What We're Reading and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll April 2021

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 Today I'm sharing my reads and our family read alouds from the month of April.

What would you add to the list? Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑19yrs led to 👱15 yrs, 👧13 yrs, and 👱 9 yrs. Contact us for business inquiries, reviews and collaborations: BethAnn_97@hotmail.com Spring Reading List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuOMZKqFbkw&t=129s Five Books That Shaped Me As A Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P59UdxwXA6o March What We Read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUAF3YqbLXo&t=3s From This Moment Review: https://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2021/04/from-this-moment-review.html A Patchwork Past Review: https://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-patchwork-past-review.html C O N N E C T subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/creative2xmom read at http://www.creative2xmom.blogspot.com like me on http://www.facebook.com/creative2xmom follow me on https://www.instagram.com/creative2xmom/ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/52903?ref=nav_mybooks Music Attribution: Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod FTC Disclosure: This video is not sponsored. *This video is not intended for audiences under 13 years.

Be the Best Version of You ll 10 Affirmations to Live By

*This post was originally published on 2/7/19.  Enjoy!

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What are affirmations?  And how do they fit into the Christian life?  Join me today and see how we're learning to speak truth into our every day lives.

Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑17yrs led to 👱13 yrs, 👧11 yrs, and 👱 7 yrs.

Listening Beyond the Words: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYNfDyZAvNnMcGBieLALunw

The Recycle Mom: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFBkFJSa-WKLCVnBnwXVc5w

Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqy6pfEI1S4j5ZtmKmrEdQyi1fjw8qsB0&jct=uzmvyr92YQj-uhmDXyVLAs9ZiLhsmQ

She's in Her Apron/ Declarations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVzx9k9zw7A

Contact us for business inquiries, reviews and collaborations: BethAnn_97@hotmail.com

C O N N E C T
subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/creative2xmom
read at http://www.creative2xmom.blogspot.com
like me on http://www.facebook.com/creative2xmom
follow me on https://www.instagram.com/creative2xmom/

FTC DISCLOSURE: This video is not sponsored.

Extreme Dot to Dot ll Homeschool Math Tool

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 Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑19yrs led to 👱15 yrs, 👧13 yrs, and 👱 9 yrs.

Contact us for business inquiries, reviews and collaborations: BethAnn_97@hotmail.com Spring Reading List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuOMZKqFbkw&t=129s Five Books That Shaped Me As A Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P59UdxwXA6o C O N N E C T subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/creative2xmom read at http://www.creative2xmom.blogspot.com like me on http://www.facebook.com/creative2xmom follow me on https://www.instagram.com/creative2xmom/ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/52903?ref=nav_mybooks Music Attribution: Life of Riley by Kevin McLeod FTC Disclosure: This video is not sponsored. *This video is not intended for audiences under 13 years.

A Patchwork Past {Review}

 

Sophie Deiner left the Amish lifestyle, carrying a heavy secret with her.  But as her health declines, she's forced to return home.  Once there, she struggles to reconnect with family and finds friendship with the local migrant community.

Shop owner, Jane, also welcomes Sophie home and tells her the story of an Amish relative who was in the Great Chicago Fire.  Through the story, Sophie learns her relative was heavily invested in helping immigrants rebuild after the fire.  Which leads Sophie to wonder.... how can she help in her own community?

I haven't read a lot of Leslie Gould's novels prior to this one. Maybe one or two.  So the author is still relatively new to me.  But I have read a lot of Amish fiction.  And while this title had many of those same elements, the book was quite different from anything I've read.  The flashback elements of the story were an added bonus, although I didn't identify with those characters as much as the characters of Sophie's timeline.  But the added benefit of some historical fiction kept me interested.  And both stories are tied together with a focus on immigration, historically and in our current world.  Differing from most Amish fiction, Sophie's dilemma is a question of who she will be as she navigates between the English and Amish worlds.  

Although A Patchwork Past is part of a series, it does work well as a stand alone title.  It wasn't my favorite title in this genre, but it did challenge me and kept me engaged throughout the book.  I would be interested to see what else happens in this series.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Weekend Links ll April 23, 2021

Low Carb Dutch Baby

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Simple Lovey for Baby

Button Craft Photo

How to Regrow Vegetable Scraps

This Week:

What I'm Cooking:

Well, since my oldest had his wisdom teeth removed this week, I've been making lots of soft foods.  

Does that count?  :-)

Really I've been in a rut lately and would love to hear what you've been cooking.

What I'm Reading:

Right now, I'm reading Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas.  It's been a few years since I read this one and I'm remember how good it really is.

What I'm Doing:

Oh, we have been plenty busy the last two weeks.  It seems like everyone is suddenly due for dr's and dentist's checkups.  So it's been a lot of tying up loose ends.

It's also that time of year where I'm obsessing about next year's curriculum... trying to making everything just right.  I swear I always plan more than I can accomplish.

What I'm Enjoying:

Sunny days...

Baking class with my kiddos...

Working in the garden...

lots of reading time!

What are you up to?

From This Moment {Review}

Newly hired youth pastor Jase Edgar is looking for a fresh start in Kansas.  Growing up in foster care and then loosing his fiancé in a tragic accident, Jase isn't so sure how he feels about a life in ministry anymore.  Can he really lead the youth when he feels so far from God himself?

Lori Fowler is dealing with her own difficult past.  After her mother dies, Lori lives with her abusive father and struggles to accept the Lord's unconditional love.  When her friend, Kenzie, discovers a lost engagement ring, the two set out to find the rightful owner, never suspecting that it's someone close to them.

From this Moment was a bit of a slow start.  There's essentially three interwoven storylines developing at once and it took some time for the author to get it going.  However, I did like how Kim Vogel Sawyer both all three of these unique characters together and formed their stories to show a beautiful story of community.  All three are struggling with parts of their past, broken relationships, that leave them searching for truth.  Though each of their struggles are unique, their sincerity knits them together.  

Pro's:

*Jase's uncertainties about God were particularly honest and relatable.

*The three perspectives seemed to balance each other well.

*Sawyer did a good job of developing three distinct character voices.

*There was a bigger twist at the end that I didn't quit expect.

Con's:

*Some details seemed unnecessary and out of place.

*Kenzie was a bit hopeless at times.

*There was a tone of preachiness that popped up one in awhile and didn't quite fit.

All in all it was a decent book.  At times it was a little slow, but it always picked up.  It was nice to read a Christian fiction book where romance wasn't the main focus.  And it was interesting to see how the same root struggle manifested in unique ways in all their lives.  Did I enjoy it?  Yes.  Will I read it again anytime soon?  I'm not sure.  But it was decent and if you enjoy wholesome encouraging reads, this one may be for you.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Nature Based Picture Books

 *This post was originally published on 7/9/19.  Enjoy!

I love teaching my kids about nature and the world around us.  There is such beauty and joy to be found in the natural world.  It grounds the kids, slows their brains and makes them more observant.  And while they're growing quicker than I care to admit, we find that we can still learn so much from a good quality picture book.  These are just a few that we've come to appreciate over the years.

Miss Rumphius

Swirl by swirl

A seed is sleepy

An egg is quiet

The Tree Lady

The Golden Glow

Take Along Guides

Up in the Garden,

and Down in the Dirt

A Butterfly is Patient

What Would You Add To The List?

Weekend Links ll April 9, 2021

Heart Letter Match Game

DIY Pallet Flower Mantel

Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Nature Earth Day Project

This Week:

What I'm Cooking:

We just spent a week at my mom's and it's been all comfort food...

Sloppy Joe's...

Mongolian Beef...

Enchiladas!

This week might be the week that I need to get back on track!  :-)

What I'm Reading:

This week, I picked up Plain Wisdom by Cindy woodsman and Miriam Flaud.  This book is filled with short, quick essays focused on family life and the goodness of God.  It's been interesting to see how the author's weave their unique life circumstances and highlight their similarities.  This would make a great book to read devotional style.

What I'm Doing:

This past week has felt like a whirlwind.  We went to my mom's to celebrate Easter and then stayed to help her around the house.  We took lots of walks, spent lots of time outdoors, and played a ton of board games.  We were busy.  :-)

What I'm Enjoying:

Lots of card and board games...

Spending time outdoors...

Time to read...

A break from the routine!

What are you up to?

Some Creatures Have All The Luck! {Review}

In this volume of the Little Stories of Great Composers series, our little cheese and music loving, Minim, is tasked with collecting lost teeth.  While on his mission, he encounters a hungry tomcat looking for a tasty treat.  Luckily his mission is successful, but on his way out, Minim, happens to come upon music practice conducted by composer Vivaldi.  He happens to see the cat contentedly listening and laments "Some creatures have all the luck!"

This delightful series of picture books introduces young readers to famous composers.  Sweet little Minim is the perfect blend of curiosity and insightfulness, perfect for little ones to relate to.  The highlight of this picture book is definitely the narrator and the illustrations.  The story gives introductory information about the composer, but of the three books in this series, this one was my least favorite.  Vivaldi isn't introduced until the very end of the story and the story was much more about Minim and the cat.  However, as an additional highlight, this book does include a code for downloading some of Vivaldi's work to delight the reader.  Some Creatures Have All The Luck is part of a cute series, but this particular title wasn't my favorite. 

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.   

 

Weekend Links ll April 2, 2021

Chick and Bunny Bookmarks

Shaving Cream Easter Eggs

Mini Egg Brownie Parfait

Star Wars Easter Eggs

Easter I SPY Printable

This Week:

What I'm Cooking:

The best thing we ate this week was Cilantro Lime Fajita Chicken Salad... we marinade chicken in a cilantro lime dressing, then grill it... and we sauté bell peppers and onions... and then it all gets served on a bed of fresh greens.

It's one of the most flavorful and refreshing dishes we have.  It's so good, so light, and I could just eat it every night.

Do you have a favorite spring dish?

What I'm Reading:

I'm currently rereading Kristen Welch's Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World.  I read it several years ago, but the concepts are so good to go through again.  And they're a wonderful reminder for me as well.  Where have I allowed entitlement to creep into my own life and how can I squash it.

What I'm Loving:

The weather has been considerably warmer this week and we've been spending more school time in the backyard.  It's nice to have that time outdoors.  It breathes fresh life into our homeschool and makes our days go just a little bit smoother.

What I'm Doing:

These days I feel like I'm running in a dozen different directions... it's my favorite time of year in homeschool and yet the most stressful.  We're putting away some of our more traditional subjects and moving into a little unschooling/relaxed schooling in the spring.  So I'm researching herbs for science.  I love the idea and I know we're going to learn so much.  But sometimes in the planning stage, it's a little stressful.  I want so much to learn it well to share it with my kids.  So my brain is busy learning.  :-)

What I'm Enjoying:

Herb studies...

Spring weather...

Scripture memory...

Chalk pastel art lessons...

What are you up to?

That's My Piano, Sir! {Review}

In this volume of Little Stories of Great Composers, music loving Minim is waiting at the docks for a new ship to come in.  He and his family are anxious to go in search of some tasty cheese, but this ship in particular is taking longer to unload.  While trying to calm his growling stomach, Minim notices a strange box being unloaded.  What could it be?  And when the box opens, a young boy appears on the scene, giving a spontaneous concert.  Who else should that boy be, but Amadeus Mozart. 

This delightful series of picture books introduces young readers to some of the great composers.  Our little guide, Minim, is sweet and endearing.  He's a perfect blend of curiosity and humor for little ones to relate to.  The story is short and sweet, with enough information to introduce Mozart without being overwhelming.  And the illustrations are beautiful.  This book also includes a code for downloading recordings of Mozart's work to delight the reader.  That's My Piano, Sir!  is a great book for introducing young readers to the classics.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.