Keeping It Simple

  In my life this week...  I am following Jen's ( Forever, For Always, No Matter What ) lead and joining The Homeschool Mother's Journal. I also desperately needed some inspiration to write this week. It has been a bumpy one! In our homeschool this week... it is all about the basics. The cold that we caught last week knocked my two youngest boys on their bums in a big way. On the good days, we did math drills, typing practice, spelling, and reading. I think we will be back to our version of normal next week. Homeschooling advice or tips to share... keep at it. Just when you are sure that nothing is working, all of a sudden it does! I am inspired by... my daughters.   At different times this week, I was talking to my two daughters who are moms of their own little ones. I already thought that they are wonderful moms, but I realized just what thoughtful attentive parents they are. I could learn a little from them! Places we're going and people were seein...

I know everyone does not love Pinterest. I actually was put off by it for  a while (I found it overwhelming!). I do love it now.  It has a few benefits to me: The first is that I can see my bookmarks/pins. While I had labeled folders on my computer with the "finds" I came across on the internet, when I tried to find a saved link, I would have to search through several to find the right one (if I found it at all).  The second is that I get to see all of the things that others think are pin worthy. I don't often venture into "explore all"- I follow those pinners that I think will have pins that I find useful and glean from their findings.  The only downfall that I can see- too much time could easily be spent playing on Pinterest! I really do try and use it like the useful tool that it is. Just occasionally I will sit down with a cup of tea and browse around for fun.  Here are some...

These girls are great! I did this craft with them during break at Spanish co-op. I had thought that all the kids (9 total) might get a chance to make them, but while this is a simple project, it is also time consuming. Add to that, I did not make arrangements to have extra hole punchers and paper cutters, so each crafter had to wait for the tools. In any event, their pumpkins turned out great, and I had fun with working with the girls.  You can see complete instructions for a paper pumpkin craft at Martha Stewart .  Cut Paper  Hole punch strips at both ends.  Attach string to brads and insert brads through holes at both ends. Spread strips to make pumpkin shape.  It actually takes a few minutes to separate the strips.   Cute pumpkins!  Very nice.  We did not have the materials to add the leaf and stem embellishments in the original instructions, but the pumpkins a...

*Note in advance: The pictures I chose don't necessarily match the text. They are just random examples of crafts that we have done in our home. Crafts vs. Art I recently read an article about this. Mind you, the article did not say that crafts were bad, but it seemed to imply (to me) that crafts were inferior to art. I just want to give a brief plug for crafts. In our home crafts have been used for: Learning concepts - Time to learn shapes? First we read a book about shapes (Tana Hoban is a favorite!). Then I tell my child(ren) that we are going to make something using shapes. I have a ziploc bag of precut construction paper shapes (depending on the age, I may trace and the child cuts) and a large piece of construction paper for the background ready to go. After pulling the pieces out of the bag one at a time ("can you find the blue rectangle?"),  my child gets to organize the shapes into a truck. When he is done with that (we t...

I knew I wanted to make these pretty Poinsettias with my kids as soon as I saw the post at "The Crafty Crow". Along with a tutorial, there are some book suggestions to go with this craft as well. I should note that my boys made theirs with 5, not six pedals as a flower would have, but that was just how they like them- and it may have been easier to glue that way. Either way, I think they are adorable. This post over at Muffin Tin Mom has pretty much the same craft, but in white for stars.

I know it is January- but it is never to late to document! :) We were limited on time this year, but managed to get a in a few fun crafting days. Mod Podge- the new favorite thing around here:                                                                                                                                       ...

Super easy decorated backpacks  tutorial by my wonderful daughter:

When I saw this craft tutorial for fabric pumpkins, I thought even I can do this! When my sister saw my pumpkin, she thought- hey, my sister can show the girls how to do this! :) And, I was happy to. The girls were happy to oblige and perfect their fabric pumpkin making technique: Place a TP roll in the middle of a plastic page and stuff other plastic bags around it.  Place the whole thing in the center of a piece of 27" fabric and begin folding the fabric into the center of the TP tube.  Continue all the way around.  Choose some twigs and leaves for the pumpkin stem. Embellish your pumpkin with the leaves and twigs as you see fit. How's that for super cute?! :)  Thank you girls!! You are always so much fun to work with. :)