{More Weekend Links}

4 things (both frivolous and serious!) that I'm loving this weekend:

12 Simple Things That Can Bring Peace Into Your Home  Love #1, #4, #10...really, I love them all!

Book It! Alumni Program  no reason to turn down free pizza

Simplify. series  (especially meal planning week, starting on Day 13)

The Literary United States  Have you read the book  representing your state?

Mid-Winter Bargains Under $5

We've reached the point in the winter where I'm getting a little stir crazy.  For the first time in years, I had an evening of boredom!  We had been stuck in the house after a snowstorm.  Our pantry was stocked and the wind chill was brutal so we had no reason to go out.  I checked off my to-do list during the daylight hours and was left with an empty evening.  Nothing...not reading, not blog hopping, not TV...sounded enjoyable.  Thankfully, that spell passed quickly and I have returned to a healthy level of busyness. 

I love a bargain and even though I'm weary of winter, I'm loving some of these winter deals on Amazon! It might even be time to get an early jump on next year's stocking stuffers.  Yes, I am one of those people.  (Don't tell, but I've already stashed a Christmas gift for next year that I bought at an after-Christmas sale!)

{This post does contain my Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to double check the prices before you buy as prices are not guaranteed.}

Credit Card Size Survival Pocket Tool-- 

I gave Brian one of these for his birthday.  It's got the features of pocket knife, but it is flat enough to fit in your wallet.

$1.99 with free shipping

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Scalp Head Massager--
We've given a few scalp massagers as gifts, too.  They are oddly soothing.  If you've even had a head massage with one of these, you know what I mean. 

$1.59 with free shipping

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Maybelline New York Shinesensational Lip Gloss, Berry Dazzle--

My lips get chapped if I'm outside in the cold for long, but chap-stick can be a little annoying.  Too thick and constricting. This is a great deal for gloss!

 

$1.95 with free shipping

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Women's Chunky Knit Beret  in Beige--

I love the ideas of hats, but I never like how I look in hats.   However, when I run in cold weather, I end up snagging a cute hat that my sister hand-knit for Maddie.  Maybe I should grab one of these for myself instead.  (Black, Pink, Light Gray and, Deep Grey are the same price.)

 

$2.79 with free shipping

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Leopard Print Scarf or Polka Dot Scarf--
I've been trying to wear more scarfs this winter, both for warmth and variety.  I love both of these and the price is right!

$4.59- $4.89 plus free shipping

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Retro-Look Globe Necklace--
Unique jewelry at an affordable price is fun in any season.  I've bought a variety of cheap necklaces via Amazon and always found them worth the (very small) splurge!

$3.99 plus free shipping

2 Felted Sweaters

Last spring, I met a friend for dinner.  It was a chilly evening and as we sipped our soup, she mentioned that she was wearing a pair of socks she made from a felted thrift store sweater.   She said she had a few more felted sweaters in a bag in her van if I wanted them.  I drove home dreaming of cozy socks and yet when I attempted to make a pair of socks with this tutorial, my clumsy brain got confused with the pattern and my clumsy fingers cut it out the wrong way. 

I turned my mess into two pairs of leg warmers for my girls instead. 

I love leg warmers, but I've never figured out their practicality.  When it's warm enough for skirts, it's too warm for leg warmers and when they need to bundle up and get cozy, the leg warmers are covered by jeans that hide the intricacies of the knit pattern.  Why not wear boring old socks instead?  Someone help me here.  How do you wear leg warmers?

With the leftover sweater pieces, I cut out a bunch of wool hearts with plans to make a bunch of  heart applique shirts with this tutorial as Christmas gifts.  I made three sets of t-shirts for three sets of sisters.  One pair of girls was my own. 

I {heart} those faces!

Linking up with Joanne today:

10 Things I Learned in November

Linking up with Emily Freeman to share the things I learned in November, both serious and superficial!

10 Things I Learned in November 

1) How to utilize more of the features on my GPS running watch.  When I bought my watch in August, its primary purpose was to accurately calculate my distance.  Now I'm loving the pacing feature.  I can program it to pace me at a particular speed, and if I run too fast or too slow, it beeps.  I credit my watch with helping me run my 4th 5K at a 8:55 pace! 

2) Because of my competitive nature, my watch motivates me to run faster and longer even when I'm alone. 

3) Pencil marks wipe away easily with Mr. Clean Eraser.  Ask me how I know.  Okay, I'll tell you. While I was in the bathroom, Alaine decided to channel her inner artist and draw two tiny people on her bedroom wall below the light switch.  Then she drew a nice loooong line to connect them.  I wiped some of her artistry off with warm water, but the Mr. Clean Eraser was key. 

4) I love the Goodwill.  I like it more when I go with a friend...and when we go on half-off-everything-in-the entire-store night!  We had to get there an hour before the sale started, and even then there were no carts left.  I found Alaine this adorable sweater dress for $1 and a pair of sparkly Stride Rite shoes (that I forgot to photograph), plus I snatched up a hardback copy of the best book I've read so far this year!

5) Goodwill fitting room mirrors are the worst!

6) Bamboo burns well.  Totally random, but totally true.  We spent several weekends burning brush this fall and every time we planned to burn, it would rain the night before, soaking our kindling.  Just as we'd start to give up, someone would throw a few pieces of bamboo onto the fire and the fire would blaze and keep blazing!

7) Vinegar does wonders for sweat odor on running clothes.  Mix a few splashes of vinegar into a sink full of cool water and let clothing soak for an hour. For an especially potent stink, pour vinegar directly on offensive area.

8) I'm probably the last to arrive at this party, but I found out there is really such a thing as No-Shave November.  I'd never heard of it and when my husband mentioned that he and a few guys from work were participating, I thought he was kidding.  The event is intended to bring awareness to men's health issues, but I think it was more of a personal challenge for Brian and his friends. I've been asking him to grow a beard again since he shaved it over two years ago, but it took a challenge to make him re-take the plunge.  I'm hoping he keeps the beard.

1 week in

3  1/2 weeks in

9) Women participate in No-Shave November.   I'm sorry, but I can't go a month without shaving my legs. 

10) This year's Call the Midwife Christmas special airs on Sunday, December 29.  Cannot wait!

Thrifty Autumn

We're experiencing a taste of winter in our area of the country today.  There is even a chance of snow flurries.  I do not like snow at. all.  My plans for the day include sipping apple cider and starting a few small sewing projects. And probably some reading with a blanket.  I think I'll hibernate until it warms up again.  I won't have long to wait because it is supposed to be in the mid-60s by the weekend. 

Today I thought it would be fun to share a few autumn deals for November.  I love a good deal!

{In the interest of disclosure, some of the links below are affiliate links. I'd tell you about these products anyway because I love them, but I thought you should know.}

*****

I bought this  Vintage Owl Necklace with a few cents I had leftover from another purchase.  Yes, I said cents.

This owl necklace is 63 cents and that includes shipping! I was most afraid that the quality would be poor, but the affordable price convinced me to give it a try. I'm glad I took the plunge, because it's been one of my favorite fall accessories.

*****

I'm a tremendous fan of the Call the Midwife TV series. Though I read the first book years ago, I became acquainted with the other 2 books in the series earlier this year.  The second book in the series, Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse, would appeal even to those who aren't a fan of the birth genre as it focuses on the author's time as a community nurse, away from her midwifery duties. I read the entire book this summer over 2-3 days on the back porch while watching my kids play. Grab your own copy while the Kindle edition is only $1.99! 

*****

I burn candles year round, but I especially burn them in the fall and winter.  Brian works outside all day and  he loves coming home in the cold weather to a house that smells rich with dinner cooking and a candle burning. I'm picky about my scents, though.  It can't be too perfumy, but it has to give off enough of a smell to make it worth burning.  My all-time favorite candle can be found at... Walmart.  Who knew?!

The Mainstays Pumpkin Spice Candle is only $5 for a 20 oz. jar.  It is not available online so you have to purchase it in-store. 

There's a smaller version for $3, too, but doesn't last long enough for me. 

*****

One last deal, and this one is free! If you are traveling over Thanksgiving, you might want to print out my  Doodling on the Road: A booklet of ideas for drawing in the car before you go.  We brought this along on our family vacation in September for our oldest kids (ages 4-10). 

Musings

Today's post could be titled Frugality, Fashion, Family, Friends and the Faithfulness of God.

Today we had our bi-annual clothing sorting day at my mom's house.  We keep our girls' clothes in my parents' attic so twice a year, we bring it all downstairs.  (Or rather, we ask the men to bring it down for us!) Then the women do the work of sorting and supervising the giant fashion show. With three girls-- my sister, Bekah (12) and my girls, Maddie (9) and Alaine (3 on Sunday!)-- it is a huge and tedious job. Hours are spent having a girl  try on yet another pair of pants or holding shirts up to the light to check for stains.  More time is spent folding the things we are finished with and figuring out if either of the girls can wear a certain sweater or if it needs to be put back in the attic... or maybe passed on to another family.

The girls think it is a party. What's not to like?  Hang out with some of your favorite people while you dance and twirl around the room wearing new-to-you clothing.  Alaine was our shoe girl today.  Between each different item, she would say, "Now what about some shoes?"  She didn't care if the only shoes she could find were boots that were six sizes too big!

The older girls enjoyed posing and finding coordinating outfits among the jumble of jeans, scarves, socks, sweaters, and t-shirts. 

They laughed and twirled and tossed out a few opinions.  "Yes, please keep that owl nightgown!"  "Um, I'm a little bored of that dress."

Despite all the fun and the fellowship and the fashion (and the small bits of frustration at how slow the process can be at times), I was sobered to think how blessed we are.  Blessed to have clothes to wear.  Blessed that we have room to store what we're not using.  Blessed to have friends who pass along what they are done with to share with our family.  Blessed to have more than we need and be able to pass our surplus along to others.  Blessed that our children are healthy and well.  Blessed that God provides every little thing we need. 

Each year we joke, "I'm not sure there will be as much this time.  This might be the year the girls have nothing to wear."  But of course, that is never the case.  Each year, the Lord provides.

Last November, Alaine went through a growth spurt and needed 3 things:  a pair of pajamas, a bigger pair of shoes, and several longer pairs of pants.  Money was tight with Christmas coming and Brian's winter time off from work.  I didn't tell anyone, but I prayed that God would provide what we needed without us needing to spend the money.  That very week, a friend e-mailed and asked if we were interested in a bag of hand-me-downs.  In the bag?  Three pairs of pants in Alaine's size.  Then my sister called, saying she was out shopping and wondered if Alaine would like a pair of pajamas for Christmas.  Then on Thanksgiving Day, my sister-in-law brought some things her girls had outgrown, including a pair of boots in Alaine's size. 

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? "  (Matthew 6:28-30 NIV)

His faithfulness is new every morning, every week, every season.

Study Art For Free Without a Curriculum

{This post contains affiliate links.}

My kids are artsier than I am.  I appreciate and admire art.  They like to create it!  Last school year, I developed a system of studying art that appealed to all of our tendencies...including my "book-ishness."  

We chose 1 artist to study for 3-4 months.  Last fall I chose Grandma Moses as our featured artist.  Each month I picked a new painting and hung it on the side of the hutch in our dining room. (You could hang yours anywhere it is sure to be seen-- the refrigerator door, the bathroom wall, the chalkboard.) Then, during that month, we rotated through 4 activities, one for each week. 

Week 1: Study the painting.  Identify the name of the artist and the name of the work.  Talk about what you like and dislike about the painting.  Point out colors and lines.  Talk about the style of the artist (abstract, pointillism, etc.)

Week 2: Read a book about the artist.  These are the books we enjoyed for their story-like qualities, but you could chose any that appealed to you or that were available at your local library.

The Year with Grandma Moses by W. Nicola-Lisa

Grandma Moses by Alexandra Wallner
Grandma Moses (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)by Mike Venezia
Grandma Moses' The Night Before Christmas

We also veered off and read a few books written and illustrated by Grandma Moses' great-grandson, Will Moses, and compared the style of their works.  (A few to try: Mary and Her Little Lamb,  Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend, or my favorite, Silent Night.)

Week 3: Orally describe the painting, using as much detail as possible.  Pretend to describe it to someone who has never seen it before. 

Week 4: This was a favorite!  Get out paper and art supplies and recreate the painting or a portion of the painting.  Do your best work, but don't aim for perfection.  The original painting is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and you will never fully capture its essence. 

When we studied Pumpkins, Maddie chose to recreate the whole landscape...

...while Gavin chose to focus on only a small portion of the same painting. 

In a Charlotte Mason-style education, narration plays a large role.  Narration is "retelling in your own words" what you've read or heard.  Recreating a painting is a visual and hands-on form of narration. 

During the spring, we studied Georgia O'Keeffe, using the same weekly format. 

Again, these are the books we enjoyed, but you could choose others. 

My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter

Georgia O'Keeffe (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)by Mike Venezia

Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O'Keeffe Painted What She Pleasedby Amy Novesky

Chapter 14 of Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

The kids found O'Keeffe's work to be easier to imitate   As opposed to the bustle and busyness of Grandma Moses' folk-art, O'Keeffe's  subjects were singular and more simplistic.

Gavin's Apple Blossom

Gavin's Red Poppy

Owen's Ram's Head

Do you use an art curriculum?  Do your kids take art classes?  How do you study art in your homeschool?