Sloane’s 6th Birthday Party: Build-a-Barbie

For Sloane’s birthday, we had a Build-a-Barbie party! I ordered a bulk pack of Barbie clothes and Quincy and I created a closet with foam core and  straight pins. I bought a few $4 barbies, and Sloane, E, Chloe W, and Bryn M picked out a Barbie, then took her “shopping” for outfits.  Reese painted their fingernails, I read a Barbie book to them, fed them chicken nuggets and then we had cake and opened presents. The big kids helped me bake her Barbie cake.  It was a family effort simple and adorable. Sloane had the best time!

A 2020 Resolution done

I set a goal to read one book per month in 2020. 

This goal was so fun. I learned a lot and was inspired often. I wrote some book reviews on my blog, and tracked books read in my bullet journal. 

I read 29 books in 2020!

 

This was possible mostly because of audible. Which accounted for 16 of the books listed below. I love multi tasking, and this list really just proves I did a LOT of laundry in 2020! 😂

This goal also helped me with my other 2020 resolution, which was to find ways to waste less of my resources, like time, food, and money.   Reading more meant I was on Facebook less. I haven’t been on Facebook since General Conference, and I think it’s time to deactivate my account. I don’t miss it. Breaking up with Facebook gave me time to focus on my time on continued education and reports to renew my foster care license, and increase my knowledge in a wide range of study topics  through a spectrum of genres. 

My favorites to inspire were: 

Smart Money Smart Kids 

More than Enough 

These two books were chosen to go with my “less waste” goals, and both books motivated and inspired me to try new ideas, to just go for it, and to draw boundaries about what I consume physically and emotionally. These books filtered what comes in. 

My favorites that were just FUN were: 

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 

The Starless Sea

I was swept away by both of these books! The stories were captivating and the writing was excellent. These books lightened me up and were little vacations to escape to at the end of long days. 

Lastly the three favorite books that expanded my brain were

The Call of the Wild and Free

Brave Learner  

Folks this Ain’t Normal 

These books inspired me to get away from what’s “normal” and just do what’s best for my family.   

Goldie Soup

Tonight I told the kids we were having a “French Dinner” to get them pumped about a new creamy root vegetable soup I came up with but I knew they’d turn their noses up at.  My plan worked and I served “French Golden Soup”, french baguettes, and an apple cranberry galette for dessert. They named the soup “Goldie Soup” and that’s what it is now. 

Soren helped me make it 😍

Goldie Soup  

1.5 lbs carrots peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

1 onion chopped

1/2 stick butter 

Sauté for 10 minutes 

Add

1 small sweet potato  peeled and cut into chunks

1-2 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut 

2 Quarts Homemade Stock 

1/4 tsp ginger 

Simmer 45 minutes, cool, then blend it up! 

Return to pot

Add

Black pepper

Fresh garlic or fresh thyme would have made this over the top delicious. I used some dried. 

1/2 c heavy cream  because duh. 

So good!!!! Great work, Soren! 

Quincy takes it to the bank

Long time coming, we finally made an appointment at the bank and set Quincy up with her own bank account.  I’m so proud of how well she has saved to reach her first and second financial goals! She’s currently saving for a mission and a car and college. Quincy took a finance class last semester and really enjoyed it!  I believe in her and her ability to reach every goal she sets for herself.  Great work, Quincy! 

Mother Daughter Book Club: The Lions of Little Rock

You know you have a good book when you find yourself imagining a backstory for supplemental characters. The Lions of Little Rock is a well written  book with excellent character development. 

Set in 1958, this historical fiction follows the tale of two math loving friends of different races during the fight for integration in Little Rock public schools. The governor closed schools for a year in an effort to avoid integration after the famous Little Rock Nine and US Marshals were called to keep the peace keepers at Central High School. This school closing accelerated the involvement of parents, who previously had fearfully hid in the shadows with their feelings about segregation.  

This was a great book! I loved the relationship between Marley (the main character) and Liz her fair skinned black friend who gets in trouble for “passing” as white and illegally attending a white school.  The relationship between Marly and her mother, her sister, her oldest friend, her housekeeper, and her father are all explored through the story.  I think this book may send us down a little rabbit hole of learning about integration, and a field trip to Central High in Little Rock over Spring Break!

Meg Reads: 2020 Book Round Up

My goals for 2020 were to read more, run more, and waste less. 

The reading goal was one book per month. Prior to 2020, I was averaging 2 books a year.  I selected a few books ahead of time, and the rest fell into place. 

The only book I truly hated was Girl, Wash your Face, by Rachel Hollis.  I didn’t really love the two Melanie Cellier books, either, but they were chosen for mother daughter book club, so I got them on audible and just powered through them while doing laundry. 

I do a lot of laundry. I realized I can multi task with audio books while cleaning, cooking, gardening, and laundering, and driving back and forth to schools, and that usually squeezes in at least 1 hour a day of reading...sometimes several more! 

This “found time” has been a great way to stretch my brain. I learned a great deal about the Gospel, homeschooling, finance, racism, history, and nature during my reading dates. 

The most inspiring books were More Than Enough and Folks This Ain’t Normal. These books both motivated me to evaluate my role as a consumer. Use what I have. These fell right in with my “waste less” goal. I started recycling cardboard, reusing and repurposing what I could (bags, for example), and giving things a second life instead of throwing them away (saving garden scraps, onion peels, and celery roots for homemade chicken stock, or making fire starters from the paper shredder, candle stumps, and dryer lint). I have a greenhouse and 100 little pots! Dozens of super old seed packets. Why not use them? So I did, and I got the children involved, too. We started composting again, which unfortunately attracted raccoons, snakes, and possums in droves. I learned that my comparing efforts would be better done in compost bins instead. Maybe a purchase for 2021? Or maybe composting will just wait until I have some acres to work with. I hate tossing egg shells though when I know they could be putting vital nutrients back into my garden.  

I also purged my closet and only kept what I actually wear.  Simplifying decisions has made it possible for me to focus resources like energy, money, and time, in other places like my family and our mini homestead.  Our gifts to the children for birthdays and Christmas have been more purposeful and intentional. The kids have also worked hard to manage their finances and reach their money goals.  

There were many failures in 2020, but reading books was definitely a success. 29 books in 2020. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Sloane Winifred is Six!

When I opened my eyes, this morning, Sloane’s little eyes were just inches away, blinking right back at me. 

“Good morning, Mommy, do you have something to say to me?” Said she, calmly staring me down as if she’d been waiting there watching me for hours.   When I wished her happy birthday, she put her hands up to her mouth and began giggling.  

 

5+1=6!  Our new year firework is bursting with birthday excitement today. She is more excited to be six than she was about Christmas!  

6 year old Sloane Winifred is made of sprinkles and marshmallows. She is a kind and loyal friend and sister. She is a grateful gift receiver, and LOVES everything, abd she tells you in San adorable singy  songy silly operetta voice that just slays everyone.  She received her own baby Stella baby doll, a mini lego set, alphabet stamps, and a peppa pig car.

  Six year old Sloane it too too cute! She loves snuggles, glitter, hummus with pretzels, pickles, Grammy, her curls, and baby Yoda.  She is brave, giggly, very loud, creative, and has the most contagious laugh I’ve ever heard.  We’ll eat her up we love her so!