By Holly Giles | Recipes , seasonal , Simple Living
Orange Spice Sugar Orange Spice sugar is an easy gift to have on hand to give to friends and family for different occasions. This easy sugar was a hit around the holidays or summer parties, and I want to share it with you! I save any little glass jar I can get my hands on. […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Family , Florida , florida vacations , Great Outdoors
Camping Trip As we head out this weekend on another camping adventure, I thought I would continue our adventures from last year. In part one of camping, I talked about the truth of family camping. Now I will share our run-ins with critters and nature as we venture on exploring Fort Desoto in Florida. This […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Field Trips , Florida , florida vacations , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , Nature Study
Florida Manatee Florida manatee show up in the springs of Florida from December through March. During the winter months, manatee move to warmer waters and a large number of them find their way to Blue Spring State Park. We have been taking Grayson and Grant to the park to see Florida Manatee since they were […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Family , Inspiration
Blending In with Family No, this is not an ad for camo nation, but a symbol of family coming together, to blend in. The months have been so busy in our house. I was given the opportunity to speak at a regional convention here in Florida, and it pushed me to finish a book I […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , Nature Study
Science in your backyard Around here, backyard science need not be planned. On any given day, it falls from the sky or slithers by for us to take notice. Why not seize the opportunity. On this day, we were reading on the couch when a loud thud hit the back window. As we searched the deck, […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | homeschooling
Reading Learning to read can cause frustration throughout a household and within family and friend circles. When I first began working with Grayson, he was interested in reading. However, when Grant came along, reading was the last thing on his list! Comparison is just human nature. But as homeschool moms become wiser through trial and error. We realize, […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Florida , Great Outdoors
How do I plan a Family Camping Trip? The anticipation of cooler days is approaching. Our annual fall family camping trips come to mind. This past spring, we seemed to hit a camping marathon, three trips in five weeks, that left me pondering the ideal versus the reality of family camping trips! Just the word “camp” sounds fun doesn’t it? […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , handicrafts , homeschooling
County fair There is more to the county fair for the family than candied apples, fried Twinkies, and the Ferris wheel! It can be used to educate your children and learn new skills. As a child, I loved going to the fair. My grandparents lived very close to the property where the Central Florida Fair took […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
Broody and molting hens Henrietta is in broody chicken jail. However, I assure you it is for everyone’s benefit! Broodiness happens to hens when they decide to sit on their eggs and hatch young. If you would like more information on the subject check out My Pet Chicken. In our hen house, there is no […]
Continue reading
By Holly Giles | Florida , homeschooling , Nature Study
Backyard Nature Study We were busy today. Staying on track has been hard this week. I was on drill duty to keep the boys on task, yet a backyard nature study became the day’s focus. Grant needed a break, so I gave him 20 minutes outside to use his homemade bow. When I went out […]
Continue reading