"V" is for Vigorous
Are your children vigorous?
Charlotte Mason has a prescription for you if they are lacking...
Vigorous: Strong, Healthy, Full of Energy...
How do you encourage vigor in your home?
Blessings~
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
"U" is for Understanding (Charlotte Mason Inspiration #27)
"U" is for Understanding~ something to ponder...
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Nuggets of Gold ~ January 13 ~ (Some limited time offers here!) Music and Organization!
Hi all~
I've run across a couple of specials that I thought I would share with you!
First up~ for a limited time (This offer is for today the 13th, and the 14th)
FreeCCM is offering a Newsboys track from their new album, due to hit the streets in March. You may have heard "Guilty" playing on the radio (I did for the first time tonight). Now you can download "Crazy" (Download Newsboys "Crazy" from FreeCCM)
Next, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is offering their 2015/2016 digital planner(s) for free for one week only. You can choose to download one or more of the digital copies to use for the rest of the year. These are examples of some of the pages you might find in this year's planner. *Note, to save upload space, I'm using images from the 2010 planner...
You might want to download the Big Mama Planner (with over 800 pages), the High School Planner, the Intermediate Planner, the Primary Planner, or the Special Learners Planner.
Of course, all of the planners are free to download all of the time for SchoolhouseTeachers members. This in addition to over 200 courses created by some of the best of the best in the homeschool community, and other resources useful for all ages, including a streaming media library with over 10,000 videos. If you're interested, the TOS Review Crew has a special for our readers... For New Members only, purchase your first yearly membership using the code CREWFOLLOWER for 50% off!
And just for laughs, enjoy this clip my friend Marcy shared today~ how NOT to use the Thesaurus... (nothing objectionable in this clip)
I may update this later with a few more goodies, but wanted to get it out ASAP, since the music download has such a short window!
I've run across a couple of specials that I thought I would share with you!
First up~ for a limited time (This offer is for today the 13th, and the 14th)
FreeCCM is offering a Newsboys track from their new album, due to hit the streets in March. You may have heard "Guilty" playing on the radio (I did for the first time tonight). Now you can download "Crazy" (Download Newsboys "Crazy" from FreeCCM)
Next, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is offering their 2015/2016 digital planner(s) for free for one week only. You can choose to download one or more of the digital copies to use for the rest of the year. These are examples of some of the pages you might find in this year's planner. *Note, to save upload space, I'm using images from the 2010 planner...
You might want to download the Big Mama Planner (with over 800 pages), the High School Planner, the Intermediate Planner, the Primary Planner, or the Special Learners Planner.
Of course, all of the planners are free to download all of the time for SchoolhouseTeachers members. This in addition to over 200 courses created by some of the best of the best in the homeschool community, and other resources useful for all ages, including a streaming media library with over 10,000 videos. If you're interested, the TOS Review Crew has a special for our readers... For New Members only, purchase your first yearly membership using the code CREWFOLLOWER for 50% off!
And just for laughs, enjoy this clip my friend Marcy shared today~ how NOT to use the Thesaurus... (nothing objectionable in this clip)
Blessings~
Saturday, January 9, 2016
8th - 12th Days of Christmas and the tree is still up, and looking fine!
Well, this year's Christmas vacation, 12 Days and all that have been a little more scrambled than usual. We didn't even get our Christmas cards out, so now they're going to be Happy New Year, we've been thinking of you cards! :)
Saturday, 8th Day of Christmas
A resting and recuperating day from galavanting the previous 2 days. :)
Eldest/Middlest: LED Lanterns for camping~ These are SUPER bright. Love the way they turn on, just by sliding the top up. The brightness is controlled by how far they are opened. Might want to make a shade of some sort to dim them for use in tents...
Youngest: Make 'n Break game~ ARGH! Haven't had a chance to play this with all of the goings on, but planning to pull it out tomorrow and give it a whirl. Looks like fun!
Me: something from my Amazon wish list... a non-electric waffle iron! :D Can't wait to use it (But it didn't arrive till Wednesday, so haven't gotten to it just yet)
DH: a pretty red tie :) He has ties in most other colors, but not his favorite~ it was about time!
Sunday, 9th Day of Christmas
Typical Sunday~ off to church, and then spending time with friends. Nicely mellow.
Eldest: Owl Shirt ~ this had been in hiding since this summer's camping trip when DH and I ran across it. :)
Middlest and Youngest: Minecraft Periodic Table T-shirts ~ These are just fun, and an interesting introduction to the periodic table for Youngest.
Me: Another wishlist item, an AeroPress coffee maker~ I've been using it all week for my morning cup of coffee~ it works with all the finely ground coffee I have hanging around that just plugs up the Keurig. Not quite as simple as the Keurig, but not much more effort, and it makes a very SMOOTH cup of coffee.
DH: a box of assorted chocolate bars and jelly beans~ Chocolate requires no explanation. ;)
Monday, 10th Day of Christmas
Kind of funny still celebrating when "life" goes back to normal, but return to normal was the mode today (Well, for all but Eldest, who was preparing to be immobile for a few days re: toe bone spur surgery).
Eldest: Charm from Daddy~ gorgeous purple swarovski hummingbird. This is a tradition that DH started when Eldest was about 5? So fun to see her array of charms, that she switches on and off chains as they go with her clothing choices.
Middlest: Life Straw ~ not sure if my germaphobe will actually work up the nerve to use this, but he wanted it, so now he has it. ;)
Youngest: Adventures in Odyssey Book Set ~ he's so happy with these books! Hurrah!
Me: an old wishlist item, a folkie CD~ Greenfields
Tuesday, 11th Day of Christmas
~ This was a really mixed up day, as Eldest and I left the house at 7:15am for her toe/bone spur surgery, and didn't get home until closer to noon, and that was the beginning of pain management and antibiotic meds on different schedules. Made *me* fuzzy-headed. However, we still opened presents before bed...
Eldest: Fun and sparkly tank tops ~ since these are the foundation of her wardrobe in every season it's always fun to something new and fresh.
Middlest: Fishing Hat~ so cute!
Youngest: Glockenspiel
Wednesday, 12th Day of Christmas
~ Epihany/Anniversary ~ Still in operation recovery mode, which made for a quiet celebration. Take out Thai food for dinner, and some gorgeous flowers!
Eldest was the main gift-giver today, with a promised t-shirt for her middle brother, and a t-shirt and mini remote car that drives with an app for her littlest brother.
She received her first pair of shiny buckles for her Irish Dance hard shoes.
Because of various factors, I hadn't been able to get out and about to purchase the last couple of gifts for DH, so I ran out quick on Thursday when Eldest was having a Movie-marathon with her best friend (To get her mind off the pain in her toe), and picked up a planned for pair of socks (yes... he wanted socks for Christmas!) and a fun Tervis cup for his coffee. The socks are fodder for a future post... ;)
Please note: most of the pictures are clickable links to Amazon or other affiliate stores. I like to include those for readers and/or friends who are interested in purchasing similar items. I actually only acquired a few items from Amazon, often using Swagbucks and Amex cash back for those. Others were purchased at local stores, throughout the year, sometimes with bonus dollars off, or sales or coupons, which made this particular Christmas much less expensive than it might appear!
Please do let me know in the comments if you find this sort of peek into our lives celebrations interesting! :)
Saturday, 8th Day of Christmas
A resting and recuperating day from galavanting the previous 2 days. :)
Eldest/Middlest: LED Lanterns for camping~ These are SUPER bright. Love the way they turn on, just by sliding the top up. The brightness is controlled by how far they are opened. Might want to make a shade of some sort to dim them for use in tents...
Youngest: Make 'n Break game~ ARGH! Haven't had a chance to play this with all of the goings on, but planning to pull it out tomorrow and give it a whirl. Looks like fun!
Me: something from my Amazon wish list... a non-electric waffle iron! :D Can't wait to use it (But it didn't arrive till Wednesday, so haven't gotten to it just yet)
DH: a pretty red tie :) He has ties in most other colors, but not his favorite~ it was about time!
Typical Sunday~ off to church, and then spending time with friends. Nicely mellow.Eldest: Owl Shirt ~ this had been in hiding since this summer's camping trip when DH and I ran across it. :)
Middlest and Youngest: Minecraft Periodic Table T-shirts ~ These are just fun, and an interesting introduction to the periodic table for Youngest.
Me: Another wishlist item, an AeroPress coffee maker~ I've been using it all week for my morning cup of coffee~ it works with all the finely ground coffee I have hanging around that just plugs up the Keurig. Not quite as simple as the Keurig, but not much more effort, and it makes a very SMOOTH cup of coffee.DH: a box of assorted chocolate bars and jelly beans~ Chocolate requires no explanation. ;)
Kind of funny still celebrating when "life" goes back to normal, but return to normal was the mode today (Well, for all but Eldest, who was preparing to be immobile for a few days re: toe bone spur surgery).
Eldest: Charm from Daddy~ gorgeous purple swarovski hummingbird. This is a tradition that DH started when Eldest was about 5? So fun to see her array of charms, that she switches on and off chains as they go with her clothing choices.
Middlest: Life Straw ~ not sure if my germaphobe will actually work up the nerve to use this, but he wanted it, so now he has it. ;)
Youngest: Adventures in Odyssey Book Set ~ he's so happy with these books! Hurrah!
Me: an old wishlist item, a folkie CD~ Greenfields
Tuesday, 11th Day of Christmas
~ This was a really mixed up day, as Eldest and I left the house at 7:15am for her toe/bone spur surgery, and didn't get home until closer to noon, and that was the beginning of pain management and antibiotic meds on different schedules. Made *me* fuzzy-headed. However, we still opened presents before bed...
Eldest: Fun and sparkly tank tops ~ since these are the foundation of her wardrobe in every season it's always fun to something new and fresh.Middlest: Fishing Hat~ so cute!
Youngest: Glockenspiel
  |
| Apparently Amazon doesn't carry the blue one! |
Eldest was the main gift-giver today, with a promised t-shirt for her middle brother, and a t-shirt and mini remote car that drives with an app for her littlest brother.
She received her first pair of shiny buckles for her Irish Dance hard shoes.
Because of various factors, I hadn't been able to get out and about to purchase the last couple of gifts for DH, so I ran out quick on Thursday when Eldest was having a Movie-marathon with her best friend (To get her mind off the pain in her toe), and picked up a planned for pair of socks (yes... he wanted socks for Christmas!) and a fun Tervis cup for his coffee. The socks are fodder for a future post... ;)
Please note: most of the pictures are clickable links to Amazon or other affiliate stores. I like to include those for readers and/or friends who are interested in purchasing similar items. I actually only acquired a few items from Amazon, often using Swagbucks and Amex cash back for those. Others were purchased at local stores, throughout the year, sometimes with bonus dollars off, or sales or coupons, which made this particular Christmas much less expensive than it might appear!
Please do let me know in the comments if you find this sort of peek into our lives celebrations interesting! :)
Blessings~
Saturday, January 2, 2016
1st Day of Christmas - 7th Day of Christmas (Catching up a bit)
Vacation and Christmas are both flying by so swiftly! We're so sad to see the time slip through our hands... but it does march on, a fact of life.
*I'll be adding photos to this post, as I have time. Sorry for the less than exciting visual aspect at the moment. But please, do enjoy this photo of our finally decorated Christmas Tree! :)
The 12 Days of Christmas~ there is some question as to how exactly to count the days of Christmas. This year we've decided that Christmas Day is the Christmas Day, the 1st Day of Christmas is the 26th, and the 6th of January is the 12th Day, Epiphany... and our anniversary~ so... here is a record of our days thus far:
Saturday, 1st Day of Christmas ~ Hanging out at home/with neighbors day~ a little bit of post Christmas Shopping, and picking up of gifts!
Gifts: Middlest used money earned by doing online surveys to purchase a used wii for his brother and sister. It came with one remote, so DH and I purchased 3 more remotes, and an inexpensive used wii game (That Eldest would like us to return), just so they could have the opportunity to try it out the first day. Wonderful next door neighbors offered 2 fun games for us to use instead, so that worked out well!
Another surprise ~ DH gave me (And everyone else...) a 32 inch flat screen tv~ it has inputs for various cables that aren't loose, etc... and takes up way less space than our old TV, so makes our room much more livable.
I gave DH some yummy cooking sauces that I purchased at the Boston Christmas Festival: La Maison Signature Cooking Sauces : Coconut Curry and Pomegranate Saffron.
Sunday, 2nd Day of Christmas ~ Gone from home all day as per our usual Sunday~ no present opening because there wasn't a lot of time. However, the designated presents for today were:
Hallmark ornaments for the kids, and glass ornaments also purchased at the Boston Christmas Festival in November.
DH gave me a long sleeve teal tee... 100% cotton! Yay!
and I gave him... yet another purchase from a Boston Christmas Festival vendor, FUDGE EVERYTHING! sauces~ Sea Salted Caramel, and Fudge. These are made in a small, localish town in MA~ Love supporting local businesses!
Monday, 3rd Day of Christmas
Eldest~ flopped present~ flip flops that don't fit her well~ this in preparation for her toe surgery next week~ she's been wearing mostly flip flops all fall/winter due to her unhappy great toe... going to take her out to pick up another pair that will actually work!
Middlest~ Mittens (Good for Shoveling and playing outside!)
Youngest~ Build your Snowman kit!
DH gave me a very soft light green sweater, and he received his very own Sonic Toothbrush (Oh, how the older kids wished it was a sonic screwdriver, but no... ;) boo-Who!)
Tuesday, 4th Day of Christmas
I gave DH 2 more barbecue sauces (Boston Christmas Festival played a big part in my immediate family purchases this year!)
DH gave me another soft cotton shirt~ More foresty green this time
Middlest~ Gatorade Sport Bottle (mostly for baseball)
Youngest~ Set of interactive Detective/spy books
Eldest ~ another flop~ oops! I was under the mistaken impression that her gorilla pod was broken~ however, it only has a misplaced piece... AND the one I purchased only works for cameras, NOT for ipods/smartphones... Oh well, some years definitely go better than others~
Wednesday, 5th Day of Christmas
Youngest~ "Toothless" Dragon from Build-A-Bear
Middlest~ a selection of requested fishing lures/worms, etc...
Eldest~ Nick and Nora Light Blue Owl PJ's ~ She was SOOOO happy to get them!
DH gave me another soft sweater~ light blue!
Gave DH a case for his Kindle Fire
Thursday, 6th Day of Christmas/New Year's Eve: Out and about, gone all day, and presents didn't come traveling~ definitely a modified 12 days this year~ but again~ it's not all about the presents, it's about intentionally extending the celebration of Christmas, Love, the gift of Christ, Salvation, and the Joy, Hope and Peace that accepting HIS gift brings.
We went square-dancing with my brother and his family, and stayed overnight. We all were given stuffed animal ornaments that were decorating their tree, and some nifty rechargeable hand-warmers for the kids~ how nice!
Friday, 7th Day of Christmas/New Year's Day:
After a fantastic breakfast of french toast and bacon, the boys and I went with my brother to his shooting range. We shot his 16 gauge shotgun, a Smith and Wesson 357 38 special (Even youngest shot this one, not too bad of a kick), and another 38 special pistol.
Love this shot I pulled from video of Middlest shooting: Kind of pleased with the flame and the bullet speeding towards the target!
After that we spent a little time on their Humongous swing,
and then it was off in the car to drive 3-ish hours to see the other side of the family.
The kids received presents from family members there, so again, not a day we need to add presents to the pile (See how this works? It isn't a straight 12 presents from us...).
*I'll be adding photos to this post, as I have time. Sorry for the less than exciting visual aspect at the moment. But please, do enjoy this photo of our finally decorated Christmas Tree! :)
The 12 Days of Christmas~ there is some question as to how exactly to count the days of Christmas. This year we've decided that Christmas Day is the Christmas Day, the 1st Day of Christmas is the 26th, and the 6th of January is the 12th Day, Epiphany... and our anniversary~ so... here is a record of our days thus far:
Saturday, 1st Day of Christmas ~ Hanging out at home/with neighbors day~ a little bit of post Christmas Shopping, and picking up of gifts!
Gifts: Middlest used money earned by doing online surveys to purchase a used wii for his brother and sister. It came with one remote, so DH and I purchased 3 more remotes, and an inexpensive used wii game (That Eldest would like us to return), just so they could have the opportunity to try it out the first day. Wonderful next door neighbors offered 2 fun games for us to use instead, so that worked out well!
Another surprise ~ DH gave me (And everyone else...) a 32 inch flat screen tv~ it has inputs for various cables that aren't loose, etc... and takes up way less space than our old TV, so makes our room much more livable.
I gave DH some yummy cooking sauces that I purchased at the Boston Christmas Festival: La Maison Signature Cooking Sauces : Coconut Curry and Pomegranate Saffron.
Sunday, 2nd Day of Christmas ~ Gone from home all day as per our usual Sunday~ no present opening because there wasn't a lot of time. However, the designated presents for today were:
Hallmark ornaments for the kids, and glass ornaments also purchased at the Boston Christmas Festival in November.
DH gave me a long sleeve teal tee... 100% cotton! Yay!
and I gave him... yet another purchase from a Boston Christmas Festival vendor, FUDGE EVERYTHING! sauces~ Sea Salted Caramel, and Fudge. These are made in a small, localish town in MA~ Love supporting local businesses!
Monday, 3rd Day of Christmas
Eldest~ flopped present~ flip flops that don't fit her well~ this in preparation for her toe surgery next week~ she's been wearing mostly flip flops all fall/winter due to her unhappy great toe... going to take her out to pick up another pair that will actually work!
Middlest~ Mittens (Good for Shoveling and playing outside!)
Youngest~ Build your Snowman kit!
DH gave me a very soft light green sweater, and he received his very own Sonic Toothbrush (Oh, how the older kids wished it was a sonic screwdriver, but no... ;) boo-Who!)
Tuesday, 4th Day of Christmas
I gave DH 2 more barbecue sauces (Boston Christmas Festival played a big part in my immediate family purchases this year!)
DH gave me another soft cotton shirt~ More foresty green this time
Middlest~ Gatorade Sport Bottle (mostly for baseball)
Youngest~ Set of interactive Detective/spy books
Eldest ~ another flop~ oops! I was under the mistaken impression that her gorilla pod was broken~ however, it only has a misplaced piece... AND the one I purchased only works for cameras, NOT for ipods/smartphones... Oh well, some years definitely go better than others~
Wednesday, 5th Day of Christmas
Youngest~ "Toothless" Dragon from Build-A-Bear
Middlest~ a selection of requested fishing lures/worms, etc...
Eldest~ Nick and Nora Light Blue Owl PJ's ~ She was SOOOO happy to get them!
DH gave me another soft sweater~ light blue!
Gave DH a case for his Kindle Fire
Thursday, 6th Day of Christmas/New Year's Eve: Out and about, gone all day, and presents didn't come traveling~ definitely a modified 12 days this year~ but again~ it's not all about the presents, it's about intentionally extending the celebration of Christmas, Love, the gift of Christ, Salvation, and the Joy, Hope and Peace that accepting HIS gift brings.
We went square-dancing with my brother and his family, and stayed overnight. We all were given stuffed animal ornaments that were decorating their tree, and some nifty rechargeable hand-warmers for the kids~ how nice!
Friday, 7th Day of Christmas/New Year's Day:
After a fantastic breakfast of french toast and bacon, the boys and I went with my brother to his shooting range. We shot his 16 gauge shotgun, a Smith and Wesson 357 38 special (Even youngest shot this one, not too bad of a kick), and another 38 special pistol.
Love this shot I pulled from video of Middlest shooting: Kind of pleased with the flame and the bullet speeding towards the target!
After that we spent a little time on their Humongous swing,
The kids received presents from family members there, so again, not a day we need to add presents to the pile (See how this works? It isn't a straight 12 presents from us...).
Blessings~
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