A Mother's Day Etsy-Discount for You!

I haven't spoken about my Etsy shop around here in a long time.  Mother's Day is coming though, so I thought I'd just give a little reminder that I have some nice sets AND assortments of Photo Note Cards.

Or perhaps there's a special mom, mom-to-be, or grand-mom in your life that needs a little Brag Book. These are also a perfect little add-on to a baby shower gift, and just the right size to tuck in a purse or even a diaper bag!

All of the items in my shop are ready to be shipped.
AND, in honor of Mother's Day, I'm offering a 20% discount!

Just use coupon code MOMSDAY3.
Act soon.  The discount starts today, and expires this Friday, May 3rd.
This coupon code is now expired.

I've Been Found Out

A few weeks ago, our nine-year-old niece came over for the afternoon.  She had come from gymnastics, and so I sent her upstairs to change her clothes.  I told her she could change in my room -- that all the other doors upstairs were probably closed.  She walked to the top of the stairs, looked around, and then came back to the landing and called to me with great curiosity in her voice,

"You mean the room with the teddy bear on the bed?"

Why yes, I DO mean that room.  You got a problem with that? *wink

Obviously, she never knew an adult with a stuffed teddy bear.

Well great. Now my last secret is out.

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For a chance to win Harry & David's three lovely four-inch potted mini roses in a unique crate made of antique replica yardsticks, visit Reluctant Entertainer HERE.

A Coupon You Might Need

This coupon entitles bearer to one free hug.

A hug has...

No moving parts, no batteries, no monthly payments, and no fees.

It's inflation-proof and non-taxable.

In fact, it is quite relaxable.

It can't be stolen, won't pollute, one size fits all, will not dilute.

It uses little energy, but yields results enormously.

Relieves your tension and your stress, invigorates your happiness;

Combats depression, makes you beam,

and elevates your self-esteem!

Your circulation it corrects, without unpleasant side-effects.

It is the perfect drug.

There is nothing like a simple hug!

{And of course, it is fully returnable!}

[redeemable from any participating human being]
{expires day after eternity}

*My mom shared this with me.

She found it in AMERICA'S FAVORITE COUPON BOOK.
I thought it was worth sharing.  Hug someone today!

Everything Must GO!

I'm cleaning out homeschooling curriculum, and ready to part with it all!

After many years of homeschooling, I can tell you that we are living under a mountain of curriculum.  I thought that I was going to put it all on e-bay, but that hasn't panned out quite yet.  I put a note on Facebook listing everything that I have -- and I had one friend of a friend contact me to purchase a few books.  Nice, but not enough to put a dent in the mountain -- if you know what I mean.  (And I know that you homeschooling mamas DO!)

So, in another little effort to get rid of stuff and tidy up our home, I am sharing with you here on the blog. Below, you will find a list containing all of the curriculum that I still have.  Some of the items were purchased new, some were purchased "used" from ebay, and some were handed down.

5/14/13 UPDATE:  Well y'all - who knew you could sell homeschool curriculum on Etsy?  Apparently because I'd never searched for it there, I never stopped to think that it could be FOUND there.  Today, I have started the daunting job of listing these items on Etsy for your consideration.  Thanks to my friend Jennifer for helping me clear out a couple of items!

UPDATE:  Only older items on Etsy, of course -- so that was a very limited purge...

8/14/14 UPDATE:  This is such a mish-mashed post because it has been edited so many times to reflect the books that I have left.  At this point, it is used only a resource list that I can lead my local friends to.  I'm not selling anymore -- just purging!  Period.  So local  friends, I will try to DELETE things as they are given away so that you know what you will find on my shelves should you stop by.

Here's the latest:

LEFTOVERS WILL BE DONATED TODAY 8/16/14

** What Your 3rd Grader Needs to Know - (fundamentals of a good third-grade education).  Great resource.

** Grades 3-6 Teaching Story Writing by Joan Novelli

** Dazzling Division by Lynette Long (games and activities that make math easy and fun)
** Marvelous Multiplication by Lynette Long ( games and activities that make math easy and fun)

** What Your 4th Grader Needs to Know - (fundamentals of a good fourth-grade education) Great resource.

** Grades 4/5 - A Reason for Spelling, teacher guidebook (level E).

** Grades 5/6 - A Reason for Spelling, teacher guidebook (level F).

Frosted Flowers

After having a series of very warm days, my hubby looked out the window the other morning to see frost covering our lawn.  He chuckled and made a comment about all the "flowers for sale" that would no doubt be marked down after the frost had gotten them.

Fast forward to Monday...  Earth Day.

My husband called on his lunch-hour... did I want some flowers on sale for $1 a flat?  Pansies, Violas, and Petunias.  Why yes, of course.  He had predicted correctly.  Flowers were marked down  -- at least at Lowe's.

After dinner, we worked out in the yard.  Sort of a spontaneous Earth Day project -- how appropriate!  With the flowers that my hubby brought home, my daughter and I filled four pots of various sizes.  One sits on the patio right outside the kitchen window, and is filled with shades of purple and white.  So pretty!

Our daughter was excited to fill a large planter along the driveway that she walks by every afternoon when she comes home from school.  And that's the pot that I usually forget to water -- so I've assigned it to her.  Maybe those flowers will actually live this year.  One can hope.

Admittedly, it's a little early to be planting in the ground around here -- as our weather the last few days has proven.  But, who says I can't fill up some pretty pots "on the cheap?"

Most of the damage to these flowers seems to be the blooms.  But guess what?  New blooms are coming -- so why be worried about the flowers that have already bloomed as long as the plant still looks healthy?  I love a good bargain, don't you?

Did you do anything "green" on Earth Day?

Planned or spontaneous?

Bringing the Outdoors In

Yesterday, Nester gave her readers a "Five Minute Assignment."  It was to go outside and cut some tree branches.

I'd just thrown away the Forsythia branches that I'd had in the house for a couple of weeks, so I was ready for something new.  I cut some Cleveland Pear tree branches and brought them inside, putting them in one of my favorite jars.

I first spotted this jar HERE, and pinned it, hoping to find one someday.  At the time, I wasn't sure if it was a vintage bottle, or something that I'd easily be able to find.  So, you know what I did, right?  I Googled the name on the jar, and learned that I could find apple juice or cider in a similar jar at my local Target!  Sweet.

I love this silly little jar, and have had all kinds of things in it including candy, and rolled sheet music strips.  Today, it holds Cleveland Pear tree branches.

Take the Five-Minute Challenge!  You'll enjoy having something living and changing in your home -- besides your kids and their clothes, I mean.  *wink  {Can you tell I'm once again catching up on laundry?}

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AN AFTERTHOUGHT:  In the evening, after I wrote this post, we all worked outside in the yard.  My daughter was going around with a bottle of vinegar, saying good-bye to the weeds.  In her "travels," she happened by a tree that looked similar to the one pictured above.  She snapped off a little branch of flowers, and brought it in the house to see if it matched the one in the jar.  It did, and she identified another Cleveland Pear tree.  In the process, she sniffed at it.  This is a habit of hers.  She believes all flowers will "smell."  Well, she got a nose-full this time -- and here's what we learned.  Cleveland Pear tree blossoms do not smell good.  In fact, they smell a little fishy.  My daughter thinks they smell like the elephants at the zoo.  It's possible that she exaggerates.  Just sayin'.

But anyway... WHO KNEW?  If the corner of my kitchen starts smelling fishy, I'll know the culprit!

On Boston and Nancy Drew

On Friday, I was at home for most of the day... on "lock-down" with Boston but not at all near Boston.  The t.v. was on in the background always.  In between loads of laundry, I sat to listen to the latest interviews.

Technology is an amazing thing.  I marveled at the information that was shared with the public, and the timeliness of it.  I was awestruck at the role of social media.  Incredible.  I was just plain struck by those in law enforcement that put themselves in harm's way to keep things as safe as possible for the general public.

My girl has watched some of the reports with me over the last few days.  She is 15.  She is deeply interested to see how it plays out.  It fascinates her too.  The other day she witnessed a real-live press conference.  The first one she remembers ever seeing, she told me.  She was enthralled.  They really DO this?  It's not just in the police dramas on t.v.?

Growing up, she has dreamed of being different things.  A horse trainer.  A veterinarian.  But those dreams fell by the wayside when she "met" Nancy Drew in the pages of a book.  Her new dream was to be a detective... the private investigator sort.

And now, as she sits wide-eyed in front of a "SPECIAL REPORT" on t.v., she informs me... "Someday, Mama -- that will be me solving those crimes."  Not dreamy.  Not starry-eyed.  But matter-of-fact.

My girl is brave.  Always has been.  She can be tough in the face of adversity.  She would be great as an FBI agent, or a profiler.

"As long as..." she tells me, "they don't make ME do the press conferences!  I don't like speaking in front of people."

And there it is.  We all have our limits.

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By the way, there's a awesome giveaway going on over at Sweet Magnolias!  Enter to win some great prize packages including blue Ball jars and other beautiful items with a blue-jar theme.  There are SIX winners in all! Stop by Sweet Magnolias to enter.  [Giveaway ends April 27th.]

A Little Love...

... at the bottom of my teacup.

What's Up? 4.20

Here we grow again.  More of what's up at our house!  The last few days have been so warm, with a little rain here and there.  It's amazing to see what's happening out in the yard.  Come take the second half of the tour with me!  {You can see the first half of the tour HERE.}

We'll start with the Muscari.  Every now and then, I buy spring bulbs in a pot at the grocery store.  I always make sure to plant them out in the yard after I've enjoyed them in the house.  Such is the case with these Muscari.  They've rebloomed year after year, and I've gotten my money's worth out of those little grocery-store finds!

This one is flirting a little with the Sweet Woodruff.  I love this stuff for ground cover!!!  We have it all over the yard.  I wish it grew faster to fill in some spots!

The Apple Tree -- fuzzy and sweet.

Oh Daffodils!  I am so glad that you have weathered the storms and hung in there.  There's nothing sadder than a soggy wilted Daffodil!

Beautiful Hyacinths -- another sentimental favorite, and oh the fragrance!

And the Forsythia is in full bloom!

The Mint is filling in the cracks of the pathway nicely.

One more sentimental favorite: Oriental Poppy.  I look forward to those big orange floppy flowers each year!

Roses!

I hope you'll have a fabulous weekend.  Be sure to look for "what's up" in your yard or in your neighborhood.  It's so much fun to enjoy the process -- not just the end result!

What's Up? 4.19

Everything is SPRINGing to life around here.  The Hellebore that I showed you last week is growing like crazy!  I believe this is the second year for this plant in our garden.  Last year, it was transplanted early-on, and didn't totally come around.  I think maybe we had two blooms.

I love the color of these flowers.  They're really so pretty!

When I stepped to the very back of our yard to take some pictures of daffodils next to the big Rhododendron, I was spooked by a mama robin hurriedly flying out of this nest.  I guess I spooked her first!  I minded my own business, took my pictures, and got out of her way.  She was squawking at me the whole time!  [Of course, maybe she was wondering what I'd done with her usual nesting-wreath!  ha!]

The Lilac leaves are getting bigger and filling in more every day -- and this is what the tiny little buds look like so far.

Bleeding hearts - one of my sentimental childhood favorites.

The Rhubarb is going to town!  The stalks aren't too tall yet -- but look at those leaves!  Hopefully, we'll have a good crop to make lots of pies this year!

A delicate peach blossom.

Buds on the Cleveland Pear trees.  We have three of these together along our side property line.  They make a gorgeous screen from spring until late fall!  They are absolutely beautiful in every stage.

And last but not least (for today)... a pretty little popping bud on one of the Maple Trees.  It always amazes me to see what is packed into a bud.  Like the mighty Oak Tree coming from a little acorn, right?  This particular tree is a mystery to us.  When we moved into this house almost thirteen years ago, the tree was tiny -- and there was an odd patch of leaves that were colored differently than the rest.  It was really curious to look at.  Each year, an odd patch emerges.  At one point, my hubby thought that it meant the tree was not healthy, and was on it's way "out."  But -- it continues to grow and thrive, and the odd patch gets a little higher up in the branches each year.  I'll try to remember to show you a picture of the tree later in the season.

I took a bunch more pictures today, so stay tuned for another "What's Up?" tomorrow!

Tell me.  What's up at your house?

Forced Forsythia

The Forsythia are now in full bloom, but... before they were, I decided to bring a few branches in the house to watch them open.  I followed the instructions I learned HERE and within about 48 hours, they had opened.  It's fun to have this bright burst of color in the house.

Teacup Under Glass