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Our Large Family Christmas Traditions
Christmas 2020 is upon us, and our Christmas traditions will hit full-on “go-mode” starting tomorrow. Tomorrow marks the official start of our homeschool Christmas break. In celebration, I am sharing our large family’s favorite Christmas traditions. Tree The first weekend of December marks the beginning of Advent and also my oldest son’s birthday. (He turned 18 this year which is CRAZY to think about.) The first weekend of December is also when we usually pick out a tree and decorate it. Some years we go all out and hang enough ornaments on our tree that I can almost hear its branches begging for every-living mercy. Other years we only do…
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An Open Letter to my Teenage Son on his 18th Birthday
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An Open Letter to my Teenage Son on his 18th Birthday
Today my oldest child turns 18. Legally an adult. I still can’t grasp that fact. It doesn’t seem like the sand in his childhood should be shedding its last grains into the bottom glass. I am a mix of so many emotions. There is the sigh of relief that the ball is fully in his court now and the pang of anxiety surrounding that same realization. He will now (for the most part) will be sorting out his mistakes on his own using his still green life lenses. There is the vain longing for all the spent time back again. To fix my own mistakes and re-live all the beauty…
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Our Large Family Christmas Traditions
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Free Crocheted Face Mask Pattern
Because if I am going to wear a facecovering, it is going to be patriotic. #Merica If your state is like mine, and they enforcing the use of masks in public indoor spaces, I got you covered. Here is a free pattern for a face covering. If you want it to be more effective, line it with a disposable coffee filter or fabric liner. These little guys whip up easy and I have designed them in 3 sizes. Adult/teen, child and preschooler. Please remember NOT to put face coverings on children under 2! Click HERE for the FREE downloadable PDF Pattern!
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Crocheted Play Food Cake – FREE PATTERN
My daughters have always loved to play kitchen, cafe and house. Play food has been a constant in our house for years because of this. The cheap plastic kind always rubbed me the wrong way. I wanted something more… I don’t know… CUTE! Over the years I have added all sorts of crocheted play food to my kids’ play kitchen. I tend to gravitate to making my own patterns because I like them made from cost-efficient yarn and designed to be the perfect scale for my kids’ small hands. Today’s “Featured Pattern Friday” is my very own! It’s a pattern that works up quickly with either bulky weight yarn or…
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Magic Ring/Magic Circle Tutorial
Ever wondered how to get a really tight close at the beginning of a crochet-in-the-round project? A magic ring or magic circle allows you to get a really tight center without having to fight working through a tight stitch. The idea of a magic ring or magic circle is that its a technique where you can easily work your first round of stitches in the same (large and open) center “stitch”. Then, when you are finished with your first round of stitches, close up the center tightly creating a very polished and cinched circle. I use this technique in almost all of my projects that are worked in the round.…
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Modern Crochet Pumpkin Pattern and Tutorial – FREE
Crochet pumpkins are all the rage right now, and now you can make your very own with my FREE crochet pumpkin pattern and video tutorial! Yarn: For the pumpkins pictured below, I used a variety of mostly worsted weight yarn that I got from Hobby Lobby. I absolutely love their “I Love This Yarn” acrylic. It is a good quality, soft, and reasonably priced worsted weight yarn. I have hoards of of it at home and use it for a lot of projects. I also used this bulky weight yarn for the ribbed pumpkin that was a steal from my local Wal-Mart at $2.97 a skein. Make sure you scroll…
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2019-2020 Homeschool Curriculum Picks
I am excited to share with you my large family homeschool curriculum picks for 2019-2020 with you! This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Organization This year I am keeping track of all my curriculum and lessons in my custom homeschool planner! I released this digital product earlier this year, and so many of you are now using it for your homeschool! It is the ONLY planner that has worked long term for my ever changing family! I print it at home and use this tool to bind it at home as well. The cool thing about the pro-click…
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Homeschooling, Public Education and Fear
When I shared on my Instagram last week about my son’s first day of public school, I got a few concerned messages from fellow homeschoolers and public-schoolers alike. Now before you go picturing my son as a little boy with a book bag that is bigger than he is and his first day of school consisting of paste and crayons… He has facial hair and a drivers license. He stands several inches above me and will be 17 in a few short months. He is entering public school as a junior. Still, the concern came from followers of mine who knew all those facts. I DO understand their side of…
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Basket System Organization Hack
I shared a while back over on my YouTube channel (are you subscribed? If not, click here!) about my life changing 3 basket system! It is an organization hack that allows you to be 100 times more efficient at cleaning up, and it will ALSO put your kids in charge of keeping up with their own toys. ALL WITHOUT NAGGING! Seem too good to be true? Think again! The reason this hack works wonders is because it is SUPER easy to implement! With a family of 10, things get left out constantly. We need to have consistent “pick up times” to combat the clutter. Our usual pick up times tend…
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5 Homeschooling Hacks to Make Learning Fun!
Being that I am a homeschooling mom, teaching my kids is, well, kind of… my job! BUT it can get monotonous sometimes. Today I am going to share with you five easy and seamless tips to keep learning fun and also fit into your daily life. This post contains a giveaway, so make sure you read to the end! This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. 1. Cook with your kids. Cooking is something we already have to do three times a day! Include your kids. Cooking is a life skill they will use forever. Do we really need…
