BE THANKFUL

We celebrate this holiday traditionally with family and food, helping less fortunate, giving thanks, etc... but let's not forget the history that started Thanksgiving to being with.  We thought it would be neat to make these simple sugar cookies after our school lessons about Plymouth Rock.  Any roll out sugar cookie dough works, or perhaps just chocolate.  Add some food coloring to the dough to get the desired stone color.  We used the rainbow for a purplish brown tint.  Roll into egg shapes, flatten a bit, and use a toothpick to punch the date.  Bake and voila.

 

PLYMOUTH ROCKS

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Back To School = Back to Work

By back to work, I mean, back to Home School.  Our dining room table is now loaded with fun supplies:  writing pencils, colored pencils, markers, paper, spirals, journals, and jelly beans.  Yes!
Jelly Beans! Who wouldn't love a sweet treat to eat after solving a math problem?  (Black Licorice are surprisingly a favorite here.)  Sometimes we use a bunch of colorful dice for random sums.  

 

Have fun with school.

Just roll with it!

 

Oh My Stars!

Blueberry stars that is!  These blueberries are from my local market and they are just awesome. Incredibly huge. Ginormous!  Is that even a word?
Well, it should be. 

 

I don't ever recall picking blueberries this size--in my life.

 

When I was a kid, we picked wild blueberries in New Hampshire after climbing Mt. Major.  In MA, I remember how I had to climb under nets (that kept the birds away) just to get near my Grandpa while he picked the berries which happily ended up in Nana's jam.  I have a dilemma.  Do I make my Nana's muffins?  Or shall I try my own hand at scones?  Or perhaps a jam to store away for my baby bee?  I have a feeling that I won't have my mind made up and these are going, going, gone.

 

Enjoy The Blue Stars This July

Spring A Ling

Happy Spring Y'all! 

I've been a busy bee weeding and gardening at Gram's, and building my very own garden at home. I FIGured that I will give my non-green thumb a chance.  I can bake and cook, but everything I try to grow either gets eaten, swiped by critters, or just turns brown. 
So, voila!  Here is my attempt at gardening...

 

I'm hoping for a healthy harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and basil.
The little blue pot is mini bee's attempt to grow cilantro.

Some of my homeschooling peeps gave me this kiddie pool gardening idea:

 

Simply drill holes at the bottom of one of those cheap plastic swimming pools for drainage and use as your huge gardening box.  I filled ours with Organic Miracle Grow mix and compost.

We put strawberry plants in it.  We can keep a close eye on everything since it's close to the house.

Any  critters coming near our gardens will be toast!

 

Hoping you get outdoors and enjoy Spring!

 

 

My Valentine, My Love

The month of February is a friendly reminder to express your love to your family and friends.  It is also a month to create heart themed crafts and recipes! 

Here are a few of the things we have been up to:

Journals:  handmade with paper, ribbons, and love

Handmade Valentine's

Heart shaped paper chains or wreaths

 

Heart Shaped Bacon for Daddy

 

We also made heart shaped pancakes (chocolate chip!) which are always a hit.  As for candy, it would have been fun to have the little conversation hearts, but all brands had the peanut/tree nut warnings on them, as well as every other bag of chocolate on the market.  So, we opted to buy a huge bag of red, strawberry, licorice which wasn't really a winner in this house.  My little one prefers her peanut/tree nut free dark chocolates which we special order from time to time from Vermont Nut Free.  Pricey, but worth every cent.  As for Mama, little handwritten notes from my love melt my heart.  I enjoy reading them with my morning coffee.

Espresso Your Love!
XOXO



 

NEW YEAR = NEW BEGINNINGS

2013 is off to the most exciting beginning for our family.  We have made a New Year's resolution to officially open a home school.  Today is the first day our Academy is open.  The pros, without a doubt, outweigh the cons and we are blessed with this amazing opportunity that has endless benefits. There are too many to list, and I highly encourage you to research the topic online and visit  your local library to learn the truths about homeschooling opposed to the misconceptions about it.

Wishing you a very Happy, Blessed, New Year!  

HOLIDAY CRAZE AND DESK MAKEOVER

Everyone seems to get caught up in the hype of holiday shopping...buy this gadget, get this jewelry, buy that plastic toy!  Well, not me.  I prefer practical, special, and meaningful. 
For example, I gave an antique desk a makeover for my little one. 
This is what the sad little thing looked like before I gave it some TLC.  Damaged top, broken hardware...

Lots of sanding, staining, priming, painting, waxing, new hardware, and voila!
  

 

 

Some sweet treats for my sweetie!

Now she has her own lovely space to create art or whatever her heart desires. 

I will be in the kitchen. :)