For some reason, the month of November feels like it’s gone faster than any other month this year. Every time I think about the fact that Thanksgiving is next week I feel like reenacting the face made by Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone.
Enjoy this week’s finds and I’ll see you in two weeks! ~Amy
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Some of my favorite recipes, gadgets, and music for the holiday season can be found in Amy’s Holiday Favorites.
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Chasing the Turkey board game from Susan Paradis.
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Melodic dictation of Thanksgiving tunes for intermediate levels and Pumpkin pie listening thermometers from Compose Create.
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When we lived in Australia, one of my favorite chefs to watch on TV was the Canadian show French Food at Home hosted by Laura Calder. As we’re coming into a season of having our homes full of family, food, and friends, it’s the perfect time to share her book The Inviting Life: An Inspirational Guide to Homemaking, Hosting and Opening the Door to Happiness.
“The Inviting Life” what a beautiful idea!
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#GivingTuesday is a large part of the upcoming season. As an independent teacher, if you’re looking for ways to give back to the profession, consider the MTNA Foundation Fund.
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Speaking of giving…
If you use Amazon for shopping at all, consider connecting with a non-profit through Smile.Amazon.com before doing all your holiday shopping. For example, our local creative arts organization and the church camp Drew and I support both have an organizational account. Simply do your shopping at smile.amazon.com rather than on amazon.com and 0.5% of your purchases will go back to your organization of choice without costing you any extra!
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Lauren just shared a great little challenge she gave to her piano students. Maybe you’ll find the December Studio Challenge a great fit for your student next month!
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Journals and diaries have never worked for me – I’ve tried over the years and it never lasts. The idea of the “One-line-a-day” journal is very appealing to me though and I’m thinking of doing this in 2019. It seems like a simple and yet beautiful way to reflect on life. Does anyone do this and if so what do you think? Do you have a particular journal you like? This is the one I’m looking at purchasing. Share in the comments!
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9Have you seen Natalie’s new website? It looks amazing – so simple and fresh. Check it out!
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Thanksgiving often is focused on the blessings of health, position, family, friends, home, and belonging – all good things, but perhaps we should consider also giving thanks for spiritual blessings – the kind that has value beyond life on earth.
This beautiful song written by Keith and Kristy Getty focus on the spiritual blessings. They state:
In “My heart is filled with thankfulness” we give thanks to God for spiritual blessings – past, present and future: what Christ has done for us – for forgiveness and new life, which only He could bring by coming here to earth and suffering for us…for how He walks beside us each day and having lived, breathed and walked here on earth…for how He promises to be with us whatever our future holds.
Thanks for the mention, Amy, and all the other great finds! I do the One Line a Day journal and it’s been a really cool experience. I’m on my fourth year now, so it’s a great way to look back and remember what was going on in our lives in previous years. I use it for a combination of daily happenings, an occasional quote, something I’m learning, etc. Mine is pretty much identical to the one you pictured, except yellow. I highly recommend it and hope you give it a try! 🙂
Oh, cool! It’s nice to hear of others who are finding it to be a successful experience. I’m excited to try. I love how little it requires but how much it can show! 🙂