Books We Read in 2015

I began the year intending to read more. I joined the reading challenge at Modern Mrs. Darcy, so I started off with much enthusiasm and inspiration from the group Pinterest board. Twelve books seemed totally doable!

I've learned something about myself this year: perhaps I'm not quite the voracious reader I thought I was! I love books. I love reading. I think it's important as all get out. But I apparently lack focus. Call it being an INFP, call it being a mom with (now) four young children (my fourth was born late this spring!), call it being a homeschooling mom. At any rate, I fell short of my twelve book goal, but ultimately, I'm sure I read more books than I would have if I didn't participate in the challenge at all!

Here are the books that my eyeballs scanned in 2015! (I will include some of the homeschooling books we read aloud as well!)

Books I Read

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan- A hilarious (yet extremely accurate) look at parenthood. I laughed out loud many times.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (A book in a genre you don't typically read)- A story of a young woman who unintentionally adopts a little girl. They end up making a happy life for themselves in the Arizona desert.

Supernatural Childbirth by Terry Mize (A book you've been meaning to read)- Such a powerful look at what the Word of God says about pregnancy and birth. Definitely a must-read for any woman who desires to have children.

Family: The Ties that Bind...and Gag by Erma Bombeck (A book your mom loves)- My mom loved Erma Bombeck, and I actually had a copy of this book that my mom owned. A funny and reflective look at family life from the "empty nest" season. (Yet still relatable for those of us with young children at home).

Scream-Free Parenting by Hal Runkel- Definitely needed (and still could probably stand to re-read) this book about controlling our responses to our children.

Abandoned Books (AKA "good intentions").

I'm including these because I did invest a significant amount of time in these titles, and plan to get back to them at some point! 

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (a part of the Read Great Books Challenge with Hollywood Housewife- apparently I like reading challenges!)- Tom Joad gets out of jail, and heads out on the road with his family from the Dust Bowl to greener pastures, and then...(my sister actually bought me a copy for my birthday after she heard I couldn't finish it before it was due back at the library.)

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson- An amusing and informative look at life on the Appalachian Trail. Is it ironic that I put this down midway through and have vowed to get back to it...sometime? Ha.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (a book "everyone" has read but you)- I really wanted to get sucked into this book so that I could understand the love and devotion of the fans of this series. I may pick it back up another time, but did I mention that I am notorious for falling asleep during these movies (and once in the theater!)? Someday, Bilbo.

Currently Reading

Discipline the Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot- Probably one of the most life-changing and encouraging books I've read in a while (I have abandoned this not once, but twice, but SO need this message). I love Elliot's no-nonsense style and so far the attitudes she has confronted in me have helped me so much in my day to day life.

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt- Children and the books to read to them. Two of my favorite things to talk about!

The Well Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer- A book for grown-ups about getting the education you never had. I love this idea, and the books recommended in it. It's about training your mind, and filling in the gaps you may have from your own school years.

The Making of Home by Judith Flanders- A really interesting look at how the modern home came to be.

Children's Books

These are just some of the bigger books I've read aloud with my older children this year for school. I'm working on developing the habit of consistently reading to my two younger ones (ages 3.5 and almost 8 months). I've read many books to my younger two, but only started keeping track of them recently.

Charlotte's Web by EB White- A classic story of the redemptive friendship between a spider and a pig.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary- The quirky and lovable Ramona Quimby and the tales of her adventures at home and school.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes- A short chapter book about a quiet, unpopular girl and how she surprises her classmates.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder- Life on the prairie with Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura and Baby Carrie.

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz- A family moves west, as told from the perspective of a young girl. (A must-read if your family likes the Little House on the Prairie books, though it is chronologically before Laura's time).

The Children's Book of Heroes by William J. Bennett- A book of short stories and poems about the people we call heroes.

Mad About Madeline: the Complete Tales by Ludwig Bemelmans- Madeline and all of her adventures.



I'd love to hear what you've read this year! Leave a comment!

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I Choose Joy

Five Minute Friday- Freedom

I'm laughing to myself about how hard it was to write without a specific prompt. I tried out a few different words, but found myself really unhappy with all of them. I almost didn't participate this week, but I told myself I would do so for at least the month of December, so, here you have it. Freedom. Untamed brain. Enjoy! Hee hee. 

Go

This week's five minute Friday was a "choose your own word" edition. Yikes! My first thought, was "that's great! So much to choose from!" But when I started to try to narrow it down from the vast sea of random words, I was intimidated. What would I writea bout?

Freedom. Freedom to choose. Freedome to do, or not do. Freedom to express yourself---or not.

What are we choosing to do? We have much more freedom than we realize. Free to respond. Free to assume something about someone. Free to fill in the blank.

Freedome to speak. Freedom to think and imagine. Freedom must be paired with discipline. We must discipline ourselves. I'm free to sleep until my children wake up in the morning, but with discipline, I actually find more freedom to create, to rest, to be.

At times, freedom can be too much. It can be too free.

And stop.

Find More Five Minute Friday participants:

One Small Habit

I have been through seasons of mothering where I just feel frazzled. The house won't stay tidy(ish), every time I turn around, someone needs something from me, I don't have any "me time" set aside in my day.

What I realized is that a lot of times, my own personal habits were contributing to my feelings of being stressed! At times, I go around putting out all these little fires, when something really simple could have prevented that "fire" altogether.

• If I come across my preschooler's stray shoe in a random room, and take a minute to put it away instead of telling myself that I'll remember where I saw it earlier
• If I wash the dishes in the sink before bed instead of leaving them for later
• If I get my coffee ready to brew the night before instead of trying to measure coffee grounds and water first thing in the morning
• If I renew a book through the library's website right when I remember to instead of putting it off
• If I decide what I want to make for dinner early in the morning, and pull meat from the freezer to thaw right away instead of thinking that I have time to think about it

I'm sensing a theme! If the task is something that only takes a moment, do it NOW, rather than promising yourself that you'll remember to do it later, at a more convenient time. I don't know how many times I've kicked myself for putting something off that could have been done quickly and easily.

What I tell myself in these moments when I'm tempted to ignore a task, is "doing this now will be a blessing to me later!" That may sound like a selfish way of thinking, but it really is a help to everyone in my family. In the instance of putting the shoes away the moment I notice them abandoned on the floor, I won't be scrambling later, or delayed on our way out the door. It really helps everyone! (And mom isn't stressing out, which I've come to realize is hugely important to my husband and children!)

How about you? Are you taking an extra minute to bless your future self? Is there anything you could do right now, that you'll thank yourself for later? 

Linking up:
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I Choose Joy 
Fellowship Friday

Five Minute Friday: Reflect

Go:

Reflect. I pause to reflect on this past year. I'm not feeling terribly nostalgic at this moment, but I reflect to see how far I've come this year, and where to go next.

I'm in a state of re-establishment. Defining our new normal, after the birth of my fourth baby. Creating time to pursue some goals. Getting back in the practice of writing. Enjoying it.

Getting our home back in order after the long last months of pregnancy. And the long/short months of the newborn period. Finding our rhythm as a family of six.

Finding discipline for myself. A daily check-in with God. Seeing my reflection again. Oh, there I am!

Reflect. This year has been one of growth in many ways. I pray for continued growth in the year to come.

And...Stop!

See more Five Minute Friday entries:

My Christmas Playlist 2015

I'm no music expert (I generally like to leave to that my husband), but I like finding new Christmas music to listen to along with my "old standbys" of the season (Harry Connick, Jr, Jewel, and The Chipmunks if you're curious). This year, here are some songs that are new-to-me. Apparently, I'm drawn to mellow acoustic sounds mixed with female vocals (mostly). I think this is a pretty good mix of traditional and newer, original songs, but they have encouraged a light, peaceful tone in my home, so I really like that! I hope you check out some of these songs and enjoy them as much as I have!

(I have linked to the actual artist's YouTube video as much as possible for those who want to follow them or purchase the music). 


1. It Really is (a Wonderful Life) by Mindy Smith
2. What Child is This by Mindy Smith
3. White Christmas by Bright Eyes
4. Mele Kalikimaka by Jadon Lavik
5. The Christmas Waltz by She & Him
6. O Come O Come Emmanuel by Sixpence None the Richer
7. Silent Night by Sixpence None the Richer
8. Christmastime is Here by Sixpence None the Richer
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by The Good Lovelies
10. Jingle Bells by Tyrone Wells
11. No Christmas for Me by Zee Avi
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Jack Johnson

What Christmas music are you enjoying this year? 

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase the linked items, I will receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting Happy Christian Home!

This post has been shared at the following blogs: 
Thank Goodness it's Monday at Nourishing Joy 
A Little R & R
I Choose Joy
Fellowship Friday

Five Minute Friday: Seasons are About Change

Season. We are well into the Christmas season.

With that comes the lists from my children. My oldest is now eight, and the seasons are changing for him, too. It used to be that he was a bit oblivious of the times and seasons, and now it's a big deal for him. He recently has begun counting down to his birthday, and Christmas, and other occasions when he might get stuff.

It's so important to him. I miss the seasons when it was easier to surprise him. Times were simpler when he was younger.

My six year old is still in that season of simplicity. My three year old is coming into the season where he is aware of different occasions. And the baby? Everything is new for her!

Seasons are about change. For children and for mothers. 

Linking up for Five Minute Friday

Myers-Briggs for the Newbie

Surely, if you've been around social media at all in the past couple of years, you've heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI for short). It was developed around 100 years ago by mother/daughter team, Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, who piggy-backed on work done by psychologist Carl Jung.

You may have seen internet memes that show what different types do in certain situations, or memes showing which character from a movie or book is what type and that sort of thing.

I'm sure everyone has seen tests going around online such as this one here, that allow you to answer a number of questions and gives you a result with four letters (like ENFP, INTJ, ISFP, ENTP, etc), and a summary of what that means.

What's My Type?

YEARS ago, my husband and I took one such test, and read the results for fun. I don't think I put too much stock into it at that time, and quickly forgot about it.

In recent years, people like Megan Tietz (now of the Sorta Awesome Podcast) and other bloggers have written enthusiastically about this personality typing system, and hearing about it piqued my interest. I took the test again, and got another result and read another assessment, and dismissed it as not being very accurate.

Well, I kept hearing about it, and really wanted to know. I took the test again, and read the assessment, and began this ridiculous process of questioning. Is this really me? Is that how I actually behave? Listen to this, dear...does this sound like me? Oh, yes, I'm definitely this! Wait...am I? No, I act more like this type, so I must be that. Yes, this one fits much better. Wait...

How I FINALLY figured out my type-

Sometimes, it's as easy as taking a test, and getting a result. For whatever reason, it wasn't as cut and dried as that for me. My results from tests would vary, and so I began reading the different type descriptions. This helped me, but also confused me a bit, too! (Not all type descriptions are created equal!)

I kept hearing about the cognitive functions (thanks, Megan!) I decided to look into it and learn more about them. It turns out, that these eight functions are WAY more revealing and in depth than the surface four letter "code" for each type. And guess what? Those four letter codes don't amount to very much! On the surface, two types may seem like they are pretty close, but when you look into the cognitive functions, you'll see that they operate very differently. They may not even share a single cognitive function!

What are the Cognitive Functions?

The cognitive functions are extraverted thinking (Te for short), introverted thinking (Ti), extraverted feeling (Fe), introverted feeling (Fi), extraverted sensing (Se), introverted sensing (Si), extraverted intuition (Ne), and introverted intuition (Ni). Whew! You can read about these functions here, and various other places online. (Try searching Google for the specific function you are interested in learning about).

Something to keep in mind as you test and try to discover your own type is to not focus on questions like, "am I a feeler, or a thinker?" Listen: everyone is a feeler. Everyone is a thinker. What is important, is what kind of feeler or thinker you are. You might be an introverted feeler, which is so different than being an extraverted feeler. Also important, is your preference for these functions, meaning, which of these functions are you more at ease with or more developed in your mind? If you can figure out which of these functions you use most, you will be well on your way to learning your actual type, and how best to use that knowledge.

How it's helped me

Once I finally figured out my type, I looked into what type my husband might be. Like me, he took the tests (reluctantly at times), and got a couple different results. Outwardly, he didn't seem to fit the descriptions of the common behavior of that particular type. Once I began reading about how his type functions cognitively, I started to understand. I was able to understand (and make peace with) something that has been a challenge in our marriage for the longest time. I realized my husband doesn't need fixing (as I long believed) but that he was wired to think and behave a certain way. And this way was just foreign to me. Not wrong.

I've learned a lot about myself, too! I learned that I'm an INFP (not INTP, as I expressed before), and finding a group (or three) on Facebook of fellow INFPs helped me to realize that some of the struggles in my life are not unique to me! I'm also not wrong and in need of fixing! (Of course, we all remain in need of spiritual growth, but that's not really what I'm talking about here).

Learning about the cognitive functions (not just mine) has helped me to realize that we all value different things. And in this valuing, we are not better, or more mature, or more spiritual, or anything than anyone else. God uses each of these eight cognitive functions (each of the 16 types primarily use four of these functions in different orders of preference) to bring glory to Him and to do the work that He would have His people accomplish in the earth. (And of course, God is not bound by cognitive functions or Myers-Briggs or anything else mankind can use to explain how He made us!)

What type are YOU?

Do you know your Myers-Briggs type? That four letter code, though not necessary to know, can be very helpful to you in your daily life. It can also help you understand better where others are coming from. If you know your type, did you have any trouble figuring it out? How has it helped you in your day-to-day life?

My Favorite MBTI Resources: 

Personality Hacker (be sure to check out their podcasts!)

Personality Junkie (they do a great job of breaking down the cognitive functions).   

16Personalities (for a good overview) 


This post has been shared at the following blogs:
Thank Goodness it's Monday at Nourishing Joy
Teaching What is Good 
A Little R & R 
I Choose Joy

Speaking Good Things Over Our Children

One day after my two older children had left on an outing with their grammy, I was home alone with my three year old son and napping three month old daughter.

I received a phone call from my husband who had been at work all day, and I was eager to talk to him. As we were chatting, my three year old ran into the room, and began to play with the baby's swing. He pushed it roughly, and switched on buttons, and music played, while the swing rocked quickly forward and back without the weight of a baby in it.

"Stop messing with the swing!" I snapped, more interested in getting back to my conversation with my husband.

The three year old switched the buttons off, and then on again in a flash, and ran out of the room.

"Little turkey!" I yelled.

"I not a turkey!" he yelled back.

"Did he just say he's not a turkey?" my husband laughed. "You can have what you say, you know."

That phrase. "You can have what you say." I know it to be true. But how often do I observe outward appearances and call it as I see it? Had the stress of motherhood made me forget to speak good things over my children, rather than just labeling them by the looks of their behavior?

Our culture applauds those who "say what's real", and so we value people when they make seemingly accurate observations. As Christians, though, we're called to go beyond that. To see beyond the see-able. To see what God sees.

In Genesis, we see the universe in chaos. Thankfully, God chose to see past that. He said, "let there be light."

My son came back in the room. "You're a blessing," I said to him.

"OH! Thank you, mom!" he beamed.

Our children need us to remind them how God sees them- not just how their behavior causes them to appear- and certainly not how they make us feel in a moment of tension. God's word is a mirror- to us, and to them.
Let's build up our children to be the awesome men and women God has called them to be!

What phrases can you speak over your children to affirm who they are in Christ?

Linking up with:
Mama Moments Mondays
Teaching What is Good 

What I'm Into- June 2015

Welcome to another very sporadic edition of What I'm Into! The last time I tried writing one of these was exactly a year ago. I never published it! I haven't published much since then- as I've been busy as a contributor on Donna Perugini's blog, AND growing a new baby! We welcomed our fourth baby this past May- a little girl, and we are feeling so blessed. She is awesome, and everyone seems to be adjusting fairly well. These past couple of months have been spent getting settled in, figuring out our "new normal", and we seem to have established nap routines, so for me that means I'm able to think about blogging! Just in general. Maybe not regular blogging. Maybe not super-intentional blogging. But blogging...sometimes. I'll take it!

Books

Since our new baby arrived, I've been on the couch a lot! That has afforded me the opportunity to read!

Dad is Fat: Written by the hilarious Jim Gaffigan, this book is all about his experiences as a parent. Seems like most of it is basically universal. His observations are laugh-out-loud funny and spot-on as usual. If you like his stand up comedy, you'll probably enjoy his book, too.

The Bean Trees (Barbara Kingsolver): I'm not much of a fiction reader. I have a really hard time picking stuff out that I think will be appropriate but also entertaining and meaningful. I had heard about another of Kingsolver's books from a podcast, and decided to look up her other books. Naturally, I was compelled to start with her first book. Well, it did not disappoint! The main character is a young, single woman moving west from her small town. She manages to unintentionally adopt a young child along the way, and starts a new life after she winds up in Tucson, Arizona. I especially liked that it takes place in the Sonoran Desert (where I just happen to live).

Want to Read

More of Kingsolver's books, for sure. Also on hold through my e-library service, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty and Wild by Cheryl Strayed (see? I'm trying to squeeze in more fiction!) Also, I may give To Kill a Mockingbird a re-read so I can join in a book discussion on The Hollywood Housewife's Facebook page. We'll see. The baby does eat a lot, so it could happen. ;-)

Television

I haven't watched a bunch of television, as my kiddos have kind of staked their claim on the TV right now, but a couple of notable things I've watched have been a documentary called On the Way to School and an Adam Sandler flick called The Cobbler.

On the Way to School is a film that follows children from around the world on their voyage (yes, voyage) to school. This is not a metaphorical voyage- but a literal one. Most of them coming from remote villages and traveling (most of them by foot) unattended for hours through rugged and wild terrain. To get to school. It really had me thinking about how people in our society are apt to call CPS when children are walking down the street alone to get to school, or just playing in their own yard. (Those are thoughts for another post though!)

The Cobbler was about, well...a cobbler who discovers that he has the ability to walk in other people's shoes- literally. It was interesting to see how he made use of that ability- but also a little silly. And weird. It has some really good parts, as Sandler's character really tries to do good with his new found power, and the ending actually made me say, "what?!", but overall, it was just okay. (I rated it three stars). I admit, I'm not a big watcher of independent movies, but thought I'd give it a chance because of Adam Sandler.

In My Kitchen

Since having a new baby, this month I'm just starting to get back into my kitchen. It's a huge blessing to have meals provided by other people, and take-out is great (but expensive!), but it is so nice to get back to normal! I did try my hand at making a sourdough starter, which I failed at! I didn't feed it frequently enough, so ended up with a sloppy mix of flour and water that smelled like nail polish remover. Ha. (How you know you're doing it wrong!)

Family Learning (AKA Homeschooling)

Goodness, it's been a whole lot of informal learning around here lately! But I was able to turn my kids on to Bindi's Bootcamp on Netflix, and we watched Charlotte's Web since we've been reading the book- hopefully I can finish this book with them very soon!

My children have also been noticing cursive writing in various places and my five year old daughter asked me to read something to her that was written in cursive. I asked her if she wanted to learn how to write that way, and she said yes! I brought out some worksheets with cursive letters, and let her trace them.

Internet Favorites

I have been learning more about Myers-Briggs personality types. I finally discovered my own type- INTP. It has been eye-opening to finally figure out my actual type. (I kept getting different results when taking the test- and they didn't seem to fit me at all!) It's amazing how it has made some things about my struggles and strengths make so much sense. Do you know your type?

Something that piqued my interest in that has been the Sorta Awesome Podcast. It has been more than sorta awesome in my opinion!

Last but not least...my wonderful husband has launched out and started a radio show! I'm super excited for him. I listen to the podcast version of Raging Sanity Radio though, because his show airs at 7:00 am. I ain't gonna lie...I don't remember the last time I voluntarily woke up that early (except for church)! Give it a listen if you're into politics and current events.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

Hopefully getting back into the swing of homeschooling. We don't usually break for summer since it's so hot where we live.

So tell me, what are YOU into this month?

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My Bible Reading Goals for 2015

Recently I wrote about the Bible being our spiritual mirror.

Have you ever let that reflection get so foggy, you hardly recognize yourself? If so, you are not alone!

I know as moms, we can get so bogged down with every day life that we get away from the most important thing. The reason we do anything at all: God! His Spirit. His Words.

They are life-giving, and every time I read them, I see myself a little more clearly.

Once upon a time, I wasn't yet a wife, I didn't have children, and I pretty much only had myself to think about. Whoo! I was so spiritual! Can you relate to that? I thank God that I had time to myself early on to dive deep into His Word and get to know my way around the Bible, but thankfully, He had more in store for me!

I was soon married and quickly (really quickly!) became a mother, and then became a mother again...and again, and now I'm expecting our fourth blessing. I can be exhausted sometimes. It can be so hard to get up earlier than everyone. It can be a challenge to get to bed at a decent hour, because I spend time catching up on things after everyone else is in bed. In the most recent times that I've gotten up and have been able to spend uninterrupted time in His Word, it has been glaringly obvious to me that I've become distant from Him.

I don't want that to be the case in 2015! So, I'm pressing on. I mentioned a while back that I had found a great Bible reading plan in the YouVersion app on my phone. Guess what? I'm still plugging away at that plan! Project 345 Plus is a 365 day reading plan, most days having four chapters to read. Needless to say, it's taken me much longer than 365 days to read through it! But that's okay. I was pregnant with my third child when I started it, and that plan has seen me through a pregnancy, a postpartum period, a growing infant turned busy toddler, all while homeschooling my two older children, and now another pregnancy.

My plan is to be purposeful about waking up earlier than everyone so I can have that uninterrupted time to read and soak in His Word. I need that time to replenish my spirit! I need it to give me the mental, emotional, and spiritual energy to keep things going smoothly around here (I plan to do a better job at that this year! Only by His grace).

Will you join me? Pick out a Bible reading plan on YouVersion or somewhere else (even the back of your Bible might have one) and just get started. You won't have to waste time hemming and hawing over your Bible in the morning about what you should or shouldn't read. You'll know what's next. And amazingly, so will God. I'm always astounded that whatever I'm reading is exactly what I need for today. He is so good!

What Bible-reading goals do you have this year? Share in a comment!

2014- That's a Wrap!

I've been silent for several months here on Happy Christian Home. And I've been silent before. I realize there probably aren't many people still reading along, but somehow I still feel compelled to keep this blog going. Something in me says to keep sharing, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

It is so easy to get overwhelmed in this great sea we call the internet and social media in general. It's a challenge to not compare oneself to everything else happening online. Feeling small here is pretty much effortless.

I guess I don't care about feeling small, per se. I just want to know that I'm called. And doing the thing I'm supposed to do with this space.

It is my goal this year to just be more consistent here, whatever that might look like. Either with monthly postings, or weekly postings- just consistent. Gradual. Realistic.

As you know, if you've been a reader for any length of time, I am a wife and a mom. I have three little ones, and for the past two and a half years, we've been homeschooling. This year, we are expecting a new little one to join our family, so that blessing will add a new dynamic. And of course, when we are busy with finding the "new normal" as a family, things like blogging tend to take a back seat. That's okay. (I'm sure you understand!)

Also, this past August, I teamed up with children's author Donna Perugini to be a contributor on her site. That has been an exciting opportunity for me, and I've really enjoyed working with her, and being sharpened as a writer. So, I guess you could say I haven't been totally silent online.

So, what's ahead for this space? Well, I hope to continue to share things as God places them on my heart, and also follow up with some of my writing from last year. I'd love to reach out to more of you via social media, like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. I don't want to spread myself too thin, though since I feel called to focus on writing, but at the same time, I need to go where readers are. I've learned I can't just click "publish" and kick back with my feet up and wait for the people to start rolling through here (if only!) There is a work side to this whole blogging thing! (File that under "things nobody tells you about starting a blog".) ;-)

I hope I can continue to connect with those that come through here as I have in the past, and get to know more of you! 

I hope that you had a wonderfully blessed 2014, and pray that your year ahead is awesome! 

If you're new around here, here are links to three of my favorite blog posts this year, and also links to a few of my favorites on Donna Perugini's site! 

Happy Christian Home posts:

Reflecting on Our First Year of Homeschooling

Read Aloud Chapter Books We've Enjoyed this Year

Unburdened: 9 Ways to Create an Uncluttered Atmosphere

Donna Perugini posts:

A Shiny Reflection for 2015

A Shiny Reflection for 2015

Homeschooling as a Beginner

Hosting a Community Baby Shower