Making My Home a Haven {a Fall Challenge}

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 not blowing it out~he just can't seem to help himself when he sees a candle!). This week we have been battling some stomach bug issues and having that lovely candle scenting the heart of our home has been so nice.

So I encourage you today to light a candle in your own home, pray for your family and home that God's peace would reign. And join me in the remaining "Making Your Home a Haven" challenges throughout this month.

This post is linked to Women Living Well.

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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