Our House in the Middle of Our Street

via NPR * The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - This debut novel from Diffenbaugh was one I heard recommended over and over again on my favorite podcast, What Should I Read Next? by Anne Bogel. When it became a book that my book club was going to read together, I jumped on it because I knew it'd be interesting. The main character has an uncanny gift with flowers and the meanings behind the bouquets she creates. This is a story about a little magic, and a little redemption. It was cute. *Taproot Magazine: Preserve - I always include these because they are ad-free and over 100 pages and I read them cover to cover. This issue was all about preservation, from the story The Jelly Maker to how to care for a cast-iron pan. I always find this magazine incredibly beautiful from the illustrations, photographs, and words, and I don't get too many magazines anymore, but this is worth every penny of the $40 that comes 4X a year. * Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White ...

My friend, Rebecca, from View from the Prairie Box , has been doing the DPP for years. I've loved joining her each December because it makes me realize I just have to snap a photo or two of something I'm enjoying, engaged in, watching my children do, whatever, and I have these awesome memories of our Advent and Christmas time to look through.  They don't have to be holiday related at all. Her friend Jenn , made this amazing Blue Room series last year (ack! I can't find it to link up to it, trust me it was epic), and I love following the facebook page to see how hundreds of people, all across the world, are now playing along. It's a pretty neat thing.  Go here to sign up, play along on your blog, IG, or the facebook page, and enjoy! All photos can be tagged with #DPP2016. Easy peasy.

Ani as Queen Lucy and Lukka as High King Peter, acting out Narnia. Poor King Ed! * Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton - This is a memoir on marriage, and Doyle Melton's most recent book. I think I read this book in two sittings, it's so conversational. It starts with her younger years and through many addictions and destructive behaviors, became a mother and then endured a marital tragedy of the biggest magnitude. This story is R-A-W. It's sometimes hard to read in parts, and the reason I felt that way was because you might know someone in your life who mirrors Glennon's story and it's just heartbreaking. I don't agree with Glennon's Christian theology, but as a female author she stands on her own two feet with strength and resilience. * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling - With the movie coming out I knew I had to catch up on JK Rowling's new movie coming out based on this book, I knew I had to catch up! This was a fun ...

 Lukka's new math text book- Beast Academy I honestly meant to write this a solid two months ago when bouquets of newly sharpened pencils*  were like stars in my eyes, but let's just cut to the chase-that back-to-school Great Expectations mumbo jumbo is over and we're eyeballs thick into the work of the year. So far, the past 6 weeks have been going pretty well, but talk to me at the beginning of February and I may have 4 pencils sticking out of my hair, glue hanging off the table in a hardened state, and tears of mania in my eyes.  Besides my less than stellar blogging stats as of late, I do want to share our curriculum for the year, because I find those posts by other home schoolers both fun and helpful to me when I'm in a slump, need to switch, or just find something new to get the train up the hill (I'm looking at you, early May sunshine!). Here's what we've got for the kids: Lukka is starting a new math program this year after 4 years of ...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin  Hey all, my favorite blog reader is Bloglovin', and I thought I'd add it there for others to find. I know I'm not writing as regularly as I once had time for, but please believe me when I say I've got meaty blog posts just waiting for time to be worked on, including thoughts on homeschooling, dyslexia, our June vacation (!!!), my girls trip, a new co-op adventure, and more. If you'd like to follow along via bloglovin, just click the link at the top of this post. See you around, and for the non-negotiable last-day-of-the-month book reports!

checking out my new amazon treat!  Last month and this month were good to me in the book department. My time of watching TV voraciously (catching up with my 3 favorite shows once they're on netflix, and watching all of Parenthood in one summer) is over and I am back turning to books in every spare moment. Surprisingly, this month went to a lot of history all across Canada. Funny how one can find the right books at the right time. Lukka will be learning all about BC history this year in (home)school, so reading a few of these books were so helpful even from a homeschooling perspective, let alone enjoyable to read on their own. Here's my September reads: *V ancouver Island Scoundrels, Eccentrics, and Originals by Stephen Ruttan - This quirky little book was one I had seen while on vacation on Vancouver Island and it seemed like a fun little history lesson, complete with photos, odd stories, and few pages (170+). I picked it up at our library and I thought it was so int...

 snapped out front of Rook & Rose , in Victoria Early every year I love to make a goal list that I can slowly work through as opportunities present themselves. Sometimes they're big, sometimes small, and this one was home-centered: get more greenery in for our small basement suite. My sister-in-law does plants so well , and that has inspired me to get a few more plants to spruce up the place {see what I did there?}.  Stefan has liked this goal because he would have a house full of green if our budget allowed it!  My ZZ plant and broad leaf succulent from R&R When I went to Victoria with my friend Emily, we found this beautiful plant boutique (is that even a thing?!) and I bought two beautiful plants that were extremely well priced, and had a healthy gloss to them. The two plants above are from Rook & Rose , and if you're ever in Victoria and you have plant goals, go see them. They had an air plant that was nearly $100 (it was huge, most are ...