Hearts for Home Blog Hop - February 6, 2014

** Through today, you can still get the Valentine's Printable Scripture Pack here!

Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop!  A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post.  If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us.  You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.

Last week this post called FREE Winter Olympics Research Worksheets was the most-clicked-on post.

Some of my favorite posts from last week were:

-  Easy piano Happy Birthday Free lesson & Music 

- Colonial Games for Children 

-  Spring Fun Pack - Marriage Motherhood and Missions 

If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons!  Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.upsidedownhomeschooling.com/hearts-for-home/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r505/upsidedownhomeschool/HFHFeature_zpse5060e68.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 
Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link back to this one. Happy hopping!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.upsidedownhomeschooling.com/hearts-for-home/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r505/upsidedownhomeschool/HFH150_zpsf22ef64f.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 

FREE Valentine's Printable Scripture Pack - Today and Tomorrow Only

A few years ago I read a wonderful idea on Karen Ehman's blog.  She said that every year her family worked to memorize 1 Corinthians 13 together, as a family.  I loved that idea, and we've been doing it every since.

But this year I didn't want to make a big poster.  I wanted something simpler, something that I could grab time after time.  Something small enough to print and hang by the bathroom mirror, to keep on the kitchen table, or to hang up in our school room.

So I've created a simple printable pack featuring 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. The package contains several pages - one to print and use as a study guide, as a discussion starter, or as a memorization too, and another with spaces.  What do you do with them?  Watch for when someone you know demonstrates those traits of love as detailed in 'The Love Chapter' and write in their name.  See if you can spot people loving all month long!

I've uploaded these printables to my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  They're FREE today and tomorrow only - so go check them out!  

**If you print and use these, I'd love to know what you think!

See the Light Special!

Have you checked out February and March’s See the Light special yet?

The CROSSMAKER ULTIMATE GIFT SET is one of our most popular gift sets! It’s perfect for the children to enjoy in celebration of Resurrection Day.

Included:

• DVD w/ 150 minutes of content, CD w/ music and story,
• black light
• fluorescent pencils
• fluorescent chalk

During the month of February and March the Crossmaker Ultimate Gift Set is only $25.00 which includes FREE SHIPPING for US residents.

Coupon Code:  STL

See the Light wants (1) family to have their very own Crossmaker Ultimate Gift Set. We will be picking a random winner on February 17th at 12a. All entries will be verified.

 NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NmVjZGNjMDRjMmEwNjcyZmQ0NTA3OTRlZmQ1NzRlOjE0NQ==/

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.

Share!

** This post contains affiliate links.  For more information about these links, which help to support our family's homeschooling efforts, please read my Full Disclosure Policy located on the page of the same name.

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

• 
  

GratiTuesday - Let It Snow 2014

Last week got a grand snowfall of 2 inches.

Since we live in North Carolina, you know that means that schools closed early, hours before a single flake fell from the sky, and that everything was shut down for three full days afterwards.

Our schedule didn't really change much, since we're based out of our home, anyway, but we all enjoyed the winter scenery.  The kids headed outside at every opportunity, and I took advantage of chilly temperatures to serve soup and sit by the fireplace, logs blazing.

I love winter!  God makes it so beautiful...!

The first morning, as the kids headed outside for the first time, I trailed them in an attempt to get some pictures.  This is what caught my eye:

 

A lone dump truck, small and made of plastic.  I'm sure most people would've been excited to see a big one this full of snow!

Siblings, excited to be outside after wintry precipitation has fallen ...

so excited, in fact, that they must race each other up and down the street.

The squirrel mansion, snowed under.  Might something be inside even now?

This little sled goes faster and farther than one might think!

This one wanted to go faster and farther, but ... it stalled out mid-hill.

Finally - they're in sync!

We've all got a think for icicles here.  There's just something about them that's awesome - the way that God lets the water melt and refreeze to make such neat shapes is just cool.  Can you spot this tiny one?

I'm glad that we had the chance to stay home, stay warm, and be together during last week's snowy stay-cation, but even better than that is God's wintry beauty.

What's your favorite thing about winter?

Menu Plan Monday - February 3, 2014

Ha!  Meal plans went nothing like I planned last week, except for the birthday dinner.  We might be trying a few of these plans again!  Fortunately, despite a pitifully small snowfall and many days of cold weather and cancelled events, basketball season IS finally over, and we can have a bit more family time before baseball season begins.  

With that in mind, here's the plan. 

Breakfast:

- Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars, fruit 

- leftover snowy-day pancakes, fruit

- scrambled eggs, juice, bananas

- 

- Cinnamon Almond Granola and fruit

Dinner:

- Wild rice soup & salad

- Beef & Bean Burritos, salad, applesauce

- Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes

-Breakfast for dinner

- Pizza, carrot sticks, apples

- Layered Nacho Taco Salad

- Leftovers

Never really did get around to baking anything last week - we were too busy playing in the snow!  What should we try this week?

What are you cooking this week?

For more Menu Plan Mondays, visit OrgJunkie.

Hearts for Home Blog Hop - January 30, 2014

Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop!  A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post.  If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us.  You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.

Last week this post called Why We're Ditching Story of the World was the most-clicked-on post.

Some of my favorite posts from last week were:

- Mothers Madness: Pirate party 

- Free Printable Reading Logs for the entire year! 

- Gimme Shelter Movie Review 

If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons!  Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.upsidedownhomeschooling.com/hearts-for-home/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r505/upsidedownhomeschool/HFHFeature_zpse5060e68.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 
Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link back to this one. Happy hopping!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.upsidedownhomeschooling.com/hearts-for-home/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r505/upsidedownhomeschool/HFH150_zpsf22ef64f.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 

Taco Soup 2: The From Scratch Version

Yesterday I shared my family's new favorite soup recipe - a Quick & Easy Taco Soup - over at Marriage, Motherhood, and Missions.  

I like that version a lot.  You can have a healthy, hearty meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.  It's great for a spontaneous meal with company or for taking to a family in need.  
I don't buy a lot of pre-packaged food, though, and so I've made this same soup completely from scratch, as well.  It takes just a bit longer but is still very simple, and you're not sacrificing any of the flavor - in fact, you can control it even more!

So here's how to make Scratch Taco Soup:

Ingredients: 
- 2 bags of dried black beans, sorted
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 c. water
- 1 small bag of frozen corn
- 4 tablespoons of taco seasoning
- 3 tablespoons of ranch seasoning

Directions:
1.    Put the beans in a large stockpot.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 2 hours.
2.  Drain beans.  Return to pot.  
3.  Add the diced onion, water, seasonings, and corn.
4.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5.  Serve with your favorite choice of toppings - cheese, salsa, tortilla chips, etc.

What's your favorite kind of soup?