Advent activities, getting into the spirit of giving, free play doh mat and leaf identification printables, chocolate wasted poke cake and chocolate mousse, loaded chili dogs, stuffed bell peppers, firefighters, manners and more are all featured this week at Family Fun Friday.

If you enjoy the features on Family Fun Friday please leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you! If you see things that you like here – please PIN them on Pinterest! If you PIN these lists it will help this blogging party grow. To PIN a specific blogger’s post please click through and pin directly from their site.  Thanks so much!

If you’re a mom keep reading because we have some wonderful fun ideas to inspire you with your little ones and family.  My blogging friends are linking up craft ideas, fun in the kitchen, preschool & homeschool ideas, and ways to spend time as a family. My blog is growing but I need your help, please like my facebook page or PIN a button and help spread the word about HappyandBlessedHome.com. Thanks so much.

I also have wonderful news for two companies that I am an affiliate for.  Dayspring and Shutterfly.  These awesome discounts of 40% OFF are good for a few days only – using my links here is one way you can support my blog at no cost to you.  Help me stay online by taking advantage of some great offers and using the links provided below.

Click this link: Christmas Sale and use the coupon code: EARLYGIFT to take 40% off any single item at Dayspring.

AND, over at Shutterfly you can create calendars, photo books, Christmas gifts, cards and more using your own family photos.  Coupon Code: FIRSTLOOK. Their sale is for 40% off EVERYTHING!  AND Free Shipping for every order over $30 using the code: SHIP30. It ends Monday so be sure to take advantage of this awesome discount before the sale ends. 🙂 Click this link for the Shutterfly Deal: Photobooks, stationery, cards, and more from Shutterfly.  The link is a bit sticky – you may have to wait a bit or force re-load on your browser to get it to work.  Thank you for your patience!

This week I also shared FREE Sight Words Flashcards for teaching little ones to read from pre-K through Grade 3 and we kicked off our Learn to Read Preschool Alphabet starting with the letter “A”.  The post includes a FREE download of 18 activities for preschoolers.

Thanks to all my blogging friends for linking up last week at Family Fun Friday.  I have a special YouTube Video for you at Thank You All My Blogging Friends!  So many great ideas, crafts and things to do!  If you link up, you permit me to use your pictures/ideas as part of future posts and/or social media. Now on to some fabulous posts for moms.

Featured Bloggers:

Family Fun 

Hard to believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.  I can tell by these posts that families are gearing up for the holiday season. Need help planning your trip?  Or ideas for cherishing Advent or serving others?  Check out these posts from some fabulous bloggers.  PIN the list to help spread the word about these great posts!

1. Phyllis at Grandparents Plus shared some wonderful Advent Devotions for Young Families.  If you’d like to focus on Advent this season check out her post.
2. Patti from Becoming Joyful shared a great idea for Teaching Kids to Serve in her Canned Food Drive post. With holidays right around the corner this is a great way to reach out to others as a family.
3. Kim over at Stuffed Suitcase shared a new resources in her post Compare Fly or Drive for Vacation.  If you’re looking into travel over the holidays this might be a helpful tool to check out for your family.
4. Want to re-energize your day so you can enjoy more quality family time with your little ones? Tina from a Mother’s Niche shared  Wake up and be awesome – Journey to be a better mom
5. Clarissa at Munchkins and Moms shared Invitation to play – balls and bowls – it looked like great family fun – my boys would love a set-up like the one she featured.
6. Homemaking with Heart had a great idea for family time and reaching out to others in her post How to start a children’s book club.  My boys and I both love books so this is a great idea!55 Outside Play

Food

The theme this week seems to be comfort food.  Crockpot meals, chicken-pot-pie and lots of chocolate.  Check out these delicious posts.

1. Jamie from Love Bakes Good Cakes posted this decadant looking Chocolate Wasted Poke Cake.  Perfect for some holiday festivities. 😉
2. As the weather gets cooler its nice to have a list of well loved crock-pot meals.  Thank You Honey Blog posted these Fall Favorite Crockpot Recipes, check out her list for some great ideas.
3. Diane from An Extraordinary Day shared some awesome looking Stuffed Bell Peppers and her thoughts on hospitality as part of her 31 day series.  I never know what todo with peppers – these look great!
4. Kelly from Mostly Homemade Mom shared these Loaded Oven Chili Dogs. She writes, “This is a great way to make hot dogs for a crowd”.  I agree!
5. I also couldn’t resist this Chocolate Chip Mocha Mousse also by Kelly from Mostly Homemade Mom.  So rich and creamy – it looks amazing!
6. Lori from Lori’s Culinary Creations shared this Easy Chicken Pot Pie.  My husband loves pot pie – I needed this recipe!

Learning

A great collection of posts to inspire creativity in little ones. If you like this list please PIN it!

1. A Mama’s Story shared a guest post by Rachel – a homeschooling mama of eight who shared Why is Nature Study Important?  As Rachael states – there is so much to be learned from God’s Creation.
2. Crystal’s Tiny Treasures shared a wonderful learning experience in her post Interview with a Firefighter. What a great way to teach children!
3. I also adore these Leaf ID Cards by Amy over at Wildflower Ramblings.  They are free printables so if you’d like a copy e sure to check out her post.
4. Helen’s Legacy shared a post that is so important for young children,  Five Simple Manners to Teach your little boy.
5. If you’re looking for FREE Printables, check out this list of Play Doh Mat Printables by Mother’s Niche.
6. Mixed up fairy tales are being used to teach little ones in this post Teaching Creativity with Mixed Up Stories posted by Crafty Moms Share. What a creative way to teach!

Thanks again for all your wonderful ideas! I hope these Family Friendly and Fun ideas inspire you.

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I pray you are blessed by this effort to share ideas on having Family Fun.

In His Grip,

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