A Few of Our Favorite Things :: 2020

In the midst of my own Christmas shopping, I thought I'd pull together a few current "favorite things" from our house in case you're looking for gift ideas! (Warning: it's a random assortment! But all things we use and love or are gifting this year. :))

For Baby

These bibs are still used at every meal at our house and have held up wonderfully. (I first posted about them here. All the other "favorites" in that post are still in rotation here also, just FYI.) I love how big these are, how well they stay on, and how easy they are to clean -- just throw straight in the wash. They really are water/foodproof, and two years later, look as good as they did on the day we bought them.

I grabbed this teether for Emilia this year. It caught my eye because it has a "stopper" so she isn't so inclined to gag herself while she teethes -- which for some reason she really loves to do! LOL We will see if she likes it.

We have two sets of this set of sensory balls and my littles have loved them through the years.

Our leather-soled baby shoes finally need replacing this year at Kid #10. That's a lot of wear! I consider them an essential toddler item and am deciding between these and these for Emmy.

For Littles

I have mentioned Schleich animals before but I'll mention them again: big winner in our house, year in and out! These durable figurines are used for all kinds of things here -- from a geography tableau in the sand tray, to a "family" of kangeroos in the dollhouse.

I usually use Christmas or Easter to restock our sidewalk chalk. When you have a lot of children, consumable gifts are so welcome to keep a handle on the clutter!

Speaking of consumables, my littles have also been enjoying Wonder Stix and chalkboard placemats this year. They clean up easily with baby wipes or a wet paper towel, and the colors are so vivid. You can also use the stix to write on windows and regular chalkboards.

One last handicraft idea that has been a hit here: yarn! You can pair with plastic canvas and some dull needles (plastic or metal), or you can gift with a knitting tower or lucet. Littles can also braid bracelets with the help of a clipboard (get the kind with the straight metal clip) to hold the ends. (And if you are like I am and have old skeins of yarn lying around from long-forgotten projects, just give them the tools and then turn them loose with your stash! ;))

For Boys

My kids have all loved Nature Friend Magazine through the years, but particularly my boys. And who doesn't love getting mail?

A little unorthodox perhaps, but my sons eagerly anticipate our restocking their personal supply of tape at Christmas and Easter. We do regular scotch tape, duct tape, and washi tape for them to use for their building and crafting projects. (The girls like washi tape too! It makes a great stocking stuffer.)

This set of sports balls is one of our go-to gifts for little boy birthdays. They are great for outside and inside use (if you don't mind pictures getting hit down from walls now and then...or maybe that's just my house?) and are baby-friendly too.

I'm putting together a post on knot-tying featuring My First Book of Knots and this handy practice set -- two instructional resources we have used for many years.

(I am thinking about doing some Toobs army figures for my boys this year. Anyone love these? Are they as durable as the Schleich animals?)

For Girls

We have a tradition of getting a sports watch for each child for their 12th birthday. I got Gianna this watch and just bought one in a different color for Cate, whose birthday is coming in January. Not only has it been sturdy, but I like the feminine profile and my girls like the fit.

Each of my big girls has this recipe box and it is so pretty!

My oldest bought these scrunchie ribbons for the girls of the family to share last year and they get worn by one or another of the sisters daily. It's such a easy way for them to add a bit of style to their outfits. (This year I grabbed a pack of these for them to share.)

If you have a girl who has "graduated" from this great beginner book for friendship bracelets, we recommend this one. Gianna got this for her birthday a few months ago and has found it not only helpfully written but also full of unique and challenging designs.

For the Whole Family

I love the Cavallini aesthetic! In the past, I have purchased their mini-notebooks, puzzles, and posters as gifts and am doing the same this year. They have so many different vintage designs. The foreign language posters, nature displays, and maps would be especially charming additions to a schoolroom.

Whether you are looking for something to liven up Morning Time with your kids or an inspiring addition to your personal morning routine, we love The Cloud of Witness and its companion volume for children, The Golden Key. (We have begun a tradition of giving each child their own copy of the latter when they enter Form 3, alongside a copy of the first volume of Ourselves.)

My kids are crazy for lettering, and I enjoy using good markers to set up my logbook grids -- we all gravitate to the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners! They would make a good mom-friend gift or family gift. This year, a few of my kids are getting this set this Christmas because I am tired of sharing! :)

I mentioned handicrafts for littles and for boys above, but supplies make great gifts for older kids too or can give you a jump start on family art for the term ahead. The posts from my {Getting Started with Handicrafts} series offer lots of great options for putting together your own handicraft kits.

If you or your children send a lot of letters: my kids love using sealing wax for a fun finish. They got a set last year that included a botanical stamp, and this year, I have my eye on initial stamps.

If you're looking for games that don't take up too much room in the cabinet (my constant dilemma!), we recommend Iota , Qwixx, and Phase 10.

For Your Homeschool Mom Friends (or Yourself!)

I have the newly-released Scale How Meditations on my wishlist this year. I already have an old paperback copy, but who can pass up a Riverbend Press hardcover?

Have you seen the prints from Emilia's Post? Not only does she have beautifully lettered quotes from classic writers (including Charlotte Mason!) but I have one of these little madonnas and it is super sweet.

Over time, I have been building a collection of ceramic cookware -- easy to use, easy to clean, and looks nice for serving as well. I have another pie plate on my list this year. Granite Ware is my other go-to; I have a huge roasting pan that gets near-daily use for our family of 12.

Speaking of ceramic, I have had this mug for several years and it's durable and convenient. And I love how much it can hold! I use it as my go-to tea mug.

If you have a friend who would love some notebook-keeping supplies, I have all of our favorites on my Products We Love page!

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So -- it's a bit of a random assortment, but as I sat down at my computer, these are the items that came to mind. :)

Let me know: what are your best ideas for this year's gifts? I still need something small for a few of my kids and for my husband. But I'm always looking for suggestions to bookmark for the future too. Hit me up with your ideas!

(Links above may be Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for your support!)

{This and That} :: Thanksgiving Week

Hello friends! It is hard to believe we are in late November now. We have a short school week this week for Thanksgiving, and then we're officially halfway through our school year! I can't believe how fast this school year is flying by. 

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First happy news: my oldest two were confirmed!

Their sponsor got them these watercolored saint portraits from The Fig and Thimble. They love them!

For their confirmation saints, Gianna picked St. John the Evangelist and Vincent picked St. John Bosco. Both choices were unexpected but made sense to me in hindsight.

We are studying Titian this term, so we thought it would be neat to get Gianna a framed print of Titian's St. John the Evangelist on the Isle of Patmos. Isn't it striking? Vincent got a couple books about St. John Bosco that he has already started reading.

Gianna asked me for an at-home Confirmation Retreat, so I prepared a week's worth of short readings for them to do alongside their novena to the Holy Ghost. I pulled completely from religious books we already had on our shelves -- a little wisdom from St. John Vianney, Cardinal Newman, the Baltimore Catechism, Mother Loyola, and more. It is so nice to have a good selection of books to choose from for projects like this! I am always thankful to my younger self for taking the time to scour used bookstores and church library sales and investing in a long-term library of our own.

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Emilia just turned ten months old! She is so playful and determined. She loves all the attention she gets from her siblings and plays Peek-a-Boo, Pat-a-Cake, and This Little Piggy. She is also a full-time walker now. Such a fun age! If only she could start napping a little more reliably... :)

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We did the seasonal clothing switch-out last week. This is one of the chores I dread each year, simply because of the sheer number of children and clothes. My kids have capsule wardrobes -- very manageable and streamlined. They all wear a "uniform" of sorts, as you may have noticed from posts through the years. But still, if I were a millionnaire, I would donate the kids' wardrobes at the end of each season and start fresh every time! There is just something about this task that always ends up being more complicated than it ought to be.

However, I'm finding that the chore has been getting progressively easier -- even though I have more kids than any other year, having more bigs than littles really has helped so much! And this year, my to-buy list is unprecedently short: just a couple pairs of replacement leggings for my girls and a few tops and bottoms for Vincent, my oldest, who grew several inches this year. Gianna is now as tall as I am and has been for about a year, so I think she's close to finished growing. All of her clothes from last year still fit, which has never happened for any of my children, ever! A new stage of parenting, for sure.

I also gave all of my girls (except Emilia) haircuts this past week! All but Clara had it down to their waists and were super overdue for a cut, but they LOVED their long hair. They finally consented and they love the shorter hair too, thank goodness.

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Are you getting started with Christmas shopping? I am hoping to take some time over Thanksgiving weekend to look through my lists and begin making plans. We keep things very simple around here, just a few things per person, but times that by ten and it's still a pretty big task. But I have been quite determined to get my shopping done before Advent this year.

(Speaking of Thanksgiving, I have a post from ten years ago here on the blog that I always share this time of year: Cooking Up a Thanksgiving "Feast.")

I also took and ordered photos for our Christmas cards this weekend. Christmas cards take a good amount of time to put together and send out, but they always feel worth it to me -- and especially this year. Sending something personal during a year of very little personal interaction is the kind of hopeful statement I want to end the year on.

I am planning to pull together a few quick gift ideas here on the blog this weekend if I get a chance, but in case you're wanting suggestions now, I have a bunch of favorite links from last year compiled here: {This and That} :: Thanksgiving and Advent.

And since we are almost at Advent, you can read more about Advents past in our home. This year we'll once again be lighting the Advent wreath, choosing Christkindls, observing some special feast days, and decluttering and deep cleaning with a hopeful but penitential spirit! And we'll be adding the free printable Advent calendar from Lydia -- so lovely.

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Our Halloween was quiet -- there was no trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, so we stayed home and had an impromptu party. We told the kids they had 45 minutes to dress up as a saint with items from the constume bin. Then we spent the evening playing board games and making cookies. In times like these, I'm grateful that we always have enough people for a party here at home!

The hit of the night was Pictionary, which we don't play that often...but every time we do play it, I think we ought to play it more! It is such a fun game if you have preschoolers in the mix.

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Justin turned five! Besides books and a Schleich animal, he got embroidery thread for making friendship bracelets and a bunch of plastic canvas squares for "sewing" with yarn. He was so pleased and has done little else since then. He is truly a delightful kid and I am soaking up this age.

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Scenes from the past couple weeks...

Animalium has a helpful diagram to accompany Life and Her Children

More Fesole -- this time, a still life!

Vincent set up his still life as well, but hasn't finished his painting yet -- isn't it perfect for fall?

Free time painting for Bridget after studying Titian's Saint Christopher

Fireside prepping (my favorite!) for the Form Meetings with the CMEC

California fall!

And some recent work in clay over the past two weeks. We all love this medium!

(We have these silpats and Chavant Clayette clay -- which is unfortunately out of stock right now, but I'll add the link when it's back -- both thanks to recommendations from the art teacher at the CMEC. The Fall Mini-Retreat immersions were so helpful in giving us a good start.)

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Well, that's it for now! What are you up to this holiday weekend -- and what's on your menu? I am going with a classic Thanksgiving line-up this year, though we'll do chicken instead of turkey since my husband prefers it. But I am looking forward to teaching my girls to bake apple pie! I have made it by myself in the past but skipped the past couple years. Now I have eager helpers, and I think we'll have a good time perfecting the method. :)

And before I go, I want to say too that I am grateful to the kind community of readers who read along, leave comments, and send emails -- thank you for your encouragement and I wish you a wonderful week!

(Links above may be Amazon affiliate links -- thanks for your support!)

My Planning Tools for 2020-2021 :: Logbooks and Timetables

I have had some requests on Instagram to share a closer look at my logbook, so I thought I'd hop over here and pull together a post about my process this year. This is one of those topics it is much easier to blog about than to answer DMs about!

In the past, I have used different ways of organizing my plans, managing my days, and pre-reading. I have blogged about those strategies as well.

Here I'm going to share about what is working for us this year. Over the past couple years, I have changed my approach quite a bit -- and for the better! I have a few different tools I am using that have been very successful for us, even with seven students in three Forms and lots of littles alongside.

LOGBOOK

But for the past couple years, I have adopted the practice of a logbook, which is an idea straight from the PNEU that I have adapted for our family. Amy was the one who introduced me to the logbook -- she and I discussed the topic briefly over at Charlotte Mason Coast to Coast a couple years ago. (If you are a CMEC member, we went into logbooks in more depth during this year's Summer Planning Mini-Retreat, and we have plenty of examples on the Logbooks and Timetables page under Resources.)

Simply put, the logbook offers me a place to LOG the work we do in each lesson block and my reflections on that work (as needed).

This year, I am using two-page spreads for each 5-week session (half-term -- we do 10-week terms). Last year I tried to fit a full term on one spread and I didn't have enough room for notes, but the half-term seems to be just right.

I have spreads for Form 1 and 2 readings, Form 2 readings and work, Form 1 students, and family studies. This grid format allows me to see several weeks at a glance so that I can notice patterns, ongoing problems, and progress.

Here are a few filled-in examples from earlier this year:

I have my logbook open during the day so I can jot down notes as we go!

SCHOOL PLANNER

I also use my logbook for planning. I write up a weekly grid to work from based on each day's timetable, then sit down weekly to think through my plans for each slot.

blank and ready to go!

filled in for the week  (except special study -- I jot my plans there over the weekend)

I am doing less weekly pre-reading this year since I did so much over the summer. So I get out my pre-reading notebook to reference during this prep session, adding any important notes I have for myself and marking with a post-it any discussion points I want to bring up with my older kids during the week. (I just pull out my pre-reading notebook and work from there in those moments.)

My weekly prep time takes about an hour this year. I also do some related bedtime reading: the high school literature books, biographies, and religion reading that I didn't get to over the break.

At the end of each day, I look back over my plans and see what didn't get covered -- and I circle it. Sometimes I think we'll have time for an activity that we don't actually fit in the block. Sometimes we read a little less (or more!) than I had planned. I circle those things to remind me to consider them when I am making the next week's plans or to cover at Weekly Meeting, depending on what it is. (Sometimes I have a discussion point or side note I wanted to bring up with my high schoolers but forgot. That kind of thing I bring to Weekly Meeting on Friday to discuss there.)

This weekly grid is my brain during the week! I use it to direct my lessons for every Form, every day.

PRE-READING NOTEBOOK

I mentioned my pre-reading notebook above. I have shared about various ways I have kept my notes before.

This year, I had much more reading to do with the older kids in high school, so I decided to simplify my notebook practices. Instead of drawing and painting in my pre-reading commonplace and keeping another notebook with more logistical notes, I am just keeping one lined notebook this year for all of my notes. 

The first half has my book notes - main ideas, discussion points, ideas for lessons. 

The second half is a simple commonplace book -- just quotes.

I filled up most of this notebook over the summer, but there is still room for me to add for the books I am reading week by week or term by term.

This is now my reference book that I pull out weekly (at Weekly Meeting and my weekly planning time), whereas my logbook is my working notebook that I use daily.

In the past, my pre-reading notebook has been a creative project for me. But this year, I wanted to focus on commonplace-keeping and working in my Book of Centuries, so that is where I have been putting my reading-related notebook time.

LOGBOOKS FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

My high school kids are actually keeping their own logbooks this year, so although I do keep my plans for them in my weekly spread, I do not log their work daily. I bought planners from Target that are set up with blank categories so that they could dedicate a column to each day of the week and just work down their timetable of subjects in order. I have them make note of Afternoon Occupations at the bottom of each column, and they have space on the side for them to make note of things they want to discuss at Weekly Meeting, goals for themselves, notes for online classes, etc. They have this logbook, their timetable, and their program, and they work through their days very independently! It has worked so smoothly for us.

Any notes that I want to keep about my high schoolers go right on my weekly spread (that right column has room for my general reflections). Or if there is an issue I need to troubleshoot, I just turn the page and brainstorm there! The notebook is set up like a bullet journal in that I don't have it all laid out in advance. This allows me a lot of flexibility in my record-keeping.

FAMILY TIMETABLES

I used to schedule our days to be very flexible, just carving out school blocks and fitting in whatever fit on a given day. I felt like that worked very well for the season I was in at the beginning, with more littles than school-aged kids. It also fit my personality -- I am one that tends to push too hard rather than not hard enough, so even though I didn't have a strict line-up for the day, we were always getting it all done. It was a good system for us.

But the past two years I have worked with a formal timetable for our lessons time and I LOVE it. I don't think I could school this many kids, have this many good conversations, hit all the "books and things," and still keep my sanity without it! I put a lot of thought into what our schedule should look like during the summer and then just follow it week by week. If I need to make a change -- if something isn't working or we want to try something new -- I just adjust it, print a new one, and go from there. I also review the timetable after each five weeks to see if it needs a refresh.

Since I have multiple Forms, I have a family timetable for each weekday. The stack is hung on the fridge and we flip to the right day each morning. 

My high schoolers each have their own timetable in their notebook. Their timetables are personal to them because they share books, so I often have them flip-flop subjects to accommodate that. But I still have them on our family chart so that I know roughly where they are in their day at any given time. And they join us for afternoon lessons, so I can see at a glance what time that will happen on any given day.

All that said, we do not always follow this exactly as scheduled. Right now, Emilia is napping in the morning and late afternoon and Damien naps mid-afternoon. So occasionally, I will swap the Form 1 and 2 kids' lesson block (12:30-3pm) and outside time -- we begin their line-up of lessons whenever she goes out and work straight for two hours. Then we pick back up when the older kids are scheduled to join us at around 2pm for our last few family subjects each day. But even when we change our beginning time, we still follow the order and length of these lessons, which keeps us all on track and ensures we have variety and balance!

The timetable takes away the effort of decision, holds me accountable, gives me peace in the moment, and helps our days with multiple students run smoothly. I don't have to think through whether one of my students will need a book while another student is already using it, or if I'll be available to hear a narration. All of that has been accommodated! And I can adjust during my reflection time when needed.

So that's a tour through my tools this year. Have you tried a logbook? Where do you like to keep your notes and thoughts for lessons, or your reflections on the day/term/year? I'd love to hear what methods work for you. :)

(And because I know you are going to ask: the robin's egg blue and navy notebooks below are hardcover XL classic moleskines in lined for the pre-reading notebook and dot grid for the logbook. I use my very favorite mechanical pencil, a black ballpoint, and a set of Staedtler Triplus Fineliners in these notebooks. There is some ghosting with the markers, but since I only use those to draw my grids (and opt for light colors anyway), I am fine with that. Pencil and ballpoint work fine on these thin pages, though. The thinness of the pages allows for a LOT of pages in just one small notebook, which I really like for this purpose. Links above are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!)

Justin's Kinderleben

Justin is technically still in preschool since he is a late fall birthday; next year will be his true kindergarten year. But with Andrew starting first grade and formal learning this year, he has been feeling pretty left out. Damien still naps during our main school block, so Justin is on his own while my Form 1 students do lessons. He is also a very calm, diligent worker -- not as wild as some of my other boys are/have been! So I put a bit more effort this year into setting him up with real work he can do during our school time.

He still takes a 45-minute rest time at the very beginning of our Naptime School block, and then he can work alongside us quietly. He also joins us when it makes sense -- artist study, composer study, dance, drill, singing games, Italian, and so on. He is a lively and enthusiastic addition to our school day.

Amy and I wrote a Kinderleben Guide for the CMEC this year, and reading the Parents' Review articles for that gave me plenty of fresh inspiration for setting up Justin's spaces, materials, and schedule. So many great suggestions from the PNEU writers! With this being my eighth time through kindergarten, it's always nice to have new eyes for the possibilities it holds.

And just a caveat: I do not schedule any formal learning time with Justin one-on-one at this point. I read a few picture books to my little boys each day, but otherwise, he just keeps himself occupied with the options he has available or joins in with what the older kids are doing. At least a couple hours of his day are spent outside, and he has daily chores as well.

Here are some peeks into his work...

he loves the magic mat!

made this box from memory after my sloyd lesson with the Form 1 kids

the wooden pattern blocks get near-daily use

lined up a bunch of Gianna's handmade dolls to draw them

he also loves chalk drawing!

we read in Buckley's Wild Life in Woods and Fields that bee eggs are the size of a poppy seed,
so we had to plant some!

he loves the Kinderleben Collection from Riverbend Press

fell asleep "reading" Redwall during his rest time

apples in chalk on the chalkboard mat

playing with baby sister

braiding friendship bracelets - yarn + clipboads are perfect for this!

more chalk patterning

If he joins us for regular lessons, he brings his own little table over to our work area since we are already tight as it is. Then he has his own space for the next hour.

A new addition for him this term is clay -- so fun!

And I can't leave out Damien, my other Kinderleben kid! He is only three but thinks he is thirteen. As soon as he wakes up from nap, he zooms over to join in with whatever we are doing. High energy, best of intentions...sometimes a bit too much for all of us. But very much loved! What would we do without his spark in our home?

a rare quiet moment

he loves the magic mat too

When I can harness all that good energy into chores, it's a good day! :)

My "little boys" are really growing up!

More on Kindergarten through the years in our home.