Sweet!

Don't you just love a little something sweet? 

We sure to around here.
Here's a brand new (in)spired deal for you.

As my husband said when he saw Dayspring's Sweet Gifts Set 

"cupcakes and God...how can you go wrong?"

This set is super cute

and would be the perfect gift for anyone you want to tell is special. 

Ours is going to Lily's wonderful teacher

who has helped her bloom so much this year.

Here's the best part...

you can win a Dayspring gift certificate of your very own

that you could use toward the Sweet Gifts set

or any of the other wonderful things Dayspring has to offer.

Just leave a comment at the end of this post.

Drawing will be held at the end of the month.

Good luck!

**Dayspring gave me this product for no cost in exchange for this review. 

I have not been compensated in any way to review this product.**

Clicking

Fun link's worth clicking--

Go visit Lisa at Bushel and a Peck and her post on "No Longer Just Surviving."  It is a message so many adoptive families need to hear.

Go visit Ree Pioneer Woman for a look at "The Last 30 Minutes" and a good laugh as always.

Go visit Stephanie Ni Hao Y'all as she shares about Tallula Mae...be still my heart she is cute!

Go visit Linny and DW over at A Place Called Simplicity where they have stepped way out in faith and God is doing some amazing things.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Hope it is full of sticky hugs and chocolate covered fingers.

Homeschool to Harvard

A beautifully written article of encouragment for all those who choose to make

the daily sacrifice of homeschooling.

Homeschool Room Ideas

 One of the things I am most grateful for

in our new house is our homeschool room. 

It has given us a place to do our work that

is set up purely for that purpose. 

It's also great to be able to close the door

and not have to clean everything up for lunch. 

It has been a great place for crafts,

reading,

and doing school work. 

The kids love that they can lay on the couch, on the floor or sit at the table to do their work. 

Much of the room set up using items from IKEA. 

We love, love, love, having an IKEA nearby.

It has made organizing a house so much easier!

We had the fun experience of being an IKEA test family.

They came to see how we use their products in our home. 

Even they thought the set up of our homeschool room was cool.

Some of my favorite things are the BYGEL Containers and rail 

which are perfect for storing pencils, markers,

colored pencils, scissors, erasers and

all the other things we use every day.

We store our work books in the shoe cabinet above.

It works out great because the cabinet is so narrow it doesn't take up much room. 

Even the IKEA folks loved this idea and

said it was one their designers hadn't thought of!

I also love wall magazine rack where I store books on

whatever unit we are working on and

also books at each child's reading level. 

We all love cloud lamps which are such fun!

 Matt hung an extra clothing rod in the closet so the kid's

dress up clothing can be hung up so they can find it.

Roots

While there were many, many, hard parts of moving across the country, one of the very hardest was leaving our home and all the trees and plants we had planted.

We love to work outdoors, plant and tend to our new plantings.

Last weekend we started the process of making our yard our own. 

We planted 5 citrus trees.

3 Manderin Oranges and 2 Red Grapefruit trees.

We've always dreamed of having citrus trees and now we do.

We also planted new rose bushes.

It seemed fitting to put down roots on the six month anniversary of our move.

It hasn't been without struggle or sleepless nights.

God provided for us in extravagent ways.

We have been richly blessed.

Our faith has grown.

We've met many new friends.

We're getting settled.

Missing family and friends

but also grateful for all God's provided for us.