked, I hot glued them onto the bottom and the top of the canvas. I didn’t do the sides although I could have. Once I got the tops and bottoms glued on and cooled, it was time for the really fun part to begin.
I let each boy melt their own canvas. We used a blowdryer and that was it! This part of the project is the easiest part. We tilted the canvas different ways while we heated the crayons and tried to do cool patterns. We also did not put the crayons in rainbow order. We just put them come-what-may and let the crayons drip where they wanted. So…here is the finished products. They are hanging in our playroom, and we love the result we got from them. It was a night of lots of fun with my little creatures, and I love that everytime I walk by them I think back to the memories we made.
The D Canvas
The J Canvas
The Z Canvas
All 3 canvases on the wall!
I hope this has inspired you to get out there and try something new too!
Staring Up,
KP
The Best Soup I Ever Made…
29 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: Christmas, crockpot, fajitas, leftovers, soup
I had every intention of showing you a picture of the soup and all of its yummy delicousness. Unfortunately, I did not imagine and could not have foreseen, that my family would eat it ALL and there would be absolutely no leftovers. There really was enough made for a small army…but my creatures inhaled it so fast. When I finally had time to walk over to the crockpot (Yes, I did this in a crock pot) and take the picture, I found myself staring into an empty container that had been scraped clean! So, because it was such a hit in my household, I thought I would share it with you.
Now, I should tell you that I made this soup with leftovers from our Christmas meal. You might be thinking, Yay!! I have so many leftovers in my fridge from Christmas! I’m set! BUT before you blow your back out jumping up and down, my leftovers probably look different than your leftovers. We don’t do the typical Christmas meal…we do Tex-Mex. Fajitas, enchiladas, southwestern salad, and all the trimmings grace my table every single year. It’s a tradition Michael and I started not long after we got married. It is something we LOVE doing every year. Cooking Tex-Mex is one of my favorite things to cook and it makes me so happy to see my family and loved ones gathered around my table gobbling it all up.
So, like I said, your’s might look different than mine. The leftovers I used were: sauteed onions and bell peppers, fajita steak meat, chopped tomatoes. Everything else came from my fridge and pantry. Now, the meat is very important. You want one that has been marinated or rubbed really well, probably having sat in the marinade or rub for a day or so in the fridge. We buy our meat already marinated from a local Mexican market here in town. Our market of choice is called La Michocana. If you live in the Dallas, or East Texas, area, there’s a good chance there is one near you. If not, see if you have a market near you that you can use. In the market, we buy the premarinated flank steak by the pound. I suggest buying enough for fajitas one night and having enough leftovers to make a soup afterwards. Cook all of the meat on the grill at the same time and then put the leftover portion in the fridge for the soup later. If you don’t have a market nearby, make your own meat marinade/rub with spices. There are usually fajita marinades/rubs you can buy in the spice aisle at your local grocery store.
Okay, so it’s time to make your soup. I do everything in the crockpot. First, I turn the crock pot on high. I add a tablespoon of minced garlic and spread it out on the bottom of the crock pot, letting it heat as the crock pot heats. Then, I add the leftover onions and bell peppers from fajita night. For this onion/bell pepper mixture: slice onions and bell peppers in butter until soft. That’s it! Serve with fajitas and store extra in fridge until time to make soup. Once I drop this in the crock pot, I stir and mix it well with the garlic. Put the lid back on and let it heat while you go to your meat. Slice the already cooked meat into bite size pieces. Once it is cut, put it in the crock pot and stir again. Take fresh cilantro and pull the leaves off the stem-throw into the pot and stir again. I probably did about 1/4 cup of cilantro. Place lid on and leave to heat up about 20-30 minutes. Once this mixture is heated through, add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can original Rotel, 1 can Ranch Style beans (in Arizona they are called Texas beans, which is hilarious to me), 1 can corn kernels, and 1 can beef broth. Do not drain any of these cans-just pour them in! Take 1/2 of a fresh lemon and squeeze over the top of the soup. Stir and put the lid back on. Now, let the soup cook on high for a couple of hours. Turn the heat down and cook on low for as long as you like. We let it cook for about 6 hours total. The meat become melt in your mouth tender and the flavors melded together in a way that we did not expect. You can serve this soup just like you would tortilla soup or taco soup, with cheese, sour cream, avocados, and tortilla chips, etc… It’s delicious and I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as mine did! I only wish there were some more leftovers for tomorrow!!
Staring Up,
KP
Christmas Gift for Michael
28 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: canvas, Christmas, fish, gifts, husband, painting
Well, a phenonmenon has hit my internet world, and I’m willing to bet it has hit your’s too. If it hasn’t hit yet, just wait. It will. This phenonmenon is called Pinterest.com and I am in love with it. I don’t have any idea who invented it, but whoever it is, is brilliant! I have found so many good ideas on this website. Once of the great things you can do, besides stealing your friends’ ideas and pinning them on your own boards, is find things on the internet and pin those ideas on your boards too. It is a spot for you to keep all of your favorite ideas that you find on the web in one spot, instead of forgetting it all! Brilliant, right?? I was not kidding when I said it!
So, this Christmas I wanted to do something for Michael that would be special, fun and quirky-in short, I wanted to give him something that would remind him of me. So, I saw on pinterest one day this canvas in black and white. It had a saying about him being a fish in the sea. I didn’t love the saying or the bare canvas it was on, but I did love the idea, so I modified it completely. We are in the process of changing our bedroom to grey, yellow and white. I decided I would make him our first piece of artwork for our new room using this same idea. I took a large canvas and painted it light grey. Then, I painted yellow fish scattered across the canvas in two different sizes. Here is what it looked like in process:
After the color was all done (I did about 3 coats of each color), I then wrote in black paint my saying. “Of all the fish in the sea, You’re still the only 1 for me.” I think it came out so cute. My writing desk/area is in our master bedroom instead of our office because it is quieter in there, so we are going to hang it over my writing desk/area. Our bed faces it and I love the quirkiness it adds to our room as well as reminding both of us that we were made for each other. Listen, people, I had to kiss a bunch of frogs to find my prince (sorry if you are a frog reading this!!). Here’s the finished project!
If you haven’t checked out pinterest yet, go now. You won’t be disappointed!
Staring Up,
KP
Manners hit the Simmon household
28 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in Simmon Life, Uncategorized Tags: children, family life, kids, manners, traditions
Yes, that's our Manners Candle...in a soap dish of all things...whatever works I guess.
Well, thanks to my dear friend, Traci, manners have finally entered the Simmon household full fledge! While at our house for dinner one night, Traci and her husband Ryan began telling us about a new tradition they had started using with their girls. Michael and I loved it so much that we implemented it the very next night. We’ve seen such great results that I just couldn’t resist sharing it with you! It is called…..(Drumroll Please!)….
The Manners Candle!!!
Now, the Manners Candle is a simple little invention…well, a genius invention really. Traci and Ryan stole the idea from someone else, who probably stole the idea from someone else. Honestly, in parenting, as well as teaching, some of the best ideas are stolen from others, aren’t they?? It definitely takes a village….
Anyway, here is how the Manners Candle works. First, you need to get a candle that is not too big, but not too small. As you can see in the picture (yes, that’s a soap dish…Can you tell we wanted to start this tradition fast??), our candle is a votive. Ryan and Traci use a taper candle. When the family sits down at the table to eat, you light the Manners Candle. The candle stays lit as long as manners are used while at the table. For us, we offer one warning. If we have to say something two times, then, in our humble opinion, we have had to say something too many times so we blow the candle out. Blowing the candle out is a big deal to our boys. Why?? Well, the longer the candle burns, the faster it gets to the end. When the candle gets to the end, then there is some sort of reward in store for your family. For us, when the candle burns down completely, our family gets in the car at that exact moment and goes and gets ice cream-no matter where we are at in the meal. So…if we sit down, light the candle, and it goes out before our very first bite of dinner, so be it. We go get ice cream at that exact moment. Our dinner will still be there when we get back from dessert right?? This is one of our boys’ favorite parts of the reward. Your reward might look different. Maybe it is bowling as a family the following weekend or getting to stay up later that night. Whatever it is, let your kiddos/creatures help you decide what your family’s reward should be. They’ll be more excited about it if you do.
We have seen great results ever since we implemented the Manners Candle. Our 4 year old creature, Zach, has always had a hard time sitting in his seat and staying seated. This has changed! All of our little boy creatures are asking to be excused and chewing with their mouths closed! I might just have to stop calling them my little creatures and start calling them my little men from now on…Nah…;)
I hope this helps you and your little creatures enjoy meal times even more!
Staring Up,
KP
