One way our family celebrates our German heritage during the holiday season is celebrating St. Nicholas Day.

We aren't a family who emphasize Santa. (Our kids know that all gifts come from parents.)

We aren't Catholic, and we don't celebrate saints.

We do celebrate our ancestry and those who serve others, especially the less fortunate.

St. Nicholas Day is a great reminder of things that matter during the holiday season.

How do we celebrate St. Nicholas Day?

All the details are below.

St. Nicholas Day: How We Celebrate

We introduced St. Nicholas Day to our children when they were toddlers in our Montessori homeschool setting.

Activities were age appropriate and focused on the basic ideas of the holiday.

Check out the post below for the all of the details.

St. Nicholas Day Activities for Tots and Preschoolers with Free Printables

As our children grew older, we introduced more details about the holiday.

The kids learned more about each symbol and different ways various countries celebrate using the activities and printables below.

St. Nicholas Day Activities for Kids with Free Printables

When the kids were ready, we read the book, The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas. 

This book was a fantastic way to help my older kids understand exactly who St. Nicholas was and how he fit into history.

Since we first introduced St. Nicholas Day to our children, they have very much looked forward to the tradition of leaving their boots or shoes out to be filled with treats and candy before bed on December 5th each year.

We choose to leave boots or shoes under the Christmas tree, as they're much less likely to be tripped over, spilled, etc.

This tradition has continued even into the kids' teen years, and most likely will continue, knowing the type of mother I am. Lol.

They love the contents of their St. Nicholas Day Boots or Shoes.

What to Put in St. Nicholas Day Boots or Shoes

Each year we put five specific St. Nicholas Day treats in the kids' boots or shoes to emphasize why we celebrate the holiday.

• Candy Cane
• Orange (or apple for those who are allergic to citrus)
• St. Nicholas Chocolate
• Pepernoten/Gingerbread Cookies
• Chocolate Gold Coins

Then we fill the rest of the boots or shoes with our kids' favorite treats and snacks.

I am very thankful my teens prefer chips over chocolate, as the chips take up so much more room in their BIG shoes and are much cheaper to purchase.

Our other St. Nicholas Day tradition is to prepare a German feast for dinner. 

It takes a lot of time, but is so worth it.

Our German menu varies from year to year, but is absolutely delicious.

Our St. Nicholas Day German Feast

The main dish of our German feast rotates between two dishes: 

• German Style Pot Roast (Sauerbraten) 
• German Schnitzel

Sometimes, like in the picture above, we serve both.

Our favorite side dishes include:

• Traditional German Red Cabbage
• Sweet and Sour Green Beans with Bacon and Onions
• Hot German Potato Salad
• German Cheese Spätzle
• Creamy German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
• German Potato Dumplings
• German Soft Pretzels

Each year we choose the ones we're in the mood to make and go with those.

If we decide to make room for dessert, we love enjoying some delicious German chocolate cake.

There is no "right" way to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. You can make it what you want it to be.

Different countries choose to celebrate St. Nicholas Day in different ways.

Choose what best fits the needs of your family.

If you're looking for more ideas, be sure to visit the post below.

St. Nicholas Day Celebration Ideas

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 The master bedroom in a home is usually not one of the smallest rooms in the house, but for us it is. 

We prefer small spaces with a minimalism approach.

Our minimalist master bedroom provides the opportunity for all of our children to have their own rooms in our small home, which they enjoy.

It also provides my husband and I privacy on the main floor of the house, while all of our kids sleep upstairs.

Here's a quick tour!

Truth be told, our master bedroom was originally a back porch.

Previous owners of the home turned it into a room on the back of the house.

When we first moved here, it was our dining room.

A Minimalist Montessori Home Tour: The Dining Room

We absolutely loved our dining room!

But, there came a time when our four children became teens and each needed a space of their own.

My husband and I have always felt it's important for each child to be able to go to a space they can call their own, even in a small home, to help with emotional regulation, etc.

We gave our bedroom upstairs to one of our four children and moved downstairs.

You can tour our larger bedroom in the post below.

A Minimalist Montessori Home Tour: The Parents' Bedroom

Our daughter is enjoying the space we used to call our bedroom very much. 

She thoroughly enjoys the room to put all of her LEGO sets on display.

Meanwhile we've created a fabulous minimalist master bedroom with much less space.

A Minimalist Master Bedroom

Built in Double Bed

Our new minimalist master bedroom has a built in double bed. 

Transitioning to a smaller bed did take a little getting used to, especially with it right against the wall, but it has worked out very well. 

My husband and I don't even notice the the small size anymore.

No Nightstands

The beloved nightstands from our previous bedroom are no more. 

We use the window sill above at the head of the bed to store books we are reading.

All other books are stored in another room of our home.

No Closets

None of the bedrooms in our home have closets.

All clothes are stored on shelves or in dressers.

My husband and I have two dressers in our bedroom.

His clothes fit in two drawers of the closet in front of the windows.

I use the tall dresser and the bottom drawer of the my husband's dresser.

This means that all of our clothing is dresser friendly.

You can read more about our minimalist approach to clothing in the post below.

One Family's Minimalistic Approach to Clothing

Since there is no space under the bed, we ordered shoe racks for each side of the long dresser. 

They have held up quite well since we purchased them two years ago and fit the small spaces perfectly.

No Wall Decor

Our minimalist master bedroom contains no wall art or anything hanging on the walls.

We have five windows if you include the door in our bedroom.

The view of surrounding hay fields and sunsets are enough for us.

We prefer other walls to be plain to invite calm and relaxation.

Clear Dresser Tops

It's always our goal to keep the tops of dressers clear of items, clothes, etc. 

Less mess means less clutter and chaos.

With such a small space clear dresser tops goes a long way.

Trunk Storage

The one item we couldn't dare to part with from our bedroom upstairs was our antique storage trunk. 

Though you're not able to see it in the picture, it is in between the foot of the bed and the tall dresser.

This dresser is storage for winter bedding and other linens.

I love our minimalist master bedroom. 

Curtains still need to hung, but other than that it is perfect.

It's the one place in the house that is mine (and my husband's), where I can embrace as much minimalism as I want!

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy the resources below.

There comes a time when every person must learn how to swallow medication or vitamins.

Medications, vitamins, and supplements can be crucial when helping those with developmental and/or emotional disabilities.

The task of swallowing a pill can feel incredibly daunting to a person, especially a child and even some teens.

A child may not understand how to swallow a pill.

There may be be a fear of choking.

Sometimes kids worry about the taste of a pill if it starts to dissolve in their mouths.

Pills comes in all different shapes and sizes, which can be a challenge.

We've experienced all of these situations. 

Some of my kids did not learn to swallow a pill until in their teens, others needed to learn much sooner.

How do I teach my child (or teen) to swallow pills?

Here's my go-to method below!

How Do I Teach My Child to Swallow Pills?

Before we go any further, I need to confess, this is not my original idea. 

I saw this strategy online years ago and fell in love with it.

When my kids wanted to transition from liquid medications to pills, or when they needed to learn to take medication, I went through the following process with them.

It worked every time!

The first thing you need to purchase is a simple pill tray for storage.

This is the ultimate storage case for edible items needed to teach your child how to swallow pills.

It cuts down on so much mess and can easily be taken on the go if necessary.

Each day/section of the pill tray will be filled with edible items to use when practicing the art of swallowing a pill.

I love that children can see the progression as they go starting with the first section all the way through to the end.

Each section of tray has plenty of room for as much practice as is necessary.

Spill Swallow Trial 1: Nonpareils or Tiny Sprinkles

In our home we have chosen to use sugary treats to help our children overcome their fears of swallowing pills.

The first pill swallow trial starts with the tiniest sprinkles or nonpareils.

A special thank you to Sarah's Bake Studio for helping me learn the names of each of the different kinds of sprinkles for this post! 

These nonpareil sprinkles are big enough to pick up with a finger, but small enough where there won't be a fear of choking.

My kids practiced swallowing nonpareils for several days with a drink of water until they felt comfortable with the technique.

Every child is different, so your child may take a shorter or longer time.

Nonpareils will dissolve eventually leaving the taste of sugar in the mouth, so there's no negative consequence if a child can't manage to swallow the sprinkle for a while.

Pill Swallow Trial 2: Jimmies or Long Sprinkles

Once your child is comfortable and successful at swallowing nonpareil sprinkles, it's time to try swallowing jimmies or long sprinkles.

These sprinkles are a tiny bit bigger than the last ones, but still pose no threats to choking to those who may fear that.

My most reluctant pill taker took about a week to practice swallowing jimmies with a drink of water.

Again, every child is different.

If you have time to continue to practice before pill taking is necessary, don't rush your child.

In situations where taking pills is a necessity in a very short time frame, try swallowing the jimmies multiples times a day to speed up the process.

Pill Swallow Trial 3: Quins or Big Circle Sprinkles

After nonpareils and jimmies, I introduced quins or circle sprinkles

The quins are larger than the first two types of sprinkles, but not too big that they scare children too much.

Quins are also a different texture. The texture helps children start to learn that every pill is different.

As with previous steps in the pill swallowing process, allow your child to take as much time as he needs to feel successful at swallowing the quins.

If pill taking is time sensitive, practice multiple times a day.

Pill Swallow Trial 4: Mini Chocolate Chips

After success with quins, I introduce mini chocolate chips.

You could use Nerds, or some other candy. 

My kids prefer chocolate, so I went that route.

Mini chocolate chips are just a little bit bigger than the quins and introduce a 3D component to a pill.

If your child takes too long to swallow a chocolate chip, it will dissolve. There's no worry of negative flavors no matter what happens.

Pill Swallow Trial 5: Mini M&Ms

After success with mini chocolate chips, it's time to move on to mini M&Ms or any other candy that is the same shape or size.

Swallowing mini M&Ms was the biggest challenge for my kids. This step took longer than any other step.

If you have extra time to be patient, do so. Swallowing "pills" takes practice!

There are so many steps that we don't think about like the placement of the pill, the tongue, and more.

Let your child take the time to figure it out.

Pill Swallow Trial 6: Tic Tacs

After success swallowing mini M&Ms, I introduce fruit flavored Tic Tacs.

Pills come in all shapes and sizes.

So far your child knows he can swallow a circular pill.

Can he swallow a pill that's a different shape, like an ellipsoid similar to a capsule that may be prescribed?

If the shape of the "pill" isn't a hang up, learning to swallow a tic tac may not take very long, after being successful swallowing a mini M&M.

When a child does struggle with the shape, continue to be patient if time allows.

Eventually the skill will come.

Pill Swallow Trial 7: Reese's Pieces

Once a child can swallow a tic tac, it's time to move up to swallowing a Reese's Piece, regular size M&M, or Skittle. 

For some children this transition will take more time than others because of the size of the "pill." 

Other children may swallow the candy easily, because they've gotten the hang of the process.

If your child is being prescribed pills that are much larger than a Skittle, look for candy pieces that are larger to practice with.

Your child may not need to start with the smallest sprinkle. 

Every child is different when it comes to sprinkle and candy preferences. 

Create a pill tray that's filled with edible candy items your child will love.

Let the process of learning how to swallow pills be as fun as possible.

Good luck!

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The transition from learning short vowel sounds and consonant blends to long vowel sounds with all the rules and letter combinations can be challenging for children.

Our Montessori-inspired Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Activities with Free Printables are here to help!

These activities break down every letter combination that makes a long "a" sound with so many ways to practice.

Students can focus on one long "a" letter combination and complete the various activities for just that combination, or they can work on multiple letter combinations at the same time.

These activities are designed for children in Montessori elementary classrooms. 

They are designed to meet the needs of ALL children, no matter their skills or abilities.

Montessori-inspired Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Activities with Free Printables

Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Movable Alphabet Activity

The movable alphabet is such a fantastic Montessori material to incorporate into learning and practicing long vowel sounds.

In this activity children use the movable alphabet to spell long "a" words that match the pictures on each card. 

A control is provided if necessary.

We use the Kid Advance Lowercase Small Movable Alphabet in black and red. The letters fit so well with the size and font in this activity.

The control cards can also be used alone with the movable alphabet. 

Instead of placing letters on a blank card, children can place letters on top of the letters on the card.

This version of the activity is particularly helpful for children who struggle with spelling, reading and writing activities.

If you choose not to use the movable alphabet with these printables, you can reduce the printable size and use them for writing practice, flashcards, and controls for other activities.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack, which is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound Bundle.

Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Tracing Activity

Some children struggle with fine motor coordination and writing tasks. These tracing cards are just for them.

The cards are created just as large as the movable alphabet cards to ensure that all children can be successful with their tracing. 

Cards can be reduced in size while printing to fit the needs of children with more advanced fine motor abilities.

I choose to laminate these cards and use a white board marker, so they can be used again and again.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack, which is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound Bundle.

Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Picture and Word Match Up Activity

Once I have introduced words using the picture cards and movable alphabet, I introduce these picture and word match up cards.

Depending on the child, I'll introduce only cards with the same letter combination, or use a mix up of letter combinations.

These cards can be used in so many ways!

My youngest likes to simply match up words and pictures. My older children enjoyed playing memory games with them.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack, which is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound Bundle.

Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Spelling Word Clip Cards

When children are comfortable with words and pictures, there are two different sets of clip cards that can be utilized to help with spelling. 

The first set of clip cards (not shown here) includes each long "a" word with three word choices to pick from. 

Children must pick the correct word on the card.

The second set of clip cards (shown above) includes each long "a" word with three choices of the same word spelled with different letter combinations. 

Children must pick the correctly spelled word.

Anything can be used as markers for these types of activities. 

I chose to use mini clothespins to help with fine motor development.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack, which is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound Bundle.

Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Letter Combination Clip Cards

Once children are more confident with how each long "a" word looks, I love to introduce letter combination clip cards. 

These cards isolated the letter combination that makes the long "a" sound in each word.

Children use the clip cards to help them with their spelling and word identification.

In this activity I'm choosing to use green glass beads. You can use whatever you'd like to mark answers.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack, which is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound Bundle.

Green Series Long Vowel Sound A Writing Activity

The last activity I introduce when teaching long vowel sounds, and in this case the long "a" sound, are writing cards. 

After children have completed all of the other long "a" activities, isolating each letter combination, most will be able to write each word.

Children who still can't write and spell the words correctly can be provided a control to boost confidence.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack, which is part of our Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound Bundle.

FREE Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Bonus Printable Pack

Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more long "a" activities and printables for kids, we prove you wrong!

This bonus printable pack includes nomenclature cards of all the long "a" words in the Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound A Printable Pack!

Not only do you have nomenclature cards to add into the work rotation, but you're able to preview all of the words and pictures used in the pack.

This green series bonus freebie also provides some fun practice with adding an "e" at the end of short vowel sound words, to make them long vowel sound words.

Lastly, the advanced language freebie includes word sorting cards! For kids who are able or learning to read, these cards can be great fun!

Source: The FREE Montessori-inspired Long Vowel Sound "A" Bonus Printable Pack is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on the link.

7. Select the Minimalism, Montessori, or Mental Health Printables Library.

8. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Free Printables Library.

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