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The Blessings of Unity {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 01:40:18 GMT

About the book:

The Blessings of Unity offers insight and ideas for creating godly unity in our marriages centered around two key concepts:

1) Abiding in the Vine and walking in the Spirit, and
2) Learning and applying the concept of unity.

Unity is achieved when a man and woman strive for agreement with God by processing His will on every decision and in every issue. Through Biblically-centered discussions of discord, division, unity, discipleship and prayer, and through exploring Biblical examples of unity, Richard Case offers husbands and wives practical and spiritual advice for working together in unity in the Spirit, so they can more perfectly present themselves to God for His divine approval.

Author Richard T. Case has taken a different approach in his new book, The Blessings of Unity. According to Case, many of the organizations/resources meant to strengthen marriages today fail to properly equip couples with the tools they need to find collective happiness. Without those tools, the husband and wife continue to live their lives in a relationship, which leads them away from a Spirit-filled union with their spouse.

In The Blessing of Unity, Case writes about the necessary steps couples must follow to be successful in creating a godly unity in marriage. Before he presents the tools, Case instructs couples to “evaluate their marriage’ scoring it one to five in different areas. Having a starting point and understanding “you will be able to see where the Lord would transform your hearts and begin to reveal His new truth” This is the first step in building godly unity in your relationship.

Case describes several causes of discord and division couples may experience in their marriage – adultery, dissensions, uncleanliness, envy and self-ambitions – are some. They can lead to selfish behavior and create a breakdown in the marriage.

He goes on to provide a definition of unity and its blessings using Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. Basically, when a couple supports each other (working toward a common goal), they are unifying and working together as God planned for couples to do in a marriage.

Case shares his experience, in The Blessings of Unity, from doing more than 14 years of marriage retreats. The book is not a long read and manages to provide useful tools for couples seeking to strengthen their marriage and creating godly unity.

You may get your free copy of the e-book Unshakable (six pages), material that will help and support growth in Christ, from the All for Jesus ministry.

Harlequin Love Inspired Series {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 07:35:01 GMT

Whenever I would think of a Harlequin romance, my mind would run to a book cover with a man and a woman enveloped in each other’s arms. I heard how steamy the stories were, so I never read them when I was younger. As I got older, my interest never moved towards wanting to read a Harlequin romance novel.

My opinion regarding Harlequin books changed when I was introduced to their Love Inspired book series, which are faith-based and everything, as a Christian, I want in a romance novel. The book covers are even ones I would not be embarrassed for someone to see while I am reading one of the books.

The books come monthly in a quantity of six. I received The Bachelor Takes a Bride by Brenda Minton; The Doctor’s Second Chance by Missy Tippens; The Single Dad Finds a Wife by Felicia Mason; Winning the Teacher’s Heart by Jean C. Gordon; Bachelor to the Rescue by Lorraine Beatty and A Firefighter’s Promise by Patricia Johns. The book covers made me smile with depictions of happy couples or families. All of the aforementioned books and others may be purchase from Harlequin {http://www.harlequin.com/store.html?cid=236}.

Love Inspired books: faith-based entertainment for women that nourishes the soul as it affirms the values of devotion, hope and love.

With six books from which to choose, it was really a toss-up as to which book to read first. The lucky book that really caught my eye and grabbed my interest was A Firefighter’s Promise.

I like romance, but I do not like to read torrid type romances. Just as in real-life, you want the romance to be slow, thoughtful and how you would want to be romanced as a Christian. And yes, the stories do draw you in.

A Firefighter’s Promise, which was actually hard for me to put down, tells the story of Deputy Fire Chief Matt Bailey, Rachel Carter and her son, Christopher. Rachel is a firefighter widow who has been raising her son, whom Matt saved when Christopher was an infant. Haunted by an on-the-job failure, Matt is wants to escape from the town where he has lived all of his life, while Rachel is returning to the same to start a new life for her and Christopher. They both must decide if what they desire for their lives is the path God really has for them.

I read the book in three days in between life – cooking, cleaning and doing every thing else one needs to do. There was good story telling, romance, anticipation of how the story would end and nothing “preachy.” Johns’ writing style was engaging in a manner that made following the story very easy holding my attention to see what was going to happen next.

Each month, readers receive six titles. That may seem quite a bit for your average reader like me, but I could see myself reading and finishing the books in a little over one month. The books offer a good and clean (content) escape, where grabbing a few minutes throughout each day would make it possible to quickly finish each book before your next month delivery arrived.

The books are currently on sale through Thursday, May 28 and would make a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. They only have a shelf life

Take a look at the books offered through the Love Inspired Series.

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“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

The Song: Awaken Love A Couple’s Devotional Journey! {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:33:09 GMT

The Song Couple’s Devotional was written to assist couples in awakening their marriage and bringing new life to their marriage relationship. The devotional was inspired by the movie The Song, which was released in theaters in September. See the movie trailer.

Authors, Kyle and DesiRae Idleman, have put together a six-week devotional that walks couples through the Song of Solomon as they learn how to create a marriage that is the reflection of God’s love in their lives with intimacy and committed love abounding.

The study is written with short lessons that are completed daily that include a brief reading, time for discussion and an assignment couples are to complete together and sometimes individually. The Ildeman’s make it easy for the struggling couple to come together as well as the one that believes everything in their marriage is right.

Some of the discussions include looking at sexual intimacy intelligently, which calls for discussion of what is pleasing to each mate and how that can be fulfilled to lead to more intimacy in the marriage. They also initiate discussion on the “foxes” that are issues/problems each spouse may see exists in the marriage. The thought is to attack (manage) the foxes before they attack the marriage.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Song Couple’s Devotional is a 6-week book for couples that can help awaken love in their marriage. With daily relationship insights and prayer points drawn from the Song of Solomon, this devotional will help couples grow in their relationship with God and one another.
Inspired by the Song of Solomon, The Song is both a full-length movie and resource for churches to explore God’s plan for relationships, love and marriage.

ABOUT THE AUTHORKyle Idleman is the Teaching Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, the fourth-largest church in America. Author of the award-winning and bestselling book, not a fan., and presenter of eight of City on a Hill’s curriculum series, he regularly speaks at conferences and events around the world. Kyle and his wife DesiRae have four children.

Small Talk: Learning from My Children About What Matters Most {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 15:26:47 GMT

Small Talk: Learning from My Children About What Matters Most is the latest book from author and blogger Amy Julia Becker. Becker takes moments (life) with her children and shares through a variety of topics. The book is broken up into three sections: Holding on with topics like Jesus, beauty and failure; Letting Go with topics like happiness and waiting; and Growing Up with topics like tragedy, forgiveness and, of course, listening.

It is obvious Becker has listened and paid attention along the way, which is why the reader gets a sometimes funny and thought provoking read. Her observations are ones that may cause the reader to pay more attention to our children while they are in their presence. As they say, those moments will be fleeting and, before you know it, your children will be gone and you will wonder where they went.

I found the chapter about failure and the vegetable garden quite amusing. Becker makes us laugh at the expense of her, which is probably, because we can see a lot of ourselves in her. Becker simply explains her failure as the fact that she will never be the mother to her children, her mother was to her. Because of that, she may often appear to be less than perfect in the eyes of her children.

On the other hand, Becker does have some other explanations as to why she is the mother she is and those reasons are ones many mothers (like me) can relate to. That is the beauty and fun of reading through Small Talk. Becker is me and it is that connection that makes Small Talk fun to read and you rally behind the mother while also learning the importance of paying attention to the needs of your children…and just doing the best you can.

About the Book
Every day, one of Amy Julie Becker’s children says something that prompts her to think about life in a new way. “Mom, does Santa love me?” William asks, after his mother explains the meaning of Christmas…In a chat with her dad about the children who died in the Sandy Hook shootings, Penny asks, “Did they go to heaven?” …”You was a jerk, Mommy?” asks Marilee one morning in the car.
These conversations deepen Amy Julia’s relationships with her children, but they also refine her understanding of what she believes and what God is doing in her own life.

In Small Talk, Amy Julia draws from the wisdom and curiosity of those young voices to reflect on beauty and kindness, tragedy and disability, prayer and miracles. As she moves through the basic questions her kids posed when they were very young to the more intellectual questions of later childhood, she invites us to learn from our own day-to-day conversations with the children in our lives.

This eloquent parenting memoir is about the big questions little hearts ask, the thoughts their words provoke, and the laughter and soul-searching their honesty brings—to adult and child alike.

About the Author
Amy Julia Becker writes about faith, family, and disability for Parents.com, the New York Times Motherlode blog, TheAtlantic.com, The Huffington Post parents page, Christianity Today, The Christian century, and numerous other publications. Her first book, A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny, was named one of the Top Ten Religion Books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly. Amy Julia lives in western Connecticut with her husband and three children.

Official Website: Small Talk

Amy’s Website: Amy Julia Becker

Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 23:11:26 GMT

I have concluded anytime Gary Chapman writes a book about parenting, it is probably a book I should take the time to read. I have always learned something and enjoyed some of his other titles that include The 5 Love Languages of Children, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted and now I have added Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World to my list.

Growing Up Social is a book Chapman coauthored with Arelene Pellicane, who is a speaker and also an author. They address a challenging topic that affects most families today, which is the presence of technology in the family.

My children and I are daily users of technology in our home. Although I believe I have found a good balance, where we use it for school needs and to watch an occasional television show, There are days where immediately following a “good morning,” comes a “may we turn on the television?” Usually, I tell my children no. There, there have been some days where they have spent the entire day mesmerized by the television and before I know it, their bedtime arrives and there passes an entire day where their attention has been drawn elsewhere and we, as a family, have failed to truly connect.

Chapman and Pellicane, do not mince words. Growing Up Social begins with an introduction of how to take back you home from the excessive use and dependency on technology and the amount of screed time we often fall victim to.

“Screens are not the problem; the problems lies in the way we constantly use them.” ~ Growing Up Social

Readers are introduced to the five A+ skills that include Skill of Affection; Skill of Appreciation; Skill of Anger Management; Skill of Apology; and Skill of Attention. They also look at the effects of screen time regarding areas like security, parental authority and the brain.

The chapter on the effects of screen time on the brain was extremely interesting. Screen addiction was discussed. Another effect is that screen time has the ability to dumb children down as they become more dependent on their gadgets, relying on them to do things like correct their written errors.

Children also depend on their tools for communicating with others rather than doing so face-to-face.
Another interesting fact shared in the chapter was that many employees of technology giants like Yahoo!, Google, etc. limited, if not prohibit, screen time use by their children.

Chapman and Pellicane provide an excellent case as to why you should reign your child away from the screen and reconnect, while also giving the reader the tools they need to do so.

Take a quiz to see if your child is spending too much time with screens {}. Learn more about Growing Up Social.

Purposeful Design {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:18:40 GMT

We reviewed Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation, which is a book by Jay Schabacker Purposeful Design is geared towards all ages.

I can hardly believe this is the last review for the 2014 cruise year. Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation by Jay Schabacker was an interesting read. Schubacker’s book walks the readers through God’s creation one day at a time.

The book is too pretty to be called a textbook, but it can easily be used and covered in school. It is too scientifically detailed to be an evening read-a-loud, although it is not a science book. A simple description is it is a hardcover, coffee-table book with beautifully designed pages that are colorful and engaging. Purposeful Design covers scientific and Biblical facts in a manner that is appealing to young children and also interesting to adults.

There are seven chapters (for seven days of creation) that cover the following:

Chapter 1: The First Day Creation of the Heavens and the Earth – the Foundation of it All
Chapter 2: The Second Day Creation of the Atmosphere and Water
Chapter 3: he Third Day Creation of the Dry Land and Vegetation
Chapter 4: The Fourth Day Creation of the Sun, Moon and Stars
Chapter 5: The Fifth Day Creation of the Birds and Fish
Chapter 6: Creation Day Six Creation of Land Creatures and Humans
Chapter 7: The Seventh Day

Although Purposeful Design is only 91 pages long and full of many pictures, it is not one to completely read in one sitting. Each chapter is complete and full of interesting content that ties everything together enough where you could take your time reading through the book one chapter each day.

Schubaker has written a workbook to go along with the book that allows you to use the book as more than just a flip through read. I wanted the children to enjoy reading it, so I did allow them to go through the book alone.. The older two did grab the book and read ahead, but we also sat together and used the workbook pages when I read the book as a read-a-loud. Depending upon the age of your child, Purposeful Design may just be a good read-a-loud. If you have older children who can write and put their thoughts together well, then using the workbook is another way to get even more from Schabacker’s book.

We actually took some weeks to read through the book covering at least one chapter a week and included the exercises available in the workbook. The student workbook is downloadable and there is also a downloadable answer key available for the workbook.

Our schedule looked like this using the workbook:

Day One: We read chapter one and discussed our thoughts.
Day Two: We covered the workbook sheets for the related chapter.
Day Three: We read and discussed the reflection verses as to how they related to the chapter.
Day Four: We completed the remaining exercises.

You may read excerpts from the book.

We enjoyed reading through the book. It would be a nice accompaniment when reading through the story of creation while studying the Bible with your children. I can also see my children picking up the book again later to just read sections at a time that interest them.

If you have a coffee table, then Purposeful Design would be a good one to place on it. I can see it as a book that someone would pick up and glance through making it a great conversation starter with visitors in your home about God.

Children who read the book may also join the Young Explorer’s Club, which is free.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
Purposeful Design is regularly $24.95, but may be purchasde for $18.95 through PayPal. The purchase also includes the free Young Explorer’s Club curriculum.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

IXL {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:03:07 GMT

We reviewed IXL, an online program math and language arts program geared towards children in kindergarten through twelfth grades.

When it comes to academic curriculum, online options were always my last option when it came to curriculum. I did not want my child sitting in front of the computer spending endless hours glaring at the screen. I did not want my children playing games and treating their school work as fun and not something serious. I just had not found a program that seem to really offer quality instruction and was worth paying for the amount of money charged.

IXL broke my stance on using online programs. We love IXL. I love IXL and have enjoyed using it every time we have been able to review the program. As far as the amount of time spent using the program, obviously that is up to you as the parent. Yes, they sometimes want to spend more time using the program and sometimes, that is okay, because they are learning.

Using IXL is fun. Their tagline says, “Practice that feels like play.” Well, I can’t take that away from them. According to my children, using IXL is fun. My response is, at least they are learning.

IXL offers math for kindergarten through twelfth grades and language arts is offered for second through eighth grades. The program works as a supplement to both subjects and allows children to practice skills in those subjects. It does not teach them, but hat is okay, because practice is what they need.

We spent most of our time in the math section, because there are so many skills to practice and I was often able to match their practice time with a skill they were currently covering in their school work. I really like that part, especially if the offline learning was frustrating for them in a certain area. Being able to practice a challenging concept using IXL gave a fun twist to something they may have found difficult.

You can scroll through the directory and a pop-up will appear for you to see an example of the type of skills covered in that topic. You don’t have to click through and read.

Some other features I like about IXL:

1) The ability to track the progress of my children: I am able to let them work at their own pace and on their own. IXL e-mails reports to you, so you can see how your child is progressing through the material. I too got excited when I received an e-mail telling me that Lily or Canyon had mastered a skill. They both even earned certificates for the work he completed. IXL even sends you an e-mail if your child needs more practice in a certain area.

2) The variety of questions and activities included by IXL keep the program interesting to use while your child is still learning. There are so many different skills to practice in both math and language artsmath section.

3) IXL gives students unlimited aces to all of the grade level material they offer. As a homeschooler, that is important, because we often have one (or more) child who is grade level in one subject and maybe under or above grade level on another. My children were able to work according to their comprehension. Having access to the higher level of material as their skills increase is also good, because they can choose to be challenged by higher grade material one their improve in skill. Also, if your child is below grade level in either math or language arts, he is still able to use IXL and learn by covering material that is understandable to him.

This is the third time we have been able to review IXL. As my children have grown older, the program continues to be more valuable to them for review and practicing currently covered skills.

A new feature this time around was using IXL on our iPads. Of course, my children found this enjoyable. They went back and forth between using the computer and iPad. It was nice to have that option and being able to send someone to a quiet space for completing their work.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
As far as the pricing, IXL is $9.95 a month for one subject (math or language arts) or $15.95 a month for both. The pricing is up there, but we found great value in the practice offered in the math section.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

If He Had Not Come {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 09:51:25 GMT

We received and reviewed a physical, hard-back copy of If He Had Not Come, a book written by Nan F. Weeks and reintroduced by David Nicholson.

I have to admit that as early as it is in the holiday season, I am already looking forward to Christmas. Because of that, I was excited about the opportunity to review If He Had Not Come. I have already begun making my list of Christmas books we will read this holiday season. If He Had Not Come is a rendition of another one of my favorite Christmas stories/movies where we get to see how life would have been if a certain person had never been born. Sound familiar?

We are walked through the story with Bobby, a young boy, who sits with his father as he reads through the Bible. It is Christmas Eve, the stockings are hung and gifts are under the tree. The daily Bible reading by his father before Bobby goes to bed is from John 15:22 and Bobby falls asleep with the words, “If I had not come,” circling through his head.

Bobby wakes the next morning and as we turn each page of the book, the reader, along with Bobby comes to experience a life without Christ. There are no presents or a Christmas tree; people are hard at work at the factory; stores are open; and there is no church to be found. At various places, he is met with a sign that reads, “If I Had Not Come.” Other places like the children’s home, the hospital and the homeless shelter are gone. These are all places that would have existed, because of the love of Christ working through people. Since He does not exist, these places to help people do not exist.

The biggest shock is when he opens the Bible and finds the New Testament does not exist, because He did not come.

If He Had Not Come is geared towards children six years old and up and can be used as a family read or in a classroom, like Sunday school. The original story was published in 1938 as part of an anthology called Christ and the Fine Arts, by Cynthia Maus.

Nicholson was introduced to the story almost 30 years ago when his children were young. It has since become an annual traditional read for the Nicholson family and he wanted to share the story with a new generation.

The book is hardcover with beautifully illustrated, glossy pages. Nicholson has taken great care in the appealing presentation of the book and Weeks’ story comes to life through the illustrations of Charles Jaskiewicz. When it comes to children’s books, I specifically note the detail and quality of the illustrations, because sometimes that is all a child needs to grasp the story. Jaskiewicz does a good job.

There are discussion questions at the end of the book. They are questions that are appropriate for younger children, so this would be a great family read-a-loud and also time to open the Bible and read through some of the related verses. A Gospel Message, steps for accepting God’s gift of salvation, is also included in the book.

I read through the book on my own, because it is a Christmas book and we do Christmas anything after Thanksgiving only. My oldest did read through the book and enjoyed the story. He agreed that it would be difficult to imagine life and a world without Christ.

If He Had Not Come will be one of the first books we read this holiday season. I know that we are going to have good discussions.

Of all of the story ideas, I have never read a book about or discussed with my children what the world would be like if Christ had never come. I am glad it will be just a discussion and that it was not reality.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
If He Had Not Come is available as a hardcover book for $18.95 and as an E-book for $3.99.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Enjoying the days before winter comes

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 23:55:55 GMT

When London Burned audio-book {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 05:18:56 GMT

We reviewed When London Burned by George Alfred (G.A.) Henty that was produced by Jim Hodges Productions as an MP3 CD and the accompanying Study Guide in PDF format. The CD and study guide are appropriate for children 10 years old and older.

Listeners are placed in 1660s London in When London Burned that is described as “a story of restoration times and the great fire.”

In many of Henty’s novels, the story often centers on a young boy, who is challenged with tasks that are typical of an adult and When London Burned is no different. When the first chapter, Fatherless, opens, we meet Cyril Shenstone, who stands with tears in his eyes as his father lies in another room ready for burial. Although Cyril is the son of a nobleman, he is left penniless by his father, who lost the family fortune during the Commonwealth. We walk through the story with Cyril, who learns to care for himself financially (as he had done before his father’s death), and eventually gains recognition as one who assists those affected during the Great Plaque and the Great Fire that burned in London.

The study guide has a variety of exercises that accompany the 22 chapter CD. Along with four quizzes that occur after every five or six chapters, each chapter has vocabulary words, questions and activities for the listener to complete. The quizzes ask questions regarding the previous chapters. There are also the answers, in the back of the study guide, to all of the chapter questions and quizzes. So, if you give the CD to a child who is able to complete independent study work, then you do not have to listen to the entire 13 plus hours to know if he is answering the information correctly.

The questions seemed to more comprehension than analysis. Most of them are call and response. The quiz questions were not that much different (level of challenge) from the chapter questions. The accompanying activities do present a bit of a challenge with ones like plotting the distance (math lesson) between different towns or a discussion of an approach one would take and defending it with Bible passages (bible lesson). The way the study guide is written does allow you to use it with multiple ages of children. Some portions may be more challenging for one age/child and very easy for another.

At the end of the study guide is a Character First sheet that covers particular words that deal with good character. You will see words like Responsibility: Knowing and doing what is expected of me and Cautiousness: Knowing the importance of right timing in accomplishing right actions giving definitions. There are 49 character traits that provide good conversation starters.

I popped the CD into our player and my children listened to one chapter a day. With the exception of two chapters (chapters nine and 10) that have a shorter run time, the listening time for each chapter is a minimum of 35 minutes. Taking into consideration the questions in the study guide, combined with the chapter time, makes it a good amount of learning time with the material.

There were at least two activities per chapter, so we were not able to complete them all. Instead, I went through before we listened to the chapter and chose the activities we would do, which was about three a week. There were some activities like analyzing a nursery rhyme that was fun and watching a video of the Great Plague that reminded me of the current Ebola crisis. This topic made for good conversation about the plague and comparisons as to how the situation was handled then and how America is handling the Ebola virus issue now.

When London Burned is an audio-book as opposed to an audio-drama. There is one narrator throughout the story. At this, you may or may not lose some of your listeners due to the way it is presented.

Jim Hodges has produced an audio-book that may work well enjoyed as a family listen-aloud. You may listen to a free MP3 download of chapter four to see if it is something your family will enjoy.

When purchased as a CD, you will need to use a drive in a computer, DVD player or an MP3 compatible CD player to listen to the story. The MP3 CD does not play in a standard player.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
When London Burned is available as a physical CD for $25 and a digital download for $18. The study guide is available for $12.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:50:28 GMT

We reviewed Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls by New Liberty Videos. The DVD was created for a general audience.

New Liberty Videos presents Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls that covers three interwoven topics, Dead Sea Scrolls with Joel Lampe, Hebrew Word Pictures with Dr. Frank Seekins and The Forbidden Book with Dr. Craig Lampe. The video toots the following: “A treasure unearthed over 60 years…Our journey discovers it is 6o minutes.” There is a lot of information that is presented in the 60 minutes, but Lampe, Seekins and Craig manage to leave the viewer with a wealth of knowledge. They also present the topics in a manner that holds your interest. For me, that may be primarily due to my interest in the subject.

Although they could have probably created a DVD that discusses each topic in greater length, the amount of time they spend on their topic makes it more appealing overall, especially if you have younger viewers. There is just enough for you to learn something and not too much to overwhelm you.

The Dead Sea Scrolls discusses the background of the scrolls, which were discovered hidden in a cave. It was a while before the discovers realized the value of the find. The scrolls contain history on several pieces that brought clarity once reconstructed.

Hebrew Word Pictures
Dr. Frank Seekins does a good job in his presentation of ancient Hebrew. He is entertaining. Did you know you read Hebrew from right to left. That is one of the points you learn during his presentation. Hebrew is also a picture language and Seekins shares several examples of this process and you are able to see how that process allows the Bible to come to life.

The Forbidden Book
Craig Lampe walks the viewer through the several translations of the forbidden book. it is amazing how many people and the ways in which they sacrificed to bring the Bible to life. If it had not been for the many translations, then so many people would not have come to know of or about God.

The Bible went from a feared and forbidden book to one that was deeply desired. With men like Erasmus, who was born 13 years after the printing press was created. He was the head of Greek studies department at Cambridge University. He was teaching young boys using his Latin version of the testament. Erasmus desired to provide textbooks to the students to use in the classroom and translated the first testament into Greek. Martin Luther came later in 1521 with the same desire. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Luther later translated Erasmus’ Greek/Latin New testament version into German 1522. As a result of the efforts of both men, many became Christians.

William Tyndale also made significant sacrifices to bring the Bible to the people. Tyndale was a 10 year old freshman at Oxford. He left his family and friends to write under Luther. He chose the picture languages of Hebrew and English to write the versions of Bible to share.

My older children (12 and 10) sat together and watched the DVD. We were three people sitting and learning together, because I still consider myself an early biblical learner. We also discussed the value of the Bible and the amount of effort it took to make it one we could easily understand. The DVD provided a good educational experience for my children and me. I cannot imagine life without the book.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls is available on DVD for $19.95.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Middlebury Interactive Languages {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 08:14:39 GMT

We reviewed Middlebury Interactive Languages Spanish Elementary Spanish 1: Grades K-2 by Middlebury Interactive Languages geared towards children in grades kindergarten through second without a teacher.

I am one who believes language (foreign or domestic) is something that can and should be taught to children at an early age. Believe it or not, their little minds really can handle it. Of course, you should begin with your native tongue, but adding a foreign language to the learning they experience may do them some good.

Middlebury Interactive Languages offers foreign language learning in four languages that include Chinese, French, German and Spanish. They have curriculum for children in kindergarten through twelfth grades, even offering an AP credit option to high school students. Middlebury Interactive Languages also offers an Arabic language program with eventual consideration as an online option.

Spanish is the only language they offer to kindergarten through second grade students. In the ninth through twelfth grades, German fluency is not offered and AP credit is not offered for Chinese or German in those grades.

It is typical to find a foreign language program for older students (fourth grade and above), but often finding a language program for younger children results in lessons that are extremely elementary or one with lessons for an older student that have been tweaked to appeal to a younger child.

Middlebury Languages is an immersion program that has your child scheduled to complete a one semester course in six months. During this time, the student is introduced to the language and vocabulary, which is done by the presentation of actual stories (legend or myth) from the Spanish culture. Students also play games, sing songs and complete activities to help reinforce what they are learning. There are 35 lessons with the suggestion students work through the material two days per week to finish the course within the semester period. So, there is a little bit of history, social studies and language arts mixed into the learning.

You may see more videos about Middlebury Interactive Languages.

The interactive feature is what makes it so appealing to Canyon (and me). The activities are also fun for him to complete. In the picture above, he was able to color the picture by making the required selections.

You can see how the page is filling with color. The student clicks on the picture, the phrase is stated, the picture colors when clicked on and the student is to say the phrase. This is just an example of some of the interactive activities included in the program.

In the picture above, he was to put the story slides in the sequence in which it occurred. The activities were age-appropriate and challenging enough for him.

Along with the learning instruction for the student, there are some helpful tools for the teacher (parent) too. The Welcome section is very helpful and an area you should go through before your student begins the program.

I was able to print the vocabulary words covered in the different units, either collectively or by individual unit. The English translation is also provided.

Middlebury Interactive Languages has created a program where your younger student may “take control” of his learning experience. Although I sit near, Canyon is able to work through independently clicking through the lessons. The course is self-paced, which allows the student to take his time and not have to worry about keeping up with anyone other than himself.

We will continue using Middlebury Interactive Languages. I do wish, especially for the younger children (K-2), that the one semester was longer than six months, so the student would have time to go through and review and take the program at a slower pace and still be able to finish timely. I guess that is the point of immersion. So, be sure that when you register your student that you are ready to get down to business and learn a foreign language.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
Middlebury Interactive Languages Spanish Elementary Spanish 1: Grades K-2 one semester course is available for $119 without a teacher or $294 with a teacher. If your student is as young as mine (seven years old), then I would suggest just purchasing the curriculum without the teacher. If your student is older, like in fifth grade or above (especially in high school), then a teacher would be of great assistance. Your student will have someone to work with him to ensure he is learning properly and also pronouncing the language correctly.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Apologia Educational Ministries: iWitness Bible study {TOS review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 14:49:05 GMT

We reviewed iWitness Biblical Archaeology, New Testament iWitness and Old Testament iWitness, which are written and designed by Doug Powell and published by Apologia Educational Ministries. The books are appropriate for children 11 years old and older.

Whenever I review a product from Apologia, I always feel like I need a disclaimer, because I love Apologia. If the opportunity if presented where we are able to review an item from the company, I pretty much know I am going to like it.

Graphic designer, song writer and Christian apologetics author Doug Powell has created the iWtiness apologetics book series. Currently, there are three books, iWitness Biblical Archaeology, New Testament iWitness and Old Testament iWitness that are in the series.

The Old Testament iWitness gives readers insight into how the Old Testament was developed. Powell also presents contrasts between the Old Testament and Hebrew Bible, while also noting how both books contain the same content, but are arranged differently. I took a Hebrew class in college. This book was similar to some of the lessons we studied. The fact the topic was a college course gives you an idea about the level of the material that is presented. Despite this, Powell has managed to present the material, so that younger children are able to understand too.

The New Testament iWitness gives readers a better understanding of the books in the section and the authors who wrote them. The process was meticulous to ensure the information was properly presented.

In iWitness Bibllical Archaeology, readers learn about archaeological artifacts that help support history revealed in the Bible. Often people need something physical to see to confirm their beliefs (or to believe). Powell presents discussions on many items like the Siloam Inscription (discovered in 1880 Jerusalem); Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III (discovered 827 BC in Nimrud – Iraq); and the Lachish Letters (discovered 597 BC in Lachish, Israel). Of all of the iWitness books, this one was the most interesting to me, because I did not realize there were so many pieces that exist proving the history spoken of in the Bible as true. I have just used the Bible as a resource for my proof. Powell also includes pictures of many of the artifacts. We also spent some time online looking at additional pictures of some of the artifacts.

If your child likes graphic novels, then he will already be drawn to the books in the series. Each page appears like a collage, as if you are reading over the notes Powell used to write the book. The books are filled with glossy pages that have pictures (some drawings and others, actual pictures) of the covered topic. The use of a variety of fonts helps to break up each section of discussion, so the reader can hone in on what he is reading.

Powell takes pride in the fact he is able to combine his apologetics training and graphic design skills to present advanced ideas in thought that are attractive to all ages. Rather than present “scholarly material” in many pages of text, Powell, takes the information and uses pictures/documents and walks the reader through a journey of the Bible. He explains more about its origin rather than the stories (even though the Bible is not a story of history book) we read and study in the Bible.

Although the books are recommended for children 11 and older, I believe this series is better as a family read-a-loud. I knew my older two children, especially River, would love the books if it were not only for their graphic presentation. What I knew they would especially like was discovering the mystery that unfolds. The topics are intense, meaning there is a lot of information that is crammed into those little books. I say that only to note they are topics that should be discussed together, because I’m figuring if I don’t quite have a handle on the material, then they may have some questions also; and I did.

The books can be read on the surface, but have so much more for someone who wants to know more details about the books of the Bible and how everything came together.

We use Apologia’s What We Believe Bible series and this series of books will compliment that study.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The iWitness Biblical Archaeology, New Testament iWitness and Old Testament iWitness books are available for $14 each. Although it is not necessary to purchase all three books, they work well together to tell the story.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts {Book 3} – TOS review

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:12:22 GMT

We reviewed Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts [Book 3] (Teacher Manual) and Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts [Book 3] (Student Book) by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). Book three targets students in sixth through twelfth grades.

There are some companies that just make me swoon. Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) is one of them. They teach writing the way I believe writing should be taught.

Author Pamela White wants students to see how grammar works in real-life, by giving them the opportunity to edit a piece of work and finish with a well “written” piece of material.

Having worked as an editor, I understand the need to know how to not only edit ones work, but the work of others. I have learned if you write, then you need an editor. No one person writes well enough to do without an editor. That goes for professional editors as well. More than one set of eyes (maybe more than two sets) is always required.

As a writer and a person with a B.A. in English, I think you may be right when assuming I like writing, grammar and just about anything that pertains to language arts. That is one of the reasons I love IEW (and Andrew Pudewa).

Fix It! Grammar is written by Pamela White. One thing I like about Pudewa, is that he does not try to do (write) it all. By relying on talented and skilled authors, IEW has been able to produce so much quality curriculum.

There is nothing really new with grammar with the exception of how White approaches the learning of grammar. Rather than have students correct endless amounts of sentences with no goal other than to complete their work, White gives students something to look forward to; the telling of a story. That is the genius of the curriculum.

The concept is easy in a ‘hey, why didn’t I think of that’ manner and then you have, Fix It! Grammar. In Book three, students (readers) work through the story Frog Prince, or Just Deserts. At the end of the story, the student has a hand-written copy of the story which they edited. From that experience, hopefully, they will gain a comfort with the skill of self-editing, so they can create their own well written material.

There are six levels of books in the curriculum, but it is not required your student should begin in Book 1 unless they are at that grammar stage level. You may give your student the placement test to help you better determine where your student should begin in the series.

I am glad I have a second grader, so there is a possibility I will be able to go back and start at the beginning with Fix It! Grammar: The Nose Tree Book 1. That is, of course, after I use some of the other titles I am dying to use before my children age/grade/knowledge out of the curriculum. Looking through the IEW website use to be confusing to me, but now it is a total joy.

There are 33 weeks of lessons. Some of the topics that are covered are parts of speech, sentences, clauses and phrases, and punctuation.Students complete a new set of lessons that are to be covered over a four-day period. The instructions for use is very easy. Everything is laid out for you and the student with a schedule covering each week for the next 33 weeks. The steps followed throughout the week each day by the student are Learn it–>Fix it–>Discuss it–>Copy it. Rather than make it more difficult than necessary, we followed that schedule. By following the schedule, we were able to complete the daily assignments in about 15 minutes a day, which is the suggested daily time of the curriculum.

River and Lily helped me work through this review. River absolutely loved the 15 minute lessons (see sample). Hmm. Lily is like me and loves to write. She is the type of student who would create her own lesson by writing improperly written sentences just so she could correct them. Although the lessons are short, there was a lot of learning going on. Since they already do their grammar lessons together, it was nice to be able to continue in that manner using use Fix It!, which is reproducible.

One the first day, I taught the material they were to cover that week and pretty much sent them on their way for the rest of the week. They followed the steps mentioned above and we came together at the end of the week to read the passages together.

Along with fixing the sentences each day, students are given a vocabulary word to look up in the dictionary and determine the best use of the word in the sentence in which it is used.

There are grammar cards that work as tools for the student to remind them of the grammar rules they are learning. Rules are introduced through week 27 and the student is able to review cards covered over the previous weeks.

The teacher’s manual is very helpful, because it has all of the answers. Even though I love grammar, when it comes to correcting the work my children do, I would rather not have to complete every assignment to ensure the work is right. It tells you the daily fixes and grammar notations for the assigned work. The manual also give more in-depth definition and examples of the covered rule and lessons.

If you like grammar to be simple, easy to learn and true-to-life, then Fix It! Grammar may be right for your school. If you prefer heavy diagramming and practice, practice, practice, you will not find that with this curriculum. I rather like both approaches, because I recently fell back into diagramming and actually enjoy it. I cannot remember doing it when I was in school and do think it is a good skill to learn, but not necessary in the real world. Seeing the amount of editing I do, Fix It! Grammar is more real-life.

Although I agree studying good writing is a way to learn how to write correctly, it just does not happen that way. With technology moving people towards communicating in as few words and characters as possible, grammar gets pushed to the side. That is reflected in writing today and it will be necessary for someone to know how to make the corrections to turn a grammatically challenged writing (or sentence) into something comprehensible and worthy of reading. Fix It! Grammar provides a good start.

Watch and listen to this webinar to learn more.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts [Student Book 3] is available for $15 and The Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts [Teacher’s Manual Book 3] is available for $19.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Flashback: Stars in his eyes

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 04:46:30 GMT

You just don’t get any cooler than this.

All that remains

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:56:49 GMT

They swam practically every day in the swimming pool that rested in this spot. Fall has arrived, Labor Day has passed and it was time for the pool to be put up for the season. Now we are left with this attractive and smelly spot. I miss the grass that should be there, but this round, smelly, grass-bare spot is evidence of a lot of fun that was had this past summer.

She is acting up again

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 14:02:03 GMT

Lily auditioned for the upcoming Christmas play at our local Arts Council. She has been in five plays so far. Hmm. I’ll let you know later how she did.

Flashback: Canyon

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 22:13:38 GMT

Flashback: River

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 22:08:58 GMT

Independent binders

Milk & Honey Mommy — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 16:18:09 GMT

Even before school started, I knew my biggest challenge this year was going to be figuring out how to keep two (and sometimes three) people busy with schoolwork, not with busy work, while I either worked with another child or completed some other daily-mommy/homemaker duty. I have been forever putting this same schedule on a spreadsheet (can’t get enough of Excel), but finally moved the idea to a school sheet that the children could use and follow themselves. Voila! The Independent binder.

There is nothing more to say (but I will anyway) other than it has been a success with the children and a burden/stress reliever for me. I have set up River and Lily using the independent binders with River having a little bit more independent work included in his binder because of his ability to complete more work alone . As the year progresses, I expect to be able to add a few more subjects to Lily’s binder.

How I use the binder is I plan the material to be covered each week in all of their subjects. Some of the subjects included in the binders are also ones I cover with them, but there is other work in these subjects they can complete on their own, and that is what goes into the binder. Using the daily listings as a guide, I put together all of the material that will be used in the binder for the week. Although I do this, I still fill the binders everyday for each subject. Right now, our work is too daily specific where working ahead does not work well for us.

I found these really cool plastic folders at an office supply store. Each folder has three pockets of only two we use for now.

They also easily pop out of the binders without me having to open the binder rings and pull out the folder. I can slip in a new subject folder at anytime or easily remove one we don’t need for the day or the week. For now, I just leave it empty if there is no work for them in that subject for the day.

Once they finish the work, they return the assignment to the folder and check off that it is completed. Sometime throughout the day, I go through and check everything that they have completed. Any work that needs correction is placed back in their binders in the front flap pocket of the binder for them to correct the same day or they know to check it first the following day. They check that flap everyday before starting their independent work for the new day.

Our days have been running more smoothly. River and Lily often start their independent binders before our school day officially starts. At the beginning of each week (usually Sunday night), I go over anything that they might have questions about (ex: I cover River’s vocabulary words with him).

The remainder of their work that they complete with me is put into a separate binder (which I may share about later). I give them access to both binders, but only one is for them to work independently. Since they can see the work in both binders, this has eliminated the continuous questioning from them of how much more work needs to be done before “I’m FINISHED!”

So far, this is working well for us. Along with them feeling a sense of accomplishment when they finish their binders, it also warms my “home school heart” when I see them sitting quietly doing their work without any prompting. One for mommy!

Check out all the great bloggers in the Crew blog hop!

And be sure to visit a few of my blog friends:
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy
Crystal @ Tidbits of Experience
Rebecca @ Raventhreads
Dawn @ Guiding Light Homeschool
Monique @ Living Life and Learning
Erin @ For Him and My Family
Lisa @ A Rup Life
Beth @ Weavings

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew (Including Milk & Honey Mommy) have joined forces during our August Back-to-Homeschool Blog Hop to bring you these incredible giveaways, totally more than $1,300 in homeschool curriculum and Paypal cash!

Grand Prize Giveaway

In the Grand Prize Giveaway, someone will win $765 in curriculum, plus $150 in Paypal cash to help you finish up your homeschool shopping! You could win all of the following. Please click on the prize links to learn more about each product.

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philosophy Adventure–Pre-Socratics and Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal (digital editions)

From Diana Waring Presents -Experience History Through Music

From Writing with Sharon Watson – The Power in Your Hands: Writing NonFiction in High School and Writing Fiction [in High School]

From Homeschool Legacy — Westward Ho I & Westward Ho II Once-a-Week Unit Studies

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine — One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From Shining Dawn Books – Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Bundle (Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Loving Living Math, Grammar Packets, and Creative Nature Walks)

From Memoria Press — Latina Christiana I Set

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From WriteShop – Winner’s Choice of WriteShop Primary Book A, B, or C (Teacher’s Guide + Activity Pack)

From New Millennium Girl Books – Isabel Writing Bundle

From Write Bonnie Rose — Asia: It’s People and History

From Home School in the Woods – Project Passport: The Middle Ages

From NotebookingPages.com — Lifetime Treasury Membership

From Victus Study Skills System — Victus Study Skills Student Workbook & Teacher Edition Bundle

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $150 Paypal Cash

2nd Prize Giveaway

In the 2nd Prize Giveaway, someone will win $325 in curriculum, plus $100 in Paypal cash to help you finish up your homeschool shopping! You could win all of the following. Please click on the prize links to learn more about each product.

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philippians in 28 Weeks, The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Question, and The Wise Woman Print Set (digital editions)

From Writing with Sharon Watson — Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers

From Home School in the Woods – K-2 Lap-Pak: Knights

From Write Bonnie Rose — Printables Bundle (Writing Prompts About Space Bonus Pack; Revolutionary War Activities: Patriotic Copywork; Revolutionary War Activities for Kids: Puzzles, Games, and Quizzes; Praying Through the Produce Aisle; Summer Olympics and Paralympics Unit Study)

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From Memoria Press — Prima Latina Text Set

From New Millennium Girl Books – Callie’s Contest of Courage Mid grade novel and Callie’s Contest of Courage Literature Guide

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine – One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $100 Paypal Cash

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Those days; believe me, you’ll have them.

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:01:29 GMT

Yesterday, We had one of those and we’re only two days into the new school year. Some may say that is to be expected and that may be true, but they are days you don’t want to experience.

One time I heard, “I just want to die.”

These and some other off color remarks can be heard, not often, sometimes in a homeschool day. Before you start to panic, or call the authorities or start a fund for the counseling or psychotherapy of my children, you must understand one thing. Homeschooling is a total different experience from traditional school (ex: public, private, school away from home).

In a homeschool setting, children are in a familiar environment, which is more comfortable and safe and where they feel freer to “be themselves,” despite how attractive (or unattractive) and sometimes obedient (or disobedient) that may be. So as their mother and teacher I get it all. I get how they would respond to their teacher, which is what I want during school hours. On the other hand, I also get how they would respond to me as their mother, which you know can be quite interesting at any moment of the day, because they know we care. I could do without hearing those type of remarks, especially while I’m trying to go espouse wisdom and have a productive school day.

Lily usually works pretty well without much fuss, but every once in a while I get drama. Canyon is always ready to do something for school, but asks several times throughout the day to use his iPad. River, my oldest son – a re-creation of me in boy form – always has a little something to say that makes some school days just a little bit funnier, but sometimes also harder…

“I can’t do this.”

“This is going to take forever.”

“Can you just take some of my toys away instead of me having to do this work?”

“I thought this was supposed to be fun.”

“I will do time out instead.”

“This is too hard!”

“Why does she/he get to do easy work and mine is sooooooooooooo hard?”

“Why does Canyon get to play?

“I’m going to be here until I’m old and gray.”

Before River and Lily’s school day begins, they complete a critical thinking exercise. When I prepared their exercise for them, I saw fun, excitement and I smiled when I thought about their little brain cells getting a jump start on the day.

Their activity yesterday was a Sudoku puzzle that I create using Edhelper. In the puzzle, they were given a number of shapes to fill into a grid, in a row and column manner, with no duplications in either. Sound hard? Not really, but it does make you think.

I gave them age and grade appropriate puzzles and Lily just happened to finish hers before River. Let the drama begin. After spending a few more minutes on his puzzle, River was ready to be finished, except he wasn’t actually finished. There were empty squares on his grid that still needed to be filled.

The minutes became quite a few and in between complaining, running out of pencil led, hurting his leg (while sitting at the table – hmm), and trying to get involved in everything other than his school work, River exclaimed, “I just want to die because this is taking so long.”

Well, it was taking very long and I was getting really tired and a little bit aggravated too. I considered letting him off and not making him do the work, but I knew as his teacher and also as his mother that he needed to continue, not give up and finish.

He complained a little more; got to love his creativity – he gets it from me. Finally he decided to put his energy where it truly belonged and that was in completing his puzzle.

Along with this smile, after finishing his work, came an apology for his attitude as well as a great big hug.

It’s funny. One remark I haven’t heard in a while is, “I want to go to public school!”*

Have you ever experienced similar school days? Describe the moment(s) and I would also love to read some of the remarks you’ve heard so I will be prepared later.

*For the school away from home mommies (public, private school etc.), enjoy a good laugh at my expense. Regardless of the educational path you have chosen for your child, the most important thing you can do for them is just love on them really, really well!

Check out all the great bloggers in the Crew blog hop!

Grand Prize Giveaway

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philosophy Adventure–Pre-Socratics and Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal (digital editions)

From Diana Waring Presents -Experience History Through Music

From Writing with Sharon Watson – The Power in Your Hands: Writing NonFiction in High School and Writing Fiction [in High School]

From Homeschool Legacy — Westward Ho I & Westward Ho II Once-a-Week Unit Studies

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine — One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From Shining Dawn Books – Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Bundle (Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Loving Living Math, Grammar Packets, and Creative Nature Walks)

From Memoria Press — Latina Christiana I Set

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From WriteShop – Winner’s Choice of WriteShop Primary Book A, B, or C (Teacher’s Guide + Activity Pack)

From New Millennium Girl Books – Isabel Writing Bundle

From Write Bonnie Rose — Asia: It’s People and History

From Home School in the Woods – Project Passport: The Middle Ages

From NotebookingPages.com — Lifetime Treasury Membership

From Victus Study Skills System — Victus Study Skills Student Workbook & Teacher Edition Bundle

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $150 Paypal Cash

2nd Prize Giveaway

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philippians in 28 Weeks, The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Question, and The Wise Woman Print Set (digital editions)

From Writing with Sharon Watson — Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers

From Home School in the Woods – K-2 Lap-Pak: Knights

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From Memoria Press — Prima Latina Text Set

From New Millennium Girl Books – Callie’s Contest of Courage Mid grade novel and Callie’s Contest of Courage Literature Guide

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine – One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $100 Paypal Cash

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., ago 18 and older only. See more Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter.

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Flashback: River and Lily

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 22:07:33 GMT

Writing (& arts and crafts time) time: Take the time to say ‘thank you’.

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 18:56:31 GMT

There is something special about the two simple words thank you. I say them often, which sometimes may be a little too much, but my sincerity is there. Saying thank can go a long way, especially when they are a response for kindness that is extended to you.

Along with composition, the writing of letters can be easily included into your homeschool lessons. Adding a course on writing or creating thank you notes may also be included.

On Fridays, I allow my children to spend their own time writing on any subject that interests them. On Sundays, they spend their time writing letters to family members and friends. If it is after a birthday or around the holiday season when presents are received or exchanged, then they understand and are prepared to write thank you notes for the gifts they receive.

When my oldest turned five, he had his first birthday bash where guests included more than just family. The many guests brought many presents and the day after the party, we started working on thank you notes for the cool gifts he received.

I used construction paper and cut the cards into an interesting shape and he drew a picture of the gift and hand wrote a note specific for every gift received. We also took a picture of him using every gift and included it in the card. Needless to say, his penmanship improved and he gained a new appreciation for the gifts he received. It also reinforced that when someone extends an act of kindness towards you, then the proper response is to say or write thank you.

Thank yous come in verbal form as well as in hand written form, but not as often as they should. It is easier to say thank you, than it is to write thank you, so most people opt for the former and call it a day. In some instances a verbal thank you is fine. Most people don’t expect to receive a written thank you note for holding the door open for you. Today, most people also don’t expect to receive a thank you note because not too many people send them anymore. If I give a gift to someone, then I do expect a thank you, but I don’t expect a thank you note. To clarify, I don’t give a gift to receive a thank you, but instead to show my appreciation for that person. When I do receive a thank you note, I’m grateful and also impressed because I know somewhere that person learned the importance of thanking someone for their effort; they were “raised right“.

Besides building character, teaching your children to say thank you and also understanding the importance of writing thank you notes (etiquette 101) as well as when to send them, are values that will carry them through to adulthood. Their thank you note may bring needed comfort to someone. Think of how good you feel after receiving a thank you note. They may also be that remembered, and later hired, candidate after a job interview.

Here are some tips on writing thank you notes with your children:

Start Early
As soon as your child can hold a crayon, start him drawing pictures for his thank you notes.

Let Them Be Creative
If your child wants to send handmade cards (draw pictures, cut, or glue, etc.), then let him design his unique card. These will be cherished upon receipt as well as when the child grows older. My grandfather kept many of my handmade cards that were later given to me for remembrance after he died.

We’re Not Worthy
No one deserves a gift! Just as one should not give to receive, one should also not expect to receive just because they live and breathe. Explain to your child that if someone took the time to give a gift, then they should take the time to thank them.

Feel Good
When the recipient receives the note, you want them to not only feel good that time was taken to say thank you, but that the gift they gave was something of true value to the child. Depending upon the age of the child, try not to “write” the note, but guide your child so they include key points in their note. Receiving dictation from a two year old can be quite entertaining.

If your child is older, then he should address the giver by name, specifically mention the gift(s), and maybe mention how much they enjoyed the gift or how they plan to use it. There is no need to mention that it is one of many or that they “didn’t really like it.” Instead they can say they “plan to share it with their sister or brother, etc.” Remember to always encourage honesty.

So let your little artist get busy and creative and don’t forget to write your own thank you notes too.

When is the last time you hand wrote a thank you note? What was the gift or gesture received?

Check out all the great bloggers in the Crew blog hop!

Grand Prize Giveaway

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philosophy Adventure–Pre-Socratics and Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal (digital editions)

From Diana Waring Presents -Experience History Through Music

From Writing with Sharon Watson – The Power in Your Hands: Writing NonFiction in High School and Writing Fiction [in High School]

From Homeschool Legacy — Westward Ho I & Westward Ho II Once-a-Week Unit Studies

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine — One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From Shining Dawn Books – Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Bundle (Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Loving Living Math, Grammar Packets, and Creative Nature Walks)

From Memoria Press — Latina Christiana I Set

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From WriteShop – Winner’s Choice of WriteShop Primary Book A, B, or C (Teacher’s Guide + Activity Pack)

From New Millennium Girl Books – Isabel Writing Bundle

From Write Bonnie Rose — Asia: It’s People and History

From Home School in the Woods – Project Passport: The Middle Ages

From NotebookingPages.com — Lifetime Treasury Membership

From Victus Study Skills System — Victus Study Skills Student Workbook & Teacher Edition Bundle

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $150 Paypal Cash

2nd Prize Giveaway

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philippians in 28 Weeks, The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Question, and The Wise Woman Print Set (digital editions)

From Writing with Sharon Watson — Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers

From Home School in the Woods – K-2 Lap-Pak: Knights

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From Memoria Press — Prima Latina Text Set

From New Millennium Girl Books – Callie’s Contest of Courage Mid grade novel and Callie’s Contest of Courage Literature Guide

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine – One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $100 Paypal Cash

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., ago 18 and older only. See more Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter.

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Back-to-Homeschool giveaway offers $1300+ in curriculum and Paypal cash

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 18:54:59 GMT

Back to Homeschool Giveaway

I have pretty much purchased or pulled from my shelves all of the curriculum that we will be using this school year. Despite that, I never grow tired of opportunities to acquire more curriculum. A little bit of cash on the side isn’t bad either.

Curriculum just excites me. If you are anything like me, then you will totally love the curriculum and cash prize giveaways that are included in the Schoolhouse Review Crew Back-to-Homeschool Blog Hop that begins on Monday, August 11.

Check out all the great bloggers in the Crew blog hop!

Grand Prize Giveaway

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philosophy Adventure–Pre-Socratics and Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal (digital editions)

From Diana Waring Presents -Experience History Through Music

From Writing with Sharon Watson – The Power in Your Hands: Writing NonFiction in High School and Writing Fiction [in High School]

From Homeschool Legacy — Westward Ho I & Westward Ho II Once-a-Week Unit Studies

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine — One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From Shining Dawn Books – Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Bundle (Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Loving Living Math, Grammar Packets, and Creative Nature Walks)

From Memoria Press — Latina Christiana I Set

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From WriteShop – Winner’s Choice of WriteShop Primary Book A, B, or C (Teacher’s Guide + Activity Pack)

From New Millennium Girl Books – Isabel Writing Bundle

From Write Bonnie Rose — Asia: It’s People and History

From Home School in the Woods – Project Passport: The Middle Ages

From NotebookingPages.com — Lifetime Treasury Membership

From Victus Study Skills System — Victus Study Skills Student Workbook & Teacher Edition Bundle

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $150 Paypal Cash

2nd Prize Giveaway

From Home School Adventure Co. — Philippians in 28 Weeks, The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Question, and The Wise Woman Print Set (digital editions)

From Writing with Sharon Watson — Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers

From Home School in the Woods – K-2 Lap-Pak: Knights

From Excelerate Spanish – Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6

From Memoria Press — Prima Latina Text Set

From New Millennium Girl Books – Callie’s Contest of Courage Mid grade novel and Callie’s Contest of Courage Literature Guide

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine – One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers — $100 Paypal Cash

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., ago 18 and older only. See more Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flashback: Lily

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:03:50 GMT

A neat spot

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:18:10 GMT

When I straighten an area, I always like to go back and look at it several times, because everywhere else around me is messy. I’m headed to make more areas in my home that make me stop and gaze, because they are neat.

And so the madness begins

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:47:31 GMT

I have been needing to get back to sewing and my father has kindly tried to jump-start that task. This is the beginning of several boxes of fabric that will arrive on my doorstep in the next few days.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 26 May 2014 09:31:36 GMT

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, a new original series created and executive produced by Martha Williamson, gives families a reason to come together and enjoy television again with a program that is appropriate for all ages. Williamson takes viewers behind the scenes of the postal service introducing them to charming Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), the group’s leader and man of faith who prayerfully approaches his work with the goal of making a difference in people’s lives; new team member, Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), a technophile who brings 21st century sensibility to the group; free-spirited, “girl next door” Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe) who has a photographic memory; and lovable Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson), a master in conventional research methods. The four are postal detectives who work as a team tracking down the recipients of undeliverable mail. The mail they deliver “changes futures by arriving late, but somehow always on time.” Does that remind you of someone?

If the name Martha Williamson sounds familiar to you, then that might be as she is also the creator of Touched By An Angel (TBAA). Just as she did in TBAA, Williamson weaves stories through the lives of her characters each week as she presents a new story and a new challenge for the detective team. Williamson, as she did in TBAA, does not miss an opportunity to share the word of God in Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

My family and I had the opportunity to watch episode number six, “The Future Me” (see promo above), which aired May 25 that has the team tracking the author of a letter addressed to a newlywed. The revelation of the author and recipient add a unique twist to the story as the team meets a special couple with desires to marry, despite their challenges.

The episode also has a side story with Rita preparing to compete in the Miss Special Delivery pageant. For you Taxi fans, you may recognize a familiar face from the past in the character Glynis Rucker. Although somewhat comedic, there are also some profound lessons to be learned from this tie-in story. One statement that Rita makes as she transforms into a “viable” contestant is, “If people see the new me, then they won’t see the real me.”

A unique supplement (read more and sign-up) created by The American Bible Society is a seven-day bible study that goes with the series. Each episode has its own study that allows viewers to delve further into the biblical themes presented in the weekly episode. You watch the episode and may join your family in bible study over the week that covers the episode until the next one airs.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered may be seen Sundays on the Hallmark Channel 8/7 CT. Martha Williamson has given families a reason to sit and enjoy watching television together again.

More treasures from our snowy event

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:58:36 GMT

This week has been a lot of fun with as snowy as it will probably get this season. The children have been outside playing and discovering what is hidden under the snow.

Now, with all of the snow pretty much defrosted and disappeared, we were surprised to find some treasures still remaining.

Some value rare finds…

While others get a little bit mischievous and, well…

just have to be a little bit different.

After putting a little bit of weight on the sheet of ice, Lily was able to break it.

She found more later and held onto that piece a little longer, so that she could savor the flavor. You know, I even took a bite off of her sheet of ice. No. I have absolutely no idea where she found the piece, but decided to live dangerously. Some things are better left unknown.

Snow falling

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:13:55 GMT

I tried to stay awake, but that would have put me sitting for several hours in the wee hours of the morning, so I never got to see the snow fall. Although I am sharing many days of snow pictures, we only really had decent snow on Monday.

Tuesday, it stuck, but by today, it was pretty much gone and we were back to normal. Public schools were closed for three days, but we plugged away. After all, there was no snow keeping us away from the classroom. I did give the children a break on Monday.

That is when we got to see the snow fall. If you look very closely, then you will be able to see it too.

Enjoying the snow from the inside

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 18:01:13 GMT

Okay. So the snow fell and at first there was a lot of standing around. A lot of it did have to do with me.

You many notice that many of the pictures are taken from the same angle. Uh, I was a little bit too cold to come completely outside, so I stood in the doorway while they played. I eventually made it outside for a fast run to the shop that had eggs or milk that I needed to make something to eat.

Other than that, I stayed pretty close to the inside.

They did not need me anyway and seemed to figure out a lot of ways to have some fun.

Sewing to Summer: I’m almost finished

Milk & Honey Mommy — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:09:03 GMT

Well, I fianlly made it to the fabric store and am heading out again today to just “browse.” You know how it is when you browse at the fabric store. Sometimes, you return home with more than you intended. I promise that won’t happen.

I am excited about seeing what projects all of you completed during this past month. As for me, I am still working on my project and will post mine later. For all of you, please go ahead and post yours, so that we may see what you have done. Just leave the link to your post in the comments. If you aren’t finished today, then you have until Friday, February 28 to link up for this month.

How did you do with your second project? Did you go the clothing route or opt for a decorative piece? I hope that you come back and see what I have made for this month.

You may grab a Sewing to Summer button below to include in your post if you would like.

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*I’ll see you back here next month on Friday, March 21.*

Sewing to Summer: one dress

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 20:54:13 GMT

The funny thing about fabric choices is when you don’t make whatever you originally intended for a fabric piece right after you purchase it, you can find yourself wondering why you even bought the fabric. That is what happened when I took a look at the fabric of the dress that I made. I’m sure that at one time, I was a real animal print lover. I know that I have a pair of pants that I made out of animal print stored somewhere. The key word is stored as opposed to hanging in my closet and ready to wear.

Anyway, since I had the fabric, I decided to make something out of it that I might actually wear. I have the perfect shoes to go with it. I just need the mentality (Grr!, Grr! – and the spirit to wear a dress). Hopefully, I will find it somewhere by the time summer rolls around.

It actually turned out quite nicely.

Something you will learn about me before summer arrives is that I am a top-stitchin’ fool. I guess it goes along with my need to iron every step of the way when sewing. I don’t like things sticking up and out where they should not. I also like the way top-stitching looks. I have to work really hard to not top-stitch when I am making formal wear. Since I don’t make formal wear often, I have not found it to be a problem.

Even though I like shorter dresses. I rather like the length of this one. It comes to a little above my ankle. The bodice fits close and the skirt is wide, so I could actually spin and it would move with me. Every once in a while, I like to spin in skirts or dresses. Maybe, I can remember that when I fret about putting one on.

For you skirt flippers, here is the inside of the dress. Hate me if you will, but I like the clothing I make to look just as good on the outside as it does on the inside; like I could wear it inside out and it still looks nice.

How did you do with your first project? Did you go the clothing route or opt for a decorative piece? Please share your link below in the comments. If you are not ready today, then you may come back any time before the month is over to leave a link to your post. I would love to see what you made.

I already have a few ideas for next month, but am not sure which direction I will go. I am feeling like some skirts. While you’re pondering what you will make, grab a Sewing to Summer button.

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*I’ll see you back here next month on Friday, February 21.*

Sewing to Summer {take four}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 14:00:52 GMT

I am totally hating to type this, but maybe, public embarrassment is exactly what I need at this point. What if someone threw a link-up party and that someone stopped in the middle (or kind of sort of near that) or never even showed up to participate. Well, for the past three years, that has been me. I threw the party, Sewing to Summer. I even had committed participants, but somewhere after the second month, I just didn’t keep up. I even had one year where my first post never made it to my blog.

Well, I am hoping this year will be different. I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, I make goals. The difference, resolutions are ideas and goals are ideas that have a plan and get implemented. This year, I have set a goal to finally finish this project with some really nice clothes and the satisfaction that I can actually complete the task.

I even have more motivation, because I have started working out again and am looking forward to a new wardrobe. It’s time for me to move out of my sweatpants and start looking like I didn’t just roll out of the bed. Also, once the weather warms, I won’t be able to cover my dowdy wear with a heavy coat without looking a little ridiculous.

My fabric piles are just as high as they were when I originally started the project. In fact, just as with any person who sews, I added some pieces to my stash. Actually, the original purpose of this project was to get rid of my fabric piles, but this year, I am removing that restriction. I will first look through my existing stash for something to make, but if a piece of fabric catches my eye while I’m at a fabric store, then I am purchasing it. All I want to do this year is return to sewing. I’ve missed it and whatever it takes is what I will do to bring it back into my life.

There will be no pressure on me (or you) in participation. I am only going to commit to finishing one piece of clothing each month through the first day of summer, which is Saturday, June 21. If I happen to maybe make two or more things in one month, then just call me happy, but one is all I am striving for now.

This is where you come into the picture. If you have some sewing projects you want to start, continue, or finish, then let’s hang out together for the next five months and see what we can accomplish through June. This is not only a fun link-up for you, but also any already sewing or want-to-learn how to sew children that you may have. I’m hoping that my daughter (and sons) will complete some projects to share.

I am going to have a link-up each month on the following dates: Tuesday, January 21; Friday, February 21; Friday, March 21; Monday, April 21; Wednesday, May 21; and Saturday, June 21.

On each date, we are going to share something (or many things) we have sewn and finished. It can be an article of clothing, home design, craft or some other project that involves hand or machine sewing. If you’re a fabric hoarder like me, then hopefully you will use some fabric pieces you already have. That is my main reason for doing this project; the fabric has taken over. Also, I paid a lot to cart this fabric across country when we moved, so I’ve already invested in it more than once. It’s time to see the fruits.

You can grab one of the cute Sewing to Summer buttons below to use on your blog sidebar and posts if you like, but it isn’t required for you to participate. I’m just hoping this will encourage others (especially me) to finally sew down a few of their fabric piles.

Do you want to join me? Leave a comment on this post and remember to return on Tuesday, January 21 to link-up and show what you have made. Happy sewing!

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Christmas parade hopping

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 03:15:52 GMT

The arrival of the sheriff’s deputies always let’s us know that the parade is beginning. This was our second parade of the season.

This shot was strictly for mommy. I think that my children have smiling for pictures down to a science.

Santa’s workshop helpers.

There was a lot of Santa going on.

I had never seen dancing Christmas trees until we moved here. I’m not sure if I was missing out or if it is something particular to this area.

I just love Christmas lights.

Santa and his reindeer (and his bodyguards) closed out the parade. The parade was just long enough for a tired and very cold mommy who was ready to go home.

We had dinner at Subway before the parade and their sandwich bags came in handy for collecting candy. Do we get credit for recycling the bags? See some of what they caught.

Christmas wish list

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:58:52 GMT

I’m not sure how you do Christmas wish lists in your home, but River recently came up with a unique way to remind me for the cazillionth time of what he wants for Christmas. I guess, since I hadn’t given him an answer, he figured that I had not made up my mind, which I hadn’t.

So, he put together a LEGO version of what he wants. I think I get the picture.

Man. It would be so hard to say no to his request after this creation. I’m going to have to get on the telephone with my Dad, so he can make sure one of these appears under the Christmas tree or at least a few days later. It is presents like this that grandparents are made for :-).

Christmas tree decorating by the masters

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 06:00:21 GMT

Strategically placing bulbs is the key to excellent Christmas tree decorating.

If you are really pretty, then you can also look good while decorating the tree.

Deep concentration is necessary for the correct placement of ornaments.

If you’re really talented like some, then you can watch television AND decorate the tree at the same time.

Sometimes, redirecting your focus can make the difference.

This is where the decorating can take a scary turn. Lily was determined to use as many of the decorations that we had.

Sometimes, mommy stepping out of the way, not directing Christmas tree decorating and allowing the masters to work results in the perfectly decorated Christmas tree.

Sewing to Summer: a dress and some pants

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:35:10 GMT

Whenever I think about this Sewing to Summer experience, I get excited. I have some beautiful piles of fabric that would be even more beautiful if they were something to wear. I’m more of a clothing seamstress than a decorator seamstress. Most of the fabric pieces I have are spring and summer fabrics (hence, Sewing to Summer), which is typically the type of clothing I prefer to make.

I still haven’t accepted the fact that now we live in a state where winter clothing is actually necessary. Maybe, I’ll tackle something later this year for the colder months.

The piece you see above is one I started to transform last year and never got started, BUT this year is totally different. Do you want to see what I did? One project I finished is something I started a while back (a dress for me) and the other is one that never got going (pants for Lily).

I made these pants for Lily.

She loves the flowers and purple is one of her favorite colors thanks to me.

They are Capri pants. I have a solid purple eyelet fabric that I bought to make her a top. Hopefully, I will be able to find a pattern that only requires the amount of fabric that I have. You see, that is one of the problems of buying fabric for a project and not finishing it on time. The recipient of the outfit grows up.

I finished this dress for me. It is a peasant like dress that I have to wonder if I may just be a little too old to wear it outside of the house. It will be worn, but it may be a nice house dress.

I purchased the fabric off of the scrap/reduced table. I know that you have to be careful about that, but I carefully looked over the piece and eveything looked okay. I was surprised to find some buttons that matched the fabric so well.

The dress is very loose fitting and may work better worn over something. It’s definitely a summer dress.

The waist is gathered. The dress seemed so boring by the time you got to the skirt, so I decided to add something. I wet the skirt portion of the dress, twisted the skirt and then tied it. I’m not sure if you can see it, but I now have a gathered effect on the bottom and it looks great.

Something that you will learn abut me over the next many months of Sewing to Summer is that I do a lot of top stitching. I’m not really sure if I just love to do it or if I do it because I’m addicted top stitching. It’s kind of like ironing as you sew. When I sew, I iron often.

I had to add something else special. Are you able to see the top stitching on the bottom of the sleeve?

I did a decorative top stitch around the bottom of the sleeves and on the skirt of the dress. It kind of looks like huts. One tip, buy extra thread just in case you decide to top stitch. Fortunately, I already had plenty on hand. Just as I have a lot of fabric, I have quite a few bags of thread.

How did you do with your first project? Did you go the clothing route or opt for a decorative piece? Please share your link below.

I already have a few things lined up to start and finish for next month. I am feeling like some skirts.

*I’ll see you back here next month on Thursday, March 21.*

Soup Swap {2013}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:43:24 GMT

Are you sharing soup this week, then add your link below. I will be back later to add mine. I’ve made a creamy tomato soup.

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If you would like, then you may use one of the soup swap buttons in your post or on the sidebar of your blog.

Catching up {July 2012 – August 2012}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:37:16 GMT

This is proving to be more laborious than I ever imagined, but I am determined to finish this series. After all, this blog is for more people than just me. Also, I hate starting something and not finishing it even if it takes me a little longer than expected. Shall we…?

We headed to Arizona to meet-up with family for a reunion. Yes, I’ve got a lot of relatives and there were quite a plenty there even without everyone being able to attend. Okay, I first will say that Arizona is beautiful country, but never, ever, never, ever, never, never, NEVER will I visit that state during the summer months again. Fortunately, we had access to a wonderful swimming pool, air conditioning, good food (a bit over-priced at the hotel – I know) and blue sky, but it was as hot as ~~hell – or how I would imagine it to be~~ sin.

When we returned home, we visited the Clement Railroad Museum and had a wonderful end to a great vacation. I like planning ahead, so I made sure that we had some fun before heading back home on an almost three hour drive home.

We haven’t been ice skating since we moved. Is was fun to get back out and not on (no falling here) the ice. It was cold, but considering it was hot outside, it was a nice reprive.

We bought a house. Ah, well, not really, but we got to live large for just one day as if it were ours.

The children and I got to hang out with Governor Bill Haslam. Who would have thought that he would think our town cool enough to visit. I sure could have thought of so other more exciting places in Tennessee to go to, but it’s all politics.

Even though he is still kindergarten/first grade, Canyon graduated at church and received his first grade Bible.

We have visited this before; children of the corn. They may be sweet and innocent looking, but you may notice they are standing in front of the corn. We had a successful beginning garden last year. There are a lot of things we learned and will do and not do this year, but it was nice being able to grab more than herbs from our garden. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to enjoy any of the corn before the bugs got to it. We’re looking for ideas, so that won’t happen again.

Theatre was alive and strong during the summer as the children rehearsed for Charlotte’s Web. The production went on without a hitch, except Lily had to step in for River during the last performance because he got sick. She had pretty much memorized all of the lines in the play of all of the characters. Lily played his parts as well as hers.

We met Bud Cason of Bud’s Best Cookies at a promotional event. Yes, Bud’s teeth are actually that white and yes, the cookies are good. They are the addictive kind (plus $1/bag), so you know they have a lot of stuff in them. My favorite is Butter Flavored. Bud was waving around $1 bills handing them out, so we could purchase his cookies.

These pumpkins are part of our summer crop. We plan to plant more this year (not by accident) a little bit later in the spring, so they are ready in October instead of August.

Soup Swap {2013} – Classic French Onion Soup

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:36:49 GMT

I am so excited about this soup swap. I’ve already planned a menu for my family of soups for next week. Soups are so easy to make and you can put a little bit of something or a whole lot of everything in one depending upon what recipe you choose. Well, the soup I’m sharing has a whole lot of a little bit of something – onions – and it is really good.

Those of you who know me are aware that I like to do all of my chopping before I start actually making anything.

You have the option of using sunflower or olive oil or a little bit of both. I use both. First I add the sunflower oil and then,

I add the olive oil.

The butter comes next, which I guess could really be optional. Since I’m into full decadence for the moment, I add the butter.

Just let it heat and swirl for a bit. Be sure to keep the heat on medium so that the butter doesn’t burn. Although it will not bother the color of the soup, it may alter the taste; give it a burnt butter taste. I guess, my palette could be a little sensitive.

Next, add the chopped onions. I have a lot of onions because I double the recipe. The soup goes so quickly and I like to have extra left over.

If you use a narrow bottom soup pot, then the onions will form a thick layer and not cook (or burn) as quickly.

You want the onions to brown real slightly. Keep stirring so that they don’t burn.

I made 12+ cups of vegetable broth the other day in preparation of soup making day. It is so convenient having this already made when I’m ready to make soup.

Add the vegetable broth or broth of choice (beef, chicken, etc.), BUT you really should try making the vegetable broth. It is so easy. The taste is great and the amount of money I save making it myself it worth it.

Just like ironing when sewing, you should always stir as you’re cooking.

Add some pepper for seasoning. I added about 1/4 teaspoon here because I doubled the batch. Resist the temptation to add salt.

Oh yeah, stir so more.

Allow the soup to simmer with the lid slightly covering the pot for about 30 minutes.

This is your master piece. It is subtle, but delicious.

If subtle isn’t your style, then try adding some cheese and toast. This is mozzarella cheese.

Remember to return on Wednesday, February 13 to swap more soup.

four large onions
2 tablespoons of sunflower or olive oil (or one of each)
two tablespoons of butter

3 3/4 cups vegetable broth
pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon)

1. Chop the onions and set aside.
2. Turn your soup pot on to medium heat.
3. Add the oils.
4. Add the butter.
5. When the oil and butter is heated, add the onions and stir quickly until the onions are coated.
6. Reduce the heat and cook the onions for 45 to 60 more minutes (remember to stir occasionally so the onions don’t burn).
7. Add the vegetable broth.
8. Add seasoning, then add pepper.
9. Allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes.
10. It is time to eat!
11. You can eat the soup with or without garnishment (cheese, etc.).

Enter your link and share your soup recipe. Be sure that you have a final picture of the soup recipe and that you link directly to the soup post you are sharing.

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If you would like, then you may use one of the soup swap buttons in your post or on the sidebar of your blog.

Catching up {May 2012 – June 2012}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:39:05 GMT

Ah, as I was sayin’…Darling D and I celebrated another year of marriage.

Lily, Canyon and I went prom hunting because I had to take some pictures of local children out for the night. They scouted and I shot. All three of us made a great team. We may come together again this prom season and hunt more.

We enjoyed one of the many nights of music on the square in our small town. We literally danced the night away.

River, Lily and Canyon completed another year of AWANA. Awards were received and Lily was promoted to T&T. If there is an AWANA program near you (find AWANA), then I suggest you check it out for your children. It has been such a blessing for my children.

River was able to connect with one of his best friends when his family finally relocated to this side of the map. It was such a special treat for River and it was a pleasure for me to see their faces when they saw each other. Here is to a lasting friendship.

We finished up the school session with a field trip to a golf and game park with golf, games, race cars and bumper floats. It was the perfect day of fun for a lot of hard work.

Our church held it’s annual revival and we again helped deliver the invitations. This year, every residence in our city received an invitation to the revival and a can of Coke inviting them to come and learn about the “Real Thing.”

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art opens its doors for free, fours times a year to homeschoolers and this was one of our many visits. We toured the Soul of City exhibit, which featured collections of African American Art.

River, Lily and I entered our first photography contest. Although none of us won a ribbon, it was fun deciding which of the many pictures we have taken to submit. Lily is standing in front of her picture “Ageless” (the Bible) and River’s picture “Rose of Life.”

We got back to our weekly family walks. I truly missed them during the colder months as we are having again now. Come on March.

Once again, we started a garden, BUT this year we were more successful than we were last year. Darling D joined us and we had a great bounty this year; carrots, radishes, pumpkins (that was by accident, but we’re doing it again this year), a variety of herbs, tomatoes and corn (the bugs enjoyed the corn). I’m looking forward to our harvest this year.

We were finally able to use the compost that we have been creating over the past two years in the garden to get it started.

The annual spring concert was held with all three children singing and Lily’s class also performed with hand bells.

Our old pool met its final days, but it was the best money ever spent. This is our new pool when we first got it. We are going to have to replace (ALREADY) it this summer.

Amazing Wonders was the theme for Vacation Bible school. Again I taught missions. The kids always have an amazing time during this week at church.

I took the children on a visit to a prison. Do you remember Scared Straight? Well, consider this option the next time your children give you a hard time (just kidding).

We attended a book signing by Memphis author Nancy Gentry, who was promoting her new book Little Blue, Little Gray. If you are looking for children’s books about the Civil War period or early 50s-60s, then take a look at her books. We added Rebel in Petticoats, The World of Ivy and The Secret and the Sunday Rose to our book collection.

Canyon got his first foot-long sandwich from Subway. It was exciting for him, but now he prefers a beefy-five layer burrito from Taco Bell.

Oh, please come back because we are only half way through the year of 2012. You can see what we did from January-February and March-April of 2012.

Soup Swap {2013}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:26:32 GMT

It’s that time of year again. It’s time to swap soups. I know, I know. If you live anywhere like where I do, then you’ve had frigid, ice cold days and then all of a sudden, the weather gets warm enough to spend a sunny day at the park.

Regardless of the type of day, I can always do soup. You see, I love soup. I enjoy eating it any time during the year (even during the summer). I’m easy like that.

Last year, I held the annual soup swap and from that added some really delicious recipes to my book from the ones that were shared. Contributions included the following:

Milk & Honey Mommy
White Bean Soup
Mushroom Barley Soup
Pea, Leek and Broccoli Soup
Carrot Tomato Soup

Missouri Mama at Ozark Ramblings
Cheddar Broccoli
Picanta Onion Soup
Vegetable Soup

Jen at Reflections in the Window
Stuffed Pepper
Beef Enchilada Soup
Alphabet Soup

Tajuana at Think Outside the Box
Crockpot Lentil Soup
Baked Potato Soup
Crockpot Split Pea Soup
Wisconsin Cheese Soup

Well, it’s time to add a few more yummy recipes to my book, so that means it’s time for Soup Swap {2013}. Participation is totally easy. During the month of February, every Wednesday (2/6, 2/13, 2/20 and 2/27), I will be sharing one of our favorite family soups. I’m a vegetarian cooker, so all of mine will be vegetarian, but they will be delicious. If you have a recipe you would like to share (vegetarian, meat-based, gluten-free, etc.), then you will also be able to link up here and strut your “soup stuff.”

Since I know that I have readers who are not vegetarian, I’m sure they will enjoy a variety of soup recipes and I too have been known to “vegetarianize” (not a word, but it could be) a meat soup recipe a few times that has turned out yummy to me.

You may use a new post or a previously written one. The only thing I request is that you have a picture of the completed recipe because a picture is always a great motivator to get someone to cook. That is what I want, for people to not be afraid of clanking a few pots together and to get cooking.

Here is a really simple and quick vegetable broth that you can make, which can be stored in a refrigerator or frozen until you are ready to use. Also, take a look at the soup recipes I’ve already shared at Milk & Honey Mommy.

Do you want to join me? Leave a comment on this post and remember to return on Wednesday, February 6 to link-up so we may share some of our favorite family soup recipes. Yummy cooking!

Soup Swap {2013} week #1 (see soups and swap}, 2/6
Soup Swap {2013} week #2 (see soups and swap}, 2/13
Soup Swap {2013} week #3 (see soups and swap}, 2/20
Soup Swap {2013} week #4 (see soups and swap}, 2/27

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Sewing to Summer take three

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:56:10 GMT

This is my third attempt at my Sewing to Summer project. You see, I began it in January 2011. I had all of these creative ideas of all of the wonderful outfits I was going to make. I had a stash of beautiful fabric that I was going to use and I was ready. Then, sometime during the beginning of February, my priorities shifted and the idea of sewing anything got pushed aside and soon forgotten.

Again in 2012, I attempted to complete the project. I even had some wonderful ladies who were going to join me: Jessica at Modest Momma, Martha at The Joy of School and Alyson at Family Style School. Again, somewhere around the beginning of February, something happened. I never completed the project.

Although they didn’t grow, my fabric piles remain and once again, I am challenging myself to get started and hopefully this year, sew to summer. I’m determined to accomplish my goal this year and am inviting you to join me. I would really love to purchase some new fabric and I’m not going to do that until I get rid of ~~most of~~ all of the fabric I currently have stashed around my home.

No pressure here, so I am only going to commit to finishing one piece of clothing each month through the first day of summer, which is Friday, June 21. If I happen to maybe make two or more things in one month, then just call me happy, but ONE is all I am striving for now.

This is where YOU come into the picture. If you have some sewing projects you want to start, continue, or finish, then let’s hang out together for the next five months and see what we can accomplish through June. I am going to have a link-up each month on the following dates: Thursday, February 21; Thursday, March 21; Sunday, April 21; Tuesday, May 21; and the final day, Friday, June 21.

You can grab one of the cute Sewing to Summer buttons below to use on your blog sidebar and posts if you like, but it isn’t required for you to participate. I’m just hoping this will encourage others (especially me) to finally sew down a few of my fabric piles.

Do you want to join me? Leave a comment on this post and remember to return on Thursday, February 21 to link-up and show what you have made. Happy sewing!

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Catching up {March 2012 – April 2012}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 17:33:32 GMT

If you didn’t know, I’m doing a fast rewind of the year of 2012. I’m not going through it as fast as it seemed to come and go, but I’m moving at a rapid speed to share and then take in 2013. You can start here with January and February to catch up because once I’m finished, there is no turning back.

As the months continued, there were a few long awaited experiences and some that were unexpected. I wasn’t really sure how to take them other than to just enjoy the moment as well as the memories we had.

A brief storm full of dark clouds, pouring rain and winds rushed through our town for about 20 minutes and then disappeared leaving blue skies and this…

Our reading tree, which we have enjoyed sitting under and reading so many books during the spring and summer days was damaged and had to be trimmed. We also used to enjoy our annual fall pictures of leaves like here with the leaves that fell from that tree. Now, it is half of a tree, but we still love it. At least raking leaves this season was easier, but we didn’t have enough leaves for our pictures.

I finally got to fill my “homeschool convention” fix and attended the Mid-South Homeschool Convention. It had been about five years since attending my last convention and I was so excited. I spent an entire day in the vendor hall because it was a one-day opportunity for me because of the long drive. Sadly, the convention is skipping our area for 2013.

Since being a member of the TOS Crew, I was familiar with so many of the companies that were there having reviewed a lot of their products. It was such a different experience. I made a list ahead of time of the companies I wanted to see in person. Along with meeting other TOS Crew members, I also got to meet Andrew Pudewa (IEW – love, love, love) and Dwane Thomas (Visual Latin – I like him too). I was a regular groupie with both Mr. Pudewa and Dwane. I believe they didn’t know what to think of me. Just like a musical artist who creates a great song, I get excited meeting authors who create great homeschool material.

I had the best time and actually bought only what was on my shopping list.

I took this picture of Canyon, because I knew that it would be a matter of ~~minutes~~ months and these cute and perfect set of teeth would soon start loosing its pieces. It wasn’t very long after this was taken that he lost the first one. I did the mommy wimper and realized my baby was growing up.

I wasn’t sure if Canyon’s new set of teeth would leave him looking like this. Believe me, she looks better when she smiles :-).

The season finally arrived for strawberries and we were there. I got so excited in the moment of them picking and me taking pictures that they had picked more than 20 pounds of strawberries before we were done.

Lily made a friend and was in heaven. His name is Jude and he let her ride him all day long. She had an exclusive opportunity to hang out w Jude and the other horses that were on the ranch we visited. A quick visit turned into a wonderful afternoon of fun for her and a pleasure for me watching her enjoy herself.

AWANA meetings continued to be educational and at times very, very funny. On one game night, River and other TNT members tried to move an OREO cookie from their foreheads all the way down to their mouths without using their hands. River won this round. I’m not really sure if I should be proud or concerned about his table manners. Oh, there was no table.

Eggs were dropped from the sky from a helicopter at our church and the children scattered early Easter morning. I’m surprised nobody was hit from the sky.

The annual spring concert was held. All three children sang. Lily’s class also played the hand bells and the boys’ classes played other hand instruments. After the performance, the older children were awarded a copy of one of the books from the Then Sings My Soul hymn study series. I love those books and we’re using them in school this year.

We enjoyed a few more field trips, which as I said, I will share more about later.

All this week, I will be linking up to the TOS Crew Blog Cruise where we look back at 2012.

Catching up {January 2012 – February 2012}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:38:19 GMT

With the exception of a few…a lot…okay, a whole big bunch of homeschool product reviews, it has been kind of quiet here at Milk & Honey Mommy. Yes, we’ve been busy. Oh, how we have been busy, which makes one wonder why I haven’t been sharing since that is the case. Well, I just haven’t made the time and I sure miss hanging out here.

It is time to get back; back to writing, back to posting and back to clicking the publish button. To cut down on the confusion and also because there are a few highlights I want to share, I’m taking you back. I thought about going as far back as September 2011 last year because there were some really fun things we did, but December 2012 is coming to a close and well, it’s time to move on.

So everyday this week or until I finish, I will share our months to bring all of you current as to what we have been doing. I will only go back as far as January. Don’t worry. That is January 2012.

It was totally all about basketball during the months of January and February. We had such a great time last year and could barely wait for the season to arrive this year.

River was one of the youngest and one of the shortest (first time) players on his team. The boys were older, more skilled and faster. It gave him a taste of what playing with the big boys would be like in the upcoming years.

This was the final score of the final game. Lily managed to earn 12 of those 22 points, but of course it was not without the assistance of her teammates. Height didn’t matter as much on her team — the girls “got game” — some of the shorter players managed to keep up and make several baskets.

I don’t know how it is w/older girls, but these little girls are quite competitive (and passionate). They definitely played to win.

Players on all of the teams received trophies. Next year, Canyon will be able to play and he is ready.

I broke my favorite bowl. It was a stove top mishap. Between placing it on a warming eye, cooking and simply not paying attention, this is what I got. I even considered trying to salvage it because it was such a great bowl.

I tried to AGAIN complete my Sewing to Summer project and didn’t even make it into the first month. Well, I did finish something, but never posted the clothing. Believe it or not, I am going to try it again this year because there is absolutely no reason that I shouldn’t be able to finish this project.

We had a lot of cold weather. That seems to be the norm here during that time of year. These are the only three people who I know who would eat Popsicles on a very cold day and outside. I’ve got some true characters. Without mentioning any names, I’ve got one who has to be reminded to put on his coat and would rather be wearing shorts.

We got to meet Craig Campbell when he dropped by our tiny town to film an episode of Great American Country’s (GAC) Day Jobs. He used to work as a correctional officer before becoming a country music star. Even after a very long day of filming, he accommodated us by taking a picture and even had a smile and some kind words to share.

Our year was full of a lot of field trips, which I will share in the upcoming months.

All this week, I will be linking up to the TOS Crew Blog Cruise where we look back at 2012.

What’s on the menu? – Getting a head start

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:16:32 GMT

After waking up early on Christmas morning and starting to cook at 6 a.m., making a complete Christmas dinner with everything I wanted to eat and sitting down at 3:30 p.m. to eat with most of the dishes washed and put away, I figure I’ve got a handle on this cooking thing.

{Make this Baja sauce ahead of time and refrigerate. It lasts for a few weeks and is ready to use when you’re ready to use it. The sauce tastes great on burritos and as a dipping sauce on vegetables.}

It was also nice to have dinner scheduled for the next few days with leftovers. My reprieve didn’t actually last that long because someone (no names mentioned, again) was looking for something new and different to eat on December 26. I made him eat leftovers for one more day and then I knew that was as far as I was going to be able to stretch the experience. I, on other hand, ate Christmas dinner through Friday before I finally had enough.

Now that it is time to get back to regular, non-celebratory food, I’ve been planning our menu. We will have a special meal on Tuesday, which I’m still working on, but everything else has been planned and I even have a few meals already made. I was a cooking machine yesterday, so that I could get ahead of the game.

Sunday
B – Buttermilk Biscuits and omelets
L – Eating elsewhere
S – Eating elsewhere
D – Minestrone and pesto soup, green salad and cheese biscuits

Monday
B – Smoothie and toast (bread)
L – Sautéed vegetables over brown rice and corn bread
S – Fruit and pretzels
D – Tofu lasagna rolls, green salad and rosemary focaccia bread

Tuesday
B – Oatmeal and fruit
L – Tuna fish sandwiches and chips
S – Honey crisp apples and peanut butter
D – Special New Year’s Day meal

Wednesday
B – Lemon-blueberry muffins
L – Green salad w/sauteed vegetables and corn bread
S – Fresh fruit
D – Moroccan shrimp, couscous and steamed vegetables

Thursday
B – Yogurt and granola parfait and fruit
L – Egg salad sandwiches (sandwich bread) and dill pickles
S – Pretzels, olives and cucumbers plate
D – White bean soup and onion soup (satisfying more than one palate)

Friday
B – Apple sauce and bagels w/cream cheese or peanut butter
L – Big green salad w/vegetables
S – Fresh fruit
D – Homemade pizza

Saturday
B – Pancakes and waffles
L – Leftovers from the week
S – Eating elsewhere
D – Burritos (w/Baja sauce shown above) and tortilla chips

I have linked to the items that I have already shared at Milk & Honey Mommy. Eventually, I hope to have more recipes of the foods we eat posted, so you can see how we put them together.

What’s on the menu? – Having it their way

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:02:44 GMT

I make chili, but it doesn’t have meat in it. Usually, meatless doesn’t matter in our home and everyone eats whatever I serve because, well, it’s good. This chili is good even if I do say so myself, and I do.

Before I canceled all chili making, I took a survey to find out why the chili wasn’t a favorite especially since it’s so easy to make. I like to cook, but if I can save time in the kitchen, then I’m all for that. What I learned is that they like the chili, but the sweet potato chunks were too big. Funny, because that is what makes the chili so special; the big sweet potato chunks.

As a mom, I am willing to please especially if it involves such an easy fix. Now, whenever I make this chili, I use one big sweet potato or two small to medium size ones and cut the chunks really small. That has made a difference.

Another special request came from Darling D, who asked for a soupier chili. I added 14 ounces more tomatoes and that did the trick. So now, Instead of one who likes this chili, there are four of us. The fifth man out (River) still wants meat in his, so I send him to his grandmother’s house whenever the chili craving hits him. Adding meat in this recipe is a little more than I’m willing to do. So, I guess only sometimes am I willing to let them have it their way.

{Make this quick, easy and delicious meatless chili.}

Sunday
B – Buttermilk Biscuits and omelets
L – Eating elsewhere
S – Eating elsewhere
D – Spicy bean and lentil loaf, steamed green peas and baby buttermilk biscuits

Monday
B – Smoothie and toast (bread)
L – Egg salad sandwich (sandwich bread) and dill pickles
S – Fresh fruit
D – Crunchy oven-baked chicken toes and shrimp, jasmine rice and mixed vegetables

Tuesday
B – Oatmeal and fruit
L – Artichoke Hummus Wraps
S – Honey crisp apples and peanut butter
D – Onion soup, green salad and garlic bread

Wednesday
B – Lemon-blueberry muffins
L – Tuna pasta
S – Fresh fruit
D – Tofu lasagna rolls, sauteed broccoli and rosemary focaccia bread

Thursday
B – Yogurt and granola parfait and fruit
L – Leftovers
S – Pretzels, olives and cucumbers plate
D – mushroom barley soup

Friday
B – Apple sauce and bagel w/cream cheese or peanut butter
L – Green salad w/vegetables
S – Fresh fruit
D – Homemade pizza

Saturday
B – Yummy cinnamon rolls
L – Leftovers from the week
D – Sautéed vegetables over brown rice and corn bread

I have linked to the items that I have already shared at Milk & Honey Mommy. Eventually, I hope to have more recipes of the foods we eat posted so you can see how we put them together.

What’s on the Menu ~ Thinking Ahead

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:19:22 GMT

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had lost my desire to cook; I mean real cooking. Well, gladly it returned, but as I started putting my menus together of things I wanted to make, I noticed that a certain and same ingredient was missing, which prevented me from making many of those meals. It was vegetable broth. So far, I have only found two soup recipes that we like that don’t require broth. One is white bean soup (my quick-go-to soup) and the other is minestrone and pesto soup, which taste great with cheese biscuits.

I eat soup year-around, but I feel fall coming and I want more soup. I finally took the time and made two batches of broth. Most of it is already gone after being used in a few soups that I made. The rest has been placed in the freezer ready for me to defrost whenever I need it for the next time I’m ready to make more soup.

{Make this quick and easy vegetable broth and use or freeze until needed.}

Sunday
B – Buttermilk Biscuits and omelets
L – Eating elsewhere
S – Eating elsewhere
D – Big green salad and rosemary focaccia bread

Monday
B – Smoothie and toast (bread)
L – Egg salad sandwich (sandwich bread) and dill pickles
S – Fresh fruit
D – Shrimp tacos, Mexican salad, and tortilla chips

Tuesday
B – Oatmeal and fruit
L – Artichoke Hummus Wraps
S – Apples and peanut butter
D – Onion soup, green salad and garlic bread

Wednesday
B – Cinnamon swirl muffins
L – Tuna pasta
S – Fresh fruit
D – Sweet & sour chicken and green salad

Thursday
B – Yogurt and granola parfait and fruit
L – Lentil rice balls and steamed vegetables
S – Pretzels, olives and cucumbers plate
D – Spinach and chick-pea soup and onion biscuits

Friday
B – Apple sauce and bagel w/cream cheese or peanut butter
L – Green salad w/vegetables
S – Fresh fruit
D – Homemade pizza

Saturday
B – Yummy cinnamon rolls
L – Leftovers from the week
D – Sautéed vegetables over brown rice and corn bread

I have linked to the items that I have already shared at Milk & Honey Mommy. Eventually, I hope to have more recipes of the foods we eat posted so you can see how we put them together.

Cooking Mojo {lost and found}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 22:33:11 GMT

My cooking mojo… I lost it. I’m not sure exactly where, but I had it one day and when I turned around, it was gone. Over the past months in my absence here, I have fed my children enough cold cereal to actually make them hate it and now accept it, which I don’t really like. A couple of mornings ago, when I actually felt like cooking (not really), I offered to make some real food and was refused because “cereal is faster.” They didn’t want to wait.

Their preference for fast food may be attributed to the fact that we have become familiar faces at some of the local fast food restaurants in our town. The lady at the donut shop reaches for our favorite donuts when she see us coming through the door.

Subway and Taco Bell have become favorite answers when I ask my children what they want to eat. Subway employees already know which sandwiches take cheese (and the type of cheese) and which one does not. Taco Bell, I don’t know what is wrong with them. They still managed 95% of the time to get our order wrong despite the fact we order the same thing every time. Plus, I always went inside (because they get it wrong) so I would be sure they were able to read my lips when I placed our order. I guess there is a reason for it being cheap food. You don’t always get perfect or what you order. One thing in their favor is my favorite burrito sauce, but I can make that at home now.

Well, this morning, I woke up and I felt like cooking. Not the hard-boiled egg type of cooking, but the pancake making, meal-planning kind of cooking. So far, I’ve made two meals for the upcoming week, sliced vegetables to be grilled for dinner and have a pumpkin pie (made from scratch – crust and filling) baking in the oven now kind of cooking. I think I may have a few more meals in me tonight, but I have other chores to complete.

I think it is back; my cooking mojo and it feels kind of good. Would you like to see what we’re eating this week? See our menu for the upcoming week.

What’s on the Menu ~ Getting Back on Track

Milk & Honey Mommy — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:44:38 GMT

So, I know I haven’t been posting our menus for a while, but don’t worry because no children went hungry, starved, or were malnourished over the past two, three, five months…Oh, just make that seven months. Everyone was fed at least three meals everyday, had full tummies, and didn’t catch me off guard too much whenever they asked me what was for dinner. I will say that not having a menu made the week more challenging because I had no plans and plans make most things runs more smoothly. Well, this week, I have a plan and you may see it below.

{Make these buttermilk biscuits for breakfast or dinner.}

Sunday
B – Egg & Cheese Buttermilk Biscuit
L – Eating elsewhere
S – Eating elsewhere
D – Sautéed Vegetables over brown rice and corn bread

Monday
B – Smoothie and toast (bread)
L – Tuna fish, and carrot and celery sticks
S – Fresh fruit
D – Burritos, Mexican Salad, and Tortilla chips

Tuesday
B – Oatmeal and fruit
L – Artichoke Hummus Wraps
S – Apples and Peanut butter
D – Onion Soup, green salad and foccacia bread

Wednesday
B – Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
L – Egg salad sandwich (sandwich bread) and dill pickles
S – fresh fruit
D – Chicken Toes, Green Peas, and Jasmine Rice

Thursday
B – Yogurt and granola parfait and fruit
L – Lentil Rice Balls and steamed vegetables
S – pretzels, olives and cucumbers plate
D – White Bean Soup, green salad, and toasted bread/sandwich

Friday
B – Apple Sauce and Bagel w/cream cheese or peanut butter
L – Green Salad w/vegetables
S – fresh fruit
D – Homemade pizza

Saturday
B – Waffles
L – leftovers from the week
D – Spaghetti, green salad, and garlic bread

I have linked to the items that I have already shared at Milk & Honey Mommy. Eventually, I hope to have more recipes of the foods we eat posted so you can see how we put them together.

Sewing to Summer – Project#1

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:18:51 GMT

So, here it is. This is the fabric piece that is going to go from being absolutely nothing to a fabulous something. I will tell you that the piece of clothing is going to become something for Lily. The question is, will it be a top, a bottom, or a full body something?

* What do you think?*

You can read more about my Sewing to Summer project. If you would like to link-up, then do so here. Please include a picture of the fabric you are using and any ideas if you know what it will become. Also, if you would like, then share pictures of your sewing area. I sew everywhere in my house because I don’t have a dedicated space. It may be time to make one since I’ll be sewing to summer.

If you would like (although not required), then feel free to grab a button to include in your post or side bar.

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Sewing to Summer

Milk & Honey Mommy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:15:17 GMT

I have to say…I originally started this plan last year. I was excited and the expectation of having a nice wardrobe of summer clothes and making room in my house was more than enough motivation. At least, that is what I thought. Well, I did manage to make a few clothes (or rather finish projects I already started) like these here and this one here too, but my big ideas and dreams of starting and finishing several pieces of clothing before the arrival of summer was just that; a dream.

I like to sew. I’m not a seamstress. I just like to sew. Because I like to sew, that means I like to collect fabric and I like to collect a lot of fabric. When I moved across country, I brought two very large boxes of fabric with me along with a couple of full bolts (flats and tubes) of fabric that at the time of purchase, I envisioned making…hmm, something really cool, but I don’t remember what now.

So here I sit, almost three years after the move, still surrounded by boxes and a few more boxes of fabric. Since we don’t have space like we use to, I know something has to be done and quickly before I am forced to “toss and suffer the loss.” This got me thinking and I came up with a plan.

Most of the fabric I have is light-weight, like for spring and summer clothing. In the midst of rainy days, freezing temperatures, and weekly snow warnings of snow that never comes, but really should because it’s so darn cold, I decided I’m going to fight back! It may be winter outside, but inside with my sewing machine and me, all I can see are summer days ahead.

This is what my closet looks like right now. It’s empty (at least this section). By the time summer really arrives, I expect this area to be full of summer clothes. I am going to sew through my fabric piles until there is nothing left or until summer arrives. Either way, I’ll have a new wardrobe, more space in my house, and ~~an excuse~~ a justifiable reason to buy more fabric after everything is sewn.

Here are a few pieces in my stash. Do you see why I couldn’t give these away? I don’t know what, but they are going to make nice whatever they become, ‘tops, bottoms, or full body somethings’ when they are finished. I have decided there will be no pressure. I will sew at my leisure, but am committed to keep going until all of it is a piece of clothing. Just think, if I could finish something each week until summer, then I would have more than 25 new pieces of clothing. Yes, I have that much fabric and more.

Ahh, I learned my lesson last year. So, the new plan is to complete at least ONE sewing project a month until summer arrives which is Wednesday, June 20.

This is where YOU come into the picture. If you have some sewing projects you want to start, continue, or finish, then let’s hang out together for the next few months and see what we can accomplish through June. I am going to have a link-up each month on the following dates: 2/20, 3/20, 4/20, 5/20, and the final date 6/20. On each date, we are going to share something we have sewn and finished. It can be an article of clothing, home design, craft, or some other project that involves sewing and using up pieces of fabric that you have. I know there will be slip-ups along the way where you may purchase fabric and instead of reducing your stash you add to it. Believe me, that is fine and I totally understand. You just have to use one (or more – share as many projects as you want) of your fabric pieces.

Every once in a while, Lily will reap the benefits of my efforts and River and Canyon might even see something come out of it for themselves. Nothing can stop me now. I just need to remember to keep my fingers (and thumb) out of the way.

If you’re ready to see my first project, then take a look.

You can grab one of the cute “Sewing to Summer” buttons below to use on your blog sidebar and posts if you like, but it isn’t required for you to participate. I’m just hoping this will motivate others as I am motivated to finally sew up a few of my fabric piles.

Are you ready to link up? Click here!

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Carrot Tomato Soup

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:50:36 GMT

Wow! We made it to the end of the month swapping soup. This has been so much fun and I want to thank the ladies at Ozark Ramblings, Reflections in the Window, and Think Outside the Box for participating. I definitely found some great recipes that I have added to my book and will be trying in the next few months because as you know, I can ~~slurp~~ eat a bowl of soup anytime of the year.

A few things that have been nice about the soups that were shared is that they are quick and easy and don’t require a lot of prep time or cook-time. After seeing some of the soups, I may have to start using my crock-pot for something other than making hot chocolate. I even bought some split peas.

This is the last soup recipe I have to share for the swap. It is one I found on the Soule Mama Web site. Amanda suggested “adding a fresh sprig or two of oregano or thyme atop the tomatoes” if you like more flavor in the soup. I would suggest you doing that because although I liked the soup, it could have used a little more flavor. I know salt works really well in those instances, but sometimes you just don’t want to do that to a meal, especially when it’s homemade.

2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 lbs tomatoes, peeled* and sliced in half with stems removed
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
(optional) fresh sprigs of thyme, oregano or rosemary
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced
5 medium sized carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the tomatoes and put them on a baking sheet.
3. Pour all, except two tablespoons, of the olive oil over the tomatoes.
4. Set the reserved olive oil to the side.
5. Add the salt and pepper to the tomatoes.
6. Put the tomatoes in the over and roast for 30 minutes.
7. In a medium sized pot, add the butter and reserved olive oil and warm over medium heat.
8. Once the pot is warm, add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften.
9. After the tomatoes have finished roasting, remove the herbs and place the tomatoes in the pot.
10. Add the stock.
11. Continue cooking the mixture in the pot for about 15 minutes over medium heat until the vegetables are soft.
12. Once cooked, puree the soup using a blender or food processor.
13. Put the soup back into the medium cooking pot and warm for serving.
14. Add chopped basil and heavy (or light) cream an attractive garnish.

Enter your link and share your soup recipe. Be sure that you have a final picture of the soup recipe and that you link directly to the soup post you are sharing.

If you would like, then you may use one of the soup swap buttons in your post or on the sidebar of your blog.

Pea, Leek, and Broccoli Soup

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:29:05 GMT

It was purely a visual prompt that made me make this soup and not the combination of ingredients. It was pretty and sometimes that is all it takes for me to make a recipe. It was also a quick, throw everything into the pot type of recipe which is another thing I like when it comes to making soup.

1 onion, chopped
2 cups leek, sliced
8 ounces unpeeled potatoes, diced
3 3/4 cups vegetable stock (make your own stock)
1 bay leaf
8 ounces broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 to 3 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste
pepper to taste
parsley leaves

1. Add the stock, bay leaf, onions, leeks, and potatoes in a medium pot and cook until the mixture boils.
2. Once it boils, then cover pot, reduce heat, and cook for another ten minutes.
3. Then add the peas and broccoli and cover the pot to bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Once it boils, reduce the heat, and cook for another ten minutes and then set aside to cool.

REMOVE THE BAY LEAF BEFORE THE NEXT STEP
5. Using a blender or food processor, puree the mixture until it is lightly smooth. It will still be a little bit chunky, but try to remove as much of the chunks as possible.
6. Next add the parsley.
7. Add the salt and pepper and blend the mixture again.
8. Spoon the mixture back into the medium pot and reheat before serving.

Enter your link and share your soup recipe. Be sure that you have a final picture of the soup recipe and that you link directly to the soup post you are sharing.

If you would like, then you may use one of the soup swap buttons in your post or on the sidebar of your blog.

Game of Your Life {review}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:33:38 GMT

Family movie nights are back. Actually, they didn’t really go anywhere, but Family Movie Night by Wal-Mart and P&G are back with a Game of Your Life which is a new feature that is sure to entertain even the geekiest ones in your family.

This time, we meet highschooler Zach Taylor – a.k.a. technology wiz, gamer, and a young man who proves that being “geeky” is totally cool. Zach is one of several students who is accepted to the Digital Institute of Game Design (DIGD) which is a prestigious learning institute where the best of the best in technology and design attend. This rare opportunity offers hims the chance to study under gaming legend Marcus Bentton and gives him the major jump-start he needs to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional video game designer. Zach’s first challenge is making it through the first three months which is the “make it or break it” period for the freshman class during which many students will be eliminated from the program.

Zach is partnered with his two roommates (stereotypical, but occasionally funny geeks) and a former online game friend that make up a team to tackle their first school project that depends on the special skills of each member; Zach being a designer. Everything is running smoothly, until Zach learns that his father’s financial struggles are continuing to grow which could result in loosing everything he has known – his father’s business and Zach’s childhood home that is the only place he has left to remind him of his mother who died years earlier.

When Zach is presented with an opportunity to work on a special secret project with Marcus Bentton and also earn some money, he jumps at the chance despite the warning given to the students at the beginning of the year to only concentrate on their school work. With the belief that he can handle the work required of both projects, Zach begins dividing his time and energy which soon proves to be too much for him. While trying to juggle everything, Zach begins to let down his teammates who trusted him, threatens his academic status in school, and also eventually learns that the one he admires is truly not one to be trusted.

See movie trailer:

Game of Your Life is a nice addition to Family Movie Night. As the movies in this project continue to be released, I have to tell you that I get excited when I learn of a new title coming out. I also like that there was more racial diversity in this movie which I hope continues. I think regardless of race, we all like good family-friendly movies and it is nice to see some of all of us depicted in a positive manner at one point or another.

We watched this movie on one of our family movie nights and it was fun to enjoy an upcoming television show that my children (and yours) and I could watch together without me having to worry about the content being inappropriate. I also like the fact that these movies provide lessons to be learned by the characters which opens up an opportunity for discussion during (I talk all of the time.) and after the movie.

Put this one on your schedule to watch on Friday, December 2 on NBC. You can connect with other Game of Your Life fans on Facebook and also see what people are tweeting about the movie on Twitter.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given screen access to this movie for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

Christmas Lodge {review & giveaway}

Milk & Honey Mommy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:37:32 GMT

I am so ready for Christmas that I am even looking forward to the little bit of snow (like here and here) that we have gotten in the past years. Yep! I said it, “come on Christmas…come on snow.”

Along with the great expectation of the season – delicious food and festive music – comes some good movie watching and I have already seen two great Christmas, family friendly movies that have only heightened my excitement for the upcoming celebration.

Christmas Lodge is Thomas Kinkade on the screen and what I mean by that is if you are familiar with his magnificent artwork that draws you in and makes you want to be there, then that is exactly how Christmas Lodge makes you feel. The spirit of the season, family, faith, holiday traditions, and preserving the past all come together in this adorable movie that you will enjoy with your family and will want to make a family tradition to watch in forthcoming years.

On a weekend getaway to the mountains, Mary stumbles upon the Christmas lodge after rescuing a little girl who turns out to be the daughter of the owner (Jack) of the lodge which has fallen into disrepair over the years. Immediately upon entering the lodge, memories of many Christmases spent there with her family pass through her mind as she learns of Jack’s vision to return the Christmas Lodge to “her glory.” The only thing stopping him is the lack of funds.

Determined to salvage a place that had such a tremendous impact on her family, Mary uses her professional skills for building restoration, enlist the building construction skills of her family, and partners with Jack to make the lodge a place where other families can come and enjoy, as her family did, and make new memories. As Mary helps Jack rebuild a family treasure close to his heart, she also opens her heart to true love.

This movie is a wonderful pick for all family members and made for a great family movie night for us. Mary’s close relationship with her grandfather, who actually inspires her to work on the project despite its challenges, is one built on love and hope, a mutual respect for the outdoors, and the belief in the miracles of God.

Oh, and the romance. Never did it make me blush, but it was still sweet. It was just the way you want it to be when you are watching a movie with your children.

Watch the trailer:

Oh, you know you want to win this one!

GIVEAWAY PRIZE
One (1) lucky reader will win a copy of the Christmas Lodge on DVD.

HOW TO ENTER
Complete the required entry below. Once the REQUIRED entry has been done, then you may enter additional times by leaving an extra comment for each bonus entry completed (or have already done – ex: already an E-mail subscriber).

REQUIRED ENTRY
Leave a comment on this post and tell me a Christmas tradition your family has or a favorite Christmas memory (because I love stories).

BONUS ENTRIES

* like Milk & Honey Mommy on Facebook – 1 entry
* become a public blog follower (box in bottom left corner) – 1 entry
* subscribe to Milk & Honey Mommy updates – 1 entry
* follow Milk & Honey Mommy on Twitter – 1 entry
* Tweet this giveaway (you may use this text if you would like: @veggiemommy – Win a DVD copy of the Christmas Lodge at Milk & Honey Mommy until 11/24/11 http://bit.ly/tLpeD9 . – 1 entry

GIVEAWAY RULES
The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and you must be at least 18 years old. The winner will be notified by E-mail and given 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway ends 11/24/11 at 11:59PM CST and the winner will be announced 11/27/11 and listed on the Official Winners List.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

The Forever {to Make} Dress

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:47:18 GMT

I feel like I’ve been talking about this dress forever. When I looked back on previous posts in this section, then I realize that I have been talking about this dress forever. It could be because it seems like it took me forever to make.Well, I’m done. I finished it a while ago, but I never shared any pictures with you of Lily wearing her new dress. If you know Lily, then you know that it is quite difficult to have her just stand in one place (and be quiet). She has to either sing or dance.

Sometimes, it is both and she doesn’t just sing for you, but she sings for anyone within a three mile radius to hear. She is just that considerate.

Well, this dress made her want to just dance and dance she did.

I didn’t want her hair to be bare so I made her a matching head band to wear. It hasn’t spurred the crafty hair-bow making magic in me, but I’m sure I’ll make a few more hair accessories for her before she turns 18.

I love her in dresses and am going to have to get an earlier start for next spring and summer because it took me so long to make this one. Dance on Lily! Mommy will give you something to really dance about next year.

Just in Time for the End of Summer

Milk & Honey Mommy — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:05:38 GMT

Well, I am happy to say that I did finish and with about 22 more days of summer to go. One thing that is good about living on this side of the map is that it will be warm enough for at least one, maybe two more months for Lily to wear the dress. After taking a look at it almost two months ago, I set the dress down again and every time I went to my sewing closet, there is was staring me hard in the face. I didn’t like that especially since the dress won the stare-down.

I have been trying to go through my fabric piles and sew up what I have before buying anything new. That is the same for any notions (buttons, thread, etc.), so instead of buying buttons special for this dress, I dug into my bag of loose buttons and found these for her to choose from to go on her dress. I use to buy buttons (like one buys shoes to go with something they’ll later buy) because they were pretty. So along with my bag of loose buttons I also have another big bag of buttons that are still on their cards waiting for that perfect outfit they will adorn.

She chose this pair. I liked another, but after sewing them on the dress, her dress, I thought she made an excellent decision.

I really like how the top-stitching turned out on this dress. It still looks dressy with its gaudy gold top-stitching.

I use to double-fold my seams where there would be no raw edges showing anywhere, but sergers just make it too easy, save a lot of time, and still give me that neat look I like underneath the dress.

It must look just as good on the inside as it does on the outside.

This is what it looks like on the outside. Lily will be wearing the dress to church on Sunday so I’ll have a picture of her in it. Anticipation. I just can’t wait, but I will.

It’s About Time

Milk & Honey Mommy — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:42:59 GMT

It’s about time that I finish this dress for Lily. I started making it last summer with the anticipation of her wearing it with her pretty brown strapless sandals. The dress is still here waiting on me, but the sandals are about ready to be tossed in the trash because she has worn them to the point of the straps coming apart from the shoe. They were really cute sandals and they would have been even cuter worn with this dress.

The pins have even managed to stay in place keeping the fabric together just waiting for me to sew a few more stitches. I made the dress one size larger than it needed to be so she could get two years of wear out of it. Well, if I don’t finish it this year, then she will not get any years of wear.

My signature top-stitching is always to be found. Although this is a dress, it did not escape the top-stitching. Not too many pieces of clothing, no matter how dressy or fancy, manage to escape my need to top-stitch. I think that urge came about long ago when I use to make my jeans. Yes, I actually use to make my jeans. The pattern was a designer Vogue pattern. I made some pretty good looking jeans and ohhhhhh the top-stitching.

Well, back to this dress. I guess I’ll go ahead and finish it so she can wear it before the winter chill begins.