Has anyone else seen this? I had thought it might rather irreverent, but it was pretty creative & well done!

I'm done wrapping everything that's here - we still have gifts on the way though. I absolutely HATE wrapping too, so this year I've been forcing myself to wrap things as I buy them, or a few gifts each day.

I would try Etsy for the widest variety.

I said yes, though when the kids were younger I waited until they were asleep on Christmas Eve. Now, because I hate wrapping and for lack of hiding places, I wrap things as soon I buy them and under the tree they go!

Ours is up also, though I mainly wrote about history and Christmas activities since everything else is pretty much unchanging & thus not very interesting.

We're slowly working on Time Travelers: Colonial Life from Homeschool in the Woods & I just noticed she has a "History of Holidays" study that I may download as well. I've got pictures on my blog of three of the lapbook/notebook projects we did this week.

Similarly, there's TruthQuest History.

Ours is finally up - I mainly wrote about history & Christmasy activities this week.

I'm very much the same way, so I spent some time this morning looking for new recipes. Here's the list I came up with.

I've been searching for good new cookie & candy recipes all morning. Here's a list I came up with on my blog, perhaps you'll find something that will work.

Some of my favorites include Leite's Culinaria, Tartelette, 101 Cookbooks, Chocolate & Zucchini, The Kitchn, and Simply Recipes. (I also love Noble Pig, mentioned above.)

I work 5-7 hours per day (from home) & homeschool. After nearly 2 years of homeschooling, I'm still experimenting with our schedule to determine what will work best. Last year we started school at 1 pm & that was just fine, but this year I've got 2 in PS & when they come home in the afternoon everything screeches to a stop. So, this year we're trying to get the bulk of our work done earlier in the day. Especially while your boys are younger I think you'll find it quite easy to manage both. I hs'd mine through K & 1st grade while working and it wasn't nearly as challenging as it is now that they're older. I do have a blog, but have been inconsistent about blogging this year as I've been especially busy with work!

I would agree with the previous poster that said it all depends on how you intend to use the device. If you strictly want an eBook reader, then you probably don't need an iPad. Last week I got both the Kindle and NookColor & I'm still trying to decide which I prefer. Here are my thoughts on both: Kindle: - For me, it seems quicker & easier to buy books from Amazon & have them sent to my Kindle. The B&N process can be a bit slow at times. - Amazon sometimes has better eBook prices than B&N. One book I wanted was $35.(!) for the Nook & only $9.99 for the Kindle. - Amazon has a way bigger selection of books, though now that Google is selling eBooks that can be read on the Nook, this might change the game a bit (however, there are also issues with Google's bookstore that might be a deal breaker for me) - The Kindle feels a little too lightweight/flimsy to me - I prefer the heavier Nook because it feels more like a real book. Nook: - Mine is having some serious issues with the touch screen. Specifically, at least once a day the device appears to have a mind of its own & will either flip pages quickly (all by itself!), highlight words & otherwise jump around very randomly. I'm not able to control it until I shut it off & turn it back on. Some quick Googling informed me that this is a software bug & I am not the only one having a problem with it. - Generally, I prefer the touch screen aspect of the Nook as I find it easier to navigate around (that is, when it's working properly!) - I greatly prefer the backlit screen on the Nook & have not found it to be hard on my eyes when reading. Though I love the Kindle's eInk, since I often read before bed in a semi-dark room, the Nook better suits my needs. - I *love* being able to look at books (and magazines!) in color on the Nook. - I like Nook's "lend me" feature, though I really wish the publishers wouldn't be quite so stingy about it. - It's nice that I can browse the web, listen to music & do other things on the Nook, though quite honestly my kids use this feature more than I do!

I would go with the Plan Chalet because I think it looks the most appealing. We don't own it, but have owned a Plan toys dollhouse in the past (when the kids were younger) & the quality is very good.

Just thought I'd pass this along in case anyone else is interested. From what I can tell, the store opened just a few minutes ago... "Google launched Google eBooks on Monday, becoming the third major e-books retailer, alongside Amazon and Apple. The technology giant’s move had been long anticipated and marked a significant development in e-books. Unlike Amazon and Apple, Google is not selling consumers a reading device. Instead, its books are platform agnostic and can be read on smart phones, desktops, tablets, the Nook and Sony eReader -- pretty much everything except the Kindle. Google is working with all of the big six major publishing houses -- Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, Simon and Schuster and Macmillan -- and thousands of smaller publishers to offer more than 250,000 in-print books for sale. Google eBooks will also launch with about 2.7 million public-domain books in its store, which can be accessed for free. More than 200 independent bookstores nationwide will be able to sell Google eBooks. This is good news for independent booksellers, which for the first time will be able to offer a coherent, competitive e-book alternative to Amazon's." (- LA Times article about the launch)

I think that's around what we paid for it. According to this, Amazon has had it for as low as 30.99, so it likely won't go much lower.

My 13 yo is getting a fancy 'gaming computer' that DH is building for him. He also got a NICE 32" monitor for the new computer (I'm jealous!) & ice hockey lessons. 12 yo twin #1 got the new Nook Color, rollerblades, The Michael Jackson Experience for Wii (he's a huge MJ fan), 2 new XBox controllers, The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science & Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction. 12 yo twin #2 got the XBox Kinect + 3 games, rollerblades, Mindflex game...& I can't remember what else! Oh & all 3 boys got the Robonica Roboni-i programmable robot toy (review here) - snagged when Amazon had it dirt cheap a few weeks ago. I know I'm forgetting some things, but those were the biggest items. For stocking stuffers I got some military surplus items (requested by one of the twins), new 12 month XBox Live subscription cards + odds 'n ends from ThinkGeek, Fred Flare & Archie McPhee.

I believe it was The Gun by CJ Chivers?

Yes indeed! My final year of high school, our school piloted an independent study program that I participated in. I was allowed to design my own classes (based on my interests) and I got to work from home. The teacher made the classes "fit" so that I got the necessary credit for them & I only had to go to school once a week to check in with her and turn in assignments. That year instilled in me a lifelong passion for learning.

This is essentially me too. I tend to get very interested in something for awhile - obsessively read all I can on the subject, and then move on to another subject. Before I started homeschooling I used to design formal classes for myself. Now, all of my planning energy goes into homeschooling.

I really don't know, but yesterday I was reading the Amazon discussion boards & someone mentioned that he uses http://camelcamelcamel.com/ - it's an Amazon price tracking site that will give you the price history of an item and alert you when the item's price drops below an amount you specify. I plan to play around with it some more this afternoon because it could be a very cool tool (the guy who mentioned it swears by it). I forgot to mention - the general consensus on the Amazon boards was that item prices fluctuate due to demand (no one seems to know exactly how this works). That said, from everything I've read, Amazon plans on being pretty aggressive with their pricing and especially price matching this holiday season. SO, I would think there's a fairly good chance of the prices dropping still, depending on the item.

I would agree that In This House of Brede is excellent - I've also read A Breath of Air, which is entertaining enough, but not really of the same calibur. You might also check out Black Narcissus, which is supposed to be really excellent also. I haven't read it (yet!), though I thoroughly enjoyed the 1947 movie. A list of her adult novels can be found here.

Makeup - I'm not particularly loyal to any brand/product except bareMinerals foundation & DiorShow mascara (oh & Burt's Bees lip balm!). I love trying new palettes from Sephora & am currently in love with this Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick Set. All of the colors are totally wearable & great. Hair - I've got a short 'n funky cut, so could not live with Aquage Transforming Paste. Perfume - I’ve been exploring the world of niche fragrances lately & ordering tons of samples from Luckyscent.com. My two absolute favorites that I had to buy full bottles of are Five O'Clock Au Gingembre by Serge Lutens & Sushi Imperiale by Bois 1920 – both are warm, spicy & just heavenly! Book - The most recent book I've read that I've loved is The Burdens of Sister Margaret: Inside a 17th Century Convent by Craig Harline - it was absolutely fascinating. My favorite book of the year (or was that last year?!) was Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. Homeschool Book - Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss. Store - Any book store, thrift store, antique store...Etsy & Target Season - Fall - I love everything about it! Anything you collect - Blythe & Pullip dolls, books, vintage ironstone dinnerware & plenty of other things... Activities - Reading, baking, shopping Other - Birkenstock clogs, Starbucks Peppermint Mochas, the two wine clubs I recently joined (Wine of the Month Club & Cellars -both highly recommended!)

I'm really behind because I haven't figured Thanksgiving out yet this year. That's my weekend goal! We're going to get together with family, but also usually do our own dinner here. I do have a bunch of recipe links on my blog that we've been trying out lately. They're mostly, though not all, desserts & I'll incorporate the best of them into my plans. The peanut soup mentioned in my weekly report today is one thing that I know will be on the menu. I used a natural honey peanut butter to make it & it was divine (and also really different, which I love).

I haven't posted a weekly report in forever, but we've finally got one up (here) this week.