A Christmas Surprise

It's that time of the year where we are mixed with thoughts of making memories with loved ones, remembering the birth of Jesus, and the not-so-fun shopping spree many do each year. I was feeling a bit down since we couldn't buy anything yet to put under the tree. My husband hasn't had much work this season since most people don't want any driveways so close to the holidays. I'm searching for work at home as I write this. It has officially been one year since we began living on our own land.

This year has been rough to sum it up. Between trying to live a simple life in a chaotic, but beautiful world and making lasting memories with our boys, it's been crazy. Crazy, but no regrets. 

However, we haven't lost the real meaning of Christmas, which is Jesus. As a family, we've been focusing more on God and our spiritual relationship. I've been slowly teaching my sons about the birth of Jesus as we near the date. It's difficult not to worry. We are human. We are parents and parents ALWAYS worry.

With that said, something incredible happened out of the blue!

My lovely neighbor did a random act of kindness for my family and gifted us a very thoughtful compilation of gifts. I was shocked and did not know what to say. All I could screech out, as she gave us the tree and wrapping paper, was "oh my gosh, thank you so much you didn't have to." After putting it inside, I went back out to tell her we did not even buy wrapping paper yet, so it was amazing she did that for us. She then surprised us with two large bags of new toys for our boys! I gasped, literally.

I remembered the Bible app I have on my phone had literally said to not worry about wealth, because having faith in God will give us the things we need in this life. I read this to my little family during our learning time. Then this happened.

                         Coincidence? 🤔
I think not. 😊


Yes, we still talk about Santa even though we mainly talk about Jesus for the season.  Our kids have a HUGE imagination and I love to see their smiling faces. Our oldest son did not see the contents of the mystery bags, but he knew it was toys since he overheard. I simply told him Santa gave her the bags of toys to give to us and she gave us the tree & wrapping paper. He was ecstatic and said "yay!" I then reminded him of the Bible lesson from the app and told him, "God blessed us, didn't he?"

This act of kindness also reminded me to pass on more acts of kindness to others. It will be a little random, because we won't know which act we will do on that day. All that matters is that we help someone else, because we never know what others are going through. Hopefully we can do this all year long and not just during the holidays. Our children will greatly benefit from practicing compassion as well as the beautiful souls on the receiving end. 

If you want to know what we plan to do to pass it on, then watch for the next post! I'll share it in the group when it's ready.  

The link to the group is below! 

Live Discover Explore with us!

Use What You Already Have For Your Homeschool

Okay, so yes. I am guilty of overspending on things I thought we needed and really didn't have any use for. This is especially true around the holidays when things are half off, buy one get one free, and of course that 75% discount. Sound familiar? Sorry! (That apology is for my husband)

However, now I see that it was a huge mistake! It's no problem as long as we learn from our mistakes. We have things that could be used for learning at home already. Here's a semi-organized list of things that could be bought that you can ALSO find a way to use in your homeschool from things you already have! 

Counting manipulatives 

We count with rocks and sticks. Then we make a pretend army out of them and have the battle of our lives. CHAAAAARGE  ^_^ 

Play-Doh!

We have clay we can dig directly from the ground to mold into things. If you don't want to get muddy, then cornstarch + water or flour + water and food coloring makes for cool squishy stuff! This can replace stress balls too!

Paper for writing 

Who needs paper when you have chalk? Yes, we have paper too. Chalk can be erased with water and we don't have to kill that many trees while learning how to write. If you don't already have chalk, then yes you have to buy it. It's usually cheap though! You can also re-purpose cardboard cereal boxes for this

Insect kits 

I've heard of those insect kits you can buy and watch the insect grow then let it go. I think it's more fun to discover which insects you have in your backyard and then study them. We have been watching snails and slugs for quite awhile. I think we'll move on to the birds next!

 

Buy new books

Make your OWN books! Yes, buy some if you really need or want to, but it's also FUN to make your own just like they do in the Waldorf education :) I think we will try this idea pretty soon from Art of Homeschooling  

Scavenger Hunt Kit 

Once again, you can just make your own scavenger hunt! We do this a bunch and although it usually isn't that "pretty", it is "pretty fun" to do with the kids. Warning: You Will Get Dirty (if your hunt involves insects or stuff close to the dirt) 

 

Taqueria tacos 

Okay, so this is fun to do at home! It's easy, fun and the kids love to help with this one! Instead of spending $20+ on tacos and gorditas for the family, we like to make our own. You can buy your own ingredients for less. The kids will learn math, chemistry, and practical life skills all in one. It's also fun to make tortillas with maseca, but don't forget the tortilla press if you don't already have one. It's a lifesaver! If you don't have one, then large plates work fine as well. I like how this site shows you how to roll out the tortillas without a press.

That's all I can think of for now. If you have any cool ideas of what people normally buy that you could just do at home, then feel free to drop them in the comments or our Live Discover Explore Diary group!

Remember, there's always another way! We're always trying to find new ways to do things in our daily lives. Becoming less or zero waste is on the list, but that is something that's going to take a bunch more work.

 It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. -John Wooden

Thoughts: He is our ROCK!

Aren't kids amazing? They surprise us when we least expect it. My kids have always been somewhat interested in collecting rocks, especially our 18 month old. He always grabs rocks literally wherever he goes. He naturally classifies them by size and sorts them into groups. Our 7 year old joins in the rock fun by using them to battle each other. His imagination is endless and could go on forever, especially with thousands of rocks and sticks available in the natural world around him. Well, the most amazing part I feel is that this week our oldest son decided he wanted to do a unit study on rocks. He is just so interested. It amazes me, because his interest REALLY grew during Easter week. Here's a Bible verse to better explain how I feel about it... Psalm 18:2 ESV The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Out of all things they could have wanted to learn about... It could be dinosaurs, medieval times, sharks, literally anything else and they both at the very same time suddenly become super interested in ROCKS! It's a beautiful sign for us all. Remember, children are naturally CLOSER to God than we are. Someone I just met recently told me that babies are angels. Literally. He said as we grow older, we just become more human. However, babies are, and always will be, angels. It is really beautiful to think about. We are planning lots of fun rock activities to do, especially since Earth day is coming up! It is now our mission ;) I'll update this post with a link to other posts which will include the hands on activities we try once we get the ball rolling. We already have a few things in mind such as rock painting, sensory bins, collecting, and more! The kids are already collecting rocks from everywhere we go. I will share the rocks they find in the LiveDiscoverExplore group on Facebook here! Rocks are so amazing!

2021 Blessings and Decisions

Waking up near midnight was a blessing, because I got to catch up on some much needed "me time". This me time was just scrolling on Facebook, but I needed that. I simply needed quiet time. Alone. Being ambivert (intro and extrovert), it was MY time to recharge my mind.

Life is a blessing. My children are a blessing and my husband is a blessing. Just about two weeks ago time stood still for us. Our 1 year old who was fighting for his life at birth was fighting for his life once again and we felt helpless. High fever, febrile seizures, not knowing what was causing it...made us feel pretty darn helpless and frustrated as parents. He's okay now, back to his normal self and I call that a miracle!

We often see past these blessings and look for problems and as human beings that is as natural as it's going to get. We will see the problems and have to face them, but we still have a choice. We have the choice to face the problems and work through them or to run away and have regrets. This year and the years to come, I choose to face all the problems. Not all at once, but as they come.

This year I am blessed, because I still get to spend time with my family. I still get to see the boys laughing, breathe fresh air, walk among many other things. I'm here for a reason I do not know. If you're reading this, then you are too.

We may not be where we want to be, yet, but we are where God wants us to be.

Here are the things we have decided to do or change in 2021 and the list goes on. . .

We decided to read the Bible as a family, even though it's less than a chapter a day. It's still helping us grow.

We decided to buy less, spend more time together doing things.

We decided to argue less, discuss more.

We decided to complain less and be aware of what we are thankful for.

We decided to move forward, not backward. (Even though memories are awesome!)

We decided to live in the moment, but still prepare for the future!

There's many more things to add to our list and this list will continue to grow as the years pass. Our decisions can be considered as lifestyles. Let's grow together.

I hope you really have a Happy New Year and many more years to Live, Discover, and Explore!  

What are YOU doing different this year?

#lessismore
#livediscoverexplore
#2021 

The Mommy Stash

Do you have a Mommy (or a Daddy) stash anywhere at home? Yeah, you know I'm taking about snacks! What did you think this post was about? Lol! 😂

Responsibilities Equal One Tired Mama

I used to feel very guilty for hiding chocolate and other sweets from the kids, but not anymore. Sometimes we need that "pick me up" throughout the day, especially when you have tons of responsibilities!

My first resposibility is motherhood. Home educating is the second and the third is taking care of our home. The fourth is searching for writing gigs that will pay the bills. Yes, I do consider all of these responsibilities as jobs. Then, I have to fit some well deserved "me-time" somewhere in there (it's always random). I'm definitely not complaining. I love my kids & husband and enjoy their company! This is where my Mommy Stash comes in! Hehehe...

What does my Mommy Stash currently have?

Oreos and dark mint chocolate! Shhh... 🤫

What??? I like chocolate! 😁

My pick-me-up stash changes depending on my mood each food shopping trip. I may get an almond milk frappuccino pre-made in the bottle next. Perhaps I should just do tea? Coffee gives me too much of a sugar rush sometimes. What do you think? It might be a good idea to re-think my choices and lean more towards the healthier side of life. Decisions, decisions!

Don't Forget To Share Sometimes

Although I hide my sweets, I do share with the kids (unless it's coffee. They're too young for that, lol! Gosh, I feel like I'm hiding wine 😅 ). 

I really do share with them, especially if they find it. I'm not stingy, haha! It's just better to keep it all hidden so it doesn't randomly go bye-bye in one day. Yes, that has happened before between the kiddos and their Daddy. At least the oldest apologized. I think he knows about my little secret caffeine stash... 

Where To Hide The Stash

Last, but not least... Dun, dun, duuuun! Where in the world do I keep this wonderful treasure of mine? The clean clothes!

Don't worry, they come in tiny single packs so I don't have to worry about critters stealing my treasure. Haha, but yes I did say the clothes! It's the perfect hiding spot, in my situation, since my household consists of people who want nothing to do with laundry (unless they're wearing it! 😂 ). Just don't tell anyone to go get your socks! Lol

Now that y'all know all about my Mommy stash, let me know if you have a secret stash somewhere and what it is! I'm suspiciously curious. 😉

If you're a new reader, then follow the Live Discover Explore page on Facebook to join us in our fun filled discoveries! 

Crayon Sun Melt

Good afternoon! I hope you all are having fun with your kids during this global isolation. We are and we wanted to share with you all what we decided to try the other day!

You can do this very easy experiment as long as you live some place where it gets very hot during the day. Whene we did this it was exactly 80° Fahrenheit. That is 26.6° Celsius. We have dry weather here in the Land of Enchantment, so it felt extremely HOT that day. 🔆🏜️ Back where we used to live, with high humidity, this would be no sweat. Well, you'd still sweat. You would just be used to it! 🌦️
Ehh... We're still adjusting to the new environment, haha. 😅

This is a strange experiment, but the kids will love it if they like to color! 

                 Crayon and Sun Experiment

Step 1 - Find some broken crayons and a cookie cutter mold! There has to be some old cookie cutters you don't care about anymore. I'd recommend using those. I'm not sure if you'll be able to use them for food after this. I will keep these for experiment use only! Have some old, broken crayons laying around? Use those! 

Step 2 - Take the paper completely off! I don't know why, but I've always heard to take the paper off before melting crayons. Perhaps that's only for oven use?

Step 3 - Fit them into the mold as best as you can! Put them under the sun! We had to wait a little while (15 minutes or so) until they became soft, then pushed them to fit them a little better!

Step 4 - Check on them! Set them to the texture you desire! We used a rock to avoid touching the very hot crayon goo. Stay safe!

 Step 5 - Chillax! Let them cool off. We first left this cool creation to sit outside in the shade on the back porch. After roughly two hours we decided to stick our snowman and Christmas tree in the freezer to see what would happen. My fault! I lost track of time. These are the results.



Cooling down in the shade outside.

Right after taking them out of the mold 2 hours later.

The end result after the freeze. We're missing a snowman head and a chunk of the tree. Oops! 

Next time we do this we'll throw it in the freezer right away instead of leaving it to semi cool off, haha. That's why they call it an experiment, right? We'll do plenty more experiments in the near future! At least it didn't totally break! 😅

Share YOUR crayon experience in my LDE group!  I can't wait to see what you've all come up with!!!

Communication with baby by simple noise

Did you know communication does not only revolve around spoken language? There's also sign language and more! Did you know you could actually communicate with your baby by sound? Well, of course you do if you ever banged on the wall with your best friend in code knocks. Perhaps once, twice or three times. If you did then you used some sort of code, right? What if I told you it could work with babies too?!?! I'm not an early childhood development expert, but I am definitely a mom. I am a mommy who ACCIDENTALLY just discovered that it really DOES WORK!

When and where?

We came outside today (Yes, we are still outside!) It's quite a lovely day and the birds are singing a calm melody. 

Baby Ruben seemed a little bored after using the walker to get some energy out. I put him in the swing for a little while. After some time I sat down where he could still see me. The swing eventually came to a complete stop He watched some hummingbirds eat from the bird feeder and paid extremely close attention to the dogs yelling back and forth.

 Really dogs? I always wonder what you're talking about!

He looked at me.

I smiled. He smiled right back!

It was ABSOLUTELY precious.

Then it happened. He used his wobbly foot to make a knocking noise on the plastic of the baby swing about seven or eight time He glanced directly at me once again, doing nothing. I, being a silly Mommy at times, decided to return the knocking noise on a nearby box! He let out a HUGE grin and did it again! We did it at random moments back and forth for a minute. 

The Test

I thought to myself, "this baby has been hitting his feet on things countless times. His feet! What if there's a meaning behind it?" 

And there it was!

I hit my foot on the box exactly five times. He returned it five times. 

I GOT MY ANSWER!!! 

He was trying to communicate and he actually did!

I suppose I stared at him in amazement for what seemed like an eternity since he began fussing and knocking his feet a million times on the swing. I got him out and he went straight for the milk!

What if knocking his feet means he wants Mommy's milk??

I guess we will know for sure next time. 

What do YOU think he was trying to say? Let me know in the LDE group!

Find Your Tribe

Find Your Tribe

Have you ever heard anyone say they finally found their tribe? What exactly is a tribe in that sense? 

Basically, it means you have found your people.  You found your group of like minded individuals. You may not all agree with everything. There will definitely be minor disagreements and, at times, major. Despite the negativity of arguing every now and then, you and your tribe are able to unite in the harsh times just as you once did in the greatest moments.

          Think about that for a full minute. 

          Yes, please set a timer and simply reflect. 😊

I won't ask what you reflected on since that part of the journey is sometimes extremely personal.
     

Haven't found the right one?

If you have yet to find your tribe, then do not be too concerned. Most people have not found their tribe yet, including myself.  Some may never find that peace in their lifetime simply because they are too afraid to climb out of their comfort shell. Other reasons people are unable to find their tribe are because too many life changes are happening simultaneously. That last one is my reason. Too many distractions come into play, but I do not worry since that is just how life is. Don't mistake the absence of worry for being lazy or unproductive.

          My Daddy used to say, I quote, “Do not worry, but be concerned. If you worry, your body will produce stress. If you are concerned, you can problem solve.” -Wolf Spirit

If you can't find your tribe the old fashioned way, then what should you do?

I am unable to give much advice on this topic since I’m on the path of finding a tribe as well. However, here is my genuine perspective.
         Options include:
👉Creating a social media group or page (like I did)
👉Joining a social media group or page (like you did)
👉Starting something new at a library (you may be able to host classes, story time or craft time activities in person)
👉Create a website to advertise a new movement or project

Quick note: Due to the spread of Covid-19 worldwide, you should consider doing activities that require people to physically be together online temporarily. If you're reading this after everything has calmed down and there’s no danger to physically be in groups anymore, then don't hold back! 

The bottom line is that whatever interests you,  there will always be people out there with similar mindsets. I have somewhat found my tribe through social media. We are basically a small group of people who are looking into homeschooling, gentle parenting and all things nature.

Are you reading this because you need a new tribe? Join my LDE group by visiting the page and let's share moments, activities and like minded ideas!
Do you already have a tribe who desires to live and explore life? Share in the group so that we can support one another! I really hope you find your tribe or create your own very soon!
Just want to read more exciting posts? Hit like on the Live Discover Explore page to see posts each week!

Hope to see you there!

Yours Truly,
Caffeinated Mommy of two 

Montessori Inspired Sound Box!

Hey ya'll! I did it! I made a sound box. Yay!

No, not some kind of musical instrument. Athough, that would be pretty cool. Hmm... ideas.

Okay, if you don't know what a sound box is, then please bear with me. I will do my best to explain what it is. If you do know what it is, then skip past the next paragraph.

In the Montessori world there is something called a sound box. It's basically a container with little dividers. Our container has three spaces across and three spaces down. It was a blessing, but my brother gave us three of these empty containers he had no use for. I suppose that is where the iconic saying goes hand in hand:

"One man's trash is another man's treasure." - Hector Urquhart

Except, in my case, it was:

"One man's old trash is a woman's new treasure." - LDE Blog

Haha, okay, that was sort of awkward. 

What are we practicing?

We are practicing the sounds the letters "L", "S" and "M" make. I put the letters in the top space and items in the remaining two spaces. The items we used are pictured below.

I had to draw in some objects since I didn't have two for each letter. I decided to draw them on simple flash cards I already had on hand and fold them to fit the container.

How do we practice?

The sound box is normally displayed on a table. In our case, it's the dining room table.

 We do everything on that table such as eating, doing puzzles, making crafts, drawing, and some displays. My just turned six year old now goes to it, with my guidance, to practice. I ask what each letter is and he tells me. Then, I ask him to pick up each object and tell me what their names are. Then, I help him with the sounds if needed.

He began improving only after three days of using this method. For example, he used to say the "M" was a "W" and thought the "S" had a "C" sound. Now it's been about a week and he has almost perfected those letters.

We are now visiting family out of state for the holidays, so I simply closed the plastic container and packed it with his school stuff. We do practice for a few minutes each day. Of course it is not on display at the moment, but it's for the best. Otherwise, we may end up losing it with all of the cousins around. Haha, kids... :)

Stay tuned for some Thanksgiving posts!

I will try to do some fun crafts with Edgarin. Perhaps his cousins will join in too and we'll post their crafts as well if they do. ^_^

What is LDE Blog about?

The description of this blog is quite literally in the blog title. Our family likes to live, discover and explore life.

Here's what I mean:

Homeschool

We have decided to homeschool our children. It has its ups and downs, but it's one of the best decisions we've ever made. Our style is a mix of Montessori, Waldorf, Unit Studies and Life Skills. 

Plant based

After many unexplained bloating issues, we came to the conclusion that we must try to become plant based and try some alternatives. Our diet of course. Although, we are not "on a diet" nor do we get our energy from the sun. :)

Faith

We believe in God and the word of God. That makes us Christians. What about our church? How about all of them. We've been to Baptist, Catholic, 7th Day Adventist; you name it. God is the important one here.

Minimalism

After moving countless times, we choose to begin living a minimalist life as best as we currently can. Who needs stuff anyways? We will have less time cleaning and much more time enjoying moments together. It's not about the things. It's about the memories. 

That just about wraps it up guys and gals, chicks and dudes, ladies and gentlemen...

People! :) 

I hope our experiences help you find your own passions, dreams, and purpose in life.