Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

20 Stories of Saints Who Met Christ in Communion + a Book Giveaway!

by 14 Comments

TAN Books has just published Meredith Hinds’ highly anticipated Eucharistic Saints: Twenty Stories of Devotion to Jesus. Here is a preview of some of the saints highlighted in her book:

With such a great cloud of witnesses, there is much we can learn from their personal experiences with Christ in the Eucharist. I love that the book includes holy youths like Blessed Carlo Acutis, St. Jacinta Marto, and Blessed Imelda, patron saint of First Communicants. Children will see how a love for Christ in Communion can be enkindled even at a very young age. With beautiful illustrations and engaging stories, Eucharistic Saints will inspire your children to recognize, adore, and love Christ in the Eucharist. Subject to your child’s unique reading abilities, I would suggest this book for grades 4 and up, but you can certainly enjoy reading aloud to younger children.

If the illustrations look familiar, that’s because you probably recognize the same talented illustrator who did Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus: An Introductory Latin Missal for Children.

Join TAN and me in celebrating this new book release by entering today’s giveaway! Just leave a comment below for your official entry. You can score a second bonus entry by visiting TAN Books and adding Eucharistic Saints to your Wish List (click the heart emoji). If you added to your Wish List, let me know in a second comment.

Giveaway ends on June 1st and is open to US residents only.

5 Things That Will Make Life Easier for a New Mother

by 10 Comments

If you’re a new mother (or will be soon like me this July!), catering to your baby’s needs is probably the highest thing on your priority list. It’s easy to get lost in the midst of diapering, feeding, bathing and cuddling, but don’t forget that you’re in for quite a ride, physically and emotionally. Having been a mother eleven times over, I’d like to share my list of the top five things that can be so incredibly helpful.

Support
Your place is with your newborn, but that can leave a lot of other things undone. So line up the help you’ll need in the first few weeks. If you’re someone who’s looking for ways to support a new mother, here are some ideas:

  • Bring a meal (ready to eat or frozen)
  • Run an errand, or take a sibling to an appointment
  • Take siblings on an outing (even better, have a sleepover with extended family and Mama can avoid the bedtime rush for one night)
  • House cleaning (you can do it, or treat her to a maid service)
  • Stay home with the newborn so Mama can go out for a while
  • Hire a postpartum doula (chip in together with your friends)

A Gift Certificate
A new mother might be hesitant to tell you exactly what she wants and needs. It’s just a woman thing, I guess, arising from those pesky guilt feelings that plague us and the desire to be seen as a capable mother. So if you’ve got a friend who’s holding back and insisting that there’s nothing you need to do, a gift card works every time. Some ideas:

  • Spas, coffee shops and book stores are popular options.
  • How about some comfortable new shoes? My orthotic sandals for women have been a lifesaver for pregnancy and beyond.
  • Spending money for a new outfit or nursing attire is fun!
  • Grocery, cloth diaper and big box store gift cards are very practical.

Besides orthotic sandals for women, comfortable slippers make a great gift for busy days at home with the new baby.

Hydration
I’m one of the world’s worst when it comes to this one. But surely I’m not the only woman who tires of being told to drink water constantly from pregnancy to postpartum. I never reach for water unless I’m really thirsty. But dehydration is disastrous when you’re nursing a newborn full time. For me, the game-changer was finding something healthy, and tasty, that I actually wanted to drink. Something that could deliver more than just plain water but not be loaded down with sugar and additives. You might treat a new mother to healthy and refreshing beverage choices like Greater Than and Hint (my personal favorites).

Or surprise her with a cute and stylish water bottle. They even sell ones just for nursing mothers that measure your fluid intake with markers on the outside of the bottle.

Nursing Supplies & Support

When it comes to nursing, I always hope for the best, but nearly every time I’ve had to resort to using a pump for one reason or another. And a good one is a lifesaver. Thanks to my pump, I was able to overcome everything from mastitis to thrush. I wish I had known then about Pumping Essentials. It’s a a free service that helps new mothers access the breastfeeding services and supplies that may be provided free by their insurance companies. You’ll find trusted brands like Ameda, medela, Lansinoh and more. Pumping Essentials was founded by a group of women with over 20 years of combined experience in the nursing and lactation industries.

Avoid the hassle of phone calls with your insurance provider and take advantage of Pumping Essential’s 24-hour online order center, plus fast and free shipping. Their service reps are also available to help you out Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. You can even schedule one-on-one time with a lactation professional at little or no cost.

These also make great gifts for nursing mothers:

  • Pajamas
  • Lactation cookies & tea
  • Nursing scarf or cover

 

Essential Baby Gear

The number of stroller choices is staggering, but after many years and many models, I can attest that reliability and user-friendliness rank high on the features list. I love how easy it is to get fresh air and exercise with the Baby Delight Go with Me Dart Ultra Compact Stroller.  Features include a lightweight but sturdy frame, 5-point harness, a roomy storage basket and retractable canopy. When you’re all done, it folds up with one hand and stows compactly in a carry bag.

It took me under five minutes to get our new stroller out of the box and up and running for Camille. The padded straps reclining seat offer customized comfort for all of our essential outings. Recommended ages 3 months to 3 years, the Dart stroller can accommodate children up to 50 pounds. And when it’s folded up inside the carry bag, it weighs just 14 pounds and is a mere 23 inches high.

 

What did you receive as a new mother that was most meaningful? What are your top postpartum gift ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

This post is a sponsored collaboration with Responsival.

How to Supplement a Homeschool Education

by 4 Comments

hssupplement1 Even if you already have a full curriculum in place, there are ways to expand learning opportunities and provide extra support in areas where your child needs improvement.

And it doesn’t have to be costly.

Here are some ways that we have supplemented our home learning over the years.

Field Trips: When you’re homeschooling, almost anywhere you go be turned into a learning experience. In fact, I’ll go even further than that. Your children are learning all the time! So tie this into your lessons when you can.

  • Volunteer at your church or in the community and use this to reinforce a civics or social studies lesson
  • Involve your child in the next grocery trip by preparing the list together, estimating prices and helping count money at the checkout.
  • Visit the zoo, a botanical garden, a local farm, nature center or hiking trails while studying biology, astronomy or zoology.
  • Visit a history museum when your lessons correspond to current exhibits.
  • Take your children to the state capitol or court house. Try to be there when elected officials will be available, or when guided tours are held. Also check into opportunities for teens to work as Pages in the state legislature.
  • Go to the fire or police department. Call ahead and see if they will do a presentation for your small group.

Online Programs: Digital resources are one of the easiest and most accessible ways to supplement your curriculum. Sites like FutureSchool are just one example. It’s a comprehensive math and English teaching system for American students and their families; FutureSchool utilizes a variety of tools like customized lesson plans, live teacher support and detailed progress reports.

Books: Think outside the textbook. Having your child read a novel that follows a textbook lesson (i.e. reading The Red Badge of Courage while studying the Civil War) is the most obvious strategy, but you can get even more creative. Use Egyptian paper dolls to supplement an ancient history lesson. Recite and/or act out parts of the Illiad while studying the history of Rome. Enjoy a book about constellations and the mythology behind them while studying the solar system.

Household Items: Toys, tools and even your digital camera can all help to expand your child’s education. Here some examples:

  • Help your child take pictures of plants and leaves with your digital camera for a nature journal.
  • Use tools from the garage to teach concepts like motion, force, gravity, magnetism, energy and simple mechanics.
  • Make a grocery store out of canned goods and let your child price and buy items for math.
  • Play a game of Monopoly to teach about interest, investing and mortgages.
  • Use the map or globe to play impromptu geography games.

 

Writing: Pen pals were a big deal in my childhood years; nearly all my friends (and all three of my sisters) had one! I wrote to a girl named Yujin Lee from China, and another from Wisconsin, for many years. We exchanged pictures, news, and jokes and I saved all the correspondence in a shoe box until college. Yujin’s beautiful and delicately written letters were something I looked forward to every month, as were the interesting mementos she would sometimes tuck inside from China.

There are other fun ways to encourage more writing!

  • Writing letters to the newspaper or a children’s magazine
  • Entering essay and poetry contests
  • Corresponding with local elected officials (yes, they are eager to hear from young people who are not of voting age yet).

Tutoring: Think outside the box. It doesn’t have to be an expensive private teacher. A “tutor” might also be the local mechanic that your son works with a couple of times a week or your daughter’s grandmother as she passes on her crocheting skills.

I’d love to read about the ways that your family has provided enrichment and additional learning opportunities to supplement your homeschool experience.

 

 

 

 

This post was sponsored by Future School. 

What Will I Use for our Newborn, Cloth or Disposable Diapers?

by 1 Comment

You all know I’m a big fan of cloth diapers; after all I’ve been blogging about them since 2009! And I do plan to use them again when our next baby arrives in July. Why would I not? They fit great, perform well and are super cute. Plus, we’ve already made the investment, so the money savings are there.

But I’m also incorporating some disposables into my routine. After all, this is my 12th pregnancy, and as my plate gets fuller, I have to be realistic about what I can invest my time in. And cloth is more of a time commitment than disposables.

So which disposable brand have I settled on? Well, that turned out to be easy, thanks to some advertisements that caught my eye on social media.

EveryLife!

EveryLife makes premium, super soft and absorbent disposable diapers, and they are 100% committed to protecting and nurturing every human life. I’m really excited about using these high quality diapers for my new baby; over the years I’ve settled for cheap store brands in a pinch and that hasn’t always resulted in good performance and fit.

EveryLife diapers are simple, practical and plain white. Kind of like an old reliable cotton prefold! No fancy colors or graphics, just great company values and reliable performance. If purchasing from a brand that aligns with your deeply held values resonates (and what’s more important than a human soul?), then please go visit EveryLife today and consider them for YOUR child!

Use my affiliate code ANNEMARIE10
to save 10% on your first order at EveryLife.com

I will post a full review of their newborn diapers in August!

Use my affiliate code ANNEMARIE10
to save 10% on your first order at EveryLife.com

5 Ways to Start Saving For Your Child’s Education

by 3 Comments

 

To help you start saving for your child’s college fund, I’ve rounded up a few apps and tips to help you out. You can see the pros and cons of each and see what will work best for your family situation and budget.

Fabric

This site was built by parents for parents. It offers many different investment options for families, including the very popular 529 educational savings plan. Designed for long-term saving, this plan allows you to save money as you are able and then withdraw the funds tax-free when needed for higher education costs.

Another option is the UGMA custodial account, which is administered by parents or guardians until the child comes of age. The main benefit of opening a UGMA custodial account is that at the age of 18, when your child assumes full ownership of the account, the funds can be used for any purposes. Life plans change and so it’s great to have a flexible plan that doesn’t box you in!

Whichever option you choose, it’s recommended that you begin as soon as possible, to maximize returns on your investments. And make sure you check for additional tax benefits by states that some educational savings plans offer.

Quicken

If you have trouble setting money aside for college savings, Quicken has helpful strategies. The Quicken Simplifi app allows users create customized savings plans that work within their budget. Using Quicken, you can connect your bank accounts and begin monitoring your spending habits. Then, with the help of Quicken, you can identify areas where you can begin setting aside money for your child’s future college expenses. The app will scan your spending habits and offer helpful ideas for savings.

You will be presented with a comprehensive savings plan with individual goals. From there, you can begin stashing money away for your child’s college education and any other savings goals that you are working toward. Quicken also offers premium options that allow you to pay your bills from within the app as well.

Use Quicken to create personalized savings goals. Image courtesy of Quicken.

Chime

Saving money without thinking about it—it sounds impossible, right? Well, thanks to Chime it is possible to start setting aside money for your child’s college education without lifting a finger. Chime is a banking app that allows you to open an account completely for free. Using Chime, new parents can make deposits, withdrawals, and build credit all without the fees associated with a traditional bank. This makes it an appealing option for people who have grown tired of monthly banking fees, minimum balances, and overdraft fees. When users take advantage of the automatic savings feature of the application, they can begin saving money for higher education with every purchase and deposit made.

Chime automatic savings works by depositing small amounts of money into your savings every time you use your Chime debit card to make a purchase or any time you make a deposit. The app will round up from your purchase or deposit to the nearest dollar amount and automatically add that amount to your savings. That way, you can go about your life without thinking about saving money. As small deposits add up, you can start establishing a college fund for your child. Even if you aren’t the best at saving money, you can use Chime to get started saving for your child’s future education.

Backer

How about bringing in an investment partner? That’s the idea behind Backer (formerly known as CollegeBacker). This service makes it easy for parents and other family members to contribute to a child’s future. Add other “backers,” and they will become involved in your child’s college savings plans. It’s great for family, godparents or close friends. And everyone can track the savings together.

Check out this review of the Backer app and desktop program.

More Money-Savers

And don’t forget these three tried-and-true ways of saving THOUSANDS of dollars in higher education costs:

  • Living at home while going to college
  • Working through college
  • Applying for as many scholarships as you can – get started early!

For more money-saving college tips, check out Dave Ramsey’s advice.

It’s never too late to get started, so I hope today’s post will be helpful no matter where you are on the path to college savings.

 

 

 

 

This post was made possible by a partnership with Responsival.