Reading in February and March...

I didn't get around to posting my reading from February, which is okay, because it wasn't that much reading anyway, so it works well to combine it with March.

I have a whole host of posts (say it again...you know you want to!) in my head and I'm trying to find the time to get them all typed out for y'all to read....things like: how our family is using essential oils (including some recipes and DIY projects), my daily to-do list template, and a day in our life on a not-school-day...just to name a few... stay tuned...

For now, here's what I read in February and March...

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This book was a gift from my parents, and I found it to be encouraging and helpful.  It is very similar to The Homeschool Life, which I read in January.  The chapters are short and easy to read, especially for busy moms who are grabbing short sections of time here and there.  Andrea is a gifted writer and has a witty sense of humor.  She has many helpful suggestions for homeschooling parents.  If you are thinking of homeschooling or are currently homeschooling, you would probably be encouraged by this book.

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"If the focus is on what you must do instead of what Jesus has already done, it's anti-gospel."  This might be considered cheating for my 50 Books goal for 2014, because I was already about halfway through this book, but I finished it in February.  This is one of those books that I feel like everyone should read at least once, maybe more.  Tullian is a gifted and easy to read author, but the theology he teaches is rich and encouraging.  He has a way of teaching concepts that I think I've known all along, but never fully understood.  The depth of them and how they impact my everyday living is life-changing.  "When God's amazing grace in the gospel grips our hearts, the motivational structure of our hearts is radically changed, and we begin to obey out of faith not fear, gratitude not guilt."

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This book was a Christmas gift and I was anxious to begin reading it.  I don't know if I'm out of practice with reading Puritan-style writing or what, but I found it a difficult read both for style and content.  I'm glad I read it and I learned a lot more about the Edwards family having read it.  Honestly, I found some of it to be downright unbelievable and I'm continuing to wrestle with whether that is sinful pride in my own heart, the effects of living in a desensitized society, or both or neither.  If anyone has read it or does read it, I'd be interested in discussing it to hear your opinion on it.

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This book was another gift from my parents and is a short book of stories intended to be read-aloud to kids as a means of teaching responsibility and self-discipline.  It is probably just above the age-level of my daughter, although she would probably comprehend a good bit of the stories and lessons.  My one disappointment is that there is a lack of follow-up in the stories with regard to grace in the parent-child relationship as modeling the God-man relationship.  Perhaps this was the author's intention in order to allow for that conversation to be freely led by parents.  When I do read the stories to my daughter, that is one thing that I would want to include.

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I saw this book on another blog that I follow, and thought it looked interesting.  I usually like to read before I go to bed, but I don't like to read anything to "deep" and I usually can't stay awake for too long.  This is definitely not too deep, and definitely not too long.  In fact, I found myself reading several of the "blessings" because they were quite short.  Some were very simple and others gave me things to ponder as I drifted off to sleep.  As to whether I would recommend it, I think it is going to come down to a matter of personal preference.  I would not say "Don't read that book!" but in my opinion, your time could be better spent reading something else...

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...like this, for example.  This book, along with J+N=E, are the two that I take away from these two months of reading and say, please secure a copy of these and read them -- you will not regret it!  I read Paul Miller's book, A Praying Life, and it was truly life-changing.  I had never considered prayer or seen it presented in the way that he did.  When a former pastor's wife (and good friend!) recommended this book on facebook, I immediately purchased the e-book. (Yay for gift cards to Barnes & Noble!)  This book is a study of the hesed love shown in the book of Ruth.  As my friend said, "It is convicting {and astounding} at every turn of the page!"  I have heard the story of Ruth expounded many times, but never like this.  Another one that is truly life-changing.

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I read the majority of this short e-book while I was out of town visiting family.  I'm struggling to remember many of the particulars, but I know that I enjoyed reading it and I enjoyed the reminders of what True Christian Motherhood IS and what it ISN'T.  The beginning of the 13th Chapter gives a description of a busy mother and begins with a quote from Henry David Thoreau, "It's not enough to be busy, so are the ants.  The question is, what are we busy about?"  This chapter is a good reminder to step-back and evaluate what is filling our days and whether or not those things are our primary responsibilities and whether we need to make adjustments in order to care for our families in better ways.  I love the chapter on the Culture of our Homes - as wives/mothers we have been given the gift of "setting the tone" for our homes.

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I think I saw this book advertised in a recent issue of Thriving Family magazine and it caught my attention.  I went into parenting thinking that I knew exactly what I was going to do when my daughter disobeyed and how I would handle it.  Boy, was I surprised!  All kids are different and while some respond well to common disciplines, others do not.  The actions I was taking were actually provoking the problem and making them worse, not bringing us to a point of teaching and repentance.  So, I am always on the watch for creative ways to teach things to children, and I think "reality discipline" can be quite effective.  Lisa has a great sense of humor and this book is easy to read and a great resource for parents.  As with most parenting books, I don't agree with it all, but I do recommend it and I'd like to have a copy to keep, as I borrowed the one I read.

Preschool "Curriculum"

When I posted about what a normal day looks like for us, which included our homeschool preschool, I received some requests to give more detail about the curriculum that I am using for preschool.  So, that is the purpose of this post.  Last year, we dabbled in some preschool activities at home, but we did not stick to a set schedule or have much in mind in the way of goals, etc.  This year, I am more dedicated to it, because C enjoys it so much, and as a preparation for Kindergarten next year.  C is learning constantly throughout the day as she plays and explores and tags along with and helps me, but two days a week for about 3-4 hours, we focus specifically on learning.  As I was thinking about the year, I wanted to have lesson plans in place and themed units for each month...  While those are both great things, I realized that this is just preschool and it is primarily about setting a tone for next year and having fun through learning.  I also realized that I had plenty of materials without needing to purchase a curriculum.  I did some research and made a list of things that I would like to focus on based on what a child should know going into Kindergarten, and based on what others were doing in the preschool years.  This was my starting point.  I decided to keep it simple, so I made a list of nine "subjects" or activities and decided that we would spend 20-30 minutes on each one on our school days.  We don't do them in the same order usually, and I often let C choose what she wants to start with and/or do next.  The only thing that I do try to do is to alternate writing with non-writing to give her hands a break, and also something more active with something less active so she has plenty of opportunity to move around and wiggle.  Also, on our non-school days, she is still doing several of these and actually spends more time on them on those days.  The nine things that we choose from are:

• Calendar Book
• Cutting & Pasting
• Reading/Phonics
• Worksheets
• Picture Books
• Reading out Loud/floor play
• Games/Outside play
• Sensory
• Art/Crafts

Calendar Book

I learned very quickly that google and pinterest are a homeschooling mom's best friends and great resources that I'm sure those that have gone before us wish they had!  As with anything online, you can find more information than you could possibly process, but narrow it down and it is really helpful.  So, a quick search will give you lots of ideas for a calendar book.  This is something that we will probably do for most of the elementary years and continue to build on it as she grows and learns.  For now, we have a 3-ring binder with the monthly calendar page and she traces today's date, and then I have various worksheets for each day where she records the numerical date, what day it is today/tomorrow/yesterday, the weather for the day, her mood for the day, the time, etc.  There are lots of ideas out there for this, so you can make it as much or as little as you want to.  We are also working on identifying the US states, so I found a blank map of the states on google images and we color in a few states each day to learn where they are.  

THIS is a link to some of the pages that we are using for our calendar book.

Cutting & Pasting
Not on the computer...at least not yet.  We are doing actual cutting with scissors and gluing with glue-sticks, usually.  Learning to use scissors is a great motor-skill activity for preschoolers and they think it is great fun.  Cutting with adult supervision is preferred.  (spoken from someone who cut her own EYELASHES with scissors as a child...)  For beginners, these are great scissors for little hands, and using a hole-puncher is a good activity as well.  Creating a Paper-Cutting box is on my to-do list...  We mostly use printables that I have found from searching for preschool cutting/scissor activities on pinterest.  We also have a book similar to this that is fun and colorful.

Click HERE for more information

Reading & Phonics

C has enjoyed playing games on the computer since she was 2, and I have been amazed at how quickly she has picked up using the mouse and navigating her way around on the computer.  I really like the Starfall website and I think the $35/year fee is worth it for all of the programs and printables that are available.  There are a lot of things available for free, but there is SO much more with the membership.  In addition to beginning reading, there are lots of songs that teach things like days of the week, months of the year, etc.  Kids at this age memorize so quickly and learn so fast through music.  My parents gave me this book...

More information here

I am very pleased with this program so far.  Each lesson is short and easy and simple.  The thing I like most about it is that there are NO pictures.  NONE.  Personally, I think this is great for a reading program, because anytime there are pictures, it makes it easier for the child to guess rather than have to work to sound out a word.  Even without pictures, it still holds C's interest and I can tell that she is using her imagination to form her own illustrations for what she is reading.  Every 14 lessons or so, there is a booklet for the child to read, and we just got through the first one.  Let me tell you, C is SO excited that she can read a real book!  And I am excited too because I know that she IS actually reading it and not guessing based on pictures.  We usually spend however long it takes to get through one lesson each school-day...some lessons are longer and some are shorter.

Worksheets

This one is pretty random for us.  Both of C's grandmothers have given us workbooks for her as they have seen them at good prices or just thought they looked interesting.  I'm very thankful for a mother and a mother-in-law who have walked this road of homeschooling before me and have experience to share with me.  I won't list all of the workbooks here, but they vary in subject from math/numbers, colors/shapes, reading/letters, reasoning skills, etc.  One day we might focus more on reading and one day on math or it may be a balanced mix.  I usually just go through and pull out several or if C sees one she is interested in, we pull that one out and do it.  I mainly want her to get familiar with completing a worksheet, learning to write letters/numbers, and following instructions.  These books can be found anywhere, really...Sam's/Costco usually have them, and of course any kind of bookstore or educational store.  There are also LOTS of free printables available on-line and pinterest is a good resource for that.  You will pay for the cost of ink to print them, but even if you use an entire cartridge, you will probably have a book's worth of pages and the ink probably costs about the same price as a book would.  I have printed several from Confessions of a Home Schooler's blog.

Picture Books

Reading to your preschooler (and baby and toddler) is one of the most basic things you can do in teaching them to read.  We normally read books to C in the mornings and before bed and sometimes during the day, but on school days we set aside 20-30 minutes to read what I call picture books.  These are her choice and usually books from the library or some that we have at home.  Currently her favorites include: Franklin the Turtle, Frances (Bread & Jam), and the Berenstein Bears.  I wrote a post awhile back about resources for finding good books for various ages of children...

click for more information

Reading out Loud/floor play

Reading out loud to your children is another good exercise for them and one they will LOVE.  I remember my dad reading The Chronicles of Narnia to me and my brother and we never wanted that time to end.  Sometimes we would sit outside on nice Sunday afternoons while he read, and I remember having several neighborhood kids come and join us.  Kids LOVE to be read to.  We are currently reading The Little House on the Prairie series, and while I read, C plays on the floor either with puzzles, or legos/blocks, or coloring.  Children at this age tend to listen better if they have something to occupy their hands. :)  Usually a chapter takes me about 15-20 minutes to read, so we just read one a day.  Some other read-aloud books I have planned are Charlotte's Web and other E.B.White books, The Boxcar Children, The Indian in the Cupboard series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many others.

Games/Outside play

This is a chance for us to take a break...if the weather is nice, we will go outside for a walk or bike ride around the neighborhood or to play on the swingset for a bit.  If it is too cold or rainy, we will play card or board games.  C loves games as most children her ago do.  So many card games are teaching games but the kids don't even know that they are being taught.  Some of our favorites are UNO, solitaire, clock, go fish, and match/concentration.

click here to learn how to play CLOCK

Sensory

This is another one that is key to growth and learning at this stage.  For more information, just google it or look it up on pinterest.  For us, this usually involves playing at the sink -- I fill the sink up with water and C plays with her dishes and teapots and teacups...pouring, measuring, exploring, learning.  Or sometimes, playing in the sandbox...more pouring, measuring, scooping, learning about textures.  We also play with finger-paints, play-doh, or dried beans/rice...  again, pinterest has lots of creative idea for this.

click here to read this post -- it's good!

Arts/Crafts

Girls in particular at this age (but boys too!) enjoy making crafts and they are able to make simple ones on their own and more complicated ones with limited help/supervision.  Pinterest again is a huge resource for these.  We tend to make seasonal crafts, so last month we made a jack-o-lantern and focused on pumpkins, and this month we will do some Thanksgiving projects and some things with turkeys.  

Whew!  That was a LOT of information -- not sure that ANYONE is still with me at this point!  This is just an overview of what is working for us, but there is probably a lot that I have left out.  A huge part of learning at this stage is learning through play, so providing lots of time for children to play and explore and imagine and create is what helps them to learn.  They remember things well and learn quickly, so even just basic conversations are teaching tools.  C is learning all day long, but the subjects listed above are just when I am specifically focused on "book learning."  She is learning personal hygiene when she dresses herself, washes her face, brushes her teeth, about health and nutrition when we discuss food choices and when she helps me cook...math when she helps me measure ingredients, science when she stirs, more science when we discuss plants and animals, history when we talk about stories, and the list goes on and on.  Every opportunity is a teaching opportunity. :-)

One last thing -- at this age, children memorize so easily and the best thing to fill their little minds with is Scripture!!  We are working through the Children's Catechism with C as part of a program at church, and she has verses to memorize each week for Sunday School.  Teaching these questions/answers and verses, as well as hymns/spiritual songs is good for the mind, and good for their little souls as well.  Most of us still remember the children's Bible songs we learned as a kid, right??  A good book to use for teaching Scripture to preschoolers is this one...

click for more information

Okay, one MORE last thing -- all kids learn at different levels.  What we are doing is probably more like beginning Kindergarten.  I have adjusted what we do so that it is at the level that C needs to be at...where she is learning new things but it is not too hard that she is getting frustrated.  So, the things that I have suggested may be too hard or too easy for your child, even if they are the same age.  Adjusting to each individual child's need is one of the great things about homeschooling.

Done.  Wanna talk more?  Contact me -- it's one of my favorite subjects. :)

November Reading...

I'm always interested in what other people are reading, so I thought I'd share what I'm working through (hopefully) for the month.  I do a lot less reading in the summer, because we are outside so much more, but as we ease into the cooler months, I'm finding myself drawn to my books so much more.

I've enjoy Courtney Joseph's blog for several years now and from it have discovered many other bloggers and authors that I find encouraging.  During the long days at home by myself with an infant, Courtney and others became a network for me that encouraged and challenged me.  I was excited to read that she was writing a book, and couldn't wait to put it on my Christmas list, so I've been enjoying working through this book.

click here for more info

Courtney has written a study guide of questions to go along with the readings, and that is available HERE.  Mandy over at Biblical Homemaking (another of my favorite blogs) is doing a weekly study through the book also and she has developed a study guide as well.  You can find links to those posts HERE.  I have found that it is so much more profitable to read a book with a study guide to help you digest what you are reading.

Lauren over at Only From Scratch suggested reading this book for the month of November, and I was going to wait on this one too, but something prompted me to go ahead and purchase the e-book and try to keep up, and I am SO glad that I did.  The first four days have already proved to be exactly what I need to be hearing right this minute.

click here for more information

The book is divided up into a devotional type reading for each day with an invitation (from God) taken directly from Scripture, a suggestion for praise songs to listen to for each day (I'm creating a Spotify playlist with all of them), a prayer for the day, and some questions to ponder/journal.  2-3 pages max, so easily do-able at some point in the day.  To whet your appetite for it, here are a few of the quotes that have stood out to me in the last couple of days...  They are random and not necessarily in order...

God invites us to praise Him, not just because praise gives God His due, but also because of what it does in us and for us.  Praise restores our faith, fills us with joy, calms our fears, and inspires us to love and obey God.

When you hear God speak to you in prayer, don't second-guess or question whether you imagined His voice.  Instead, trust by faith that you did hear His voice and then respond in obedience and faith.

Today, worship and praise Me for My wisdom.  Every time you face a perplexing decision, praise Me that I can show you what to do.

Every time you feel an uncertain angst in your soul, praise God immediately that He will give you discernment for that moment.

When you are weak and you praise Me, you give Me the opportunity to showcase My power.  So don't be discouraged by your weaknesses; instead, praise Me that I promise to sustain and help you.

Those who put their hope in You will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.  Thank You that when I feel weak, I can move out of the way and trust Your strength.  I praise You this day that You will provide the strength I need to be who You have called me to be.

I've been a part of a mom's group/book study for several years now, though my attendance has been lacking in recent months due to scheduling conflicts.  This group has been a huge encouragement to me and a challenge to me in my Christian walk.  They are currently studying this book and I am reading along so that I will be caught up when I do finally get to attend a meeting.  I have studied this book once before, and will openly admit that I didn't love it, but I'm giving it a second chance, trusting that God will use it.

click here for more info

My daughter has some dental issues that we are currently studying and researching.  Research tends to open cans of worms that you wish you could just stuff back in and seal up and pretend you never even broke the seal.  I'm overwhelmed by the information, but trying to learn how we might best treat her issues in the most natural way possible.  I'm about halfway through this book and I need to get busy finishing it before I have to return it to the library.

click here for more info

Finally, I'm looking forward to the Good Morning Girls Thanksgiving study starting on November 11.  I've been participating in the GMG studies for a few years now and I'm so thankful for that ministry and the gift that it has been to me and so many others.  

click here for more info about this study

I've also been enjoying flipping through some holiday magazines, cook books, and crafting books...but there are way too many of them to list here.

What are you reading, these days?

Another Book Review...

Two days in a row, y'all.  I'm on a roll.  A roll that is about to take a week or two hiatus.....  It is what it is. 

A while back, I was given (at my request) this book:

click HERE for more info

I had read or heard others talking about it, and I think what finally sold me on it was my friend Brite's post about it... (maybe I'm imagining it?  I can't seem to find it on her site... Brite, if you find it I'll link to it.)

It would be too strong to say that I didn't like the book or that I didn't get anything out of it.  It was an easy, entertaining read, and Rachel is a delightful author with a witty sense of humor.  But, I didn't really find much in it that was helpful, like everyone else that had read it seemed to.  The difference, I realized, is that most of my friends who were loving this book had 2, 3, 4, or 5+ children...whereas I just have one.  While I am very content in the place where God has put me right now, and I really love being able to focus a lot of my attention on my daughter, it does set us apart.  That is not to say that I am never overwhelmed in my mothering and parenting, or that I don't have crazy days of chaos too, but it's not the same kind of chaos.  (As a side note, this article is a good reminder that whatever stage we are at in our mothering and family size, we are going to feel "maxed out" as God is shaping and molding us.)

So, the best way to sum it up was to say that I simply couldn't relate to a lot of what the author was saying.  I did come away with a few good ideas, but overall I was disappointed and frustrated.

Fast-forward to Mother's Day this year, and my mom sent me this book in the mail:

click HERE for more info

Given that it came during the Spring/Summer when I was not reading much and spending a lot of time outdoors, and the frustration brought on by the previous book, I was not inclined to read it right away, so it sat in my reading bag throughout the summer.  (Sorry, Mom)  Two weeks ago, a friend casually mentioned if I had read any of Rachel Jankovic's books, and I was reminded of the book sitting in my family room. (Thanks, Megan!)  In the midst of a particularly trying week of parenting last week, I started reading it.

To my surprise, relief, and delight, I was able to relate to this book in so many more ways!  (I'm a highlighter when I read my own books, and to give you an idea of the difference, the first book has NO...as in ZERO, ZILCH yellow in it....the blue book....loaded.)

I feel like the first book speaks more to a practical carrying out of mothering and family life which definitely looks different based on size of family and other dynamics.  The second book gets to the heart of mothering, and focuses a LOT on the mother's heart.  In this aspect, we truly all struggle with the same sins and frustrations regardless of how many children we have.  

The book is convicting, and I've found myself wrestling through some sins in my own life that I was ignoring, but it is SO encouraging in that it points you straight to the cross and Jesus' accomplishing it ALL for us.  It's already done....revel in it, delight in it, rejoice in it!

Regardless of where you are in your mothering, I encourage you to give Fit to Burst a chance....  The chapters are short and very easy to read...Even if you read one chapter a day (it might take 5-10 minutes) you'd finish the book in less than 3 weeks, and I guarantee you would be encouraged by it.  

There are lots of portions that I could include (all those places I highlighted!), but the last chapter that I read this morning was especially encouraging and a good reminder for me (after having been whiny about a hard week/stage of parenting), so I will leave you with that...

Discontent will never change the world.  If you want your work to have a lasting impact on the world, define yourself with gratitude............Gratitude is like that.  It transforms.  It is such a force that it cannot coexist with selfishness, with discouragement, with discontent.  When you are thankful for what God gave you to do, you are fit to do it..............Gratitude enable us to do our daily work as unto the Lord.  It makes the little things that we do every day an offering to God.  When we do the dishes, when we correct the children, when we mop the floors, when we sort out the clothes and clean out the basement.  When we do all these little things full of gratitude, we are making a difference in the kingdom of God.  

In our church, at the conclusion of each worship service, we sing the "Gloria Patri" with our hands raised.  We lift our hands in a gesture of lifting our worship up to God, but also a gesture of lifting the work of our hands up to Him.  Asking Him to use the things that we do in the course of the week for the kingdom.  We lift up the hands that have been in the sink with the dishes, hands that have been fixing hair and buttoning pants, hands that have been wiping off the table and driving to school, hands that have been changing diapers and tickling tummies, hands that have been busy holding other hands.

These hands, this work, Lord, take them.  And when I look down our row at church, I see that God has multiplied the work of our hands.  All these little hands raised to Him.  Offering up their coloring and schoolwork.  Offering up their staying in bed at nap time.  Offering up their laughter, their joy, and their lives.  And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there is nothing better or more powerful that I could be doing with my hands.

Book Review & Quick Summer Recap...

Summertime finds me spending more time outside and less time inside which translates to less time spent reading and blogging.  You may have noticed my lack of presence during the summer?

That being said, I am wading back into reading and have updated my Books tab at the top of this page.  I will try to keep it current...

This summer was very much characterized by rain and clouds, but we were able to spend ample amounts of time hanging out at the pool, traveled several times to visit with family, attend weddings and birthday parties, and enjoyed working in our little garden.

We switched over to raised beds this year and currently we have two 4x4 boxes.  This is a small start towards my dream of basically "gardening" our entire back yard.  I would love to have fruit trees and bushes, and lots of garden boxes all over.

In the Spring a crazy person took over my being and decided to start running, something I have always hated.  Everyone said that in order to stick with it you need to sign up for a race, so I did.  I ran/walked (it was about 1/2 - 2/3 walking) my first 5K in June.  It was a great experience and pushed me to continue trying to run.  I have since discovered that I prefer running intervals and have more fun doing that.  I am much more likely to get out there an do it if it's something I enjoy so I've been working through an interval training program for the last several weeks.

The running led to a quest for healthier eating, which led to starting a low-carb program, which led to whole foods, which led to real foods, which has opened up a huge, gigantic vat of information on holistic living, organic food, etc, etc.  I think I have been avoiding this path for a while because I was overwhelmed by it and felt like innocence was bliss.  Sadly and thankfully, I am at a place where I can no longer ignore it, so I am diving in, researching and learning as much as I can and trying to do the best that I can with the resources that are available to me.  This has led to me requesting all sorts of books from all over my state, and the people at my library probably roll their eyes every time I come in to pick up my next stack of books that have come in...

All of this has inspired several posts that are still floating around in my head, but as we head into Fall and Winter, I hope to get back into regular blogging.  

For today, I leave you with a brief book review...

Click HERE for more info

I recently read a blog post that contained links to several books regarding food, specifically real, whole foods and eating organic, etc.  This was one of the books.  I took it with me on a trip to visit family, and devoured it in less than 2 hours while sitting around listening to other conversations.  It is a very easy read, and the writing as well as the illustrations are very entertaining.  

Once you get past the introductions, of which there are three, the rest of the book is broken into 3 sections:

• What should I eat?  
• What kind of food should I eat?
• How should I eat?

The answers to these questions, and the guidelines for eating can be easily summed up in seven words:

• Eat Food.  Mostly Plants.  Not Too Much.

From here, the author gives a collection of 83 "rules" for eating.  Some are what you might call no-brainers, some really make you think, some might disgust you, some might seem silly...  For each rule, there is a brief explanation.

A few of my favorites are:

• Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
• Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
• Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.
• Have a glass of wine with dinner.
• Pay more, eat less.
• Try to spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it.
• Treat treats as treats.  (no snacks, no seconds, so sweets - except on days that begin with "S")
• Break the rules once in awhile.

This was definitely a lighter read than a lot of the other books I have acquired on the topic, but I enjoyed it, learned from, and definitely recommend reading it.  My favorite illustration is on the page following Rule #13, "Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle."  It is most amusing, but you'll have to get the book and look at it for yourself.

*Book Giveaway Winner*

Sorry to be so late in posting this today, but here are the results!!!  

The winner of the two Tricia Goyer books is:

Comment #1...

Angie said...

I still like the "feel" of a real book in my hands and these two definitely look interesting :)

2/19/13, 1:20 PM 

Congrats Angie...who just so happens to be my mom!! :-)  And yes, I did use a random number generator, and I actually did it two different times using two different generators and got #1 both times, so it is meant to be! 

Thanks to all for entering!

I still like Real Books too....

...in fact, I like them SO much that I'm giving them away! :-)

Back in December, I was privileged to win the Stuff Your Own Stocking Giveaway over at Kristin's Veranda.  The items have come in multiple shipments, which has been fun to spread it out a bit.  I received two sets of the books that were part of the giveaway, and the author suggested I keep the second set rather than send it back, so I decided to "pay it forward" as it were and host a giveaway here on my blog.

I am giving away these two paperback novels by Tricia Goyer.  Both are signed by the author.  

The giveaway will run through Thursday, February 21st, 11:59 p.m. and I will use a random number generator to choose a winner on Friday, February 22nd and will post the results that morning.  There are multiple ways to enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post

2) Become a Google Follower and

leave a comment telling me that you did

(or if you already are)

3) Share this giveaway on facebook and

leave a comment telling me that you did

4) Blog about this giveaway and

leave a comment with the link to your post

5) Tweet this giveaway and

leave a comment telling me that you did

6) Pin this giveaway and

leave a comment with the link to your pin.

So...get busy -- you have 6 chances to enter!  I'm sorry to keep my settings such that I have to approve comments, but I get a LOT of spam comments that I don't want on my posts.  I will try to keep up with comments as quickly as possible so that you can see your entries.

See you on Friday!

eBooks...and why I'm glad I tried them...

I was hesitant for a long time to jump into the world of eBooks and eReaders...  In some ways, I'm a closet romantic (think Anne of GG here...) and like to keep the "old school" way of doing things alive.  But, a conversation last Fall with our children's librarian had me re-thinking things...  She started telling me how much she loved her nook glowlight....  the three things that stood out to me from the conversation were:

1) she liked having the light on the device for nighttime reading....appealing as I almost always want to read in bed after my husband is asleep...

2) she liked being able to check out eBooks from the library...I had no idea this was even an option...

3) she liked only having to take one "book" with her when she traveled but having multiple options available...that is SO me...we will have one less bag to load up when we take long trips now because I will only be taking one "book" instead of the usual 8-10...

So...following that conversation, I put the nook glowlight on my Christmas list and was blessed to receive it from my in-laws, bil, and sil. Thanks, y'all. :-)

I have been nothing but Pleased. (that's with a capital P...)  I've not given up on REAL books by any means, and still enjoy reading them, especially for my highlighting habit. ahem.  But, the convenience of eBooks is delightful.  

Not only being able to have 8-10 books in one, but I love being able to check out books from my local library, and the library (in another state) where I had a card before I was married.  

Soon after getting my nook set-up, I joined the facebook page, and the best part about that is FREE FRIDAYS!  Every friday, they give away a free eBook...  I have yet to take advantage of the offer because the majority of the books they give away are junk, but when you click over to the blog, others will list more free eBooks in the comments.  I HAVE taken advantage of some of these, and my eBook collection is growing faster than I can keep up with.

This article was absolutely the most helpful thing that I read with regard to my nook and getting it set-up for borrowing and purchasing eBooks.  I was thankful that I read it before downloading the (free) adobe digital software, because in order for the programs to communicate you have to use the same username and password for the adobe software and (in my case) barnes and noble.  

I'm still amazed at how many FREE eBooks are out there...  it seems that there are more that are formatted for the Kindle as opposed to the nook, but even if you don't have a tablet eReader, you can still download the eBooks and read them on your computer.  You can download Kindle for PC from amazon for free.  Every week, Money Saving Mom posts about free eBooks that you can download.  And we all know how I  looooooove free stuff!

I have downloaded 6-7 books and have them stored on my PC and hope to begin reading some of them soon.  This is especially nice for cookbooks, and there seem to be lots of those for free.

Another way to find free eBooks is to search on barnes and noble or amazon for "free" or for "0.00".  This way of searching has a LOT of returns, but be warned that a LOT of them are JUNK.  But, you may find a few diamonds in the rough....

So, that is a quick re-cap of how I'm loving this whole new world of eBooks...  Hope some of that is helpful or at the very least interesting to you...

In the comments, let us know... have you found good sources for free eBooks? Share your favorite eReader/tablet and why?

To read or not to read....

...haha...yeah right...that is not EVEN a valid question!

The following is a re-post from July 20, 2011.  I'm still using these books and I'm so thankful for them that I wanted to share them with you all again.  (And Mom, I'm sorry for not changing to the correct use of caps.  Thanks for working so hard to teach me the proper way to write and spell [even if I don't always do it]. Love you!)

i'm excited that i've finally been able to use some of the books that i purchased (or was given) way back when i was single and had some expendable cash that i used to buy books. i have used them at times when babysitting and tutoring, but THIS is the use for which they were intended and i'm so excited to be teaching my own child and using these resources. so -- here are three books that i've been looking through before we head to the library to get some ideas of books for us to read... (blogger hates me today, so instead of clicking on the pictures to be redirected to amazon, you'll have to click on my descriptions underneath...)

this one is probably my favorite, as i like the age-appropriate list divisions, as well as the chapters at the beginning with suggestions for reading.

this one also has the age-appropriate list divisions.

this one is not broken up into age categories, but rather by subject. i think this one will be more helpful when we are in the elementary school years and up.

Why I haven't been blogging...

What are YOU reading this summer??

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May 12th: Relaxing on Saturday

LOVE it when he brings home flowers!

(Scrambled eggs)

It's been a great day relaxing at home with my loves...and since the house is quiet and the breeze is blowing through the open windows, I'm going back to spend a little time perusing these...

Courage

"May my children always be strong and courageous

in their character and in their actions."

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for

it is the Lord your God who goes with you.  He will not leave you or forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

(resource)

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May 10th: Outings...

She's decided she LIKES broccoli now...

But she likes ice cream better...

Betcha can't guess where we went...

A gorgeous afternoon following a rainy morning...

Flowers on our pepper plants!

Blooms on our squash plants!

Roma Tomatoes on the vine!

Self-Esteem

"Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the

realization that they are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus."

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10

(resource)

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Garden Gifts...

I'm taking a break from recording my 1000 gifts during March and April, and might resume in May, although I'm not sure yet.  (Hoping to post a picture a day in the month of May...clever, huh?  Not my idea.)  The break comes mostly because I did not get the guide sheets printed in time, so by the 10th of the month when I had to backtrack and record over 30 gifts, I decided to wait.  Not that I couldn't actually COME UP with 30 gifts, mind you, but I AM a firstborn, and I DO tend towards methodical ways of doing things, and I would prefer to actually have the gifts remembered on each given day, and I COULD NOT remember back to each day to think of gifts for that particular day, thus...I decided to wait.  (Our Pastor spoke directly to ME from the pulpit recently...although no one else BUT ME knew, when he said as Presbyterians we often have the attitude of, "If I can't do it THE RIGHT way, I'm NOT going to do it AT ALL."  Ahem...does your Pastor ever speak directly to you?  Yeah...they think we don't realize they have ALL our houses and phones bugged... ;-))

I have however been taking a LOT more pictures lately (read = I need an external hard drive for the next gift-giving holiday!) and often they are of things that I see as gifts.  It's also fun to explore this world through the eyes of a 2 year old, which I try to do on a regular basis.  My neighbors could tell you that it is not uncommon to see me on the ground in my yard, often kneeling or lying down taking pictures of random plants and bugs.  But, then again, there's probably NOT a lot that surprises my neighbors anymore...

So anyway...onto the gifts -- I don't have a ton of time for blogging (read = that I'm willing to devote to blogging) lately, so this is a heavy picture post.  Feel free to step away from the computer for a few minutes (read = hours...days...) while they all load. :-)

Rosemary - used since 500 B.C., rosemary is native to the Mediterranean area (where it grows wild) but is now cultivated throughout Europe and the US.  This mint-family member's silver-green, needle-shaped leaves are highly aromatic and their flavor hints of both lemon and pine.

Chives - related to the onion and leek, this fragrant herb has slender, vivid green, hollow stems.  Chives have a mild onion flavor and are available fresh year-round.  Chives are a good source of vitamin A and also contain a fair amount of potassium and calcium.

Lavender - a relative of mint, this aromatic plant has violet flowers and green or pale gray leaves, both of which lend their bitter pungency to salads.  The leaves may also be used to make herb tea.

C discovered these and called me over to see -- you can imagine how delighted she was at such a tiny spider web.  Compared to the blades of grass and small clovers, you can get an idea of the size.

We acquired 3 rose bushes when we bought our house 5 years ago, and I know little more now than I did then with regard to growing them.  They do pretty well on their own, but I know I could help them do better.  I tend to focus more on the edible plants...the ones we LIKE to eat, that is.  I have been served a salad with rose petals in it and I did taste them.  Apparently, I need to start using epsom salt in my gardening...

Still working on convincing the rabbits that THIS is for them...

Summer squash are high in vitamins A and C as well as niacin.

Corn - the peak season for fresh corn is May through September.  As soon as it's picked, the corn's sugar immediately begins its gradual conversion to starch which, in turn, lessens the corn's natural sweetness.

Tomato - a member of the nightshade family, fruit of a vine native to South America.  Some tomato advocates claimed the fruit has aphrodisiac powers, and in fact, the French called them pommes d'amour, "love apples."  It wasn't until the 1900's that the tomato gained some measure of popularity in the US.  Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and contain appreciable amounts of vitamins A and B, potassium, iron and phosphorus.  

Spinach - originating in the Middle East, spinach was being grown in Spain during the 8th century, and the Spaniards are the ones who eventually brought it to the US.  It is a rich source of iron as well as of vitamins A and C

Lettuce - all lettuce is low calorie and most of it is rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.  Keep in mind that the darker green leaves contain the most nutrients.

Strawberry - 16th century author William Butler wrote this tribute to the strawberry: "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did."  Red, juicy and conically shaped, the strawberry is a member of the rose family and has grown wild for centuries in both the Americas and Europe.  The Romans valued the fruit for its reputed therapeutic powers for everything from loose teeth to gastritis.  Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and also provide some potassium and iron.

Lettuce -- see above...

Green Bean - a long, slender green pod with small seeds inside, the entire pod is edible.  Green Beans have a fair amount of vitamins A and C.

Parsley - In ancient times parsley wreaths were used to ward off drunkenness - though proof of their efficacy in that capacity is scarce.  Today, this slightly peppery, fresh-flavored herb is more commonly used as a flavoring and garnish.  Parsley is an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Basil - called the "royal herb" by ancient Greeks, this annual is a member of the mint family.  Fresh basil has a pungent flavor that some describe as a cross between licorice and cloves.  It's a key herb in Mediterranean cooking, essential to the delicious Italian pesto, and is becoming more and more popular in American cuisine.  

 All of these most entertaining and educational blips can be found in one of my favorite food books EVER.  (And, just in case you were wondering, I think we're pretty well covered on getting our vitamins A and C.)

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