Another Give Away!

Check out Deb's very generous give away!

Stop by  Living Montessori Now   for the Giveaway – Alison’s Montessori Land & Water Form Cabinet

Another Giveaway!

Montessori Print Shop geography bundles....

Check out Montessori Tidbits  - One lucky reader will win a bundled set for two continents of your choice.
Commenting will close at midnight CST on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The winner will be selected by random. This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!

Pop on over and enter!  Good luck!!

Montessori at Home Book/Montessori Print Shop Bundle Giveaway

The giveaway closes 10:01pm MST on Tuesday, October 25...that's today!!!

Living Montessori Now is hosting this great give-away.  (Each prize approximately $30 if purchased as a bundle; each prize approximately $70 if files are purchased individually! Total value of giveaway $90-$210 of fabulous Montessori materials!)

Living Montessori Now is giving away a Montessori Print Shop bundle of 21 printable materials as well as John Bowman’s newly revised e-book Montessori at Home: The Complete Guide to Doing Montessori Early Learning Activities at Home. Pop on over there before 10pm to enter!
 
I personally would love to win this as i am continually looking for ways to educate myself further on how to bring montessori home.  Yes, i have set up a few activities (i need to get you a few photos!) but really i hesitate as i'm worried about 'doing it wrong.'  Honestly, that's  how i happened upon the give away, i was reading this post and found a note about the give away. I just wanted to share the opportunity with you all as  well.  Good Luck!!

A Little Known Gem

Our family has enjoyed for the past 3 or so years, a newsletter published by a young, catholic homeschooler. 

Saint Cecelia and All Martyrs Press is published monthly and is very reasonably priced.  A subscription is a $1 per month payable as $5 for 5 months or $11 annually. 

Its printed simply, in black and white. 

There are stories of saints, both well known and little known.  There are recipes as well as reader submitted poems and drawings.  There is usually a coloring page and an activity as well. 

You'll find something pertaining to the month's holiday(s) and/or Holy Days or an article about a catholic hometown treasure (shrine, parish, etc.)...and so much more!

Every issue is a bit different and full of wonderful information.

We have really enjoyed having these newsletters arrive for the kids (who doesn't like mail???) And its always a pleasure to come across an older copy in a pile of papers... its like seeing an old friend - you take the time to sit down and read it all again!

Our family highly recommends the Saint Cecelia and All Martyrs Press newsletter as a wonderful addition to your children's faith formation.

Please support this truly catholic, little gem.

If you're interested in a subscription, please email me at dunphy1996 (at) gmail (dot) com and i will get you in touch with the publisher.

And, one last thing....we so enjoy this newsletter we have decided to give away a year subscription! 

Leave a comment on our give away page and we'll throw you in the hat!

Blog about the give away, and then comment on our give away page  that you did (with a link), and we'll give you another entry!

Email a copy of this post to someone and comment that you did (i'm trusting you on this one!) and you'll have another entry!

Good Luck ....and please, check out the newsletter!

Stations of the Cross

On Friday we joined some homeschoolers to celebrate the end of their 8 week co-op session, by celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation.  We had a wonderful time!  One of the moms talked to the children about the Annunciation (usually they would read a story.)  Then the children did a craft.  They made a grotto that held a picture of the Annunciation in a popsicle stick frame, decorated with stones...all on a piece of cardboard.  (You can buy a ready-to-make craft like this from Illuminated Ink and Catholic retailers who carry their products.) After the craft the children were split up into two groups.  The 6 and unders went to Adoration.  Now that may sound crazy but after a quick reminder of what Adoration is and that they need to be very quiet, they were wonderful for the 3 or 4 minutes they were in there.  I was only able to stay a moment due to Miss Cat, but truly, it was a beautiful site.

While the younger ones went to Adoration the older ones started Stations of the Cross in the church, then headed over to Adoration after.  The little ones headed into the church for Stations not long after the older ones. 

Usually during Lent many people go at least once, if possible, to Stations of the Cross.  With children sometimes its hard to do that due to the hour the Stations are done.  This was a nice, child friendly time where if someone did act up they could be taken out without the looks and stares normally found among those who don't have children with them. 

The other thing about this morning was that it reinforced a beautiful tradition of the church as well as the facts behind it. 

Many times we forget...forget to say thank you, forget to remember, forget to be in awe of the love showered upon us and the graces that are freely given to us. Many times we forget about God.  We forget about how Christ gave His life for every one of us, how God gave His son, how the Holy Spirit continually fills us with grace.

The passion and death of Jesus is an ineffable mystery of love in which the three divine Persons are involved. The Father takes the free and absolute initiative: it is he who loves first and, in delivering the Son into our murderous hands, exposes his dearest possession. As St. Paul says, he "did not spare his own Son", that is, he did not keep him for himself as a jealously held treasure, but "gave him up for us all" (Rom 8:32).

The Son fully shares the Father's love and his plan of salvation: He gave himself for our sins ... according to the will of our God and Father" (Gal 1:4).

And the Holy Spirit? As in the intimacy of Trinitarian life, so too in this exchange of love which takes place between the Father and the Son in the mystery of Golgotha, the Holy Spirit is the Person-Love in whom the love of the Father and the Son converge. (Spirit Is Present in the Paschal Mystery, Pope John Paul II, General Audience, June 10, 1998)

Stations of the Cross should be done weekly, throughout the entire year.  We should be reminded to remember, aways. 

Sometimes, especially with the younger ones, that is not so easy.  Yesterday over at Catholic Icing Lacy posted about a Stations of the Cross File Folder activity she created.  (i have tried to post a picture but it just does not want to cooperate! anyway...)  What a beautiful way to teach and reinforce the Paschal Mystery!

I plan to make one for our kids as after Friday they have been reading the Stations to themselves before bed (mainly the younger ones.)  I found at the local catholic bookstore a very nice copy that is simple enough to do quickly yet well - if that makes sense.  They each have a copy and they sit on Ladybug's bed and go through them.  It does a mother's heart good. 

So as i said, i plan to make a set for our children ...and a set to give away.  It will not be identical to Lacy's but it will be similar in style.  Its an activity that can be used year round - Thank you Lacy, for such a wonderful idea!

Welcome

Hello!  I just wanted to take a moment to welcome all our new followers.  We've had a slight jump due to this month's give away!  (That's ok, from time to time i do it too.) 

So welcome to Michelle Gorman, Lori, the Fru-"gal", Sandy, guessa!, MT, Kristin George, My Spot!, Kama, Kim, and tree ...as well as all of you who stop in from all around the world, you are not unnoticed - i am amazed at the world traveling my little traffic feed does!

So anyway, welcome to our blog.  I hope you will stop in regularly and walk away with even the smallest bit of new information or at least a smile.  This blog has a mind of its own, for sure.  I write about more than i had planned to and on everything from homeschooling to parenting, feast days to our family life in general. 

Please feel free to comment, but also to ask questions.  I am always willing to post answers!
And again, Welcome!

A Great Give Away!

Hurry it ends this Sunday, Feb 6th!
Over at momspotted.com Jennifer is having a Celebrate Valentine's Day with Wilton! give away! She is a product reviewer for Wilton and they have generously given her a second Brownie Bundle Package to give away to her readers!  Look at all the products included!  Can you imagine what kind of fun you and the kids could have with this?!!!?

There are several ways to enter but you will need to do it soon! Click on the links highlighted above to visit Jennifer's Blog and to also check out Wilton's website.  Good luck...and happy baking!

Give Away!

I am so excited about this!! Well, yes, i always love giving things away, but this is a doozy!

Karen Tyler, owner of Worldwide Montessori Online, is generously allowing me to give not one, but TWO of my readers a free course and training manuals!

You'll receive 12 Montessori-based Albums/Manuals filled with student presentations/lessons for the 2-6 year old child. They include:

Practical Life

Sensorial

Language

Mathematics

Physical Science
Ecology
Geology
Botany
Zoology
History
Geography
                                              Astronomy

The course starts March 1st and i'll be there with you!  You can find more information about her class here.

"Upon graduation, you will receive a certificate stating that you have completed a pre-primary training course (2-6 years old) by World Wide Montessori On-line and signed by Karen Tyler, AMS.

This course will give you the knowledge you need as well as the albums for curriculum needed to teach the Montessori Method. This course does not take the place of a course taught at a certified Montessori teacher training school." Oh, but it is well worth it!  And you can't get any better then free now can you?  :  )

I took a quarter (3 months) of Karen's course a long while ago and Karen's class is great.  I love the albums (manuals) as they are very detailed and easy to use. Even if you do nothing other than use the albums (though i would hope you'd participate in class as well!!!!) you will be well equipped to bring Montessori home.

So how do you enter??? Gosh, i am so excited!!! Can you tell? : )

OK - there are 5 ways you can enter:

1. Leave a comment here about what your looking forward to the most about the class, if you win.

2. Blog about my give away, including a link to my site, and leave a comment here with a link to your post.

3. Place my blog button on your blog and comment here, with a link, that you did.

4. Sign up to follow my blog and then leave me a comment here that you did so. (if you already do just leave me a comment stating so!)

5. Email your loops, friends, whomever! and let them know about my give away!  Leave me a comment here that you did so. - i'm trusting you on this one! ; )

You can enter starting today ... we'll end things Monday, February 14th.  That will give me time to get  your information to Karen and for you to contact her as well.

Oh, and i'll move this post to a tab at the top so its easy to find ....i think i'll put all my give aways there so check it at least once a month!

Good Luck!!!