When we were kids, I remember going hiking in the Colorado wilderness and my dad teaching us how elevation maps worked. We would unroll the plastic coated guide throughout our adventure and watch how the landforms under our feet mirrored the fine lines on the map, leading us to new worlds.
June is a month when I want to get out and explore those landforms of the world. And maybe you are in a place where that is possible right now. And maybe you are not. But we can all still find little worlds to adventure into even if they are as small as a window box outside our door. It’s all about noticing – about how little steps can slowly climb a mountain.
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
I am getting ready to start a mural downtown this week. It feels good to be heading toward something tangible with a start and a finish. This desktop was inspired by one of the design concepts that didn’t get picked. But I still enjoy the vibrant colors and I hope they will bring some brightness to your screens. Happy May friends!!
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
Sometimes we are in chapters of new growth – sending out shoots, growing leaves, soaking up the sunshine. We build and stretch and expand.
At other times, we bear fruit. After seasons of pooling energy and summers of sunshine into our growth, we produce beautiful things. We celebrate all the hard work that came before, and send our gifts into the world.
And then of course there are the times when you need anchors. When all your resources and energy are poured into just standing strong. It’s a time when you are building on the structures that hold you up. We are navigating this harsh reality we have found ourselves in. We have shut down all the production, all the exterior, and now we just have to wait, and be, and stay strong in our roots.
Love you friends. I’m glad we are at least all in this together.
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
I have been homeschooling since my oldest was 5 and have found lots of great resources I have fallen in love with over the years. Since we are all in this harried social-isolation situation together, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite homeschool resources and ideas. I will break it into a couple of posts – here is part one! These are parent and kid approved. To me, the best learning tools are the ones that spark wonder and where you don’t realize you are learning because you are having so much fun. These all fit that bill.
Geography & World Studies:
Maps by aleksandra mizielinska and daniel mizielinski is a book that EVERYONE should own. It is just so beautiful. They also have a special edition version that just came out with 16 additional maps (on my wish list ha ha!). One of our favorite things to do with this is to pick a country and then take turns picking images off the page that we look up on YouTube. We have learned SO many cool things about the world this way. It is like a virtual trip without leaving your couch!
World Snack Boxes:
Fun, themed snacks make everything more fun. We used to have a subscription to Top Munch snack boxes (which maybe closed?) when we got one, we would do a “Worldly Tea Time” where we would learn all about the country featured, dress up, listen to traditional music, and then sample lots of fun snacks from the country. Usually I just find things around the house that go with the theme to set the table. I have been seeing a lot about Universal Yums which is a similar service. Have any of you tried it? When we studied Japan, we ordered this snack pack from amazon. It was so fun and reasonable!!
Math +-*%#:
Math is a subject I happen to love and my kids are not so convinced on ha ha. But we do agree that these resources are great –
Dragon Box Math Apps
I cannot speak highly enough of these cool apps – but my favorite is their Algrebra 5+. By the end of solving the puzzles, kids are solving complex algebra equations without even realizing it. And they are FUN! I would recommend all of them! They have something for all ages.
I think the idea of these books is so cool. They come as a set of two – a graphic novel and a workbook. The way they approach math is so refreshing. My kids do get frustrated with these sometimes because they can be CHALLENGING! But I love that about them. And I love that they help you understand the larger concepts rather than just rote memorization. I would recommend going down a grade though because of difficulty.
Logic:
Monument Valley Games
Beautiful Escher inspired artwork, a serene soundtrack, and fabulous mind bending logic puzzles – a must play. We have come back to this one a lot. Probably my favorite app game of all time.
I have been so impressed by these logic board games – many of them work for 1 player! They are fun for ALL ages and I love how well made and designed they are. Our current favorite is Camelot Jr.
Music History:
Classical Kids
We listened to these Classical Kids albums when I was a kid. I loved them then and I still love them now (as do my kids!)! They are stories about fictional kids intertwined with real stories about the composers and their music. You can listen to them all on Spotify. My favorites are – “Beethoven Lives Upstairs” “Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery” “Mozart’s Magic Fantasy”
These are paper printable that you cut out and fold to build incredible 3D paper structures. As long as you have yardstick paper, scissors, glue, and a color printer, there are some pretty incredible models you can make. These are for you puzzle minded, model builder types and are pretty darn cool – and FREE! We have built several models of famous architecture around the world. These are definitely better for older kids/adults with good fine motor skills. If you love 1000 piece puzzles, you will love these.
Djeco Puzzles
These are my favorite brand of puzzles. Solid well made pieces and beautiful artwork. We particularly love this dragon puzzle –
Cooking:
I love these kids cookbooks from Deanna F. Cook. They are full of pictures and fun tips. There is a great selection of recipes that are kid friendly and tasty! We have all three of her cookbooks and the kids pull them out consistently. So many good things to be learned from cooking!
Poetry:
The two beautiful books – A Poem for Every Night of the Year & A Poem for Every Day of the Year edited by Allie Esiri are my favorite poetry books I have ever found. They follow themes and take you through the seasons sourcing from both ancient and modern poets. I have found them to be kid friendly while also enriching for adults. I pick my copies up constantly to add depth to our days.
Let me know if you found this list helpful! Any particular subjects/categories you would like help with? I have tons more favorites I will work on compiling for part two. Also I have lots of other homeschooling ideas and resources you can dig into if you need more! Sending you all my love!
https://i0.wp.com/giantsandpilgrims.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pap199.jpg?fit=900%2C571&ssl=1571900Betony Coonshttps://s28969.p27.sites.pressdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/gianstandpilgrimslogov2-1024x196.pngBetony Coons2020-03-18 10:44:252020-03-18 10:53:30My Favorite & FUN Homeschooling Resources PART ONE
For the last five years (at least), something really difficult has happened to our family in March. One year it was our daughters bout with seizures, one year was the fight that almost ended our marriage, last year Tim’s dad’s cancer surgery, one year a miscarriage, etc. I know I always talk about how each season is my favorite, but after the past years, March has become the month I dread. Yesterday I was telling my husband how I have this sense of impending doom already. And I don’t want that. I don’t want to be that person. Historically March is the end of winter. It’s the month when the store rooms are bare. It’s the last leg of the hard race of winter. So it makes sense that it would be a place where pruning happens and we experience hardship. But it’s also where we get to see the hope of spring. It’s where the grays of winter start to recede and we discover crocuses under the snow. The light begins to grow stronger. And the plants know. Over the years, I realized that I usually gravitate towards themes of color, and light, and spectrum in March. We are in a place where we are longing for light. So friends, let’s head out into the sunshine and feel the air strengthening our weary bones. Happy March friends!
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
Oh my! I can’t believe it is February already. At this point in the year sometimes I look at all the projects and plans on the horizon and they can feel like this giant mountain that I am not sure how I will get to the other side. It’s not that I am not excited about them, quite the contrary, but sometimes the mystery and undefined nature of them can feel overwhelming. So, here is an art piece dedicated to letting your burdens lift; to letting your worries become weightless. Love you friends!
Happy February!
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
Welcome to the new year my friends! This morning the first thing I did was step out on our balcony and take a deep breath of the morning air. And that is my hope for you today – that you would pause to inhale deeply and enjoy the freshness of this new day, this new year.
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image.
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
This wallpaper is created from a commissioned painting I completed last month. The painting is titled “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in” which is from a Leonard Cohen song. I thought it the perfect ode to December as these days are darkening but we celebrate the lights.
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image.
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
In my hometown in Kansas, they put on a city-wide food drive near the end of November where tons of churches in town “leave the lights on” and take food donations though-out the day. This desktop background is pulled from the poster design I created for them this year (so if you live in Hutchinson, KS it might look familiar.) For all of you, whether in KS or afar, my hope is that this desktop would inspire you to “leave the lights on” for those who need it this month and to donate some food! Much love,
Betony
For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image.
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
I am sitting out in my garage working on a large wood mural that is getting installed at our local library next week. I just had to run inside to get a hoodie and make myself a cup of hot tea because my fingers are so cold I’m having trouble holding my paintbrush. And I love it so much. It’s misty this morning and my tree in my front yard is turning more golden by the day. Yesterday we put out all our spooky Halloween decorations. This is my favorite time of the year. Happy October friends. Drink it in.
For the first day of autumn, we woke up early and went to a hot air balloon launch at our local community college. This wallpaper is inspired by that moment and holding on to beauty and wonder in our memories.
For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different ones so that you can use what works best for your device.
![Mozart's Magic Fantasy: A Journey Through 'The Magic Flute' [Blisterpack] by Classical Kids](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uhxSxB4EL.jpg?w=1500&ssl=1)
