By Sun and Candlelight

A (New) Learning Corner for Little Bear!

Hello my friends, and Happy Monday!

I was working in our little learning corner this weekend - decluttering and wiping and rearranging just a bit - and as I worked, it dawned on me, except for the little peeks I've given you on Instagram, I've yet to share our "new" corner here at the blog!

So after I finished tidying, I took a bunch of pictures (and made a cup of tea) ... and sat down to post all about it!

Now, you might remember that for the past few years our primary learning space has been in a large sunroom off the back of our home ... and the thing is ...  I do absolutely love that room! It's bright and roomy and I love how it kind of feels like we're actually learning outside. It's been an excellent play space for the younger boys, too. The only drawback is, it's a 3-season room - which means in that 4th season (the one that lasts longest here in New England) it gets DANG cold out in that room! Between early November right on through late March, it's really hard to keep that space heated sufficiently for everyday use. I found that on cold days I'd end up grabbing what we needed for the day and working with the boys at the kitchen table, or on the family room couch, OR out in the library where I've set up my own cozy-happy mama nest.

So as the new academic year approached, I tried to be thoughtful about where I wanted to do most of our learning - it's just me and my Little Bear now, after all, now that Earlybird attends school, and of course our older two have "graduated" - and I decided we needed a dedicated workspace that would actually be convenient to use - and WARM all winter long!

So I ended up choosing a relatively empty corner of the library, just behind my "thinking chair" and across from my desk - and then I set to work making it over for Little Bear. And I'm very happy with how it turned out!

I kept a few "goals" in mind as I set up our learning corner ...

✏️ I wanted the space to be close to a window so we had a good amount of natural light and access to fresh air. I also wanted a bird feeder hanging outside that window!

✏️ I wanted the arrangement to blend in with the decor of the room and yet still be comfortable and child-friendly. 

✏️ I wanted to use (as much as possible) things we already had on hand. I tried very hard to "shop" my own house for furniture and baskets/bins to (re)use in our little corner.

✏️ I wanted Little Bear to like it!

Ok, so are you ready for a tour? Here we go!

As you can see in my pictures, this space exists in a corner of our library, between the fireplace and the back window. That rather ratty, rose-covered chair is MY chair (Mama's chair) - the place I go whenever I have a chance to sit down. It's also where I enjoy reading to Little Bear - it's a roomy chair and we can still both fit in that warm and soft spot!

Ok, first stop, the fireplace mantle ...

I strung twine along here so we could hang Little Bear's crafts and lesson work.

Small wooden clothespins (stored in the decorative tins shown above the mantel, just behind the "kindness" sign) hold items securely along the twine. I also made the "grade one" star garland, just for fun.

After the fireplace is one of two bookcases devoted to homeschooling resources. (The other one stands in the corner directly across the room. I haven't finished organizing that one yet!)

On the top of the bookcase I have a small assortment of things ...

Globe, weekly rhythm schedule, current read-alouds, a hummingbird nest inside a slim cloche, a nature walk basket filled with dried flowers and weeds (kept out of kitty cat reach) and a little wooden perpetual calendar.

A closer look at the bookshelves:

The top shelf (not shown) holds curriculum support materials - including a book of seasonal verses, a vintage book about wildflowers for children, and a vintage book of seasonal lessons for young children, folders holding information for Little Bear and Earlybird, Little Bear's main lesson book and a small flower-press. 

The next shelf down (shown above) is our "seasons shelf," which is basically just an assortment of things representing the current month and season (September/early autumn). Here we have wooden elements, nature treasures, felt items, peg dolls ...

... and fire-breathing dragons. ;-)

The lower two shelves hold the books we use for our seasonal homeschooling ...

I re-used file folders to stand as dividers between each weekly theme grouping. This has worked out really well! Each weekend as I do my lesson planning I can easily pull the books I'll need for the coming week, and then refile last week's selections.

Right after the bookcase I have our trusty ol' chalkboard/easel.

This has been one of my greatest homeschool "finds" - I actually spotted it in front of a neighbor's house one day a few years ago, and it has been a wonderful addition to our home learning environment! Not shown below the easel is a large basket containing finger and hand puppets.

A little supply-and-display corner comes next ...

Two "new" display shelves sit on the wall above this space - these were made by Bill!

The top shelf displays this week's theme books and the lower shelf holds the current season's selections.

Just underneath is a real hodgepodge of things ...

A basket of early readers, a repurposed desk organizer for course books, lesson planner, verse cards, and not shown (because they were in use!) art supplies. Tucked in the corner on a wooden slab pedestal are jars and mugs filled with pencils, glue sticks, ruler, pointer, pencil sharpener, markers, etc.

On display, a lovely picture book to flip through and a nature-themed alphabet book, open to this week's letters.

(A gift from a sweet reader many years ago!)

Turn the corner and we have our classroom calendar ...

Now, this WAS a new purchase! I found it at Michael's Arts & Crafts at the end of the summer and I have to say, it was on sale 50% off AND I had a coupon to use on sale items! I did buy some new liquid chalk markers to use and as you can see, I list special events and weekly themes here.

Just below is a board with vintage binder clips (clamps?) - Bill made this for me, too! I'm using it to display seasonal postcards, homemade alphabet posters (these used to live in the sunroom above the windows!) and Little Bear's homemade calendar. :-)

And then we have Little Bear's desk!

The vintage-look world map was indeed a new purchase (Amazon), but the small table, chair and wooden crayon box were all hand-me-downs from Bill's family. It's not a large desk, but just right for the occasional seat work Little Bear has now that he is in first grade.

On the other side of the window (the one with that bird feeder on my wish list!) is a small basket parked next to my desk. This belonged to my grandmother and was always in her den, right beside her own "thinking" chair. I'm using it to hold geography materials such as children's atlases and maps.

Ok, last stop! In front of the window and behind my thinking chair is a cozy little space ...

I moved one of the little white cubby cases from the sunroom here and filled it in with an assortment of learning toys, puzzles, games, flash cards, bean bags, etc. It fits perfectly behind the chair! (On the floor is a soft area rug and a basket of board books we still love to read.)

On top of the cubby case ...

(And just behind the cat) ... I have our beloved nature poetry book open to the current day's poem. (Another gift from a dear friend.) It's kept at the perfect height for Little Bear - and in fact, he's in charge of checking which page (and poem) we should be on! Next to the open book is our little wooden hundred chart with pouch of number tiles. 

Methinks Oliver approves ...

Now, in a follow-up post I will show and tell more about my own little spaces - my chair, my desk, my baskets and bins! But for now I will be off ...

✏️🍎📚🖍✏️🍎📚🖍✏️🍎📚🖍✏️🍎📚🖍✏️🍎📚🖍✏️🍎📚🖍✏️🍎📚🖍

Thanks so much for joining me today, friends! See you here again very soon!

Books in our Homeschool: September ❤

Hello my friends, and Happy Sunday!

I've had a couple of requests for a list of the books we're currently using in our homeschool, so I'm here to share just that! Since it's a rather long list, today I'll just focus on the books we're using along with September's plans and seasonal themes. In future posts I'll share more of our general resources and curriculum. (Also, I want to note that all of the links below have an affiliate tag - and what that means is, if you end up buying something from Amazon after following my link, I get a small commission as part of an affiliates program. So thanks in advance if you do happen to make a purchase!)

I'll begin with the books we are using in coordination with activities for our seasonal homeschooling.* (These are usually my favorites!) Typically I display these books on a windowsill in the learning room, but some are also found in the seasonal book basket. Most of these books we own, but we do borrow a few from the library each week ...

 

✨🍎✨SEASONAL THEMES✨🍎✨

CROWS and CORN ...

Crow Call, The Company of Crows: A Book of Poems, Corn, Raccoons and Ripe Corn

*Note: We didn't end up reading Crow Call, as its story was a little too melancholy for my fellas. The illustrations were beautiful, though. And since most of those books have gone back to the library and/or seasonal bin, I didn't have a "Crows and Corn" shelf to show you. I did however use that crow finger puppet for a little nature storytelling that week! :)

APPLES/AT THE ORCHARD ...

Our Apple Tree, The Life and Times of the Apple, Apples for Everyone, The Apple Cake, The Story of Johnny Appleseed, My Little Golden Book about Johnny Appleseed, Cider Apples, How Do Apples Grow?

WELCOME AUTUMN!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, Hocus Pocus - It's Fall!, The Four Seasons: Fall, Fall (The Seasons), Autumn Days, When Autumn Comes, Fall (Bright Baby Touch and Feel), Wild Child, Autumn, Herbst, The Story of the Root Children, Autumn: A Pop-Up Book, We Gather Together

AUTUMN SEEDS & WIND ...

Woody, Hazel and Little Pip, Miss Maple's Seeds, The Story of the Wind Children, Squirrels, When the Wind Stops ... and (not shown), A Seed is Sleepy, Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move and Pippa and Pelle in the Autumn Wind

* Originally I was going to share the activities we did/will do with each seasonal theme, but then this post became a little bit of a beast (as my posts tend to do) so I decided to stick to books only. That said, I will try to take pictures as we go through this week (Autumn Seeds and Wind) to share in a post by week's end. Or over the weekend, more likely! I'm very excited for this seasonal theme, it's one of my favorites!

 

✨🍎✨SOCIAL STUDIES✨🍎✨

For social studies this year, I've set up a "global awareness" corner (see learning room post for more details) and outlined a plan for studying one country per month. This month we are learning about England so those are the books I've linked below - plus, I also found a couple of "apple" themed books that were perfect for global awareness. :)

One Green Apple, Till Year's Good End: A Calendar of Medieval Labors, Enchantment of the World series: England, City Trails: London, St. George and the Dragon, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

 

✨🍎✨ SCIENCE✨🍎✨

For the subject of science this year, we'll be focusing on the following topics: the importance of science, famous scientists through the ages, zoology (animal life and classification) and backyard science (aka nature study). In addition, sometimes (oftentimes), a scientific topic pops up that is of particular interest - such as this month's hurricanes - and then we follow that "rabbit trail" as far as it takes us! The windowsill below reflects an introduction to what it means to be a scientist, hurricanes, a forest habitat and chipmunks.

National Geographic Kids: In My Backyard Sticker Activity Book, S is for Scientists, What is a Scientist?, Scientists Ask Questions, Newton's Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist (not shown - it's on its way from the library! Newton is our English scientist for September), Hurricane!, Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane

Here's a look at a little backyard science for this week - we'll be looking closely at the Eastern Chipmunk so very prevalent around here. I found an interesting fact page in a great book we've had for years, Fun with Nature, and a coordinating coloring page in Dover's A Walk in the Woods. The chipmunks are actually going NUTS (pardon the pun) these days as they scurry about preparing for a long winter's sleep. We've been feeding the chipmunks on our deck and this week we'll do a little "seed" experiment to see what kind of things chipmunks like to eat best. The coloring page will be filed in our family nature binder, alongside observations/photos.

 

✨🍎✨LANGUAGE ARTS✨🍎✨

For language arts activities this month we are learning the alphabet, working on names, setting up nature journals, making homemade stamp pads, listening to an audiobook on the road, discovering seasonal poems, reading aloud to each other, and writing simple notes to friends. 

Gyo Fujikawa's A to Z Picture Book, Cyndy Szekeres' ABC, Bobby Bear's ABC, An Alphabet by Molly Brett, Eating the Alphabet, I Spy Little Letters

(Note: I couldn't find the Szekeres book on Amazon but I did see some at Etsy. Ms. Szekeres is one of my longtime favorite children's book author/illustrators. I had her books when I was little!)

Here is Little Bear contemplating the poetry corner ... ❤

Poetry for Young People: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic, Flower Fairies of the Autumn, A Small Child's Book of Cozy Poems (that's another one by Cyndy Szekeres!), First Poems of Childhood (illustrated by Tasha Tudor), A Child's Calendar: Poems by John Updike

(Poems of the moment: "September," by Updike, "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow, "Hurt No Living Thing," by Christina Rossetti)

Our September audiobook: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome ...

(We mostly listen to audiobooks in the car but I'm working on having a set time during the week during which the boys will listen to the story while working on simple crafts, using play dough, coloring or painting, etc.)

Another favorite resource of mine for simple seasonal verse and songs, is a lovely set of Waldorf Kindergarten books. I've used all these books for years and they are just lovely. Here is Autumn: A Collection of Poems, Songs and Stories for Young Children, alongside my tea and a beeswax pumpkin candle!

(This week's selections will feature little gnomes leading Autumn seeds to bed, Mary walking in the Autumn wind, and St. Michael's bright shining sword. These I use during Little Bear's circle time and whenever possible while venturing outside.)

 

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So there you have it my friends, a peek at our September book list! I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know if you have any questions. I will be back again soon(ish) with a closer look at how we do our seasonal homeschooling. It's going to be a busy week for us but I'm excited to share what we get up to! 

And I hope you are all doing well and that your Autumn is off to a great start! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, my friends ...

See you here again very soon!

A Tale of Four Carts ... ❤

Hello everyone, and Happy Hump Day! If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen one or more of my recent posts in which I gush over my brand new rolling "caddy" carts. Well, I'd like to share them here too, because I'm having such fun setting them up!

But a bit of backstory first ...

I have admired these rolling carts for years now, ever since longtime reader, and Moscow-friend, Mic shared hers for my "Autumn Cozy Nest" series. Mic's pretty cart, in that iconic robin's egg blue, lives in her family's study room and holds all kinds of happy desk and craft supplies. When I saw Mic's picture - with her neatly stored pens, notebooks and purse, plus a couple of my favorite books tucked in there too - well, my heart just went all a-flutter! And then later on my friend Jen shared how she was using her own lovely cart on Instagram - and once again I found myself coveting another's cart just a little! Well, since these pretty carts were made by IKEA, I made a mental note to get myself right over to our local IKEA, only ... I never seem to get over to IKEA! (It's actually not quite local, but a bit of a drive from here.) But those carts have never gone off my radar ...

So then recently I was shopping at Michaels Arts & Crafts for Easter stuff when I found these remarkably similar carts made by a company called Recollections and they not only looked well-made but came in a wide-range of soft colors - PLUS they were ON a really good SALE! So honestly, what could I do but buy one? Or ... um, four?

Well, I did start with just one ... I hemmed and hawed a bit over the color, finally deciding on the charcoal grey because I planned to park it in my family room and we have a lot of gray in that room. Back home I set Bill (and his helper) to work putting the cart together ...

Bill said it was a cinch to assemble (how could it not be with that kind of help, right?) and seemed quite solidly made. In fact, he was so impressed with the cart - and my plans for it - he hardly twitched an eyelid when I returned to Michaels the very next weekend (before that sale ran out!) and came home with a few more!

(Ok, each cart was on sale for $23 and change so, not exactly a cheap investment, but I made sure I had specific intentions for each cart before I splurged. I don't mean to make it sound like it was nothing to drop $100 on home storage!)

Anyhoo, here's a little tour of our carts and their new homes ...

In the family room: The GRAY cart quickly became Little Bear's because he just loved it so. It's already logged many miles! This cart holds (a portion of) our vast cars and trucks collection as well as LB's favorite vehicle-themed books. I used a few bins I already had here too, so LB can lift out a bin at a time (in theory) and keep things a little tidier than they might otherwise end up. He can also wheel his car collection to other rooms if he wishes.

The bottom bin holds "monster trucks" and the middle bin holds the interchangeable parts of a set of wooden, buildable trucks while the bin at the very top holds assorted matchbox-sized cars (and planes). We actually own far more than the vehicles seen here (we've been raising boys for the past 22 years so this should not come as a surprise!) but I whittled down the family room assortment to these few bins. We can switch trucks out every so often to keep things fresh!

And next ...

In the learning room: The AQUAMARINE cart holds the younger boys' curricula and various educational resources including my lesson planning notebook, teacher guides, Earlybird's clipboard (which holds his daily seatwork), a current board game and a few favorite flash card sets. I've parked this cart near the worktable where EB works with his therapist every day. (You'll hear more about this cart in my "Learning Room Tour" post coming up soon!)

Now the white cart ...

Ended up in the library! And it holds my 17 yo Crackerjack's academic materials - binders, textbooks, reading assignments, etc. - so they don't clutter up his (already cluttered) desktop. CJ was a little skeptical about his need for this cart (he keeps most of this in his backpack) so I may end up finding a different use for it ...

And finally ...

In the kitchen nook: The ROSE-GOLD cart sits by my command central and holds various notebooks, post-its and notecards. I also parked my week-at-a-glance calendar here but have since moved it back to the countertop. I roll this cart out of the kitchen to my computer desk in the family room from time-to-time - if company's coming or on weekends when command central closes up shop. Of course I can't help but notice this cart's shade matches the coil-binding in all of my favorite notebooks! :)

❤

Ok my friends, I guess that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed seeing how I'm using my new rolling carts - as I mentioned above, I'm really quite happy with the way they are made and the way they look and the way they are organizing several areas of our family home! Toys, books, notebooks, and more books! I can always use help in corralling these types of things. Little Bear's play is more creative (and the mess is easier to manage), our lesson-times (and my lesson planning) are smoother and I'm able to quickly pick up my planning paraphernalia when needs be.

And four carts are a lot, I know - but I AM thinking of getting yet one more cart (should they go on sale again) in our kitchen proper ... we're getting rid of an old trash compactor and one of these carts would fit perfectly in it's place. I think it might be a good spot for storing produce that usually ends up (all over) our counter - apples, onions, potatoes, garlic, etc. But we shall see!

Well always, thanks so much for stopping by, everyone ... take care of yourselves and your loved ones ... I'll see you here again very soon!

🌞 Books for Happy Mornings & Good Nights 🌝

Hello and Happy Monday, my friends! Today I'd like to talk a little about favorite children's books - in particular, ones that celebrate a happy day and/or a good night!

We certainly enjoy books of all kinds and at any time of day, but Little Bear himself has what he calls his "sunny stories" and "bed stories." :) Before he settles for sleep, he insists on at least THREE bed stories ... and in the morning, before we head downstairs to get the day going, he requests time spent in the rocking chair by the window, talking about the day, "snugging" and looking at a couple of favorite books ...

So I decided to make up special baskets to go along with these special times of the day! I took advantage of a sale at Michaels, and picked up two similar-sized and shaped baskets - one in a light shade and one in dark. Then I picked up some wide ribbon for a bit of embellishment. 

Sunrise colors for the day basket and a sparkly indigo for the evening bin. The baskets are not too big and have handles so it's easy enough to tote them from room to room. (Little Bear still sleeps in a toddler bed in our master bedroom but we're working on transitioning him to the nursery down the hall. Taking the books back and forth helps bridge the gap a little!)

One of the things I love best about Little Bear's nursery (seen in depth here in this post) is the direction it faces - it catches the sunrise every morning and on warm evenings I love to sit in that same window and watch the birds in the spruce hedge along the property line - cardinals flitting in and out as dusk approaches, mourning doves cooing from the rooftop ...

Mornings are especially nice though - even Archie loves that window!

 Ok, here are the books tucked in those baskets ...

Happy Morning Books:

The Baby's Good Morning Book

Hey! Wake Up!

Peek-a-Boo

Give Me Grace

All Creatures Great and Small

Little Owl's Day

Humphrey's Corner

Oh, What a Busy Day!

Good Morning Sun

Little Golden Books Classics: Three Best Loved Tales (Play with Me, So Big, The Boy with a Drum) 

Playtime

I Can Help

🌞

Good Night Books:

The Baby's Bedtime Book

Humphrey's Bedtime

Good Night, Fairies

Steam Train, Dream Train

How Many Kisses Good Night

Pajama Time!

Owl Babies

Sleepy Time

Little Owl's Night

🌝

I'd love to hear about your favorite books for bedtime and morning time! Please leave a comment below if you have the time. I need more books like I need rocks in my pockets, but I am always on the lookout for new favorites. :)

So this post was first in what I hope will be a series of posts talking about our favorite children's books for different activities and themes. I am currently going through a rather ginormous stash of storage boxes in the basement which hold mostly craft supplies and assorted children's books. These bins have not been unpacked in the four years we've lived here! And they're taking up a rather large portion of the mudroom ... and would-be home office ... and ahem even a corner of the laundry alcove!

I'm not going to set a posting schedule because goodness knows I won't stick to it, but as I go through these boxes and find old gems and organize them into a better storage system, I will share on occasion as I can. I'm thinking of upcoming themes like:

❤ books about nature

❤ counting +/or alphabet books

❤ funny books

❤ farm books

❤ books embracing faith

❤ books exploring world cultures

❤ books about handling fears

❤ poetry books

❤ books about enjoying different foods

Etc.!

I think this will be fun and I hope you do, too! If you have an idea for a theme, let me know. It's possible I might have a giveaway at some point during the series as well ... so stay tuned!

For now though I'll wrap up. My littlest man is itchy for some late afternoon reading ... this is our time for truck books and tea! And books about boats, trains, planes ... any old vehicles, really. We have QUITE the collection of those kinds of books as you can probably imagine!

So please take care and I will be back just as soon as I can. I am thisclose to finalizing that Office Hours Agenda pdf to share with you all - hopefully that will be my next post ...

Ok friends, I'm off! See you here again sometime soon ...

Our Lenten Mantle (& Plans) ... ❤

Hello my friends, and Happy Weekend! As hard as it is to believe, Lent begins this coming Wednesday! I thought I'd share a few of the things my family will be doing this year as we journey through this beautiful season ...

I considered repeating the elaborate post-it note countdown I created last year, but in the interest of time and energy, I decided to keep things a bit simpler. I'm hoping to set a mood, offer opportunities, and then step back and let Lent happen naturally ... beginning with a few things arranged on our library mantle.

To ready the space, I first took down all the Valentine decor and dusted the mantle itself - a little squirt of lavender spray lent a nice cleansing touch. :) Then I took down the boxwood wreath and placed in its stead our grapevine cross ...

We've had the grapevine cross for many years - I found it at either a Michaels Crafts or A.C. Moore store. It's hard to remember now! It's seen a bit of wear and tear, but I just love it. :)

The small wooden "Hope" sign I found at Michaels several weeks ago and thought it would be a nice theme for both Lent and spring. (I love merging nature and faith!) I simply tied the word onto the cross with some plain kitchen twine. I kind of like the symbolism of Hope tied closely to the cross ...

And throughout Lent, a little "life" will spring forth here each week - tiny sprigs of greenery I'll add in secret - and come Easter morning the cross will be covered in bright flowers!

Beneath the cross I placed a single white candle ...

I planted it in some potting soil and will leave it like this until Palm Sunday, at which point we will sprinkle the soil with grass seed - and fingers crossed it will bloom a week later! (I adapted this idea from one I found in All Year Round, one of my favorite resources for seasonal celebrations.) Finally, on Easter morning, the boys will find the candle lit and hopefully surrounded by pretty green grass.

A plain little butterfly box also sits on the mantle ...

On Ash Wednesday we will "bury the Alleluia" (an old custom) by placing that small slip of paper inside the butterfly. On Easter morning the butterfly box will be open and empty - the slip of paper will be gone! Instead there will be a golden "Alleluia" banner hung above the mantle and perched in the middle of the cross will be a bright and beautiful (silk) butterfly.

I also placed a glass jar for collecting alms here ...

(Monies saved by skipping certain purchases each week.)

On the left side of the mantle I placed the brass crucifix made by my maternal great-grandfather, along with a small crystal votive candle holder (a gift from my parents - straight from Ireland!) This candle will be lit on Fridays as we contemplate the Stations (described below). I added the simple wooden rabbit because I plan to explore with the boys the many aspects of Easter that are tied in with both nature and faith ...

On the far right side is our Marian statue (which belonged to my paternal grandparents) as well as a prayer card for the March devotion (St. Joseph) ...

The purple jar will be used as a vase in which we can display any little bits of blooming nature we find through the season - forsythia most likely or pussy willows, perhaps. I may also add small vases for tiny things that pop up like crocus, snowdrops, and dandelions, etc. (I like to use small cordial glasses for this.) These will be flowers for the Blessed Mother but also a growing sign of returning life.

(As part of our seasonal homeschooling I have a few nature-based activities planned for each week, and these too will be woven into our Lenten path.)

Also seen in these pictures are the read-alouds we'll be using throughout Lent: The Parables of Jesus and The Miracles of Jesus, both by beloved author, Tomie dePaola. My hope is to read a passage aloud to the boys in the library each afternoon. I'll have a coloring page for Little Bear to work on (and ask Crackerjack to help keep him busy/interested) and see if Earlybird might want to participate, too. Listening to read-alouds can be difficult for EB (due to sensory issues) so this might be quite a sacrifice for him! I might even schedule this activity for earlier in the day when EB's therapist is here for support.

Finally, I strung a wide length of burlap ribbon along the front of the mantle to which I attached the Stations of the Cross, using small wooden clothespins. (The ribbon and the clothespins can be found at Michaels, or any craft store most likely. The lovely Stations cards were purchased through Catholic Heritage Curricula.)

Once again, I had a lot of help as I set up this special space ...

(He asked me to take his picture in front of the mantle. He was very proud!)

I have one other activity planned for Lent - and that involves working Lenten themes into our journey. Each Wednesday at dinner I'll present this small basket of rocks ...

... and one of us will choose a rock for the coming week. As you can see above, each rock has a word written on it in purple: prayer, silence, gratitude, forgiveness, service, spirit. Whichever word is chosen from the basket will be a theme we can all work into our week - privately and as a family. (I have some activities planned to help the younger boys with this project.) At the end of each week the rock will be placed upon our Lenten mantle.

***

Well my friends, I hope you enjoyed hearing about our plans for Lent this year! Are there any Lenten traditions you follow with your family each year? Are you trying something new this year? Do you have a special book (or books) you are reading this season? Drop me a note if you have a moment - I'd love to hear from you!

In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful weekend and as always, I thank you for stopping by! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones ...

I'll see you here again sometime soon!

Advent Tea, Week 2: Plants & Peace

Hello my friends, and Happy Friday!

And what a fine Friday this is - beautifully bright if perhaps a little colder than is seasonably acceptable in these parts. ***brrrrr*** Still, it's one of those days that make being cozy at home seem all the more wonderful. Well, whatever the weather, I'm so glad to be here and share a cup of something hot and happy with you all ... to slow down for just a moment and catch up. ❤ It's hard to believe, but we're making our way through our second week of Advent now, and I hope the season is unfolding in a way that feels right and good for you and your family. I also hope you've all been enjoying our daily "tea with friends" posts! I am very grateful to all who have shared their cups (and thoughts) with us so far this month ... and so pleased there are many more to come!

So this week in my own family's Advent journey we are finding peace in the natural world around us - in trees, plants, and the spices and herbs that are special to this sacred season. We began on Sunday, St. Barbara's Day, with an easy little craft, preparing a small vase to hold our feast day branches. (Legend says that branches snipped on December 4th will bloom come Christmas morning ... this has never failed us before!)

The vase is an inexpensive terra cotta pot I purchased at the craft store. I spread glue on the sides and wrapped the bottom section with twine and then, using a hot glue gun, covered the upper rim with cloth floral stickers. (Bill sealed the little hole in the bottom of the pot with hot glue so it would hold water.) Next we added forsythia branches from the yard and a few pretty (craft) pine cones just to anchor those branches (and add visual interest). I think it came out very pretty! We'll be making a few more of these for teacher gifts this year ...

But now, about today's Tea ... :)

Actually, today we're enjoying a hot winter wassail instead of my usual tea. It's easy enough to make your own, but this bottled blend from Trader Joe's is very yummy and quick to prepare. Just heat it up and - voila! - a hot cup of Christmas cheer at the ready! I floated an apple slice on top for an extra bit of fun ...

Would you care to join me in a cup? A little something sweet and spicy to warm us as we walk through my frosty gardens?

The above photos were taken after an overnight snow, when everything was crunchy icy. Yes, I think we might be in for a white Christmas if this cold and active weather pattern holds over the next couple of weeks! We still have our "mild" days though, and so after yesterday's thaw, we harvested some moss from the stone wall ...

... to add to our indoor Advent Garden. :)

As I described in this post, we are rejoicing in God's glorious earth throughout Advent. One of our rituals is the tending of an indoor Advent Garden and we're reveling in the anticipation, slowly building up our tabletop terrarium with a new layer of life each week. Last week we added stones and soil, while this week we added some plants (the aforementioned moss) ...

Oliver thought this was a GREAT idea.

And the boys found things in their Advent pockets this week that also reflected our theme ... a poinsettia, peppermint candy, fresh mint and evergreen sprigs. Each item symbolized a simple activity or treat or outing ... something to channel some of that wonderful Advent energy!

Oh, also here in the kitchen - a new bottle of hand soap on the counter. This is such a little thing but I just love changing up the sink soap with the season. :)

In New England, a touch of frost, a sprinkling of snow and the hint of spices in the air ... these are all hallmarks of the Advent season! Clove, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, citrus, apple and cranberry ... these are the "inside plants" we're exploring this week. As you see below, I brought out the mortar and pestle so the kids could try grinding some whole spices ...

I'll be perfectly honest, this activity lasted all of two minutes. Not that it didn't appeal wildly to the younger boys, but the whole "hitting things with a marble wand" was getting a little out of hand. (Straying from the bowl to the table, fingers, etc.) Still, it was a fun activity and the kitchen smelled really good. :)

Soon I'll be starting fruitcakes ...

... and we'll be filling small muslin bags with a mulling spice blend I purchased. These will be given as gifts along with fresh apples and pretty mugs. And speaking of pretty mugs ...

Isn't this cup lovely? It is a very generous size and the golden letters spell out PEACE ... with snowdrops and winter greenery all around. I can see myself using this all season ...

AND .... if you enter my Winter Comforts Basket giveaway ... you might be enjoying it too! This mug will be one of the goodies tucked inside that basket. :)

Before we go, let's talk books and planners for a moment ... two favorite subjects of mine! Here are some of the reads we're enjoying this week ... 

The bottom two are for the boys (still waiting on a few library requests to come in) and the rest are for me! :)

I'm taking some time this week to revisit one of my favorite author/illustrators, Tasha Tudor. I find such comfort and inspiration in her work - her children's books are family favorites - but I especially admire the way she lived her life. Not that we could all live quite as "off grid" as she did, but there is a lot to be said for "unplugging and slowing down" ... not just at Advent, but in any season. Forever Christmas was a gift from my dad many years ago, who bought this book in Tasha's home state of Vermont. I also absolutely love losing myself in the video, Take Peace: A Corgi Cottage Christmas. In this pile there is also a book of Christmas poems (a wonderful rec from my friend, Gill), my daily Advent read, and a fascinating little book about the folklore and tradition of Christmas plants.

I keep this pile of books stacked in a hopeful fashion beside my favorite reading chair ... I've been determined to find a little reading (and resting) time every day. :)

Late in the afternoon, with the sun heading for bed quite early, I took my cup of wassail to the library, so I might sit at my writing desk and get to work on our Christmas cards ...

Yes, I am just that selfish enough that I need not one, but two desks, lol! The one in the family room (where I am sitting at this very moment) is for my computer and file crate and bill basket, etc. The white window writing desk you see above I keep for ... well, writing! It feels just a little bit "Jane Austen" to sit down at this desk and pen a chatty bit of correspondence to a friend. In January I will share a more thorough post on this happy writing corner ... as I get my holiday thank-you notes in order!

Now in this "aerial" photo I spy two more small items that will pop up in that Winter Comforts Basket! A small tin of Trader Joe's body butter - just lovely for dry winter skin - and a small monthly purse planner (though in a different print than the one shown here). Fun little things to bring a smile to your winter days ...

Speaking of planners - parked here is my Day Designer and as I mentioned on Instagram last night, I don't usually do much with stickers and whatnot, but I found some very pretty ones at Paper Source this past week and I had to indulge. That washi tape especially is just SO so pretty. 

*❤*

Well my friends, I will wrap up for now, but I hope you enjoyed our time together, sharing another cup of Advent Tea! I have several friends lined up to share tea with you all again next week (every day at 4:00!) and then I will return again on Friday with another longer post. Next week our family's Advent theme is "Joy in the Woodland."

Remember, if you'd like to join us for Advent Tea please send me a picture (or pictures) of your favorite cup by email: drhanigan AT gmail DOT com. I'd love to hear about your cup and any other Advent thoughts you'd like to share! Your pictures will be featured in a daily teatime post and you will be entered in my Winter Comforts Basket giveaway. I'll announce a winner on New Year's Eve and send the basket out shortly after the new year begins. :)

For now though, I will wish you all a wonderful weekend and as always, I thank you sincerely for stopping by. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones ...

See you here again very soon!

A November Tea & Some Advent Thoughts!

Hello my friends and Happy Wednesday! Can you believe that a week from tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day? And a few days after that is The First Sunday in Advent? I know it's become cliche to say, but truly - time just flies when you're having fun - or wait, scratch that - time just flies period! 

I have a few things to share on this dark, damp, Novemberish day ... first, some tea, cake and cozy goodness, as seen above. :) In our seasonal homeschooling we focused on "dens and nests" last week (it's "autumn bog" this week) and one of the activities was to decide where our own winter nests will be this year. Several spots were discussed here and there throughout the house but I'm migrating back to the library because it's a warm room in the winter and plus, this is where our Christmas tree will be. We'll amble out there in a minute, but first let me show you the breads I made with my little guy this morning - or cakes as Little Bear calls them!

It's all about cranberries this week - which grow in the aforementioned bogs and are native to our region ... plus of course, a staple of the Thanksgiving holiday! And tomorrow being the feast of St. Elizabeth (patron of bakers) a cranberry-pumpkin bread sounded just right. Made with eggs from my hens, no less! I used my favorite mix-and-match quick bread recipe which makes two loaves - handy when you have a house full of hungry boys and young men!

In the background you see our colorful family "flock" - a paper turkey for each person joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. (I didn't cut these out, fyi - found a package of them at the art store!) These will be used for writing out a special kind of blessing come dessert time next Thursday ...

And now into the library where I have this lovely basket stuffed full of our favorite holiday stories:

And a few special books and pretty greeting cards on display ...

More books on the coffee table - our latest library crop. :) Nests, bogs, beavers, dens ... these are things we've been talking about lately!

But when I think about my own cozy nest, there is nothing I like better than a cup of tea by my side, a basket of books by my feet ...

... and a little one in my lap! 💛

But can we talk for a minute about how cute my new autumn tea mug is?

Found at HomeGoods for $3.99  - a generously-sized, wide-mouthed, solid mug ... perfect for a BIG cup of tea. Plus, how could I resist that face? :)

Now, some of my long-time readers might recognize this post as one of my "Teas" that I like to share every once in a while, especially at the holidays. So, yes ~ I will be returning to those Teas beginning this week! I'll sit down for another "Thanksgiving Tea" next week - in between pie-making and glass-washing - and then my Advent Teas will begin. More on all that soon, and how you can join me if you wish, but here's a link to last year's Advent Tea series if you'd like a look!

And speaking of Advent ...

As I recently "teased" on Facebook and Instagram, I am finally getting my Advent Planning sheets assembled and ready to share! I'm just tinkering with a few final edits and then tomorrow - or Friday at the VERY latest - I will have them up here at the blog in PDF form. I really enjoyed putting these together and I look forward to sharing them with you! I will also share in that post where I'm keeping them and how I'm using them - or will be. I'm really trying to keep focused on Thanksgiving for the time being, but I do like knowing my Advent season will be ready to roll once the last bit of turkey leftovers is gone!

So please stay tuned friends - expect another post in a day or so - and as always I thank you sincerely for joining me here today. I hope you too are having a nice week ...

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones and I will see you here again very soon!

Book Party: Marianna's Books & Nooks

Happy Friday, my friends! Who's ready for the (long, holiday) weekend? :)

I am so pleased to bring you another Book Party post today, and this one is from Marianna. But before we get to her lovely photos, I'd like to announce that I am extending the giveaway deadline to Monday, February 29th! (Winner to be announced March 1st!) I've heard from a few folks who'd like to participate but could use a little more time, and that is fine - boy, do I hear ya! ;) I truly would love to hear from more of you (I know we all would, because isn't this fun?), and all the Party details can be found here. Please send me your book love (thoughts, pictures, a link to your blog?) whenever it's convenient, here:

bysunandcandle AT gmail DOT com

*❤*

Now, let's hear from Marianna!

Books are a major part of my home. They are in pretty much every room! 

Main bookshelves. I love the way the light hits them in the afternoon. 

A little bookshelf at the end of a hallway. 

The kitchen shelf. 

Books in baskets. 

Books under lamps. 

Magazines! 

A basket for the coloring books! 

Library books stay on the coffee table. 

*❤*

I love all of your pictures, Marianna, but that first one - with the sunlight hitting all those shelves, is just beautiful! This is a perfect example of what I meant when I asked, how are we creating an atmosphere of joyful reading? By thinking about where we store and display our books, how we arrange them - in which materials and in what lighting - so as to only further increase our enjoyment ...  as well as to entice those around us to settle in and join us. I mean, I could (and pretty much do) put books in any room of the house, but there is something special about books that are organized into an especially inviting nook. And you have created several, Marianna!

My friends, this is such fun, seeing each other's book collections and cozy corners. I think one of the things I like best about these Book Party posts is that they connect us to each other in such a comforting and happy way. Our book pictures are so intimate - this is where we live and learn and let ourselves ... well, be ourselves! So when we get to peek into someone else's baskets and bookcases, it's just such a privilege. I feel as though we've been treated to a glimpse into a very personal part of each other ... so I thank each of you who have taken the time to share your books so far. And I hope more of you feel encouraged to do the same!

 Do you love books, too? Is reading a hobby you try to cultivate - for yourself and your children? How do you do that? Where do you do that? Would you tell us ... or perhaps show us in a future post?

All mail can be sent here - bysunandcandle AT gmail DOT com - and I will share your thoughts (however lengthy or brief) and pictures (as many as you care to send) in a future Book Party Post. :)

Speaking of, I have just taken a real slew of library pictures this week so my own Book Party post is coming up, too!

But for now, and as always, I thank you so much for stopping by ... enjoy your evening and do have a nice weekend. I will see you here again very soon!

Book Party: Kelly's Books & Nooks ...

Happy Wednesday, my friends! How's your week going so far? :)

I am so pleased to bring you our second Book Party post today! This one is from Kelly and she has lots of creative book spaces to show us, along with wonderful notes on how books play a part in her family's life. I do hope you'll join in our party - we're discussing how we share our love for reading with our families and create (convenient, interesting) spaces where our books may live alongside us. Or maybe you - like me - are in a state of disarray. Too many books and not enough space! However big or small - a few words, a couple of pictures, or something even more - all party "submissions" are welcome. :) 

Remember, I'm collecting Book Party contributions by comment box or email or a link to your blog - and everyone who participates will be entered in a little pre-spring giveaway. (And that sounds cryptic, I know - but I'm still collecting things for the package: a few pretty magazines, some note-paper, spring stickers, etc.!) A name will be drawn on Monday, February 15th so there is plenty of time to add your two cents on the beloved subject of books ...

You can reach me here:

bysunandcandle AT gmail DOT com

But enough from me ... now let's hear now from Kelly!

*❤*

Hi Dawn,

In our home, books are top priority. About three years ago, I became intentional about building up a large home library. I have it in the back of my mind that maybe some day I will have a homeschool lending library, but only God knows if or when that will happen. In the meantime, I love to provide great books for my boys, 10 and 7! 

We use all available wall space in our two main living spaces for bookshelves. All of the books are in a database - around 4,500 or so - and they are all labeled based loosely on the Dewey 100s.

I am in the process of adding special labels for some of the seasons and holidays, but I do keep our large collection of Advent/Christmas books in tubs. Even if I had the shelf space for them, I would keep them put away so they are a surprise for the season. :)

 

I am pretty picky about books for my kids; our collection allows them a lot of variety but I am able to make sure the books meet a certain standard. I have acquired most of these used and it has taken awhile! I am still adding books but at a much slower pace than the last few years. 

 I just created this area (below) over the weekend - the basket holds our seasonal books and the shelves hold beginning reader books (for easy access - my son put them there!) and our oversize atlases and coffee table books.

Below is my personal reading basket. I keep it on my desk during the day and try to grab snippets of reading time, even just a page or two! It then goes upstairs with me at night for reading before sleep. I am currently reading: The Mysteries of Life in Children’s Literature by Mitchell Kalpagian; The How-To Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel; Home Education Volume I by Charlotte Mason; and I just chose The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot for my next fiction read. I don’t read on the Kindle normally, but have found it to be a great way to read on the treadmill - I am reading G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy. (Behind the basket is our collection of Beatrix Potter tales - we are reading through them all in order!)

These are some of our current read-alouds and lesson books, kept on the mantle:

This cabinet houses lesson books read a bit less often, as well as some of my seasonal planning resources. The basket holds my boys’ daily individual lesson materials.

This bookshelf is under the counter in my kitchen! It holds my cookbooks and binders (in need of some re-organization), and many of my planning binders.

And these are some shelves in a cabinet next to my desk. They house some of my personal reading (when I get some extended time for study), my commonplace book and books awaiting entry. I also have an extensive collection of books about books (I just love booklists!).

 

Thank you for letting me share!

 Take care,

Kelly

*❤*

Thank YOU, Kelly, for sharing with us! I so enjoyed seeing all your books and how you organize your vast collection! I think it is wonderful how you have them all cataloged and that you may one day offer a lending library to your homeschooling community. What a terrific and generous service that would be!

I like how - and I try to do this, too - you have dedicated spaces for the many categories of reading resources. I think when one's book collection is quite large, it's easy to lose track of what books we actually own and what's being read - or unfortunately, overlooked. Too often I'll find a bunch of books stashed somewhere (in the basement, since our move) and there will be titles I wish I had pulled out sooner ... it would be a huge undertaking (as I'm sure Kelly knows) but I would love to index all our titles someday!

Kelly, this was such a wonderful tour of your home and the books you love - thank you for taking the time to put it together! Dear readers, I hope you will leave a comment if you have time ... do you have any questions for Kelly? Do you have some ideas or strategies to share? Please let us know in any of the ways described at the top of this post.

In the meantime, I will wish you all a very pleasant day and hope to see you here again very soon! I will be posting about our Lenten cross  (the purple post-its project) in another day or two. :)

Be well and blessed, my friends!

Book Party: Gill's Books & Nooks ...

Happy Monday, my friends! I am SO excited to kick off our Book Party today! This morning I have some pictures and thoughts to share from a lovely friend and longtime reader, Gill. I loved seeing how Gill has her books displayed in her home, and I know you will too! Such wonderful inspiration here ... Bill peeked over my shoulder as I was reading her email and said, "Would you like me to build some shelves like that?" I almost fainted, lol. We NEED more bookshelves, that is certain. Where to put them though ... ? That is the question.

Now, remember, Book Party is running all month and you can read all the details here. All submissions - thoughts, ideas, pics - are welcome, and will be included in my pre-spring giveaway ... so I hope you'll join us!

*From Gill*

Books ... How do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...

Books have travelled the world with me as essential companions and have been carefully inscribed with my name, date and place of abode upon acquisition. I have always bought fiction written in or about the place I am living if possible, and with the cookery books and nonfiction, my books tell the story of my life and of my family. Raising my children, I found that Charlotte Mason's "living books" added many volumes and filled gaps in my library. I liked Ambleside Online's suggested reading list.

Books I "need" - that would be my Desert Island books in addition to the Bible and the Complete works of Shakespeare- would be those that tell of everyday family life in a small community ... I seem to have several sets of the Anne of Green Gables series!

In our home there are books in every room! My husband has built bookcases for me in the schoolroom and in the hall that take most of the nonfiction and I have a special bookcase for seasonal/holiday books so that they are easy to find.

One day(!) I might find that I alphabetise my fiction, but I can generally put my hand on a book if I want it; mostly it is double shelved, jammed in, and lucky not to slide off a too tall pile! More and more I find that I purchase an ebook or even audio if it is a new "paperback" kind of novel, but I definitely prefer a vintage hardback for any other kind of book! 

The schoolroom is gradually becoming a sewing room for me now!

My eldest son is a book addict just like me, but as he is severely dyslexic we have done a huge amount of reading aloud and audio books together. (Boy was I told off 😉 for not getting the Harry Potter voices just like Stephen Fry's when he couldn't wait for the last epic book 7 to come out on audio! And goodness, have I struggled with Ancient Greek in Percy Jackson!)

My daughter has filled notebooks, and now data files, with her ideas for writing her own stories, and my 12 yr old son has finally taken off into reading and is now devouring books hungrily to seemingly catch up on the long years he resisted even listening to stories!

We (I) have just as much an addiction to magazines too, and the children have each enjoyed their own subscriptions, from My Big Backyard and Aquila to Donald Duck! Whatever would get them eagerly turning the pages!

So my children do seem to have absorbed my love of books. I make them part of our everyday life; whatever we are interested in, doing or learning about, I try to find books about it to extend the subject. At the moment I have out books on winter cookery in the kitchen, snow and winter wildlife on the nature table and a variety of bird books for the annual garden bird count this weekend. I am just starting to put out books for Shrove Tuesday and Lent, too. 

What am I reading this month?

A Redbird Christmas by Fanny Farmer, the Thrush Green books by Miss Read, The Edwardian Lady (a biography of Edith Holden) by Ina Taylor, The Dawkins Letters by David Robertson, In the Palace of the Khans by Peter Dickinson, Acts and Omissions by Catherine Fox and the Collected poems of Rupert Brooke.

And here is the waiting pile for next month!

Happy Reading 😀
Gill

*❤*

What an absolutely wonderful, cozy, and joyful atmosphere you have in your home, Gill! I could pore over each photo (and have done so) to see all the lovely details. I agree so much with what you said about making books an extension of our everyday life - setting apart those books that reflect the current season or domestic "goings on." I also enjoyed hearing about how your children each followed their own path to love reading as well as the books you yourself enjoy most!

I spent a good amount of time in our own library yesterday, attempting to clean out and reorganize bookshelves. It will not be a quick job, I'm thinking - as I took books out and made tidy (ish) piles all about me, the younger boys kept diving in to check things out. But that's a good thing I suppose - there was a definite atmosphere of "excitement" about the project and I hope they are equally eager to delve in once I get them arranged as I'd like them. 

But the bottom line seems to be that we do actually need more shelves. I have so many books still in tubs down in the basement and though I think cycling books in and out of rotation is a good idea, it seems that is a task that does not happen often enough. Children grow so fast and windows of opportunity - when books are just the right size/shape/subject - open and close so fast!

Well my friends, I hope you enjoyed this first Book Party post! Many thanks to Gill for taking the time to show us how she enjoys books in her home ... I can't wait to take some of these ideas and run with them in my own home!

Remember, if you'd like to join in the Book Party fun, please send me an email at your earliest convenience:

bysunandcandle AT gmail DOT com

And thanks so much for stopping by everyone, I will see you here tomorrow with a Downton Abbey recap - I did not catch the episode last night but will plan to do so tonight, for sure. (I'm getting spoiled on Facebook, I'm afraid!)

See you all again very soon ...

A Tour of our "Library"

Good Friday morning, my friends! And cheers to the weekend ahead!

Today I'd like to show you around my favorite room in the house - our living room, or what we now affectionately call the "library." This is where we gather to read (or type as I am at this moment) and it's also where I showcase our children's books. It's a sunny, "roomy" room, and we all seem to migrate here throughout the day to work on this and that, or just sit around and chat.

So it's taken some time, but I now have it set up to my liking - with a lot of (though certainly not all our) books, my desk and the kids' computer, as well as the baby's "stuff," because this is also Little Bear's main playroom. Not quite the "formal" room I originally envisioned, but then, our life isn't very formal these days anyway!

So, starting off at the doorway (entering from the foyer) ...

One of my favorite things about this room is that big picture window - my "window on the world" as it were. (It faces the front yard.) It would be a great spot for displaying picture books, except that the cats like to sit up here (birds rest in the shrubbery below) and I got tired of picking up all those felled books. Also, I find it's a nice spot for parking my laptop and planner/journal, folder, magazine etc. through the day. I can peruse it all when I have a moment to stop as I walk by with a baby on my hip. :)

Straight ahead is the liturgical bookshelf, which I showed you in an earlier post, but here are two new touches ...

 

A sheer embroidered valance, in a lovely Lenten hue ...

... and holy cards for this month's devotion (St. Joseph).

Now, just about everywhere I can fit them, I have books on display ...

 This is an unfinished console table which will - now that it has a home - be painted a soft white this spring. It has some larger hardcovers displayed on top - illustrated by favorite authors like Tasha Tudor, Will Moses, and Charles Wysocki. And beneath the table are a couple of newer baskets I purchased at HomeGoods (around $15 each) holding seasonal collections ...

March books up front, of course.

(Most of these titles you can find listed along my blog's sidebars.)

Now, this is the coffee table that stands in front of the red-checked loveseat seen above, but I fear this picture is a bit misleading ...

Because I no longer display magazines here on this table, as much as I love to! I relish my magazines truly (they're my weakness, as you know), but so does Little Bear. He loves to cruise around the edge of this table and whatever is in his reach quickly becomes baby "fist fodder." So the magazines have been moved out-of-reach ...

Here's the back wall of the room ...

(And there's Bookworm home on spring break!)

My favorite seasonal poetry books line this wall ...

 The thin edge of the wainscoating bordering the room is very convenient for displaying books!

A small table wedged between the chair and loveseat holds various necessities - tissues, lamp, led candle, kitty portrait, hot drink, baby monitor and, of course ... more books. Beneath the monitor are Little Bear's favorite board books of the moment.

A couple of baskets for blankets and colorful books, and a roomy tote bag for miscellaneous toys.

In the far corner of the room ... a playpen, another bookcase with "mama's" books (housekeeping, cookbooks, seasonal idea books, etc.), and that pretty rocker I told you about last week.

I love, love, love the light this room gets. Such a bright, happy spot for floor play.

 

Old-fashioned, softly drawn picture books to peruse together ...

A few hardcovers I especially adore ... books that must be shared with mama (or daddy). The top book though, First Meals, I am currently re-reading since Little Bear has moved into finger foods. :) 

 

More special board books, more favorite authors: Gyo Fujikawa, Sibylle von Olfers and Eloise Wilkin ... 

My "Mama" bookcase holds my favorite non-fiction books. I love to revisit them when I can - for information, ideas and inspiration!

The swing, parked beneath a sunny window. Truth be told, LB is outgrowing this already. He's just too "busy" these days to hang out in a swing very long. The braided rug beneath was made by Bill's grandmother, and you can see along the wall to the right of the window there are some more loverly books ... a great big hardcover all about the world of Peter Rabbit  as well as my Flower Fairies collection and a few more Tasha Tudor books ...

You know, even when I don't have time to read (and that's true a lot these days) it does my soul good to be surrounded by books we treasure. And I think (hope) it sends a good message to my children ... books are important, they are to be valued and included in our everyday life.

The curtains, by the way - or maybe they're drapes, I'm not sure - were left here by the previous owners which was very generous. I just love them, but I have no idea how to care for them - they're kind of silky/satiny in texture? - and I would never have picked them out on my own. But I'm very glad to have them. :)

Remember my white desk from the old house? Well, here it is!

The computer actually belongs to the kids - or I guess I should say, Crackerjack since Bookworm is off at BC, and Earlybird has his own iPad. I never really sit down at this desk anyway - I'm more apt to work in a comfortable chair - though I do have it outfitted with my special things ...

A framed picture of our boys (our Christmas card from last year), with a jaunty wooden dragon standing beside. My boys have loved dragons since they were little ...

My basket of notecards and whatnot ... ribbons, stickers, etc.

Page-a-day calendars, mugs full of pencils and pens ... and of course, all kinds of books! I like to change the assortment here to reflect the current season/color of the month. Green-blue-aqua are the shades right now.

And of course, I have my file crate parked in this spot!

  

I love this little sign, a gift from Bill's mom ... it's so very true! The vintage paper in the lower lefthand corner is my homemade lesson planner - a very simple collection of spiral-bound sheets with a pretty cover.

Another row of books - they line every wall (just about)! 

 

And here's the hearth wall, another spot for seasonal decor. Right now I have a rustic vase filled with pussy willows, a little pot of shamrocks ...

... a  new "vintage-looking" sign ...

We love birch trees and the logs you see in the fireplace as well as on the mantel were from the river-wood by our old home. Years ago Bill found a fallen birch and collected some of the logs. The saw clock was painted by my late grandfather ...

And of course I have my pinecone tea set here in this room! Currently it set upon a handpainted tray which is resting on an ottoman beside the fireplace. I love how it looks here, but I fear it is not going to be here much longer, because this guy ...

... this little fella is starting to cruise around, and boy does he make a bee-line for that tea set!

:)

Ok, well we're finally done with the tour ... sorry it got so long! As you can probably tell, I do enjoy spending time in this room very much. In fact, as I finish this post I am sitting on the very rug pictured above - laptop in lap, baby by my side. He's itching for a change of venue however, so I must be off ...

But thanks so much for stopping by and joining me in my "library." I do hope you'll come again! In fact, I am planning to host a Spring Tea here later this month, so please keep your eyes peeled for your invitation!

And have yourselves a lovely Friday! See you here again very soon ...