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Marshaling Her Heart (Wyoming Sunrise #3) by Mary Connealy
I love continuing the stories of characters from the mind of novelist Mary Connealy. While, Marshaling Her Heart wasn’t my favorite book overall in the Wyoming Sunrise trilogy, it was a great end to reading the series and needed to continue the characters and overall plot to discover what was to happen next. This book was my escape when the family was going into flu season, and once humidifiers were in place, cough herbal remedies were dosed, and breathing of little ones finally appropriately eased, I put my brand newly pregnant self into escaping to the western frontier to find out what would happen next. Reading books like this makes me laugh,…
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Memoria Press annual free shipping is here!
Hey y’all. Have you been waiting for this? The code is “free1time”. Enjoy! Ref: https://id.memoriapress.com//idevaffiliate.php?id=111 “*Free standard shipping within the continental U.S., Hawaii, and U.S. military bases only. Offer valid once per customer.”
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The Laws of Attraction (Wyoming Sunrise #2) by Mary Connealy
Continuing this series from Mary Connealy is a treat and I’m eager to dive into the third novel in the trilogy. As I was winding down the story and already knew that I was loving the elements between these characters in a full twist of standard love story with a strong woman, rather saving the man… I was eager to realize that I really wanted to read the stories of each of the three daughters as they grew to womanhood as their characters were full of so much personality in their few mentions within the pages as side characters as it was. While I’m not much of a feminist, I…
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Forged in Love (Wyoming Sunrise #1) by Mary Connealy
If you can believe it, I’ve been reading Mary Connealy Christian Historical Fiction Romance novels since I started blogging. I read her books when I thought I would never have a child. I read her books when I started blogging about maternity products. I blogged reviews and read her books while researching homeschool methods. I read and reviewed her books after taking breaks from two miscarriages and I even read her books when I was stuck in the NICU after the birth of my fifth living child. Mary Connealy’s novels and novellas full of historical characters of wit and wisdom have been an elemental part of my life for nearly…
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History for 4th Grade recommendations…
What would you recommend for fourth grade history is a question that came up recently. The wheels in my brain started turning and as I fielded text messages and thought about emails I could forward or send, I thought about how I might be able to organize some thoughts into a blog post to help others that may have a similar question. For reference, this year, I will be teaching ninth, sixth, third, kindergarten, and preschool. We have been homeschooling from the beginning. 4th Grade History Recommendations There are so many options for homeschool material these days and truly it can be done without curriculum, however, if you are looking…
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The 2023-2024 Homeschool Orders have begun!
Homeschool February is a slump month, when no matter how excited you are about your homeschool curricula, you start feeling hopeful and desiring to get your hands on that which will come next year. Typically, we are a year-round schooling family, but that is more just because life is school. However, we still have a planned reset date after the summer birthdays have concluded which gives a fresh start into what comes next. In the curriculum world, the sales and encouragement to buy for next year seem to start in February. Lots of sales and promotions come along in March and new prices schemes apply in April. So, it is…
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The Blackstone Legacy by Elizabeth Camden {Trilogy Review}
I just downloaded a copy of Hearts of Steel and then I realized it was the third in a series. I set out to look, and sure enough discovered I had bought Carved in Stone as well as Written on the Wind with good intentions to read them. Oops. Quickly, I downloaded the missing books and set to read them. Gwen was a unique character and I thoroughly enjoyed her story. I found myself craving to go back and find out what would happen next with her and her lawyer connection when I had a moment to read. As per usual, I have lots of books on the go, and this one called me back time…
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January 22, the one when I attempt to be accountable…
What happened to the world of blogging ‘eh? I’m doing this for myself now, but I’d love to know what you’re up to. This week, I have a few things on Instagram @stitching.mj to share. I have continued to work on my first Chatelaine, A Fairy Flower Garden Mandala, as well as other things. Starting the Peppermint Purple 2023 SAL was fascinating and it is gorgeous. This time I’m going to do a border and use a variegated thread to start. Another new start includes The Steady Thread 2023 Botanical SAL. I pulled out one of my original Mirabilia Designs and got a few teal stitches in Rapunzel, she is…
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#nye12x12
50 weeks ago, I jumped in and participated with an Instagram hashtag #nye12x12. I think that I would like to participate again this year. My girls did it as well, although not all twelve. I think I will use it as a time to revisit projects from that day that I want to work on, but just didn’t seem to find much time this year. Dimensions needlepoint, Dimensions cross stitch, RTO kit, Tempting Tangles Designs, Nora Corbett, G. Leget 1898, Little House Needleworks, Lori Holt with FQS, Peppermint Purple 2022 SAL, Mill Hill Beads & Buttons, and of course, Joan Elliott Designs. If I can find them all… Antique Barn Needlepoint…
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Prepping for Winter Stitching 2022, part two
My Winter Stitching 2022 post was not nearly as neat and orderly as my Autumn Stitching 2022 prep post. However, I wanted to get it posted for you to see sooner than later. Alas. You’ll survive, I’ll survive, and hopefully future posts will improve. In addition to some already started progress on The Winter’s Gift JE307, 2013 Christmas Fairy, 2014 Christmas Fairy, Christmas Fairy quilt top, 2020 Vintage Winter Couple, Baby’s First Christmas quilt, Checking His List Afghan, Santa’s Gifts JE268, Christmas Magic JE280, Christmas Eve Sampler JE286, and Winter Solstice JE310 there is more. Passione Ricamo’s Holiday Queen RL51 is one that I really look forward to working on.…
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Prepping for Winter Stitching 2022
My Autumn Stitching 2022 post actually impressed me. I was a bit distraught on what I didn’t accomplish because of the weeks we had to lay low with illness, but in the end it looks like I still did get quite a bit done even if it wasn’t everything I planned. As we are in the beginnings of Christmas week, I’ve already jumped into Winter stitches, however, I would love to let you know what I’m working on and what I plan to attack. As always, the most updates can be found on my Instagram #stitchingmj. 2013 Calendar Christmas Fairy by Joan Elliott Design was started in 2021, but has…
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Autumn Stitching Update 2022
In mid-September, I gave you a preview of some plans for Autumn Stitching 2022. This week, I have been updating photos on my Instagram #stitchingmj with what is coming off the qsnap to make way for Winter Stitching. Today, I thought it would be a good day to attempt to write a blog post about it. I missed a lot of stitching time due to family illnesses from October-mid November. Harvest Angel JE272 (Autumn Angel) did not have much progress this year. I went back in and tried to do a better job of the back-stitching on her lips as the lines were fading into her skin tones. All Hallow’s…
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Prepping for Autumn Stitching 2022
Harvest Angel JE272 (Autumn Angel) Originally published in a magazine in the 20th century… Joan Elliott re-charted and sharpened the image, especially in the facial feature and re-released it to the public. As I pull this one out to work on it again, it looks like I am about halfway through. As I recall, this one stitches up pretty quickly. I wonder if I might finish her this year. The pumpkin is absolutely gorgeous in shading colors. I’d have to check to be sure, but I believe that I am stitching this one on opalescent raw cashel linen. All Hallow’s Eve Sampler (Halloween Sampler) This almost all black sampler is…
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Joan Elliott Design {August 2022 Stitchy Update}
First for the non-necessary disclaimer, Joan Elliott Design is my favorite cross stitch designer. If you have followed me for any number of years on the blog, social media, or especially Instagram, you have seen this. I am going to try to make an effort and use Creative Madness Mama more often for my sharing outlet. In my free-time, I have been creating a Joan Elliott Design spreadsheet and I think I am just about complete with putting together my collection and a list of other charts and patterns that I know of. In most recent months, I have been working on Peony Fairy JE300 on Polstitches “sweet pea,” Hydrangea Fairy…
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Curriculum, Curricula, is it really Eighth Grade?
I have been homeschooling since the day my oldest was born. I have been fully on, all the research, homeschooling with product reviews since 2011. That is insanity to me. My oldest student is about to turn thirteen-years-old and we are plotting her entrance into eighth grade for the 2022-2023 school year. AppleBlossom has been my template, my sampler, my overachiever, my original pride and joy. The journey has not been perfect, plenty of bumps, and a lot of attitude, but I am really excited about this upcoming year. Next year, what she has decided to study in depth is American History. Now, if you know where we’ve been with…
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Let’s talk about the curriculum… Kindergarten
This year, it appears, I will be teaching my fourth Kindergarten child. When they tell you every student is a different one to teach they really mean it. My oldest was finished Kindergarten by the time she was barely turning four, reading and all that easily that year. The next student couldn’t care less about reading on her own, because other people and audio-books were always an option. She didn’t learn to read until right about her seventh year of age. When I turned around to consider starting my son in Kindergarten, he was already reading and then suddenly testing into everything third and fourth grade level, and he only…