Coffee for Breakfast

The website I can't get enough of this week is... 100 days of real food Oh my goodness! If you want to eat real or whole foods, this is a good place to start. Having been a "whole foods family" in the past, I have been able to skim some of the how-to get started articles while learning a lot of new information at the same time. Eating healthy can be a challenge at times. Mostly getting started is a challenge. Once you make up your mind and stock up on a few staple items, eating healthy can become second nature. You do have to be willing to research, experiment, and if you aren't a gazillionare...you have to be willing to cook from scratch! Some successful recipes I have tried this week: egg salad (I know... this is simple. I have fresh eggs from our new chickens though, and had to list it.) banana pancakes with maple syrup (yum! these were a hit and I froze the leftovers for an easy breakfast later this week) Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (wonderful! I...

How cute is this??? I have been on pinterest a little too much this week. My husband and youngest daughter took a little work trip so I have had some time on my hands. It's hard to sleep when he isn't home. I like to snuggle! :) I think I'll make these cute pillowcases to welcome him home.

A busy mom needs a way to unwind. For me that usually means it's time for a project. I spent the week homeschooling, driving teens to and from work, running the household (or maybe it was running me), and trying hard to complete my very ambitious to-do list. I wasn't able to check off everything on my list this week, but I've decided to be satisfied with the things I managed to accomplish. Sometimes a girl just needs to create. I spent the better part of an evening embroidering the first of three pictures that will hang in my laundry room. They were all free patterns I found online.  The above project was found on one of my  favorite sites . I'm loving it.

Several months ago, during the summer,  I started working on this project. I started a little late so I crocheted like crazy catching up. Each week I greatly anticipated the newest assignment. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with color and learning new techniques. I did great until it was time to join it all together. It is still sitting in a bag waiting on me to stop procrastinating. I have decided to get busy and finish this blanket to give as a gift. While I procrastinated finishing this blanket, I completed a different one. :) The only thing left to do is weave in all those pesky ends. I hope to remedy my procrastinating ways by setting a reasonable deadline. My goal is to give these blankets as Mother's Day gifts.

I'm not sure when it started. If you know Aubree, you know she is a huge animal lover. She loves to watch Animal Planet. She is a self proclaimed expert on all kinds of animal knowledge. She knows breeds, habits, and habitats. Her strategy in animal ownership is to ask and ask and ask... "Can I have a dog?" "Can I have a fish?" "Can I have a bird?" The asking isn't a problem. It's the non-stop asking. She has managed to get a "yes" to quite a few of these requests. The horse obsession was satisfied for a while with learning to draw them accurately, reading lots of books, and watching every horse movie she could find. Actually this is a homeschool mom's dream. Your child shows an interest in something and being the great mom that you are, you turn it into a learning opportunity. But, if you know Aubree, those things will not satisfy her curiosity. She is very determined. Before you know what happened... ...

    I haven't added any photos in quite a while. I spent some time tonight uploading a few to my new computer tonight. I had to "borrow" a few from facebook! lol The top two are of our beautiful granddaughter, Journey Saige. I love her more than words can say. She is absolutely precious!!! The bottom photo is of my three youngest daughters. They are wearing the crochet headbands they had me making this winter. They were quick and fun to make. They even sold a few to their friends. I'm hoping to start using my camera again and hopefully take time to update this blog!

Sometimes you just have to mix it up a bit. After admittedly stumbling through this school year, we are making some big changes. I have tried this and that, with nothing really feeling just right. The funny thing is... I always tend to go right back to where my heart was all along. When we first started homeschooling, many moons ago, I read a lot about the Charlotte Mason Method. Even though we stray occasionally, we always include some aspects of this teaching method. For example, narration is always a part of whatever curriculum we may be using. I've bounced around with unit studies, textbooks, ect. without really getting excited about any of it. The girls have recently been even less enthused.  I'm not happy with what has seemed to be a floundering year. Then, just as I had determined to just muddle through, making the best of the remainder of this school year, I happened upon an old friend. Ambleside Online! Not only is this curriculum everything I love, ...

Just browsing a little, hoping to be inspired. I looove this idea: creative baby shower idea! On my "to do" list: trinket tray cutest little trays Eat the fruit, make the bed: My granddaughter needs this! Oh the possibilities! doing this soon Hope I can find some time to create something wonderful in the very near future.