Favorite Gifts for Our 8-11 Year Olds

Y’all, I love giving good gifts. It’s fun for me to have an idea and share it with someone with love. I’ve been talking with friends and we’ve all found it a little tricky to shop for this age. So I compiled a list of my favorite ideas. I think I could go on and on with ideas, but I’m just going to stick with the ones that I think my boys would (or … [Read more...]

Family Advent Activities

    "...he called out, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'" Luke 8:8 Christmas is such an exciting time in our home, as I'm sure it is in yours too. We want to seize this exciting time to tell our children over and over again about Jesus. To praise His name, to speak of our love, to tell His story. It naturally provides even more … [Read more...]

Children’s Books for Art Study

   "Art is one of the basics for little children. They love talking, listening to stories, and drawing or painting." Isn't what Susan Schaeffer Macaulay shares in For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School true? Put two of those together and I think you have some of the best building blocks for teaching art. I've made … [Read more...]

Our Simple Summer Learning Plans

  At the end of each school year, I pencil out a simple, summer schedule. Mostly full of hopes for our summer and a tiny bit of intentional learning. This year, I’m keeping it even more simple than ever before. Because I’ve learned something this year. I don’t want more, I want more in our less. I want to pick some really good stuff and … [Read more...]

Our Favorite Animal Books for Preschoolers

  Guys, seriously so many good books in this world! I get so excited when I find some we love and I love sharing them with you. Here are some books we love reading that just so happen to teach us great things about animals. They're like science in a storybook. 1. I Love My Daddy, Because... - In beautiful drawings of daddy animals caring … [Read more...]

Our Favorite Books for Teaching Biblical Truth to Our Children

  Ever since I read this article, I've been wanting to talk with y'all about it. These statistics on biblical illiteracy reveal a sad state of affairs. Researchers George Gallup and Jim Castelli put the problem squarely: "Americans revere the Bible--but, by and large, they don't read it. And because they don't read it, they have become a … [Read more...]

12 Ways to Play Board Slam

  {I say with the utmost affection,} You might be a math geek if you play board slam at home at night with your husband. You might be a competitive math geek if you happen to forget to tell your husband he can use cubes and squares to get the answers he needs. Ha! But, either way, here are some ideas for keeping the game interesting … [Read more...]

Pottery Barn Knockoff – DIY Valentine’s Day Chairbacker

I saw  Valentine's Day Envelope Chairbackers similar to these years ago in a Pottery Barn catalog. Adorable, but more money than I could spend for them. I figured out a DIY which was so fun and easy to do. My littles have loved them now for more than a few years, so I'm super glad I made the effort. Even though they are white, they've held up just … [Read more...]

Our Family’s {Easy} Valentine’s Day Traditions

Over the years, I've stumbled on a few ideas which my children have loved that are now our family traditions leading up to Valentine's Day. They are simple, meaningful, and easy to execute, which is why we enjoy returning to them every year. 1. DIY card making station: At the beginning of February, I fill a simple wooden box with paper and … [Read more...]

Update: How My Homeschool Classical Planner Is Working For Me

  I've used and (unintentionally) abused my Homeschool Classical Planner for the last several months. I still feel badly about the water spill which soaked and wrinkled its pages. But, in spite of my goofs, it's lasted through it all. The parts which have been my favorite: 1. The pockets. I've used them lots to stash all manner of papers … [Read more...]