That is super cute! Do you actually cook in it, or is it just for warming/serving?

I would have definitely bought the 5.5 qt Dutch oven instead if I didn’t already have one in another brand. Mine is actually a bit bigger (6?6.5? maybe) but it’s truly an awesome pot. I think someday I might need to upgrade to an LC as mine has some scratches and wear, but it’s still going strong for now. (It’s the Tramontina brand)

Is there a way to find this on (deep) sale ever? I know the outlet store was discounted, but are there ever any online deals at certain stores/times of year?

The sales lady did tell me that the 5 qt was one of her all time favorites and sort of encouraged me to consider it instead of the other. BUT, I have a Spanish rice recipe I make almost weekly and just really wanted the perfect size for it, so I chose the 3 1/2 qt. I love many of the colors too and will definitely buy different ones. I think the teal is gorgeous and would probably buy it next when I can afford another one. ?

Tell me your favorite pieces and colors just for fun. ? I bought my first last week at an outlet and chose the enameled covered braiser (3 1/2 qt), mostly for Spanish rice, vegetables, and maybe eggs. I chose Orange Blossom. I like orange and it was an additional half off due to being a discontinued color. ETA: this is what it looks like https://m.ebay.com/itm/Le-Creuset-Orange-Blossom-Cast-Iron-Medium-Braiser-3-5-Qt-30-New-/202334944774

Very helpful! Thank you!

It looks great!

^^^ great tips! Thank you so much! So when you say across the width of the table, you mean to *NOT* go down one whole plank (length) at a time (One plank at a time)?

I’ve definitely been concerned about this. ? The articles online seem split on using wood filler or not. Some say yes!; some say wood filler doesn’t stain the same, or cracks with the wood adjustments to humidity/etc . I guess I’ll see just how big the gaps are once it’s finished. I don’t want yucky food crumbs though!

Do you mean between the board planks? Or just in the knot/hole things? Or both?!

I love the tile insert idea, however this table is already in production! ?

This? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Clear-Satin-Water-Based-Interior-Polyurethane-2-Pack-200241H/202057137?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-203376969-_-202057137-_-N

My DH is building us a simple, but just-what-I-want dining table. I will be doing the staining and top coat finishing of it. I’ve done tons of research by I’m still uncertain about what to use as my top coat! I definitely want satin/matte, but I don’t know if I should use water or oil based, or specifically which one/brand. This part seems so confusing! I even thought of just using hemp oil, but I’m afraid that’s not durable enough for a much used table. Has anyone built a table or have any tips for me? Specific links to products would be awesome. Thank you!

My first thought was Charleston, too.

I like their Deep Relief roller ball a lot. It’s the only one I have, but it’s one that I really like. I only have about 3 oils that I buy from YL that I can’t find suitable subs for, and this is one (the rest I usually get from Eden’s Garden).

Yep. That’s about right. ?

My vote is black. It would look lovely with your brick, as well as that wrought iron on your porch.

I just realized you wanted a review of literature, not writing! Doh!!! We really liked EIL 7. I gave a review in another recent thread, but I’ll give my thoughts again here. ? It covered all of the elements that I fail to think about covering. It was all scheduled out so I didn’t have to wonder if I was getting to it all...Short stories, poetry, nonfiction, novel. Everything is available online except for the novel so at the beginning of the school year I just printed everything needed and DS would pull out whatever stories/poems were for the week. He would do all of the reading and work during the week and I’d discuss things with him at the end of the week. I also read the novel along with him so we could discuss it, along with the questions already in his book. (We also both really enjoyed the novel!) Using the given EIL schedule, my DS finished at the beginning of May, so roughly a full year course. I would love to use EIL 8, but I’m on the fence because I don’t think my DS is ready for the novel. We could skip it and read a different novel, but then I feel like I’m paying for something I’m not fully using. I’m still pondering it. ? let me know if I can answer any other questions!

We did EIW for 6th and now 7th. We switched to it after doing 2 years of IEW theme books. It has been good for DS and the teaching is in small enough chunks that there isn’t much complaining. ? It’s working and DS’s writing has improved, so I’m leaning toward using it again for 8th, but this time adding in the scoring services that EIW offers. I think feedback from outside sources will help my DS. Ok, so here are my other thoughts. Pros: gets done Is improving writing dvd teaching with short lessons cons: even though I’m not teaching, I still have to look at his work, help edit, revise, etc. If I don’t stay on top of this, then he does his little daily ‘chunk’ in a matter of minutes and ‘checks the box’ for writing. So, I think the biggest con is that it can be light, especially if you’re not staying on top of it. My DS finished the book by Christmas. ? BUT, that didn’t happen in 6th. I think when I gave him more independence for 7th, that’s what happened. So, yes, I think it can and should be a full school year course, but only if you ensure your DC is doing ALL of the writing, re-writing, editing, etc. This was probably more of a fail on my part, not the curriculum. HTH! Please let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Your reviews have been immensely helpful. Thank you for taking the time to give thorough reviews. I’m feeling convinced that this isn’t the class for DS.

This ^^^

I think if it’s 108 in wide, IMO, you really need 3-4 because they’re supposed to have the ‘waves’ or bends or whatever it’s called! I think 2 would be too flat or overstretched. You wouldn’t necessarily notice that it’s several panels bc they’d just blend together. When you open them, you just slide them all over.

I know ikea has really long curtains at (very!) affordable prices. Have you checked there? Maybe you could do 4 panels/2 pairs of something like this? https://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/60325299/ If you didn’t want blackout, I was going to recommend the canvas drop cloths from Home Depot. They’re very long and 3 would probably be enough. I think they’re about $16 each. You can fold them over and use curtain clips, so the length is super adjustable. I’m using 2 right now for a big double window. They look so cute! Like this: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pinterest.com/amp/pin/56787645276905776/ ETA: I have mine like the pictures where it’s folded over at the top and kind of makes a valance of sorts.

We used EIL 7 this year. We used EIW for 6th and 7th, so we thought this might be a good fit for us. My DS liked the varied reading selections and the novel. I liked it because I feel like he learned a lot and was exposed to things I wouldn’t have done without a ‘curriculum’. My DS and I are both ‘box checkers’,? so it works out well for us to have a set thing to learn/do each day, even for literature. I can try to answer specifics if you have any. We tried CLE English 7 this year and it was a total bust, so I’m not much help there. There’s no way DS will ever want to see light units again! I’m actually a bit disappointed because I wanted to use EIL 8, but I really don’t think DS is ready for the novel. Of course, we could skip the novel, but that’s a lot of money to pay and then skip over a several-week chunk of the material. ETA: Re: the DVD and being travel friendly. There were many times when my DS skipped the DVD presentation because he said ‘I can just read the same thing in my book.’ I didn’t really like him to do that, but it’s probably fine to just read the workbook lesson on days you might be traveling.

After pouring over many threads and seeking advice here on the forum, we tried Essentials in Writing for 6th with my DS. It worked out well and we used it this year for 7th also. We will use it for 8th, unless I decide to outsource writing!