Favorite Things: Most Exciting New Curricula for Next Year

I have been getting my curriculum together for next year, 

and I have some new finds that I am VERY excited about.

#1: Times Tales

Oh, my goodness.  This may be the biggest game changer for my third grader 

who is chomping at the bit to learn his times tables 

and (maybe more so) for his big sister who struggles to remember hers.

Times Tales Link

#2: Beast Academy Math

Who wouldn't want to learn math from a comic book.  

The folks from Art of Problem Solving bring us this creative and exciting series.  

Again...my third grader is going to LOVE this.  

Who are we kidding?...I am going to LOVE this!!!

Beast Academy Math Link

#3:  Picture Study Portfolios from Simply Charlotte Mason 

I *may* have gone a little crazy, but there was no way I could choose just one or two.  

Simply Charlotte Mason has produced a beautiful collection of portfolios to facilitate picture study.  

The large glossy photos of the masterpieces are gorgeous!  

And, the booklet has the artist's story and a little bit of back story for each print.  

This will be a "go to" resource to bring beauty into our homeschool this year 

as we study the late middle ages.

Picture Study Portfolios

#4:  Michael Clay Thompson Grammar and Writing (Level 2)

My family has fallen in love with Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts. 

Mud and the Grammar Island (Level 1) totally captured our hearts

and taught us all a thing or two about grammar and writing.  

We are tickled to see what new adventures await us in Grammar Town.

Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts

#5:  Caesar's English 1 (MCT Vocabulary)

Caesar's English 1 is the Vocabulary book that rounds out the 

Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts program.  

I bought the teacher's manual in book-book format, but the kids will have an 

interactive experience with Caesar's English on their iPad in iBooks. 

I took a little peak today and was very impressed.

Caesar's English 1

OK...what are your top picks for fall?  Share in the comments!!!

Ma Kim’s Five Favorite Go-to Recipes When Dinner’s in an Hour and You Have No Idea What You’re Going to Make

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So I try my best to meal plan.  God sometimes will grant me the clarity of mind to be able to sit down with my phone and my recipe book (which is mainly on my Menu Planner app) and plan out how next week’s meals will go.  I have created another “calendar” on my iPhone and called it “Menu”, and then I’m able to look at the family’s schedule for the week ahead and plan accordingly.  (It would be SOOOO dreamy if the next week’s weather forecast would also pop up on that calendar, but I digress.)

I also love the fact that I have a “Grocery List” in my Reminders app, and I can just tell Siri to “add pasta to Grocery List”.  I adore hearing, “I’ve added it!” from my phone.

Then Life happens.  There is no clarity of mind.  There is no time before shopping to plan squat.  Sometimes it happens with 7 kids in tow (oh, the humanity!!).  So you just get the staples; your cart is filled with the same old stuff it always is, and you just have to work with it.

My husband is a retail manager, so some nights the pressure of a home cooked meal isn’t there, which is nice.  But the little guys still need to eat, and Mama does, too, so when I’m crunched for time and inspiration, these are my 5 go-to meals.  They can usually be reading in less than an hour.
These are listed in least- to most-abused order.  ;)  (Disclaimer: I like butter.  And allrecipes.com)
#5) Absolutely Ultimate Potato Soup – always better with leftover bacon from breakfast (is there really such a thing??  YES, if you hide it while you’re making it and put it in an opaque container in the back of the fridge.)

These are listed in least- to most-abused order.  ;)  (Disclaimer: I like butter.  And allrecipes.com)


#5) Absolutely Ultimate Potato Soup – always better with leftover bacon from breakfast (is there really such a thing??  YES, if you hide it while you’re making it and put it in an opaque container in the back of the fridge.)

#4) Pasta with Steamed Broccoli and Smoked Sausage –
One or two pounds of pasta on-hand
Bag of steamed broccoli (I love the bags from Sams Club.)
One or two pounds of smoked sausage sliced up (I like the turkey stuff.)
One stick of butter, melted with garlic powder/salt, parmesan cheese, black pepper and parsley.
Mix it all together.
If you have some kind of bread on hand and/or your kids eat salad with it, YOU are officially Wonder Woman.

#3)  Restaurant-Style Asian Fried Rice

Even if I don’t have any shredded chicken on hand (you know about putting chicken breasts in the crock pot and then shredding it with your old hand mixer, right??) to add to it, you still get protein with the eggs.  I also buy the Sams Club mixed vegetable bags and use those.  Kids hate it because of the green beans, but they eat it ‘cause they’re hungry.

#2)  Spinach Lentil Soup

Love this one.  I always have lentils in the pantry and carrots and salsa in the fridge.  I will also buy the big boxes of fresh spinach from Sams Club and put baggies of it in the freezer when it starts to look like it may be starting to go bad.

#1) Potato Spinach Frittata

This one works for breakfast, dinner, whenever!!  I will throw in broccoli or spinach, make with meat or not.  I also use garlic powder and dried minced onion if I don’t feel like chopping (ok, that’s most of the time).  I’ve thrown all kinds of things in this frittata, and the kids will take it down every time.  Especially with ketchup.

Bon appetit!!

Ma Katie's Favorite Things: Kitchen Gadgets

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Out of all the rooms in our house, the kitchen is definitely one of our favorites - this is where we cook the meals that feed the 10 bellies in our family.  We have a large island where I can work while still socializing with my crew or even helping a kiddo with a math problem, not to mention enough space for many of us to cook together!  I could share so much about what I love about our kitchen, but I thought I'd start with sharing my five favorite kitchen gadgets ... 

#1 - Crockpot

I rely heavily on our crockpot for meals.  I think without it, getting a homemade meal on the table would be difficult.  My first crockpot was a circular one and was great when we only had a few kids. But we were needing to upgrade and this oval one has been perfect for our large family.  I even shared one of my crockpot recipes here for a recent Friday Feasting.  I actually own two of these because I'm known to have both going at the same time! 

#2 - Rice Cooker (new version found here)

We love to eat rice - topped with a yummy jambalaya, dijon pork, teriyaki chicken or just with a little butter and salt and served as a side.  When we first got married, I used the instant rice where you boil the water, dump in the measured amount of rice and then fluff with a fork after five minutes and eat.  It was easy and quick, but as we grew, it didn't make sense to use it any more - we were going through a box so fast and it was expensive.  So we tried cooking rice over the stove top.  Truly, I never could get it right.  Probably all the distractions and not cooking it properly, or maybe I was stirring it too much and peeking when I shouldn't.  Thankfully I found a great microwave rice cooker from Pampered Chef and we used that for  few years, but we outgrew it quickly.  Hubs suggested we get a rice cooker, looked at reviews and found this one for us.  And - wow!!!  Was I thrilled when we did!!  It is a piece of cake to make rice now!!  And, we still have leftovers when I make a batch and I've never even made the max amount yet.  So I think this cooker will suit our family for the long haul!  

#3 - Espresso Machine (new version found here)

I make myself a cup of coffee from this machine only a couple times a week (because I'm not really a crazy coffee drinker, but do love my coffee when I get one).  It's so nice to have it to have fresh coffee from freshly ground coffee beans when I do make myself a cup and it's SO fast and easy to use!  My favorite use of this machine is during my weekly prayer group gathering.  You see, I have this really cute Barista that makes lattes for my friends and I when we go through our Cursillo Reunion Group card and pray and share and discuss how God is working in our lives.  The good company, amazing coffee and gathering in His name make for one of my favorite nights of the week!!  

#4 - Bread Machine 

Oh the questions I get asked being a homeschooling mom of many - "are you done yet?", "do you have a tv?", "are you Catholic?", and I find this one the weirdest but one I still get asked often - "do you make your own bread?".  Mostly I say "no" to the last question, because I'm a cheater bread maker.  I just don't feel right patting myself on the back and answering yes to the kneeding and such when all I do is dump in a list of ingredients and hit the "start" button.  Anyways, this lovely machine gets its workout too.  Our crew can knock out a loaf of bread in one sitting!  We make the basic white loaf and banana bread the most - those are our two favorites!!

#5 - Under Counter CD Player with Radio and Bluetooth 

Okay, so this isn't really a kitchen gadget that helps with food prep or cooking, but it's one of those gadgets that make the time in the kitchen fun and enjoyable because it provides a little music for ya.  Or a podcast to listen to when you are preparing meals and doing dishes.  Or if you want to project the volume of the daily Mass readings/soul food so all the kids can hear, this makes a great option to plug your smartphone right into it and play them.  SO many options!  And it's so handy to have it right there in the kitchen and out of the way.  Ours definitely gets great use!!  

So there ya have it!!  What are your favorite kitchen gadgets?  
I'd love to hear from you!!  

Ma Karen's Favorite Things: British Crime Dramas Edition

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Hello, my name is Karen, and I am addicted to British TV dramas, specifically crime shows.  After the kids are tucked in, after the chores are done, and after a long day of teaching, tutoring, grading, lesson planning, test writing, assignment discussing, cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring, and connecting with God, hubby, and kids...I really enjoy snuggling in to watch a well written and well acted crime drama.  A little side note...The subject matters cover the whole of the human condition...there are affairs, homosexuality, treachery, child murders, war, and on and on, but I find the treating of all topics to be balanced and in line with the stories.  You will also find compassion, integrity, honesty, justice, and faith.  My favorites....

1.  Foyle’s War

The description from the IMDB site…”As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.” 

Foyle is honest to the core, thoughtful, and compassionate, and his driver, Sam Stewart, is a breath of fresh air.   This one is probably my all time favorite, and I was sad to come to the end of the series.

2.  The Bletchley Circle

From the IMDB site…”In 1952, four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking center, Bletchley Park, reunite to track down a serial killer.”  


I enjoy shows that features smart, really smart, women.  This is it. These women think outside the box, display incredible tenacity and perseverence in the face of pure evil.  They solve crimes when the police don’t even have a clue.

3.  Broadchurch

From the IMDB site…“The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.”  


This one was a hard to watch, lots of disturbing thoughts and ideas, and I did have to take a break from the crime dramas after I finished this series.  But, the acting was masterful and who doesn’t love to watch David Tennant?  


4.  Grantchester

From the IMDB site…“A Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester.”  


Unlikely (unofficial) partners and eventually best friends, Sydney and Geordie are both struggling with flashbacks and nighmares from their time in the war. 

 The characters are so human and real.  

5.  Father Brown Mysteries

From the IMDB site...“Series inspired by the stories of GK Chesterton; a Catholic priest has a knack for solving mysteries in his English village.”  

Father Brown is the flip side of Sydney Chambers...love his crime-fighting style.  


And, a bonus...

6. Poldark

From the IMDB site…”Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.”


This one is not a crime drama but more of a historical romance.  I actually have only watched one episode, and it was excellent.

Ma Karen's Favorite Things: School Supplies Edition

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Here are a few things that have revolutionized...YES revolutionized...our homeschool.


1) Pilot FriXion Clicker Retractable Erasable Gel Pens
Do you remember those old timey erasable pens that made a huge mess?  The ones that had clumpy ink and never quite erased...ever.  These Frixion Erasable Pens are NOT them.  Apparently, these involve a chemical reaction and heat and friction (hence the name).  They write like a dream and erase cleanly, every time.

2) Pilot FriXion Light Fluorescent Ink Erasable Highlighter Pen
What’s better than an erasable pen?  An erasable highlighter!

3) Carl Custom Pencil Sharpener CC-2000
I know I am not the only one who has  been on a quest to find the perfect pencil sharpener.  This is IT!  

4) Lakeshore Jumbo Pencils
These jumbo pencils from Lakeshore Learning are the bomb!

5) Leuchtturm1917 Journal
This is my favorite journal for all my brain dumps and to do lists.

So there ya have it!!

What are YOUR favorite school supplies?  
Please do share....