Vintage Diaper-Changing Station

  And yet another example of why I love to decorate with junk…..

Technical Difficulties

I just wanted to let my readers know that I’m experiencing technical difficulties with many links in my posts.  Please bear with me as I remedy the situation…so sorry for the inconvenience!

DIY Pallet Shelf

I love to decorate with junk.  I love to repurpose unique materials.  I love to add texture to my rooms.  I love to add storage to my rooms.  And I love me a good bargain!

In my efforts to make our playroom/all-purpose room/room where we spend 75% of our day more space-efficient, asthetically pleasing and functional, I came across this idea and instantly knew I’d found just what I needed for a certain space in that room.  Two spaces, to be exact.

Favorite Thanksgiving Poems, Hymns & Scriptures

Here are some gems for the Thanksgiving season (warning: lengthy list to follow!):

LIGHTHEARTED COLLECTIONS 

It’s Thanksgiving  (Jack Prelutsky)

NOTE:  We have this older version and I like the illustrations much better than the new I Can Read version.

Jack Prelutsky is one of our all-time favorite children’s poets.  Maybe one day I’ll do a post on our favorite Prelutsky poems….This collection of Thanksgiving poems is very light-hearted and humorous, in typical JP style.

Claude Moore Park in Sterling, VA (plus naturalist-recommended wildflower guides)

This park is a bit of a trek for us, but our visit was well worth the drive.  

What a treasure!  They have a fabulous visitor’s center, with wonderful resources for kids (and their parents).  The trails are plentiful and well-marked, with a variety of lengths from which to choose.  I highly recommend Claude Moore Park for kids and families of all ages!

And if your family is in the market for a great wildflower guide, read on for expert recommendations from a CMP naturalist.

National Collection Week: Operation Christmas Child

Did you miss this post: Are Your Boxes Packed?  Operation Christmas Child?  It’s not too late to get involved!

Favorite Thanksgiving Stories for Children

Don’t you just love this time of year?  The weather is getting colder (well, for some of us) and thoughts are turning to warm sweaters, cozy fireplaces and family traditions.

Here at the Yankee Homestead, we love to celebrate each new season and holiday with a collection of our favorite stories, poems and songs*.  Below are some of our favorite picks for Thanksgiving.

*Find the poems and songs here: Favorite Thanksgiving Poems, Hymns & Scriptures

Singing in the Shadow of His Wings: Truths to cling to during trial and tragedy

At 2:15 in the morning on November 3rd, I underwent emergency surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy.

The night started out with a date at one of our favorite restaurants.  Mr. Native Texan had returned from a long business trip and we were eager to catch up, as well as to give me a break from my solo duties in his absence.

Before our food ever reached the table, I was in the lobby trying desperately not to black out.  We took our food to go and headed for the ER.  After many hours, tests and exams, an ectopic pregnancy was diagnosed and I was whisked away to surgery.

Favorite Halloween Picture Books (2-8 yrs)

As I mentioned in this post, we don’t make a big deal about Halloween here at the Yankee Homestead.  When the kids get a bit older, I’d like to explore the holiday’s history, but for now we just carve pumpkins in October and dress up on Halloween night.

Are Your Boxes Packed? Operation Christmas Child

Some people start listening to Christmas music in October.  Personally, I prefer to wait until the day after Thanksgiving.  One holiday at a time, please.

But there is one Christmas activity that begins early here at the Yankee Homestead.  Every year around mid-October, we begin packing our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes for Samaritan’s Purse.

Frankly, I often feel overwhelmed by the staggering injustices and hardships suffered by millions of people around the globe, while we rest easy here in the U-S-of-A.  There are so many things I could do, but I can’t do them all and I probably don’t do nearly as much as I should.  But I can do something, and this is one of those things.