Reading Goals for 2013

It's January so I have, of course, had new goals on my mind. One of those goals is all about reading.

I LOVE to read~I am a total book nut. Just ask anyone who's ever helped us move--we get more comments about how many boxes of books we have than anything else:) I just can't help myself. And, frankly, I don't want to. A book addiction is not a bad thing, right? And I'm more than happy to pass along my book addiction to my kiddos. They love books, too! We are always having a shortage of bookshelf space at our house.

When it comes to setting reading goals for myself, I've never really ever been specific. And I certainly don't want to set goals that make me feel bogged down if I don't meet them. However, I do want to track my reading this year. I plan to keep a book log throughout the year. I found this adorable one that I'm printing off and keeping handy to write in. I also found these and these for the kiddos. I also want to track their reading this year as well. I usually keep a loose log of their reading anyway (with the Book-It program and other summer reading programs), but I would like to be more diligent in that area.

I definitely want to challenge myself to read more non-fiction. I do read non-fiction so it's not a category that I have a problem with, but I do tend to read more fiction than non-fiction and I would like to balance that out more.

I am also enjoying downloading free eBooks to my Kindle (which was a surprise birthday gift this past fall). So far I'm sticking to the freebies with the Kindle and that is a lot of fun! I absolutely have no plans to go strictly digital in my reading though, just mixing it up a bit. I keep an eye out at several blogs that post free eBooks often: Ben & Me, Blessed Beyond a Doubt, and Money Saving Mom.

And I'm always up for good book recommendations! So feel free to drop me one in the comments!

I'd love to hear what your reading goals and plans are for this New Year~tell me what you've got on your nightstand!

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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