Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️ . I have really enjoyed the last few weeks of Valentine fun we added to our homeschool day with this cute Valentine mail writing area. It was a creative way to encourage some writing skills and add to the fun of making Valentines.
I added stickers , stationary and some blank postcards for my littles to write Valentines and decorate them. I loved how it turned out and it worked!! The kids protested at first but seriously how can you not enjoy making cards for friends??? . I’m already thinking of other stations this can become after today .. stay tuned!
Here’s another great Valentines Book to add to your collection ❤️ . The Mystery of the Love List is such a cute story with beautifully illustrated pages. Pippa’s class makes a love list, a list of all the things they love ,that take up room in their hearts. Pippa finds a list that one of her classmates made, that has her name written down, with all of her favorite things! She has a secret admirer, but who? See if she solves the mystery of the love list and finds a new friend❤️
Super cute printable tickets that are perfect gifts for kids of all ages ❤️To get your free printable , follow our blog and message us with a 🎟️ emoji or follow us on instagram /facebook and send us a 🎟️ emoji and we will send you your free printable.
We are always looking for good books to read for the different seasons and holidays . It’s so hard to find unique ones and so when we found this , I knew I needed to share! . This is such a cute book! Beautifully illustrated and such a cute story of love ❤️. We will be adding this to our personal collection of Valentine books.
The Starbucks Reserve in Seattle never disappoints ☕️
We went right before Christmas to try some of the holiday flavors, like the Starbucks Reserve peppermint mocha, which by the way was delicious! The eggnog cookie was a fun treat that had the sprinkled star, the raspberry cornetto was delish , and my husband always looks forward to the Whiskey Cold Brew when we visit.
Check out how they serve the Whiskey Cold brew with the old fashioned ice cube.🧊
Want a tip on to save for parking? Comment coffee below and I’ll send you how we save on parking ❤️
Wow! What a year we had! As you can tell we read all genres this past year . I definitely came through these with some of my new favorite authors ❤️ So many of them gave such different perspectives into my faith.
Each book was unique and I love that! Just an FYI on how we decide as a book club what to read – Our curator gathers 3 books for our whole club to vote on when we gather once a month to discuss the current book we have read. We then announce the next months book once we have taken a paper vote. Some months , there is a clear winner and others we need a tiebreaker .
Below you will find a few highlights of things I loved about each book or that I found challenging . Think of it as a quick review of each book. ⬇️
⭐️ The Prophetess -Loved how the author brought a full story to Deborah which gave me something to ponder. It was fictional but made me see her in a whole new light.
⭐️ The Italian Ballerina -One of my favorite reads! It gave me a glimpse into WW2 that I had never explored with the Syndrome K sickness and the London ballet stage. Loved all the historical references throughout and the beauty from such heartache.
⭐️ Yesterday’s Tides – Another one of my favorite picks from 2024. I discovered something I had never heard of , Okracoke Island . I loved how the author combined WW1 to WW2 in such a beautiful way. We also had the opportunity to zoom with the author during our book club which was a fun treat!
⭐️ The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip – Wow! I want to be a Mrs.Kip! Such a great read and left me feeling that it is never to late to share Gods love❤️
⭐️ The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon – This one started out slow but I was so thankful that I stuck with it. We all need a neighbor like Mabel . I may just one day step into a funeral to celebrate the life of someone I have never met because of her .
⭐️ Drawn in Ash– This one was out of my comfort zone but I’m so glad I read it. It took a bit to understand all that was happening, but gave a glimpse of how things can change when we spend time talking to others instead of going with preconceived ideas. It is based on the story of Esther.
⭐️ The Number of Love – A beautiful story of the secretive Room 40 during WW2 and the power of prayer.
⭐️ Blink of an Eye– Thrilling but left me wanting a better ending . We discovered in book club that there are two editions of this and the first was better in our opinion
⭐️ Daughter of Eden – This fictional story of Adam and Eve gave me so much to ponder ! It gave me lots to think of with how pride and selfishness separated the relationship with God and left me yearning to have what Adam and Eve had before the fall.
⭐️ The Screwtape Letters – This is such a deep book . I have read it several times and each time get something different from it. It really highlights the spiritual warfare that is all around us and from the enemy’s perspective.
⭐️ The Last Exchange -This is such a beautiful unexpected love story . It is thrilling and just when you think it is all predictable. Watch out the turn you never saw coming is right around the corner. One of my favorite quotes of the book is “A life laid down is better than one picked up.
⭐️ We Three Kings -This Christmas Novella follows three generations of the Weise Family as they seek Jesus throughout each one. This was the perfect Christmas Book.
I hope our Book Club list from 2024 helps encourage you to start your own Book Club or gives you some new books to read ❤️ I would love to hear if you already do a Book Club and how yours works or if you would like to hear more about how we do ours send me a message .
And yes our 2025 Book Club has already started! Looking forward to a New Year and some new reads!
85°C Bakery Cafe was a fun place to grab coffee at Westfield Century City in LA. The Bakery is loaded with delicious pastries all throughout the store.
We picked up a few pastries to try and I ordered a cappuccino w/ cream . I was in disbelief when it all came to under 10$ .
Looking into the company, I discovered why. Here’s what their website says ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In 2003, the founder of 85°C Bakery Cafe, Mr. Cheng-Hsueh Wu visited a cafe in a 5-star hotel. While enjoying gourmet pastries and drinks, he realized that the prices were set way too high for people to enjoy on a whim. From that moment, Mr. Wu has envisioned a cafe that provides premium coffee, bread, and cake at affordable prices. Thus the 85°C Bakery Cafe journey begins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ❤️ Totally could go here on a whim at any time!! So yummy! . I was also wondering how the Bakery got its name and here’s what the company says on their website ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ WHY 85ºC? The name 85ºC comes from the idea that the perfect brewing temperature for espresso coffee is 85º Celsius. For us, the name symbolizes our devotion to provide coffee, breads and cakes of the highest quality to every guest. . If you haven’t visited before … Go!! Grab a friend and enjoy ❤️If you have been here before , what is your favorite thing to order or should I say things :) Leave a comment ⬇️ I want to try everything!!
This is a good reminder for me today . I often want to hurry and get through moments or schedules but I am realizing that every moment is part of my story .The in between schedules , the late nights or the days when everything comes undone. These are the moments that build or tear down and my prayer this 2025 new year , is there will be more building then tearing down. That my story will be one that shows grace, forgiveness,kindness,humbleness and fun . . What about you? Have you ever looked at your life as a story? Not just the Instagram moments but all the moments? What do you want your story to show ? Share below ⬇️ .. I would love to hear and cheer you on ❤️
