In honor of back-to-school/homeschool season, I’m sharing some of my favorite things right now. I hope you enjoy!
I decorated the table with a few new games and goodies for our first day 9/1! My mom made a large quilted pillow and I removed the stuffing and made it into a table runner. In previous years, I’ve put a lot more thought and effort into the first day of school morning surprises. I’ve found that everyone is fairly cranky on the first day and if I spend a lot of time/energy on trying to make it fun I end up frustrated and impatient with the poor attitudes. This year, I just pulled together a few things quickly. When everyone was grouchy, I didn’t feel like I’d wasted a bunch of time/energy and I had extra time/energy to be patient and optimistic! 😁 #LessIsMore
I’m still using my planer from last year because it goes through December 2025 and I absolutely love it!
We joined Trail Life & American Heritage Girls (Christian Scouting Clubs) – I love the uniforms! Thanks for the invite MM & SG!
Inspired by my dad’s retirement hobby – I’ve been making homemade sourdough bread. Thanks for the starter PJ!
As far as curriculum goes, I’m most excited about “Celebrating Biblical Feasts” by Fully Surrendered.
https://fullysurrendered.com/products/biblical-feasts
A leopard print velvet scrunchie for lazy hair days & a pastel watermelon manicure*.
These pencils have a triangular shape that helps with holding a pencil properly & a back to school manicure*.
*I got my nails done because when I get a gel mani I don’t chew/bite them, and they make a wonderfully crisp tapping sound on hard surfaces, and they make me smile every time I look at them! Thanks Shannon!
Our current book of poetry.
This hand cream smells amazing and is super cute too.
I got this spiral notebook at Marshall’s to use as a commonplace journal for our family read-aloud books.
And this commonplace journal for my personal books was on the clearance shelf.
I’m pumped about this throwback Tae Bo workout on YouTube with Billy Blanks.
The next time you’re trying to decide between baking a batch of brownies or baking a batch of cookies, may I suggest that the answer to your question is this box of peanut butter cookie brownie mix by the sweet talker herself, Betty Crocker (available at Walmart). We haven’t tried the cookie/brownie mix yet, but I have high hopes!
We received an awesome back-to-homeschool goodie box from Sing Like Wildflowers and decided to refill the same box and send it back to them!
🍎 ✏️ 🌎 📚
What are some of your favorite things this season?
heavens to betty 
What a fun post! I love the idea of swapping school supplies with another family?! How fun! Your nails are so cute. I’m a huge lover of any/all journals. And your family looks so cool in your uniforms! We have Christian Scouts (but only for boys 😭) through our church! It’s called Royal Rangers. I got my children a new puzzle, stickers, and each a cute magnet cat bookmark for back to school. 😻
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks Amy!
I wasn’t expecting the box of goodies from Esther. She is so sweet!
I hadn’t had a manicure in literally decades, but I wasn’t mentally ready for school to start this year and I figured with the mani at least my nails would be ready! 😂
My FIL was just telling us about Royal Rangers.
I’m enjoying commonplace journaling and I’ve nearly filled the journal with quotes from our family read aloud books. It’s a great way to slow down! 🐌💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great job! It was fun seeing all the things you have ready for school. I especially like the idea of the feast book. I look forward to more of your posts. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Charla! The first Biblical feast coming up is the feast of trumpets aka Rosh Hashanah. I’m looking forward to learning about the Biblical feasts alongside my tween/teens!
LikeLike
Excellent!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an amazing article, dear friend. I LOVE how you’re living life!! I have tears from all the goodness in these pictures! From the goodies (what a great gift from a friend and your precious return gift!) to your nail, the Christian Scouts (amazing family photo!), the books, your NAILS (you deserve that!), and the sourdough. Happy New School Year! I’m praying for so many great memories as you teach, lead, organize, prepare—way to go! You’re a blessing to us!! ❤️❣️🙏🏻🤗
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much! I really didn’t feel mentally ready for school to start this year but we’re plugging away doing our best. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome!! I understand! YAY! 🤗💛
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m always ready for autumn and cooler temperatures! I have always loved back-to-school shopping; highlighters, notebooks, sticky notes… it all makes me happy. I was sad when my boys graduated. This year, I got to take my oldest grandson back-to-school shopping. I made his day when I knocked over a display in Office Depot.🤣🤦♀️
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love office supplies too! I’m glad I’m not the only one! Though I’ve never knocked over a display… my youngest once dropped a plastic clamshell of blueberries on the floor in the produce section of the grocery store and those blueberries bounced and rolled everywhere like rubber marbles! lol 😂 My oldest wandered over to the far edge of produce to pretend he was with someone else! 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love your nails! I know what you mean about hearing the tap tap sound. I don’t have gel nails but I love to hear it from others when I’m out. You know these days I’ve been doing my nails because that’s how I keep occupied while sitting next to kids when they do homework. Lol
The Christian scouts sound awesome and the uniform is nice looking.whst do you guys do in that club?
Thank you for our wonderful box of goodies!! We love all the stuff you out in there and slowly using each of the items.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! I have another nail appointment on Thursday. This last one didn’t last as well as the first one.
Trail Life/American Heritage Girls is like Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts but with a Christian emphasis – we’ll be working on earning badges, fundraising, doing community service projects, the boys go camping, I think there is one hike scheduled. It’s our first year trying it out.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh nice! Getting one’s nails done feels so great. How long are they supposed to last?
I just painted my nails some coral orange color, and I’m on the fence about it. It’s too peachy orange.
That club sounds awesome!! I hope you all have a great experience with it. It’s great that all your kids are involved. BTW, if you have cool community service projects, please share. Our 4-H club is doing garbage pick up, but I want to add something else to it too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So far the community service projects are:
A “poppy making party” on a Sat. and then passing out the handmade poppies to the veterans at church on Sunday for Veterans Day. I don’t know how they are going to craft the poppies but I will let you know when I find out.
And decorating trunks for the church’s annual “trunk or treat” event in October where each trunk is decorated to be a Bible event. The girls get to do Noah’s Ark and the boys are doing Jericho. The whole church gets together for this and the “trunk or treat” is a walk through the Bible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those are wonderful ideas! Veterans will feel special and loved when receiving the hand decorated poppies. We went to 2 “trunk or treat” in the past and they are a blast. You come home with too much candy. Great themes for the trunks and what a great way to walk through the Bible. Wholesome fun. Our church does a fall harvest where kids play games and win prizes. I dressed up as an inflatable dinosaur last year. This year I’m going for a chicken inflatable. Haven’t bought it yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person