2023 Educational Christmas Gift Guide

I love Christmas shopping for my kids. Because we don't watch TV and they don't have the influence of kids constantly around them, they actually have pretty short Christmas lists and they tend to be items they really want and are really aligned with their interests. Many times they ask for educational items and my husband and I always include books and other educational items. We got him a microscope about 7 years ago and I think it is still his favorite gift. 

This year I am sharing tried and true items that my kids love, as well as some things that are on our radar to purchase for Christmas or soon. 

1. Dig kits- There are so many available at every price range. These make the perfect gift for any kid because they can dig up anything from genuine fossils/ shark teeth, figurines, gemstones, pirate treasures, and Egyptian artifacts. My son has been digging Dinos with this for years now and this year he is getting a gemstone one. My daughter got her first one last year and this year is getting one to dig up shark teeth. They always take them camping because there isn't always somewhere to dig for diamonds and dinosaur bones. I do suggest starting them with a kit that comes with durable tools because they can be used to dig in the yard and in future kits because some come with tools that are not so good. Try this one that we bought our daughter. 

2. National Geographic Kids Ultimate Ocean-pedia- I am a huge fan of anything National Geographic. My daughter is getting this because she is obsessed with the ocean and wants to be a marine biologist. She's never seen the ocean, but I think it's in her blood- I was born on an island and always feel a call to the sea. 

3. National Geographic Kids 2023 Almanac- My son gets one every year and all year long he has it near him. He takes it everywhere and usually starts our day with some cool fact he learned that morning while he was reading. If he got nothing else for Christmas, he would be happy with this. 

4. Under-Water Scope- I have seen 2 versions of this: a Nancy B Science one and an Educational Insights one. I love that there is a light and the kids can explore the ecosystem of the creeks and rivers all year long. There are also versions that are much simpler, like this that do not have lights. 

5. Metal Detector- We have 2. One is a really good one and one is still a good one but it is for our son to use. He bought it with his own money and is his favorite purchase. It folds and fits in his backpack, which makes him really happy to be able to take it anywhere with him. There are even toy versions and underwater versions. Shop around and find the right one for your family. Here is the one my son bought. 

6. Cooking Set- My kids are getting one of these for Christmas this year. They love to help in the kitchen and this will allow them to help even more and start learning real safety without mom panicking. I'm very excited to let them do more than stir and the basics. They are going to love it. I might break down and give it to them early to help with Thanksgiving (I'm guilty of early gift-giving a lot). This is the one I have my eye on for them, but I may add in another cutting board and peeler... We'll just see. 

7. National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas- My son has this. He's a tad bit obsessed with dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. (As much as he digs, I think he's already one). He loves this book and tells us where dinosaurs are from and if one is mentioned, he'll go look it up and tell us where it was found. 

8. 5000 Awesome Facts (About Animals)- My daughter has this book and loves it. She's a struggling reader, so the short facts are easier for her to digest, but they are interesting enough to keep her attention and even my son enjoys hearing the facts. This is her morning read each day and she's learned so much. 

9. Telescope- This is next on our homeschool list. We want to make sure we get a good one (not professional) so that the kids can really experience it, but also so they can use it for the rest of their school years. We cannot wait to take it camping and hope we are able to add it in to this year's Christmas morning surprise. 

10. (Not Pictured) Nature- Access to nature continuously is the best gift we have been blessed to give our children. We love to explore more than our property as well. This is something that costs nothing and everyone has access to. We have bought explorer tools like phone microscopes and sifters, but we often use things we have recycled like spice jars. We actually kept a large cheese puff container to put critters in to watch. Isn't it wonderful that the best gift is free and they learn about science and God!  

Banking With Conscience

 Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

As a Christian parent, I try my best to lead by example. We pray for Christ and Christian values to permeate our lives- in every action, every word, and every moment with our children. We let them see us reading our bibles, having discussions about the bible, watching sermons, discussing decisions we must make, and enjoy our nightly family prayers. 

One of the things my husband and I try to pay attention to is the companies that we spend our money with. We don't want our money to support causes that we do not agree with. That is not always easy to do, but AdelFi Bank has us covered. 

Finding companies to work with is hard enough, but finding a bank with Christian values we thought would be impossible. We did finally find a Christian bank and were ecstatic! AldelFi Bank is a top Christian credit union and we are happy to have finally found them. 

Do you know where your bank gives and invests its money? Does it align with your values? By placing your financial resources with AdelFi, you’re uniting your finances with other believers to advance Christian values with empathy and compassion. AdelFi supports thousands of Christian organizations worldwide that spread the Gospel with AdelFi’s commitment to giving back 10% of its profits every year to support Christian. Whether you’re starting a family, running a business, or serving a non-profit or ministry, AdelFi has products and services that align with your financial goals and Christian values. Partner with like-minded people and still access the technology and services that makes day-to-day finance transactions easy.

When I hear of a store or organization that I support spending money to support causes that I do not align with, it really breaks my heart. I feel like I've done that horrible thing and it really effects me. I know I innocently supported, but I'd rather know where my money is going and that my money is supporting causes with Christian values. 

Recycling Christian Dollars – In a recent study by AdelFi, it found that young Christian consumers gave nearly 3x more than non-Christians. However, when supporting business that aligned with what they aligned with their beliefs/causes, they were no different than non-Christians.  And in some instances, non-Christians cared more than Christians about doing business with organizations that aligned with their non-Christian beliefs.  This was mainly due to the fact that there aren’t many Christian businesses marketing its values.  At AdelFi, we believe that as stewards of God’s money, we support fellow Christian businesses and understand the need to promote the intersection of faith and finances.  Daily purchase interactions should have a form of tithing daily.  Where you bank has a ripple effect on how resources get used or recycled within the Christian community.  Banking with AdelFi means more support to fellow Christian consumers, businesses, churches, non-profits, and causes. In fact, AdelFi is a not-for-profit credit union, where the money doesn’t go to wall street, but to God’s streets – where the Gospel is spread domestically and internationally. 

When my Mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer and we were looking for help to pay for her treatments because she didn't have insurance, we realized how many organizations do not actually "put money where their mouth is." There are many organizations that only 1% of their donations go to the actual study and treatment of breast cancer. Finding this out blew my mind and I started researching more. I started looking for more businesses and organizations that align with my values. Christ centered banking is something I never thought I would find. Thank you AldelFi for giving me confidence in where my money is going. 

Be sure to find AldelFi Bank on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with @AdelFiBanking

 

 

 

Book Review: If Mama Ain't Happy

 Disclaimer: I received this book for free to review. All opinions are my own. 

I love my family with my whole entire heart. When I first became a mom, people would tell me to take time for myself, keep myself healthy, and to set some boundaries. I thought they were foo-foo weaklings. I thought that I could do it all and they just couldn't. I thought I had been doing it all in my 20s. Boy was I wrong. Doing it all as a single lady with no kids is nothing like doing it all when you are 30+ with a husband and kids (let's include homeschooling those kids, running a business, and having one child with special needs). I got to where I was not happy. I was snapping at my kids and husband and even resented certain roles I took on. 

Over the years, I've learned more of what works for me, including having a certain size paper I can write a to-do list on- or I feel overwhelmed. This book has helped me even more. 

I used to be a mom who spent my days weary, anxious, and guilt-laden. I had five kids in five years, lived on three different continents, and then was blindsided by a devastating health diagnosis.

Neglecting my own physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs for so long—in an effort to be a selfless mother—had left me utterly depleted. And physically unwell.

Then I began asking a question I’d never considered before…

Could it be that taking good care of yourself is not actually selfish, but maybe, just maybe, something a responsible adult does?

Join me as we dive into the main areas of life causing moms to lose it… and how to get your peace back.

 

Why You Don't See Me: The Truth

This is a strange post for me to write, but I feel that I owe not only my readers an explanation, but also those bloggers that I love interacting with. 

If you haven't noticed, the only photos of me are from 9 plus years ago. Everything else, I'm behind the camera. There is a reason. No, I do not lack confidence, but I am aware that people on the internet are cruel and I don't want to open a can of worms to cause me to look at myself in a bad light- this is my form of protection. I hide behind the camera. 

These are some of the last photos I posted of me: 

The first picture is from about 11 years ago. I had started working on a paranormal podcast. The second picture is from about 8 years ago. I had started losing my teeth. The front ones were messed up, so I would still do pictures but close smile. I was no longer doing videos. Since then, all of my teeth have broken off. My pregnancy with my daughter caused my teeth to rot from the inside out and they look horrible. I no longer do pictures because my jawline looks different. Because of different things going on, I haven't been able to have my teeth cut out and dentures haven't happened but will. 

I know that the internet trolls will have fun if I did and I don't want to open myself to that. I love my followers and fellow bloggers. I love my life and love sharing my kids, creations, and ideas. 

If you have wondered why I'm always behind the camera when we should be in front- that is why!

Note: My kids will have pictures of us together. My in-laws and husband often sneak pictures of me doing things with the kids. 

5 Ways To Make The Homeschool Day Go More Smoothly

We are going into our 4th week of school and I'm tired. Well, tired and refreshed at the same time. Tired because getting back into the groove. Refreshed because I have discovered ways to make our homeschool day go more smoothly. 

We do school in different locations, so laying out everything on the table does not work. Maybe things that are helping us this year will help you as well. 

1. Pack lunches the night before. I use sandwich bowls and make bento lunches the night before. Then, the kids can get their lunches when they are ready for them and I don't have to stop teaching to fix something. I often use dinner leftovers. 

2. On Friday afternoon, I make sure my records from that week are up to date and gather for the next week. I have a folder for each day of the week and I gather all the supplies I can. I make sure to do this Friday evening because I can then devote my entire weekend to family time. 

3. Prepare like you would for a "public school" kid. Double-check that all materials are gathered, videos found, clothes laid out, room clean, and all that good stuff. Even though we don't have to rush out of the house in the morning, this will make the morning smoother. 

4.  Get excited about learning. I've always tried to show the kids that I love to learn and strive to learn something new each day. I realized something though. I was looking at homeschool like a job and not showing them excitement DURING school. When I get excited about what they are learning, they get excited. Act like a kid, enjoy the moment, have fun with your kids. 

5. Remember that we are all the ringmasters of our own circus. Everyone struggles with something, even those Instagram-perfect homeschool moms. No day is perfect and not every day will go as planned. Go with the flow. This type-A personality has had to let go and laugh at myself, my mess, and my circus. Because of that, this school year is going much more smoothly. But, I'm still a work in progress. 

I hope the things I've realized this year will help you or someone you know. 

Book Review: God's Great Embrace

 Disclaimer: I received a book to review. All opinions are my own. 

God's Great Embrace, by Adrian Best, is the best book that could have come out in this time. 

Excerpt taken from Adrian Best, God’s Great Embrace: Discovering Deeper Intimacy with Jesus (Port Orchard, Washington: Ark House, 2022). 

“This book seeks to explore the wonder and mystery of the gospel, the key to all Christian life and practice: the believer’s union with Christ.

What is this union? Why is it so important? There are few questions greater than these.

A dear friend and mentor once reminded me that we can’t take others where we haven’t been ourselves. I want to help you grasp something of your union with Christ by taking you on my own journey. Along the way, we’ll encounter some of life’s most burning questions. These deep mysteries of life and spirituality are not accessible by science, psychology, or philosophy, but are unveiled in the Trinitarian love and grace of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit poured out for us in Jesus Christ.

I offer my thoughts on union with Christ as a fellow pilgrim to whom God has spoken about this glorious biblical truth through the ups and downs of my life, a good dose of seminary education, and my years of church life, Christian experience and prayer. I’ve experienced firsthand the truths and the treasures, the pitfalls and the mistakes described in the pages ahead. But this book isn’t about me. It’s about all believers. It’s about the Holy Spirit deepening our journey with Jesus into the Father’s heart.

What you’ll find here is down-to-earth and pastoral, while also rooted in biblical theology. Starting with foundational truths about this union in the first four chapters, the rest of the book gives rise to an abundance of practical applications, with the potential to transform your life.”

I have recently really been craving a closer relationship with Christ and really wanting to model for my kids to grow with Christ and dive into his word each day. The kids and I have been having many deep conversations with my kids and feel like this book has given me the push to really encourage my kids. 

You can purchase this wonderful book here. 

Guess what?! You can even win your own copy if you head on over to Blessed Freebies!

You can learn more about God's Great Embrace on social media by following these hashtags #GodsGreatEmbrace #ChristianBookReview #GodLovesYou #GraceUponGrace