my blessed life

We're getting in the Christmas Spirit around here!  So far only the kiddos have their trees up, but mine are on their way! Have you put up your tree yet?

So who else is busy planning their menus around the leftover turkey? ;)  All day long, in between homeschooling, making lunches, and catching up on my pile of ironing, I kept thinking to myself, "what am I making for dinner with the leftover turkey?"  Then my hubby texted me and said he was taking me OUT!  What a wonderful man I am married to:)  We went out for Italian food and it was SO yummy. Now I'm back to finish my menu plans for the week though ....and leftover turkey will be involved. Confession: I am also eating way too much leftover dessert.  Please tell me I am not the only one! Monday: -Getting back into the homeschool groove after a week off for Thanksgiving -Laundry/ironing -Help the kiddos put up their Christmas trees -Dinner: impromptu night out  Tuesday: -Homeschool -Field trip to local museum -Continue working on Christmas decor -Dinner: Turkey Crepes , Green Beans, Potato Cakes Wednesday: -Homeschool -Continue with the...

A little something to nosh on while preparing dinner... The table is all ready... Dinner is ready... And now it's time for a nap... A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  

I'm in the kitchen today preparing and getting ready for our big Thanksgiving meal tomorrow!  I'm excited that I'm hosting it this year and cooking it all (even though that requires serious strategic planning!).  Here's what we'll be having on Thanksgiving Day: (a vintage Thanksgiving postcard from my collection) Thanksgiving 2012 ***** Appetizer Relish Tray (pickles, olives, stuffed peppers) *** Soup Course Butternut Squash Soup *** Salad Course Green Salad with Sweet Onion Dressing Fruit Salad with Special Dressing *** Main Course Butter Roasted Turkey Cornbread Dressing Cranberry Sauce Giblet Gravy Mashed Potatoes Green Bean Casserole Corn Casserole Roasted Brussels Sprouts Homemade Bread *** Dessert Pecan Pie Mile High Meringue Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Just dropping by to say "hi" and let you know that I won't be posting regularly this week since we are busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and helping my parents move.  I will be popping by now and then though, you know, because I just can't stay away;) Have a wonderful week yourself and I'll be back soon!

Well, this "weekly" wrap-up seems to have turned into an almost-monthly wrap-up!  Oops!  Can you tell it's been busy around here?  Well, it has~can't believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT week!   November has really been a good month of homeschool here at the Farrell household~that makes this mama's heart very happy!  We did have a couple of sick-tummy-days, but we rebounded from that quickly.   We kicked off the month with some fun free math worksheets from my friend Marcy at Ben and Me.  It was a great way to sort and count all of that halloween candy;)  Both of my kiddos really had fun with them~I don't think they realized they were doing math, it was all about the candy. The Princess enjoyed a very fun playdate with a new friend earlier this month.  Her friend lives out on a large farm and they had all kinds of fun doing farm things like:  ...running through the soybean field to catch the combine, ...climbing ...

Well, here it is: my last review with the Schoolhouse Review Crew ( sniff, sniff ) .  It's been a wonderful year+ for me and my family has been blessed by so many great products; however, my schedule just doesn't permit me to continue on for this next year (although I hope to be back in another year!).  I hope that the reviews I've done have been helpful to some of you and that you'll continue to follow the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to continue to discover new products. Now let's talk about The Vocal Coach ... We all know how expensive private lessons of any kind can be and how many of you have kiddos who have asked for these lessons and you've had to say "not right now"?  Well, I'd like to tell you about a way for your children to have voice lessons in an affordable way: The Vocal Coach .   This product has been developed by Chris and Carole Beatty.  This couple has taught and coached many singers of all ages and has a w...

Don't miss anything here at My Blessed Life!   Subscribe by email and "like" our Facebook page today!   ***** 'Tis the season to be cooking furiously in the kitchen, right?  I know the feeling!  I am preparing to host Thanksgiving at our house this year.  In our 15 years of marriage, I have hosted Thanksgiving only once--for my husband's family.  We have almost always eaten dinner at my parents' house on Thanksgiving Day and then usually at one of Vince's family's homes the day after. However, this year my parents are in the process of moving near us--they move here  next week !  I am SO excited!  My sister moved here in September and now my parents are coming~it's a good thing:)  So while everyone else will be unloading the moving truck at my parents' new home just down the road from us, I will be busy in the kitchen roasting a turkey and making all the sides. Since I don't want to be completely overwhelmed and stressed...

This latest review item has been a favorite with us all!   Growing Up Wild is a series of educational dvd's that highlight the lives and experiences of the Wild brothers' life in the jungles of Indonesia.  The Wilds are missionaries there and this series shares their world with you and your children, teaching the many aspects of missionary life.  Their purpose is to introduce children to God's work happening in a foreign mission field.  These videos and their corresponding lessons were developed to compliment homeschool curriculum and even Sunday school curriculum.   (the Wild Family) Being a missionary's kid myself, this sort of thing is right up my alley!  I loved these just as much as my kids have.  I wasn't sure what to expect, educationally speaking, but these dvd's are very well done and the lessons are meaningful and yet on a child's level. We received two of the five available videos, Volume 1 and Volume 4 (pretty sure the...

(It's our dog Holly's first birthday today!) You may (or may not have) noticed that I never got around to posting a weekly plan for last week~and it's a good thing I didn't!  I would have blown it for sure.  It was quite a week! It began with a stomach bug~those are always fun, right?  Thankfully this mama didn't get sick even though everyone else did.  Obviously, everyone wasn't up to the usual meals~which was good since I hadn't planned them..ha!  But there was lots of chicken noodle cup-o-soup and homemade potato soup involved.   What was left of the week was very busy with schoolwork, co-op and our church family.  It turned out to be a good week.  Especially the early Thanksgiving dinner we had at church yesterday .... mmmmm ! Now this week is going to have to be much more organized~I've got lots to do to prepare for our family's Thanksgiving while also wrapping up schoolwork so that we can take next week off.  ...

Don't miss a thing at My Blessed Life !  Subscribe by email  and "like" our Facebook page today! I have been curious about this book for quite some time and was so happy to receive it for a review.   Raising Maidens of Virtue , by Stacy McDonald, is a very tastefully written book on the "study of feminine loveliness".   According to the author, this book, published by Grace & Truth Books , is written primarily for mothers to read with their daughters ages 12-16.  I think those ages are very appropriate and look forward to sharing this book with my own daughter soon (she's only 9 right now).  This book addresses purity, personal hygiene, virtue, modesty, and so many more important topics for mothers to share with their daughters ...their young maidens.  It is written in a very tasteful and biblical way; however, each mother knows when her own daughter is ready to discuss certain topics and should use her own discretion for that. ...

Don't miss a thing at My Blessed Life!  Subscribe by email and "like" our Facebook page today! It's Day 4 of the 5 Days of Preparing for the Holidays Blog Hop with the Schoolhouse Review Crew ! My family loves to craft!  I am constantly looking for fun ideas and stashing supplies for future craft projects. The holidays are the perfect time to make a few crafts to enjoy and to share. Here are some that we have made in the past: Painted Christmas balls Pinecone birdfeeders Paper-covered letters Christmas crayons Salt-dough ornaments Mod-Podged notebooks Beaded letters This year I've got a few things on my Pinterest Christmas board that I'm hoping to make: Painted pinecones Reindeer thumbprint ornaments No-sew burlap ruffle tree skirt Christmas door mat Wooden block photo ornaments I'd love to hear what you're crafting up this year~tell me in the comments below!   Join the Crew in our blog hop today and link up yo...

Don't miss a thing here at My Blessed Life!   Subscribe by email and "like" our Facebook page today! It's Day Three of our Preparing for the Holidays Blog Hop and today we're talking about gift giving .  You know what that means, don't you?  List making, right?   And I've actually been doing just that.  Just this past week I finally dug out my Christmas notebook (yes, I'm a little behind, I admit it) and began making some lists.  I'm sure as you make your lists they might look similar to mine in that they focus mainly on our families.  Part of my list also includes a small handful of friends, our neighbors, and the service people in our daily lives (postman, sanitation workers...).   When you start looking at your lists it can sometimes feel overwhelming, right?  Because even though we want to bless our family, friends, and neighbors it can really add up.  However, if we are creative, pro-active, and plan ahead we ...

This month I am joining Courtney at Women Living Well and quite a few more fellow Christian women bloggers in making a concerted effort to "make my home a haven".  This is something I have been striving for since I first married and began making my own home with my husband.   So many times I fall short and things are not very haven-ish.  Laundry gets piled up, the sink is full of dishes, the floor is sticky, and I'm just tired.  And, frankly, when that happens not even I want to be at home~ha!  But think about how it is when you make the effort to create an inviting atmosphere in your home.  We all want to be there, right? This week Courtney challenged us to simply "light a candle" each day , make your home feel warm and cozy, and when you see that candle to pray for peace in your home.   We have certainly been enjoying the yummy-smelling candle I picked up at the store (of course, I had to have a little chat with my son again about...

Don't miss a thing from My Blessed Life!  Subscribe by email and "like"the Facebook page today! I always look forward to books published by Apologia .  They are a company of excellence and I am never disappointed by them.   Journeys of Faithfulness is no exception.  "Stories of life and faith for young Christian women" just scratches the surface. This book by Sarah Clarkson is absolutely beautifully written.  I believe this is Sarah's second published work, but it's my first one of hers to read.  I am so impressed with her writing.  Her ability to bring fresh perspective to a Bible story that I've heard hundreds of times is amazing.  She draws you into the story, connects you personally with a character in it and then brings out real-life lessons to which one can so relate.  She has taking familiar Bible passages about well-known ladies and added fictional thoughts, conversations, scenarios that could have happe...