I am not being compensated for this review (But Hey, Coleman/Bestway, I wouldn’t turn away some spa swag. wink wink) A few days before the big 2021 Valentine’s/President’s day long weekend I thought to myself, “Self, let’s see about going away for a long weekend”. But it was too late to get a room anywhere […]
Read More Hillbilly Hot Tub Review (Coleman Inflatable Spa)This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support! We’ve always been what I would consider an outdoorsy family, but in the last year or so I’ve been making an effort to […]
Read More 3 Essential Items for Enjoying The Outdoors In Less-Than-Perfect WeatherWe schedule the entire month of December as our homeschool Christmas Break, but if we don’t have something planned, I find we get irritable and worn out. So instead of loafing for an entire month we take a casual approach to school, join our library’s winter reading program, read a few Christmas favorites and don’t worry too […]
Read More Six Must Read Christmas BooksWe all know by now how important time spent in nature is for our health, and especially the health of our growing children. Not only is fresh air and exercise essential for healthy bodies, more and more studies are linking time in nature with mental and emotional health. Unfortunately getting out is one of those […]
Read More Five Baby Steps To Getting The Family Outdoors
Homeschooling has been such a blessing this year. I love being with the kids (most of the time 😉 ) and I love watching their wheels turn, while they make new connections, and discoveries. And while I’m sure I still have TONS to learn, I feel pretty confident sharing our successes and tricks. A topic that […]
Read More Schooling Outside The Box
Lately I’ve been noticing a trend in parenting. We’re convinced that our children aren’t getting enough “sensory play”, so we manufacture opportunities to feel a new texture, hear a new sound or absorb a new odor–yeah, I said absorb a new odor. You know you’ve made the essential oil play dough. Me too. With Sparkles. […]
Read More The Ultimate Sensory ToyboxIf you’ve noticed less of me online it’s because I’ve gone completely mad and volunteered for everything under the sun. Moms, sometimes it might be okay to just sign your kid up for an activity and not volunteer to help out, or run the program, or sit on the board. Maybe they call for volunteers […]
Read More A Word on Volunteerism and This Week’s To-Do ListWith Thanksgiving coming soon, many of us are counting our blessings a little more than usual. That’s wonderful! I love hearing what folks are thankful for. A kind husband. Bedtime for kids. Enough money. Wine. You get the idea. There are as many things to be thankful for as there are grateful souls in the […]
Read More How We Help Our Children Express GratitudeWe recently traveled to attend a friend’s wedding and knew we’d need to keep the kids happy on the plane. We stocked up on fresh coloring books, crayons and snacks and put together kits for their backpacks. Placing crayons in old Altoids tins ensured that they wouldn’t be broken in the airport shuffle. I’m glad […]
Read More Yet Another New Use For An Old TinMy five year old daughter, Araya, has always been a dream student. I started teaching her at home early on and she has always thrived on traditional methods. It’s no surprise that she spits out ten-dollar words and complicated but correct sentence structures almost daily. She’s attending Pre-K at public school now, and she loves […]
Read More Sneaky Beginning Phonics Ideas