Happy Homemaker Monday~ June 29, 2020

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.



Good morning, dear friends! It was a busy week and weekend here for us. The kids finished up with their work camp projects, Michael had a shooting competition for our state, we had yards to cut, and the kids had youth group last night.

We did go out to eat as a family last night. It's the first time since March that we've been out to dinner. We had Mexican and it was delicious! It was so nice not to have to cook.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Let's get started with Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

❀❀~The Weather~❀❀

Monday~ Mostly Sunny, 87*
Tuesday~ Mostly Sunny, 86*
Wednesday~ Isolated Thunderstorms, 83*
Thursday~ Mostly Sunny, 86*
Friday~ Mostly Sunny, 90*
Saturday~ Scattered Thunderstorms, 87* Happy 4th of July!
Sunday~ Isolated Thunderstorms, 88*

It's a hot one this week. I guess we'll have to set up the kiddie pool and relax a bit.

❀❀~How I'm feeling this morning~❀❀

My allergies are still kicking my behind. This has been the strangest year for allergies. I'm really hoping I get a reprieve soon. Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good.

❀❀~ What's on my mind~❀❀

Not much. I'm trying to avoid the drama and chaos going on. If I dwell on it too much, it'll drive me crazy. We've been through worse things in the past and have weathered the storm. I just have to remember God has a plan for us.


❀❀~What I'm Doing~❀❀

I've already started a load of laundry. Blankets that need to hang out on the line.

I'm currently typing up this post while the dog sits next to me with her head on my arm. It makes typing a little tricky.

After I'm done with this post, I need to visit all the ladies from last week who shared on Happy Homemaker Monday. With all my running around, I didn't get a chance to stop in.

❀❀~What they kids are up to~❀❀


After a week of hard work in the heat and a weekend of competition, they have a week of relaxation. Therese is heading to a friends house today. I'll need to get her to the library one day this week. We can now place holds for books and they'll bring them out to you. We can't go in, but she can get some new books to read.

They both need to clean their rooms! They look like a tornado hit them. Their teens, so I've come to expect that.

❀❀~What's for breakfast~❀❀

I had coffee~ of course. I can't go a  day without my coffee or at least that's what my kids say. I also had 2 farm fresh eggs and 2 slices of turkey bacon.

We should have some baby chicks soon. Miss Marigold has been sitting diligently on her nest.

❀❀~My current reading pile~❀❀

I didn't get to much reading last week, so I'm still finishing up Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts and I still need to start Emma's Gift. Maybe this week, I can finish both while I sit out in the sun.

❀❀~TV shows/movies I'm watching~❀❀

A few Friends reruns with Therese, but other than that nothing.

❀❀~Music I'm listening to~❀❀

I pulled out some old CD's from back in the day. Counting Crows, Hootie and the Blowfish, No Doubt, etc. I listened to them while I cleaned last week.

❀❀~What I'm working on~❀❀

Lesson plans. I realized I hadn't finished the lesson plans I thought I had done. I'm now caught up except for Micheal's Spanish 2 and US history. I'm also working on getting all the books I need and printing out the papers the kids will need.

I need to work on my outline for next year's first grade religious education classes. I really hope we get to have class in person. Little kids need that face to face time.

❀❀~Looking around the house~❀❀

It needs cleaned. The boys cut grass this weekend and I keep finding clumps of grass. One minute there is nothing there and boom there's a pile of grass. I have no clue where they are hiding. Who knows maybe the dog is dragging it in.


❀❀~This weeks to do list~❀❀

Gardening/Weeding
Vacuuming and Mopping the floors
Laundry
Lesson plans
Drop of items at the thrift store for donations
Grocery shopping
Decorate for the 4th of July
Clean off the back porch

❀❀~What I'm working on~❀❀

Christmas tree skirts

A 4th of July wreath for the door

Quilting blocks for a comforter

❀~What's for dinner this week~❀❀

Monday~ Penne Rigata Bake
Tuesday~ Tacos with Rice
Wednesday~ Instant Pot Lasagna
Thursday~ Chicken and Sausage Alfredo Skillet
Friday~ Ginger Peach Salmon
Saturday~ Cookout with the family
Sunday~Instant Pot Cheesy Goulash

All my recipes are from MyFreezEasy! If you want to sign up and get an endless supply of recipes, head on over.

❀❀~ From the camera~❀❀

My first rose of the summer. They're a little late this year, but the bush has finally bloomed!

❀❀~What I'm praying for~❀❀

Our nation, president, and our leaders
Praying for all those affected by all the destruction
Our church
Praying that things settle down soon and we can learn to live in peace again.


❀❀~Inspirational thought for the week~❀❀

Wishing y'all a wonderful week. 

Stay happy, healthy, and safe!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Sunday Inspiration~ June 28, 20202

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you. 

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Happy Homemaker Monday~ June 22, 2020

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you. 

Good morning, dear friends or should I say afternoon! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I hope all the dads out there had a wonderful Father's day. Hoping it was a relaxing one!

Our weekend was a busy one. On Saturday, my dear hubby had to work and Michael did yard work for his grandfather. He usually does it during the week, but both kids have a busy week next week. I did a few chores around the house

Father's Day was a strange one. I had a few errands before the week started. The kids needed a few more items before they started their mission work with our church's youth group. Once the errands were completed, we had a quick lunch and then dropped the kids off for some team building workshops for their work camp. We headed back home to work on a few things there and then picked up the kids later that night. I hoping to have a cookout next Sunday to celebrate Father's Day, since we didn't get a chance to this weekend.

Enough about all of that, let's head on over and join Sandra with Happy Homemaker Monday!

❀❀~The Weather~❀❀

Monday~ Afternoon Thunderstorms 84*
Tuesday~ Afternoon Thunderstorms 83*
Wednesday~ Sunny 80*
Thursday~ Scattered Thunderstorms 77*
Friday~Mostly Sunny 81*
Saturday~ Mostly Sunny 87*
Sunday~ Partly Cloudy 87*

The temps this week are fairly decent. It's the 100% humidity that is going to make it uncomfortable outside! I just hope the thunderstorms don't happen since the kids will be working outside.

❀❀~What am I Doing~❀❀

I'm currently writing this post. I've already dropped off the kids at the church. They had to be there bright and early this morning. I was on check-in duty this morning, so it's already almost lunch time. Checking in 50+ teens can take some time, especially in the wake of all this Covid-19 stuff.


❀❀~How I'm feeling this morning~❀❀

I'm feeling pretty good. I had to get up too early for me, but I'm good now. Coffee always helps. My allergies are so-so. Everything feels good, except I have one eye that itches and keeps watering even though I'm taking my allergy medication. It makes wearing contacts a little hard and it's just plain annoying.

❀❀~ What's on my mind~❀❀

I'm actually feeling more at peace. I attended Mass with the kids this morning. It felt strange to finally be back in the church. It was a good type of strange. It was peaceful and I could feel the calmness settle in. I've missed the calming, soothing affect Mass has on me. The sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows was breathtaking. I truly felt the presence of God around me. In the crazy times we live in finding God is essential. God's love provides us peace, courage, and love. He makes all those fears and doubts we have fade into the background.

Entering the church and being in Mass was like going home to grandma's house and having the warm scent of cookies fills the air. It felt like home! I knew immediately that with God everything will be right in the world. We just need to trust in Him. As Saint Padre Pio said, "Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry!"

❀❀~What they kids are up to~❀❀

This week, Michael and Therese will be participate in work camp with our church's youth group. Usually this is a HUGE event. Typically 800+ teens from all the churches in our diocese come to together for faith, fellowship, and hard work. They break up into groups and help repair homes of the elderly and less fortunate. Materials are all donated. The kids raise money for other supplies. Contractors donate their time to oversee projects like deck repair, roofing, painting, fencing, etc. Think about all those little things needed done around the house and they do it. With Covid this year, the large group was canceled, but quite a few parishes have chosen to do work in their area. This year, the kids youth group will work on 6 homes near our church. The kids are thrilled to be helping, but I think they're also thrilled to be out of the house and hanging with friends.

I'm praying all the teens have an amazing week. I hope they feel proud of the work they complete and know that they are doing God's work. I pray that they find God all around them and that God holds off the rainstorms so they can make a difference in the lives of the people they are helping.

❀❀~What's for breakfast~❀❀

Coffee....lots of coffee. I had 1 cup before I left the house. I drank a coffee smoothie for my diet on the way to the church, and drank a cup after Mass.

❀❀~My current reading pile~❀❀

I'm finishing up Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts and plan on starting Emma's Gift by Leisha Key.
Emma's Gift is the second book in the Wortham Family series.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series.

I've also been reading through a garden book from Reader's Digest. I picked it up at the library months ago (before Covid shut it down) and I love all the information it contains. I've been searching for it online and have finally found a copy I'm going to purchase.

❀❀~TV shows/movies I'm watching~❀❀

Not a thing!

❀❀~Music I'm listening to~❀❀

Since I'll have a few hours to myself this week, I'll probably pull out all my old CD's, turn up the stereo, and go down memory lane. Music from the 70's, 80's and 90's here I come.

❀❀~What I'm working on~❀❀

I still need to finish up the lesson plans for history. I keep putting it off.
I still need to clean up the sewing/craft/school room so I can start sewing....again procrastination is not my friend.

❀❀~Looking around the house~❀❀

Floors need vacuumed and mopped again. I really wish the animals would stop shedding. I just think that's wishful thinking on my part.

Flower beds need weeded. I saw a snake in them a 2 weeks ago and have since avoided them. I hate snakes!

I need to clean the baby chick feeder and water container. Miss Marigold has finally decided to get broody. She currently has 10 eggs she's trying to hatch. I have to keep going out and checking for more. She keeps stealing the other hens eggs!  It'll be nice to have some baby chicks again.


❀❀~This weeks to do list~❀❀


Laundry
Drop off donations
Mass
Help out with work camp
Exercise
Weeding

❀~What's for dinner this week~❀❀

Monday~ Grilled chicken, cheesy brown rice, and veggies
Tuesday~ ??
Wednesday~??
Thursday~ Pizza with the youth group kids
Friday~ ??
Saturday~ ??
Sunday~ Cookout

I'm going to sit down and plan two weeks worth of dinners once I'm done here.

❀❀~ From the camera~❀❀

We celebrated this cute little man's birthday (gotcha day) this past weekend.

It's hard to believe we've had him for a year.

He's worn out after playing with his new toy. I think he loves his new life.

❀❀~What I'm praying for~❀❀

Our nation, president, and leaders
Our police men and women, fire fighters, and all first responders.
Everyone affected by the riots and protests
Everyone affected by Covid
The elderly and all the people who still can't see their family
My kids and all other teens and adults helping out during this year's work camp
Fathers everywhere


❀❀~Inspirational thought for the week~❀❀

Wishing y'all a wonderful week. 

Stay happy, healthy, and safe!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Sunday Inspiration~ June 21, 2020

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Review~ The Mayflower at Cape Cod by Rebecca Locklear

Disclaimer~I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I was extremely excited when we were asked to review The Mayflower at Cape Cod- Stories, activities, and research that connect 1620 with life today by Rebecca Locklear. Since both Michael and Therese are taking U.S. History next year, I though this would be a wonderful introduction for them!

For this review, we received a link to download the The Mayflower at Cape Cod eBook. The eBook can be purchased through Teachers Pay Teachers. A printed book can be purchased on Amazon or by contacting the author directly.

The Mayflower at Cape Cod is geared for students in grades 6th-12th. The eBook is 74 pages long. 

~ What is The Mayflower at Cape Cod eBook~

The Mayflower at Cape Cod eBook covers the time from when the Pilgrims anchored off the coast of Cape Cod on November 21, 1620 through the five weeks they remained there. Students will discover how the Pilgrims found food, how they searched for a settlement, how the the Native Americans responded to the presence of the Pilgrims, and how the Pilgrims survived during the 5 weeks before they settled in Plymouth.

The Mayflower at Cape Cod provides students with short stories, pictures, activities to work on, and research projects to complete. Students will cover topics like community, epidemics, cross-cultural communication, freedom, religion, immigration, migration, environmental concerns, judgement, language differences, marine mammals, self-sufficiency, materialism, tribal issues, slavery, societal conversations, and wildlife survival skills.

After a brief introduction, the lesson units begin. The Mayflower at Cape Cod contains 7 Units covering the Pilgrims and the Native Indians. 

~Unit 1~ 

The First Encounter between Pilgrims and Native Indians

~Unit 2~ 

Exploration Overview

~Unit 3~ 

The Mayflower landing at Cape Cod

~Unit 4~ 

Search Expeditions

~Unit 5~ 

Native Indians

~Unit 6~ 

After the First Encounter

~Unit 7~ 

Present Awareness

Cross-Cultural Communications and Travel Tips

Native Indian Issues Today

The seven units contain 70 creative activities and 80 research topics for the students to work through. 

~Examples of Creative Activities~ 

Art projects

Poetry

Freeze Pantomime Drama

Leaf Art

Survival Kits 

Cooking

Games

~Examples of Research Topics~

Separatists

Native Indians

Weapons

Disease and Epidemics

King Philip's War

Religious Freedom

Slavery

Each Unit contains an objective, a story, a summary, a list of activities, and a few research topics. Parents and teachers can have the students complete all the activities and research projects or they can pick a few to complete.

~What We Thought About The Mayflower at Cape Cod~

The short eBook provides students with some valuable information about the time period from when the Pilgrims landed at Cape Cod and those 5 weeks they anchored off the shore. This important time period is often overlooked in history books. The stories are short enough for a brief class or can be easily done over a few classes. 

I found that many of the activities were recommend for groups. This can be a little difficult if you only have one or two students working through this eBook. Some of the activities were not appealing to my two high school students. There was no way they were going to act out a skit or create a diorama. Many of the activities they had already done over the years.

The research topics were plentiful, however I think some of them overlapped and could have been combined. Older students can easily take a few of the topics and work on a 10 page term paper.

I personally feel The Mayflower at Cape Cod eBook would be a better fit for students in 6th-8th grade. It would be a fantastic resource for a co-op class or a regular classroom setting. Students could easily spend a few weeks working through this eBook. They would learn about this important time period from history, but also see how it affects us today.  The discussion questions are outstanding.

After reviewing The Mayflower at Cape Cod, I felt it was not a great fit for us. I do plan on having the kids read more of the stories when we study this time period next year. I did find a few research topics that I wan them to research and write a paper on. Even if a family decides not to use all the activities and research topics, I think they could easily find a few activities or topics to implement into their homeschool lessons.

Learn more about the products offered by Rebecca Locklear

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Be sure to sign up for Rebecca's email newsletter to stay up-to-date with all that she has going on.

The crew were given the choice between two eBooks to review:

The Mayflower at Cape Cod

and

Exploring the U.S. Life-Saving Service 1878-1915

Check out the Review Crews thoughts about these to fantastic eBooks!

Till Next Time,

Monique

 

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June 2020 Book Club Reads

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Summer time is the perfect time to catch up on your leisure reading. In the morning, grab a cup of coffee, sit out on the porch, and listen to the birds singing away. Not a morning person or your mornings too busy that's O.K.  Take time in the afternoon, relax in that lounge chair, catch a few rays, and read a few chapters.

So let's take a look at some titles to add to your book basket! Since it's June, I decided to share a few beach themed books!




1. Sunset at Whisling Island (Whistling Island Series Book 1) by Julia Clemens

"Just off the coast of Washington state, a visit to beautiful Whisling Island will change you. Its residents will give you reasons to laugh, cry, and rejoice."






2. The Beach House (South Caroline Sunsets Book 1) by Rachel Hanna

"She’s 43 years old…

…and starting over from scratch.

How did this happen? She had it all together. A stable marriage of two decades. Two grown daughters. And now she and her husband, empty nesters, were moving to a beach house.

Until he showed up late one night and tore their marriage apart."

3. The Nantucket Inn (Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series Book 1) by Pamela Kelley

"Come visit Nantucket and see how Lisa's new bed and breakfast has an impact on almost everyone in her family. It's the first book in a new series that will follow the Hodges family, friends, and visitors to Nantucket's Beach Plum Cove Inn."





4. A Good Girl (The Siren Island Series Book 1) by Tricia O'Malley

"Don't you just hate being called a good girl? 
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Tricia O'Malley, comes a brand new series about love, self-discovery and embracing your inner mermaid."






5. One Simple Wish: Return to Lighthouse Point (Charming Inn Book 1) by Kay Correll

"Sometimes not everything is exactly as it seems...
When her aunt is injured, Sara hurries back to Belle Island to help out at Charming Inn. She’s sure she can run the inn and work remotely for her job back in Boston. If only she can juggle all of it…"






6. The Summer Sand Pact (Five Island Cove Book 2) by Jessie Newton

"These five best friends made a Summer Sand Pact as teens and have only kept it once or twice—until they reunite decades later and renew their agreement to meet in Five Island Cove every summer."

7. Saving Sandcastles (Lobster Bay Book 1) by Meredith Summers

"A breezy feel-good beach read about trust and friendship set in a quaint seaside town on the coast of Maine."
















8. House on the Harbor (Birch Harbor Saga Book 1) by Elizabeth Bromke

"Four sisters. One family secret. And a chance to fix the past..."

"Kate Hannigan is in charge of her late mother's estate, and she has a plan: divide everything evenly, including the old family house on the harbor. What she doesn't realize is that her mother changed the will. Now, a family secret hangs in the balance."

9. No Home Like Nantucket (Sweet Island Inn Book 1) by Grace Palmer

"Mae Benson was happy—a beloved wife, beloved mother, beloved neighbor. But even she wasn’t ready for the tragedy looming around the corner."






10. All the Way to Heaven (A Tuscan Romance Book 1) by Becky Doughty

"Sometimes help comes from the unlikeliest of hands, and sometimes getting lost is the surest way to be found.

After discovering shocking news about the man she's planning her future around, Ani escapes on a romantic getaway to Italy. Alone. From the moment she boards the wrong train out of Pisa, however, her plans for solitude and self-indulgence begin to unravel around her."

I'd love to hear your recommendations for some summer time reads! 

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Review~ HelpTeaching Pro Subscription

Disclaimer~I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Hello there! The last few weeks, I have been using HelpTeaching Pro Subscription from HelpTeaching.com to prepare lessons for my high school students.

HelpTeaching.com offers parents and teachers lessons, worksheets, printable and online test, and games for students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. They offer thousands of resources for the busy homeschooling family and overworked teacher. Parents and educators can even make their own worksheets and tests for their students. 

For this review, we received a subscription for the HelpTeaching Pro. This is a one year subscription. The HelpTeaching Pro allows parents and teachers access to tests and worksheets. They'll have the ability to create tests and use the test room. The entire HelpTeaching site is a wonderful addition to any homeschool curriculum. With all the lessons and worksheets available from this online resource, I'm sure homeschooling moms and dads will be able to create their very own curriculum to fit their students varying needs.

~Advantages of the HelpTeaching Pro Subscription~

Free printable worksheets

Unlimited Test Maker- Custom Tests and Worksheets

Up to 100 questions in custom tests and worksheets

Create questions with images

Save tests and worksheets as a PDF

Create online lessons with embedded video

Test Room- Administer online test and lessons (up to 500 students)

Pre-made Common-Core ELA & Math

CCSS aligned questions to browse

Share tests with groups

Ad Free Experience

The HelpTeaching Pro Subscription is $49 a year for teachers and parents.

If you're interested in a subscription for a larger group, they do offer The HelpTeaching Group Pro for schools and businesses. You can find out more about the various subscriptions on their website.

HelpTeaching.com has worksheets for all grade levels. Parents and teachers can find printable and online worksheets for Early Education, Kindergarten, Elementary (1st-5th), Middle School (6th-8th), and High School (9th-12th). A variety of topics and subjects are offered.

Early Education

Arts

English & Grammar

Language Arts

Life Skills

Math

Science

Social Studies

Geography

Study Skills & Strategies

Physical Education

Vocational Education

and so much more

HelpTeaching.com is broken up into 6 areas: Tests and Worksheets, Online Lessons, Test Maker™, Printable Games, Worksheet Generator, and My Content

. 

This is my third opportunity to review HelpTeaching.com for the review crew. A few new things have been added and I I'm still amazed with everything this site has! I'm still discovering new things.

~Tests & Worksheets~

Free printable worksheets that cover the four basic subjects in school: English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The worksheets are organized by grade level, pre-K through 12th grade. 

~Online Lessons~

The online lessons are intended to be self-directed lessons are geared for middle/high school students. Many of the lessons contain a short introduction about the lesson and are followed by an embedded video for the students to watch. Lessons without a video are taught using text and images. All the lessons include practice questions and links to more formal tests and worksheets. The lessons cover the four basic subjects: English/Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies.

~Test Maker™~

Parents and teachers can create custom tests. They make their own multiple choice tests and quizzes.

Tests and quizzes can be printable or online. The possibilities are endless!

~Printable Games~

Parents and teachers can quickly and easily create their own games and puzzles to add some fun into their students everyday learning.

Bingo (numbers & words)

Word Search Generator

~Worksheet Generator~

This section allows parents and teachers to make math worksheets (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and games (same games listed under the printable game tab).

Worksheets can be printed or downloaded.

~My Content~

This tab is where parents and teacher swill find the worksheets and tests they have created. This is your file folder for quick, easy access.

~How I'm Using the HelpTeaching Pro Subscription~

I've found various worksheets to use for next year. Literature worksheets for a few of the books the kids will be reading. Science worksheets for both kids. I'm still looking through the history worksheet section. I've already discovered a few pages dealing with American history! I love the fact that I'll be able to create some history tests for the kids lessons next year!

Learn more about HelpTeaching.com 

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Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

Be sure to check out the other reviews from the Review Crew!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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