Play Dress Up, Learn History

What little girl doesn't love to play dress up?

I loved dressing up when I was a child. My two favorite costumes were a blue Cinderella dress made from one of my mother's old prom dresses and my Laura Ingalls Wilder costume from a long ago Halloween (when it was more about the treats and dressing up than the tricks and being scary). I still have some of my old costume pieces (sadly, the princess dress is long gone), and they started what became our Amigos' beloved dress up box.

Of course, over time, I added to it with finds from yard sales and thrift stores...nursing smocks, vests, interesting hats, and even a few bona fide costumes from the "After Halloween 80% Off Sale" at the consignment store. The box morphed into a trunk, then kind of took over the closet.

That's when I decided enough was enough and it was time to downsize the dress up supplies (or at least pack some of the less often used stuff away). I found a Samsonite suitcase for a few dollars at the thrift store and told the kids that this would be our new "dress up suitcase," and we worked together to pick everyone's favorite, most often used dress up clothes: princess dresses and crowns, aprons and bonnets, and tutus for the girls. Coonskin caps, cowboy hats and holsters, King's cape and crown, and knight's armor for the boys. A few animal masks. Some scarves and funny hats. Costume jewelry. Shoes.

In the end, it all fit in the large suitcase and things were better. But still, I felt there had to be a way to get the variety of play scenarios (they are currently limited to ballet, castle, and pioneers) without sacrificing the ideal of not having too much.

 

I finally found the answer. Amy Puetz of Golden Prairie Press has written a fantastic book about girls' clothing in twelve different time periods of The United States of America's history. From the Pilgrims and Puritans to a Turn of the Century Tea Party, you will find an inspired array of costume ideas girls of all ages will love (and I mean Mom, too!).

What I love best about her idea is the simple idea that many costumes can be made using the same basic dress simply by changing the embellishments, like different headcoverings, aprons, and cuffs on the sleeves. Absolutely ingenious! In today's world, where stores like Toys R' Us (and even catalogues we love like the American Girl one) tell our daughters that they need a different (expensive) outfit for each time setting, this minimalist, yet precisely detailed concept is just what we need to teach our girls that oftentimes less is more...but that doesn't mean you have to give up your fun!



Here's an excerpt from the book Costumes With Character:

In this book I share the simple idea of taking one dress and transforming it into styles from different eras.

Costumes with Character utilizes the concept of one dress costuming. With the simple addition of cuffs, collars, belts, aprons, etc., one gown can easily be altered to reflect the fashion of different time periods.

 

 

 

A simple dress can be used for so many time periods that it is an essential for any girl or young lady who loves historical costumes. When the dress is completed, the costumes are half done! Then add the accessories for each costume.

 

There are different ways to get a dress that will work. It may be sewn using a pattern, or you may make over a dress you already have.

Do you see how clever that idea is? Take ONE basic dress, then add accessories, and voila! A whole new dress up experience. An entire wardrobe spanning centuries from just one dress. Imagine how much less real estate that sort of a costume system will take up in your house. Revolutionary! I am completely sold on the idea.

Isn't his dress up outfit adorable?

It's done with a simple smock dress (kind of like a loose nightgown),

with the added accessories of a bonnet and an apron.

The bare feet are authentic, as women often went without shoes...

at least until they were in company.

 

 

Of course, at first, I was intimidated by the idea of having to sew dresses for TWO girls. I am pretty good at fixing old quilts by hand, and I am pretty good at turning jeans into fun things, but following a pattern, well, not so much. Then I read the above statements more closely and I finally saw the part that said, "You can make over a dress you already have." Aha! That I can do!

And I would have done it, if not for Tex's accident and injuries, and our extended stay at the hospital in West Virginia. But I decided we could still have fun with this excellent resource. Not only can you read all of the fascinating background information about the time periods, the women, and the clothes they wore, and see pictures of actual women from each time period, but you also get to see photos of the "Costumes With Character" take on the look. That makes it very easy to imagine how you can put together a similar look with things you already have.

That's when I decided to raid our "Dress Up Suitcase" and see what I could put together without sewing a stitch, to inspire those of you who are not so quick to pick up a needle, but would still be interested in getting your girls excited about history by incorporating some "living" history in your curriculum in the form of immersing themselves in the era by dressing the part.

Here's what we pulled together in about an hour. I used things from the girls' regular closet, as well as items (like the sunbonnets) from the dress up suitcase. The look isn't "perfect," but it was enough to get the girls interested in the pioneer spirit.

 

The only downside to the book is that it is for girls only. Poor Cowboy felt a little left out. I sure think it would be nice if Amy would make a boys' version of the book next! We'll have to pull out the coonskin cap and let Cowboy dress up like Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett in the meantime.

The Amigos all had a fun time putting together their new looks, and enjoyed hearing some stories while in costume, then left for a long session of "Pioneers and Fronteirsmen." We read aloud a great old book called My Favorite Place that night before bed and it had the best two chapter description of kids playing "Pioneers and Indians" in their yard and having the best time using their imaginations.

 

For those of you who ARE good seamstresses, Amy offers an additional set of printable patterns (some do require taping together to be complete), or you can size up the patterns in the original book on thin pattern paper to make her actul dress pattern, which seems fairly simple. I am hoping my mom, who is an excellent seamstress, might consider making each of the girls a dress (and a few of the accessories we don't have already) as their Christmas gift this year (hint, hint).

 

The information in the book is a great way to kick off a unit about Pioneer times, or any other of the twelve costumes/eras covered. You can see the table of contents and a sample of the book to see what else is covered. We added or plan to add more resources of our own as we progress through this period (we are doing American History this year), and Amy offers suggestions for enriching her lessons on clothing on her site, if you need some basic ideas of how to supplement the learning.

Here are some of the books we have been reading and will read more of in the weeks to come.

Other resources from our library to supplement our study...

Amy also offers other titles that cover historical topics, such as the "Heroines of the Past" Bible study series and "Ten Girls From History." You might want to check them out, too.

Do you think that some creative costumes and a touch of informed imagination would add a bit of character to your homeschool? Then check out Golden Prairie Press and Costumes With Character. You can purchase the ebook for $21.95 and the pattern set for $15.00. At the time of this posting, there was a 20% off sale going on, so don't delay to get the best price!

 

 

You can see what others on the Crew thought about this eBook and other products by Amy Puetz at the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog.
   

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the eBook Costumes with Character and the additional pattern set in order to fully evaluate this product and complete this review. All opinions you read are my own and no other compensation was received.

The ABCs of Character

Marcy at Ben and Me is hosting a "Blog Through the Alphabet" link up, so I thought I'd join in.

Since I just did a post on Our Favorite Character Resources last week, I thought I'd carry that theme over into this post and list all the character qualities I can think of for each letter of the alphabet. Teaching (and learning) character is so important for families...especially for us home educators since we are our children's teachers and most influential examples. It's not just the kids who need to build up their character, it is the parents, too...ouch! That can hurt, can't it?

I hate to admit it, but there are quite a few qualities on this list that I could use a bit of remediation on. How about you? This week I am focusing on P is for patience and peacefulness. Hubby is on a business trip and it seems that when he is gone, just knowing there is no tag-team relief at the end of the day makes it harder for me to practice my patience as well as I should. Thankfully, I do have Tex, my right-hand man, who helps share the load, and he also offers a bit of comic relief and encouragement from time to time, which is just when it is needed. What a blessing!

The ABCs of Character

A is for Apologetic, because being able to admit you did wrong and to want to make restitution for your wrong doing takes a lot of courage. It is also for Attentive, Alert, and Availability. If we are alert to the events that unfold around us, attentive to what is needed, astutely discerning what is important, available to offer our assistance when needed, and adaptable to many types of situations, accepting of differences and difficulties that may arise, and ardent about helping meet other's needs, then we will fill an important role in the Lord's Army. And don't forget to appreciate all you have. We are so blessed.

B is for Brave and Bold, because the world right now needs more Christians who are willing to stand up for truth and to not be afraid to tell it like it is (in love). It is also for benevolent and blessing, because being a blessing to others is what we are called to do.

C is for Christ-like because we should all try to be more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. Children need heroes, and I just wish when you asked kids who their hero is these days, more of them would say, "Jesus!" C is also for contentment, creativity, cautiousness, consistency, commitment, charity, chastity, caring, compassion, confidence, consideration, calm, convicted, cooperative, courageous, and cheerful...not to mention plain old character...Christ-like character, not be a character! (That's a lot of C words!!)

D is for Diligence and Dependable. We need to teach our kids to be hard workers, and to do every job as if it is for the Lord. They need to do their best work every time, until it is completed, without needing reminders. It is also for determined, discerning, decisive, discretion, and deference to others, with a little dreaming big for God thrown in.

E is for Endurance because times can be tough and we must be examples of how we will stick it out to the end, not just with our heads down and plowing forward, but with a positive and persevering attitude. It's not just whether you finish the race, it is how you run it. E is also for eternity in our hearts, excellence, enthusiasm, encouraging, efficient, equitable, equipped, and evangelistic.

F is for Forgiving. God forgave all of our sins, no matter how greivous...how can we do less than forgive our brothers and sisters for what they do to us? F is also for friendship, one of the Lord's precious gifts to us, flexibility, fairness, fearless, fortitude, and faith.

G is for Grace. Without grace, where would we be? We need to be sure we extend it to others, too. G is also for the gratitude we should approach each day with, as well as for generosity, gentleness, gallant, gregariousness, and the gifts we are uniquely blessed with by God.

H is for the hospitality we should extend to others. One thing we should strive to do as Christians, and as homeschoolers, is to make our home a place where we can openly invite others so that our testimonies can influence their lives, and their testimonies can influence ours (and our children's). H is also for humility, which is so important. If we all saw others as being more important than ourselves, as the Bible instructs us to do, our world would be so much more hospitable. H stands for helpful, honest, honoring, happiness, harmonious, and hope, as well.

I is for initiative because we want our children to not only do what we ask of them, but to do what they see needs to be done on their own. If they can't unload the dishwasher that needs unloading or get their math assignment done without our asking them to do it, how will they go forth and do the Lord's work? I is also for being interested in others, and for being inquisitive and intelligent.

J is for being joyful in all situations, even the ones that are difficult. This does not mean that we should laugh during times of sorrow, but that we have that deep feeling of abiding joy we get when we recognize that our heavenly Father is in control of our every circumstance. J is also for the justice we should try to uphold, while leaving vengeance to the Lord.


K is for kindness to others, even our enemies. Every time we are kind to someone, we are showing our love for our Lord and Savior. K is also for growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:18

Dowload a copy from thegirlcreative

L is for LOVE. "And now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is love..." 1 Corinthians 13:13 L is also for learning, which is a lifelong process, level-headed, and loyalty to others.


M is for mercy, which we should offer to others abundantly for immeasurable mercy has been offered to us through Christ. M is also for meekness, for we should consider others as being better than ourselves, and for modesty, which is its companion.

N is for nurturing, a way to care for and encourage others. It is also for Near to God, for if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. James 4:8

O is for obedience. First, obedience to our parents, then obedience to our Lord. After that, O is for orderliness, which is helped by being organized. By being observant you will be able to see what the Lord needs you to do, and if you are optimistic, you will show others how to base their feelings on the hope that is within, Jesus Christ.

P is for patience, which I always need more of, since patience leads to better character, and better character leads to hope (Romans 5:4).  P is also for punctual (just in case others aren't so patient), and for prayerful, persistent, persuasive, practical, prudent, pleasing to God, peaceful, and pure.

Q is for quiet of spirit, so that you can hear that still small voice within. It is also for being quick to respond to God's call.

R is for respectful of others and reverent towards the things of the Lord. It is also for being responsible, for those who can be counted on to be responsible for the small things will be entrusted with responsibility over greater things. It is also for the righteous defense of the Word of God, and for being resourceful by making the most of what you are given.

S is for the self-control by which so many other seeds of virtue are developed. It is also for our submission to higher authorities, starting with God. Then it is for sincerity and sensitivity, security and sacrifice, and lastly servant-leadership, if we want to be more like Christ.

T is for all of our God-given talents, which we should develop and not hide. It is also for being thoughtful and thorough in all that we do. T stands for being thrifty to better use the resources God has given us, as well as tolerant of other's imperfections, and truthful about all we say (without forgetting to be tactful, when necessary).

U is for understanding of others and their God-given uniqueness, and for seeking unity of Spirit within the body of Christ.


V is for living victoriously in Christ. It is also for having Godly values, maintaining Christian virtues, and for valor in battle (spiritual ones included).




W is for wisdom, which begins with the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 9:10). It is also for being willing to go where the Lord calls you to go, and to do what the Lord calls you to do. W is for having a welcoming spirit to those you encounter, and for maintaining that sense of wonderment when you consider the awesomeness of all of God's creation. Don't ever lose that...

X is for the eXcitement you feel as you eXplore God's marvelous universe on your way to becoming and eXpert in whatever field He calls you to, always maintaining a standard of eXcellence in all you do and say.

Y is for those times you say Yes, Lord, I WILL! It's also for the yearning in your Spirit for the things of God, and a desire to maintain yesterday's values in today's confused and despairing world.

Z is for that "Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Yay! My, oh my, what a wonderful day...Plenty of SONshine  Heading my way. Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Yay!" feeling I get whenever I think about heaven, our REAL home, where we will be in the presence of the Lord for eternity. What a wonderful day that will be! (Sorry, I couldn't think of a single character quality that started or included the letter "Z").

(source)

That said, I have some fantastically incredible news to share with you. Last night, after we went outside to gaze at the stars and the aligning of Venus and Jupiter with the moon, Firefly was in the mood for a very serious discussion about eternity and God, and she decided she wanted to ask Jesus to live in her heart and be her Savior and helper forever. What more wonderful news could a parent share than that? I hope you will rejoice with us and say a prayer for her future with Jesus as her companion and guide.

Last Easter

I hope you enjoyed my ABCs of Character Qualities. I'd love to hear what you are working on this week in regards to character. Also, please feel free to give me a heads-up if you think of anything I missed. I will be glad to add it to this list!

Blessings,

January's Project of the Month--Crochet a Dishcloth

Well, I did it! I learned how to crochet a dishcloth. 

I mentioned in an earlier post that I want to develop a new skill or do something I've never done before every month in 2012. I'd never crocheted before this month and I am happy to say that I now feel confident enough about my skills that I think I can teach the girls how to crochet over the next few months. I won't go so far as to say that I can make anything impressive like an afghan, but I do well enough to competently make what I want to make which is dishcloths.

Honestly, I've always looked at crocheting as being difficult. If you look at it being done by someone else and you have never even held crochet hooks before, it looks fairly complex. Especially if you are watching someone who has been doing it for a while and is FAST. I have had various people say they would teach me sometime over the years, but that never happened (probably because I never pushed the issue since I thought I would be all thumbs at it and wanted to avoid looking silly). 

Well, last month when I was Christmas shopping I was wandering down the craft aisle looking for supplies to put in the girls' Christmas gifts (sewing baskets), and I happened to see a set of crochet hooks for sale. I don't know what made me toss them into my shopping cart (maybe it was the four skeins of yarn a friend gave me a few months ago?), but I did it.

Fast forward to after Christmas and the kids have been outside playing, climbing trees and tramping through the "enchanted forest." Cowboy runs in crying because he's caught his favorite scarf (from Lady L.) on a branch and a portion of it unraveled. Aha! I say. I have a crochet hook. Maybe I can fix it...I manage to figure out enough by trial and error to passably repair the scarf, Cowboy is grateful and very happy, and I am intrigued. Maybe crocheting is not so hard after all...

A few days later I came up with my "project of the month" plan, and I decided it was time to just do it...let's learn to crochet! Well, I tried figuring it out using an excellent book my mom loaned me, but alas, the abbreviations and terms made no sense to me because I was starting at ground zero...absolutely no experience at all. I've never even watched someone crochet regularly! I needed to come up with another way to learn, but my friend who crochets and my mom were busy, not to mention, it was usually late at night when I had extra time on my hands, so I thought, "Why not see what the internet has to offer?"

Wouldn't you know that YouTube has loads of free videos on how to crochet? It turns out that a video was exactly what I needed (though Mom helped me one evening to fix my hand position...thanks, Mom!). 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Mikey is my favorite teacher. It is a little bit different having a guy as a crochet teacher (at least my kids thought so...they all came up at one time or another and said, "A boy?????"...even Boo thought it was funny!!). I think since Mikey is a guy, he doesn't assume you know everything, so he explains it all. I read once that women do better with learning to shoot in boot camp than guys because they don't have preconceived notions about knowing what to do and they are more willing to listen and take all advice. Maybe this is a similar thing...but sort of in reverse, and backwards, well, maybe you get what I mean.



Another basic lesson with Mikey. I don't know how much the two lessons differ, so I am posting both.



I wound up figuring this out on my own (we played around with making necklaces and bracelets out of these for a few days by adding beads to the chains), but this video is a good one.



This lady is very deliberately slow which is good when you are just starting. I would also start and stop the video while I practiced. I especially liked how she had the names of the stitches written on a white board for you to see...something about the written words plus the talking helped me, not to mention the fact that she shows what all those abbreviations mean in the crochet patterns!



Once you have the basics, I found that this video demonstrates five important stitches very effectively.



Here is one more version of four important stitches.

Here are a few websites with printed instructions and/or patterns:
Basic stitches
Picture Tutorial: How to Crochet
Basic Crochet Patterns and Charts
Dish and Washcloth Mania
Knitterly Stuff Basic Washcloth
Crochet n'Crafts Dishcloth
Peaches n' Cream Free Kitchen Patterns
The Good Life Spa Cloth Pattern

Well, here is how my first attempts turned out:

I used the yarn I had available and played around with the stitches until I felt fairly confident (that took about a week). Along the way, I wound up making about a dozen bracelets and necklaces for the kids, a few bookmarks, two "blankets" for small dollies, and a doll apron, hat, and shawl.

Finally I buckled down for the long haul and made this while watching a show one evening...

I mailed it to my grandmother since she likes to wash her dishes every morning to help make her hands feel better (the warm water soothes her RA). She was pleased as punch and actually said she'd never had a washcloth of this type before. I couldn't believe it...I thought these were a classic! I am glad I was able to introduce her to the best kind of washcloth in the world. Nubby, yet soft. Durable, yet pretty.

After a few more blue washcloths (which I am mailing to the grandmas), I finally went to Walmart and picked up some green and white cotton yarn (the type usually used for making washcloths). Green is the color I use in my kitchen (sage green), and white, of course, goes with anything. I also picked up a few of the darning-type needles for tucking in the ends of the yarn. I'd been using the small crochet hook, and that is harder. 

I think this washcloth turned out pretty well...I decided to keep this one. ;-) It took me the length of the movie "A Mile in His Shoes" to do from start to finish. Not too bad! Watching Mikey's video repeatedly helped me figure out the hand position that works for me and is most conducive to speeding things up and increasing my efficiency.

While I crocheted, Ladybug worked on her own project-of-the-next-few-months...an apron for herself. She got her sewing basket for Christmas and has been practicing sewing buttons and making doll pillows.

To make the apron, she gathered scraps from my sewing basket, found a small apron to use as a template, and laid out the cloth in a way that was pleasing to her. She is going to sew the pieces together, then we will cut out a pattern, trim the cloth, and she will sew the edges and trim the apron. She is doing a fantastic job!!

Firefly wants in on the fun, too, so she plans to break out the Build-a-Bear kit her Bubba bought her for Christmas the next time we have a sewing day. It's going to be so wonderful sewing with my two little ladies...and to think, this is just the beginning. *grin*

Next month, I plan to organize our home library. We will be sorting the books into genres and topics, labeling their spines, putting them into labeled baskets or on designated shelves, and perhaps even cataloging what we have. I have been wanting to do this for a loooooong time. The kids are very excited about this and both Ladybug and Tex have offered to be the official "librarians." Check back next month to see how my next monthly challenge goes!

Blessings,

My Monthly Challenges for 2012

Instead of making hard to keep resolutions this year, I have decided that each month in 2012, I am going to learn or do something I have been wanting to do, but have been putting off for whatever reason. It doesn't have to be something huge, but I would like it to be something that requires me to learn a new skill, or maybe something I have previously started, but not completed. Since each thing will be something I want to do, and will find enjoyable (if challenging), I am hoping that it won't be so tough to keep going on this project all year.

So far I have lots of ideas, but I am not sure which ones will work out each month, so I am going to keep this goal-of-the-month idea fairly loose. That way it will stay fun and not be high-pressure. I want the kids to be able to participate as much as possible, and to see me developing new skills and trying new things. That way they will get the idea that we are lifelong learners, and that if we put our minds to something, we can accomplish a lot and do things we never imagined we could...even if they are something we never thought we could master.

I want the kids to see me finding different ways of developing the new skills: from consulting friends, to looking in books, from watching videos on youtube, to taking a class. I also want them to understand that working at something can be FUN, not just drudgery. We are only given a certain number of hours here on earth...why waste them doing frivolous things when we can be doing things that have value to us and to others?

Here are some of my ideas:

• Learn to crochet dishcloths
• Learn to crochet towel toppers (the ones that button onto your oven handle)
• Learn to knit a scarf and/or hat
• Finish the yoyo quilt top that I plan to use as a tablecloth for our dining room table
• Make my own bath soap
• Make my own natural cleaning supplies and beauty products
• Make baking mixes and soup mixes from scratch (and store them for easy use)
• Organize our household library
• Get good at making bread using the Bosch mixer and Nutrimill grain mill
• Edge a hankie with the vintage supplies I got at the antique mall
• Learn to do fun girlie hairstyles on my daughters 
• Make a skirt out of blue jeans
• Make a skirt from scratch
• Trim and hem my lace curtain panels
• Learn to can veggies (I do freezer jams already)
• Learn to play another classical tune on the piano (I have a limited repertoire)
• Sew a set of cloth napkins for our family
• Go geocaching with the kids
• Sew a replica of the stitched picture I bought my SIL for Christmas (I wanted to keep it sooo badly!)
• Get my camera fixed and actually read the manual to learn how to use all of the settings!
• Clean and fix up our enclosed front porch so we can use it this spring/summer
• Get certified to foster/adopt

I will add more ideas as I think of them. If you have any suggestions of things you like to do that you think I might like to try, feel free to comment!

Blessings,

Happy Homemaker Monday

Weather: The weather in our neck of the woods has been oddly warm this winter. The poor trees and plants are terribly confused. My kids are confused, too. Cowboy keeps thinking it is spring because the small pear tree has fat buds on it, the flowering quince bush bloomed, and the daffodils are poking their leaves out of the ground. We had a gentle, but chilly rain early in the week, then the next day it was warm enough that the kids wanted to play outside with no coats. The Farmer's Almanac says we will have a huge snowstorm for Valentine's Day, but I'd just as soon skip the snow...

On my reading pile: Loved By Choice by Horner and Nartini (about adoption), Virginia Weddings (a collection of Christian short-story romances...yeah, a little light reading...what can I say??), and Finding Your Purpose as a Mom: How to Build Your Home on Holy Ground by Donna Otto.

Read aloud of the week: Andi's Pony Trouble by Susan K. Marlow. My grandma and grandpa always ask us what we'd like for Christmas for the kids. Usually, we've gotten magazine subscriptions for them, since that is so easy to order, and the kids love to get mail. This year, however, I got a catalog from Library and Educational Services and the prices on books were awesome, so I asked if I filled out the form with books for the kids (of equivalent value as the subscriptions), would they like to get the kids books...They agreed this would be a nice idea, and Firefly was the lucky recipient of a complete set of the Andi books (we reviewed one last year and loved it) that we will be reading aloud for the rest of the month. Yay! And thank you for the books Grandma and Grandpa!! (I got a set of Adventures in Odyssey cds which we listened to in the car tonight...it was an excellent was to spend forty-five minutes.)

On my TV: There's not much time for TV during the day (and we don't have cable anyway), but when I can't get to sleep at night (and have a headache, so I can't read), I have been watching old episodes of NUMB3RS on Netflix. Yeah, I know, it is a bit geeky...but the FBI stuff mixed with the math is actually an interesting combination. I have been thinking that some brilliant homeschooler ought to come up with a math curriculum revolving around those shows. It would be an intriguing way to spark interest in different topics since you learn about new methods and theories in each episode. I am certainly more into math since I started watching them!

On the menu for this week:
     Monday: Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and french bread.
     Tuesday: Baked Potato soup and biscuits.
     Wednesday: Spinach salad with chicken, pecans, mandarin oranges, and teryaki-orange-peanut oriental dressing (I know it sounds weird, but it is delicious). Bookmobile is today and friends come for a visit!
     Thursday: Tex offered to make cashew chicken for dinner. Nice.
     Friday: Pizza and a movie. The kids want to rent Mr. Popper's Penguins from Redbox.
     Saturday: Cheeseburgers and fries. Pickles for those who like them (not me).
     Sunday: French dip sandwiches (I cook a prime rib in the crock pot for about six hours with water and bouillion...the meat just shreds apart and the liquid makes a great au jus...we serve it on hoagie rolls topped with mozzarella cheese).

On my To-Do List:
     Housework...constant picking up (not so much fun) and trying to declutter, organize, and reduce problems in certain areas (challenging, but rewarding).
     Taking down Christmas stuff
     Three reviews due this week
     Helping my mom take down her Christmas stuff on Tuesday and she's going to go over how to use my sewing machine with me. Yes, I am admitting that it has been so long since I've used it that I've forgotten what to do. I like to sew by hand, but as I am doing more complex things, I am finding that the speed of a machine would help. I am not one to pass up on making something easier...
     Bookmobile comes Wednesday with a visit from friends of ours, too.
     Botox for my cervical dystonia and migraines on Wednesday...yuck. But it helps.
     Homeschooling...we are trying some new products and doing a bit of "unschooling" this month (exploring interests rather than heavy book work so I can get more done around the house). I will let you know how that works for us later.
     Fix my rocking chair, finish some trim in the bathroom, and start cleaning my closet.

What I am sewing or creating: I have taken an old denim skirt jumper that was too short for my taste and separated the top from the bottom. I am turning the top half into a vest trimmed with lace and new antique buttons, and the skirt part is going onto a modified pair of jeans to make a longer skirt. I will post pictures once it is done. I am also continuing to learn how to crochet. I graduated from making bracelets, necklaces, and bookmarks for the kids to making my first washcloth...it's not perfect, but it's not too bad, either.

Looking around the house: I am appreciating the Christmas decorations one last time before putting them away. I especially will miss the manger scene and how the donkey, sheep, and cows wander around it from time to time.

I am smiling when I see the parlor that is filled with the Toydle fort we recieved as a review item and gave the kids for Christmas...actually, I can't see much of the parlor at all since the fort takes up the whole thing!!

I am admiring the pretty paperwhites our neighbor gave us for Christmas that bloomed just a few days ago. They are a promise of good things to come in just a few months. They also remind us that though the bulbs were small and seemed plain when we got them, in no time at all, with just a bit of sun and water, they grew and became something beautiful...So, too, are we at times...we may feel as if there isn't anything remarkable to what we are doing (as a wife, stay at home mom, etc.), but given the right amount of time, the Living Water, and the Son, we can blossom into something remarkable with a long-lasting influence on many lives (those of our children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, etc.).

From my camera:

My kitchen Re-do...this is from last month.

My camera is on the fritz so I couldn't take a new picture, but since seeing the wallpaper up makes me smile, I decided to share it with you! It's because I feel like it looks so much better than it did before...more finished and permanent. The "wallpaper" is actally contact paper, and only cost five dollars for one roll. It's truly amazing how cheaply you can improve things in your home using very little money if you are creative.

On my prayer list: My grandmother goes home this week. She had a heart attack just before Christmas and spent the holidays in a convalescent center. I am praying that she will take the time she needs to get well and that she will not try to do too much too soon. My folks will be traveling out to help her soon. My mother-in-law just got out of the hospital, too, from complications following colon removal surgery. A neighbor's son has a detatched retina and will be having surgery. My mom's knee is terribly swollen and troubles her...we're not sure why. My headaches have been worse this last month (my Botox is late due to insurance issues). Bubba and his fiancee are potentially buying a house for him to fix up so they will have it to live in after the wedding...yes, I did say wedding!! ;-)

Bible Verse: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17

What does this verse mean to me? We listened to an Odyssey episode about envy while driving this afternoon and one of the illustrations it gave was about the grass being greener in your neighbor's yard...what should you do with that? Be jealous? Get spiteful about it? Blame someone? No, it explained that instead of getting envious, you should get busy. Get busy appreciating what you do have, and do what you can to make it the best it can be.

It made me think about this house we are in and how I sometimes don't appreciate it's smallness (is that a word?) Sometimes I am frustrated by it, and perhaps even a bit jealous when I go to visit someone who has a larger house, or one that is better organized, or has more options for expanison (more money, more time). It is easy to get off track and wallow in the self-pity and recriminations (Why did we buy this smallish house? Why can't we seem to get more done?) But lately I've been working on just DOING it...one thing at a time. One day, fix the cabinet pulls, another day move a door, one day straighten our the kitchen shelves, another day organize a closet...every little bit helps, and with each thing we touch and put love and effort into, we find more and more to appreciate about where we are. We find that this small space isn't as small as it seemed yesterday because it has grown with the love that has been put into it. Then comes the day when a tiny voice at my side whispers, "I like this house" and I smile, knowing that I do, too...even if it is a bit on the small side.

Something fun to share: Here's an awesome post from The Inspired Room with lots of links to craft room ideas. I've been having fun exploring them all.

Also, a good collection of Home Management Binder resources from Home: Made. Enjoy!

Blessings,

Heather

This post is linked up with Happy Homemaker Monday .

Our Homemade Christmas---Pictures of the Kids and Their Decorating

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the fruits of your labors to make whatever constitutes a Christmas celebration at your home special for your family...and that you are getting to slow down and appreciate all the many blessings that surround us all.

We are finally finished with all "necessary" things, such as the trip to WalMart for dinner supplies, decorating, mailing out cards and gifts, wrapping, and such, and now there is just the fun stuff left...like seeing how many kinds cookies we can bake over the next few days, snuggling on the couch with cocoa while watching a favorite Christmas movie, driving around to see the Christmas light displays, or singing carols around the piano while mom does her best to play them (out of her easy arrangement books!)

I took a picture of the kids the other day sitting around the piano and I wanted to share it with you. 

Merry Christmas from Blessing Farm!

That's Cowboy up top (age 6) and Tex to his right (age 14), with Boo on his lap (age 2)

Then Ladybug is on the left (age 8) next to Firefly (age 4) in the center

Here's a separate one of Bubba and his young lady, Miss A.

They are at my parents' house.

I thought I would share a few photos of the house and how we've decorated this year. If you read my previous post about the Christmas Dinner Table Crafts, you will know that we only found one box of Christmas decor this year...no ornaments for the tree, no Christmas cds (I miss the James Taylor one the most), and so on.  We did, however, find just enough of the important things to not really mind at all that Christmas will be understated this year. 

We found the manger scene, the Jesse Tree ornaments we made last year, the kids' advent calendar (just not the one my Grandma made...sigh), and some cute felt Snowmen and a stuffed Santa (my kids know the secret that Santa is just a symbol of giving and that Jesus' birth is the reason we have Christmas) who keep managing to migrate all over the house, having adventures with the angels and the reindeer. The usually all make it back to the base of the tree by nightfall, so they can go out again and have more fun the next day.

You can see that the plastic candy canes I bought at the Dollar Tree keep winding up on my chandelier. (I spent about twenty dollars and got colored balls, hooks, bows, tinsel, candy canes, stockings, and a few crafting supplies to make some ornaments and napkin rings for the table) 

The cat also keeps winding up on my table, tempted by the tinsel and dangly things...silly Molly. The stockings are from the Dollar Tree, too. We usually have the traditional red ones for decoration, but we don't fill them up. We always did that when I was a kid, but after Ladybug was born, then Cowboy less than two years later, and so on...it got to be too much (time AND money). 

Usually, we generally do three gifts per child: one to develop a gift they have (this usually costs the most), one symbolically cuddly gift (blanket, pj's, stuffed animal, coat, etc...to show we are loving them always), and a book (any reason to give a book around here...right?). This year we agreed to do just one bought gift per child at a lower amount than usual, to use the extra savings to put up a fence around part of the yard so Boo will be safer when he plays outside. I have, however made a few gifts for the kids. What do you do in regards to gifting at your house?

This is our manger scene, the most important part of the decor. The shepherds regularly move their sheep around, and the wise men are traveling...(the kids know they didn't arrive the night Jesus was born, but they love the camels and don't want to give the traditional wise men up.) I found a bunch of these older pieces at a flea market years ago. This year, Joseph, from the set my folks used when I was a child, is getting to be a shepherd (one of our shepherds was broken). He likes it, I think.

This is a hoot. I thought Cowboy stuffed poor jolly Santa upside down in the chimney of the tissue holder house my grandpa made, but it turns out it was Tex who had the sense of humor...This is the reading corner. Thankfully, our Christmas books were in the box we found! Yay!!

The kids made snowflakes at their homeschool 4-H meeting last Friday. I think they make fantastic decorations, don't you?

This is what has traditionally been the kids' advent calendar. The pieces are fluffy and it is made of sturdy cloth. They play with the pieces all the time, so it had better be! Jesus is still waiting to be placed in the manger...

Here's the piano with all the random other stuff that was in the box: the light up tree, some angels, a random angel snowman ornament...since I have so many helpers this year, I am not surprised when I find any of these things (well, not the glass stuff...they do know to leave that alone) elsewhere in the house, visiting Santa or the snowmen under the tree.

We were happy to find our Christmas carol music in the box, too, plus my mom found the best hardcover Christmas carol book with classical Christian art masterpieces on the facing pages at the library for a DOLLAR!! I just love it, and the arrangements are easy enough for me to play (thanks Mom!!). I have one book that is pretty, but every arrangement uses tons of flats or sharps and I just can't keep up with it. You have to keep it simple for me. The kids have been practicing Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and Carol of the Bells. That is sure nice to hear. They don't seem to mind my less than perfect playing, or singing, for that matter. ;-)

 

Here are our favorite homemade placemats that we love to use every year. Taking them out and using them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner really makes the kids aware that Christmas is on its way. You can also see one of the napkin rings we made with our crafting supplies. You can check out my post on how to make both the placemats and the napkin rings/ornaments (see picture below), if you have time to fit in one more Christmas craft. They are easy and fun to do.

This is the green tinsel wreath Ladybug made the other night. She was very proud of herself, and so am I! She did a great job, and I think our simple tree looks fabulous!

Last of all is the primitive wooden manger set on top of the kids' easy reader bookcase...and yes, this one gets a lot of play time, too. Well, I think that is just fantastic because Jesus is the reason for Christmas, and the more the kids think about him, the more they will appreciate the meaning of the special day when it finally arrives...and the more likely they are to make Christmas an EVERY day thing, which would be good for us all. 

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men...

Love God, Love Each Other...

and above all Praise Him!!!

Blessings to you and yours, and a very Merry Christmas to you all!!