7 Quick Takes: Mr. Banks, Coffee Craze, and the H Word

1. Mary Poppins

 

I have to be honest...I'm not a fan of Mary Poppins. BUT! I never pass up a chance to watch a Tom Hanks movie. I mean, why not? He's awesome. And this movie was excellent!! So funny!! Jason and I really enjoyed this one. Have you seen it?

2. Yarn!!

Is that not the prettiest box of fiber you have ever seen? I am making a bunch of afghans and am hoping to put them up for sale very soon. More on that to come!

3.  Thirty-One bags

Gotta love Thirty-One! Their products are awesome. I have my eye on a few other products, too. Hopefully for Christmas - we'll see!

4. Coffee Mug Obsession

I about died when I saw this mug. Gotta love sharing a cup with the Vulcan!

And, y'all know I love Cracker Barrel!!

But this one is super cute! My mom's friend, Denise, gave me this one because of the three little boys on the beach. So sweet!

5.  Fair Trade Coffee

I'm going to continue saying this until it is stuck in your heads. Drink FAIR TRADE!! Why on earth did I ever drink anything else?? If I am using this amazing beverage of choice to keep my sanity during the day while at home with my children....why, WHY on earth would I be ok with drinking something that other mothers' children gathered?? Children should NOT be out in fields gathering coffee beans or anything else. Children should be out in fields running around, playing, enjoying their youth, and using their imaginations to the fullest. DRINK FAIR TRADE!! 

Note: This is one of the many things that our family has been working on to change since reading Notes From a Blue Bike. If you have not read this book yet, please do so. It will change your world.

6. Simplify - 8 bags donated
 

As we are in the  process of readying our home to move within the year, we have started to simplify our lives. There is just no reason to have this junk. If you think otherwise, I bet you won't after reading this article or Tsh's book. I'm telling you: LIFE CHANGING.

7. Homeschool

Gasp! Did she just say the "H word" here? 

Y'all.

This has been quite a change to our home. With the whole "readying our home to move" and all, we felt that this was the next best decision to save more money. This was the best, scariest, and most heart-wrenching choice we have made so far. It nearly killed me making the call to the school...then, I may have had a slight panic attack when we had to break the news to our friends. Thankfully, we have the most amazing friends. They have been so understanding of the fact that this is best choice for our family. We thank you, friends!

After attending a homeschooling mamas group, I found the best curriculum for my boys. I chose to use the Five in a Row and Twenty Six Letters to Heaven for both Andrew and Alex. I add in extras lessons for Andrew, as he will be going to kindergarten (gasp! I seriously had to type that word a few times...I just can't believe it!!) next school year.

Also, I found a planner perfect for the OCD mom - haha! Yes, I have the entire month of August planned out. And, yes, we officially started today. They are loving it so far. I mean, we had a routine going anyway. So, we just switched it up to this stuff. They loved learning about the cool new things and are super excited for tomorrow to come. We are making apple pie...and seeing the world!