Shoe Problems of A Girl Mom~ HELP Needed!

I still consider myself really new to this girl mom thing.  I have NO clue what I'm doing and I'm just taking life a couple days at a time.  Right after Ellis was born I mentioned that I had issues figuring out how to store all of the precious little girl clothes in sets where I could see them all together.  If you're like me, and you can't see it, then you forget it, and never wear it.  No good! I wanted her to wear every single cute outfit, so I figured it out!
Then I mentioned something about all of these pretty bows that of course we have to have, but how do you store them in a way that you can see all that you have. 
Then....I figured the bow thing out.
HOWEVER, I have yet to figure out the shoes, & I need your help.  Lady Ellis has more shoes than the queen.  How do I store them so I can see them? How do I store them without stacking them?  So I'm looking for your help and feedback.  Help this new-girl mama out!  This is what I've got going on right now.....and it doesn't work!
Look they're just stacked on each other!  And there isn't any room for more shoes, and we all know that they're going to be more shoes.  Look at this sweet face, she needs help with her shoes.  Give us some tips!!!

Books for Conversation about Character

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: there is no such thing as too many books.  Our collection of books is continually expanding because I'm always on the lookout for new stories to read with my babies.  I love that we can use stories not only for entertainment & teaching a love for learning, but also to promote conversation about character.

Today I want to share with you my favorite books (right now) that promote conversation about character.  While I've read these books to my littles I've also read them in the classroom, at all ages from elementary to graduate students.  I think there is something so simple & sweet about a children's book that can touch the hearts of even exhausted graduate students.  These books discuss faith, selflessness, work ethic, individuality, failure, servant-hearted love, creativity, love, and so many more topics.  

I Wish You More

Hope for the Flowers

Ish

The Dot

The Most Magnificent Thing

The Giving Tree

The Wonderful Things You Will Be

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

What Do You Do With A Problem?

What Do You Do With An Idea?

Not shown, Oh The Places You'll Go

Not shown, but would be silly of me not to include, The Bible

Now I know that this is really a short list of books, so now it's your turn!  Tell me what books are you reading with your littles to help spark conversations about character? I can always make room for more books, so send me some titles to order!

Summer Scents

I don't know what it is about summer, but as soon as May rolls around I am all about citrus scents.  They are just so refreshing & clean. Anyone else? These scents, and flavors, are really my go-to this time of year.  Today I'm sharing some of my favorite things with you lately, and the majority of them are citrus!


1. The Honest Company- Sweet Orange Vanilla- I originally bought this scent in a hair detangler for Dutch.  But I started to love the smell and when I saw it in the lotion I had to get myself some.  I'm pretty picky with scents, because if they're too over powering they give me a headache.  But this lotion smells so good and is perfectly subtle and balanced.

2. Citrus Essential Oils & Lip Balm- Y'all already know how I feel about essential oils (borderline obsessed just to catch you up if you're new around here).  I've been diffusing tangerine, lime, & bergamont for weeks and I can't see myself stopping anytime soon.  If you come to my house at any point this summer I guarantee it will smell like this.  I'm also loving this grapefruit lip balm.....it's perfection in every way a lip balm can be.

3. Natural Soy Wax Candles- This candle is my FAVORITE and Anthropologie doesn't make it anymore (here is their similar one this season), so I have rationed it off like a full-blown hoarder.  I love burning it in the kitchen in the summer after dinner to clear the air.  It smells soooo good!

4. Wooden Comb- Okay, yes this is not citrus, but I love it anyway & wanted to share it with you.  I haven't used a brush on my hair since high school.....(over 15 years actually now that I'm doing the math & feeling incredible old).  I use this wide tooth comb and I just love it.  It's gentle on my hair and prevents the damaging effects from a hair brush.

5. Meyer's Honeysuckle Soap- This is something else I hoard.  I keep this honeysuckle hand soap next to the sink in the kitchen.  Not only does it smell light & refreshing, but it also helps to remove smells from your hands, especially after cooking.  You know like a fish smell or something like that.

Okay, so those are my favorite citrus summer products right now.  PLEASE, tell me, what are you favorites?! I know you have some; share with me!!!!

Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer~ I was not compensated for this review, I just really like these products.

Barley & Kale Salad with Chicken

This recipe is my back-up!  I tend to forget about dinner sometimes, and when I do, this is my go-to meal.  I know that I always have these ingredients in the kitchen and I can throw this together really quickly for a fast & healthy dinner.  I'm honestly so addicted to how refreshing this salad is.  Try out this baby and tell me what you think.Ingredients:

1/2 barley, Italian farro, & kamut wheat mix (if you can't find this, a pearl barley is a great substitute)

1 lb chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces

sea salt & ground pepper, to taste

1-2 tbs bacon fat

3-4 cups kale leaves with the stems removed, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup feta, crumbled,

15 oz can chick peas, rinsed & drained

1 avocado, cubed

1/4 cup red onion, diced finely

Lemon Vinaigrette salad dressing 

Directions:

1. Cook barley mix according to package instructions.  While that barley is cooking, season chicken with sea salt & pepper and sauté in a heated skillet (I always use cast iron) until browned.

2. Toss together remaining ingredients with the lemon vinaigrette dressing, and then top with cooled barley and chicken.

3. Enjoy!

New Page!

Last Friday I launched my new blog face. From what I hear, y'all like the new LWTH design just as much as I do!  Thank you for the awesome feedback!
One of the new features I launched on Friday was a new school tab at the top.

My focus is more than just basic morality & earthly success.  Those things just aren't enough. Instead, my main focus is spiritual depth & God's purpose (2 Peter 1:12-15).  I use education as a medium to teach the most important things (characteristics I focus on) . 
I don't have one philosophy for teaching.  I have many.  Since each child is different, I tailor a lesson & use what works for each child.  And just because one teaching style might work well for a child doesn't mean that it will always be that way.  As the child grows, so might their style of learning.  So I'm not just a worksheets teacher, or Charlotte Mason, or Classical, or Montessori (though a lot of the Montessori techniques work for my kids really well right now). I'm eclectic.  So what you will find under the school tab will be an eclectic collection of lessons & activities that we're doing in our home, & hopefully you can incorporate some of these activities into your own home classroom with your own littles.
If you haven't perused through the new tab, please take a scroll.  If there is something that you're working on with your littles, please share with me!  I have much to learn!

Little Peep's Third Birthday

I don't know how we got here.  I don't know where time goes, but my Dutchie Boy, Little Peep, is about to turn THREE in a few weeks. Say what??!?! I know, I know, it seems like he was just born... and I think he was lol, but these years have flown by. His first year was so much fun as I was learning how to be a mom, and then the second year he just took of physically and cognitively and became a big brother.  This little boy keeps me on my toes and keeps me learning & laughing every day.  For the past two years we have hosted a party for him (First birthday Honey Bee & Second birthday Mickey Mouse), but this year we're going to take a more quiet and intimate approach without a party.  We're just going to do the things he loves and eat the things he likes to eat.  There will probably be a little beach day trip in there, some fishing and ice hockey, and definitely some birthday cake, but it will be quiet and just with our immediate family.  Mama, daddy, & little sister have already wrapped some gifts for him to open and I can't wait for present time!  Let me share with you what he will be getting this year for his birthday, but shhhhhhhhhh don't tell him!1. Three-in-One Wooden Easel- Get it?! He's turning 3 and getting a 3 in 1 easel??!?!?! hahaha j/k  I'm a nerd!  Anyways, I cannot wait to use this in our school time.  Maybe this gift is for me? It is a nice table-top size easel that folds up which I think is a great space feature.  It has a dry erase board, chalk board, & magnetic board for artwork.  It comes with dry-erase markers, magnets, chalk, a chalk holder, eraser, & a ruler.  I can see us getting a lot of great use out of this.  In all honesty, I've been having the hardest time saving this for his birthday.  I've never been really good at waiting for things, especially gifts!

2. Wooden Register- As you know, we've been learning all about numbers this spring & the obvious next step is math, I thought this cash register would be a playful way to start talking about addition, subtraction, money, as well as all of the life skills that come with saving, paying, and stewardship.  You know I only like wooden toys so that was one of the main attractions to this register, but I also like this one because of the wooden register options, this one came with the play money and the little "scanner".  We've already got plenty of wooden food (this set & this set) that he will be able to "buy", so I think that this register will make learning even more fun.

3. Safety Scissors- Dutch hasn't discovered scissors yet.  This totally shocks me.  I don't know how we've been so effective at hiding them for this long.  This semester we've worked on tracing with writing utensils, but I think adding the skill of following a line while learning to cut will be fun.  These scissors only cut paper; and it's true because I tried to cut other things around the house, including my own hair!

4. Wooden Doctor Kit- I got this kit for him back in February when I wrote a unit on the human body for our homeschool (which I will share here soon, with lots of freebies!)  We've started going through that unit and I think he will like this hand-on application for learning about the body and how to care for it in a healthy manner.

I think he's going to really enjoy these gifts (I know I will hehe). 

What other gifts would you recommend for this mama of an almost THREE year old? 

  Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer: I was not paid by any of the companies mentioned, I just really like these products.  If someone wants to pay me though? I'd gladly accept the funding ;-)

Snack Time Counting {FREE Download}

It never fails: at some point during school, Dutch will insist that he is hungry.  How can he be "starving"?! He literally just had breakfast!  I don't like to stop the momentum so I have started working snacks into our curriculum with numbers this spring.  It's been a great way to incorporate learning into meal time also.  I made these number cards and have them FREE for you today!  Let me tell you about how we've been using them!

HERE are some super simple number cards.  These cards go from 1-10, but if anyone is interested in higher numbers, just let me know and I will add them for you.  All I did was print the cards, mount them onto card stock and then laminated the cards.  But honestly, you really can just print them out and throw them away if they get dirty from snack time.  We count our snacks by covering all of the circles, and even do different basic addition and subtraction with these cards.

Since I laminated mine, I have been finding ways to reuse the cards in creative ways, like fine motor skills with beads, cubes with tweezers, pom poms with a scooper, and bears with tongs.  If you remember my sticker activity from earlier this spring (here) you could also write numbers on circle office sticks and get your child to match colors or numbers.

Isn't this a fun and easy activity to have with snack?! 

Please download these FREE cards and use them with your toddler!

Do YOU have snack time activities that you do with your toddler?! Please share with me! 

I'm sure my snack-time-craving toddler would love it! :-)

I Honor You

As I scroll through Facebook today, I am overwhelmed with emotion and the tears stream down my cheeks.  To see so many pictures of beautiful & loving families fills my heart with joy, but it also makes my heart ache, as I know for so many, Mother’s Day is so very painful.  So, 

-To the mamas with their arms full, with boogers in their hair & food wiped on their pants from their kids.... I honor you (and send you lots of coffee)!

-To the mamas who are feeling those little jabs in your tummy for the first time, and you smile so big your face hurts, your giddiness is infectious.  I honor you!

-To the mamas with babies in heaven, you are important and valued and loved. You ARE a mother! I honor you!

-To the mamas who ache for their womb to be filled, you have purpose and are beautiful and full. I honor you!

-To the mamas overcome & consumed with trauma, you are precious & even though you feel broken, you are treasured. I honor you!

-To the mamas who no longer have their mothers on earth, you are sad because what you once had was epic and you miss it, but those former days left you with a great legacy. I honor you!

-To those that are estranged from their mothers, maybe you will reconnect with your own mother one day & maybe you won’t, but you and your struggle are weighty & significant. Your perseverance speaks volumes about your character.  I honor you!

-To the exhausted single mothers, I am amazed at your commitment and giant cups of overflowing love. I honor you!

Basically, if you’re a woman reading this today.  I honor you because you are a precious treasure. I love you!

Something is Different!

Notice anything a little different around here ;-) Check out the new LWTH look!  What do you think?!  Just for a refresher, this is what this blog space of mine looked like just a few days ago

Looks a little different doesn't it?!?  LWTH has had many looks since 2009 when I started blogging, but the above was the look LWTH had from 2014-2017.  In those 3 years I had two babies and just like all of us, LWTH needed to continue evolving with me.  I think this new look speaks to my personality right now perfectly.  Aside from the cosmetic upgrades, you'll notice that the navigation bar at the top is different. Some previous tabs have been removed and some are new.  There has been a lot of reorganization to help you locate previous posts by topics (e.g. motherhood, family building, school activities, recipes, etc.)

While things look different or are located in new places to reflect my style at this time, some things are still the SAME!  It is still me sitting behind this computer in my jammies chugging coffee writing these posts.  I will continue to document our life and what we're doing.  This will remain an income-free faith-based blog, with a genuine and authentic voice.

Now this new look, I CAN NOT take credit for.  No way!  

Angelina at Sky and Stars was ah-maz-ing!!!  No, I change my mind...... she's epic!  She took all of the thoughts and ideas I had rolling around in my brain & made it into a masterpiece.  She's brilliant!  Every time I would email her, there were 5-8 things I couldn't figure out or I wanted in a different way (even though I couldn't even express what I wanted), and she would quickly create an idea or change something I didn't even know I wanted.  She was fast, creative, reliable, friendly, and NEVER complained about my ba-zillion questions.  Please go to Angelina's shop & check out all of her templates.  Angelina is quite accomplished with many designs to choose from OR you could choose to work with her for a custom design, like I did.  Trust me it is worth it!  I was SOOOO nervous and I felt like Angelina held my hand the entire process and made this transition seamless and pain-free! Go check out her work!  Thank you Angelina!!! I love the new face of LWTH!

Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer~ I, in no way, was compensated for this review.  In fact, I paid for the services and I absolutely LOVE the brilliant SkyandStars.  I just really like this shop and think everyone should know about it too!

Honestly Hawley {April 2017}

Did you see the date?!?! I'm so proud of myself! It's not the end of the next month before I publish this post! Wahoo! It IS possible for me to be on time (thought very rare hahahahahahaha).  And I'm just going to warn you, April was Easter AND Aunt Nana came to visit for a couple weeks........sooooooo it was a pretty photo-heavy month.  This is not an apology, but a definite warning lol

Here are the honest, unedited, unscripted
scenes of our April life :-)
2016: June ~ July ~ August ~ September ~ October ~ November ~ December
2017: January ~ February ~ March