• Home
  • Subscribe
Our Life in the Shire

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Homeschool
  • Amazon Favorites
  • Recipes
    • Allergy Friendly
    • Desserts
    • Freezer Cooking
    • Soups & Stews
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Freebies
  • Subscribe
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Homeschool
  • Amazon Favorites
  • Recipes
    • Allergy Friendly
    • Desserts
    • Freezer Cooking
    • Soups & Stews
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Freebies
  • Subscribe
  • Allergy Friendly,  Desserts,  Recipes

    Gluten and Dairy Free Soft Pumpkin Cookies

    With it being Fall, pumpkin season is in full swing here! I’ve made a few different pumpkin cookies recipes, and these are definitely my favorite! They are really soft with just the right amount of spice. Many people make their own gluten free all purpose flour mix, and I have in the past as well. But lately my go-to gluten free flour is Pamela’s brand. I think it tastes great and bakes well. My husband (who is not gluten free) often says “Wow! These are gluten free?” when I present him with baked treats. You do need to carefully measure your gluten free flour using the scoop and level method.…

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    Gluten Free Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli Soup

    Gluten Free Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli Soup

    September 2, 2019

    Spring Nature Books for Kids (and Parents too!)

    April 9, 2021
    Summer Nature Related Bible Verses

    Summer Nature Related Bible Memory Verses

    September 7, 2020

@instagram

View
Open
How do people who live in hot climates ever go outside? It is way too hot to be outside in the afternoons this week. Even to play in water it’s a nope. I love the sunshine, but I’ll take sunshine with a side of temps in the 70’s please :D We’ve moved into the 100’s this week, and that is just not appropriate for this pacific northwest girl here. Give me all your survive the hot weather tips! * * * * * #homeschoollife #homeschooldays #slowandsimpledays #hyggehomeschool #homeeducation #charlottemason #homeschoolfamily #welleducatedheart #morningbasket #poetryteatime #charlottemasoneducation #enchantededucation #homeschooling #homeschool #fromtheheart #charlottemasonhomeschool #bedeeplyrooted #charlottemasonliving #slowchildhood
29 13
View
Open
Swipe to see our favorite easy readers for kids! I shared in my stories recently that my 12yo daughter (who has Down syndrome) loves to read, and these are some of her favorite books! She’s a good reader, and can read almost anything. Comprehension often doesn’t match her ability to read the words on the page, so easier readers are perfect. We do have “stretch” books, but when she’s reading for fun (which is often!) these are the books she reaches for time and again. You can see some of them are well-loved :) They are great for narration practice too. I love them because they are high quality, not twaddle, and actually enjoyable for me as well. I’ve added a link to these books on my profile, and I’ll list them below: -Owl at Home -Uncle Elephant -Mouse Tales -Mouse Soup -Any Frog and Toad book (or really anything by Arnold Lobel!) -Any of the Little Bear books -Any of the Mr. Putter and Tabby books (you can see she has quite a collection! Super sweet series about an elderly man and his cat.) -Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (Great author, we have some of his other books too. This one is on the younger side, but I couldn’t leave it out of the lineup of her favorite books!) -Amelia Bedelia (I grew up on Amelia Bedelia, and introduced them to my kids. They all think these books are hilarious, and I love when my daughter is reading and stops to give me an incredulous look at the funny misunderstandings.) -The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr (A sweet story about a pioneer girl and her chicken, as they travel west. I don’t know why this one resonated with her, but for whatever reason it was her most favorite book for a while!) -Clara and the Bookwagon by Nancy Smiler Levinson (Based on the true story of America’s first “bookmobile.” My book-loving girl loves this one!) I hope this list has been helpful. What would you add to our list? Michelle @ourlifeintheshire #charlottemason #kidsbookstagram #picturebooks #booksforkids #raisingreaders #childhoodunplugged #readtoyourkids #childrensbooks #bookish #bookstagram #kidlitshelfie #shelfiesunday #kidsbookswelove
32 8
View
Open
** 2024-2025 Curriculum Planning and Picks ** I’m really excited about our next homeschool year! This will be our third year with @the.cmec, and we’ll be following their recommendations almost exclusively. My girls are both technically Form 2A Upper (6th grade) but as you probably know, my 12 year old has Down syndrome, so she’s on her own path. Part of a Charlotte Mason education means respecting the unique personhood of each child. In a lot of ways she is developmentally and academically much younger. In other areas she is ready for more. So, we’ll be doing a modified Form 1B for her. And my youngest will be doing Form 2A. After I decided where I was placing each of my daughters, and what we’d be combining, I created a rough draft of a timetable. (Always the hardest part!) Then I created a spreadsheet overview for the year, with goals for each subject per term. Most of these goals are taken directly from the CMEC programs. (If anyone would like a blank template of the google sheet I created for our overview, let me know in the comments and/or DM me! I’m happy to share!) Over the summer I’ll spend time pre-reading. I won’t pre-read everything in advance. I prioritize books my younger daughter will read independently, as well as anything that I know will require more advance preparation. I’ll also create basic forecasts for each week. That said, these will be very simple forecasts of what I THINK we’ll be able to accomplish each week. I will NOT create detailed lesson plans or rigid goals. I will use my logbook as we go along, to record what we accomplish, and plan week to week for what reading comes next. I started my homeschool journey many years ago as a homeschooled student, and then later with my son. So this definitely isn’t my first rodeo, and yet there’s always more to learn. We have homeschooled the girls from the beginning, so we are going into their 7th year! Time flies! In the upcoming weeks, I hope to share a more detailed breakdown of each subject. Let me know if you have any questionsl! Michelle @ourlifeintheshire #livingeducation #charlottemasoneducation #cmhomeschool #cmecsummerprep #charlottemason #thecmec
58 26
View
Open
Real talk - my girls and I long for more community. I struggle because I’m an introvert so I like the idea of more community, but it’s also draining. It’s also challenging for other reasons. Because my 12yo is developmentally years younger, it’s really, really hard to place her. Not to mention she needs a 1:1 at all times, for safety and just to help her to integrate and follow along. I am always happy (and probably best qualified) to be her helper, but that means I can’t participate in leading or assisting a co-op class. I hesitate to share our struggles here because I don’t want anyone to misunderstand my heart for my daughter. I would not change her (though I would perhaps make things a little easier for her if I could.) She is a joy to everyone she meets, and I truly consider our family blessed. That said, there are extra considerations and challenges that our family has to think about. And to top it off, often, we just don’t fit in. For example, cell phones are not happening here. We’re also a conservative family living in a liberal area. We’ve tried a couple of traditional co-ops, met some lovely families, but none have been just the right fit. A big part of this is that I really try to guard our school mornings, and it’s hard to justify giving up half a day (realistically it’s a full day) for a morning co-op, particularly when it doesn’t take anything off my plate. My ideal would be an afternoon TBG group to do things like Shakespeare, singing games, recitations, handicrafts, etc. But I’ve had no luck in finding one nearby. I’ve considered starting one, but I also don’t have any local Charlotte Mason friends. Sooooo, I feel a little stuck. I’ve been praying about it, and I’m wondering if I should think outside the box. If I can find like-minded families who perhaps aren’t CM homeschoolers, but would be interested in sharing some of these afternoon riches, maybe that would be an option? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Michelle #charlottemasoneducation #cmhomeschool #livingeducation #charlottemason
72 29
View
Open
Robin on the fence. We love our backyard birds! They brighten up the gray days 💕 #americanrobin #canonr6
24 10
View
Open
Where are my fellow Monday fans? I love weekends, but there’s something about the clean slate of Monday! Just getting my weekly planning and prep done. Bullet journal, mother’s logbook (thank you @the.cmec), tea, good pens, a little ruler, and I’m good to go! Have a great week! Michelle @ourlifeintheshire #bujo #thecmec #charlottemasoneducation #cmhomeschool #livingeducation #charlottemason #journaling #bulletjourna
34 3
View
Open
For term 3, we are doing the Form 1 special study with @the.cmec. We’ve hatched butterflies multiple times, and probably will again this year. However, for a change, my girls really wanted to raise tadpoles!! I gave them the option of doing the Form 2+ special study or the Form 1 study because I just need to keep things simple for myself! They chose tadpoles 🐸 So, if we are studying tadpoles this term, why am I resharing a photo of a butterfly? Well, tadpoles just aren’t cute :D In fact, looking at the tank, they are kinda the opposite of cute! If you want to see our tadpoles though, let me know and I’ll share in stories. Happy Saturday! Michelle @ourlifeintheshire #butterflies🦋 #butterfly_macro #thecmec #charlottemasoneducation #cmhomeschool #cmecsummerprep #livingeducation #charlottemason
41 9
View
Open
Been awhile since I’ve shared a sale in my etsy shop. The sun is out and Spring is here, so everything in my shop is 25% off for a limited time, including the nature poetry printables! Grab yours for Spring and Summer poetry teatime! Or just to brighten up your home and school. No code needed, no limits. Enjoy! Michelle @ourlifeintheshire Link to the nature poems here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/883268359/nature-poems-printable-set-wall-art
24 9
View
Open
Hey friends! Been a while. Just busy over here with homeschool and life. Photographing backyard birds and waiting for Spring. How’s the weather for you? I’m eagerly awaiting a little sunshine! Michelle @ourlifeintheshire * * * * * #birdingphotography #backyardbirds #birdwatcher #birds #bird_lovers #birdphoto #bird_watchers_daily #birds_of_instagram #birdwatchers #birder #1000hoursoutside #birds_private #birds_adored #birdstagram #your_best_birds #bird_perfection #raw_birds #birdsofinstagram #canonr6 #bird_brilliance #birdphotography #birding #audubonsociety #planetbirds #darkeyedjunco #darkeyedjuncos #junco
38 5
Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

Join our mailing list to receive exclusive freebies, special offers and updates!

Loading…

Yay! You did it!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. I’m so excited to connect with you! Please check your email to confirm your subscription and receive a link to your freebies!

If you don’t see the welcome email:

  • Check your Spam folder, as it might have ended up there. 
  • Or, check your Promotions folder if you use Gmail. ​
  • To make sure you never miss an email from us, be sure to add us to your Contacts and move our email to your Primary folder (if you use Gmail, they might go to Promotions.) 


.

Home in The Shire | 2024 ©
  • Affiliate Disclosure