raising rileys

autumn reading

In the morning you will find me sitting below an east facing window, sun streaming in, with several boys vying for a spot on my lap. Reading time is really one of the highlights of our days and is what I do first to gather the boys and help them begin our day. Gathering (at times) rambunctious boys is no joke! In order for me to do it effectively, I have found that bringing over a large stack of carefully-chosen books the best approach. Reading helps grumpy mornings turn happy. Reading helps complaining turn into smiles. Reading makes everything better!

Homeschool, Nourish & CreateElizabeth RileyOctober 29, 2019homeschool, autumn books, quality books, quality children booksComment

to mold living clay

When we nurture strong relationships with our children, in a very real way, they become moldable clay in our hands. This is not to say that they don’t have their own unique personalities, characteristics, and talents—but when we put in the time and energy to build relationships, they feel that Christlike love and energy from us as parents. And when that Christlike love is present, our children have soft, open hearts towards us and what we do.

autumn art projects

I love this time of year. The change of season is always refreshing to me. And the autumn colors against the brilliant blue sky is breathtaking to me. One of my favorite things is to find ways to bring nature indoors as well as create with my kids. I think it's important for them to create, but I also find it's an essential outlet for me personally! Here are a few projects we have enjoyed doing.

eating whole: breakfast time

I like our family to eat as many whole and unrefined foods as possible. I believe the more whole foods children eat when they are young, their palates will develop to appreciate whole foods and they'll have less of a craving or taste for more refined foods (which I believe leads to healthier habits). With that said, we still do occasionally eat some sugary cold cereals and some other refined things, but I try to keep it to a minimum. We try to have them as treats rather than meals.

Nourish & CreateElizabeth RileyMarch 12, 2016family, homeschool, cooking with children, eating wholeComment

little Christmas moments

The other night was like most evenings, my husband and I were exhausted from a busy day! It was also Monday night, which means we hold Family Home Evening: a time when we have a brief lesson about Jesus Christ and His gospel and occasionally some sort of activity. It turned out to be an especially wonderful evening.

Homeschool, Nourish & CreateElizabeth RileyDecember 16, 2015Comment