Sign Up to Review A Book!

Remember a few weeks ago, when I shared a new upcoming feature on the blog? I'm hoping to get it up and running very soon into the New Year, and I've made it super easy to sign up for a book review (no small feat for this technology-challenged blogger)! All you have to do is CLICK HERE, which will direct you to a submission form where you can write your review. (Or, you can go to the homepage of my blog and click the BOOK REVIEW SUBMISSIONS tab.) I've found that as a transracial, …

Annie Sloan Chandelier Makeover.

I'm currently in the middle of painting our kitchen cabinets with Annie Sloan chalk paint, a process which I blogged about a couple of weeks ago -- and hope to reveal the finished product soon! I took on a VERY little ASCP project with a dining room chandelier in the meantime. I say VERY little because the majority of this project was already done for me! Our dining room had a perfectly fine, standard chandelier when we moved into our home, but I've always been on the look out for something …

In Defense of Santa.

The whole "Santa" thing is always....interesting....to me. I see lots of Facebook posts during the month of December criticizing Santa, preaching against him as the one who takes away from the real meaning of Christmas. I know some families who just aren't comfortable lying to their kids about the whole business. I know some families who don't want to deal with the "let-down" that comes when the kids find out he isn't real. I've joked on the blog about how I am the "heathen-pastor's wife" …

Blog Feature and a Year in Review.

I'm honored to tell you that my post about musical activities inspired by the Nutcracker was featured on Family Fun Friday -- chosen from over 200 links shared! Be sure to check out their weekly linkup, filled with fantastic posts from so a great variety of bloggers!A YEAR IN REVIEW:I see these on blogs now and then at the end of the year -- and thought it would be fun to do one here -- especially since 2013 has been a BIG year for our family!JANUARY:I packed Joel's bags for Congo, and got …

Raising Kids Who Aren’t Racists.

There are times when I think that our country has come so far. I adopted a child with a completely different color skin than mine who has been embraced by a largely white community. We elected our first African American president. Twice. Way to go us! Not to belittle those milestones, but this week I'm not feeling that way. At all. Maybe it was Megyn Kelly's whole "Santa Clause is white" bit or Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson's sickening insinuation in GQ magazine that blacks were …

LAST MINUTE Special Offer on Christmas Cards.

Still haven't ordered your Christmas cards yet? Don't worry, it's not too late to get some beautiful cards from Tiny Prints! If you order tonight, from 4 pm to midnight Pacific Time, you can get free expedited shipping on orders of $49+ with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. Plus, get 20% off your entire order with the code SW1219.  This is an exclusive offer for affiliates only (I do receive a small percentage of sales when you order from an affiliate link in this post). We have …

Teaching Geography/Social Studies at Home: Japan

I've been making a more concerted effort to do geography and social studies with my [almost five-year-old] daughter at home. We began our focused effort earlier this month, when we studied Brazil through map activities, a worksheet, books and a Brazilian food. This month, we're focusing on Japan! (This post contains affiliate links. I am being compensated for an honest review of the products in this post, and receive a small commission for anything ordered by readers who click the …

Adoption Book Reports and A Few Announcements.

One of the blogs that I really enjoy is Mother, Daughter and Son Book Reviews. The website is exactly what it sounds like -- a mom and her kiddo(s) reviewing a book! It inspired me to start a book review type feature of my own -- but this one is going to have a theme. I'm calling it Adoption Book Reports and you will be able to read parent-child reviews of books that promote/discuss adoption and/or diversity. We love found that books addressing adoption and issues relevant to adoption through …

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover.

Right now, I'm in the middle of painting our kitchen cabinets. I know this may sound crazy -- our cabinets are just about two years old and it's not like there's anything wrong with them. But I've always LOVED white cabinets, which are, unfortunately, quite expensive! So when I started seeing some kitchen cabinet painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I knew it was perfect for my French Country loving style on a budget. I've painted a bit with the ASCP but because I was painting over …

Season of Giving: Roundup of Week 2

Have you been keeping up with the Season of Giving: 31 Days of Spreading Joy? Here's a roundup of the activities from Week 2: On Monday, my friend Mia shared a beautiful -- and humorous -- post about raising cheerful givers, sharing the service activities she and her daughters are participating in this month to spread joy. On Tuesday, KC EDventures shared twelve fantastic ideas for volunteering as a family over the holidays. On Wednesday, The Pleasantest Thing provided a children's …