January highlights from a homeschool mom of seven. See what we have been up to, what we are enjoying and some favorites for the month including curriculum, books, podcasts, products, recipes and more!
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January is my birthday month so when our adult daughter said she was coming for a visit, my husband made arrangements for us to take a 5 day trip to the mountains to enjoy the snow. What a blessing it was for my husband and I to have all seven children under one roof. We are still enjoying our cozy cabin in the mountains as I type up this blog post.
Homeschool Highlights
In January, my kids and I continued to study the books of the Bible using the Books of the Bible Flashcards from Answers in Genesis. My younger ones have enjoyed coloring the corresponding coloring pages that you can download for free or purchase as a coloring book.
Another homeschool highlight for this month is the new Structure and Style for Students from IEW. My 4th and 6th graders have been using SSS 1A (Level A Year 1) for several months now with great success. So, I went ahead and purchased SSS 1B and SSS 1C for my 8th and 10th graders. They have been enjoying Andrew Pudewa’s teaching style and sense of humor.
I also switched a child over to Horizon math recently. You all know how much I love Math-U-See and BJU Press math but what I love isn’t always what my kids need. One of my children needed extra help in some of the foundational math skills so we switched to Horizon math to solidify some of those skills before we continue on with what we were previously using.
What I’ve Been Reading in January
I got through quite a few books this month but my favorite was, Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. I shared some of my takeaways from the book over on Instagram and uploaded them to YouTube as well.
I’ve also been reading several mini-books from the LifeLine series by Shepherd Press. I love that these books offer Christ-centered solutions to problems that many of us (or our loved ones) face.
I am currently reading, Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes. I figure that the beginning of a new year is a good time to establish habits and disciplines that honor God and help me grow in my walk with the Lord.
January Favorites
My favorite podcast episode for the month of January was “America’s Downward Spiral: What Should You Say to Your Kids?” from Natasha Crain’s new podcast! It’s full of great insight and practical examples of how to talk to our kids about the state of the world.
There are two beauty products that I am loving this month. The first one is this mascara. I’ve been on a search for a good mascara for years. I finally found one that thickens and lengthens my lashes while staying put all day without any smudging or flaking. It’s my go-to mascara these days.
Last winter, I had really dry, itchy, painful skin. That’s not the case this winter! I’ve been using Emulate facial moisturizer every morning and night and it has kept my skin moisturized and hasn’t caused any irritation (which often happens with other moisturizers and creams).
And finally, a product that I am loving this month is this neck and back massager that my husband got me for Christmas. I was having so much tension in my neck and upper back towards the end of the year. I’ve been using this massager daily and it has done wonders to relieve the tension in my neck and back.
Recipes We Enjoyed in January
I’ve been enjoying a dairy-free cup of hot chocolate almost every day this month. It’s just one cup of dairy-free milk (I use coconut milk or rice milk), 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a dash of vanilla. I usually heat a cup of DF milk in the microwave then mix in the rest of the ingredients. It’s my favorite drink on a cold day.
We must be in a chocolate fix this month because we’ve also been making chocolate pudding and chocolate pie. Here’s the quick and easy chocolate pudding recipe that we use. It’s a winner in our family because it is dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free.
My oldest daughter made my favorite chocolate pie for us while she was here. She just doubles this pudding recipe and swaps out the arrowroot powder for cornstarch (although arrowroot works fine as well). Then we put it in a gluten-free graham cracker crust. Delicious!
Games, Games and More Games!
January has been a month full of games for my family. We always love playing games together and this month was no exception. Here are some of the games we enjoyed this month.
- Catan
- Ticket to Ride
- Clue
- Concept
- Code Names
- Play Nine
- Apples to Apples Junior
- Uno
- Outfoxed (Great for little ones!)
- Sequence for Kids (Another good one for young kids.)
Those are our January highlights. What have you and your family been up to lately?
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