Our Week in Review
A few of the happenings around here this past week:
Daddy was off work Monday, and we enjoyed spending some extra time with him. J. is becoming pretty good at smacking balls — we're thinking it's time to upgrade him to the real deal!
I let E. feed K. again. They love it and it keeps them occupied while I'm making dinner. It's a mess, but it sure is cute!
I made a bittersweet discovery yesterday. We have a plum tree that I never knew about! It's way in the back mixed in with a bunch of other scraggly trees. The plums are small, but they are sweet. It's too bad I discovered it when there were only 2 plums left on the tree. Hopefully I'll remember next year that's it's back there!
My mom and I took the kids to yard sales this morning, and it was an absolute waste of time! We found nothing, and I got everybody up early for nothing. The positive to that? They're all taking good naps!
If you want to see more behind-the-scenes life at our house, you can follow me on Instagram.
Exciting News For Homeschoolers (Plus a Giveaway)
The first ever “Build Your Bundle” | |
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| For one week only (July 21-28) save up to 92% on bestselling homeschooling products, including MANY on Cathy Duffy's Top 100 list!  Not interested in entering the giveaway, but you want to be remindedwhen the sale goes live? They will send you a reminder email! Click here and enter your email address and click “Remind Me!” | |
Take a Sneek Peek at Our Bundles:
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 | Tots & Preschoolers BundleThis Bundle includes products for little ones:
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Kindergarten – 3rd Grade BundleThe K-3 Bundle includes products in the following subjects:
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 | Elementary: 4th-6th BundleThe 4th-6th Bundle includes products in the following subjects:
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| Middle School BundleThis bundle features a full language arts curriculum from Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 picks and two science curricula, one of which is also from Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 picks, as well as:
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 | Bundle for High SchoolersThis bundle features:
You will receive enough materials for a full year of |
| Charlotte Mason BundleThis bundle features a complete curriculum using the Charlotte Mason Methods for:
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 | Bundle Just for Moms!Save money, strengthen your marriage, and streamline your schedule using our Mom Bundle. Find the encouragement you need and the insight to speak to your child’s heart (even that difficult child!). Whip your home into shape and train your children to do their chores effectively using a popular book “chores program”. This bundle brims with useful tools to help you bring |
“Build Your Own” BundlesOur “Build Your Own” bundles offer you the opportunity to select a certain number of products with a retail price of $19.99 or less for up to 80% off! We have MANY items to choose from, including Cathy Duffy Top 100 Picks!When you purchase a combination of any 2 “Build Your Own” bundles, you will get the 3rd one at 50% off! |  |
25 Ways To Have Fun as a Family In Your Backyard
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post; I am a Kmart blogger, although all opinions are my own. #KMartSummerFun
This summer you can get outdoors and spend time with your family without having to leave your house. Here are 25 ways to have fun as a family right in your backyard! No matter your children's ages, and no matter what toys and equipment you own, there is something for everyone on this list!
1. Play on the swing set
2. Pull your kids in a wagon
3. Have a Nerf gun war
4. Cool off in a swimming pool – large or small
5. Have a water gun fight – you can use water guns or old squirt bottles you have lying around the house!
6. Enjoy a backyard picnic – we enjoy eating our lunch outside on a blanket or just sitting on the back porch with a treat.
Enjoying a smoothie together on the back porch
7. Swing on a porch swing
8. Relax in a hammock
9. Make mud puddles and let your kids play in them
10. Run through the sprinkler
11. Play Kickball or soccer
12. Play catch with a baseball, football, or Frisbee
13. Teach your child to ride a bike
14. Go on a nature walk – I like to take the kids around to see how many different kinds of flowers, bugs, etc. we can find
15. Make a scavenger hunt for your kids
16. Build a campfire and roast marshmallows – when we clean up the yard, we'll burn the branches that have fallen.
17. Set up a tent – Sleep in it or just have fun playing in it during the day.
18. Plant a garden
19. Build a tree house
20. Set up a bird feeder – I especially love watching the hummingbirds!
(Photo credit to my mom)
21. Jump on a trampoline
22. Draw with sidewalk chalk
23. Exercise together
24. Blow bubbles
25. Lie in the grass and watch the clouds – this was one of my favorite things to do as a kid!
What would you add to this list? Do you have any favorite family activities that you do in your yard?
If you're looking to add some backyard toys to your collection, you'll find some good ideas on the KMart Hot Deals page!
Free Printable Arithmetic Flashcards
As I gear up for another year of homeschooling, I try to save as much cash as possible. But flashcards are not something which I feel I can do without. They are so important for solidifying those arithmetic facts!
“I have moved all of my homeschooling posts to christianhomeschoolfamily.com. You can go here to read this post at the new site.”
Daily Supplements for the Busy Homemaker
We all know that it's ideal to get your nutrition from the food you eat. But if we're realistic we have to admit that doesn't always happen. For one thing, much of the food available isn't as nutrient-dense as it could be due to depleted soil. For another thing, we homemakers are just plain busy! We don't slow down enough to even eat at all sometimes, much less to eat with intention to help our food digest and be properly absorbed.
But we can't afford to let our bodies live on less-than-stellar nutrition. Ask me how I know.
These are the things I take every single day to help make sure my body has what it needs to function properly and be energized:
Micellized D3 – Vitamin D is so important for keeping the immune system functioning properly! The best source is from sunlight, but many people are still deficient. These drops are the easiest for the body to absorb. It would be good to have your levels checked before you supplement and have a dr. prescribe the right dosage. I am currently taking 10x the amount suggested on the bottle, but only because that is what the dr. ordered based on my levels!
Garden of Life RAW Probiotics – therapeutic grade probiotics; one of the few brands that arrive refrigerated so that they stay alive!
Garden of Life Cod Liver Oil – Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, and DHA are crucial nutrients to my health, especially when breastfeeding. Taking a spoonful of this everyday ensures I get what I need.
Liquid Chlorophyll – provides magnesium and helps…ahem…keep you “regular”. I used to buy the NOW brand, but I don’t see it on their site right now.
Vitamins – I can tell a huge difference in my energy level if I don’t take my vitamins. These are an organic, whole-foods (non-synthetic) vitamin and herb blend. I will probably always take the prenatals, pregnant or not. I've found a good product, so I think I'll stick with it!
All of these items except for the Vitamin D I purchase through Vitacost as they usually have the lowest price. You can also get a coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase if you go through my referral link.
Find more of my favorite products to purchase from Vitacost here.
