The Wonder That Is You by Glenys Nellist

Rejoice in the universal love and joy parents feel as they celebrate a new child's arrival with this beautiful picture book!

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I received a free copy of this product as a member of Zondervan's Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

This book will fill up your Warm Fuzzy tank like crazy, although you'll probably use up a tank's worth of tissues at the same time:

The Wonder That is You

Road-Trippin' 2019

We love to travel and explore the world, but this year's massive summer road trip had a few surprises up its sleeve...

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Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

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I'm over at Pam Barnhill's site again today, sharing my The Power of the Road Trip for Preschoolers post that will (hopefully) help convince you that despite all the potential negatives, it's worth it to take your young children on road trips.

Click on over to see why you should do this, then come back here and see what it really looks like, plus, check out these photos from the journey, if you missed them earlier.

Project Snapshot - July 2019

Each month, Project Snapshot captures memories from the past weeks - either with a camera, words, or both.  

Time passes in the blink of an eye - see which treasured memory will join the year's collection for this month:

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Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

My Snapshots

What have we been up to this past month? Take a look and see:

We've just returned from this year's massive summer road trip! You'll have to read this post to find out more details and the stories we returned with, but in the meantime, here are a few photos to whet your whistle:

Our traditional packed-car, ready-to-leave photo. The packing system I developed and talked about in this post continues to make dealing with our clothes on these trips a snap!

Our first national park site stops were Selma-to-Montgomery, Vicksburg, Poverty Point, Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mtns, Chamizal, and this fun spot, White Sands.

Our next few stops included Pecos, The Manhattan Project, Valles Caldera and exploring these ruins at Bandelier.

We continued on to Petroglyph, El Malpais, El Morro, Hubbell Trading Post and a jaunt down to the canyon bottom here, at Canyon de Chelly.

We then drove through the Painted Desert, visited Walnut Canyon, and scrambled across lava fields here, at Sunset Crater.

We explored Wupatki before taking the East Entrance to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Mojave Desert and Joshua Tree followed...

...then we spent a bit of time in L.A....

...and stuck our feet in the "other" ocean...

We finally made it back to our planned route when we arrived in Zion...

...where we couldn't stop sniffing the trees...(Did you know that the bark of Ponderosa Pine trees smells exactly like butterscotch? Well, it does, and once you smell it, you'll be addicted, too!)

Next up was Cedar Breaks and the incredible Bryce Canyon.

Then we hit Pipe Spring before coming back to the Grand Canyon, this time on the North Rim.

Glen Canyon and Navajo were next, before taking the fun Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote drive through Monument Valley.

We continued to explore Utah by visiting Natural Bridges, Capitol Reef and then landing here, in Arches.

We did one of our-most-challenging-hikes-ever here at Arches, involving steep climbs up slickrock walls and scaling sandstone fins...

We packed a lot into the end of our trip, too. Canyonlands, Hovenweep, Canyons of the Ancients, Mesa Verde, Aztec Ruins, Chimney Rock, Great Sand Dunes, and Bent's Old Fort all preceded this stop at Ft. Larned. We managed to squeeze in Pea Ridge and Shiloh & Corinth after that, as well!

Now that we're home, we're having a difficult time transitioning out of trip-mode, but I feel confident that resuming school in a couple weeks will help us achieve that. I wonder what wonderful memories next month will bring?

What were your favorite memories from this past month?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great posts like this along with all the other fun and tips around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox!

Dog Days of Summer

Pets can add so much to the life of a child! Finding the best pet for your family is an important decision; use this list of pet options to get you started!

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Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I'm over at Pam Barnhill's site again today, sharing my Perks of Pets for Preschoolers post that explains all the wonderful benefits pets can provide for your youngsters.

Click on over to read all about them, then come back here and check out my list of pets to consider for your family.

Project Snapshot - June 2019

Each month, Project Snapshot captures memories from the past weeks - either with a camera, words, or both.  

Time passes in the blink of an eye - see which treasured memory will join the year's collection for this month:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

My Snapshots

What have we been up to this past month? Take a look and see:

One of Gv's close friends was having her birthday party close to Gv's birthday, so the sweet family decided to make the party double the fun and include her!

I loved the rainbow mane on the cake!

Our figure skating club's annual year-end banquet included a DJ. Gv had a blast dancing and singing for hours with her skating friends!

Just like last year, Gv joined her cousins for VBS. It was amazing, just like last year, and we've had the In the Wild CD playing nonstop, ever since!

She and a skating friend got to experience VBS at another church the week after. This one was at a local mega-church that reminded me of the one I grew up in. It was VBS on steroids, but Gv had just as much fun at this one and can't wait to go back again with the same friend next year!

And just like that, the month is pretty much over! I wonder what wonderful memories next month will bring?

What were your favorite memories from this past month?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great posts like this along with all the other fun and tips around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox!

Shiny Things by Amanda Bacon and Anne-Renee Gumley

It's never too late to take hold of what's most important. Today's a great day to start!

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Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

There's just not enough time!

But mothering has been going on for ages and it's not the amount of time that's changed, it's the distractions. It's aaaaall the shiny things:

Shiny Things

If you build it, they will, too…Preschoolers practicing with tools

Tool time doesn't have to be one full of anxiety for parents. Introduce working with tools early on and you'll have your own Mr. & Miss Fix-Its living in your house!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I'm over at Pam Barnhill's site again today, sharing my Tool Time for Tots post that details some benefits of working with tools for young children.

Click on over to see why to get started, then come back here and see how.

Bible Workbooks by Catherine Walker

Helping you teach and understand what matters most!

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Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product from Moody Publishers in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

If you're looking to advance your Bible study to a more serious, systematic approach, then these two affordable workbooks are just what you need:

Bible Workbook Volume 1 - Old Testament

Bible Workbook Volume 2 - New Testament

Project Snapshot - May 2019

Each month, Project Snapshot captures memories from the past weeks - either with a camera, words, or both.  

Time passes in the blink of an eye - see which treasured memory will join the year's collection for this month:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

My Snapshots

What have we been up to this past month? Take a look and see:

Why yes, I am sure that April is just loving her fancy outfit. Absolutely, Gv. (That poor, poor dog.)

And, please, feel free to raise your hand if your child's room also looks like the one pictured above at the moment...

The pure joy from these two best buddies -- when Gv brought him as a guest to her final Awana meeting for the year.

She had a blast and skated great. It's so neat to watch her have so much fun out there on the ice!

Caves in Central Florida, who knew? We really enjoyed exploring these things and I'm not sure what part of this photo I love more -- the outfit, or the fact that she's got her doll stuck in her backpack, with its head sticking out, so the doll can experience it all, too?

And just like that, the month is pretty much over! I wonder what wonderful memories next month will bring?

What were your favorite memories from this past month?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great posts like this along with all the other fun and tips around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox!

Memory Making Mom, by Jessica Smartt

Easy ideas to help you create traditions that breathe life into your home!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate

commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product as a member of The Booklook Bloggers Program in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

Although I usually always enjoy little "idea books" like this one, sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming:

Memory Making Mom