So, you want to start growing your own food! Great! If you're not already sold on the idea, here are 7 Reasons to Start a Garden.  And I'll add one more, which I never thought I would need... If your local food supply gets disrupted, being able to grow food at home makes a HUGE difference in food security.

Now, obviously you need to be able to practice a little bit of delayed gratification, since even if you go out and plant radishes RIGHT THIS SECOND it'll still be a month+ before you're eating them (and they're the quickest thing you can grow). But with our governor just issuing a "Stay at Home" order that extends through June 10th (I know!!), it really seems prudent to do what we can to avoid leaving the house whenever possible. So... Why not try to grow a little something that helps tide you over between grocery trips?

But where do we even START?

Well, your garden needs three major components to be successful:

Bread for Beginners: Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza is something that eluded me for years. My crust was always too tough, or too soggy, or awkwardly shaped... It just felt better to order pizza or grab something frozen from the store! But I've been using this recipe for years and it's perfect. Give it a try!

12/52: Cream Puffs and Laetare

School in the Time of Quarantine: Home School in the Woods Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We are BIG history fans in this house. After studying Ancient Greece for the past year and a half (it... took us a while to get through the longer book I chose, which apparently we were supposed to be reading three chapters from each week instead of two. Whoops!), it was finally time to move on to Ancient Rome! Hurrah! So the timing was perfect to try out some of the supplementary activities from the team at Home School in the Woods.

Bread for Beginners: Sandwich Bread Recipe

A few months ago I decided I'd like to try baking all our bread instead of buying some of it at the store. I was already baking about half of what we eat, but was tired of getting cheap grocery store bread that was full of junk (and the nice stuff is pricey!!). So I tried out a bunch of different recipes, tweaked my favorite, and baked my heart out.

Little did I know that a couple months later, there would be a serious bread shortage in stores! I'm so glad I was already in the habit of baking all our bread, and if you've found yourself in a new position of needing to bake all of your own, maybe this will be a good place to start?

The Action Bible Anytime Devotions Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We are big fans of The Action Bible, so much so that I've been tempted to get a second copy just to help settle fights over who's reading it, who lost whose place, and whose turn it is to read it next! So I was pretty excited to see that David C Cook had come out with a new book with similar artwork, The Action Bible Anytime Devotions.

11/52: The Playground

Byron's Games Review: A Geography Board Game

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.



We are a board game family. Perhaps to a fault, because we're running out of room for games, but just keep getting more! I can't pass up a good educational game, though, so when Byron's Games offered to send their award-winning Continent Race board game, I jumped at the opportunity!

Venturing with God in the Congo Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
 

I had never heard of "missionary stories" as a book genre until Venturing with God in the Congo arrived from Conjurske Publications. A sturdily-bound book, I was impressed just by the physical durability of the publication. The book is the perfect size, pages are thick and high quality, and the binding is secure enough to withstand it getting dropped multiple times by my children with no issues!

10/52: Signs of Spring

Carole P. Roman Review: Picture Books That Bring History to Life

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.



We are BIG history lovers in our family, and I'm always on the lookout for more books to keep on our shelves that will correspond with different historical periods we study. Lucky for us, Carole P. Roman has a whole series of colorfully illustrated reference books that appealed to all the children in our family!

Albert Whitman & Company Review: The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.



We have been fans of the Boxcar Children books for years. Both my husband and I read them as children, and I was excited to introduce our children to the original chapter books once they started reading fluently! So I jumped at the chance to review The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set from Albert Whitman & Company. 

9/52: Baby Chub, King Cake, and Soap Carving

PRIDE Reading Program Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.


I have a confession to make:

What's In Your Easter Basket? A Small Shop Gift Guide {and giveaway}

Lent is officially here! I'm always happy to have the opportunity to buckle down and renew my prayer life during this liturgical season, but... there's also the details of Easter to think about and plan for! When I was a child, we got nothing but candy in our Easter baskets. I loved it! But I try to branch out a little when it comes to Easter baskets these days. Below you'll find 18 friends you can shop from to support Catholic small businesses, and I know you'll find something you love. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for an amazing giveaway!