I usually try to paint on Sunday evenings, but once I saw the pattern to make a little owl my hands itched to get to sewing. A rummage through my fabric scraps and I found a collection of black and white fabrics that I think were left over from when I made Zach’s quilt so many years ago. I had… Read More »First Little Owl
Teaching children at home has become the new normal for many families this year as schools struggle with new guidelines and restrictions for classroom learning. For families like ours who’ve been homeschooling for years, it’s just another year. But for those who are wading through all the information and advice for the first time, it may be overwhelming. I… Read More »Homeschooling Helps: Use Living Books
So much of my life seems to run parallel to a children’s’ book. Today’s theme was much like “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” (I love that book!) That very modest looking mudroom storage unit was the event of the day. It all started with an earlier than normal wakening. For the Littles, not for me. As I stumbled… Read More »If the Children Need Their Gloves
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it here (my apologies if I’ve mentioned it too often), but we have a few dancers in the family. Of my five children still at home, four of them take classes several times a week, and my youngest, Silas, takes classes a few times a month. Sophie, Emma, and Maddie have been dancing for… Read More »Beginning Nutcracker
One of the reasons why I wanted to get a new dog was to give me a good reason to get outside more. I know I shouldn’t need another reason to go outside, but there are a lot of things that keep me in – children, housework, schooling, etc. and I would often let those take priority. With a… Read More »Finds While Walking
The flurry of making over the last few weeks is finally wrapping up today, with signs of much activity all around. There are piles of fabric that need to be folded and put away again, pieces of string and fluff that need to be swept from the floor, bottles of paint that need to be put back and I’m not… Read More »Handmade Halloween
We celebrated Maddie’s fifteenth birthday recently with a simple day. She wanted to go shopping, something we don’t do very often, so Maddie and Zach and I drove to the nearest mall (45 minutes away). I don’t remember the last time I spent a day with just the two of them. While Zach was a little out of his element… Read More »Fifteen
I made these for breakfast yesterday. They’re simpler and quicker than the recipe I usually make, but just as much appreciated. It’s adapted from my grandmother’s American Woman’s Cook Book. Blueberry Muffins 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt scant 1/4 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup for a double batch) 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk 1 egg 2… Read More »Breakfast Muffins
After a week or two of getting to spend lots of time with my sewing machine, and loving every single second of it, and spending time thrifting and gathering bits and pieces for costumes, they evening finally arrived, and all our children (plus one) donned their clothing and accessories for a night of treat gathering. We had two girls in… Read More »Costumes for Treats
First of all, hello to all who are visiting from Miss Mustard Seed! I can’t wait to try out the tips she suggested in her Styling Photos post. But they’ll have to wait just a little longer, as we are in the midst of a Great American Purging Project. I can’t even show you any pictures of the inside of… Read More »Purging Project