Time to LOVE Housework!

Several months ago I wrote a post that shared my epiphany about Falling in Love With Housework.  Today, I realized that I forgot to include one very important aspect of daily life that will do more to help me love my homemaking tasks than any how-to or self-help book!

The missing element: God.  I learned this from today’s posting at Bia’s Blog, entitled Finding God in the Mundane. 

Grazie, Bia, for helping believing homemakers find more joy in their daily tasks–you are an inspiration! 

The Perfect Books for Summer Reading!

What a wonderful series of books I have discovered!  After a gruelling semester of full-time grad school and teaching children in my home school, my mother referred me to the enchanting Mitford book series as a great way to relax and enjoy the summer.  She was right!

I wish I could put into words the inspiring, even therapeutic, effect that this book has had on my soul in recent days, but it is impossible to describe.  My advice: go out and read this book yourself!  You won’t be disapointed! 

It says on the cover that At Home in Mitford (The Mitford Years, Book 1) is a New York Times bestseller–I am not at all surprised.  Millions of readers can’t be wrong! 

What are you waiting for?  Get down to your local library and get a copy!  This book is not to be missed!

Great Freebies for Frugal Types

Special thanks to Monica at the Homespun Heart blog; her posting about freebies and rebate shopping really opened my eyes to the possibilities for saving if I just pay attention to my circulars!  Here it is:

Super Savings!

Believers Unite!

 Check out the great video below; I am so excited and impressed by the media attention that has surrounded and helped promote Ben Stein’s movie “Expelled”  about education versus creationism!  I just had to put a plug for this movie in my blog, hoping that all of my bloggy friends who believe in God will spread the word about this film to their believer friends and family.  There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending my money on films like this that have meaning.  I pretty much gave up on cinema after ABC news did that expose about major companies (like Disney) owning small film companies that produce p*rnography, but next weekend you will find me happily waiting in line to buy my tickets to this film:

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php

P.S. Please note the movie’s PG rating and lack of profanity!

For more about this film in the news, click here:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=aaaa574c6e7b49999b3b

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=65dbc3c673ab376adf59

 

Quick, Healthy, Crockpot Breakfast

Some time ago, I learned this trick for yummy crockpot breakfasts from Ann’s blog; I am so glad she posted it again, and with photos this time!  This is something every mom should know to make–it saves so much time and hassle; thanks, Ann! 

Cute, Comfy, Yet Modest Clothing!

 

I just have to post about my favorite looks-good and feels-good skirt: the Buckskin by Feel Good Fashion. This skirt isn’t made of buckskin, of course, it has a suede-ish feel to it, but is light and stretchy, though it looks formal and dressy—I love it!  While working in the Church nursery each week, I had become tempted to start wearing cotton-ey “frump clothes” until I discovered companies like Feel Good Fashion who make beautiful dressy clothes that feel as comfy as my favorite sweats!  Who ever said that women have to suffer in uptight, dry-clean only, un-kid-friendly fabrics and restricting shapes to look lovely??

Here is a picture of my skirt:

 

Best of all, these companies specialize in modest clothing; especially those great cover-up shirts for those of us who hate pulling our shirts down all day (due to the universality of low-rise jeans!).

Now, some of these companies are WAY too pricey for my tastes (remember, I’m a frugal gal–no way have I ever paid $30 for one of their shirts in my entire life!), but if you can order during their post-season sales or host a “clothing boutique party” in your home for one of their reps, you can get these darling (but expensive!) skirts like mine for free or at a major discount! 

Here are my top picks; if you know of any other modest/comfy/cute clothing companies like this (working outside of stores), please send me a link and I’ll add them to the list!

DownEast Basics

ModBe

ModesTee

Divinita Sole (modest bathing suits!)

Vintage Hem (skirt extenders)

Shade Clothing

MollyMe

Coverwear

Modest Lengths Shirts

Feel Good Fashion

Layers Clothing

Mika Rose

Mia Bellina

Christa Taylor

Shabby Apple

More on the Wheat Shortage

Wow–ever since my posting about the Wheat Shortage last month, I have had a lot of mail and input from blog readers–thank you so much for keeping me informed!

I had assumed that we wouldn’t feel the pinch of rising wheat prices until next year, but check out these news reports:

http://www.newsday.com/features/food/ny-liwhea215585718feb21,0,2822608.story

http://cbs5.com/consumer/bread.price.wheat.2.655722.html

http://video.nbc5i.com/player/?id=221137

Thanks, again, for the input!

Talk about Organized!

As I was perusing the darling goods for sale at the Little Bits blog, I was enchanted with the organized state of her sewing room!  I sure wish my sewing room looked like this!

Also, scroll through the photos of her school room and notice how perfectly organized and inspiring are her shelves, toy bins, etc!  (this entire blog has great ideas, so be sure to look at more than the posting I linked to here!)

Making History FUN!

Thanks to Susan Wise Bauer’s The Story of the World sets for children, history studies are like playtime for my children!  Some days, however, I find I don’t always have the time to get to the library and obtain Bauer’s “supplementary readings” (to go with each lesson) or do all the lesson activities the way I would like to.  But without additional readings or activities, children too easily forget what was learned during history lessons.  What to do?  Here is one solution:

Last year, I started assigning the children their own “personal reading assignments” that corresponded to our current history topic.  A favorite resource for these assignments were the Magic Tree House series guides.  Even for students whose reading levels have surpassed the Magic TreeHouse series, these guides make history fun!

I also let them look at some educational web sites with interactive history activities which also helped history come alive for my children and got me “off the hook” for not making it to the library like I want to!

What other resources could I be using to help reinforce our history lessons???  Please post and let me know!

Helen Keller Discovery

Big thanks to the New England Historic Genealogical Society for making this rare photograph and its story available to the public; it really added to our recent homeschool discussions about Helen Keller and our readings of her biography as well as that of Anne Sullivan:

http://www.newenglandancestors.org/hkeller_release_feb08v2.pdf