What Kind of CAR Does a T.Rex Drive? {children’s book review}

by Meghan // June 4, 2019 // Comments off

If you have children that love dinosaurs, then here is a new summer read for your family!

What Kind of CAR Does a T.Rex Drive? by Mark Lee, illustrated by Brian Biggs is a wonderfully fun book for your littles! What kind of car would you sell to a stegosaurus? What about a pterodactyl? Uncle Otto has no idea either- but Ava and Mickey-two kids with a lot of dino knowledge, are able to help him out.

This definitely brought about a *bunch* of giggles from my youngest 3 kids, and even the 8 year old got a kick out of the T.Rex’s vehicle.

All the super fun goodies our Penguin Random House Publicity Assistant sent us gave me some great ideas for this book.

Use it as a book club read aloud with your homeschool co-op book club
Read it as part of a dinosaur unit
Gift it to your favorite dinosaur loving kiddo-it will be a hit!
Use it in a transportation unit study with elementary students

The best thing about receiving a children’s book as a gift is the reading aloud that comes with it! Reading to our children is one of the best gifts we can give them-quality time with our undivided attention, exploring new worlds together.

What Kind of CAR Does a T.Rex Drive? is a perfect addition to your home library shelf!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Homeschool Math & Logic (plus a coupon code)- The Critical Thinking Co. {a review}

by Meghan // May 9, 2019 // Comments off

One of the most popular posts on my blog has been about math and logic in early childhood education, so I know my readers are always looking for math ideas! That’s why I was excited about this review-
My 8 year old has been using The Critical Thinking Co.‘s Pattern Explorer Beginning (for grades 3-4) physical book (they offer a digital version) for logic, fun, and developing her number sense. Read towards the end for a free shipping offer + a great coupon code from The Critical Thinking Co.!

What it is

Pattern Explorer Beginning is a book of 40 pattern problems divided into the following 5 themes:

Pattern Predictor
Equality Explorer
Sequence Sleuth
Number Ninja
Function Finder

As the student moves through the 84 page book, the problems get more difficult, building upon one another. This is a book you would have a child complete in order, not pull from randomly for enrichment. Of course if a child is ready to begin in a different spot, they could always choose to start further into the book. The pages are perforated for easy removal and the paper is high quality 9very little shadowing through the page), bright white paper.

Something I was happy to see in the book is the acknowledgement that these books, this whole process of developing, is challenging! I often refer to my teaching degree program here on the blog, but this is one of those times I can attest to what the product is saying- Yes! Moving from the developmental stage of concrete thinker onto abstract thinker is something we can nourish and support, but not something we can force. By giving a child these pattern problems, we aren’t “making them smarter,” we are enriching what is already developing.

I wasn’t an abstract thinker until almost high school, it seemed. I struggled through honors math in 8th grade. I simply *couldn’t* get the abstract thought that was required for the work. Then I hit 9th grade and *boom* I not only loved math, but was finally GOOD at it! It just took time for me; my brother on the other hand seemed to live in an abstract world and was able to understand the harder math younger than I could.

So when the book suggests it is for 3-4th grade, and your 3rd grader is struggling, please know it is normal and the book itself is a process. It is fun, and meant to be like working a puzzle on paper, using numbers. It isn’t meant to judge cognitive ability, or assess a child. It is to be pursued

with a sense of adventure and perseverance. Some pattern discoveries may come quickly, while others may require patience and determination.

Each activity has a companion hints and solutions section towards the back of the book, so students can check their work, but also, when a student gets stuck, they can get a hint for how to move forward. Also I really like that the publisher has provided solutions that may be most common, but emphasizes there is more than one way to solve a problem. Every child’s thought process will be unique to them, and that is not only okay, but just as it should be!

How We Use Pattern Explorer Beginning

My daughter worked on the book about 3 days a week; it was a real challenge for her (in a good way). She is a younger 2/3rd grade level, just beginning multiplication in her 2nd grade math curriculum, so this book advanced for her pretty quickly. But she has loved it so far! Because she didn’t know all her multiplication facts, I printed her a simple multiplication table chart from the SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This gave her the numbers she needed to help her especially with the Number Ninja puzzles.

In the first Number Ninja puzzle, she was given 4 blank boxed-the instructions were something like “write whole numbers in the empty boxes so their product equals the number on the right fo reach row, and the number on the bottom for each column.” Yes, we had to read the directions more than once 😉 haha… mama included! But she did it! She used her multiplication chart for the times tables she didn’t yet know, and she worked through many of those problems!

I love seeing her thought process on paper, how she uses what she knows- using tally marks, addition, making groups, pairs, etc) to solve the problems is so neat to me. During my student teaching internship, I was never surprised by the ability of my students, but it still doesn’t change how in awe I am of children’s minds.

It is even more fun being a part of it as their homeschooling mama. =) I am really appreciative to companies like The Critical Thinking Co. that make math and problem solving fun and challenging in our homeschools!

You can see ample space is provided for writing the answers to this pattern challenge … my daughter squeezed them in above the question, rather than below. Don’t ask me why.

Here is the best part for my readers- you can add this, or any other Critical Thinking Co book to your homeschool, or summer enrichment at a great price! Get *free shipping* + 15% off any size order using the coupon Coupon: TOSCREW19

This offer expires Expires: 12/31/2019. I can’t wait to add one of their other books to our homeschool (and who doesn’t love free shipping?!)

Connect with The Critical Thinking Co.

Click the banner below to read more The Critical Thinking Co. reviews from the Crew:

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Mid Homeschool Year Update{2018/2019}

by Meghan // April 25, 2019 // Comments off

You’ve been asking, so here it is:

We have made it to March, which is actually pretty far past mid year. I will break things down per student/age and what we do as a family.

This is going to look like … a lot. I think I say that all the time. We loop schedule our extras, so extras are on a continuous loop that we don’t fret over doing every single day. Because my 8 year old is a very independent learner in most areas, she has a lot of independent-learning-style subjects, as you will see.

Keep in mind we do a LOT of oral learning via reading, memory work review, and research interest led learning. I have each child tell us what they’re learning about so everyone can learn from everyone, in a school house style environment.

In our homeschool, like most, learning time isn’t confined to the table, so while we do the things listed below, learning expands over our entire day, our entire life.

Family Learning:

Sonlight Core B: History, read alouds, and Bible reading. We have LOVED the read alouds this year! (I paired up the SL read alouds with different Arrows from Brave Writer for my oldest, to make a LA program.)
Free Writing: We journal and freewrite as part of our family culture. All of my kids enjoy writing stories, and are especially into poems right now. Sometimes I choose something the kids have written to edit and revise together, so they can make their favorite freewrite into a polished piece. Most of these are in their personal journals or school writing notebooks. My husband often gets them journals when he travels to different places/countries, and they are filled quickly! I keep them in hope chest downstairs when they are full.
Science/Nature Study: We are currently working from Anatomy of Nature and Anatomy of a Farm; from these pages I choose a topic to study. We recently did honey bees and butterflies. Soon we will begin pond life, because spring is the perfect time to study from our pond! We have also touched on anatomy this year, and a few other topics as interest has arisen.
Handicrafts: We do a LOT of handicrafting around here. Almost 100% of it is child led-they have free access to most of our crafting supplies, so crochet, hand sewing, embroidery, whittling, wood working (simple with hammer and nails/saws) ink making, and the list goes on, are done by them during their free times. Thankfully, homeschool allows for a LOT of free time; boredom = creativity and problem solving.
Art: We follow a few favorites on youtube and online for art. Our Read Aloud Revival premium access membership has live artist workshops we attend to learn to draw with wonderful illustrators and authors, these are my kids’ favorites! We also enjoy ChalkPastel.com’s tutorials, and may add their membership to our wish list next year!
We use the IXL app on the ipad (read my review here) for extra learning practice because they love it. Because I limit what they are allowed to do online for now, this is something special and educational for them =)
Games are part of our schooling and family time. We love games like 4 Way Count Down, uno, and Pass the Pigs. Any GameWright game is a hit here (I don’t do super complicated games). We add family games via Christmas gifts, birthdays, spring basket, and of course, homeschool box day!
Morning Basket: (AKA any time of day basket) This is just a fancy homeschooler term for circle time… you know, the thing we all did in preschool through elementary school? Calendar, read a book, learn about something new, review something, sing songs, listen to music, read poetry, do a fun activity, share knowledge, and/or handicrafts? Yep. That’s morning time basket.
Read Aloud Revival premium access membership: I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this resource! We missed this months events, due to illness (the flu had us sleeping/resting a LOT), but you can see the schedule

8 Year Old/2nd Grade

Lady works on different levels, anywhere from 2nd+; we still struggle with reversals but writing and spelling continue to improve with cursive and lots of oral practice. Numbers and math operation orders can be difficult with reversals, including reversing math signs. But she knows her stuff and likes oral math challenges against her little brother 😉

LA/Writing: We are using Brave Writer Arrows for copywork, and supplemental focus areas (in grammar and spelling), as a literature based approach. We are finishing a Narnia Arrow, because we read, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe together this winter, and will continue the series through part of spring. All of my kids have just loved this, as have I (since I never read the whole thing as a child-fantasy wasn’t my favorite).
Reading: Along with the Arrows that go to read alouds, we are also working through AAR 3. This is not something we do often, because she is such a great intrinsically motivated reader. She needs more emphasis in spelling, so we do way more spelling practice than reading at this time. She does read aloud to me throughout our daily life, a LOT, so we call that reading =) We mostly use AAR when we “do” reading, because she really likes reading the readers to me-haha. At this point, the Arrows from Brave Writer are really enough for her reading and copywork.
Spelling: We are using AAS Level 2 with resources from Level 1
Vocabulary: We really enjoy the Wordly Wise books, especially their crosswords puzzles and activities found in them. She has learned a LOT from these.
Grammar: Along with the grammar topics discussed/pointed out in our Arrows, we are using Easy Grammar. Lady does this independently, without much help from me. We apply what she learns when writing spelling sentences, journaling, freewrites, etc.
CLE Math: Lady is working through grade 2 CLE math. We use Saxon math worksheets as a supplement-FYI-I do NOT have her do every page from Saxon. We use the even lessons, sometimes skipping some lessons between. Saxon and CLE are similar on levels, but each approaches their questions and answers differently, and I like this! I feel like it gives her a different way to approach math, and Saxon is good about reminding us to get our hands-on learning things out for practice! Sometimes we don’t even use the worksheet, but just set up hands on learning activities that fit what’s on the paper. It is really just a jumping off point for me, as well.
Extras: We loop extras throughout the week. Lady uses CLE’s geography and science workbooks. I am not a huge advocate of workbooks, however, the CLE books are very nice! The illustrations are simple, and very … nature study-ish; they’re lovely and fun to color with pencils if you have a art lover on your hands like I do. She is a visual and audio learner, so reading is one of her best learning super powers, however, she needs practice writing, which the CLE books provide. They bring us both joy, so we stick with them. I also find they are great for her to open on her own when I need to work independently with another child; I love hearing about what she’s learned in these!

Regarding workbooks– These are going to depend on your family’s learning style. Each child is different; some will be bored to death with workbooks! My 4 year old loves them, my 8 year enjoys them, my 6 year old is reading independently enough to do his math alone, and some language arts, but isn’t in love with workbook style learning (with the exception of CLE Bible 1). I am 100% okay with that, so for his age and development we keep them to a minimal.

6 Year Old Boy/Kindergarten

Language Arts: We are using AAR Level 2 for his reading. He just finished level 1.
LA Extras: We are using The Good and The Beautiful Level 2 for him as well. This is a beautiful curriculum that includes grammar, spelling, and reading, however we don’t use it that way. I will try to make a video on how we implement the program, but we use their spelling list for sight word spelling/common words, and enjoy their readers for extra practice. I really LOVE their practice pages and the grammar concepts covered. This is working better for him than Easy Grammar, at this point. Easy Grammar is a bit more dry and fill in the blank (again, my 8 year old begs to do this!), and that just isn’t Mister’s jam.

**I do not believe there is ever such a thing as too many books or readers at appropriate levels-hence me using so many different ones. Variety is the spice of a nurtured reading life haha**

Spelling: He is doing AAS 2 with his sister. Mister is a natural speller, and things that are harder for my 8year old (due to dysgraphia symptoms) are easier for him right now, so they’re actually in the same level.
Math: He is using CLE math 1. Math is super easy for this boy, he flies through his books and often asks for more than 1 lesson. He loves dictation word problems, writing math problems, and speed drills.

4 Year Old Girl/PreK

This one tags along, and we are slowly going through AAR 1. She can read CVC words pretty well.
We use Handwriting Without Tears; next year she will move into A Reason for Handwriting like the others have.
Math is Math Eggs K, she loves this book.
We also are using Rod and Staff Preschool Set, because *I* love them. They’re so simple, much like the CLE books we use, but they allow her some independent style work, which she likes.

The toddler tags along, of course. As summer creeps upon us, I won’t be doing as many “extras.” We strip down to basics when the weather is nice to allow lots of outside play-we have a farm that is blooming into spring and full of life, so we need to enjoy it while it lasts!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Glow in the Dark Easter Eggs: Egglo Eggs {a review}

by Meghan // April 16, 2019 // Comments off

This post was written 5 years ago, and still these eggs are a joyous tradition in our home! While you can no longer find these specific eggs for Resurrection Sunday, you can purchase the scrolls to go inside any glow in the dark egg HERE.

In our home, we have never done Easter egg hunts, or Easter baskets. In the spring, the kids get a spring basket, that is completely separate from Easter itself.

For the Resurrection, we read scripture leading up to that Sunday, learn about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, and have a nice family dinner. We avoid Easter bunnies and chocolate- Everything is pretty low key.

I had the chance to review Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs and the book, The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure by Egglo Entertainment.

About The Program

Egglo Eggs are different; they aren’t just another egg you stuff full of candy for your children to hunt on Easter morning. This program is based on John 1:5, “The Light shines in the dark and the darkness has not overcome it.” This entire set encourages your children to learn, love, and truly enjoy the real meaning of Easter. Though it is designed for children ages 4-13, it can be adapted for all ages. I used it with my three year old and 18 month old.

Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs and The Great Easter Adventure book are fun and Christ centered. The eggs either have a beautiful cross on them or are plain. There are 12 in a box, consisting of four colors- blue, green, yellow, and pink.

What I received

A box (12 eggs) Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs ($11.99)
The book The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure ($12.99)
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure audio download ($2.99)
Egglo Treasures Scripture Scrolls ($4.29)
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide ($14.99)

How we use the Program

Lexie and Max are both obsessed with eggs in general- Max likes to eat them, Lexie likes to crack them when we bake. We have one little play egg, I am not even sure where it came from, but they both obsessively play with it. Now that we have the entire set of glow in the dark Egglo Eggs, they like to go in the closet and watch them glow; we charge them several times a day! haha

I overheard big sister telling the tot, “Now, this light is just like the light Jesus.”

I wasn’t really sure if they would be into hunting the eggs, but I laid them on the counter and let them “charge” under the light so they would glow really well. The directions say to let them charge for about 30 minutes in direct sunlight, or 45 minutes under in-home lights.

So, we looked through the book (which in many ways was over Lexie’s 3 year old head, but was valuable non the less. Then I hid the eggs in her room (we have blackout shades in there so it was nice and dark) while they waited in the hall.

*I cannot tell you how much fun they had hunting for these glow-in-the-dark eggs!* But then, Lexie also understood the lesson of the glowing eggs, what they represent, and how they tie into Easter. It was a win-win for us all!

hunting egglo glow in the dark easter eggs

(it was dark in her room, but the flash on my camera is on)

We may have hidden and found the eggs a dozen times the first day. Quite possibly more. She has asked to do them once a day ever since. They are such a joy and I feel good about using them in our home.

After we tired out from the excitement of hunting the eggs, the kids enjoyed coloring some of the pages from The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide. There was something in there for both the kids to enjoy. The program guide includes lots of valuable activities, fun snack recipes, and items to print to add to your Egglo Eggs. It is also set up for both schools/churches and families. I highly recommend purchasing it to accompany your eggs.

As part of my review, I received the scripture scrolls as well- we love these! They take the eggs to a whole new level. We put the scrolls inside our eggs before hiding them, and then after the kids found all the eggs, we opened each one. Lexie thought it would be fun to choose a few scriptures as our memory verses for the coming weeks. Max just liked to shake them inside the eggs and make music. =)

Overall Experience

Our experience with the Glow In The Dark Egglo Eggs and The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure has been a positive one. It was a great way to add a little more fun into our Easter celebration, and keep Christ in the center of it all. Lexie understands the real meaning of Easter, and the little Mister is on his way to understanding too. That is what this program is about- and that is why I can gladly suggest this program to anyone interested in doing an Easter egg hunt or celebration with their children.

Connect with Egglo Entertainment

Happy Farm {spring 2019}

by Meghan // March 29, 2019 // Comments off

Life on the farm is wonderful these days!

We have 11 bouncy puppies. They’re about 8 weeks old and healthy as can be (aka, fat little babies). They’re learning their temporary places among our goats. The goats definitely don’t let them play with them, and will head butt them in a hurry. It is funny to watch the puppies reactions- they whimper and back off, just like they should! I pray each one of these little fur balls grows into a wonderful LGD for their future homes.

This is Waylon, the boy I chose to keep from our litter. There is one more boy I *really* want to keep, but I think 1 is probably enough. =)

The logistics of raising 11 pups has been interesting, but we have a good system/living situation for them now so it has all worked out great. They have safe place to sleep at night, and during the day can be free with Yona and the goats, which is ideal.

The goats tolerate 11 pups running around pretty well. Yona (their mama) keeps them in line, and doesn’t let them get too far from where she deems appropriate. I am just astounded by her instincts; she has been an amazing mama. You always hear horror stories about dogs abandoning their pups, attacking them, not raising them. She has done so well, knew when to begin weaning them, corrects them, cleans them … she’s wonderful! It definitely makes me want to do this again!

Each puppy has a colored collar now which corresponds to my notes from when they were born. We take notes on their personality/behaviors/reactions on the farm so that pairing them with families/homes will be easier. I want to be sure each pup goes to the right family/person, and if there are any problems, they come back to me, and don’t end up in a shelter or passed around.

The sun has been shining, and all the animals are happy for the warmth!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Homeschool Practice With IXL {a review}

by Meghan // February 21, 2019 // Comments off

We have been using an annual membership from IXL Learning. This included all IXL subjects– math, language arts, grades 2-8 science, grades 2-8 social studies, and intro Spanish.

This has been such a fun supplemental program to review! We do plan to continue using it for the year, and will renew our membership.

How we use IXL Learning

About 3 days a week, each of my older 3 children (8, 6, and 4) work in the IXL program for 20 minutes. The program is very parent and child friendly; each child has their own profile where I customize their learning practice. We really love using the app, but my 8year old used the computer quite a bit to access IXL. Parents are able to select the grade level of practice for each subject, for every child!

This is perfect for customizing learning for homeschool children, as many students work on different levels in different core subjects. Parents are also able to customize what “standards” they would like their child to work under. This is of no concern to me, as we don’t teach according to anyone’s standards, (most curricula cover the same concepts, regardless of “standards,” but it is an option for those parents in states that require certain standards!

I found what worked best for us was having 1 child work in IXL on the ipad or computer while I did 1:1 school work at the table with the others. We continued this rotation through, until I had done our reading and LA with each child, and they were all ready for their independent table work.

My 8 year old saw the Spanish section and wanted to practice learning Spanish; this and spelling are her favorite subjects in IXL. Where my son is a natural born speller like his mama, my very intelligent oldest child struggles in that area, so I am excited that she is excited about practicing spelling concepts in IXL.

For my 6 year old, math is the favorite subject, but he has enjoyed working in each one. I like that I can also receive an email letting me know what they completed and has well they did. A quick glance at their profile under any subject tells me what they have completed in each category of that subject.

My 4 year old used the app on the iPad while working in the PreK level. She mostly worked in the Language Arts section, and worked slower than the others. She is still learning about using the ipad, but she truly enjoys IXL.

Here is an example of the 2nd grade language arts subject- you can select any category for practice as seen below: reading foundations, reading strategies, writing strategies, vocabulary, and grammar and mechanics.

What I Think

We don’t use many computer or online learning activities, choosing to limit screen time, but I knew I wanted to try IXL and I am so glad I did! We are diligent about our core studies- reading, language and math and reading aloud (which covers everything else, right? haha)- and IXL is a wonderful supplement for extra practice and learning.

Children can have instructions read to them, as well as having words/problems pronounced aloud. This is a huge help for beginner readers like my 4 year old, or children with learning differences, allowing them to practice independently.

Each time a child misses a question, IXL gives an explanation of how to correctly solve the problem in subjects such as math, or explains the language arts concept for the child. See the example below:

While IXL is wonderful for review and practice, it is not a substitute for teaching. I would say my 8 year old could learn independently with this program, though. If she didn’t understand what was being asked of her, and she missed a question, I feel the explanation would be adequate for her to learn from her mistake. This would work because of her ability to learn independently and her grade level … much lower or much more difficult levels would be better suited for practice only.

It is complete in the subjects covered, and the explanations when answers are incorrect are simple but effective.

Self Care: Creating a Mama Morning Time Routine

by Meghan // February 16, 2019 // Comments off

Morning time can be a hard concept when you aren’t a morning person.

Growing up, I needed a good 20+ minutes to wake up before I could function, I didn’t eat breakfast willingly, and I walked around in a fog until lunch time. Haha (not really, but it took a while.)

Not much has changed, except now I have coffee, 4 children and a farm + an amazing husband. I learned after baby number 4 I have to take care of myself.

Mamas, this is the only body and mind we have. We need time, whether introverted or extroverted, to think through our day before the littles rise. We need time to talk with Jesus, read God’s Word, and pray before the world needs us.

Taking time for ourselves isn’t a luxury, it is imperative. We cannot take care of the people we love if we don’t take care of ourselves.

How to Make Time

Rise before the kids. My husband usually wakes me up before he leaves for work, around 530/6am. When he is traveling, or if he leaves very early, he texts me or I set an alarm.

When I had infants, I sometimes put my morning time on the back burner, but there were days I could squeeze it in-before the 5:30AM feeding wake up, or the quick nap from 6am to 7am before baby started his day. Some mornings are just more hectic than others, especially when there are tiny babies involved. Using the time at the end of the day for a quick devotional or mini art journal session does the trick, too. I remember the hours between baby going to sleep for the “night,” and waking for a middle of the night feed (7pm-11pm) were usually a good time for me to take “me” time before catching a quick nap.

Even today, with an 8, 6, 4, and 2 year old, we implement rest time from 1-3pm. The older 3 don’t usually nap, but the 2 year old does. I take this time to unwind just for me- I set the older 2 kids up with audio books, handicrafts, or alone time in their own space. During this time I am able to stretch, load up my water cup, have a healthy snack, and read a good book, journal, or sometimes sleep!

Getting Excited and Preparing for Success

Have your tools on hand

Keeping a tote with my favorite study Bible and a good devotional, like Help Club for Moms, gets me excited about my alone time with Jesus. In my tote I keep my Bible journaling highlighters, a few of my favorite pens for my Bible, sticky notes for marking things I want to come back to for studying, and all my favorite devotional books. (A video coming on that tote, soon!)

I love having all of my tools at hand; anything I am led to do, I can do right then and there. Whether it is copying a favorite verse to my planner for the day, reciting a special prayer from Prayers that Avail Much, doing a little art journaling, or just reading God’s Word, having it all together keeps me motivated, and accountable.

***You can use anything you have on hand for a tote-an extra book bag, backpack, basket, or old purse. There is no need to buy new things, when you probably have something on hand that will work! When you find your groove, and have worn out your repurposed tote or Bible, then treat yourself to a new one. =)

Set the coffee pot timer

Yes, this is seriously something that excites me and keeps me motivated.

Hearing the coffee pot beep right after my alarm wakes me, means I can go straight to the kitchen for a fresh cup of coffee… And you can’t lay down to drink coffee, so might as well sit up and read the Bible while you’re at it, right?! If you don’t do coffee, use the timer for a pot of hot water for making tea, hot cocoa, or whatever your favorite hot beverage may be.

Your Favorite Way to Connect with Jesus

Maybe journaling and devotionals aren’t your thing? That’s okay- there are so many ways to connect with Jesus. I keep the KLove app on my ipad and turn it on often. Worship music while reading or praying is a great way to start your day!

I also have the YouVersion app on my phone and ipad- there are so many quick daily studies for all walks of life- mamas, dads, youth, elderly, widows, parents with special circumstances-if you can think it up they have study for that topic or person. Their verse of the day may be just enough to fire you up for the day.

Podcasts are another wonderful way to take time for yourself, even when you don’t have the time or energy to sit and write/read/journal. Two of my favorite pastors to listen to on my podcasts app are: Adrian Rogers and Charles Stanley. You can also listen to them online, via those links.

I grew up with both of these pastors; being form the south there is something about those accents that make my heart sing, too. But they speak Biblical truth; that combined with their love for God and His people make listening to and studying through them very easy.

Mamas, I hope you have found something helpful here that will fire you up for self care time with Jesus.

Sometimes it is as simple writing on a scratch piece of paper the things we want to accomplish when we wake, so we don’t forget to do them! Remembering to start and stick to a new routine can sometimes be difficult-make it easier on yourself.

Look for the next post in this series, which will touch on other forms of self care!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Christian History Audio Drama for the Whole Family {a review}

by Meghan // February 15, 2019 // Comments off

During our morning time, we have been enjoying the latest publication, For The Temple from Heirloom Audio. My children have LOVED this listening experience. (You can see our past Heirloom Audio review HERE)

We reviewed the 2 disc physical CD set, as well as the digital PDF study guide.

The guide is full of details and comprehension/deeper thinking questions found under sections: Listening Well, Thinking Further, and Defining Words. You will find each section has its own content for each chapter of the story. Thinking Further includes activities, such as googling images/information from history that pertain to the story and reading Bible passages for comparison/historical context. The study guide itself is beautiful and takes the adventures of G.A. Henty to a new educational level; meant to help parents have juicy conversations with their children, it can also be used independently by older students. (My 8 year old enjoyed using it on her own, while the others used it orally with me.)

What It Is How We Used It* What We Think*

Heirloom Audio is one of our favorite companies to support- you can read more about who they are HERE, which outlines what they believe, and how they get these great history stories. I love that their stories are wholesome, being safe for my kids to listen without me needing to know every detail before pressing play.

Based on the book by G. A. Henty, For The Temple is another gripping, family entertainment, audio drama from Heirloom Audio. Though John wants to stay home and follow in his parents’ footsteps as a farmer, he knows God is calling him to fight the Romans. He shows great leadership skills and integrity while defending the Jews, rescuing innocents, and encouraging the men in his army. Later, we see God has been preparing John, as he is called to defend God’s people once again in Gamara.

What began as the story of a young boy, silly and not ready for marriage, turned into a hero’s story of brave risks, integrity, and Godly intent. As John realizes he has been called by God to lead an army against a great threat, we see great excitement and purpose in his life, which God saw all along (of course). He overcomes not only defeat in the field, but also slavery, as God’s hand writes his life story. In the end we rejoice with John and his family as they accept Christ and become followers of Yeshua.

This is so much like our own lives- we have plans, feel our personality is best suited for one thing or another, and yet God sends us through trials, introduces us to people we may have never known … all so we can do His work and come to know Him better.

He equips the called.

My 8 year old’s favorite part of For The Temple:

“While the Romans were trying to reach the temple, John took a lot of fishing boat on the Sea of Galilea, and everyone held torches to make the Romans think they were a large army-he said if it worked for Gideon, it could work for them. Another part I liked was when the Romans were waiting for the people to starve inside the city, because the Jews couldn’t reach food and water without going outside the walls. But John was brave and fought the Romans with swords, even though he was out numbered. But I don’t think John knew Jesus, because he didn’t believe, at first, that He rose from the dead.”

The production team, acting cast, and recreation of this original G.A. Henty story is top notch family entertainment. We like to turn on the audio each morning during morning time, but be warned- it can be hard to turn it off! It is also a great independent listening time for the kids while mama gets a shower, tidies up, or prepares a meal.

Beautiful life lessons and Biblical character traits are threads throughout all the Heirloom Audio stories, and that is no different in For The Temple. We meet characters from the Bible and how their stories would have impacted people during this era of history. Even the youngest of listeners can recognize those people, and see the impact Jesus’s death would have had during that time.

—I want to add, that exploring their website is worth the effort! The “Kid’s Corner” and other resource links are safe for young children, and full of family fun! You will find videos, links, quizzes, and more!

Connect with Heirloom Audio:

My One Word for the Year & How to Choose Your Own

by Meghan // January 3, 2019 // Comments off

Every year I try to choose a word for my focus; I’ve done this for several years. This year I had an entire list of ideas, but none of them seemed to encompass everything- Everything I’ve experienced this year, what I want next year to look like, and how those things fit in with God’s plan. (I don’t do resolutions or yearly goals/plans.)

Sometimes the BIG picture is the hardest one to see. I need pieces, I need to know how things start, so I can see where I am going. This translates to everything in my life- from chalk painting a chair, to raising my kids. Maybe it is why I love teaching, and reading, and crafting… Starting somewhere hard and uncertain can often end up so beautiful with so much to learn.

Those light bulb moments, you know?

This week we were in Colorado and I was really trying to figure out what my word would be. I was very much regretting having not brought my journaling Bible or regular Bible, both of which I had packed up but decided not to bring. I prayed about it while flipping through my Bible/prayer journal which I did bring, and saw one of my favorite quotes; it is one I’ve written in my daily planning journal several times the last few months, and always takes me to Isaiah 58:9 when I read it.

Even here, He can be found.

{Backstory: this summer, after grieving and struggling through our overwhelming, too busy, too stressful summer, I sat down with my journaling things and found some websites about simplifying and planning your dreams. I couldn’t for the life of me plan my “dreams.” I couldn’t figure out what I wanted- I even asked family what I was good at, what I could contribute to the world or to my family.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, not via a website or overthinking, but from God– God said THIS. THIS IS IT! These responsibilities are your blessings, your dreams that you’ve asked for- a big family (fyi: that wasn’t always on my dream list), a farm in the country, an amazing husband, freedoms, reaching many. I’ve given these things to you.

Yall- this is so silly to some, but in the midst of my suffering or break down, whatever you want to call it, after losing my Granny on top of everything going on, when I was begging God for direction and help, for calm and quiet, He told me what I already somehow knew, and gave me direction.

I don’t need to look for my dreams, my work at home raising my family is HIS work, and my dream of one day having a farm and children is fulfilled in this season! Through God’s grace, his gift of determined spirits and hard work, we have made this thing work. I didn’t need to figure out how to plan for my dreams or what I “wanted” (I’m not really someone that “wants” for things anyway, I tend to be joyful where I am).

I needed to stop and listen to God where I was. Right here. It wasn’t that I didn’t see this life of blessings and dreams already, I just somehow, in that tough season, overlooked that they were enough and everything else was just bonus.}

So in 2019, and my word is HERE, because …

even here He is found.

In the midst of feeding goats, shoveling cow patties, cleaning the house, reading to my children, taking them on walks in the woods, dealing with tantrums from a strong willed 2 year old, schooling on the hard days, crafting and journaling on the easy ones, family movie nights, and sibling bickering … HE CAN BE FOUND. He is Here. And right HERE is where he has called me to be. **and I LOVE it!**

He is here for all of it, and all of it is a blessing. I am so happy here, even when circumstances are hard, I don’t need to look for more?!

My responsibilities are blessings, not burdens (thank you Help Club for Moms Devotional).

Responsibilities can be messy, and aren’t always fun, but in them and from them pour more blessings; it is what He has laid on our hearts- I’ve learned if God directs us to something, especially when he has changed our heart so we long to do that thing, or find peace in it (ex: having children, moving away from our comfort zone, not having an 8-5 job, the list can go on …) listening to Him joyfully, having faith that He knows better than us or those around us giving their opinion, is about the only way life is going to be enjoyable and fulfilling, no matter what we are called to do.

This year for me is all about here, joyfully thriving, and growing more in Him, right where I am.

So how do you choose your one word?

I would begin with what has been a constant theme in your life- if it is a negative like anxiety, hectic, fear, sick, struggle, failing, etc. then find the opposite of that in scripture several time. Find a root word that means what you want for your life. Go to it in prayer, listen closely to God. I’ve found that God’s voice is a clear one. If it is Him, you probably won’t need to question it, but if you do find yourself questioning it, continue to pray about it and ask Him how He would have you grow in Him this year.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

A Real Christmas Lesson: If He Had Not Come {a review}

by Meghan // December 2, 2018 // Comments off

With the holidays coming up, it is important to our family to focus on the reason for Christmas- Jesus Christ’s birth. We were able to read and review a precious book, If He Had Not Come. Originally written by Nan F. Weeks, it has been reintroduced by David Nicholson, a retired school teacher and missionary.

This is a wonderful story for any Christian family that wants to truly show their children what Christmas celebration is all about. Though the book is recommended for ages six and up, my (just turned) four year old really enjoyed and understood it. The casebound hardback version can be purchased for $18.95, or choose the e-book version at $3.99.

About If He Had Not Come

This book was such a pleasant surprise to receive in the mail! In the front cover was a special, handwritten note from David himself, which Lexie thought was just wonderful. The book is a beautiful hardback, illustrated by Charles Jaskiewicz- there is a lot of detail in the illustrations that support the story so well. We have read this book many times already, and Lexie has noticed something new in the pictures each time.

The story begins with a young boy, Bobby, getting ready for bed on Christmas Eve, anticipating opening the gifts from his family the next morning. (I will say, one of my favorite things about this book is there is no mention of Santa Claus). But when he goes to sleep, he dreams of a world where there is no Christmas; there is no church, no Christian run/owned businesses like homeless shelters, hospitals, etc. When he goes looking for each of these things, in its place he finds a sign reading, “If I had not come.”

After realizing what a desolate world he would live in were it not for Christ, Bobby wakes up and thanks Jesus for coming, for being the very best Christmas gift.

What We Thought and How We Used It

This is honestly one of the best Christmas books we own. Really. It isn’t too much for a young child to understand, and it clearly and honestly opens their eyes to Christmas and the Christ in Christmas. The story shows them not only would we not have Christmas to celebrate His birth, but our world would be so different without Jesus. There are so many things we take for granted that we would no longer enjoy if Christ had not come to save us. This is a great book for all families, and Sunday school classes alike!

We have been reading this book for my four year old’s bedtime routine. I wasn’t sure at first what she would think, or if she would enjoy it. Well, she has requested it for nap and bed time since the day we introduced it! My husband and I have been able to take If He Had Not Come and go deeper into the meaning of Christ’s birth-even farther than the meaning of Christmas. (in the picture she was in her gymnastics leotard and I am not sure what was up with the crazy headband ..)

In the back of the book you will find several helpful pages. There is a page of interactive topics for families and Sunday school teachers- the questions are thought provoking and open ended to allow plenty of discussion. They will really help you have a deep, wonderful, honest, discussion with your child/ren.

There is also a section titled, “Going Deeper;” these are questions to help you and your child explore what the Bible says about the birth of Christ. I really like this section, as it has possible answers for you to share/follow up with, and references specific Bible verses! That is really helpful for any parent trying to lead their little one to God. There is also a small section on the last page with an idea to help you celebrate Christmas using a fun activity.

If you are looking for a book to add to your Christmas collection, or want to do a unit on Christmas with your children, this is the book I would suggest you look at first.