5 Things I'm Learning As A Homemaker

 I have been a homemaker for most of my adult life. For many of those years I looked at homemaking as a chore I had to do. I didn't call myself a homemaker I just called myself a stay home mom. I never considered homemaking to be anything significant. Two years ago something shifted when I came across a post talking about homemaking and the significance of being a homemaker. I wish I could remember where I found the post but that's besides the point. I want to share with you a few things I've learned over the years when I decided to be more intentional with my homemaking. Here we go!

5 Things I'm Learning As A Homemaker

 

Homemaking goes beyond having a clean and tidy home.

 As important as those two things are to homemaking I don't believe that it's the end all be all. You can have a picture perfect home with stylish furnishings and updated appliances but still have a home that feels cold and lonely. In my homemaking I want to create a welcoming environment. I want my husband to feel relaxed and for my children to feel safe. I want to make our home a place where we leave the outside world behind us and entire into a space that feels calm and beautiful. Will I have dirty dishes in the sink sometimes? Yes. Will I have kids running around and teenagers arguing with each other? Yes. That's all part of life but I strive to make the majority of our time at home a peaceful time. There's little tricks I've learned over the years on how to do this and I can share that in another post if you'd like. 

 

A routine is essential to homemaking.

Anything that is well ran often works within a routine. Routines are all around us and part of life. The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening. When we close out of summer we begin to fall into autumn. After the clothes are washed we dry them and then we put them away. (eventually) Having a day to day homemaking routine for yourself will have your home running more smoothly. I have a very flexible routine and give myself a lot of grace but I try hard to keep my routines up. If you are looking for a routine to start go check out pintrest for some ideas.

My attitude sets the tone for the home

If I have a bad attitude it seems to pour into everything I do for that day. I'm less likely to get things done, I complain and get angry. This rolls over on to my kids who will feel the negativity I'm giving off. Usually on my bad days my kids are also having bad days and my husband is no exception either, he will also have a bad day. I need to work diligently to keep myself from having a bad attitude. I'm not perfect about keeping myself in check but I keep moving forward and try to make the following day better than the last. 

It's okay to want a beautiful home.

 I can take a long time deciding on what color table cloth to buy or what throw blanket will look best on my couch. I remember thinking once that the things I concerned myself with were insignificant and foolish. This was before I started to take my homemaking seriously. It was about that time when I came across a post about homemaking as mentioned above. I realized I have a heart of a homemaker and as I homemaker it's obvious that I would want my home to be beautiful. So the next time you think it's silly to concern yourself with throw pillows, just remember that it's okay to want things to be beautiful. 

It starts with a vision. 

I think when we have an image in our mind of what we want that it's easier for us to achieve those things. I imagine my home being clutter free with soft music playing and smelling nice from having a candle lit, essential oils diffusing, or bread cooling on the counter. I imagine my home being ran well with routines and good habits. When I think on these things I like to prioritize the most important things I want to accomplish and make a step by step plan on how I can create it in real life.



Thank you for taking the time to read the post. I hope you found value in this and ask any questions that you might have. Don't forget that you can find me on Instagram. Follow me here.

 

Color Flash Cards | Free Printable

 Hello

It's been such a long time since I've been able to write on here. The year has just been crazy and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. 

Since I've been gone I have been working on so many things for the coming school year. I made these cute printable flash cards for my 3yr old and I thought it would be nice to share them all here with you.

Free Printable

Click the link below to download all the color flash cards. You can print these on card stock paper to make them nice and sturdy. For extra protection you can laminate them. I hope you enjoy this free printable!

Download Color Flash Cards HERE




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Little Memo Memory Game

Remember playing memory games with the cards all facing down? If you enjoyed that game then you need to check out this Little Memo memory game. This game is adorable and my little girls are in love with it!!

Little Memo

This game comes with 9 different creatures, 1 hiding box, and 15 counters. It also comes with a little booklet with instructions. You put the creatures in the middle and the children memorize them for a few moments. Have the children close their eyes and hide on for the creatures under the box. The children open their eyes and guess what creature is hidden. The child who guesses correctly gets a counter. Repeat the game. If a child guesses incorrectly they have to give a counter back. You can easily make adjustments to the game if need be. The recommended age for this game is 2 1/2 to 5 years old.

My Thoughts

My toddler loves the little animals that come with the game. She had a bit of a hard time identifying between the dragonfly and butterfly. Other than that she knew all the animals. I didn't use the counters with her and we started the game with only 3 animals. I wanted her to understand the game. After she did understand the game adding in all 9 animals was too hard for her. We kept it to just 3 animals and changed the animals out. She really loved hiding the animals and having me guess what one she hid under the box. All the pieces of the game are of great quality. You can purchase Little Memo by clicking here. We had fun with this game and my 6yr old also enjoys playing along with us. It's a simple enough game that my 6yr old can play with her sister without me.

Thank you so much to Timberdoodle for gifting us Little Memo in exchange for this review. I hope you all enjoyed this and I will see you next time!

Junior Rainbow Pebbles Review

I really appreciate simple and engaging activities for my little one and this activity set I am reviewing today is perfect. It's simple to set up and the concept is easy for toddlers to understand. This set is also very pleasing to the eyes. Let's get into what this activity set is.

Junior Rainbow Pebbles

Junior Rainbow Pebbles come with a set of durable cards and perfectly sized pebbles. The cards are printed on both front and back. The pebbles are smooth and are great for little hands to manipulate. Each card has a picture that needs to be finished by placing the correct pebbles in the empty spots. The child will need to pick what pebble shape fits the spot. Your child will learn how to sort, make patterns, identify colors, count, and practice using critical thinking skills.

The cards start off easy like the one shown above and will increasingly get more challenging. I recommend starting off with the easy ones so the child will get the hang of how to play. My daughter is 2 and she caught on rather quickly to how this is played.

My Thoughts

I love this Rainbow Pebble activity set. We call it a game and my daughter gets very excited to play it. She can play on her own or with someone else. My 6yr old daughter likes to play with this as well. She will take the pebbles and create her own things like flowers. This is a great activity to pull out when you need to keep your child busy with something or if you'd like to spend some one on one time with them. We shared lots of giggles and learning with this set. You can find the Junior Rainbow Pebble set by clicking here.

Thank you to Timberdoodle for sending us this product in exchange for this review. Thank YOU for taking the time to read this and I will see you next time.

March Reading Wrap Up | 2020

This month has been so crazy and I know I'm not the only one who feels the same way. I started the month out strong but as things progressed in our world I found it hard to focus on anything but the news. All of that aside, I feel I had a great month of reading. In this post, I will give the title to each book and a star rating. If you would like to hear my thoughts then you can check out my IGTV.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links. This means if you use my link to make a purchase then I will make some money that will probably be used to buy more books. haha.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

The Jabberwocky Princess by Cece Louise

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Thanks so much for stopping by. Don't forget to go and check out Homework and Horseplay's reading wrap up.

5 Easy Ways to Keep Kids Busy

With schools all over the US closing for the next few weeks, I thought I would share some things I do to keep my kids busy at home. If you are new here, hello! My name is Amanda and I homeschool my 5 kids. Over the last 4yrs, I have had to learn how to keep my kids busy and add in educational elements to their day. I am sharing those ideas with you in hopes that you will find these beneficial. After you read my ideas go visit Homework and Horseplay for more ideas!



This post contains affiliate links. This means if you purchase something I make some money and maybe I can buy myself some new books. (Because you can't ever have enough books)

Ideas To Keep Kids Busy

Poetry Tea Time:

This is an activity my kids love doing. We gather at the table and read poems. My kids especially love silly poems and riddles. We don't have tea since no one here likes it but we do eat treats. You can find lots of poems online for free. My kids are very fond of Shel Silverstein's poetry books.

Sensory Bins:

Sensory bins are a great way to keep kids busy with their hands. There are so many different ideas on Pinterest for sensory bins. You can make these as simple or as extravagant as you'd like. Fill a bin with rice and add in measuring cups and spoons. You can also fill a bin with some water and soap to make a little car wash or a bath for dinosaurs.

Library:

If your local library isn't closed I highly encourage you to check out some books. My local library allows you to request books online and they send an email when they are ready to be picked up. Grab up some books that interest your kids and you can also check out DVDs.

Plan a unit study:

This might sound like a lot of work but it isn't and it goes along with using the library. My kids are currently learning about the US Constitution. I checked out lots of different books for them as well as a DVD. We will read these books over a span of a few days and end it with watching the DVD. You can pick any topic for a unit study. Some ideas can be learning about germs, dinosaurs, trains, animals, weather, different countries or states, space, and anything else that you think would interest your child. You can also ask what they are currently learning about in school and check out books on those subjects. Our family especially love the What Was books. I will link some below.

Play Outside:

If the weather is nice where you are this will probably be a no brainer to play outside. If your kids are like mine they will also get bored being outside. Over the years I have found some ways to keep my kids entertained outside. One game we all love is the Go Find it game. Each kid picks a card and they have to find something in nature that goes with the card. On the cards will be words like soft, small, bumpy, or green. It's fun to see what the find. We also take little nature walks and the kids can search for something interesting. When we get back home I have them draw a picture of what they found and we look up information about whatever it is that they find. They really love doing this.

Here are some bonus ideas!!

• Write letters or color pictures for those in nursing homes
• Bake
• Spring Cleaning
• Hide and seek inside with lights off
• Watch old Disney favorite movies
• Dance Party to 90's music
• Build a fort
• Look through old pictures
• Make sock puppets
• Read chapter books aloud
  
  
  
  

  I hope you have found these ideas helpful. If you have more ideas add them in the comments below. Make sure to check out Homework and Horseplay for more ideas!
  
  

Teaching My Toddler Colors

It's time to teach my toddler her colors. We have been slowly talking to her more about colors by simply pointing out colors in her books. I want to take it up a notch since she is very interested in colors at the moment. In this post, I am going to share with you some simple ways I am teaching my toddler her colors.

Keeping It Simple

I believe that keeping things simple is best. We started to look at different colors in her books with her and pointing out the different ones. In real life, she started to point out colors and incorrectly naming them. This is when I knew it was time to introduce some other ways of learning her colors. I still am keeping things simple for her but we did add some inexpensive items to help her learn.

Teaching Colors

One of the first things I did was start to look at different hands-on items for her to use. I was so happy when Timberdoodle offered me this Dimpl Duo in exchange for a review. I jumped on the opportunity because this is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

This hands-on toy offers not only colors but shapes as well. One side has just colors and the other has both colors and shapes. The buttons here are made with food-grade silicone and even include Braile on either side. It's not only great for learning colors and shapes but it's also wonderful for those fine motor skills. To learn more about this product, click here!

I love this for my toddler because it offers a quiet activity for her. Her older siblings also like to help her use it and she is learning her colors very fast. This is a great product to have in any home with a toddler.

In addition to the Dimpl Duo I also bought her flashcards from Dollar Tree. We play simple games with them that she enjoys. Here are some ideas.



1. I hand her the cards after she repeats the color and she lays them on the floor
2. I have her try and find the color that is on the floor
3. We go around the house with one of the flashcards trying to find the color that we have

There are so many wonderful ideas and games you can play when teaching colors. Keep it simple and keep it fun, you'll be surprised by how fast they learn.

February Reading Wrap Up | 2020

February went by so fast and I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked. I read 4 books and didn't finish 1 book. You can see my video on IGTV where I will be going more in-depth about the books I read. In this post, I will be sharing the title of the books and a star rating from 1 to 5, 5 being the best.

February Reading Wrap Up

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

 ⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy these reading wrap-ups as much as I love making them for you. If you want to know my thoughts on these books check out my IGTV here. Also, go check out Homework and Horesplays reading wrap up over on her blog.  See you next time!

Homeschool Mom Tag

If you didn't figure it out already, I love using Instagram to connect with other homeschool moms. I love seeing everyone's posts and I have made lots of Insta friends. Because of this, I decided to make a homeschool mom tag for Instagram. This tag is open for anyone to join. I will leave the info down below along with the image. Make sure you use the hashtag #homeschoolmom tag and you can tag me in your post. I can't wait to see all the responses.

How many kids are you homeschooling?

What is your homeschool style?

How do you handle negative comments?

How long have you been homeschooling?

What do you love most about homeschooling?



Just answer those following questions by posting the image above to your Instagram feed. I hope you all enjoy answering these question and find some new friends on Instagram. See you next Monday!

January Reading Wrap Up | 2020

I had a wonderful month of reading and loved just about everything. I read a total of 8 books and that number shocks me. I use to struggle so much in even reading 1 book month. So happy I changed some things up and I will talk about that in another post. I get asked all the time now for book recommendations or what I am currently reading. I thought writing a monthly blog and sharing what I read would be a great way to share the books I read with you. I do have a video that goes into more depth. You can find that video on IGTV. In this post, I am going to share the book I read with a link to Good Reads. I am also going to share my star rating 5 being the best. If you would like to know more about what I thought about each book then head over to Instagram by clicking here. Don't forget to also check out Roxanne's reading wrap up, you can find that here.

 

 

January Reading Wrap Up

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 

⭐⭐⭐

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am very excited to see what books I will read in February and if I will like them or not. I hope you enjoyed this post and don't forget to check out my IGTV video as well as Roxanne's post. Thanks for joining me here and I will see next Monday!

Bookstagram Newbie Tag | 10 Questions for book lovers

What is Bookstagram? Well, it's a lot like BookTube but for Instagram. If you search the hashtag #bookstagram you'll find thousands of posts about books. This is a great way to find book suggestions or to find other book lovers to follow on Instagram. We thought it would be fun to start this tag to get to know everyone better. To find the posts on Instagram answering this question all you need to do is search the hashtag #thebookhop.

You can see my video of my answering these questions on IGTV here. I will also be posting my answers here for you to read. If you would like to participate in this tag, feel free to do so. Just make sure you use the hashtag #thebookhop so we can find your post and make sure you tag a friend!

Bookstagram Newbie Tag

1. Why do you love to read?
In 2019 I discovered that I suffer from anxiety. I worry about things I can't change to the point of making myself sick over it. Reading is an escape from that. I am also trying to cultivate a love for reading in my children and I want to lead that by example.


2. Do you have a favorite place to read?
 Not really. I read all over my house and like for my kids to see me reading. I get a bulk of my reading done at night in bed.

3. What book or series got you into reading?
I will admit that as a child I suffered from some kind of reading problem. It took me longer to learn how to read and because of that I hated reading for a long time. I didn't read for enjoyment until I was in my 20's. I don't really have a certain book or series that got me into reading. I just started to pick up books and read.


4. What kind of books do you like to read?
 I love all kinds of books and I could never just pick one. I enjoy a thriller, romance, Christian fiction, and fantasy.

5. Do you prefer paperback or hardcover? Why?
Definitely, hardcover because I like how they look on a shelf and I like the feel of them in my hands.

6. Do you read more than one book at a time?
 Not really, I like to have my full attention on one book. Sometimes I have a Bible study type book I am reading on top of my other reading I like to do.

7. What book or book series are you most excited to read this year?
I am so excited to read the Nevermoor book series with my kids and I can't wait to read the book Darling Rose Gold.

8. Do you reread books? Why or why not?
I'm on the fence about this. I have not reread any books but I wouldn't mind going back and rereading some I have read. I have a pile of Christmas books I read in December that I do plan to read again next December.


9. Do you have a monthly book budget?
Yes and no. I probably wouldn't spend more than $100 but I also wouldn't be upset if I did, especially if I got them on good deals. I plan to mix things up with buying books and borrowing books from the library. Full disclosure though, library books sometimes creep me out. I always seem to get a book that has a questionable mark on them. Is that poop, a booger, or a Cheeto fingerprint? Gives me the heebie-jeebies just writing about it.


10. What question(s) would you like to ask your favorite Bookstagrammers?
 How do you cut out time to read, how do you find books you want to read, and how do you store all your books?


I hope you have gotten to learn more about me from this and I can't wait to see your answers to these questions on Instagram!

P.S. If you are looking to find other book lovers on Instagram come follow Book Hop. Book Hop is a great way to find other accounts from follow loops and trains.  

 

 

Most Anticipated Book Releases of 2020

Today I am excited to share with you some of my most anticipated book releases for 2020. One of these books was on my TBR list I shared a few weeks ago. You can find that post here. I will have these books linked to Good Reads so you can read more about the book if you'd like. After you have a look at these books go check out Homework and Horseplay's list!

Most Anticipated Book Releases of 2020

 

 

1. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
This book is about a girl named Pepper and a boy named Jack. Both of their families own restaurants and have an ongoing feud with each other on Twitter. Jack and Pepper also unknowingly have been chatting with one another on an anonymous app that Jack created. Their Twitter feud goes viral and the two are falling for each other over the chat app.
This book will be released on January 21st.

2. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Dannie just nailed her dream job and her boyfriend has proposed to her. She goes to bed that night so happy that her life is on track. When she wakes up the next morning she has a different ring on and is in bed with a different man. When she watches the news on the TV she discovers that it's not 2020 but 2025. The next day she wakes up and is back in 2020. Dannie tells herself it was just a dream and goes on living her life. This all changes when 4 1/2 years later she runs into the other man she woke up next to.
This book will be released March 10th

3. Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Rose believed she was ill for the first 18yrs of her life. She was in a wheelchair and believed she was allergic to everything. She was in and out of the hospital. The neighbors felt bad for her and held many fundraisers. Turns out that Rose's mother has lied to her for her entire life and she is healthy. After being in prison for 5yrs Rose's mother has no place to go and begs her to take her in, so she does.
This book releases March 17th

4. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
A woman returns to a house that her dad made famous from a book he wrote. She goes to find out for herself if this house is really haunted.
This book releases July 7th

5. Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin
There isn't much information on this book as of yet. This is the 2nd book to Serpent & Dove.
This book releases September 1st.



These are my top 5 and I hope you found some new books to add to your to be read pile. I'm so happy you joined me here today and I hope you get some time to also check out Roxanne's list over at Homework and Horseplay. See you next time!