Christianbook.com Homeschool Blog

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

One of my FAVORITE holidays growing up, our family traditions are still going strong; my mom emailed me this morning to let me know my younger siblings got their French Toast with Green Sprinkles and Green Juice (Kiwi? I forget exactly what goes in it!). Yum!

We also knew St. Patrick’s Day was the occasion for plenty of fun crafts, from top-hats to glitter-covered clovers. Try making a Celtic Cross, complete with intricate patterns, or find your own Blarney Stone while you learn about the historic castles of Ireland.  There are step-by-step crafts online, and even unit studies for some favorite books—and then, what better occasion to try to pick up some Irish phrases, or visit a local Céilidh (Irish dance)? For older students, there’s plenty of fascinating information on Celtic Mythology, as well as the “Christianization” of Ireland online.

And of course, don’t neglect to share with the story (and legends) of Patrick!

St. Patrick’s Day Store

Reformation Day is coming!

Dress up, sing hymns, and have fun on the day we remember Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 thesis on the door at Wittenberg.

Here are just a few ways to mark the day:

*Throw a party! Many homeschoolers have a penchant for historical costumes, and the more opportunities to put them to use, the better—and there are a host of fun characters to impersonate during the times of the Reformation.

*Write your own play, and re-enact the event as a family, church, or group of friends. Incorporate crafts for props and costumes, writing and research skills for the script, and of course, performance skills for the big day.

*Or, for older kids, take it a step further, and hold your own Diet of Worms; great for working in those communication/rhetoric skills everyone’s been working on!

*Have a Martin Luther sing-a-long around the piano; A Mighty Fortress is our God, All Praise to Thee Eternal God, Our Father Thou in Heaven Above, and plenty of others can provide excellent pieces to learn to play and lyrics to memorize.

*Put on a medieval banquet with authentic foods, look up what it would have been like to live back then, and find out what was happening in the world in 1517. There are also plenty of fun medieval craft ideas online, some even specifically for Reformation Day.

*And lastly, don’t forget about the man himself! There are some great biographies on Luther out there, as well as other Reformation personalities, for all ages.

Reformation Study Resources

After a whole summer that seemed to burst with rain, autumn’s already here.
I wouldn’t say I’m shocked, but it somehow seems to have sneaked snuck sneaked back into the rotation of things.

I love fall, and while this year doesn’t have the same relief as it does when signaling the end of 80 & 90 degree weather, it’s still retained the charm of autumns past. Especially here in New England, it heralds some of our best landscapes, farm stands with homemade cider donuts, U-Pick apple orchards, fairs, and sickness & colds that shiver that makes you grab the nearest sweater. And there’s nothing even close to that second when the setting sun shifts down upon the poplars, and the whole world lights up golden against an almost-black sky.

It makes me long for homey-crafts even more than the rest of the year; last fall I got this book:

which more than taught me to sew, it turned me into a sewer. They have one of the easiest skirt patterns you could hope to make, and make the directions so clear you almost can’t mess up. Well, you can, but it’s a lot easier to at least find where you went wrong. My one minor dislike is that it arranges everything by step, and then gives you the pattern—so to find the seam allowance, you have to go back to the part where they tell you about seam allowances. Great for a first-time read, not-so-great when you’re trying to find it and have to keep flipping back and forth. However, that’s a minor point compared to the overall clarity; step-by-step written instructions and practically diagrammed illustrations don’t allow you to step off the path. I bought some micro suede brown fabric last year that I never got around to making…perhaps over Thanksgiving break I’ll get a chance.

Now, if I could just get the hang of knitting…I’m looking at these, though haven’t decided yet:

or

I think I’m going to go with the plain “How to Knit”, though I think I could pull off the scarf book (I did get my “knitting badge” from the Keepers at Home club!). I want something ultra basic that I’ll be able to complete, mistakes and all!

If you’re in the same mood, visit our Arts & Crafts Shop for sewing, knitting, needlepoint, Christmas crafts, and other fun, classic hobbies.

Like so many other homeschoolers, I grew up with at least some interest in the “homesteading arts”, which often sporadically resurfaces with a vengeance.

So when I started thinking about making my own soap as part of my spring cleaning, I went all out researching. Looking at all the books we carry, I loved Storey Publishing’s simple, easy-to-understand manuals:

Their authors often interject realistic advice, or recount other stories they’ve heard; and since they have a naturalistic emphasis, you end up learning more about herbs, milk, skin care, the history of soap, and a good deal of other relevant information. They also seem willing to accommodate learners of all “levels” as it were–you could build a mold out of plywood, or you can line a box. Whatever works.

While the goal of making soap still is on my list for the summer, I’ve started learning at least how to start:

*Pick up CHEAP enamel/stainless steel pots & pans, glass bowls, rubber/silicon spatulas/spoons and other “soap-only” supplies at yard sales, discount stores, dollar stores…I’ve been thrilled at how much you can save—and at the selection & sizes available!

*Keep an eye out for interesting shapes for molds! While you have to know what materials you can and can’t use, an interesting mold can become a unique dècor accent.

*Google wholesalers for more unique ingredients like coconut oil, which you can buy in bulk at much cheaper rates than the grocery-store sized bottles.

*Read ALL the instructions before getting started. I normally don’t do this…and when I was reading through the first couple chapters, all I could think was “I’m REALLY glad I’m reading this all first!”

Learn about soap-making.
Frugality Store