Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Source: blogging2fun0909.blogspot.com via Kandace on Pinterest Source: flickr.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest Source: modernhomedesign.org via Janel on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via Mat on Pinterest Source: knithacker.com via Sarah on Pinterest Source: muitaihania.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest Source: purlbee.com via Sarah on Pinterest I am starting my Christmas knits for the kids in August, because I have to. I need a lot of time to finish a sweater and a knit dress, and a special surprise up my sleeve, too. I started {Visual Monday} almost 18 months ago and since my first one was about knitting, I thought I'd end it there, too. Oh yeah, that, and the fact that I am trying to push this horrid summer out the back door with my needles!  *This will be my last {Visual Monday} post due to increasing issues with pinterest as a photo source. Of course, my use is purely to pass on visual inspira

One of my favorite pictures of her, ever. Messy hair, slight stink face, and sunglasses that are just a peek into her personal style. This was on the drive home from camping at Indian Cave State Park.    Join others remembering a favorite moment from the week. 

Source: myubam.com via Sarah on Pinterest You Choose by Nick Sharrat and Pippa Goodhart is Ani's very favorite Kane Miller book . The moment I saw this book's insides I saw it's incredible potential. With each page asking children "what would you wear?" or "Which house would you choose?" and the illustrations filling the page with any and every sort of answer, this book is great for the active kid, and makes an excellent gift.  Ani asks to read this book about 4 times a week, usually for a bedtime story, which she then sneaks into her room for her quiet time. There is no real 'story' to this paperback, but just questions on every page with imaginative 'answers' in the form of pictures that the child has to point out [their favorite option]. From "who would you want for family and friends?" to "What kind of bed would you sleep in?", this book is a great crowd pleaser and inclusive of everyone gettin

*Taken at Indian Cave State Park .

Source: rottentomatoes.com via Nick on Pinterest Stefan and I recently watched War Horse at home because I practically begged him. I love all horse movies, and assuming they're made for adults (ugh, Flicka), they're usually just enough "American Bootstraps" mixed with sentimentality and one of my favorite animals to give it a good evening rating for me.  The story starts out with a struggling family and a horse auction in a local town's square. The local drunk has just bought, with every last cent, a horse that 'won't amount to much'. The caring son of the man befriends and trains the horse, only to realize the horse is smart, and who is able to completely plow a field, in driving rain, within a day.  Fast forward a bit, and the story takes many unlikely turns. The story follows the horse as he is passed around from master to master, as it's WWI. Money is tight, fast exits are needed, and leisure is looked for in every nook and

Source: flickr.com via Tariq on Pinterest Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org via Wendy on Pinterest Source: thesitsgirls.com via Tammy on Pinterest Source: wp.me via PETS on Pinterest Source: askville.amazon.com via Stacy on Pinterest Source: behance.net via Shelley W on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Tigerlily on Pinterest This week is all about VBS for the kids, appointments, an out of town date with my bestie, and getting some good quality lounge time in. See you next week! 

Join others as we remember a great moment from the week. This is at our local Lincoln Children's Zoo . 

photocredit I've been checking out a lot of fun things on the web in the last month, here are a few I've loved. I tested my quick reading skills against Rory Gilmore and came up with about a 40%. Not bad, for a Stars Hallow wannabe.  I loved this honest look at "5 Things I Hate about Homeschooling" . I also loved the second part, the token, "5 Things I Love about Homeschooling" . I particularly resonate with #s 1, 2, and 4 in the "strongly dislike" category, and #s 1, 4, and 5 in the Love category. Who doesn't love a good cheese spread? Breakin' it down for what's what, where to put it, and what to serve alongside. Excellent entertaining option! Jean at artfulparent.com regularly has amazing art projects to do with kid. The contact paper stickers are a fav! I thought this NYTimes piece called, "The Busy Trap" , was pretty interesting. I don't agree with it completely, but I was struck by how articulate th

Source One of the easiest gluten free treats I make for our family is a simple banana bread. I have found a recipe that is 'no-fail' for me, always moist and hearty, can easily be doubled, is delicious with or without chocolate chips, and turns out great no matter what I substitute for odds and ends I don't have. My kind of baking. My favorite version is adapted from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, and it normally includes 1/2 cup of cauliflower puree. I almost never have that on hand, and so I just skip it. The way I make any baked good gluten free, when it's not a gluten free recipe from the beginning, is substituting 1:1 any flour called for with my own mixture of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking + Biscuit Mix , and Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose . I have my own canister of this mixture. I empty one bag of each into it, and mix until combined evenly. When I'm ready to bake anything, I just use that in a 1:1 ratio, and it has never f

photocredit July is a fantastic month with Usborne Books & More, as it's their annual New Titles month, in conjunction with the best deal of the year for home-shows: Double Free! I have been able to preview a lot of the new titles and I would just like to say they keep getting better. The book cover at the top of the post, Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster , by Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, is my favorite new title from Kane Miller. It's a paperpack story that is worth every penny of it's $6.99 price tag, for the message it entails. It's a story about a little boy who worries "What if?" throughout his day and the ending will get a big smile from adults and children alike. A lovely story for any child encountering a new situation, this book will give them the boost of confidence to try new things.  Hostess specials are incredible this month, as once a year (and you never know when it will happen!) Usborne allows hostess to receive DOUBLE FREE the a

Join others remembering a sweet moment from the week. Here's Lu 'feeding' his little cousin who's not quite 1.

photocredit It's been a long time since my last Usborne giveaway, and post for that matter, so you can expect 2 in one week. Today I'm giving away a brand-new copy of the hardcover 1001 Things to Spot in the Sea and over the weekend I'll be doing a Saturday post on Usborne's awesome opportunities for July. Usborne Books & More are known for their awesome puzzle, spotting, and non-fiction books, and this one is similar to an 'I Spy', only with a lot of other useful aspects. There are a whole slew of these books, each with a different theme , but I'm partial to anything ocean related, and since Summer is a great time for family vacations, I thought I'd give away this book for someone who's looking for a great book for a child and the impending long car ride! 1001 Things to Spot in the Sea is a book that has 14 2-page spreads where kids are given an interesting picture (ex: Water Sports, Lost City, Grassy Seabed, and By the Seashore,

Source: kexp.org via Carol on Pinterest I thought this was an appropriate picture for our Fourth of July because in case you didn't know...I live with 3 Can-Americans! Canada Day is July 1st and I loved that this picture blended the two-just like we also celebrate Canada Day with a snack and some conversation with the kids about where Dad is from! Happy 4th of July, readers. And remember, we are so blessed to live in the country we do where we have not only our basic needs met, but we can consider ourselves living in luxury with easy computer & internet access, fair wages, job opportunities, freedom to speak our minds, have children without consequences, and rest easy knowing our children and families will not be plagued by hunger and disease taken care of by medicine. We have plenty to be thankful for, let's not forget that. As a friend said, "the rest is just details", and I wholeheartedly agree. Celebrate with those you love today that we can

SPOLER ALERT: If you haven't read these books and want to, DO NOT read this review!  I admit I didn't know much about these books until some friends suggested we see the movie on a double date one night. I kind of pushed back, thinking Stefan wouldn't like them, but we went, and I was floored. There was so much to these stories that could be used in a classroom, I knew I had to read them myself. When my best friend read my review of the first movie, she handed me all 3 books and told me to take all of them on vacation, since I'd obviously get through all of them. She was right, I plowed through them every chance I got, and I felt like at the end of the week, I had finally got my life back since it had been so consumed with reading 1200 pages in 7 days.  *** Source: topnfun.com via Kallie on Pinterest People, I'm about to get real. I am a small step away from fan lit when it comes to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins