Quiet Book Swap

I am the queen of unfinished projects. I will gather materials for a big project, start full steam ahead, and fizzle out quickly. That is, unless I have motivation. Things like my baby being due any day, or making a gift for someone else, or working on a project with others are all great motivators for me! I started a quiet book a while ago. I finished (almost) about 3 pages. But I didn't use any interfacing to line the muslin, so the pages were so floppy.

Anyway, I'm working on a quiet book swap. This will be tons of fun, and we need at least 10-15 people! Details are here (A great blog you should follow, by the way!) Email me with any questions or if you'd like to participate. Depending on how long it takes to get a group together, the deadline will probably be sometime before August. :)

Counting Coconuts

I'm a teacher at heart, and sometimes I miss being in a classroom. Thank goodness for church, where I get to teach the 12-13 year old youth! When I think about it, I realize I can apply my training as an educator to my job as a mom. In fact, I'm pretty much obligated to do so! I follow quite a few homeschooling blogs, and while I'm not set on homeschooling my kids, one of my biggest goals as a parent is to provide a quality education for them. By this, I don't necessarily mean memorizing data, but actually inspiring them and giving them the tools for learning and creativity.

Many of the homeschooling blogs I follow focus on specific curriculum. I'm not saying that's bad: kids need to learn the three "R's", but why should education get in the way of learning? Recently I came across Counting Coconuts, which is an amazing blog of a preschool mommy who shares all her amazing ideas! I can't wait to make this month's sensory tub, or make our own calendar. I'm also intrigued by the Montessori system, and want to learn more. I had a student my first year teaching who spent his first few years of school at a Montessori school. His reasoning, critical thinking, divergent thinking, and problem solving skills were off the charts (though he was kind of socially inept and drove me crazy!)

Anyway, stop by and check her out, you just might be inspired!

num nums

No, that is not a euphemism for anything. It's what my niece called anything tasty for a while.
And you can bet I'll be trying this pumpkin nutella cake this Thanksgiving!! Thanks Two Peas and Their Pod!

My new favorite blog.

Ok, I'll admit it. I LOVE to cook. Making good food for the people I love, or even just for myself, is a delightful experience. So imagine my joy at finding THIS blog. I mean, how awesome is this? In fact, she is my hero. I had tried doing this before, categorizing meals, writing lists and prices and recipes. But I haven't. I'm almost glad I didn't because Let Me Plan Dinner is AMAZING! Check it out!