Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 55

Any Bets on How Many of These Books I’ll Actually Read? {Summer Reading List}

My goal is to actually read 100 books this year (a goal I’ve set every year for the past few years but never quite hit), which means 25 books over the three months of summer. The trouble is that I always end up reading less when we travel and are on the go, and we’re about to spend 3 full weeks in Florida with my parents plus I imagine we’ll be making several trips to their new home in North Carolina after they move in July. So how much I’ll actually read is anyone’s guess.

I have pretty eclectic taste, and although my wishlist comes from a variety of sources, it is heavily influenced by both Shaina and Anne. Since Anne has posted her amazing Summer Reading Guide as well as the books on her list this summer, I thought I’d share my list as well.

There are currently 54 books in my Books to Read folder on my Kindle, which is a bit ridiculous, I know. I tend to go through my wishlist once a week or so and buy any that are $5 or less (my “buy now” price), which means the folder is filling up faster than I can read. I think it’s probably time to ignore that wishlist for a few months!

I tried to narrow these down to 25, but I couldn’t decide exactly how I wanted to prioritize them, so I left it at 33 instead. In no particular order, here’s my current reading list:

I’ve included prices for the ebooks that are on sale, but Amazon’s prices change often and without warning, so be sure to double check the price before you buy. Also, the links below are affiliate links; thanks for supporting Life Your Way!

Fiction

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley ($5.60)


I avoided contemporary fiction for many years, but I’m finding myself drawn to contemporary young adult fiction more and more. Maybe I’m trying to hold onto my youth — ha!

Echoes by Maeve Binchey ($5.99)


A love story set in an Irish town in the ’50s and ’60s, this one just screams “summer reading”

Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley ($0.99)


Written in the early 1900s, this book has dozens of reviews filled with words like charming and delightful, making it another perfect edition to my summer reading list!

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd ($3.99)


I’m a little late to the game in reading this bestseller!

Legend by Marie Lu ($4.99)


The first of a trilogy, just because I love dystopian!

Where She Went by Gayle Forman ($5.02)


The sequel to If I Stay. The first wasn’t my favorite book so far this year, but I liked it enough that I want to know what happened next.

The Litigators by John Grisham ($5.69)


I haven’t read John Grisham since high school, but I’ve always loved a good legal thriller.

Haven ($2.99) & Dragoon ($3.99) by A.R. Ivanovich


I’ve only developed an appreciation for fantasy in recent years, and this description reminds me a little bit of Graceling, one of my favorites.

Parallel by Lauren Miller ($1.99)


Another YA read, this time with a bit of science fiction.

Timebound by Rysa Walker ($4.99)


I’m looking forward to reading this one and Parallel one after another to compare and contrast the idea of parallel universes, time travel and how the choices we make affect the future.

The Little Britches Series (8 books) by Ralph Moody


I read the first two books in this series years ago. I loved them, but I never picked up the rest of the series, which is hard to find for less than $10-$12 per book. Since I know I’ll want my girls to read these one day as well, I finally asked for the series for my birthday this year, and I’m excited to read through them this summer!

Memoir

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan ($5.99)


Brain on Fire promises to be both terrifying and inspiring as Susannah Cahalan tells the story of waking up in a hospital idea with no idea who she is and the ensuing battle against the mental illness that stole her identity!

How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp by Shawn & Maile Smucker ($3.99)


I’ve had this on my list for a while. I love memoirs, and our family loves a good roadtrip and a chance to explore, so I’m excited to read this one as we travel this summer.

The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Edith Beer ($1.99)


Erin recommended this book while we were talking about this HONY photo/caption and how people sometimes slide into the wrong thing rather than actively choosing it.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela ($6.99)


This is not a quick, easy read, and I’ve started it and set it aside on more than one occasion, but I’d like to finish it this summer.

Nonfiction

Echoes in Celebration by Leigh A. Bortins


What can I say? I’m a sucker for books about homeschooling during the summer!

Classical Christian Education Made Approachable by Classical Conversations


Published by Classical Conversations, I’m reading this one instead of rereading The Core and The Well-Trained Mind again.

The Tipping Point ($3.99) and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell


I’m a marketing geek who loves psychology, and I’m looking forward to digging into both of these.

The Measure of Success by Carolyn McCulley and Nora Shank


Elizabeth recommended this while I was reading Jesus Feminist. As someone who struggles with a dual identity as a work-at-home mom, I’m looking forward to reading this perspective on success and a life that glorifies God.

Quiet by Susan Cain ($2.99)


“The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.” Need I say more?

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown


I first “met” Brene Brown during her keynote speech about vulnerability at Blissdom several years ago. Daring Greatly expands on her vulnerability research and how it affects our work, relationships, parenting and more.

Hooked by Nir Eyal


In the second half of 2014, I hope to release several more digital products for Life Your Way, and I’m hoping this book will give me additional insight into creating products that really do serve our community!

Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist ($7.99)


I’ve heard so much buzz about this book, and I’m excited to read it for myself!

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis


I have had a hard copy of Mere Christianity for years and never read it, but I’d like to finally prioritize it this year!

Favorite Reads on Sale

And here are a few more of my favorite reads from this year that are currently on sale:

The Fault in Our Stars ($4.99)
Stolen ($2.99)
The Rosie Project ($1.99)
The Selection ($2.99)

 What’s on YOUR summer reading list?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Any Bets on How Many of These Books I’ll Actually Read? {Summer Reading List}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     
CommentsI've read almost everything Maeve Binchy wrote, and Echoes is ... by vanderbiltwifeRelated StoriesWho’s Your Favorite Strong Female Character?

Weekend Reading: May 24, 2014

I was starting to worry just a little bit about Jackson’s complete lack of interest in standing (even asked the ped about it last week!). And then yesterday he started doing this. I think we have {another} perfectionist on our hands!

Little man is 7 months old today! His personality is really starting to shine through, and he’s so much fun to play and interact with.

I’ve been asked a few times if I think he’s different than the girls, and it’s hard to say whether he really is different or we’re just viewing him through a different lens. But he’s definitely a mama’s boy, for sure. He also loves to be bounced, jiggled and tossed in the air, and he absolutely loves to watch Sean fly his planes or quadcopters.

He’s also pretty much the center of the Ehman universe, and after 7 months, every move he makes is still met with squeals and cheers from his fan club. It’s gonna be tough to make sure this one doesn’t grow up with a big head!

Here are some of my favorite posts from this week. As always, check out what I’m reading and what I’m pinning to see the other posts that make me stop and think (or, you know, drool…). You’ll find new posts all week long!

Taking Back Education

The Critical Thinking Skills Hoax | Memoria Press


Quality Education is Not Rocket Science | Crisis Magazine


Why do we make students sit still in class? | CNN.com

Empowering Our Kids

The part you can’t see | To Sow A Seed


To The Man Who Called the Police on 2 Little Girls Instead of Calling Their Parents | Free Range Kids



The Irony of the Overprotected Child | Family Studies

Paleo…It’s What’s for Dinner

Beyond Easy Pulled Pork | Everyday Paleo


Buffalo Ranch Chicken Meatballs | Primal Bites


Baby Arugula Salad with Italian Sausage | Kayln’s Kitchen

Have a great weekend!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Weekend Reading: May 24, 2014

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The Secret to a Happier Family

What if I told you I’d discovered a secret that completely changed our family culture and the atmosphere of our home?

It’s silly, really, and incredibly obvious, but since we’d been overlooking it for so long, I’m going to share it anyway:

The power of a smile.

Now, I wrote a sponsored post a couple of weeks ago with that exact title, about the work that Smile Train is doing for children around the world.

And at the time, I was thinking that the power of a smile is the gift it bestows on the recipient.

What I’d completely missed, though, is the effect smiling has on yourself.

Then I read a post that Prerna wrote at The Art of Simple about the art of smiling.

Because I can’t help but reading the comments on any post or article, I stumbled upon this gem of a comment from Holly at Integrative Mom:

“I read somewhere that if you are in a bad mood or having a bad day, forcing yourself to smile actually releases chemicals in your brain and physiologically changes the way you feel. I tried it last week and it really really works!”

A few minutes later, the girls came stumbling down the steps, bleary-eyed and already bickering, and I decided to try an experiment: “Dylan, smile.”

She looked at me like I’d lost my mind, but I pressed forward. “That’s your consequence for the way you’re speaking to your sister. You may not get up from the couch until you smile.”

In that first incident, the absurdity of my request made her giggle, the bad mood banished…until the next time she got in a spat with her sister, at least.

This continued throughout the morning, with me requiring a smile anytime they fought, yelled, whined or argued. And the mood in our home got noticeably lighter.

Later in the morning, Sean was frustrated at something the girls did, so I challenged him: “I bet you’ll feel better if you smile.” He begrudgingly flashed me a sarcastic smile, and the frustration lifted.

For most of the day, I simply enjoyed my role of reminding everybody else to smile, but eventually I too got frustrated. Everybody jumped at their chance to tell me to smile. I really didn’t want to — sometimes we want to bask in our annoyance or frustration, you know? — but I did.

I can’t even tell you how much better I felt in that moment.

Of course, one day of smiles doesn’t mean anything. The first real test would come the next morning when the dog — the dog who drives me bonkers! — tried to eat my breakfast. I shrieked at her, so very angry, but after she slinked to her cage and I’d had a moment to reflect on my outburst, I pasted a fake smile on my face, meekly showing the girls all of my pearly whites, and we all burst into laughter.

While some of the novelty of this approach has worn off, it’s still amazingly effective. Smiling just feels good. I think it’s close to impossible to remain angry or frustrated when you smile. And so we keep reminding each other and creating habits.

To be clear, this isn’t about ignoring misbehavior or consequences; it’s about adjusting our approach before we deal with discipline issues. And it still amazes me how big of a difference it makes.

Making the decision to smile is the tough part, but if I can convince myself to do it, even halfheartedly, it works every time!

Who knew it could be so simple?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

The Secret to a Happier Family

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

    Related StoriesMy Kids Are Awesome… And So Are Yours!Giveaway: Stride Rite Disney Wish Lights or Disney Baby Shoes (2 Winners!)On Joyful Motherhood

How Giving Up “Real Food” Made Our Family Healthier

I have a confession.

At the beginning of this year, I decided I was done with “real food.” Just done.

Done reading labels. Done feeling like I needed to make everything from scratch. Done worrying over every little thing that passed through our kitchen or ended up in our stomachs.

I was tired of the pressure, stress and guilt.

So I decided to give up real food.

Not the actual food itself, but the goal of a perfectly real food diet.

I honestly think I had my mom and more than one friend worried when I declared my intentions, but a funny thing happened: Without the pressure of a perfect diet (or even tying to maintain a magical 80/20 ratio), we’ve actually been eating better, but without the guilt.

There are a few decidedly non-real food staples in my kitchen these days — among them lunch meat, crescent roll dough, and frozen French fries. But knowing I have these shortcuts available makes it easier for me to come up with a meal without worrying about making every little part from scratch.

Knowing there are French fries means I can focus on a main dish without trying to make time to prepare a side dish as well (my hubby isn’t a fan of fresh veggies, which we also have with almost every meal).

I can add taco meat or healthy sloppy joe filling to crescent rolls to make a quick, filling meal.

And lunch meat gives us a quick on-the-go meal option so we’re not resorting to fast food.

Is our diet perfect? No, not by a long stretch.

But it’s turns out that we’re actually eating much better than we were when I was trying to do it “perfectly”.

And that’s a win!

Are unrealistic standards actually hurting your family’s eating habits?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

How Giving Up “Real Food” Made Our Family Healthier

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CommentsI have read all the comments so far, and I don't want anyone to ... by Cathie Bullock-ReynoldsI love this coming from you for so many reasons, not the least ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayYes! Like I said below, I really think that stressing over food ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayPerfect, Kristen! by Mandi @ Life Your WayYes, Jenn!! Just yes. It's really easy to get caught up in ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayPlus 5 more...Related StoriesGiveaway: Pu-erh Tea Collection (2 Winners!){Tea} Favorites: 8 Flavored Teas for Your Next Cuppa

Free Printable Scripture Prints for Your Home

The following post is from Jason & Jennifer Bruce of New Season Design :

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:6-9

We’ve made it a habit to place Scripture throughout our house. If you stop by our home, you’ll find it on throw blankets, wall art, and more. It’s a great way to memorize Scripture without even trying.

These Scripture prints are a great way to keep God’s Word front and center in your home. Simply print, trim, and frame them. You could even designate one frame for Scripture prints and swap the verse out from time to time!

Click here to download your FREE Scripture prints.

Jason & Jennifer Bruce are the husband-and-wife design team behind New Season Design, where they work together to help clients put their best foot forward online. Jason is a pastor-turned-graphic designer, and Jennifer is a teacher-turned-blog designer who also blogs at The Simple Pen about life, learning and the things she loves.

Free Printable Scripture Prints for Your Home

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My Kids Are Awesome… And So Are Yours!

The following post is from Emily of Live Renewed:

I’m came to an amazing realization recently. My three kids are actually little people. Their own unique person with their own unique personality, likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, fears and worries.

I mean, I understand that my kids are their own person. I’ve known that from the very first time they exerted their own will and resisted a nap or a feeding or let me know, in no uncertain terms, through their screaming and tears that they were not happy with the way things were happening.

I was recently thinking about myself as a child though, and remembering the way that I viewed the world – with awe and wonder, full of opportunities and excitement, a relatively safe, happy, and peaceful place. Very different then the way I see the world now as an adult.

I also remember my own inner thought life. The commentary running through my head about my parents, my sisters, my friends, school, church, basically everything in life – and that’s when I realized: my kids have those same inner thought lives, and I have NO idea what they are thinking, unless they share it with me. Which they do actually, a lot. And it is truly amazing.

When I began to realize that my kids are just like I was when I was little – and how much of my own person I believed myself to be — or really, I actually was when I was a kid — I began to look at them in a whole different light. I began to realize how truly awesome my kids are. 

I have always loved my children strongly and deeply, of course. But I think often as parents we see our kids as extensions of ourselves. And because we can be hard on ourselves, focusing too much on our weaknesses and failures and not enough on our strengths and successes, sometimes it seems like we too easily do the same to our kids. And we spend so much time with them that we can miss the amazing person that is developing right before our eyes.

I’ve been learning a lot about my own personality lately; I’m an ENFP on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Seeing my own innate ways of doing things, and the good and not so lovely parts of my personality, has really helped me to understand myself so much better and give myself grace in different situations.

And then I realized that I can do the same thing with my kids. I can understand and appreciate their own unique personalities and how they are similar, and so very different, from me.

By taking the time to really observe and listen to our kids, we can learn about a lot about them. What makes them tick, what makes them happy, upset, frustrated, scared, excited, sad, and so much more. When we really learn about them, we can really know them, deep down. And when we know them we can appreciate them for the unique and awesome person that they are.

I love to think about how amazing they will each be as they grow into teenagers, young adults, and even older adults! Won’t that be such an unbelievable transformation to watch happening right before our eyes?!

When I look at my kids with a sense of understanding mixed with amazement, it changes the way that I see them. Instead of seeing how he left his shoes, coat, and backpack in a pile on the floor when he got home from school instead of putting them away like he’s supposed to, I see how excited my son was to run into the kitchen and show me his painting. He’s studying famous painters, and he wanted to paint the water lilies like Monet.

It is amazing and beautiful. Maybe he has a talent for art and will continue to grow in his talent and love painting when he grows up?

And the really cool thing is that this is not just true of my kids; it’s true of yours too. Our kids are truly AWESOME! So full of wonder and awe, hopes and dreams, fears and worries, opportunities and potential!

And if we see it in them, they’ll start to see it in themselves.

Motherhood can be hard, days can be long, and kids can definitely be annoying and frustrating at times. I don’t want to minimize any of that. But our view of our kids can change when we stop looking at all the things they’re doing wrong; all the ways they’re not obeying, or fighting with their siblings, or leaving a mess in their wake, or the list goes on and on.

As we focus on Joyful Motherhood this month, let’s instead focus on every kind word they speak in the middle of the harsh ones, every artistic creation in the midst of the coloring on the floor, the walls, and their own body, every time they share their inner thoughts with us in the midst of the screaming and stamping their feet because they trust us to carry those secret thoughts with compassion and care and not anger and frustration.

Maybe you’ve already figured out this beautiful and amazing realization about your awesome kids and I’m just late to the party. But I’m pretty sure we could all use this gentle reminder in the midst of dirty dishes, and laundry piles, and whiny voices, and temper-tantrums, and just the messiness of life. They way that we view our kids can change our responses to them even when things are hard. And don’t they deserve that from us?

My kids are awesome. Truly amazing people. And so are yours.

Emily McClements is passionate about living with compassion and caring for creation in a way that will impact the world. She is a blessed wife and mama to three young children, and blogs about her family’s journey toward natural and simple living at Live Renewed.

My Kids Are Awesome… And So Are Yours!

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

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What Is a Classical Christian Education?

This post was first published in June of last year, but we’re heading to the annual CC practicum this week and it seemed like a good time to share it again!

I wasn’t really intending to write a weekly homeschooling post when I started writing about our plans for the coming year, but every year after attending a Classical Conversations practicum I want to write this post, so this year I’m actually doing it!

Today, let’s talk about why our family has chosen a classical Christian education:

Classical Education and the Trivium

First, let’s define classical and classical education. When I use this term, I’m referring to a model that focuses on the trivium — a Latin word meaning the three roads — where all learning is broken down into three distinct but overlapping stages that correspond with the natural development of children:

The Grammar stage, during which children enjoy memorizing and soaking up large amounts of information even if they’re not sure what to do with that information. The speaker at this most recent practicum put it this way: “You can teach them eenie, meenie, miny, mo or amo, amas, amat — both are fun to them and they don’t care which rhyme you teach them.” I’m not in any way implying that we shouldn’t teach our kids classic nursery rhymes and games, but their brains are amazingly supple, and we’ve found that our kids can learn eenie, meenie, miny, mo and amo, amas, amat (an example of Latin verb conjugation) without any trouble. If that information continues to be drilled during the elementary school years rather than just introduced once during a unit study and then forgotten, they will then be able to recall it without any trouble once they get to the next stage, which is…


The Dialectic stage, where adolescents begin to think more analytically and ask “Why?” and “How?” rather than just believing the information that’s laid before them. Instead of fighting this natural stage, the classical model embraces their need to push back against information and encourages them to really dig deeper into understanding why and to use the information they’ve memorized in the earlier years to begin discovering more about the world on their own. The idea is that because they have all of the information (commonly referred to in classical education circles as “pegs”) memorized, they’re more easily able to manipulate and question it.


And finally, the Rhetoric stage is the point where students can begin really applying what they’ve learned to form their own thoughts and opinions, to teach others and to actually put it into practice.

While the stages roughly conform to the elementary (grammar), middle school (dialectic) and high school (rhetoric) levels in the education model, we all actually progress through these three stages naturally whenever we want to master a new subject. For example, if you’re learning to cook, you must first define the kitchen tools, terms and measurements used in recipes. Then, you begin to gain an understanding for why recipes are written in certain orders — why we mix the dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients when making muffins, for example. And finally, you’re able to create your own recipes and teach others to cook.

The “Lost Tools of Learning” essay from Dorothy Sayers is commonly referenced by classical educators, and she refers to these stages as the poll parrot (grammar), pert (dialectic) and poetic (rhetoric) stages.

And in the Bible, we see the three strains of knowledge (grammar), understanding (dialectic) and wisdom (rhetoric) referenced together, for example in Proverbs 24:3-4 and Colossians 1:9.

This model is often represented by the image of a tree seen above. The roots represent the grammar stage, when children soak up a broad base of facts and establish a foundation; the trunk represents the dialectic stage, when children are growing stronger in their understanding of those facts; and the leaves/fruit represents the rhetoric stage, when they really bloom and produce their own ideas.

You’ll also see the sun in the corner above, providing that crucial light that is needed to help the tree grow, and that is the thing that sets the traditional classical model apart from the classical Christian model, where the Truth found in God’s Word and our faith provides that much needed nourishment.

Classical Education and the Integration of Subjects

The other important difference between the classical model and modern education is that subjects are taught as interrelated rather than as separate entities.

While specialization seems to be a buzzword in education and industry right now, I want my kids to see the connections between the subjects as we learn. How do the natural resources in a country affect their politics? What scientific discoveries were being made during the Romantic period of the arts? While this is harder for some subjects than others (like math, for example), I think it’s important to teach these subjects as interrelated rather than as separate entities because they are interrelated and teaching them in isolation gives us a limited view of the world around us.

Why Classical Education?

Understanding the model itself is great, but it still doesn’t exactly answer the question of why we’ve chosen this model for our children’s education. I’ve been making a list over the past couple of weeks as I’ve been reading and studying it once again, and here’s what I have so far:

NOT to teach them everything. When I first began thinking about homeschooling, I was determined to teach my kids as much as possible. It didn’t take me long to realize how unrealistic that approach would be and that they’d actually be missing out on a lot if we tried to cram everything there is to know into the 12-13 short years that they’re in school. I love the freedom that the classical model has given me to completely abandon that notion.


To establish deep roots. Instead of trying to teach everything, then, our goal is to give them deep, strong roots that they can build upon for the rest of their life. For example, by memorizing the history timeline or learning how to draw and label a map of the world, they instantly have context for the things they hear about as they go through their life. When they hear about an unknown historical figure or something happening in the capital of Mozambique, they will have a way to categorize and place that information within the things they’ve already memorized rather than trying to figure out what was happening around the world in the 1890s and or what continent Mozambique is on before they can really understand the significance of the new information.


To teach them to think, discern, write and speak. We also want to give them the tools to evaluate ideas and to present their own thoughts, whether through writing or public speaking. The classical model is language-focused, with an emphasis on reading great literature, using copywork to imitate great writers, presenting ideas verbally, and understanding and using the rules of English grammar rather than just writing creatively.


To enchant them. While I don’t spend a lot of time trying to make schoolwork fun (it’s called work for a reason!), I do want my kids to be enchanted by the things they’re learning. I want them to listen to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and imagine themselves stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. I want them to discover that a number is divisible by 9 if the sum of all the digits is 9 and stare at it in wonder. I want them to learn about animals who migrate thousands of miles each year and stand in awe of their natural instincts. The idea is not to force that enchantment through fun projects and activities but to inspire them to be enchanted by the world around them.


To teach them to learn anything. Remember I said my goal was not to teach my kids everything anymore? The classical model has given me the freedom to let go of that unrealistic goal because instead of trying to give them a education that covers everything there is to know (which is impossible), our goal is to teach them how to learn so that they will be lifelong learners who can learn anything about anything as they go through life.

I’m not an expert, but if you have questions about the classical model, I’d be happy to try to answer them or find the answer for you!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

What Is a Classical Christian Education?

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

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Giveaway: Stride Rite Disney Wish Lights or Disney Baby Shoes (2 Winners!)

Whether you’re heading to Disney this summer or just want to enjoy a little Disney style at home, you’ll love these Disney-themed shoes from Stride Rite:

Comfortable and cute, the Disney Wish Lights collection includes Cinderella, Aurora, Rapunzel, Belle, and Ariel in various styles, all with a heart-shaped princess gem that lights up white with every step. What makes these really fun, though, is that the heart blinks pink several times a day, letting your little princess know it’s time to make a wish!

These come in baby, toddler and kid sizes, and our 4-year-old, who pretty much lives in hand-me-downs from her sisters was excited that Stride Rite invited her to pick out a pair of Belle shoes all for herself. She spent two days stomping around the house after they arrived, excitedly watching them light up with every step.

For babies and Mousketeer fans, the Disney Baby Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Soft Motion shoes offer an adorable, retro style. We tend to leave our tiny babies barefoot for the most part, but I have the pair that Stride Rite sent us ready and waiting in his closet, and I can’t wait to see him walking around in them over the fall and winter!

The Stride Rite patented SRT Soft Motion technology offers protection for little feet without restricting movement to help wobbly walkers gain confidence. The rounded edges decrease stumbles and falls while deep flex grooves enable natural movement. These shoes also feature leather and suede with mesh linings for breathability and easy hook-and-loop straps!

Enter to Win

This week, Stride Rite is giving TWO lucky Life Your Way readers each their choice of a pair of Stride Rite for Disney Wishlights or Disney Baby shoes (subject to availability)!

To enter, fill out the form below:

The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 5/24. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email, and this post will be updated with their name as well. Unfortunately, due to the international laws governing sweepstakes and lotteries, we’re only able to offer these giveaways to U.S. residents 18 years and older.

Giveaway: Stride Rite Disney Wish Lights or Disney Baby Shoes (2 Winners!)

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Weekend Reading: May 17, 2014

My view.

We unintentionally became co-sleepers this week. I’m not sure if little man is teething or dealing with separation anxiety, but he absolutely refused to sleep in his bed, and I have no desire to let him cry it out.

It took us a few nights to get used to sleeping side by side, but he’s actually sleeping better now, and he’s now napping in the bed as well(as opposed to in my arms!). I had a few panicky moments because he’s slept solidly in the Rock ‘N Play since we got it, but I’m glad I followed my own advice and went with the flow because it’s really been a good thing!

Here are some of my favorite posts from this week. As always, check out what I’m reading and what I’m pinning to see the other posts that make me stop and think (or, you know, drool…). You’ll find new posts all week long!

Make Things Happen

Don’t Join the Popularity Contest: Make It Happen Yourself | The Art of Non-Conformity


Set a date | Seth’s Blog


How to Simplify Your Life in 5 Minutes a Day | LinkedIn

But…Why?

Why It’s So Easy to Talk to an Introvert | Psychology Today


Why Love Literally Hurts | Association for Psychological Science


Why Reading Aloud to Older Children Is Valuable | MindShift

C is for Cookie

I’m 1/3 of the way into my Whole30, which means I’m pretty much drooling over all the things I can’t eat right now, like these:

White Chocolate Lemon Coconut Cookies | GoodLife Eats


Oatmeal Almond Butter Cookies | Chocolate Covered Katie


Soft, Chewy Double Chocolate Cookie | PaleOMG

Have a great weekend!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Weekend Reading: May 17, 2014

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Plan the Upcoming Homeschool Year with These FREE Printables!

Although we school year-round, this is the time of year when I get excited about all things homeschool. We’ve solidified our plans for next year, passed our standardized tests, and we’re looking forward to next week’s Classical Conversations’ practicum and academic camps.

I’ll be sharing some more of my thoughts about homeschooling in the upcoming weeks, but today I’m excited to add a bunch of new printables to our homeschooling printables to help you get organized and plan for the next year, including a homeschool budget, curriculum planner and more.

Click on the links below to view, download or print each printable:

2014-2015 Calendar
2014-2015 Half-Page Calendar
2014-2015 One-Page Calendar
Classical Conversations Notebooking Pages {Not Cycle-Specific}
Curriculum List
Curriculum Price Comparison
Homeschool Budget
“I Keep Six Honest Serving Men” Poem
Lined Handwriting Paper
My Reading Log
Read-Aloud Log

See ALL of our homeschooling printables here!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Plan the Upcoming Homeschool Year with These FREE Printables!

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     
CommentsSorry about that! Here's the correct link: ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayThe link for the half page calendar is broken. It says file not ... by politicaljulesRelated Stories2014-2015 Homeschool Curriculum PlansGiveaway: Logic of English Foundations Set A ($156 Value!)Make Pre-K Fun with EmbarK12 Learning Tools