I am hoping to make a new devotional for each month this year… that’s a big challenge, but it is something that has been on my heart. For March, our monthly theme will be Joy.… More
Which Calendar Did I Choose?
If you saw the updates to the previous post, then you will know I was having a hard time making a decision about which calendar to use.
Both of them had things I really liked, the vertical one was easier to find a place to put and I really liked the layout.
Continue reading “Which Calendar Did I Choose?”
Bible Chat: Daily Devotionals
I just wanted to share the Bible Study app that I’ve been using… it is so inspirational and keeps me on track.
This morning’s message was a reminder that GOD always keeps HIS promises… not maybe, but HIS PROMISES are for certain!
Continue reading “Bible Chat: Daily Devotionals”
Biblical Feasts: Celebrating Sukkot as a Christian
Please note that I am NOT an expert on the BIBLE or on any of the BIBLICAL FEASTS, but I know others are feeling led to celebrate the FEASTS as we are, so I am just sharing what we have been learning. This post, like many of my posts, is a helpful reminder for myself and a place to put links that I might otherwise forget about.
Who should celebrate the Seven Biblical Feasts?
Well, that is a debate among many, and I have been doing TONS of research. During that research, I read somewhere that we are not commanded to celebrate them, but we are invited to celebrate them as Jesus did. How would you feel if you had invited someone to celebrate with you and they didn’t show up?
First and foremost, I would say that you need to pray and see if GOD is leading you to celebrate… you should pray about any big changes in direction before heading down a path that life may be leading you down.
Holy Days vs. Holidays
I have read some theories that Thanksgiving may have actually been based on the Sukkot Celebrations… it lasted three days while Sukkot lasts for seven, so there may be some truth to this. They both occur around harvest time, and Thanksgiving was a harvest celebration when it first started. The Pilgrims were well versed in the Bible and Hebrew, so they may have adopted this celebration as a time to remember all they had been through.
Why celebrate Sukkot?
Secondly, you should do your own research about Sukkot. Find out the who, the what, the when, the where. the why, and the how… all of it! Then you can decide if and how you want to celebrate it. You can start by reading through Leviticus 23.
Continue reading “Biblical Feasts: Celebrating Sukkot as a Christian”
Is self-sufficiency possible?
I know there has been a lot of talk about self-sufficiency and I’ve even written about it a bit but can anyone truly be self-sufficient?
May 2025 Garden Walk and Updates
Hey y’all… time is flying by so fast!
I’ve posted a new garden video on YouTube with the link below but I’ll try to show you a few pictures here as well.
A Walk Through the Garden
A walk in nature always amazes me and reminds me that we serve an awesome GOD! We are surrounded by his love and mercy but often we get so caught up in life that we don’t see it or feel it.
We are so blessed to have an abundance of nature in our own backyard and garden… this reminds us our of creator every day.
It makes me ponder how amazing the Garden of Eden must’ve been… I’m sure that our garden can’t be anything close to that but it can be a place where we can talk to God and feel his presence as He surrounds us with His love. The burdens of this world melts around us when we allow ourselves to take in all of His glory.
Continue reading “A Walk Through the Garden”
Greenhouse update
Well we finally finished the greenhouse… it’s up and running at least 🙂
I still have some plans for more permanent shelves and such but we made do with what we had on hand for now and it’s working out.
Continue reading “Greenhouse update”
Household Routines File Set Up: Getting Started
Hey there!
If you haven’t read the post about the overview of our file system then you may want to check that out first. I’ll try to get it linked here:
To get started you need to figure out what you want your day to look like so you can set up your daily routines.
You may find it easiest to break you day up into morning, afternoon, and bedtime routines. You can find more information about setting them up HERE.
Continue reading “Household Routines File Set Up: Getting Started”
Special Holiday Meals: Our 1st Shepherd’s Dinner
Hi! Just wanted to jump on really quickly and share a few photos of our 1st Bethlehem/Shepherd’s dinner which will be happening on a yearly basis in the future… the timing might change a bit but we definitely want to repeat this!
Household Routines File Set Up: OVERVIEW
It’s that time of the year when we start thinking about resolutions for the New Year and many times they involve getting things to run a little smoother.
I’m going to share with you a file system that we had set up a couple of years ago and we still refer back to it every now and then or when things seem to have gotten a little off track.
We had a similar system set up many years ago and it really helped me get my house in order. We felt like we were always running behind and never getting caught up but our routine system helped us get and stay more organized.
I recently heard that routines have been proven to help you be more productive and less stressed as they lessen the number of decisions you have to make on a daily basis… it definitely helps us!
Continue reading “Household Routines File Set Up: OVERVIEW”
Making Space- An Advent Devotional
Just a quick post to let you know about this study I’m starting for Advent … I actually have a couple that I’m starting but I’ll try to post those links separately.
This one is intended to help us clear the clutter around Christmas and bring the focus back to Jesus. I love that it starts with John… the one sent to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17).
If this is something you might be interested then here is the link to the study.
Making Space- An Advent Devotional
I also love that they offer a variety of FREE devotional and studies. You have many options including the Bible version, music, whether you want to read or listen, and so much more.
This app and a couple of others have really helped me to get closer to God and helped me feel more BLESSED and less STRESSED… who doesn’t need to feel this?
Don’t add this to your To-Do list! Stop and check it out now!
May God bless you!
Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake
Rosella: Florida’s cranberry
We have loved growing this plant and we have enjoyed trying it out in many different dishes… plus it is so pretty!
Just wanted to share this article about Rosella.
Green Gardening Matters: Roselle: Florida’s cranberry
— Read on greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/11/roselle-floridas-cranberry.html
We had a bountiful harvest before Hurricane Milton and it looks like we might have another smaller harvest soon.
Click HERE to see our Garden Progress on YOUTUBE!
We were able to make 8 pints of jam… 2 have been eaten already! I used the recipe from the Self Sufficient Me site to make the jam.
If we harvest more then I would like to dry or freeze some to use for tea. I think a rosella/lemongrass blend might be nice!
Have you tried Rosella? If so, please let us know what you think and share your favorite recipe for it in the comments below.
God Bless!
Polar Express Planning
It’s hard to believe that the year is over halfway through… so many things have changed this year but we are so very thankful for all the blessings that this year has brought. I’ve learned a lot this year and I’ve really been trying to focus more on the Biblical Feasts and Holy Days vs the Holidays but the Polar Express is a time that our whole family enjoys and it is a special time that our family tries to get together.
Continue reading “Polar Express Planning”
Please pray for all those affected by Hurricane Helene!
Hey friends!
We made it safely through the storm with minimal damage. Others were not so fortunate and I’m sure that you’ve seen pictures of the devastation.
It’s truly heartbreaking to see some of our favorite places completely destroyed… wiped out completely.
Please pray for all those affected and for all those who are helping with the recovery efforts.
Thank you all!
God bless!
Hurricane Helene … please pray
Hey there!
Just wanted to pop in here real quick to ask everyone to please pray for all of those in the path of this major storm.
It’s quite scary looking and although it’s only a Category 2 at the moment it is forecasted to be at least 3 and possibly a 4 at landfall. The storm surge is being called ‘unsurvivable’… not something I’ve heard before.
Landfall is predicted to be sometime tonight… exact area is still unknown but everyone is preparing for its arrival.
There are multiple areas that have been under mandatory evacuation… these places have never had this happen before so this is telling us a lot already.
Our area will be on the east side of the hurricane which is called the ‘dirty side’. This means that we will feel the effects of the wind and rain but we will not have a direct hit.
Some forecasters are predicting that the outer bands will be just as devastating as the hurricane itself… quite a scary thing to think about.
The rain that this brings will cause massive widespread flooding. Florida has been getting a lot of rain already so the ground is saturated which means we may lose a lot of trees as well. This means there will be widespread power outages.
There are likely to be lots of tornadoes as well… these are not very predictable and can cause massive damages. Many counties have already had tornado watches and warnings.
This hurricane is also predicted to head north all the way up towards TN… I can remember the effects we had from Hurricane Hugo (Cat 5) when I lived up that way and it was pretty bad then.
This storm is HUGE and its impacts will be felt all over the southeastern United States… please be sure to get your supplies ready NOW and evacuate if you need to … don’t wait!
Please take just a moment to say a prayer for everyone in its path.
God Bless you all and we pray that you stay safe!
You just don’t know…
Whew!!!!
This weekend was crazy fun and exciting… there is plenty more excitement to come in the next few months though with a wedding and then the arrival of my first grand child… I just can’t wait!
This post isn’t an update on all of that though … we will post soon about that. This post is one that has been on my heart and maybe someone else needs to read it.
Continue reading “You just don’t know…”
So much to be thankful for!
This week we are super busy but I wanted to give everyone a little update. We made it through Hurricane Debby with only a bit of damage… mostly to plants and fruit trees. We’ve been cleaning up lots of limbs since the water has dried up a bit.
Perpetual Meal Plan – Fall 2024
I’ve been working on getting these meal plans finished and I’m over halfway there! I won’t go into a lot of detail but this is the same format as the Winter Plan, the Summer Plan, and the Spring Plan, but with a few different recipes to change things up. I really can’t tell you how many times my family has thanked me for these menu plans! They are loving all the benefits of having all of these meals pre-planned.
Continue reading “Perpetual Meal Plan – Fall 2024”
Special Request…
Hey there!
We have a special request for our followers… does anyone know how we could get in contact with Ms. Rachel from YouTube?
We have a special friend who has been going through a tough battle with AML and he recently had a bone marrow transplant. This has been an extremely challenging time for him and his family and it would mean the world to them if they could connect with Ms. Rachel.
Thank you all and God Bless!
Just a quick garden update…
We’ve been super busy and I haven’t had a chance to check in but all is well here.
We’ve been working super hard in our gardens and yard and the work is paying off as we’ve been eating quite a bit of fresh fruits and veggies that we’ve grown.
Here are a few pics that we’ve taken recently… maybe more than a few but we like sharing progress!
Click HERE to see our Garden Progress on YOUTUBE!
Continue reading “Just a quick garden update…”
Chicken Salad Tostadas
This recipe came about during a pantry challenge night… we were using up some leftovers and things that needed to be eaten from the pantry. I have incorporated several of these pantry challenges into our Perpetual Meal Plans to help us use up things in the fridge so they don’t go to waste!
We had made some chicken salad from some leftover baked chicken for lunch and still had plenty left over. There were also some soft avocados, refried beans, and some old corn tortillas that needed to be used up. (I had bought them for a different recipe and never made it.)
Mr. Awesome just kept layering things on his tostada and it was so GOOD that we will definitely be repeating these! Tostadas can be made with so many different things so don’t be afraid to get creative and make your own version!
Continue reading “Chicken Salad Tostadas”
Apple Dapple Cake
We have this recipe listed with our St. Patrick’s Day meal but this is good at any time of the year. Although it isn’t a traditional Irish Apple Cake I think that St. Patrick would’ve enjoyed this just as much!
We like to use Granny Smith apples for this cake but any kind of apple would work.
Continue reading “Apple Dapple Cake”
Our 2024-2025 Homeschool Curriculum, Schedule Plans, Resource Links, and Daily Routine – Lots of FREE resources!
It’s that time of year again for us… time to get the next school year planned out. We finished up our 2023-2024 school year before Easter and I’ve been busy gathering supplies and making schedules as I coordinate with everyone for vacations, holidays, and special trips that we have planned.
It is always SO TEMPTING to take a few months off to just focus on this house but I know from past experience that this doesn’t go well and that it takes FOREVER to get a couple of the kids back into the school routine. You can read more about last year’s curriculum and routines HERE.
We switched to more of a Charlotte Mason-style approach and it was GREAT for the most part. We still have a couple of kids who just hate anything to do with math so that’s been a little challenging but we’re making progress. We’ve also really enjoyed using some of the FREE courses with Under the Home Homeschool.
FREE Homeschool Planning Scratchpad
Continue reading “Our 2024-2025 Homeschool Curriculum, Schedule Plans, Resource Links, and Daily Routine – Lots of FREE resources!”
All-In-One Homeschool Portfolio Notebook Printables – Updates
I recently shared about the way I planned out our new homeschool year and included some FREE printables to go along with it… they have made life a little neater around here! Now I will share about the Homeschool Notebooks. We did use a similar system many years ago but I couldn’t find the post where I had shared them before so I decided to make a new post with some updates and some new printables.
You do not need to print these out but you can use them as a template for putting together your own notebooks or you can print them out and use them in binders… whatever works for you. We have done both of these in the past and I will try to post some pics of what our current notebooks look like once we get them put together.
Try color-coding your kids to make homeschool life a little simpler!
Continue reading “All-In-One Homeschool Portfolio Notebook Printables – Updates”
Get rid of the socks… not just the stinky ones!
Another quick tip for helping to control that Laundry Monster and keep things neat and tidy in the kids’ rooms is to get rid of the socks! I’m not talking about just the stinky ones, the mismatched ones, or the ones that have seen better days and I’m not saying to get rid of all of them.
You may want to consider getting rid of some of them though as it has been found that some people will tend to procrastinate on doing their laundry until they are out of socks and/or undies. If you only have a set amount of socks then you would, in theory, need to wash clothes more often. If you have more socks than clothes then you may, in theory, also buy more outfits which results in more clothes that have to be dealt with.
Continue reading “Get rid of the socks… not just the stinky ones!”
2024 – 2025 Homeschool Planning
There are so many ways to go about planning out a school year but this is the easiest way I have found for me to do this as we don’t use any one site or curriculum. I am usually gathering materials and ideas throughout the year so I try to jot them down or put them in a special place until I am ready to sit down and plan out what we would like to use.
This year I used the ‘Arts of a Balanced Home Education’ List from Brightly Beaming Resources as a guide for helping me to plan… it went along well with a lot of the Charlotte Mason ideas I have been trying to implement in our routines.
Continue reading “2024 – 2025 Homeschool Planning”
Eclipse Gardening 2024 – Picture Overload!!!
We had a great time watching the Solar Eclipse even though we didn’t experience totality. The kiddos did their Morning Circle Routine and then watched a couple of lessons about the eclipse. Then they had a quick lunch as they were so excited to get out and watch for the eclipse.
Keto Fried Chicken
One of Mr. Awesome’s most talked about memories of his Granny is about her Fried Chicken and he loves it when his mom brings over Fried Chicken… on the other hand, I can take it or leave it. When we started eating healthier the idea of giving up his favorite fried foods was almost a deal-breaker until I came up with a recipe that didn’t require a ton of special ingredients and that tasted almost as good as the ‘REAL’ thing… if it’s got Mr. Awesome’s stamp of approval then you know it’s got to be GOOD!
We like to use the chicken with the skin on but this would also work with boneless skinless chicken or chicken tenders… just adjust the cooking time. This recipe is similar to the recipe that we use for the Fried Gizzards so you might want to check those out too! While I’m not particularly crazy about Fried Chicken, I can eat my weight in Fried Gizzards… no jokes!
These are the measurements that I use but sometimes I do have to make extra breading mixture up. That’s ok though because I just add a little to the bowl for the chicken and then store any leftover breading or pork rinds in the freezer which makes it easy to fry up a quick snack when we want one later on. If you don’t care for pork rinds you can just omit this step in the recipe.
Continue reading “Keto Fried Chicken”
Our favorite seed and plant sites
We all know that I’ve been a bit hyper-focused on the garden situation here… I may have gone a wee bit overboard but that has not been confirmed yet.
I just recently made a couple of more orders for seeds and plants… there are so many things that I want to try and I’ve really been trying to limit myself to a few new things every month but sometimes there are deals that are just too good to pass up or things that are only in season at certain times. There are also a few items that we are waiting to be restocked so we have to grab them when they become available or we won’t get them at all… so much to keep track of. I like using the ‘Diary’ section of the Gardenate app to help me keep track of some of these things.
Continue reading “Our favorite seed and plant sites”
Flea Market Finds and a Special Delivery from Zoe’s Toolbox!
We recently went to the local Flea Market for a family outing and we found a few interesting items… not as many as our last Flea Market shopping trip but still a few. We didn’t really have anything in particular that we were looking for… just some fun, quality time as a family.
Continue reading “Flea Market Finds and a Special Delivery from Zoe’s Toolbox!”
Crazy Delicious Low-Carb Substitutions You Can Make Today!
Are you trying to eat healthier but having a hard time finding recipes? Well, there is a secret that we use here and that is that we often try to use our favorite recipes but we make substitutions to make them a bit healthier.
The other issue is that a lot of the foods that are marketed as ‘Low-Carb’ and ‘Keto’ are full of mysterious ingredients and SUPER EXPENSIVE. If you are trying to eat healthier then they shouldn’t be charging you more to fill you with more JUNK! Remember that just because the label says it is HEALTHY doesn’t really mean it is!
Many of the substitutions we make are things that can be found easily in the produce section or canned food aisle of any store or we can even grow a number of them in our gardens… that sounds better to me. If you can’t have your own garden then you can still shop for seasonal veggies to make substitutions with and you will save a bit of money… maybe you can even check out the local farmer’s market for fresher veggies?
Continue reading “Crazy Delicious Low-Carb Substitutions You Can Make Today!”
Making Memories: Solar Eclipse Party Ideas
Whoa! It feels like this year is flying by!
I’ve been working so hard on this new garden space and planning out some changes for our home and property that April just kinda snuck up on me. I was sitting down to do my monthly orders, and I saw that I had some Solar Eclipse viewing glasses in my Amazon cart… had to get them ordered so we could safely view the eclipse next week. Then I remembered that I had started to plan a little party for that day (April 8th) as well… the keyword is ‘started’… it didn’t get very far.
Continue reading “Making Memories: Solar Eclipse Party Ideas”
Easy Rice and Noodle Alternatives – Great for Cauliflower Rice and Spaghetti Squash
Have you noticed that those bags of frozen cauliflower rice seem to be shrinking while the price keeps increasing? We have noticed that it doesn’t go quite as far as it should which means we usually need more bags which means more money… some people just don’t understand how we can even stand to eat it but this recipe is so easy and it makes it so good!
Mr. Awesome was my worst critic when it first came to rice and noodle alternatives but I have found that he really likes them by reducing the moisture content and adding some familiar flavors.
Continue reading “Easy Rice and Noodle Alternatives – Great for Cauliflower Rice and Spaghetti Squash”
Favorite Homeschool Resources – March 2024
I’ll try to keep this short and sweet so you can have a chance to check out these great sites and products! I started a list of sites and resources for March as we came to them.
These are some of our favorite resources from this past month:
Continue reading “Favorite Homeschool Resources – March 2024”
Spinach and Bacon Smothered Chicken
This recipe is so good and it’s pretty easy to make as well. We usually like to use chicken thighs but chicken breast would work just fine. You can also bake the chicken and keep the creamed spinach on the side if you have picky eaters.
Garden Update March 2024
Whew! It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve actually sat down and checked in on the blog. We’ve been so busy… every time we think it couldn’t get any busier or any more exciting than it does and just when we think we might have a chance to rest a bit something else happens. We’ve also had some appointments, birthdays, and special dances thrown in too!
Little miss enjoying the wind and making shadow friends!
Continue reading “Garden Update March 2024”
Special Spring Meals and Recipe Links
If you haven’t checked out our Perpetual Meal Plan – Spring 2024 then you should do it NOW! It’s completely FREE and a lot of the recipes can be found right here on our blog. Plus we’ve got lots of ideas for those special meals that happen during March, April, and May. Hopefully, you will still have time to grab the items you need for the upcoming meals!
Continue reading “Special Spring Meals and Recipe Links”
National Down Syndrome Awareness Day and THM Tiramisu
It’s crazy sock day!!! I don’t have on my crazy socks but I am rocking my #downsyndromeawareness shirt! Most of the kiddos have on some crazy socks to show their support for their extra special siblings and the other extra special people who were gifted with an extra chromosome.
I’ll admit that when we first got the news it was unexpected and I was upset, terrified, and a bit nervous but we had previously been told that what they expected she had would be incompatible with life.
Continue reading “National Down Syndrome Awareness Day and THM Tiramisu”
Strawberry Spinach Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
I had this salad many years ago at a special dinner I attended and I have LOVED it ever since. Some of my family doesn’t really care for some of the ingredients but that doesn’t stop me as I could eat as much as I make by myself and not feel bad at all.
This is so good and it’s the perfect side for a Grilled Steak with Gorgonzola pasta on Valentine’s Day or a special meal! It would probably be amazing if you topped it with some grilled chicken as well!
Continue reading “Strawberry Spinach Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing”
Easy Sourdough Quiche
Our new Spring meal plan has quiche in the breakfast rotation. This is a wonderful dish that could be eaten at any time of day or for any occasion… maybe even an Easter or Mother’s Day brunch?
Mr. Awesome’s Mom, Granny, makes an amazing quiche and she wrote the recipe down for me but I was a little confused about the directions so I improvised and it turned out pretty good… he says it is very close to Granny’s. The original recipe calls for Bisquick which I don’t keep in my pantry but I do have plenty of sourdough so I used that instead and just adjusted ingredients until it ‘felt right’.
This has quickly become a favorite in our home! I believe her recipe says to sprinkle a little cheese in the bottom of the casserole before pouring everything in but we haven’t tried that. This is also great as leftovers and you may find that you need to make two of them to keep everyone happy! We do leave the mushrooms whole so that the pickier kids can pick them out pretty easily but you could chop them up. You can also add any other veggie or meat that you like.
Continue reading “Easy Sourdough Quiche”
Spring is in the air!
We can see the signs of Spring all around us as the fruit trees and bushes are starting to bloom, the birds are nesting, and our animals are having little ones. We can also see the pollen everywhere but it reminds us that everything is starting fresh and new for the year and it is kind of exciting.
One of the things that the kids always look forward to are these Empty Tomb Rolls at Easter. Since I’ve been studying more about the Holy Days vs Holidays I’m not sure how our Easter will look as I am really leaning more into a Passover celebration. These will still be great to help teach the kids about the resurrection while spending some quality time with them.
Continue reading “Spring is in the air!”
Loop Schedule Changes
It’s been a while since we’ve used Loop Scheduling in our homeschool but something needed to change as these kids have been dragging school on and on EVERY SINGLE DAY and it feels like I can’t get anything done. I decided to try a Loop Schedule so that we can FOCUS on the things that need to get completed as we are currently on WEEK 32 of our 2023-2024 school year and not close to being where we need to be to get FINISHED. <insert sad face>
Continue reading “Loop Schedule Changes”
Tax Time!
It’s the time of year when a lot of people are getting their taxes completed and some have started receiving their refunds… and some may be paying in a bit.
There is always a question of where to best spend that extra money… if you were on the receiving end. While this is an older post a lot of the information still applies and I thought I’d share it again just in case someone might’ve needed some ideas.
God Bless!
Why Do I Blog?
This is a question that I get asked pretty often and I even ask myself this from time to time. There isn’t any one size fits all answer to this but basically, I blog because I like to share with people. I started blogging because others encouraged me to share some of what our family was going through at the time. We had a lot going on as we had more than doubled our family in less than 3 years and we had begun homeschooling.
Continue reading “Why Do I Blog?”
WorldWatch News: Stream A Week Free!
Have you ever heard of a Gaikotsupandahoya? Well, neither had we until this morning when we saw it on the news… the WorldWatch News that is. This site offers ‘News For Students Produced By Christian Journalists‘ and it’s not just for kids! I really enjoy the stories as well and I rarely watch the news.
CHECK OUT THE STORY ABOUT THE GAIKOSUPANDAHOYAS HERE.
Continue reading “WorldWatch News: Stream A Week Free!”
Want your kids to eat healthier?
Vanessa from the UK got “brilliant results” with the Kids Cook Real Food redefining picky eating process, and she says, “That had to be the calmest, quietest meal we’ve had in years!!”
My kids have had their moments and sometimes I feel like I’ve pulled all the tricks out of my bag and need more to try.
I’ll keep this short, but you are running out of time to get in for day 1 of the No More Picky Eating Challenge: A Free 5-day Dinner Table Transformation to Banish Power Struggles in 30 Minutes a Day!
Continue reading “Want your kids to eat healthier?”
**Homeschool Giveaway ALERT!**
Are you on the lookout for top-notch homeschooling resources to make learning more effective and engaging for your kids? If yes, then you’re going to love NotebookingPages.com‘s Homeschool Giveaway on Wednesday, February 21st!
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
This is our take on low-carb twice-baked potatoes… it has quickly become a family favorite! You could easily use potatoes in place of the cauliflower, if you please.
Continue reading “Loaded Cauliflower Casserole”
Empty Tomb Rolls (aka Resurrection Rolls) and Resurrection Donut Idea
I found this recipe on Facebook a couple of years ago and my kids love to help make these. This has become an Easter tradition in our home. They are a good way to teach about the resurrection of Jesus at any time though!
You can find this recipe listed in our Perpetual Meal Plan – Spring 2024 along with some meal plans for other Spring holidays… 3 months’ worth of meals are all planned out!
There is also a Trim Healthy Mama version HERE. Continue reading “Empty Tomb Rolls (aka Resurrection Rolls) and Resurrection Donut Idea”
Biblical Feasts: Passover Menu & Activities
If you’ve been around here for a bit, then you probably know that we have been on a journey to learn more about the Biblical Feasts. Well, Passover is almost upon us, and I decided that being prepared makes it more likely that I can follow through with the intentions of celebrating this year.
We plan to try to incorporate some traditional dishes, and we plan to eat by candlelight whenever possible. Please note that I am not an expert, and most of these ideas are just ideas that I have, and I can not say that they are traditional or ‘allowed’ for a traditional Jewish celebration.
The Lord had told Moses to have the people take an unblemished lamb into their homes and let it there with them for four days before killing it for the Passover Dinner… we probably won’t be doing this but we will try to eat lamb.
Wine or Grape Juice is normally served with meals as well, although we will probably opt for sparkling juice, apple cider, or juice.
You can change whatever recipes you need to make this work for you… you can even buy premade foods and make this work. The idea is to celebrate your BLESSINGS and show THANKFULNESS to GOD.
DON’T FORGET TO INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! Click below for FREE printable invitations:
Biblical Feasts: An Invitation to Attend
Continue reading “Biblical Feasts: Passover Menu & Activities”
Embracing Love Even When It’s Hard
This month’s theme has been LOVE. We’ve had a lot of changes in our family, and I will say that sometimes LIFE has been HARD and we lose our FOCUS. This means that sometimes we lose sight of needing to show LOVE to people who are being difficult.
A Love That Never Fails Devotional
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. – Luke 6:31
We should always treat others the way we want to be treated. We give respect to get respect, we are kind and expect kindness in return, but what happens when the other person isn’t being respectful or kind? It is easy to start going tit for tat and treating them the way they are treating you, but is that what we are really supposed to be doing?
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. – Matthew 22:39
Hmm… ouch! The BIBLE never says that we are to LOVE them differently, but we are to love them as we LOVE ourselves… even when it’s HARD!
Continue reading “Embracing Love Even When It’s Hard”
Special Holiday Meals: Polar Bear Day Menu
Polar Bear Day might not sound very interesting to you, but my kids love Polar Bears, so we will probably spend part of the day researching them and making some fun snacks and foods related to them in some way. No, there won’t be any raw fish, but we will have items that go with the theme.
Polar Bear Day Menu Ideas
Breakfast
Make ‘Polar Bear’ Pancakes, spread with yogurt or whipped cream
Or Bagels with cream cheese
Use fresh fruit slices, berries, cheese, or lunch meats to make polar bear faces
Lunch
Dinner
Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Veggies
Veggie Tray w/dip
Snacks
Use marshmallows and mini chocolate chips to make Polar Bears.
Dip Nutter Butter cookies into white chocolate and add candy eyes to make polar bears.
Dessert
White Chocolate Covered ‘Snowball’ Candies or
Polar Bear Coconut Cake/Cupcakes w/candy eyes/ears or
Or you could try making a Baked Alaska… I might try this!
Continue reading “Special Holiday Meals: Polar Bear Day Menu”
Love with Limits: Essential Screen Time Rules for Kids
The title might sound a little contradictory, but I promise that it is possible to show LOVE with limits, especially when it comes to raising children. If we just let our kids run wild all the time, then they may never learn to be the respectful, fair, and caring citizens that we would like them to be.
One way that we do this is with some limits on their electronics. The world is FULL of not-so-nice people and bullies, and it is our job, as parents, to protect our children in whatever ways we can. While not allowing access to screens would prevent a lot of potential issues, we want them to learn to make good choices when it comes to electronics and screen time.
As we learned in our science lesson today, PREVENTION is the number one key to keeping diseases away. This goes for gardening, health, and habits. It is also the best way to PROTECT our children and show them that we LOVE them. Boundaries are an important part of our PREVENTION PLAN. We need them to learn to make responsible decisions even when we aren’t around. We also need them to let us know when there is a problem and if something is making them uncomfortable.
Another thing that our children learn, from early on, is that SCREEN TIME is a PRIVILEGE and if they are not responsible, then it CAN and WILL be taken away! I don’t remind them of the rules, as they have all had plenty of time to learn them at this point. If we see that they have not finished their chores, used more time than allowed, or not followed the rules in one way or another, then they will LOSE their SCREEN TIME for a designated amount of time.
The rules that we have are to ensure that they develop other interests, stay responsible around the house, and keep EVERYONE SAFE! I don’t need to tell you how DANGEROUS the internet can be. We don’t always allow them online, and they are only allowed online with supervision. They generally are not allowed in chats unless a known adult is in the same chat group or right there with them.
Continue reading “Love with Limits: Essential Screen Time Rules for Kids”
Achieve Your Goals with Simple Habit Trackers
I know Lent is fast approaching, and many people will be setting some goals for the season. Whether it be for fasting or anything else, I have made some simple habit trackers to help you meet those goals.
The 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter are known as LENT. Sundays are not included in this count. These are used as a time to remember when Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. Many people choose to abstain from certain foods or items for the 40 days. This time is also dedicated to prayer and doing good. More information can be found here:
What to Give Up For Lent in 2026: Practical Fasting Ideas for Lent
These can be used any way you like it… You can keep track of how many days you have kept to your goal. You can also use this to track objects, like with the 40 bags in 40 days challenge that many people do during this time of year.
There is some science behind the 30 days to make a habit, and this little sheet could help you meet more goals. There are lots of new habit ideas in this blog post HERE.
I am also reading through the 30-Day Sabbath Challenge in hopes that it will help me observe the Sabbath in a more Biblical manner.
**This post does contain some affiliate and/or referral links to products and/or services that we use. If you happen to click through a link and make a purchase we may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission. This means that we can keep bringing you great recipes, ideas, and tips for FREE! Click HERE for a full disclaimer. –Thank you!
God Bless!
I made a couple more printables that go along with this post, so here they are:
Blank Challenge List/Tracker
Goal Setting Lists with Ideas for new habits and decluttering
Pollywog's Place Blog 