A couple of my children and I tried out Watercolor for Young Artists this week. Timberdoodle sent me the kit several months ago to review, and I brought it along on our Florida vacation. That was a smart move for two reasons: First, because it gave us something fun to do during our downtime at…
Are you looking for a good way to get your kids excited about writing? The Weekly Real-World Writing workbook Timberdoodle recently sent me to review may be just the ticket! It is chockfull of practical assignments designed to give students word-smithing experience they’ll be able to repeatedly apply to real-world situations for the rest of…
Every year in January, I take a look at my analytics to see which of my blog posts have enjoyed the most popularity in the preceding 12 months. I do this in an attempt to spot past trends and learn how better to serve my readers (that’s you!) in the future. So let’s see what…
My grandkids came to visit this week. While they were here, they took a look at the new Baby Gym Board Books Timberdoodle sent me recently to review. Since the books were written with babies in mind, Rachel read both to her 6-month-old nephew. He loved the bright colors and the short, simple verses. He…
One of my favorite things about December is the stack of greeting cards from distant friends and family our postman delivers to our house daily. I love the newsy letters. I love the family photos. And I love the colorful cards which — being much too pretty to toss in the trash bin — enjoy…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2022 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2022 December 2021 Happenings We…
This week, I’m reviewing another advanced craft kit from Timberdoodle that takes a fair amount of patience to finish — this adorable little Succulents Needle Felting Kit. The kit has everything you need to complete a collection of cute, compact cacti. The succulents vary in shape and in level of difficulty. My daughter Abby picked…
Several years ago, just before our two middle daughters, Rachel and Rebekah, started college, we sent them to a two-week-long Summit Student Conference. They loved it so much that one of them applied (and was hired!) to work there once she’d graduated from nursing school. We sent her younger brother Daniel to Summit last summer…
Our family has always loved thinking games. So we jumped at the chance to review a copy of IQ Six Pro for Timberdoodle recently. The first thing I like about IQ Six Pro is that it’s very compact. It would easily fit in a coat pocket ar the side pouch of a backpack. Second, I…
I recently ordered a fun new journal from Timberdoodle that I’m planning to put in my 12-year-old daughter’s stocking this Christmas. (Shhh! Don’t tell!) It’s called My 52 Lists Project, and it is designed to get kids writing — even those who might not normally enjoy doing so. The concept is simple: 52 writing prompts…
I finished reading four books in September: The Men We Need (highly recommended) plus three others. Read on for my impression of each title. The 4 books I read in September Show Your Work by Autin Kleon I finished re-reading Austin Kleon’s bestselling book Show Your Work last month. It argues that, when it comes…
I love word games, so I suspected So Clover would be right up my ally the first time I ever spotted it on Timberdoodle’s website. What I wasn’t expecting is how much my kids would enjoy playing this game with me — and how good even the younger ones would be at it! Easy to…
I’m back with another Timberdoodle review today — this one for Hide Inside! Thinking Putty. A couple of my grandkids spent some time with us this week and were happy to help Abby try out this new activity kit. That worked out perfectly, since each kit contains everything you need to make three tins of…
It may not feel or look like it in the great state of Texas, but autumn has officially arrived. So let’s talk about just a few — maybe 5 — things to help make fall better. No… I can’t tell you what they are. Your things won’t necessarily match my things. But it is definitely…
I got the sweetest letter from a reader thanking me for the musical themed discussion prompts I published last week, so I’m sharing another set today. These Friendship Themed Conversation Starters will help promote meaningful conversation with the people gathered around your dinner table, whether they be family, friends, or — as is the case…
Our family tried out a new critical thinking game recently called Illusion Cubes — another great STEM product we got through Timberdoodle. The puzzle contains 24 double-sided tiles and an instruction booklet filled with 120 challenging designs, arranged in gradually increasing levels of difficulty. Although shading makes these matte-finished puzzle pieces look like cubes, they…
I’m back with another Timberdoodle Review today. This week, we’ve been trying out a fun new art kit called Animals and Their Homes. It contains all the supplies you’ll need for six different kinds of crafts and at least 14 finished projects, including mosaics, 3-D paper crafting, sticker art, coloring pages, cut-and-fold designs, and more….
My youngest daughter is taking Texas History at our homeschool co-op this year, and one of her very first assignments is to memorize the Texas State Pledge. I created the following printable way back in 2014 when some of my older kids were studying Texas history. But when I was searching for it this time…
I finished reading six books in the month of July: Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, plus five others. Read on for my impressions of each (listed in the order I finished them). The 6 books I read in July Beyond the Cradle by Anne Stanton The first book I finished last month was one a…
This week, we tried out a new art kit from Timberdoodle. Rightly called “Inspired by Van Gogh,” the kit contains scratch art projects reminiscent of some of the artist’s most famous paintings. It includes everything you need to complete four different scratch-art scence; however, the kit contains only one etching tool, so if more than…
My grandkids helped me with another Timberdoodle review this week. This time, we were playing a new card game called Little Match. Little Match is super simple to play. Each player gets four cards. The rest of the deck goes in the middle with one card facing up. If a card in your hand matches…
This week’s Timberdoodle review is for something called a Sensory Tissue Box. It’s a simple concept: a plush, velveteen box stuffed with 15 squares of fabric in bright colors and different textures. If I’m honest, I must admit I’d never have given this toy a second glance had the company not asked me to review…
Every summer, my kids and I purpose to do more baking. My daughter Rachel found the perfect starter recipe for bread baking a few years back (via La Fuji Mama) and we’re pulling it out again this month. It’s super simple and makes two crusty, delicious loaves in about an hour – start to finish….
The Stabilo Pencils I’m reviewing this week for Timberdoodle were a huge hit, both with my children and with my grandchildren. The pencils were much thicker than I was expecting, but their stubby shape and thick wooden casing made them virtually indestructible. And with 18 bright, creamy colors to choose from, there were plenty to…
I have another of my 50-Things lists for you today. This one I call 50 Ways to Get Organized. Read on, then let me know what you think! 50 Quick and Easy Ways to Get Organized Make your bed daily It takes less than a minute and instantly makes your room look more organized Toss…
For me, one of the hardest parts of moving is sorting through my books. I love books and would prefer to keep them all, but as our new place doesn’t have the shelf space our old one did, I’m having to let some go. This week, I’m paring down our vast collection of children’s books….
Did you know June 10 is National Egg Roll Day? And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by frying up a tasty batch of scrumptious Avocado Egg Rolls at home. They’re packed with flavor and good-for-you veggies and are much easier to manage than you might imagine. Plus, they’re mmm-mmmmm delicious!…
It always feels a little bit like Christmas when Timberdoodle releases their new catalog each spring, because it’s packed with all sorts of goodies kids love. And as a member of their blog team, I get to review books, curriculum packages, art kits, and strategy games (like the one I’m doing today — Quixo), all…
My kids are quite the cookie bakers. Every time I turn around, one or the other is in the kitchen, whipping up a new batch. One of my earliest bakers preferred making peanut butter cookies. Another favored snickerdoodles. But the current crop of kitchen helpers have been turning out dozens and dozens of chocolate chip…
I’ve been blessed with lots of daughters and daughters-in-law who are better cooks than I am. And they frequently come over to cook in my kitchen. Not only does that afford us extra time to visit with them, but it allows our family to sample some fantastic new dishes at the same time. Which is…
Today I’m sharing some prayer and advice cards for graduates I designed several years back for some of my own children’s graduations. We normally have a big party after the ceremony so that friends and family can help us celebrate our student(s)’ accomplishment. For several of those parties, I laid a stack of these free…
In honor of Global Volunteer Month (April), I offer you another of my themed free printable bucket lists. This one details Print – 50 Ways to Volunteer. Each of these ideas is relatively small, but can make a big impact. Especially when people all around the world dedicate themselves to such altruistic acts. But don’t…
Our family could eat Mexican food four or five nights a week. We love it! And these easy cheesy enchiladas are one of the quickest Tex-Mex meals in my repertoire. The fact that we nearly always have all the ingredients on hand and the recipe is so easy to adjust makes it one of my…
Since today is the first day of National Parks Week, and since our family just returned from a 2-week road trip that included stops at four national parks, this seems the perfect time to share my brand new 50 National Parks Bucket List. Our family has only seen 17 of the 50 parks listed (so…
April 12 is one of my favorite quirky holidays of all times — and one our family celebrates far more often than once a year. It’s National D.E.A.R. Day — better known as Drop Everything and Read Day. And since one of our favorite forms of family entertainment is reading aloud, this seems the perfect…
I use Mondays to clear out my mailbox. This week’s message is all about the smart ways one reader uses Flanders Family printables. Read on for some creative inspiration! Message: This is how I use your printables Dear Flanders Family, I love, love, love your website! We have two granddaughters who are college freshmen and…
One of my favorite holidays is just around the corner. Not because I love colored eggs and fuzzy bunnies. But because I love the finished work of Christ on the Cross. And since I’ve published lots of resources over the years related to that event, I’ve decided to group them all together in this Ultimate…
These bite-sized spinach frittatas have become a staple at our annual Leprechaun Lunch. They are the color of clover, but not in an artificial way, and therefore make a hearty addition to this all-green-cuisine St. Patrick’s Day feast. Yet they are tasty enough to enjoy year-round. The frittatas are delicious, nutritious, and super easy to…
For the past couple of months, our family has been trying out a new keyboarding program I got from Timberdoodle. It’s called Typing Instructor Gold. It’s touted as being “the most advanced typing program available.” I can’t really vouch for that claim, since I haven’t tried them all. But after 30+ years of homeschooling, we…
I finished six books in February: my own Because He Lives (which I go through again every year about this time) plus five others. Read on for my impressions of each: Read to Lead by Jeff Brown and Jessie Wisnewski The authors give practical advice for getting the most out of your reading: ✅ How…
My kids and I tried out a new TwoStick Shadows Art Kit from Timberdoodle this week with fairly impressive results. The kit was a little pricier than kits we’ve tried in the past, but when I consider the quality of the supplies included, it seems like a bargain. Timberdoodle carries a wide selection of TwoStick…
We’ve been vacationing in Florida this week, and every time my kids see a license plate from a different state, they point it out. We keep a printable map in the car to help them keep track of the states already spotted. We love using road trips to re-enforce geography lessons, and today’s State Capitals…
The year got off to a decent start as far as my reading goals are concerned. I finished six books in January: a brand new release called M is for Mama, plus five others. Read on for my impressions of each work. The 6 Books I Read in January Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel…
Recently, our family had the privilege of trying out Deep in the Jungle Sticker Mosaic Kit, a new Djeco craft kit carried by one of our all-time favorite curriculum suppliers, Timberdoodle Co. Like all Djeco arts & crafts kits, this one came with more than enough supplies to complete the projects. In this case, that…
Well, I’m not sure how it happened, because last month was crazy busy, but I finished reading 10 books in December: Don’t Lose Heart by Jason Meyers, plus 9 others. I’m not gonna lie. It felt pretty good to mark all those titles off my reading list in one fell swoop. But I’ve drug my…
Today I’m sharing links to the Top 10 Flanders Family Posts of 2021. As has become my habit, I always like to look back in January at the most popular posts of the preceding year. Since my goal in writing this blog is to serve my subscribers, it’s instructive to see which posts readers find…
In this week’s Monday Mailbag, I’m granting a reader request for more harmonica music with these seven Christmas carols for the harmonica, just in time for the holidays. Question: Do you have any more harmonica songs? Hi, Jennifer. Please, give us more harmonica music! My dad had several chromatic harmonics and occasionally would play for…
Shortly before Christmas, Timberdoodle offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse: 50% off any products I’d be willing to review. All I had to do was submit my my wishlist — and Kloak definitely made the cut. I’d been eyeing this strategy game ever since Timberdoodle first started carrying it. It can be played by…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2021 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2021 December 2020 Happenings Can…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2019 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2019 December 2018 Happenings Doug…
Today I’m sharing something that is admittedly super silly: Just feast your eyes upon these free printable “Reindeer Poop” bag toppers. 😂 I have several of kids and grandkids who love Raisinets, so I slip a package of these sweeties in their Christmas stockings every year. The Raisinets provide a perfect visual for the “Reindeer…
This list of December Holidays and Quirky Celebrations is the 12th and final installment in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to…
Here’s something to help the hungry kids in your family wait patiently until Thanksgiving dinner is ready and all their extended family members have congregated to eat. It’s an I SPY Thanksgiving printable! click to print I SPY Thanksgiving click to print I SPY Thanksgiving answer key This doodle collage comes with a list of…
I made several big batches of these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a cookie exchange our piano teacher hosts every December, which is the highlight of the year as far as her students are concerned. The moms bring seven dozen homemade goodies of a single variety and come back home with an amazing assortment of…
Eleventh in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy list of November Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help…
Today I’m sharing this pretty Grace and Greetings Coloring Page. It features Titus 3:15, “All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.” Grace and Greetings Coloring Page Paul sent greetings to loved ones by letter, because they lived too far away for him…
Our family is full of serious soup fans, but we’ve had a hard time tracking down a tomato soup recipe we all like. Some are too plain. Some are too thin. Others are too sweet. But, like Baby Bear’s porridge, Softa’s Tomato Basil Soup is just right. A few years ago, I spotted a dear…
This week’s Like Arrows in Hand Coloring Page features a portion of one of my all-time favorite passages, Psalm 127. Here’s how the last few verses read: “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children…
Tenth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy list of October Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help…
Since today is officially the first day of fall, I thought it would be the perfect time to share these Autumn Days Conversation Starters. Use them to stimulate great conversations around your dinner table — or while riding in the car, sitting in the living room, or tucking kids into bed each night. Sample Questions…
Three of our children have birthdays in September, but there are plenty of reasons to celebrate this month that aren’t specific to our family. Below you’ll find a lengthy list of September Holidays, ninth in my monthly series of celebration-worthy moments. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year….
One of the best things a homemaker can do to get organized is to create a weekly meal plan for her family. Today I’m sharing a free printable that will make doing this job so much easier. click to print our Weekly Meal Plan template To ensure good variety, you might think in terms of…
We spent the past week in Branson, Missouri — one last family trip before school starts. While we were there, we checked out one of the city’s newest attractions, Aquarium at the Boardwalk. With its 55-foot stainless steel octopus sculpture wrapped around the front of the building, the aquarium is hard to miss. The sculpture…
Eighth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy listing of August Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable all year long. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to…
The Tokyo Games are (finally!) underway, so today’s reader request for “anything on the Olympics” is especially timely. Read on for a link list of all our Olympic-themed resources, including a free printable kit that’ll help you host your own Olympic games. Question: Do you have anything on the Olympics? Good morning, Jennifer. Thank you…
This a big day for our family. After years of planning and dreaming and schooling and preparing and training and working SO HARD, my son is finally joining his father in practice. And today is his first day doing anesthesia cases at the hospital. Isn’t that exciting? For as long as I can remember, Samuel…
We love using the summertime to knock out some fun electives and enrichment studies. This summer, we’ve been working our way through a new DVD art curriculum we got from Timberdoodle called Drawing Realistic Portraits. The course is simple and straight forward with only fifteen lessons — a little less than two hours total instruction…
My husband read Stuart Gibb’s Tyrannosaurus Wrecks aloud to our whole family in June. Below are my impressions of that title plus the other four books I finished last month. The 5 Books I Read in June Apologia Exploring Creation with Biology by Vicki Dincher We love Apologia Science — especially Apologia Exploring Creation with…
Continuing with my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy listing of July Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable all year long. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to…
My family loves reading books for entertainment, and this list of patriotic picture books for Independence Day contains some of our favorites for reading on or around July 4th. Pack a few in your picnic basket to enjoy while you wait for fireworks to begin. Patriotic Picture Books that Celebrate America’s Independence A is for…
I’m a huge bookworm and love sharing my latest reads with you. Last month, I read a total of eight books: All of Grace by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, plus seven other books. Read on for my impressions of each title. May Reads Exploring Creation with Astronomy by Jeannie Fulbright This is the book my 10-year-old…
School’s out. Summer is upon us. And we’ve rounded up all our summer fun posts in one place to make them easier to find. So without further adieu, I proudly present our ultimate collection of summer bucket lists. Taa-daaa! Pick the bucket list you like best, and click on the linked image. Doing so will…
Sixth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy list of June Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help…
I love garage sales. Yard sales. Tag sales. Estate sales. Call them what you may, the chance to rummage through another person’s junk in search of treasure has always been a thrill for me. As a young wife and mother living on school loans while my husband completed his medical training, it was a matter…
I use Mondays to clear our my mailbox. Today I’m tackling the question of how to keep playthings organized. Read on for my best tips on taming the toy box! Question: How do I keep toy clutter in check? Hi Jennifer! I have an organization question. What do you do with your kids’ toys? And…
Question: How do you find time to do so much reading? Hi, Jennifer. I know you have to be very busy with so many children and grandchildren. How in the world do you manage to read so many books with all your other responsibilities? I want to read more, but have trouble fitting it in….
Fifth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy list of May Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help…
I finished six books in March: Growing Grateful by Mary Kassian, plus five other titles. Read on for my detailed impressions of each. 6 Books I read in March: Risen by Angela Hunt I finished Angela Hunt’s Risen last month. It’s the historical fiction novelization of a move by the same name (which I’ve never…
Fourth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy list of April Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help…
Last week over dinner, I asked my grandkids one of the questions from my newest set of Conversation Starters: What is your favorite Easter tradition? Two of them gave the same answer — Resurrection Eggs — though they used different words to say as much. The first proudly proclaimed, “I love when you use those…
I finished eight books in four weeks during the month of February. All but three were books I’d read before. Of the new titles, My Tech-Wise Life by Amy and Andy Crouch was my favorite. You’ll find my impressions of all eight books below, listed in the order I read them. February Reads How Do…
You don’t have to travel far from home to enjoy a wonderful vacation with your family. You can save both time and money by playing the part of a tourist right in your own hometown. The following tips will show you how to plan the perfect staycation. Finding Local Fun Poll your kids to find…
Third in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, here is a lengthy list of March Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year. You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help your…
In keeping with my promise to publish a wide assortment of celebration-worthy moments each month, here is a lengthy list of February Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I want to make every month more memorable this year. Are you with me? You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through…
Our free printable Whiter Than Snow Coloring Page features Psalm 51:7. “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” click to print Whiter than Snow coloring page We seldom get snow in our neck of East Texas’s Piney Woods. But whenever we do, I…
My family has been ordering educational products through Timberdoodle for decades. So when Timberdoodle approached me about reviewing a new set of Junior Rainbow Pebbles, I agreed without hesitation. The set comes in a sturdy cardboard box that is easy to open and close, but durable enough to withstand lots of repeated play. It includes…
If years of COVID lockdowns taught us anything, it’s the value of celebrating the small things in life. Toilet paper. Grocery Pickup. Sunny days. Face time. Birds singing outside your window. That’s not a bad way to live, if you ask me. Sure, I’m ready to ditch the masks, plan a trip, and get back…
At year’s end, I like to look back to see which of my posts from the preceding 12 months enjoyed the most popularity. Hence, my Top 10 Flanders Family Posts of 2020 is born. Creating this list helps me better understand what kinds of resources have appealed most to my readers (that’s YOU) in the…
All the questions I posted before Thanksgiving and Christmas have fostered lots of great discussions around our family’s dinner table. So, wishing to keep a good thing going, I’ve designed another round of conversation starters for New Year’s. Click on the linked images or download button below to get your own copy of this new…
October brought us some gorgeous weather this year. Our family spent a full week tent camping, much of which time I spent lounging by the campfire with a book in my lap. I finished both The Struggle Bus and Coronavirus and Christ that week, then completed three more books before the month was out. Read…
Last months booklist looks a little lopsided. I normally gravitate to nonfiction titles. But other than Bob Goff’s Dream Big and a spiral volume of sudoku puzzles, all the books I read in August were novels. The majority of these selections, our family read aloud together. Some for the third or fourth or fifth time….
6 Books I read in July Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin Women of the Word provides excellent, step-by-step training for women who want to study the Bible for themselves, but don’t know where or how to start. In an age where pop-psychology and feel-good phrases comprise much of what passes for “Christian” teaching,…
This week’s Scripture Sunday coloring page provides a worthy challenge as kids head back to school. It features 1 Timothy 4:12. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” Click to download this “Show Yourself and Example” coloring…
As I’ve mentioned before, our family has been loyal Timberdoodle customers for decades. Although much of our homeschool curriculum is non-consumable, I supplement our studies each year with art kits, thinking games, and other fun products from Timberdoodle. This year, the Wile E. Coyote Physical Science Genius is among the new add-ons. This 4-book set…
God had lots of good reasons for making mothers. But I think one of the most important was to ensure children are well-covered in prayer. My own dear mother is a praying mother. The sentiment on this coloring page is so true of her! Download Praying Mother Coloring Page If you have a mom, there…
Here again, this present month is almost over, and I’ve yet to tell you about last months reads. I finished five books in April, including Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness. Read on for my impressions of all five titles: Man of the Family by Ralph Moody First, I finished reading another installment in Ralph Moody’s…
I’m woefully behind in sharing reviews of the books I’ve been reading lately. February’s list is all ready to go, but I wanted to share my January reads first. I finished five books in the first five weeks of 2020, including Tony Reinke’s latest offering, Competing Spectacles. Read on for my impressions of each: In…
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought some hearts and flowers would be in order. So in this week’s free “Scripture Sunday” coloring page, a grateful heart takes center stage. The words come from the lyrics of a worship song written by Don Moen: O, give thanks with a grateful heart.Give thanks to…
When I was growing up, my father bought my sister and me a heart-shaped box of chocolates every Valentine’s Day. Mine was gobbled up within 36 hours. My sister, who consumed roughly half a chocolate a week, could make her box last until the next Valentine’s Day (provided I didn’t find her hiding place). Cut…
I always like to look back in January at my top posts of the preceding year. My goal is to deliver resources that will be truly benefit my readers (YOU!). So examining what kinds of resources drive traffic to my site helps me plan future posts. Of the posts I wrote in 2019, the following…
Did you know January is National Soup Month? When the weather turns cold, there’s nothing like a piping hot bowl of soup to warm you from the inside out. This creamy potato soup recipe will really hit the spot. This is adapted from one of the “Freezer Pleaser” class my kids and I took last…
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any Timberdoodle product reviews. But as Christmas approaches, I’ve been browsing Timberdoodle’s website in search of fun, new gift ideas. This little U-Gears Knight on Horseback definitely fits the bill. It’s new to the Timberdoodle catalog. So they sent me a free kit. That way, one of my children…
ATTENTION: Are these 2020 Calendars not the ones you need? Then follow this link to find the year you’re looking for. My blog mailbox is overflowing again with messages and requests from readers. So I plan to respond to as many as I can over the next few months. For this week’s Mailbag Monday, I’m…
July was a busy month for our family. The Tyranny of the Urgent reigned supreme for several weeks, though none of us like living that way. Not everybody wins at such a breakneck pace. Somebody loses. I finished five books for the month. It took some creative use of time to get that many in….
I always have the best of intentions about posting reviews of the books I read early in the month. But then LIFE happens, and the month is almost over before I get around to it. I finished seven and a half books in June (including Lynda Mullaly’s Fish in a Tree), and quite a variety…
I’m finally getting around to sharing the books I read in May (plus one — Frank Peretti’s Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea — that my son read aloud to me). But better late than never! The last couple of weeks have been a little crazy for our family! Since my last book review…
Since today is Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a Mother’s Comfort coloring page. This one is based Isaiah 66:13… “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” Isn’t that a beautiful promise? I spent several days last week caring for seven of my grandbabies while their mother was out of town. She spent…
Mondays are my day for tackling my mailbox. This week, I’m sharing a message I got from a sweet and talented reader who wanted to know how I accomplish so much. Here’s my answer to that oft asked question. Question Hi, Jennifer. I think you are REMARKABLE and love your blog! Couple of questions: However…
Our family traveled a bunch last month, so I got in a lot of extra reading. Below is a roundup of all the most recommendation-worthy books I finished in April: 31 Days to Love Your Husband, plus 9 other titles. Just Sayin’ by Dandi Daley Mackall I got this book free from My Reader Rewards…
Many of you know I’ve been using Timberdoodle’s 3rd Grade Curriculum with my youngest daughter and a couple of my grandchildren this year. I’ve been intending to write an update for a couple of months now to tell you how it’s been going. Unfortunately, I got distracted by several out-of-town trips, a couple of wedding…
Our family finished several good books in March, including a fun new read by Stuart Gibbs called Belly Up. We’ll be wrapping up even more in April, as our homeschool co-op classes wind down for the summer break. So stay tuned for more reading recommendations next month. The following titles and cover images are all…
I’m using Mondays to clean out my mailbag by posting messages that may be of general interest, like this one I received last week from a fellow bibliophile about resources for book lovers: Jennifer, your “book reviews” page is blank! ? Hoping it’s just a glitch. I’m so thankful to have found your website. Lots…
Our family was a little spread out at Christmas time. But we were recently reunited when all our kids made it home simultaneously a couple of weeks into January. It was the first time we’ve all been together since Samuel got married nearly two years ago. So we set up the tripod and took a…
When it comes to pastimes, my husband shares the same sentiment as C.S. Lewis: “You can never get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” Doug spent the better half of last year reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s 4-volume, 1400-page Hobbit and Lord of the Rings aloud to the family…
Since January is “International Brain Teaser Month,” now is the perfect time to review Little Red Riding Hood, another Smart Game I ordered through Timberdoodle for my little ones. This set is a little more challenging than the Three Little Piggies I reviewed a few days ago. Consequently, you’ll note a slight shift in the…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2018 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2018 December 2017 Happenings We…
About this time every year, I print out a lengthy list of fun family traditions I want to remember to do during the Christmas season. I’ve shared many renditions of this “Holiday Bucket List” in the past, including this bare-bones original plus this vintage, black & white version. I have a new one this year….
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is always good to be mindful of the many blessings God has bestowed upon us. And I’m glad our country sets aside a day dedicated to doing so. Over the years, I’ve published lots of resources that have a Thanksgiving theme. I thought this year would be…
Did you know September is supposed to be “Better Breakfast Month?” Maybe that’s because kids are back in school. They need this “most important meal of the day” to do their best work. Unfortunately, my “better breakfast” record this month leaves a lot to be desired. That’s because September has been unusually busy for our…
Our family just got home from a two-week road trip to the west coast. We tried lots of new and fun things while we were away. But we unanimously agree that the 3-hour rafting trip we took with Black Canyon River Adventures was the high point of our vacation. A Relaxing Afternoon The trip began…
