Menu Plan Monday: Nov 15th

Well, I've started my Thanksgiving shopping already! How about you? Can you believe it's just over a week away?! We will have two big family dinners that weekend. Plus we have a big dinner at our church this Wednesday. I've had holiday meal planning on the brain for a while now. It's one of my fave things about the season. Weird, I know, but I'm like that.

This week I hope to begin some preparations for those upcoming meals. Things like making up pie crusts and putting them in the freezer, making up a large batch of cream soup for casseroles, maybe baking up some cornbread and freezing it although I think I've got some in there already. Will you do anything ahead for the big holiday meals? Maybe you know some tricks that I need to know! Please share:)

Here's what's on the plan for this week:

Monday: It's Moms Nite Out for our homeschool group and I'm hosting! I'll be making Breadpot Fondue with Spicy Saltines, Cream Cheese with Hot Pepper Jelly and tortilla chips and Chopped Apple Cake.

Tuesday: Red Hot Chili* (made with leftover flank steak)

Wednesday: *Thanksgrouping* at our church~where all of the small groups provide the meal. I'll be taking Cornbread Crockpot Dressing.

Thursday: Spaghetti and Garlic Cheese biscuits*

Friday: French Dips* with Onion Strings

Saturday: Most likely leftovers and snacks

*more on these later this week

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

my blessed life

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