I hope all is well with you. I have the pleasure of bringing to you today a review of Where’d You Learn That Purely Preschool Fall Pack. While this product was gifted to me, the review and thoughts below are all my own. (Also, y’all should know I would not lie to you.)
OK, so when this digital product arrived in my inbox I was a little concerned about the page count. Wow, was I wrong and I am so glad that I was! If you know me at all, you know that I love a product that I can use more than once and in multiple ways. Super bonus if I can use it with both of my kids at the same time. This hits all three of those marks! Let me explain how…
For starters, The images depict the actual subject. So if it is a fall animal like a squirrel it is a beautifully black-and-white drawn image of said squirrel, not a cartoon image or a character. I really like this, especially when studying nature because then I feel like my children can really learn about the animal and explore as opposed to just engaging with some random image that may not depict its actual likeness.
Next, the layout: I absolutely adore how the author briefly but thoroughly explains each activity in the pack and provides all the things that you need. Honestly, this is a lesson plan anyone could follow. Seriously, I could give the lesson plan to James and he could implement it. There is no fluff, but it is very full.
Finally, the best part, the content! While this pack is for Fall, the sky’s the limit with all you can do! There is so much in it and while she does provide instructions and guides, you can adapt these for much more. For example, I used the images as instructed with Jude, then together both my children used the images for a scavenger hunt on a walk they took later that day. Jude loved painting fall color leaves and on his own tried to make the color orange. Art then became science!
Lastly, I like how this packs reminds us how t ocare for and appreciate nature. I am so looking forward to using this for many Falls to come with my kids. Check it out here.
Check out what my fellow Melanted Gold Squad Review Members thought about Where’d You Learn That here!
I mean, how is it the end of February? I feel like January was 3 months long and February comes in like a hurricane being the shortest month with the most to celebrate. Black History Month, Hubs birthday, Valentine’s Day, James’s birthday… and the start of the lenten season.
I understand Ash Wednesday is not a traditional holiday and thus, there’s no decor or days off but, in our house we celebrate the big and the small. Personally, taking time to consecrate our faith, make a public profession and boldly choose to eliminate something from our lives and/or bring something in lives that will bring us closer to Christ is big. So, in my true fashion, we celebrate it.
We start with some fun printables like these that allow us to discuss the upcoming the season- what a sacrifice is and how to choose one, who and what we will pray for, and what this time is to focus on. I think it is important to teach my children the relational effects of fasting and prayer and not the religious act.
We also discuss the good and the bad about we we are giving up or giving in to… sacrifices are not meant to be easy so “sacrificing” something you don’t like anyway doesn’t quite make the cut. I also I am not trying to punish my kids. While I gently guide them, I don’t force their sacrifices upon them.
We wake on Ash Wednesday to go get our Ashes. For the past few years, we’ve gotten them from the comfort of our car. Yup, you read that right-we have gotten our Ashes through the drive-through of a local church. One day, I’ll find a child-friendly service but alas, this has worked for us.
Do you and your family do something special to prepare for Lent?
If you’ve known me for a bit, you know my kids birthdays were like the saddest days ever. I was honestly in mourning. “How did it go so fast? Why did it go so fast? It’s going to fast!” I would lament through sobs.
And then Jude was born on Christmas and for some reason, that made the birthdays easier. That is, until we were about a month out from James’ 5th birthday and those “birthday blues” starting showing up in full force. I was just about to succumb to them, wallow in my grief and hopefully return back to normalcy one day when I paused and really thought about why it was especially James’ birthday that brought out these emotions and I realized why.
Nearly my entire life I’ve been begging people to, “choose me”, “see me” and/or “love me” without ever doing any of those myself, for myself. Then came this human that I grew IN MY BODY that, without me even uttering a word, chose me, saw me and loved me. No lie, Which brought on another thought, I think his birthdays made me sad because he would soon discover I was a fraud. Yes I read all these books and stalked blogs but I was clueless. I had zero confidence, zero self-love and very little pure joy except that of moments with that sweet baby…who was growing way too fast.
I always say giving birth to James gave me life because learning to protect and advocate for him was a re-birth. I grew my mama bear spirit and confidence I never had. James gave me life and Jude saved my life because not only did I have another bout of post-partum anxiety but I also had bad post-partum depression after he was born. The kind that was masked by smiles, laughs, cute outfits and showing up playing a role. I would only get out of bed to protect my kids. I didn’t even look in mirrors… until the damn broke. I started counseling, I opened up more and I started eating better and exercising. I started meditating and journaling.
It made me a better person, a better advocate, a better mom and a better friend to me. I fell in love with myself and wasn’t begging people to give me what I couldn’t give myself anymore. I was showing up for me, finally.
So, after all that reflection the sadness was gone. He’s not gonna find out I’m a fraud. I hope, if nothing he understands how grateful I am to him for his grace and love. For smiling each morning after I messed up so many days before. I hope he understands the great privilege to having front-row seats to watching me fall in love with myself and know he was the catalyst. So, yeah, I’m probably still gonna cry. I’m probably still gonna sneak in and watch him sleep one last 5 year-old-sleep but I won’t be sad. I’ll be in awe of how our wonderful journey has taken shape and stay in fervent prayer about future endeavors.
We’ve chatted so much about homeschool the last few months I feel like I’ve neglected to share all the other parts of my life with you. Tsk, tsk, tsk. We can’t have that, can we?
A couple of years ago, I shared my favorite things and I wanted to update that list! Here we go:
Yeti Coffee Mug: I know, I rarely suggest something with a specific brand. Hear me out. I have tried the more inexpensive alternatives and they just don’t match up. I got this coffee mug as my teacher gift last year and it is a delight. I can make coffee at 4:30 a.m. and take a swig at 7:30 and it still is hot! I mean, how many of us have been there- reheat the coffee forget about the coffee, reheat it again only to not be able to finish it, and then have to re-start this cycle again or give up entirely. This eliminates that!
Ear Buds: When then Pandemic continued, I realized I hadn’t listened to a single book or podcast because I rarely had a one time and I wasn’t in the car as much. I tried the wired-headphones but ran into two problems: 1-They were wired which meant I was always holding my phone in hand my phone on my person, and, 2- with my daith pierced, they didn’t fit (not that they ever fit well). I hunted for months for wireless earbuds that would allow hands-free listening but not block out other surrounding noise because I am a mom and I need to hear. I found these as Best Buy and for what I needed, plus working out, I am sold! They are a great price, hold a charge, and work amazingly well.
Eucalyptus Sprays: To be clear, I never once considered myself-high maintenance before the Pandemic. Not once. But once things closed I realized my self-care game was stepped way up from previous years and very soon I was hurting for some pampering. Enter eucalyptus sprays. I used this tutorial to attach Trader Joe’s eucalyptus to my shower head and y’all. Showers are now a mini trip to the spa. Bless.
Plants: This may seem basic but did you know that plants naturally filter the air??? I had no idea. When I found out I had to get over myself and make myself believe I could keep plants alive. I now have 6, (4 of which are thriving and 2 that are in and out of proverbial ICU) all named after Black Female Olympians and I am in heaven. They are so peaceful and bring such joy. I use my young living products to keep the bugs away and keep leaves shiny. I can’t wait to get some more!
Mom’s Morning Basket: If you follow me on socials (if not, join me!), you’ve probably seen this highlight about my morning baskets. Yes, plural. This is a no-judgment zone, remember? These baskets are a for-real game-changer though. In them I have books, bible studies, a bible, all the journals, and some hand-lettering guides and markers to keep me grounded and get me so full, I overflow. I love how it is all handy, organized, and easily accessible.
Facial Steamer: Just so we are clear here, I’ve never considered myself high maintenance. Just re-stating this for consistency purposes. Now, people around me may disagree but we aren’t talking about them. To me, a need to steam one’s face seemed a bit over the top. That is, until, I learned 3 fundamental truths at the exact same time. Number 1. I am not getting younger and there’s nothing I can do to change that. 2. Even though I have that “uncrackable Black skin”, I need to take care of it. 3. Taking care of my skin doesn’t make me “high maintenance”. (I also learned that high maintenance isn’t a bad thing. I made that up thanks to societal norms.) So, I got a facial steamer for Mother’s Day and in the few months that I’ve used it, I can say my pores are delighted. I will also say this will lead to you wanted to up all your skincare routines. All of them.
Young Living Essential Oils and Other Products: Y’all! These products have changed the game. If you’ve been here for a bit, you know I’ve always used oils, tried to have clean products, etc. Well, I finally plunged into Young Living Last March and these oils are a level-up. Not just for me-my husband, my kids, and our home. I use Thieves cleaner every day. I use a DIY product from the essential oils every day. I use oils and wellness products every day. I could go on and on but I won’t. You can see how I use them here. You can learn more here.
What didn’t make the list? Well things that are still my favorite that I honestly don’t ever want to change. I am still vey much in love with dark chocolate, Malbec, coffee and nail polish. I don’t want to see a day when those aren’t my favorite things. Like, not ever.
What are your favorite things? Anything I am missing out on?
In case you are new here or if you need to be reminded. I love a well-executed Holiday. I just can’t get enough of it. One of my most favorite holidays to celebrate growing up was Halloween. My parents were divorced and lived far away from their families so basically every other holiday was a wash-up of which parent I would be with and what they wanted to do for said holiday. Oh, but Halloween was EPIC.
As far back as I could remember, my dad went hard. Even when I was too old to trick or treat, he went hard passing out candy. For those wondering, he still goes hard to this day and has added costumes to the lineup. Anyway, because of that, guess who then always went hard for Halloween? This girl!
With our usual spots and traditions closed for fall fun, I’ve had to adapt ad we’ve been celebrating all month with the goodies in our BOO Baskets all month long. I am one of those family costumes, coordinating shirts, skipping through the pumpkin patch moms to the point where I get my kids’ costumes as early as possible, like 364 days early.
Well, that all worked out in my favor until COVID-19, which, I kinda feel like is a recurring theme in most households. So, you know me, my brain went to town on planning something out for the kids.
After counting all the doors in my house and realizing I was too tired to hide behind each one, I remembered the scavenger hunt we did on Easter and then searched, “halloween scavenger hunt” and google did not fail me. I few clicks later, I stumbled upon, downloaded and immediately printed this scavenger hunt.
Next, I asked myself, “wait-what is going to be the loot?” I asked this because my kids trick-or-treat for sport. There is so much they can’t eat so we buy it from them and they make out like bandits. This year, they can get some treats they can actually eat and I will probably break even. To start, I found some festive things they could eat like these halloween themed veggie chips and gummy treats. Then, I went went with some of their favorites like Kettle COrn and Lara Bars. To make it cute and have happy kids when they find it, I put the loot in their treat buckets (dollar spot find years ago that I slapped a vinyl monogram on) and viola! A safe, socially-distant family-fun Halloween. Follow along via Instagram or Facebook for more deets.
I know with us going into month ??? Of Pandemic life, the title of this blog may come off a bit confusing, crass even. Bare with me.
If you follow me on socials, (again, if you don’t are we really friends???), you’ve seen how serious I take memory making and with so much being #cancelled or not safe, I’ve had to take lots of it in to my own hands.
You can’t see the smile on my face now, but let me assure you, it is wide. Why? Well, because I could’ve given up, just let this season be what it was or could take very sour lemons, add way more than a spoonful of sugar and some lavender, tie it with a bow and call it a memory. I chose the latter.
Friends, I must tell you, this was far from easy and in my true fashion, so much was extra. SO. MUCH. So I’m learning to straddle the line a little better.
I say all that to say, I know this season, most of these days are far from easy. I am saying that I, like you, am very tired of this season. I am also saying that when this season is over, I do not want to regret an ounce, not a day of it.
When my kids remember “the germs” and all we couldn’t do, they will also remember all that we did, shared, explored and the magic I made happen.
So, if you still love me, follow along as I’ll have easy ways to whip up memories and fun safely.
These two are super easy and a hit with my family:
Apple Dippers board– a few weeks ago I shared a “fall fun” checklist that contained all the things you could do with apples. The last thing we did was this apple dipping board and, let me tell you, when my husband beat my kids in asking for seconds, I knew this was hit.
Here is what I did: Grab a serving tray, cutting board, or a large plate. Then core and slice about 3 medium-large apples to start depending on the appetite of your crowd.
Next, grab some small skewers or toothpicks and stick them through the apple slice from the bottom up, so it kinda looks like a lollipop. Now, to the fun part. Grab any topping you’ve ever had or wanted to have on a candy apple and lay it out. Now to the extra- I had some red dessert plates on hand and chose to put my toppings- caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, peanuts, sprinkles, marshmallows- in separate dishes and then let my family pick what toppings they would like and “dip” each apple slice then top how they please. It was a pure mess but I was happy to help make it!
Chili Board- Not to toot my own horn here, but according to my kids, this was the best dinner they’ve ever had. Between me and you, this was one of the easiest meals I’ve ever made, so that equals the ultimate win-win! I pulled chili from the freezer-yes, it was frozen because I had some veggies about to tap-out on me so I threw them with some spices, beans, and stock in the instant pot and 20 minutes later I had chili. Then, obvi, I froze it. So, I let the chili simmer to perfection on the stove in my new Dutch oven. While that simmered I made some cornbread muffins (again, legit the easiest recipe I’ve ever found and the tastiest.) Why muffins you ask? So I could freeze the leftovers. This enneagram 6w5 is always thinking ahead. So, chili simmering, muffing baking, right? Then you get your toppings out. I had scoops, red onion, green onion, goat’s milk cheddar, and parsley. Again, you go to town how you see fit! Take a little design liberty here and make it pretty. Ladle chili in bowls and let the board work its magic. 2 bowls and 2 muffins later, I had to refuse third portions because I value leftovers.
Throw in some games and give got some family fun and great memories in the books!
So, basically, you give me a board and basket and I’ll give you a year of memory making. Both of the above took maybe 25 minutes to execute but the smiles-those last a lifetime.
We are moving full-steam ahead in our homeschool year and adjusting as we go. This past spring and summer were literally like no other I have experienced, both good and bad. We made lots of memories we wouldn’t have otherwise but oh how we missed people, travels and ya know, our things.
However, I kept adding things to my plate and not clearing away other things. This led to exhaustion, burnout, and something like emptiness. I was depleted in ways I hadn’t been in so long and in my crying out, seeking and listening, I started looking ahead to fall and this is what came to me: It is time for fellowship. Not just communing together but intentional supporting, connecting, uplifting and restoration.
I’m not sure about you, but if I had to guess I would say some part of the past six months has depleted you. Maybe something or someone was neglected, even just a little bit. Maybe you have realized how much you actually have and want to serve.
For me, the majority of 2020 took so much from me and I am taking it back and turning this year around. I’ve got little eyes watching my every move. I’ve got little ears hearing all my words, more specifically, all my complaints and groaning. I’ve got little hearts absorbing my anxieties and fears. I want more for all of us.
So, we are #fallingintofellowship. For 4 weeks we are supporting our neighborhood city and the world while we connect with each other and friends. I plan to uplift some friends and strangers and restore myself, our home and relationships.
Why? I mean, really, why would I now, heading into the last quarter of the year, sprint to win? The answer is simple. It is time. It is really that simple. It is time to fulfill our hearts and not live in a state of barrenness. I don’t mean any of that with physical things (although those are nice.) I mean with things you can’t buy-joy, peace, love and grace.
So, will you join me? Some friends and I have joined together to make this a challenge for all our friends via socials and I’d love for you to join us. All you have to do is share how you are connecting, supporting, restoring or uplifting! I’d love to have you. Also, I want to see it. Share what you are doing with the hashtag, #fallintofellowship.
I am so so excited to share this with you. I have launched my very first product!!!! Friends, I am over-the-moon to share these with you and they have already gotten such good feedback.
Dealing with my boys anxiety, fears and just apprehension about certain things, I knew we needed reminders of who we are. Not what we want to be and what I feel like they can do, but who were truly are and who we are created to be.
I designed these to set a standard of reciting our beauty, worth and talents to knock down fear and anxiety. I needed my and your children to see the vast range of brown beauty. That was infinitely important to me.
I created 12 cards that can be used daily, weekly monthly or intermittently based on need or desire. They are coupled with an affirmation and a bible verse. You can preview them here.
You know what else? This is just the beginning. I released Volume 1 and I have so much more up my sleeve!
Not to get ahead of myself because these cards, these affirmations, these simple yet profound truths are pillars and we all need them.
