No, really it has been wonderful!

Listening to girls play paperdolls, I overhear:

“Oh, what a glorious day!” Please insert a British accent with a touch of southern twang.

***

A son doing a picture study and writing a description. He duly noted what he felt was inappropriate dress in his writing. Good work, young man.

***

I walk into the living room and find that two loads of clothes have been put away by my sweet Mary. I recommend everyone have a Mary.

***

And Bekah turned 13 on Tuesday the 31st. (More to come on that!) A friend blessed her with a huge chocolate bar yesterday. (Now that is one sweet friend!) Bekah brought the last piece to me. Just because I’m her mom. I didn’t even know she had the chocolate bar so I had not begged or anything. Giggle.  And she is all mine. A girl who shares chocolate is a life long resident in my home. The end.

We are just hitting lunch time. I can’t wait to see how amazing the rest of my day is!!

Over the past few weeks, anytime there has been a slight break in the heat, the kiddos have been outside. I love to hear their laughter and their play going on outside.

But it isn’t always fun and games outside. Sometimes we are discovering bugs and new plants. We could find new and creative ways to utilize what God has created. Moss, for example. Yes, moss, sand, rocks and a few sticks and you have created a new place to live and play….

I can’t remember what each “thing” was but I’m sure there was a kitchen and maybe a bedroom? This is why I don’t see the need in an endless supply of toys and gadgets. God has provided the perfect playground for imaginations and energy!

Is it really wise to play soccer barefoot? I’m thinking not, but what do I know. I just take the pictures, folks.

I suppose anyone could get tired of just playing, playing, playing.  Why not do a bit of work outside as well? Be a good steward of what the Lord has entrusted to you!

Sweep the yard! Now that is some serious dedication to yard work!

Or cut the grass. Literally. Do you see what she is using to cut the grass?

Scissors, people. Scissors. This girl might just have too much time on her hands!!!

The grass inspectors. They take their job very seriously. This is their playground after all. Can’t have people going crazy with the scissors!

Just our spin on nature study….what does yours look like?

It has been several years since we have owned a play kitchen. My older girls, 12 and 11, had one when they were around 5 and 4.  After a couple of years, the play kitchen wasn’t all that fabulous anymore so we passed it along. Due to space limitations in a growing family, we could never justify purchasing another play kitchen. So my next round of little ones have been content pretending to have a play kitchen. Cute, huh?

However, we recently had the opportunity to review the Hideaway Country Kitchen made by Guidecraft. What a wonderful blessing for my little ones!! They were so excited. Sadly, we were in the middle of a move so they had to be patient for a week or so until we could set it all up.

I wasn’t excited about assembling the kitchen but really, how hard could it be? It wasn’t hard at all! I only put one piece on backwards. With the help of my handy 8year old assistant, we had the kitchen assembled and ready to go just in time for naps. Timing is everything.

The Hideaway County Kitchen is a beautiful, sturdy, well made kitchen. I was very pleased once we had it together. This kitchen can handle some serious play time! The colors aren’t “girly girly” so even young male chefs in the making can be comfy in this kitchen.

The Country Hideaway Kitchen has all the important features for your little chefs. Stove top, oven, sink, dishwasher, clock, hooks and beautiful shelving. The oven/dishwasher area provide plenty of space for all those dishes and food supplies (and a cute 22mth old can squeeze in there as a great hiding spot).

My children have thoroughly enjoyed having the kitchen. Many meals and snacks have been prepared and enjoyed. Although the kitchen is a small, one piece kitchen, it provides plenty of space for play. As sturdy as the kitchen is, I know our little ones will enjoy for some time to come.

And the special feature to this kitchen is that it is a  “hideaway” kitchen. When you are not using the kitchen, it can be folded up and stored under a bed or in our case, a closet. It is only 6 inches deep when folded!! Amazing! Cute, sturdy and easy to store!!

Just a couple of things to note:

1- I was thrilled when we put it all together and there were no “noise making” appliances. I have issues with toys that make noises for the children. But then I realized that the knobs for the oven and dishwasher make a “clicking” noise. Why? Naturally, my 22mth old loves to turn them just for the sake of hearing the click. I would have been much happier with simple knobs without the click.

2- In my mind I was thinking, hmmm, Hideaway County Kitchen…we can just “fold it up” and put it away. Easy peasy. Um, not really. While it is only 30lbs, it is a bit awkward to move and is not something you want to fold up and put away every day. As a family of 9, soon to be 10, we don’t have the room to leave it out all the time; especially if we have company. So for our family we bring it out for a week or so at the time and then I will store it for a week or so at a time. It helps to keep the kitchen fresh and exciting but it isn’t always out in our living area.

Here is a video to see a bit more about the Hideaway Country Kitchen:

The Hideaway Country Kitchen by Guidecraft is $200.oo.  While this price made me gasp just a little, you are getting a well made kitchen that will be enjoyed for years by your children. Today so many toys “play” for our children, it is refreshing to have a company provided toys that help build and foster your child’s imagination.

Guidecraft has many excellent products so make sure you take time to look around!!

Want to see what other Crew members thought of the Hideaway Country Kitchen? Swing on over and check them out!

**Disclaimer – As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Apologia Press provided a wonderful opportunity to review Read for the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families. I was thrilled to be selected for this review as I am constantly on the search for quality literature to enrich the lives of my children. However, Read for the Heart is so much more than a list of books!

Read for the Heart was written by Sarah Clarkson; freelance writer and avid blogger currently working on a children’s novel. Miss Clarkson was also homeschooled and from an early age was surrounded by literary treasures.

I have used books similar to Read for the Heart in the past. My expectation was that Miss Clarkson’s book was going to be the same with a few hidden treasures revealed. I was mistaken. Miss Clarkson doesn’t just give a chapter on why reading good book is important and then has a list to peruse. Miss Clarkson throughout the book shares her love of literature, how our society is losing appreciation of literature and why quality literature is so important.

The way Miss Clarkson expresses her experience with literature was beautiful. As she was discussing the importance of carefully chosen picture books, as they set the stage, I pictured my little ones that come running when they see me with books in hand. And my older children sit and listen and share memories of when those books were read to them. Sweet memories. And I agree with Miss Clarkson that those days of picture books set the foundation for the literature our children will come to enjoy. We feed the appetite.

As Miss Clarkson introduces each chapter she touches on different issues that are crucial to consider as you make literature selections for your children. With her book selections, she gives a brief summary and gives “points of concern” if she feels some might have issues with something in the book. For example, Miss Clarkson recommends The Yearling. She gives a caution that the book deals with the “gritty realities of pioneer life, including the slaughtering of farm animals, the danger of wild animals and the death of two main characters.” While recommended for junior high, if you have a child sensitive to death of animals or death of loved ones, this might be a book you want to make sure you discuss or wait a while for your child to read.

The books are broken down into categories that make is easy to go back and find book recommendations you need. She also includes lists of Caldecott, Newberry and other medalists. Read for the Heart is an excellent resource to have on your shelf. It would be an excellent gift for a newly homeschooling family or a new mom.

Interested in adding Read for the Heart to your personal library? You can go here to view the Table of Contents and here to see a Sample Chapter.

You can purchase Read for the Heart for $17.00.

Read for the Heart is a treasure for any family with over 1,000 book recommendations from classics to modern literature; from picture books to lengthy novels; poetry and art to history and nature.

Please head over to the Crew and see what others are saying about Read for the Heart!

Disclaimer- As a member of TOS Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions/experience expressed in this post are my own.

Sometimes you just need a break…an old baby wrap, a bit of creativity and a good book….just hangin’ around.

See the Light’s Art Class is a 9 volume, 36 lessons art course taught by master artist, Mrs. Pat Knepley. Mrs. Knepley is a wonderful art instructor who is enjoyable to watch and learn from. Art Class is designed for ages 6 and up. If you have a middle school child who has not had formal art instruction, they could benefit from this course as well.

The lessons are only 15-20 minutes long. Mrs. Knepley is easy to understand as she explains various art techniques. In each lesson, as Mrs. Knepley is sharing her art lesson, she also includes a biblical application.

We received Volume 1: The Basics which included 4 lessons and a bonus. The first lesson covered Tools of the Trade and we learn some important information. We continued our art instruction and learned about contours, lines, drawing what you see and more in the following lessons.

My children from 5-12 all enjoyed the lessons. My 7 year old and 11 year old are my aspiring artists and they enjoyed the lessons immensely. They learned so much in the concise lessons!

One aspect that I loved about Art Class was the supply list. Most lessons only need blank paper, a #2 pencil and a good eraser. On a tight budget, art can be an expense that gets cut. However, Art Class makes art attainable. Mrs. Knepley also includes art history and introduces your child to various artists as she covers different techniques.

There are two options for purchasing the See the Light: Art Class. You can buy the 9 volume, 36 lesson DVD set for $99.95.  If you prefer, there is an online subscription available for a monthly subscription of $10.00.

See the Light also provides you the opportunity to try out Art Class. You can go here to get a free copy of Volume 1 or check out the Free View for three lesson here!  See the Light also has fun stuff that your artist might want to take a look at!

Want to see what other Crew Members thought about See the Light’s Art Class? Head on over and check it out!

Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for the purpose of review. No compensation was made. All thoughts/opinions/experience express in this post are my own.

Several days ago, we encouraged our children to go outside and enjoy the beautiful day. We were not met with much resistance. One child went to the backdoor to check and see what the temperature was and discover if the dreaded coats would become mandatory clothing. After scientifically determining the weather (aka sticking one’s head out the door), she joyously declared, “Hey guys, it is cold enough outside to have the Revolutionary War.”

The Patriots ready to face the British.

Please disregard their attire. The Patriots are a bit, um, creative in their attire. I’m sure it aids them in the battle.  I wasn’t aware until this day that  a certain coolness to the air was needed for a true Revolutionary War Re-Enactment. You may not have been privy to this information as well. Now you know. Any re-enactment worthy of your time will happen when there is a chill in the air.

It appears that the British had a rough day on the battlefield.

No one is too young to join the Patriots and give her all to her country.

The Little Drummer Girl…leading them into battle.

Creativity at its best; umbrella for a tent. This might have given the Patriots the upper hand!

Another fallen soldier…

And any worthy re-enactment would have spectators…

Patriot or Loyalist? Only time will tell….

Imagination. It is a wonderful gift.

**Disclaimer: No cute 4 year olds were hurt in the making of this post. What you see here are two sisters with some yarn, paper, crayons and scope of imagination. Carry on.