gift and learning
Collapsible Bags and Baskets I’ve Used for Years
Just because bags and baskets serve a useful function does not mean we always have space to store all of those bags and baskets. Especially the ones that help us manage the more tedious aspects of our life. That’s why I’ve become a fan of collapsible bags and baskets for chores such as laundry and grocery shopping. They are available in all their full-size glory when I need them, but I can easily fold them up and tuck them out-of-sight when I don’t need them. Here are the collapsible bags and baskets I’ve used for years. Years, folks. If I’ve used something for years and it still works great, you…
Wifi Issues in a House with Stone Walls
If you know where the best spot in your house is for a wifi connection, this post is for you. If your internet slows down when multiple people are streaming Netflix at one time, this post is for you. If you’ve ever had wifi issues because of how your home is constructed, say with a lot of stone or concrete walls, this post is for you. I promise I’ll do my best to not let this chat about wifi issues become a snooze fest. Oh, goodness. You’re not already asleep are you? WAKE UP! We had numerous wifi issues when we moved into our Colonial Farmhouse. The stone walls combined…
Five Board Games Handy Husband Recommends
There are five board games Handy Husband recommends you all try this holiday season while you’re home hanging out with your loved ones. He says these five board games are guaranteed to help you pass the time more enjoyably. Guaranteed, huh? That’s a pretty strong word coming from someone who is not going to give you your money back. I asked Handy Husband if he would write this blog post himself, so you’d get a first person account of why he recommends these particular board games. After all, he’s the person who appreciates how well a game is designed, how often it can be played without getting predictable, the quality…
Books My Kids Are Reading Part 12
It has been a good long while since I’ve shared a list of the books my kids are reading! Since my kids were babies I have read to them each night before bed. My 7th grader seems to have aged out of this practice this year. *sniff* No, I don’t want to talk about it, but thanks for asking. My 4th grader is still very much into this nightly routine. Thank goodness. I don’t think my heart could take both of them outgrowing this tradition at one time. Here are the books he and I have read together recently that are worth recommending. He’s nine, but most of these books would…
Books My Kids Are Reading Part 11
It has been longer than usual since my last “Books My Kids Are Reading” post. We’re still consuming stacks and stacks of books, but not as many that I’m reading out loud to the kids. In fact, there are only three in this list that I read aloud to the kids and there’s a reason for that. My 3rd grader needed to work on reading comprehension. Since I am a sucker for reading “just one more page” when the kids ask, it was cutting into his nightly independent reading time. We did a nighttime reset so that he has a solid 25 – 30 minutes of independent reading time. When…
An Original Poem for Poem In Your Pocket Day
Tomorrow is Poem in Your Pocket Day. I think more of us are into poetry than we might realize. Many of those short sayings that get passed around on social media are actually poems or portions of poems. A perfect example of this is one of my favorite poems by William Butler Yeats. Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by W.B. Yeats Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread…
Presents My Kids Played With Longer Than 5 Minutes
I challenge you to find me one parent on the face of this planet that didn’t hear their children say at some point after Christmas, “I’m bored.” In certain dialects it could have also sounded like, “I’m booooored.” You find me that one parent and I’ll show you a person with their pants on fire. Or a parent who is wearing earplugs because they are so much smarter than me. Yes, yes. There were moments this holiday season that were magical. Joy-filled. Melt my heart. Worthy of a Hallmark card. Those are the moments I hold close to my heart while I let electronics babysit my kids because the week…
Books My Kids Are Reading Part 10
I’m back on this lovely Cyber Monday with the tenth installment of what my kids have been reading lately. My kids are 8 and 11 years old. That’s 3rd and 6th grades. I have one kid who goes to school with a book to read on the bus. I have another child who is ‘forced’ to read 25 minutes a day for homework. It’s a bit of a mixed bag in our household, but I still LOVE to read out loud to my kids and they enjoy that too! All of these books should be available in your local library. If you’re shopping online for children’s books this holiday season, please…
Books My Kids Are Reading Part 9
It’s been awhile since I updated you on what my kids and I have been reading together. How have you survived without this list?! My dad is out there right now saying, “I survived just fine!” Hahahaha! Before I get to the book list, I want to share my library receipt with you. I promise this is interesting. Our library recently started indicating on the receipt how much you saved by checking books out instead of buying them. On this trip we saved $262! Isn’t that a clever marketing idea? Alright, onto the good stuff. Our summer schedule has been pretty loosey-goosey and I felt like we haven’t been reading…
Not Your Usual Teacher Gift Ideas
My feelings on school starting ping back and forth at least 400 times an hour. Summer is the best. Why does it have to end? HOW long until summer ends? Lazy summer days are amazing. Crud. It’s only 8:07 A.M.! 11 hours and 53 minutes until bedtime. I’m soaking up every moment with my babies. You JUST had a snack! And so on and so forth. The one feeling that remains constant is my profound appreciation for the teachers and support staff who teach, nurture, protect and inspire my children. At some point in the year, I know I will be giving a teacher gift or participating in a classroom gift…
