What started as a digital diary to document a newfound journey as a stay at home mom / wife has quickly evolved into my own little corner on the internet where I share all that life brings my way -- the good, the bad, and everything in between. Thanks for stopping by; I hope you stay awhile!
just wanted to drop in and share some of my favorite autumn decorative / home items that came out year!
I've placed an asterisk (*) on the things I really want for myself, so
you can see where my head is at -- but let's be honest, if I could buy it all, I would. LOL, I mean... if only we had an endless budget and space to continuously bring in new decor every year, eh?
unfortunately, neither is the case for me. I know it's so easy to fall into the habit of accumulating an endless amount of stuff, so I try to be really careful and mindful about what I buy when it comes to seasonal decor.
with that said, I am first to admit that I love to window shop and looking at all the pretty seasonal lines. so naturally -- rounding up all the beautiful things, curating a graphic and sharing them with you is a hobby of mine at this point. let's be real, it's one of the things that keeps the blog alive and I hope you enjoy looking at my finds as much as I love curating them.
so without a further ado, here is a pretty rustic thanksgiving round up!
so there you have it, a sweet rustic thanksgiving round up. what's your favorite thing on the list? that goose pitcher and mouse shakers are calling my name!
It’s been a few months since I last checked in and so much as
happened in the meantime! The biggest thing is that we’ve moved and are
now living in Meridian, Idaho. The move happened at the end of July, but
we’ve finally settled in our new home — just in time for the school
year to commence!
So, I thought what better way to check in than to share my plan /
vision for the 2023-24 school year? I have compiled some planning sheets
that I’d like to share with you at the end of this blog post too and
the good news is that they’re free!
BUT FIRST…
Let’s talk school stuff! This year in the schooling haus, we have a
first grader (6), a kindergartner (5) and a preschooler (4). This year
my plan is to be schooling the boys one on one instead of altogether
when it comes to certain topics — like literature and reading lessons.
T H E C U R R I C U L A
first up, our base curriculum is going to be Literature from The Good and the Beautiful. All that means is that this is the book work that I plan on doing every day with the boys.
Because I didn’t focus much on reading and sight words in the early
years of our schooling journey, I have chosen to do Level K with my
first grader. I’ve read several times throughout my research that the
good and the beautiful is advanced as a curriculum, so starting at Level
K seems to be a good idea for us especially since we are building the
foundation to reading comprehension this year.
Depending on how fast we go through the book, I’ll order Level 1
soonish too. My preschooler and kindergartner will be completing the
preschool book.
Next up, I am using Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons
with each of the boys. The goal is to have my first grader to be a
fluent reader by the end of this school year and expose the younger ones
to the concept sounding words out.
I bought Charlotte Mason’s Elementary Arithmetic: Book 1for
our math curriculum and will be using that for our mathematics this
year. I am not very good at math in general, so I am going to enlist the
help of my husband on that one.
So when it comes to the circula, insert lots of crafts and time
playing outside with the resources I’ve just listed and boom, that’s the
plan.
T H E R H Y T H M
I like to start our schooling my 8:45, but some days we start at 10
or even after lunch even. When we start earlier in the day, we usually
do language arts and the one on one lessons before lunch. If we start
after 10 am, then the day becomes a little bit more cohesive and we do
all the schooling together that day.
a normal day looks like this:
We always start the day with a prayer and then lead straight into calendar time; where we formally rehearse the date and talk about the weather outside.
Next to the calendar, we have what I call the weekly shadow box –
a small shadow box on the wall where I display seasonal treasures as
well as the letter + sight word of the week. After calendar time, we
move into identifying the letter of the week and practice it’s
sound whether it’s listing off words that start with that letter or just
sounding it out with rhythm sticks. Then, we recite + spell the sight word several times.
Next, we recite the memory verse of the week and talk about what it means. We are using these flash cards each week and they correspond with the letter This is the perfect lead into our first formal lesson of the day.
Bible / Devotional Time: we read a page Notes from Jesus, or a few pages from The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories.
After, we talk about the story and I ask the kids to tell it back to
me. I try to get them to talk about what we can learn from and about God
from it too.
Next, we have a little snack break where I set up the stations for
the next part of the day. I encourage the kids to drink water and go to
the bathroom during this time as well because the next chunk of time is
meant to have as minimal interruptions as possible.
We start one on one time where a child and I sit together in the
schoolroom to work on the more formal lessons for about 50 – 45 minutes —
think the good and the beautiful, reading lessons, unit assessments,
etc. and the other two are at their stations.
The first station is the the child listening to an audio-book via their yoto mini player
+ an activity because they are not at the age where they treasure
sitting still and listening to a book. I try and have them commit to
listening to classic books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little during this time because they gravitate towards the funner stories like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Star Wars often.
To accompany the story, I’ll give them grapat pieces and encourage
them to make patterns, or have them build with legos. Other days, it’s a
detailed coloring page and some days it’s play dough. Again, it depends
on the day.
I have the child listening to the audio book use headphones because
the other child is working on penmanship or some type of activity that
requires their attention. Because my kids are still little, this station
is short lived and involves tracing letters and repeating the sound it
makes. Sometimes I can get them to do letter mazes, but more often than
not, they want to go join their brother in the next station for twenty
minutes after they finish their worksheets. for my first grader, this is
where the practice math sheets happen too.
After a child’s formal lesson time is up, we rotate and start again.
we do this one more time so each child has some one on one time with me
and then, it’s lunch time!
So, that’s the first half of a “normal” day for us if we’re lucky
lunch ends right around 2 pm for us. The second half of the day is spent
together.
I know what you’re thinking, the first part of the day for us sounds
so formal, but trust me when I say it’s usually filled with chaos! My
kindergartner and preschooler are loud, they leave their stations often
and if left unattended long enough, a fight is bound to break out to
where I have to pause and redirect. I know that they are still little
and though it can be frustrating to do this, I feel like consistency is
key. I want them to learn to do things independently and quietly.
Eventually they will treasure this time.. but for now, I firmly believe
that one day we will get through all the stations without a hitch — one
day in the far and distant future, but alas! THERE IS HOPE!
the second half of the day is spent together:
on the days my husband is home, he might take the kids to the park
for a few hours, so I can get some work done around the house + have
some quiet time to myself.
if it’s just the boys and I at home, I try to implement something
fun for us to do together. the boys may help me bake a treat or help me
curate a cozy soup with the veggies we have in the pantry.
we may opt to paint / do some type of artsy craft during this time
or a fun activity outside in the backyard weather permitting. on rainy
days, we find an exercise video to do together in the middle of our
living room.
this part of the day is also where the nature studies happen. the sensory bins, the seasonal activities usually end up here too.
we usually wrap this part of the day with the boys listening to me reading aloud from a living book.
On collective days…
we still start with calendar time + the devotional part of the day.
it’s very important to us that the boys lean in and learn about the Lord
at the beginning of each school day.
we watch one or two cartoon interpretations of the story on collective learning days :: I
typically pull the cartoons from The Beginner’s Bible, SuperBook, or
The Greatest Heroes + Legends of the Bible. These are all cartoons that I
watched on VHS as a kid and have access to via a streaming service or
my own personal collection. But you can find a lot of them on YouTube! For example, when we read the Creation Story / Adam + Eve, we watched these cartoon: ONE, TWO, THREE and FOUR
I may try to insert a craft in or set up a little skit for them to
do to retell the story, but some days we use a coloring page. or if I
can find a song to sing / a movie to watch that reflects the story, we
may do that too, but it really depends on the day.
collective days are also where we may opt to take a field trip to our local aquarium, farm, or museum.
these are the days where a lot of errands get done. the boys may
help with house and yard work. we take trips to the grocery store and
pick up supplies we need for upcoming projects.
in short, collective days are used as buffer days when we need a
break from the regular routine and rhythm. It’s great when someone is
feeling under the weather or comes down with a bug because.
I treat them as a reset day if things are just not going the way we
need it to go that week. I really lean into these type of days with no
guilt and if I’m honest, there are some weeks where the whole week is a
collective learning week and that’s okay.
Another thing I want to do is finding a local homeschooling group /
families to partake in some kind of co-op that will become a treasured
part of our collective days. Since we’re new to the area, I am still
scouting for the right fit.
So, yes! that’s our schooling rhythm for the year. our vision is just
learn while having fun + spending more time outside. it sounds simple,
but in my honest opinion, that’s exactly how it should be!
P L A N N E R S H E E T S
I actually don’t own a homeschooling planner because I rarely use
them. Don’t get me wrong, I love planners and being organized, but a lot
of the ones on the market have a lot of things that I don’t use, so
spending money on them is a waste.
Instead, I’ve curated several simple sheets that I use as an
organizational / planning tool I as need them. I fill them out on the
computer (or by hand) print them out and then place them in a binder
where it becomes a planner + schooling log.
I’m sharing them with you below!
just right click, save and then print at your own leisure!
it’s been awhile since I’ve written on this side of the blog and that’s
probably because I’ve been slacking — or have adopted what some people
would call “unschooling.” the thing is, my oldest child is turning 7 this fall and I feel torn between wanting to him relish in his childhood and the urge to have him be able to read.
it’s
the public education system that I went through that has these weird
benchmarks imprinted on my brain and it really doesn’t help that the
people who are asking me if my six year old knows how to read are the
same ones that mock the idea of homeschooling in general.
I’m
coming to realize that there is an unspoken pressure that comes with
homeschooling and no one is really talking about. these pressures
revolve around the idea that people assume that if you homeschool, you
are either going to have socially inept offspring OR your gonna have a
prodigy on your hands– and I’m here to say, it’s okay to reject both of
these narratives when they’re tossed your way.
I’m officially taking the stance which holds the notion that a rushed education is worse than no education at all. I know that it sounds dramatic, but I am also aware that my children learn best when we tackle the topics that they want to learn about. And you know what else I’m holding on to? that the time to learn to read will come, recitations of mathematical facts will come too, but now, we’re encouraging a child led learning model.
So, this summer, you can find us at the river, near the ocean shore line and in the midst of a shaded forest learning about the world around us rather than pounding the books.
I am embracing the art of slow paced learning and refusing all of the narrative of what homeschool should look like. instead, we’re clinging to what works for us and if you’re looking for a sign to do the same, consider this it.
Happy first day of summer -- to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to do a little round-up of items I'm eyeing this season and catch up with a few mini-life updates. I know it's not technically summer until the end of the month, but the moment June hits, I am in a full-throttle summer-loving mood, so humor me.
I don't know if it's just me, but something about a new season gets me thinking about what I'd like to accomplish. I'm also one of those people who love mood boards and curating lists, so my blog is probably going to become a place where all of that shines through.
THE GOALS + UPDATES
#1
first up, is my desire to learn how to crochet + knit. I am determined to teach myself. One thing about me is that I love Waldorf-styled dolls and have been collecting them for the past few years. I would love to create my own one day and knowing how to crochet + knit would help that process. I think it would be fun to crochet a blanket too.
#2
my next goal is still on the creative side of things as I want to start needle felting + sewing. this is a two-part goal as they are for different reasons. sewing would be the kick starter to my lifelong dream of one day making a quilt. needle felting is something that would be fun as well as aid in my love of Waldorf-style things + nature. I have obtained several felted woodland creatures + elements for our classroom and it's time to make my own.
#3
I want to start drinking celery juice every morning. This is a health goal of mine as I am trying to eliminate unneeded toxins from our lifestyle. I've heard so many good things about the effects of celery juice on an empty stomach, so why not try it. I bought a juicer last month (click here for the one we purchased) and am eliminating a lot of the store-bought juices. The more I read about preservatives and all the additives they add to our food, the more I want to find a holistic alternative to counter them.
#4
a little update is that I've started the process of removing all plastic tableware + non-stick cookware from our home. we've transitioned to enamel, glass, ceramic, wooden, and stainless steel elements and I couldn't be happier.
#5
having a bouquet of fresh blooms in my house has been such a game changer for my mood. it's like a little boost of serotonin and I honestly am loving curating bouquets. Trader Joe's is probably my favorite place to shop for flowers, but I also frequent the Safeway and Costco floral sections every now and then. I've decided to be consistent in buying myself flowers.
#6
as far as this blog goes, I have a few fun ideas planned. I am trying to stay away from the term "blogger" and all that is attached to it. I am just a mama who loves writing and happens to have a blog. I'm done with promising things that I cannot commit to, so posts will arise as I have time for them -- that might mean once a week, once a month, or several posts spread out across the season. I do want to revive this blog, but at the same time, it's supposed to be a no-pressure type of thing.
*the crossed-out items are ones that I've bought for myself, and I will update the list as I make purchases.
so here's to a crafty, calm, and colorful summer friends. I hope this season is fruitful and joyous for each and every one of us. I can't wait to circle back and see how far we've come.
Hello friends, today I am sharing a little reflective blurb because I often sit and think about how 18 year old me would probably laugh at 31 year old me. It's so interesting to me to think about all the things I thought I wanted. In my personal experience, many of those things God said no to and took me on a completely different path.
these days
you’re no longer a marble loving minimalist. you’ve embraced a rustic, woodland cottage vibe and can’t go back. you want to move onto a small plot of land, own two cats, some chickens, and have a pet goose. you’re saving money to do just that.
you’re obsessed with collecting whimsy pieces for every corner of your home. you’re consistently buying books, wooden nature figurines, and paintings of nature. you love miniatures and decorating with them. you find joy in these things even though people laugh.
you jokingly call yourself a grannie. you’ve found a love for antiquing. your hobbies include gardening, baking, thrifting, and revamping old dollhouses. you are trying to pick up crochet + knitting this summer. your dream is to one day sew a quilt. you love cast iron pans + enamel tableware. oh, and you no longer avoid flowers. you actually adore fresh blooms now.
the only makeup you wear is mascara and a good lip balm, but most days, you get lazy.
your skincare routine consists of cold water, beef tallow, and a good lip balm. long gone are the days when you’re trying to find the perfect product for your not-so-perfect skin. you’ve embraced your acne scars and no longer freak out over a pimple.
you’ve given up your daily cup(s) of coffee and are hauling around a 40 oz water cup where ever you go. your go-to in the morning is a cup of hard-pressed juice or if you’re feeling fancy, a peach + mango smoothie. you still enjoy coffee but are happy to have kicked the habit of depending on it.
remember how you hated mango-flavored everything? you love it now.
you married a nurse. he’s the best. together you’ve had three baby boys who have become your world. you’ve embraced homeschooling + you’re learning so much alongside your babies. you’re in it for the long haul.
having babies caused a lot of shifts in your body image weight-wise. a majority of your hair fell out too. since then, you discovered that your natural hair is curly. you love it.
your inner circle is still pretty small with your mom and sister being on speed dial. you have two best friends. one of who has moved hundreds of miles away.
and even though 18 year old me would never believe it, 31 year old me is really happy + thanking God for it all.
Hey friends! long time no see -- it's been a weird season for me as I navigate motherhood and homeschooling with boys who get more energetic by the minute. It was so much easier to blog when the boys were consistently napping in the afternoon, but these days it's like there isn't a moment to spare to sit down and collect my thoughts.
I seperated my personal account from my blogging account on instagram last summer and all things blogging really took a back seat, but I really miss writing, sharing and curating guides as well as all the things this little blogging space has become.
So, I'm here, trying to revive this space and the blogging aspect of my life -- starting with this post about last minute easter basket ideas! most of these shops will have your goodies arrive on time if you order within the next two days! so let's get cracking with the guides because there isn't a moment to waste!
and that's a wrap! if you're feeling crunched for time and need more fillers going to the target, the dollar store or to your local grocery store might help. I prefer to sprinkle in cholcate in the basket rather than filling eggs and then purchase a bigger chocolate item like a lindt bunny or reese egg. it's less hassle, less plastic waste and a lot more fun!
soooooo, there you have it. I hope this post gave you some motivation to get started on that sweet basket.
