What We're Reading and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll January 2023

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 Sharing our reads from January including some educational reads, biographies, and more!

Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑21yrs led to 👱17 yrs, 👧14 yrs, and 👱 11 yrs. The Resolution for Women Review: http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-resolution-for-women-review.html Finding Our Way Forward Review: http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2023/01/finding-our-way-forward-review.html What We Read in December 2023: http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/12/what-were-reading-and-our-homeschool_29.html Winter Reading List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-UZaL838gg My Mom Notebooks ll Homeschool Tools for Mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJJXr... Five Books that Shaped Me as a Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P59Ud... 2022-23 Homeschool Read Alouds: http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/07/our-homeschool-read-aloud-list-ll-2022.html 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/ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... 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.

Five Non-Negotiables for Busy Homeschool Days

*This post was originally published on 4/20/22.  Enjoy!

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Some days are just busy... errands, appointments, field trips... when life encroaching, what do you do to help you feel successful? Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑20yrs led to 👱16 yrs, 👧14 yrs, and 👱 10 yrs. DIY Charlotte Mason Book of Centuries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN9mcel_Xwg Tips for a More Affordable Homeschool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_3sTqtakac&t=2s Continuing Education for Homeschool Parents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AJW9sy6Wd8&t=3s 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/ 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.

Weekend Links ll January 27, 2023

Homeschooling after the Holidays

Tuna Avocado Brown Rice Bowls

History of Groundhog Day Printables

This Week: 

What I'm Cooking:

My favorite meal this week was Fajita Salad... grilled chicken seasoned with cumin and lime juice, sauteed peppers and onions, and a HUGE bed of lettuce.  Amazing!  Easy, healthy, fresh... it's a family favorite and easy enough for mid-week.

What I'm Reading:

Wow!  I'm reading In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass and it's so good.  So good and so ... deep? I'm enjoying it, it's good, but... my poor brain feels old.  Think I might need to put this one down for awhile and pick up some fiction.

What I'm Doing:

What I'm Enjoying:

Buttered popcorn...

Afternoon bike rides...

Encouraging homeschool reads...

Date nights!!!

What are you up to?

Finding Our Way Forward {Review}

Parenting young adults at any time in history is a challenge.  They're growing into new thoughts and ways of living.  And as parents, we're readjusting our role and letting go of expectations.  This day and age has added an additional layer of challenge as parents are navigating a shifting world along with their shifting roles.  So how can we successfully launch our 18 year olds into adult life?  And how can we feel confident in the way forward?

Author Melanie Springer Mock brings her years of parenting, combined with her years of teaching experience together in her new book, Finding Our Way Forward, to talk about how we parent in the adult years.  Written post-pandemic, Mock addresses the shifting times we live in and how Gen Z is finding their way.  Mock also calls upon her readers to look to the new generation to lead the way in what she finds to be innovative ways of living and thinking.  She points out how the old ways of living and leading are no longer working, and how to observe these young adults for better ways of moving forward.

I found Mock's book to be extremely off putting and off base.  What she's calling for is a radical abdication of established norms in favor of untested principles.  Throughout the book, wherever old patterns find themselves at odds with newer ideas, the older ways of doing things are always discounted as out of date.  The new is what will work.  While I do believe our young adults are smart and innovative, to say that they're going to save us is shortsighted and dangerous.  Additionally, Mock is extremely biased and stereotypes large groups of people.  She repeatedly brings up the "white evangelical" church with a tone of distain and stereotypes "white cisgender men" multiple times throughout the book.  And these are just two examples.  Finding Our Way Forward is full of judgement on multiple groups of people.  Furthermore, she perpetuates political biases that have been discredited; still she repeats them as fact.

I had such high hopes for this book.  I really tried to come to Finding Our Way Forward with an open mind, ready to learn.  But I walked away from the book with such a distaste for Mock's work.  Other than a few ideas about how to encourage our young adults, there's nothing in this title that I would recommend.  Greatly disappointed in this one and would warn my readers to run far from it.

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

Top Fifteen Reads from 2022

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 Today my top fifteen reads from 2022... some parenting, Christian living, and of course, some fantastic fiction!!!

What would you add to the list? Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑21yrs led to 👱17 yrs, 👧15 yrs, and 👱 11 yrs. Contact us for business inquiries, reviews and collaborations: 

BethAnn_97@hotmail.com My Top Ten Books of 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL9RQh8rJ_8&t=12s

My Top Fifteen Books from 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM_poX422Jc

Our Homeschool Resolutions for 2023 (and My Word of the Year):

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2023/01/our-homeschool-resolutions-for-2023.html

Raising Successful Teens Review:

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2019/09/raising-successful-teens-review.html

Homeschool Bravely Review:

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2019/03/homeschool-bravely-review.html

Giving Your Words Review:

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/11/giving-your-words-review.html

Thursday's Child Review: 

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2021/10/thursdays-child-review.html

Far to Go Review:

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/03/far-to-go-review.html

The Dragon and the Stone Review:

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-dragon-and-stone-review_01769838682.html

The Prince and the Blight Review:

http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-prince-and-blight-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.

The Resolution for Women {Review}

 

This updated version of The Resolution for Women combines solid teaching with ten years of additional insight and wisdom.  Author Priscilla Shirer challenges her audience to become women of purpose, resolve, and strength, not in their own power, but in the power of the Lord.  This revised edition inspires readers to become:

*women of contentment

*champions of others

*devoted to Christ and his call on their lives

*women of purpose!

While I haven't read the original version of this title, I will say that The Resolution for Women is challenging.  It caused me to reflect on my own beliefs about who God is, who I am, and how the two intersect.  Shirer's teaching is practical and honest.  She's shares her own struggles, triumphs, and life lessons while continually pointing the reader back to God.  With questions at the end of each chapter, this would also make a wonderful study for a women's group.  Priscilla Shirer continues to share solid teaching in her newest title.  I'm so glad I picked this one up and can't wait to share it with the women in my life.

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

Weekend Links ll January 6, 2023

Dessert Charcuterie Board Ideas

Winter Word Search Printables

Green Chili Egg Casserole

Wonderful Winter Picture Books

Types for Motivating High Schoolers

This Week: 

What I'm Cooking:

We are now in what we lovingly refer to as "soup season" so my crockpot is working overtime.  My favorite this week was Minestrone with tortellini.  I love this soup.  So fresh for a crockpot soup and the tortellini makes it a treat for everyone.  It feels like comfort food, but still doesn't sit heavy in the stomach.  Perfect balance for the winter season.

What I'm Reading:

My current non-fiction read is God's Smuggler.  My 15 year old daughter read it over the summer and wanted me to read it so we could discuss it.  It made a huge impact on her so I'm following through.

What I'm Doing:

The weather here has been crazy so we've been indoors quite a bit.  But when the rain does break, we run outside for our bikes and try to get in a quick ride.  We're learning to adapt to the chilly weather and I'm finding that it's really opening a whole new world for us.

What I'm Enjoying:

Soup in the crockpot...

Kitty snuggles...

Bike rides...

Flannel sheets...

Goal setting...

What are you up to?

The Curio Collectors {Review}

 Lily and Tom are traveling the countryside with Ma Hawker, entertaining crowds with their curio collection.  Along the way they discover a very special piece of scrimshaw, one that young Flora Meriweather is interested in as well.  But she's not the only one.  Does this piece of scrimshaw hold the key to Flora's past?  And can Lily and Tom help her unlock its clues before it's too late?

Set in the late 19th century outside London, The Curio Collectors is a quick, but fun read for ages 8-12 years.  The characters are lovable, including Ma Hawker who acts as a adoptive mother to Lily and Tom.  The sibling relationship is sweet and a wonderful example to young readers, and the mystery storyline is believable without being too overwhelming.  The Curio Collectors is a wonderful novel where the story is engaging, but the writing is suitable for younger readers... a challenging balance to achieve, but which the author does wonderfully.  This would make a great book for young readers.

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

Our Homeschool Resolutions for 2023

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 New Year's resolutions make me nervous, but when it comes to our homeschool, January is a great time to re-evaluate, tighten up a few things, and reach for joy. Trying not to overload ourselves and yet wanting to bring in a few of the fun things. These are a few of our goals that we'll be working on over the next couple of months.

Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑21yrs led to 👱17 yrs, 👧15 yrs, and 👱 11 yrs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Waldock Way: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWaldockWay Rooted in Rest: https://www.youtube.com/@RootedinRest Show and Tell Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXmpf7hvahhAH4OP7zy76zzreu60aVRMz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Give Your Words Review: http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2022/11/giving-your-words-review.html 2022 Homeschool Resolutions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qenYIb0ecI 1000 Hours Outside in 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gat0hSyCBLc Our 2023 Read Aloud List: http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/2023/01/our-2023-read-aloud-list.html Our Homeschool Word of the Year ll 2021-22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEAaKqVbBSE&t=327s My Mom Morning Basket ll Fall '21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSj8i94S6ik&t=5s How to Make a Charlotte Mason Book of Centuries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN9mcel_Xwg How I'm Preparing to Homeschool High School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbTzj_AKmg4 Top 10 Homeschool Resolutions for the New Year ll 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RZ5nbYLo1c&t=657s Ten Homeschool Resolutions for 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTGqapJV1Y4 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/ 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.

Our 2023 Read Aloud List

Mysterious Benedict Society

The Door in the Wall

An Arrow Above the Door

Echo Mountain

I Can Make This Promise

City Spies

The Fighting Ground

Johnny Tremain

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Little House in the Big Woods

Farmer Boy

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

A Season of Gifts

1000 Hours Outside in 2022

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 We took on the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge this year and absolutely loved it. What does it look like to spend 1000 hours outside? Take a look!

Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑21yrs led to 👱17 yrs, 👧14 yrs, and 👱 11 yrs. What We Read in November 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vXr54Fr_oc&t=6s Winter Reading List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-UZaL838gg My Mom Notebooks ll Homeschool Tools for Mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJJXr... Five Books that Shaped Me as a Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P59Ud... 2021-22 Homeschool Read Alouds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5AXS... 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/ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... Music Attribution: Joy to the World by Audionautix FTC Disclosure: This video is not sponsored. *This video is not intended for audiences under 13 years.