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raising a blessing

A blog about mom life, homeschooling, traveling, adventure seeking, and parenting our little blessing.

raising a blessing
  • Find Us on Facebook!
  • A Time to Dance (Book)
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us!
  • Find Us on Facebook!
  • A Time to Dance (Book)
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us!

Blog Categories

  • 2-Min. Thoughts on Faith
  • Art Projects
  • Books
  • Crafting For The Home
  • Devotionals
  • Educational Projects
  • Homeschool Life
  • Infertility
  • Jesus
  • Mom Life
  • Recipes
  • The Holidays
  • Thrifting
  • Travel
  • U-Download

Search My Site

  • Books

    250+ Children’s Book Recommendations From Book-Loving Moms!

    March 30, 2020 / 0 Comments

    Welcome! We recently hosted a virtual book party where we invited other book-loving moms to share with us some of their favorite children’s books! We were delighted when the list of book recommendations grew and grew and covered a broad span of ages, interests, and authors! We hope you enjoy this comprehensive list, with links, of all of the books that were recommended during the party! And feel free to drop us a comment with your favorite children’s book! Blessings and Happy Reading! Categories: Family Favorites Lessons and Morals Loss of a Family Member or Pet Emotions and/or the Body Weird Book Obsessions & Common Interests Books About Family or…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Book Review: Fear Is Not The Boss Of You by Jennifer Allwood

    September 12, 2023

    DIY: Old Books Repurposed into Art and Prayer Journals

    February 1, 2021

    On The Nightstand: A Current List of Books We Are Reading & Our Favorite Book Reviews

    January 12, 2022
  • Educational Projects

    Let’s Make Homemade Volcanoes!

    March 4, 2020 / 0 Comments

    Who doesn’t love watching a homemade volcano erupt? The first thing that my son wanted to play with in our new science discovery box (12 days of experiments) was the volcano, but unfortunately, it wasn’t all that exciting. My little guy just kept trying to figure out how to make the eruption bigger. No problem, kiddo! I’ve got this! We’re going to make our own! What the hand does, the mind remembers. – Dr. Montessori We started out by building our volcanoes out of air dry clay. I had previously picked up some on Amazon for another project. Find it here: Crayola Air Dry Clay. At first, I had to…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Summer Break Reading & Writing Resource For Kindergarten and First Grade Level (Free Download Included)

    March 22, 2021

    “Learning & Exploring Through Art” Projects: Pre-K

    January 29, 2020

    Homemade Play Dough (and letter recognition)

    January 7, 2020
  • Books

    Our Favorite Pre-K Books!

    March 2, 2020 / 0 Comments

    Pre-K… our first adventure in homeschooling!! We have enjoyed it so much! We chose Sonlight Christian Homeschooling Curriculum, level Pre-K 4/5, back in the fall and it has been a wonderful fit for us. Along the way, we also added in extra learning activities, subjects, books, and more as our little man was asking questions and showing interest in all kinds of things! It has been an amazing adventure and I cannot believe how far he has come in only one year! I attribute a lot of his success to the books that we have enjoyed over the school year! It never ceases to amaze me how much little kids…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Pass-Along Books: From My Heart To Yours.

    September 2, 2021

    DIY: Old Books Repurposed into Art and Prayer Journals

    February 1, 2021

    Book Review: The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton & Bill Johnson (Bethel Church)

    August 14, 2021
  • Educational Projects

    Alphabet Practice: Letter Recognition Games and Tools

    February 28, 2020 / 0 Comments

    One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the freedom to change things up, as needed, to help my little guy learn and retain the information that we are covering. But, even if you don’t homeschool, you probably enjoy working with your kiddos at home and I’m hoping you found yourself on my blog page because you are interested in new and fun ways to practice alphabet recognition! Welcome! I’m excited that you are here and I hope these games and tools will be helpful on your journey! “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” Ignacio Estrada And so…. these…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Let’s Make Homemade Volcanoes!

    March 4, 2020

    Let’s Make Nature Art!

    June 7, 2020

    “Learning & Exploring Through Art” Projects: Pre-K

    January 29, 2020
  • Jesus

    Philippians 4:7, Peace That Exceeds Understanding

    February 24, 2020 / 0 Comments

    I was having a casual conversation with my dad the other day and somehow the topic of God’s peace came up. Not the every day peace that we feel when we follow Him, but those moments when God steps in and gives us peace that is beyond human understanding. The first time that I experienced this kind of peace was in college. I had a rough first year in college. I was a very quiet and reserved small-town girl seeking acceptance in all of the wrong places and those crowds can quickly leave you feeling empty and rejected, not to mention spiritually dirty. I was lost and I felt very…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    I Spent 5 Years Outside the Walls of Church: Here’s What I Learned

    September 6, 2025

    Family Devotional Ideas: The Power of the Holy Spirit & Anointing Your Home With Oil

    November 5, 2022

    Can You Trust God With It? The Short Answer: Yes, Absolutely!

    January 3, 2023
  • Crafting For The Home

    DIY TV Tray Table Makeover: Colorado Flag

    February 20, 2020 / 0 Comments

    Have you ever thought about painting your tv tray tables? No kidding…these are one of the most talked about pieces in our entire house, and I have painted a lot of pieces in our house.  Everyone comments on them and wants to know where I bought them.  LOOKING FOR THE TEXAS FLAG MAKEOVER? Click here to be redirected. To provide a bit of a back story on where this idea came from, I love to play with DIY furniture upcycling! When I have a storage need in my home, I love to buy old, heavy-duty real wood furniture second-hand and paint/distress it to give it lots of character.  Sometimes I’ll…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Make Your Own Family Cookbook: A Gift That Warms The Heart and Spans the Generations

    October 15, 2020

    Pallet Pictures DIY

    December 8, 2019

    Let’s Make Pebble Art!

    December 22, 2020
  • Crafting For The Home

    DIY TV Tray Table Makeover: Texas Flag

    February 19, 2020 / 0 Comments

    Have you ever thought about painting your tv tray tables? No kidding…these are one of the most talked about pieces in our entire house, and I have painted a lot of pieces in our house.  Everyone comments on them and wants to know where I bought them.  LOOKING FOR THE COLORADO FLAG MAKEOVER? Click Here to be Redirected. To provide a bit of a back story on where this idea came from, I love to play with DIY furniture upcycling! When I have a storage need in my home, I love to buy old, heavy-duty real wood furniture second-hand and paint/distress it to give it lots of character.  Sometimes I’ll…

    read more
    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Let’s Make Pebble Art!

    December 22, 2020

    Oatmeal Honey Lavender Soap Recipe For Beginners (& Kids)

    July 4, 2021

    How This $7 Homemade Board Changed My Praying Game

    August 15, 2021
  • Recipes

    Our Favorite “From-Scratch” Pancake Recipe!

    February 18, 2020 / 0 Comments

    These pancakes are easy and amazing! In fact, they are one of our family favorites for breakfast! I have always been a from-the-box pancake maker (no shame in that!) but once we started using this recipe, we can’t seem to get the same satisfaction from any other pancakes! This recipe is a real pancake game-changer!! We hope you agree! Ingredients: 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons maple syrup (mixed in batter) 1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until you remove all clumps. Also an option: use a standing…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Our Favorite French Toast Recipe!

    February 28, 2021

    Recipe: It’s (Almost Better Than) Parmesan Chicken!

    March 27, 2021

    County Fair “Grand Champion” Peach Jelly Recipe

    August 10, 2021
  • Recipes

    Banana Cake

    February 18, 2020 / 0 Comments

    I had some bananas that were going soft and wanted to make something new and different. I came across a recipe online for a banana cake and after making some adjustments, removing some ingredients, and playing with it a few times, we ended up with a recipe that my family loves! The best part? The icing is amazing and super easy! Enjoy! Ingredients: 5 mashed bananas 1 1/2 cups milk 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup melted butter 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons vanilla Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients in one…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    A “Box” Chocolate Cake That Steals The Show!

    January 17, 2026

    Recipe: Grandma Millie’s Bao (Chinese Steamed Meat Buns)

    January 25, 2021

    Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken – Quick & Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup!

    March 24, 2021
  • Travel

    Travel: Crested Butte, Colorado

    February 3, 2020 / 0 Comments

    One of my favorite places to spend a few days off is the little town of Crested Butte, Colorado.  Admittedly, I’ve never been during the winter, but we’ve made several summertime trips to this part of the state because the hiking is just amazing!  In this blog, I’ll share with you some of our experiences, both good and bad.  If you’re new to my blog, it’s important to note here that my adventures often include my family, which means my husband and our little guy, so the hikes are often geared towards adventures where I can carry the toddler in/out, he can tolerate the distance and I can handle the…

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    Shannon

    You May Also Like

    Travel: The Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Colorado

    January 14, 2020

    Hike Colorado: Handies Peak From American Basin

    August 18, 2020

    Bucket List Hike: Ice Lake Basin & Island Lake (Silverton, CO)

    June 29, 2020
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Welcome! My name is Shannon and my little blog spans many topics because I love to share anything that may help a friend! You’ll find info on our travels, homeschooling tricks and adventures, upcycling projects and inspirational moments with Jesus.  Grab some hot tea, curl up with a blanket, and enjoy!  I hope you find love, acceptance, inspiration, and support here!  From one hot mess mama to another, you’re beautifully and wonderfully made! Jesus loves you!!

Blog Categories

  • 2-Min. Thoughts on Faith
  • Art Projects
  • Books
  • Crafting For The Home
  • Devotionals
  • Educational Projects
  • Homeschool Life
  • Infertility
  • Jesus
  • Mom Life
  • Recipes
  • The Holidays
  • Thrifting
  • Travel
  • U-Download

Search My Site

  • Find Us on Facebook!
  • A Time to Dance (Book)
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us!
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