Monday, December 31, 2012

Jennie Allen CHASE DVD bible study Review



From the Publisher:
What are you chasing?
We’re all chasing after something, something that we think will make us happy—comfort, success, a bigger house, or someone’s approval. But if we are all honest, it feels like trying to catch the wind.
A man after God’s own heart… As David’s life weaves throughout the pages of Scripture, we see he was a man who spent his life chasing after God. Chase explores the events that defined David’s life and the Psalms that flowed out of those experiences. Through David’s example we’ll discover what God really wants from us.
The lessons in this study are simple yet deep and very interactive, offering Bible study, stories, and projects to dig into Scripture and deeply engage the mind and heart. God has carved out a space in each of us that only He can fill. So whether you are running from God or working your tail off to please Him, David’s journey will challenge your view of God.

My review:
This is wonderful new bible study by Jennie Allen. Who brought us STUCK {which I LOVE} This bible study is called Chase and its purpose is to challenge and enlarge your view of God.

In Chase, Jennie will guide you through a very revealing study of a man named David - a depraved sinner who lied, committed adultery and murdered - yet was loved by God because he passionately pursued Him with all of his heart.

As you study David's life, you'll be asked to look at your own. The study is scripturally based yet intensely personal...

Are you chasing God or are you chasing the wind?

As you participate in this highly interactive study, your ideas and beliefs in the following areas will be challenged and stretched:

Identity
Courage
Obedience
Belief
Repentance
Surrender

Once again Jennie wowed and amazed! She is absolutely wonderful at what she does. She is a normal everyday person and seems like someone I would be bff's with! I love her and her work! 

HIGHLY recommend this bible study for both person or group setting!
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Friday, December 28, 2012

New Year's Eve Family Fun!

New Year's Eve is just around the corner!! What in the world...it is almost 2013!
Our new year's eve tradition? ULTIMATE family time! 
Snacks
Games
Stories
You name it! 
This year I wanted to do something fun that could be a keepsake that we could look back for years to come and see how our kiddos have changed! 
 
I created a "Family Fun Mini Pack"
Included:
Boy New Year's Eve Printable
Girl New Year's Eve Printable
{Remember special things about 2012: friends, favorites, best this about the year...ect}
For Mom & Dad...It's a brand new year
{What do you want out of 2013}
Family Time
Fill this out together! Let you kiddos pick fun things for you to do as a family in 2013

DOWNLOAD PRINTABLES HERE!
Have a happy and wonderful new year's eve and a blessed 2013!
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Tot School | Matching and the Letter C

{The Twins ~ Simon and Gabriella ~ 40 months}
After a busy month, being sick and just the utter chaos of the Hoilday Season we are back in {well getting there} with tot school! YAY! We are starting out a little slow! 
This week we are also doing a great mini book advent! {see the post here}

The Lovely Letter C!

C is for Cat
C is for Cup
C is for Carry 
C is for Cuddle







~Matching Games~

"Oh no! The Socks are all mixed up!"
Sock matching fun! 





The twins loved this, neither of them like disorder...so this was pretty much perfect. 

"Pretty Popsicle Stick Patterns"




Gabbi loves making things pretty and this was great for her! She said all the colors before she laid them down! It was so much fun! 

"Popsicle Stick Matching Maddness"



Si loved making a pile of all the colored sticks and the putting them in color piles, he actually did it over and over and over. He liked saying all the colors too! 
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Monday, December 10, 2012

Advent Mini Book {better late than never}

Here are 4 great printables I made for Advent! Perfect for little kiddos who need shorter daily lessons!
Simply click and save image or drag to desktop!!!
page1

page2

page3

page4
 
I would recommend printing on cardstock to make them last longer!! ENJOY!!
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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Monday, December 3, 2012

The Christmas Story Advent Coloring Book

It's not too late to start Advent! 

Print out all 24 coloring pages with quotations from Luke (first 15 pages) and Matthew (last 9 pages) to reinforce the Christmas story.  Color and read one page per day from December 1st thru the 24th.  Put them all together to make a booklet you can read as a family on Christmas day! 

print all the pages here
What's the meaning of Advent?
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A winter BBQ!

The best thing about summer? Hands down for me...BBQ! 
I love the smell of yummy food on the grill!

Grilled Chicken Legs with Veggie Cabob and Corn!



Everything was seasoned with black pepper before grilling. Served with Cottage Cheese and Pear!

YUMMMMMMMM!
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Little Readers!

For many of us we have one or more children embarking on the journey to become a reader!! YAY!! I love to read and I want my children to have the same love for it as I do! I'm sure you feel the same way too! My oldest son is well on his way to being a reader just like me...you know the ones who read a novel in a day or two because they can't put it down? Yeah, thats me! I read the entire "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" in 2 1/2 days! 

Here are some great and fun reading tips...it doesn't matter if your child is at a very basic level or if they are well on their way to chapter books, these are still great to implement!

At Home:
Turn off everything...the TV's, iPads, ipods, radios...anything that can be distracting to your little reader! Your child will begin to learn that when it is quiet it is time to read! Be sure that you are using book that at your child's level. 

Download my I PICK wall art printables HERE

{I would highly recommend printing on cardstock and laminating to make them last!}

Designate a time EVERYday as reading time! 
Morning, noon or night! It doesn't matter. For our home it is the afternoon for about an hour. Sometimes my son wants to read to me and other times he wants to read by himself. He must read something from the bible {His favorite book to read!} ((Heartmelting)) Then he may read any of his books. Currently his big favorite is THE CLONE WARS! 

Check out some great Literacy Apps HERE!

Reading Aloud Tips:

Reading aloud should be fun and interactive.  Ask your child questions during the book, like “what do you think will happen next” and make personal connections, “remember when,” that create a context for reading.  This sets your child up for success—even adults need to understand the context of reading materials in magazines and newspaper articles.
Laying groundwork for future independent reading is done when you first read aloud to your children: pause to confirm and revise predictions, ask questions and make connections.  This teaches your child that understanding text is a process that occurs before, during and after reading.

Before Reading
Choose books you or your child can get excited about reading.  There are so many books out there, don’t spend time reading ones you won’t enjoy!
  • If you haven’t read the book already, scan it to get a sense of it before you start reading aloud.
  • Plan an introduction—find links to personal experiences.
  • Introduce the title, author, and illustrator.
During Reading
Read with fluency and expression.  Children need to hear changes in your voice to indicate when you are reading dialogue. Vary your pace, too. Slow down to build up suspense and speed up during exciting scenes.
  • Hold the books so your child can see the illustrations.
  • Try to establish frequent eye contact with your child.
  • Invite your child to question and comment but keep it focused on the story.
  • Explain words and ideas you think your child might not understand.
After Reading
Sometimes a book will pique curiosity and lead to questions and conversation afterwards, sometimes not.  It’s ok either way!
  • Allow time for discussion
  • Encourage various levels of response with questions
  • Retell the story or reread it to enhance comprehension.
Reading aloud is a great time to enjoy books together.  The increased vocabulary, correct grammar and comprehension will come naturally.  Soon enough, it will be your child’s turn to say “all by myself” and read these books to you.  Then, it will be the chapter books and “just one more chapter before I go to bed, please?”  Way to go mom and dad, you’re building a strong foundation of readers who WANT to read when YOU read aloud today.

Fun Idea Child Reading:
Cook! Yes Cook, have your little one read a recipe!

Apple Salad

Ingredients:
1 dozen apples
2 cups washed grapes (any seedless brand)
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions: Wash, core and slice a dozen apples, and place in a large bowl. 
Add raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and stir thoroughly. 
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 6 servings

Get more recipes HERE!


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Mmmmmmm

This Delicious Croissandwich is my all time favorite quick and easy lunch...ok...it has been known to be our dinner too! 


Yummy Butter Croissant topped with:
Colby Cheese
Roasted Turkey Breast
Avocado
Tomatoes

That's it
So Delicious!
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Monday, November 19, 2012

God is always in control!

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Flourishing or Failing?

When it comes to Homeschool moms we often put ourselves in one of two categories...Either we are flourishing or we are failing as the teacher.  We are guilty of comparing ourselves with EVERY single homeschool mom we know! I'm completely guilty of this! There are weeks when we are at Homelink {Our co-op type group} and I see these other moms preparing for the next week surrounded by school books and calendars and I think 'Ok, I am so far behind. I'm failing' In reality I know that I'm not! In fact have a schedule {ha a laugh when I write "I" and  "schedule" together...FYI organization is NOT my middle name...not even close} ok back to what I was saying! I have a schedule that I like and works very well for us! However, when you are in that moment and you are talking with other moms who seem like that are so on their game it is so easy to feel like you just aren't measuring up. Why?!? Her kids are not my kids! I know the way my kids learning and chances are they are totally different then her kids.

Is it really true...are we either Flourishing or Failing? How are we gauging this? Is comparing our kids to another moms kids, comparing our school week to someones else really going to give us a clear answer?

Recently I was chatted with a few 'Teacher Mom' friends of mine. I asked what the average week looks like in their home....

Teacher Mom #1 
"We get up, the kids eat, they play! We do some math and reading, then they play. Later we do some history and science, then they play. Ending our day with some spelling and writing."

Teacher Mom #2
"7am is breakfast, then we spend anywhere from 45 mins to 1 hour per subject with lunch at noon. ending our school day at 2:30-3:00"

Teacher Mom #3
"There is NO schedule, every day is different, every week is different."

Teacher Mom #4 
"5 subjects per day, they vary. We play games, do art projects, I read them books. We try to make every subject engaging!"
Which of these moms is doing it right? Could they all be doing it right even though they are nothing alike? Yes! I think so! Something that my mom loved about homeschooling was the freedom to teach your child in the way that works best for that child! That is what I love about homeschooling! 

Oh! by the way EVERY single one of the moms above told me that they have some much fun and so do their kids!!

Homeschooling for our family is to instill a LOVE for learning! That love that I have and that I know a lot of you have as well. I don't want to ever hear my kids say "NO not Math" or "I hate reading" because of that it is my job to create a environment where my children are excited about learning! Where they can thrive and flourish! 

There are so many different ways to achieve this!

What's your Style?



  • Eclectic {using two or more styles

  • Charlotte Mason Method
  • Classical {the classical approach to homeschooling}
  • Uncschooled {child-led schooling approach}
  • Traditional {aka Text Book}
...or you do something totally different! 

Are your kids learning? Are your kids having fun? Are you having fun and enjoying it? 

GUESS WHAT!?!?! You ARE Flourishing! NOT FAILING!

It DOESN'T matter if your friend Sally is on such a schedule that it put ship captains to shame. 
It DOESN'T matter if your friend June is disorganized and rarely has a schedule.

What DOES matter is that your child and you are sharing a love for learning...how ever you get to that point is up to you! 

Flourish on Mama! Flourish on!
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Makes My Monday


My little loves!

Our Beautiful Drive to Church!
My beautiful tree!

my silly littles

What's makes my monday? My kids, my family, this beautiful weather! 
I am so thankful for all the blessings we have! 

What makes your monday?


Wishing everyone and happy and beautiful Thanksgiving!
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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Perfectly Pinned Monday



Welcome to the VERY first installment of "Perfectly Pinned Monday" 

Do you love Pinterest as much as I do? I cannot tell you how many times I have referenced my boards! Remember what is was like before Pinterest? Searching for a link...trying so hard to remember where you saw that idea, recipe, craft!! Ahhhh! Thankfully those days are over!!!

Each week I will showcase some of my favorite pins from the week before! I will include all the links if available! Also I will notify you if a link is corrupt...I have been sent to some less that family friendly sites :( Thank the Lord my kiddos were not around!

Please feel free to comment your Pinterest link and your favorite pins!


I'm so very excited to share with you some of the great pins from this week! 

Love these money saver jars to teach kids about giving/saving/spending.
We live in a world full of "want want want" "me me me" This blessing jar gives us the chance to show our little ones how truly blessed we are! Every time the Lord answers a prayer or you get blessed by a kind word write it on a little piece of paper and put it in a jar! Have your kids do it to! At the end of every month go dump out the jar and read the blessings! Oh the Lord is so good!!

My little girl LOVES hair "Pretties" This is super cute and super easy....maybe one in EVERY color?!?!

Check it out Here!

Directions: Buy plates from Dollar Store, write things like, Night Before Christmas, wedding vows for a gift, happy birthday song, the possibilities are endless :) Please note, they used a Porcelain 150 Pen which is permanent and safe once baked for 30 mins in a conventional oven. Have children write to preserve their special handwriting at different ages and stages!

Directions: 1/2 your fingerprint, 1/2 his-- Salt Dough - 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, cold water. Mix until has consistency of play dough. bake at 250 for 2 hours, then cool and paint.good recipe for thumbprint pendants

Make a personalized mug cozy for that special teacher in your life. An inexpensive and thoughtful Christmas or teacher appreciation gift.  View directions HERE!

Looking for a beautiful fall centerpiece??? Check these out!

NEVER EVER will I pass on a VERY faded car again!! Paint it black...What's up Batmobile!!! 

Click on the Birdies to Follow me on Pinterest!!
Happy Pinning!

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