Beloved - 365 Devotions For Young Women

As my daughters begin their high school journey, it's important to me that they learn the discipline of a daily personal devotion time. The culture attempts to pull our children in so many directions, and so many of those are not good roads. I'm grateful for publishers like Zondervan, who are dedicated to putting out quality, Biblically based resources for our young people. We have had the opportunity to review the teen devotional, Beloved, 365 Devotions for Young Women. I received a copy of this devotion in exchange for my review, with no additional compensation.

When we received this book, I was pleased to find a beautiful, hardcover book of good quality, beautifully designed with deep blush and pink, and a ribbon bookmark to keep track of the day that we are on. Unlike other devotionals which use specific calendar dates, this one begins with "Day One", and so on. I like this very much, as it allows you to begin at any point in the year. Each devotional has a Bible verse at the top, followed by a short paragraph that relates to the topic of said verse. The bottom of the page has a few blank lines in case your teen would like to add a note or two. The devotions feature women of the Bible, and speak on many issues that young women will find helpful. Relationships, identity, loneliness, faithfulness are just a sampling of topics found within these pages.

For now, at least for the purpose of this review, I have used this as a morning get together before we start our day. It is a nice way to begin our day, before we jump into our studies or other activities. Eventually, I will have my girls use this on their own, for personal study. For now, I am enjoying the extra time of fellowship with them. This is a lovely book that would be a meaningful gift for the young woman in your life.

Ellie Claire Art Journals

I have always loved art, as in creating art. It began in my childhood, with brand new packages of freshly sharpened crayons, and a clean sheet of paper, or a coloring book. That was sort of the gateway medium for me, leading to markers, paints, oil pastels, and...gasp, glitter! Lol. There is something so cathartic about a quiet afternoon, and some good art supplies that is simply, magic. That being the case, I was very interested in participating in this review campaign for Ellie Claire Art Journals. There happens to be three of them, and lucky me, I have had the opportunity to check them all out, and I'm happy to share our experiences with them!

I say we, because I was very tempted to hoard them all for myself, especially after they first arrived. I had pictured a journal as a notebook style, such as you might compare to a three ring notebook. Nope, not even close. These journals are hardback, with thick, high quality paper, and with embossed covers. These are not your average journals folks. They are gorgeous. That being the case, I thought it would be more fun to have my 2 daughters join me in trying them out. We each chose one, and enjoyed some fun together time around the table, drawing, coloring, lettering...Interestingly enough, each of us chose the journal that suited our personality the best. So, allow me to introduce you to each journal...

The first notebook is the Faith & Lettering Journal. My 13 year chose this style as her notebook. It's been said about food, that a person "eats with their eyes" before enjoying a meal. I feel that way about this journal. With its bright pink spine, and a mix of turquoise, pink, and black flowers and inspirational quotes on the cover, it's beautiful. The inside does not disappoint either, as you'll find page after page of colorful letters, and phrases to trace, and then try free hand. Being a journal, there is also plenty of space to write out thoughts, prayers, or Bible verses. If you want to try out Bible journaling, this is a great way to learn how to create fancy lettering. There are also full pages that have colorful Bible verses. I almost want to remove them and frame them - but I won't because that would ruin the book!

Purchase this journal here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

The second book, which is the one that I chose, is The Illustrated Word Coloring Journal. This journal has a middle ages kind of theme. In addition to plenty of space for writing out your thoughts and prayers, there are full page coloring pages that are reproductions of various works of art. For some reason, and please do not think me too odd, lol, but when I'm coloring a page, I feel like I need a fancy cup of tea, some sort of English pastry, and a period drama on the t.v., Downton Abbey perhaps?

Purchase this journal here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Last but certainly not least, is the Illuminate Your Story Journal, and was the one that my 14 year old selected. This also has a middle ages flavor. The first few pages in this book feature fully colored descriptions of various manuscripts and their histories, including instructions in how to draw them yourself. There are a few pages here and there that provide space for journaling, but the majority of the journal is filled with beautiful letters that may be traced. practiced, and colored in as you like. There is also a ribbon bookmark, an attached elastic band for keeping a pen or other writing implement, and a pretty folder in the back for keepsakes.

Purchase this journal here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

We used a few different kinds of colored pencils and markers as we got artsy. I was curious to see how well the pages would hold up against each, and whether there would be any bleed through. I was so impressed! Even with the heaviest coloring, there was no bleed through in any of the journals! Oh, that wonderful, thick paper! We all love these journals, and give them an enthusiastic two thumbs up! I'm putting these on my list to buy for gifts this season, and I am certain that they will be well received. You will be hard pressed to find a better quality journal, and I am now a dedicated fan! Check them out for yourself!

Blizzard 2018

So, Thanksgiving wasn't the event of this past weekend. Our part of the world experienced a rare November blizzard, that disrupted our briefly disrupted our schedules. I can't say that I was thrilled with getting nearly a foot of snow this early in the season, but as we jump into the Christmas season, it does make it more festive. Here are some pics.

Thanksgiving Week

Oh my goodness, can you believe that Thanksgiving is already upon us? I don't know about you, but I am not ready at all. Hopefully, the next few days will be relatively quiet, so I can clean, shop, bake, and all around prepare for Thursday. We'll be having a small family gathering, so I'm not feeling stressed. For tonight, we're enjoying a relaxing evening of football and chilling. Happy Sunday!

Happy Veteran's Day!

On this, the 100th anniversary of WWI, I would like to say thank you to all of the veterans who have served, and are serving our country! My favorite veteran though, is my dad, who proudly served in the Navy. He always recalls his time in the service with fondness and nostalgia. Thank you Dad! I love you!

Kidzaw.com - Master Kitz The Starry Night - A Crew Review

"A Star Spangled Sky...that's a thing I would like to try to do" ~ Vincent Van Gogh

I have heard more than a few times, that many schools are cutting way back on their art programs. That always made me happy that we homeschool, because we have all the say on what goes into our curriculum. Sadly, I must admit that when our schedule gets crazy, as schedules sometimes do, art is what gets pushed out of the school day. I never would have thought that could happen in our household because I love art. Painting, sculpting, drawing, just creating, is something that I love. Art was a major for me in college. As a preschool teacher, it was the most important part of my class' school day. I love to get lost in a project. It may sound weird, but the smell of paint, the beautiful rich colors, the feel of clay, the moment when I find a composition that is simply...right, the process relaxes me. Yet, it has often been neglected.

All of that being the case, this latest review could not have arrived at a better time. My 14 year old and I were stalking the mailbox as we waited for Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com . This fun little kit has everything you need to create a personalized version of the famous painting from Vincent Van Gogh. What a fantastic, hands on way to learn about the masters of art! As our Homeschool Review Crew wraps up within a few weeks, this is a very nice way to end the cruise.

What's included in the kit?

- Reusable Artist's Tool Box

- Three Custom Paint Colors

- Custom Van Gogh Roller

- Sponge Roller

- Five Artist Quality Oil Pastels

- Two Pieces of Deluxe Art Paper (16" x 20")

- Composition Stencil

- Star Mask Sticker Sheet

- Van Gogh Learning Materials 

- Easy to follow Instructions

It is very easy to complete, from start to finish. You will definitely want to prepare an area before painting, because you will get painty! The only extra items required for this project are, a hard surface to tape the art paper to - we used cardboard, tape that peels off easily, and paper plates or a palette for the paint. 

The beauty of Master Kitz is that it combines the hands on fun of an art project, with the history behind the artist and in this case, his painting. Inside this kit is a sheet that features a simple summary of the life of Vincent Van Gogh. You might choose to use this project to enhance a study on Van Gogh, or famous paintings. You might also do this just for fun, which is what we did. When you open up the summary sheet, you'll find the easy to follow instructions inside that will help you recreate a beautiful print of The Starry Night.  Let me show you the steps in pictures.

The Summary Sheet. Use this as a quick history lesson, or as a jumping off point.

The summary sheet opens up to reveal the instructions.

Tape your paper to a sturdy, hard surface. We used a piece of cardboard. We used painter's tape, but it was actually too easy to peel off, so we secured it with regular scotch tape.

Affix the star stickers wherever you like. You'll peel them off after painting over them.

Pour some paint on your plate...

Roll that paint all over your paper.

Peel off the star stickers.

Put the stencil over the paper, tape it on, and paint black paint over the open spaces to create the buildings.

Remove the stencil, and you are ready to personalize!

Add your personal details to make this picture your very special creation.

Beautiful!

This is a fun, easy to complete project, suitable for, as the kit states, ages 5-105. Younger kids will need help with certain steps. The design of the toolbox that all of the materials come in, cause the paper and stencils to be rolled up. This does create a challenge in getting them to stay flat. I pressed the papers under heavy books overnight, but they still curled up a bit. Make sure your tape sticks well enough to keep everything flat, but not so much that it rips the paper when removing it. This kit says that it makes two projects, but we found that the star stickers stuck so well that they pulled some of the paper off, and could not be used again. Likewise, the stencil could probably be wiped off after painting, but it is fairly thin, so it could be tricky. So, we only made one print. Other than those very minor details, we really did enjoy the process of creating this project, and would work with other kits like these. What a wonderful, fun, and educational activity. Click the links below, and order a kit today!

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Leaves!

It's that time of year again, when every tree in our yard drops its leaves. You don't realize how many leaves a tree can hold until the Fall arrives. Up until now, we find the trees so lovely. Then they turn on us, lol. I really hate raking leaves. Fortunately, I now have two teenage kids, who like to make a little extra cash, and I am more than willing to pay them to do this odious task. So now, without further ado, I present to you, homeschool P.E. - for this week anyway, ha! Seriously though, it is a decent workout. Enjoy our photos. I'm just glad that the raking for 2018 is now in the books!

Lisa Tanner Writing - Balancing Diapers and Deadlines - A Crew Review

As a stay at home mom, one of the most annoying questions that can be asked is, "What do you do all day?". Can I get a witness? We know that our days have a seemingly unending amount of work involved, and we don't have the luxury of nine to five hours either. Nope, we go 24/7. Some of us are not only stay at home moms, but we homeschool as well. That keeps a body pretty busy, and when you throw in a work from home job to the list, life can get pretty hectic. So, moms, this review is just for you. How can you balance all of this, without losing control of your home, or your mind? Thanks to a fellow Crew member, her company, Lisa Tanner Writing, has provided us with the online course, Balancing Diapers and Deadlines . So grab a cuppa, and join me as I tell you about it.

This course was written with the "Mompreneur" in mind, meaning the moms that are either running, or thinking of starting, a business from home. "But that's not me", I hear some of you saying. Stay with me now. I don't personally have a business from home at this point either, but there are plenty of suggested  strategies in this course that every mom can find helpful. So, let's go...

The course outline is as follows:

- Welcome to Balancing Diapers and Deadlines

- Building Your Foundation with the Basics

- Minimize Your Decisions

- Minimize Your Decisions: The Annual Meal Plan

- Sustainable Growth

- Growing a Business with Your Kids Around

- Boost Your Productivity

- Closing Thoughts

When I heard that it was an online course, I first thought of live classes or videos, and I was wondering how I might fit it into my schedule. Is that what you think of? I was happy to discover that this course is not set up that way. It is beautifully simple and concise. There are no videos or live classes. It is really a book, with a short outline, and then an action step that can help you organize your household.

What will you learn?

- You will be encouraged! Life may feel chaotic now, but there are steps that can create a more              organized atmosphere.

- You need a goal. Decide what it is. Write it down

- Share your plans with your family, and the hoped for outcomes.

- Have a (flexible) daily family plan, and prioritize the most important tasks.

- Start the day with a family meeting to set expectations.

- Meal planning! This is where I often go sideways, ha. I found this section very helpful.

- Sleep, it's um, important!

- Free time. Have some fun sometimes!

- Set boundaries. Turn off your phone occasionally. Limit screen time, emails, etc.

- Get your kids involved. There are many smaller jobs that they can help with that will provide them     with experience, educational opportunities, and it helps you out too.

- Family writing time. I really like this idea! Set up a time where everyone has a set time to write. It     could be a creative story, poem, journal, whatever you like.

- Tips for working with children from infants to teenagers, including kids with special needs.

There are so many good ideas in this course. Don't let the title fool you. The mention of diapers may have more seasoned moms feeling that this wouldn't apply to their situation. As a homeschooling, blogging mom of over 11 years, I can say that I found plenty of great tips and reminders to make my home not only better organized, but flowing peacefully. I also think that  calling this a course might scare a few moms away, but it shouldn't . This reads like an encouraging workbook or study. I love that each section is short, and can be read within ten minutes, give or take a few. The action steps are helpful in getting you moving towards an organized household. 

The biggest areas for me to work on are planning each day. For me, that means getting up a couple of hours before the kids, so I can have my devotions, and emotionally prepare for the day. Then, I can determine which tasks need to take priority. Being an introvert, I need a time of quiet to charge my batteries. When I am able to accomplish these things before my girls wake, I'm in a better frame of mind, which sets the tone of the day on a positive note. I'll be revisiting this course a few times I think. I hope you'll check it out!

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