Under the Golden Apple Tree

Welcome to the 3rd Edition of the Mom Link Round Up!

This is the last Round up for November. I pray everyone will have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! I know I am thankful for all of you who participate by submitting links or by visiting those who do.

If you are interested in participating in the Mom Link Round Up please visit here. If you are interested in advertising on the Round Up or on Under the Golden Apple Tree please email me for rates.

Now let's get to doing the boot scoot blog hop and have a hoppin' good time.

Autumn Beck presents Are You Reading to Your Children? posted at Homeschooling In Kerrville. Wonderful post! Even if you are not a homeschooling mom, it's a must read.

Quirky Momma presents Quirky Momma posted at quirkymomma.com. She is a creative momma! She tells us how to use chores to teach math to your preschooler! We all love multi-tasking. Don't skip over if you are not a homeschooling mom...this is wonderful for all moms to use at home.

OCMomActivities presents Random Act of Kindness posted at OC Mom's Activity Guide, saying, "One of my favorite posts I've ever written. The toughest to write, but the one that really showcases one moment that made me one of the proudest moms on the planet!
Thanks for reading!" She has reason to be proud, take a read and be inspired.

Emma presents Grandparents… a helping hand or a real handful? posted at Baby-Log. She shares with us a piece of her life many of us can relate to!

Susan Tipton, from Daily Coping Skills, presents Developmental Lingusitics. This is truly delightful! A must read. Susan never disappoints.

Stacie, from Super Mommy to the Rescue, presents Having an Autistic Brother--Pros and Cons. You can't miss this post. Very educational, informative, and well written.

Living for God, from Living for God, wants us to get a Heart Exam! This post will make you ooze with thankfulness and love for the Lord. She is a must read! She nevers leaves her candle under a bushel but allows it to shine brightly for the world.

Bible SEO presents Joseph - Father of Jesus posted at Bible Study Exposition Online, saying, "This is a bible study lesson on Joseph, father of Jesus. It portrays Joseph as a care-giver, wise, obedient and faithful father and husband.

Step Hess, from Bargain Fun, submits this post on Target Potato Heads. She has a great deal and a great cause, please check her out.


Mimi, from Woven by Words, presents to us Fall Leaves=Time to Play! Fall is such a beautiful time of year and this post will make your feel all warm and cozy. It a may even give her son a job...he is quite the leaf raker!

Lua, from Mom it Fwd, found some deals for us in her post: Top 5 Beauty Buys Under $5. Ding Dong, Avon Calling! If you have an Avon lady, fire her and hire Lua! LOL. Seriously, take a look at her deals. As a former Avon Consultant, I can tell you Avon has great products!

Patty, from Mom's Best Bets, gives us some sun in her post: Aloha Friday....Running on the Beach! Yep, you can do more than tan on the beach.

Angela, from Suriving the Crazy, introduces herself to us in Let's Get Personal. Hope over and meet Angela, you will be happy you did!

Vera Lang presents Inspiring Free Crochet Patterns posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, "These have to be the BEST crochet patterns, ever! And they are FREE: a teal 'jacket' a la Anthrolopogie, a lovely scarf of flowers, several beautiful necklaces, a cool dog/cat bed, and more..."

Autumn Beck presents New to Cloth Diapers? Part 1 posted at All About Cloth Diapers, saying, "I remember how overwhelming it was when I first began cloth diapering. There were so many choices (and SO many more now!) and I had no idea where to start."

The Smarter Wallet presents Organic Food: Healthy Food Ideas For The Ordinary Shopper posted at The Smarter Wallet. I really needed this little tutorial. I am a new greenie. I hope you all can learn from this educational post.

Sarah Clark presents Two columns for the price of one! posted at The Mother Load. Oh wait...I'm not even charging so it's two for free! Don't say you didn't get anything when you visited the Round Up!

Jen, from Redhead Ranting, gives us a rant only a redhead can muster..lol..I should know, I'm a redhead as well! New Study Reveals Bloggers Get Their Periods at the Same Time.

Pepper, from Pepper Scraps, submitted this: WFMW: Pill Boxes. Now I would love to comment on this post but sadly I cannot. It's a YouTube video....well for some reason my speakers are not working so I can't hear a thing. I have a feeling I am really missing out. The rest of her blog is stellar and worth spending some time on. Great looking blog also. I just wish I could read lips! LOL.

Susan Tipton, from Daily Coping Skills, showcases her husband's work on Chartres Cathedral. This is just beautiful! So worth hoping over there and spending some time.

Laura, from The Girl Next Store Grows Up, warns us Don't Mess with My Sleep Number!! WONDERFUL post from this Early Bird! She inspired me to start getting back on my early morning routine. Not saying, I will..but I want to..that's the first step, isn't it?

Katherine, from Two Little Monkeys Plus Hubby, give us Post It Note Tuesday. She has the most adorable Post It notes on her blog. I love it! You also have to see her little monkey..she is just a doll! Be sure to make a post it note for yourself and visit her every Tuesday for more fun.

Melyssa, from Mrs. Blogalot, tell us her obsession in her post: Obesession Thy Name is Edward! Now to think, I have NEVER read a Twilight book or seen the movie. Never. I guess this means I'm missing out??? lol. Visit, Melyssa, she never fails to entertain with her high quality and creative blog.

Randy Powell presents Home Childcare Business and You posted at Home Childcare Info. For moms who ever thought about taking up this line of work. I actually had a home daycare for years. You really need to put the research in before starting it up.

Emily presents Working at Home With a Baby posted at Women Weblog. I'm thinking normally you would have to pay for an article this good! Wonderful read!

Aparna presents The Body Shop Nutriganics Giveaway posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming, saying, "The Body Shop has recently launched Nutriganics, a certified organic skin care range which carries the world respected ECOCERT mark, and is a collection of 7 new products specifically designed to address the first signs of aging" Now, I would hate for you all to hop on over there and enter so I have less of a chance of winning....buuutttt....it's worth the hop..so hop little bunny blogger.

The Backyard Grower presents Creamy Butternut Squash Soup posted at Bobbie Whitehead. Wow, sounds so yummy! This would be great around the Thanksgiving dinner table!

Dina-Marie Oswald presents Homemade "Bisquick" posted at Dimes 2 Vines, saying, "This is an economical as well as healthy baking mix alternative." This is also a timesaver! I used to buy Bisquick all the time. I really love this recipe!

Tracy Iglesias, from Acending Butterfly, submitted this post about Today's Words of Inspiration and FIVE giveaways! Yes, you read that correctly! Hop over there NOW and enter to win! Tracy always has the best giveaways so don't miss out and good luck to you.

Living for God, from Living for God, has three...that's right, count them...1...2...3 giveaways for us to enter!

• 'Tis the Season


• Poster Print


• Rolled Canvas

Mimi, from Woven by Words, has submitted a giveway for us How Many Kings by Downhere, as Christain Christmas CD. She is giving away 5 copies so the odds are pretty good! Enter to win, it could be a free stocking stuffer for your teen or young adult.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Make Money Blogging: Top Bloggers And How Much They Earn posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "I'm a mom who turned my blogging hobby into an online business. I write about the success of many bloggers as online entrepreneurs." They say if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. I know I would love that opportunity!

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Today I am taking a "blog"cation day. My family has been sick and I'm still not up to par. I am very tired and my house is falling apart. So, I think it would be wise to take care of my buiness in the home today. So while, I am doing that. You can enjoy the show! The following was sent to me in an email titled "World's Weirdest Animals". My kids got a real kick out of this so I thought it would be nice to share.

World's Weirdest Animals

Yeti Crab

Not to hard to see why where this crab got it's name.

Welcome to the Charlotte Mason Carnival. This is my first time hosting the carnival and I can tell you that I am very excited. I discovered Charlotte Mason years after I began to homeschool and never looked back. Reading Charlotte Mason's views on education I found a kindred spirit. I thank everyone who participated in the carnival. I hope you all grab a cup of coffee or your favorite tea and sit back and enjoy.

Jill, from Children in the Midst, give us a wonderful glimpse into her world in Fall Wonders-CM Style. An adorable look at children discovering God's beautiful creation. Part Masterly Inactivity and part Nature Study, this will warm your heart and inspire you to get out and enjoy creation.


Tammy, from Adventures on Beck's Bounty, shows us the beauty of backyard investigation and takes us on a journey in Investigating Our Natural Surroundings.


Lynn, from Lynn's Nature Notes, give us some sound advice and reminders on What to Take on a Nature Walk.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom, presents her article from Curriculum Choice, Come Look With Me-Art Book Series. For any mom not knowing where to begin when it comes to teaching Art History, this is the place to start. I know I will be in the market for these books.

Barb, from Harmony Art Mom, gives us another adventure in art in her blog post: Jean-Francois Millet Project-Oil Pastels. I find this post to be inspiring! I wanted to do this project myself.

Jill, from Children in the Midst, offers a sweet blog post about knitting in: Knitting Knowlege.

Sarah Sonich, author of These Granite Islands, give us a book that will entice you to sit up late reading, called The Ice Chorus. The story opens with Liselle retreating to a remote island in Ireland to escape her life. Her marriage of 18 years has just ended and her son is no longer speaking to her. She is hopelessing in love with an artist, Charlie, whom she met while on an archeological dig in Mexico with her husband. Liselle did not seek to find love or have an affair with Charlie but she could not deny the draw she felt to him. This affair would change Liselle, her husband and her son's lives forever. This would also cause her to retreat from the world to find herself again and rebuild her life. On this island she meets some locals who transform her perspective and cause her to look deep within herself.

Sarah Stonich brings you into a world where you can see, taste, touch and hear the surroundings and the characters. You drift from your cozy living room dreamily into the lives of Liselle and the charming characters living on the island. Through dramatic flashbacks, you learn the story behind the characters and Liselle. You cannot help but be drawn into their lives and allow them to be drawn into your's. Stonich's descriptions of the area and the characters come alive and pop off the page. You will feel like you entered into the book by opening the front door that is the first page.

To be honest, once I began reading more of Liselle I did not like her. She was a woman who destroyed her marriage and ruined her relationship with her son by having a needless affair. I thought her be selfish. I was sickened by her "devotion" to her son while destroying the very fabric of his life....the marriage of his parents. You would think that would be enough to catergorize this book on the list of "books not to read." It wasn't. Stonich's impressive writing draws you in and you cannot take you mind off the lives of these characters that seem so real. She opened Liselle up to show that she was not simply a woman intent on satisifying her own feelings but vulernable, lonely, and tragically sad. Despite my inital dislike for her, I began to understand her. Stonich causes you to feel her anguish. The story is more complicated than a woman who is having an affair. Liselle discovers secrets from her past about her father. In this, she discovers more about herself. She meets people who challenge her while at the same time challenge you. There were times I sympathized with Liselle, times I disliked her and times I wanted to give her a hug. This book is sure to challenge you.

*Book provided by Literary Ventures.

Well, I went on a run this morning. A donut run! My house is full of sick people...it's like a hospital ward, except for the toys and crumbs on the floor and take out boxes all over the kitchen counter. My kitchen is running very low on food ever since the flu bug came to call. So, this morning, figuring I had to feed my young, I decided to run to the store. Pink Lady, asked me if I would be getting donuts. She asked so sweetly, and having been sick all week, how could I refuse? Besides, I secretly craved a donut myself if truth be told.

So, I get in my car and go on a donut run. I get a pretty sprinkle topped donut for Pink Lady, a cinnamon roll for Northern Spy, a glazed for Geneva, and a chocolate glazed for Honeycrisp. Me? I got a mega deluxe cream filled donut with a huge cup of coffee. My husband? How kind of you to ask...he's at work. Yes, the breakfast of champions! Now, seeing as how I decided to give up on sugar junk, I felt kinda guilty about this whole donut run. Who needs a 20 grams of fat or more in one little sugar snack anyway? I also have been trying to remember that I plan on loosing weight. I think I have about a dozen or more extra donuts on my 5 foot frame.

So, in the midst of me driving back home, donut stuffed in my mouth, coffee in my car's cup holder, and Matthew West blaring in the background, I see something that made choke on the cream center of my donut. I spot a runner! A runner! Yes, a runner! A woman running. Not running from someone chasing her or running across the street...a honest to goodness, Under Armor wearing, live, runner. Suddenly I felt a blobfish! The fat on my body multiplied by tenfold...and I mean folds! The weight on my mind for not working out for...forever...not to mention the weight on my thighs was all to apparent. How dare that image of Miss Thing come into my view as I was trying to enjoy my 50 grams of fat and 1000 empty calories for the day! Isn't it bad enough I must see my skinny, blonde, 20 something, neighbor on a daily basis?

There I am, Lady Blobfish!


In a moment of strength...a Helen Reddy, I AM WOMAN, kind of roar came out of me and I decided that I would ENJOY MY DONUT and my COFFEE WITH FULL FAT CREAMER!

Tomorrow, I'll get back into my workout routine and greenie organic salad eating mentality. You can't do it all in a day and you can't loose 20 pounds just dreaming about it. I also realized that I really could care less about the extra weight. Gee, I must be old. I care more about health. Who am I kidding? I want to look good. I want people to stop and say, "WOW"! But, that's a prideful thought so I'll stick with my story of wanting to be healthy. I do have a 15 month old that is ten bundles of energy. Mama needs to keep up! Mama also really loves active things and misses it...so today I get my donut and tomorrow I break out the Power 90 rountine!

Seriously, there is no greater feeling then a good workout. I have missed it for so long and really need to do that for myself. I need to start taking care of me. Right moms? We need to care for ourselves so we can better care for our families. That does not involve stressing over a little weight. That involves staying healthy. (and fitting into those jeans that mock me every time I have to reach past them to my fat clothes.)

Time again for my FAVORITE meme! Love the meme, love the Mama! lol.






1. What is your favorite "eat" on Thanksgiving?

Mashed potatoes. Yep. I rarely eat them because my family isn't into it. Yeah, I know they are a group of crazies. I also make them super high in fat...with sour cream and cream cheese..butter....YUM! Can't eat those all year. I sometimes make garlic mashed potatoes. LOVE THEM. Sadly, I am the ONLY one...well except extended family.

2. What is the name your best girl friend and the best trait about her or how you met (or heck, both!!

Her name is Ida Red and she is just way too beautiful for words. LOL..okay..okay...you could call her beautiful and she wouldn't be offended. Geesh...alright, don't get huffy, Muffy. My best friend's name is Kelly. Her best trait is...she has so many..like she likes me, she thinks I'm great, she thinks I'm funny. She is very honest also...did I mention that? Seriously, she is a wonderful Christ loving, woman who is always there for me no matter what. I can tell her ANYTHING! We met at work..she was actually my boss.

3. What would you say is one of your "weirdest" quirks?

Don't have any. Nope. None. Can't think of anything. I just answered the rest of the questions and I still can't think of anything. I know I am quirky...but I'm at a loss. Maybe it's my inability to gain any insight into myself during a quiz.


4. What is your favorite genre of music? (Hip hop? Classical? Rock? etc.)

Am I too old or too uncool for this question? I really only listen to Christian music these days.


5. Are you a Night Owl...or an Early Bird

I'm a night owl...who segways into early bird at 4am. So, I'm both. Really, I'm not getting any worms...I could be up all night. I love to get up early...it always works best for me...but naturally I'm the owl. Who wants worms anyway? I'll take wise.

The letter for the day was B! We started out by practicing to trace the letter in the My First Book of Uppercase Letters by Kumon. Since Pink Lady loves butterflies, what better "B" word is there to use! We found a Cut and Paste Workbook picture of a butterfly for her to cut out. She is really improving on her cutting skills. To add to the fun, I printed out two large "B" letters and put them back to back to make a butterly out of the letter "B". Pink Lady thought that was so cool.







Next came arts and crafts time. Since my blunder of buying the wrong size coffee filters, I decied there had to be a use for them. The answer: Tye Dye Butterfly! Since any homeschooling mom can make a lesson from even the most mundane of task, this led us to study rhymes for a hot second. To make Tye Dye Butterfly, all you need are markers, coffee filters, and construction paper to make the butterfly body. Color to your heart's content on the coffee filter and then spritz with water. Watch as the colors all run together giving a tye dye effect. Then let dry. After it's dry staple two coffee filters back to back, then staple on the construction paper body. Very simple and fun! You can get as creative or simple as you want.




For a Bible/natural science lesson, I used William L. Coleman's, The Big Book of Animal Devotions. This is a wonderful book full of interesting factual stories about animals in a 250 day devotional form. The devotionals consist of a bible verse to reflect on and biblical concept one can learn from the animal. Great book for multi-ages. I was happy to find butterflies to extend my lesson for the day. We learned how butterflies know the route from the north to their summer homes. This was connected to how God is the one who guides our lives.





The number of the day was 3. I simply printed off a page with the number for Pink Lady to color. She also traced the number 3 in her workbook and practiced counting out sets of threes. 1,2, 3 pencils; 1,2, 3 spoons; 1, 2, 3; markers....alright, alright already...3 primary colors, the trinity...okay that's enough of 3. Once we got started we annoyed all those in Apple School Land with our counting!

To further our little number study we read the Three Little Pigs. Then Pink Lady did her narration by using the wonderful toy picture above. I was blessed to find it at a second hand store for about $5.00. It has three soft houses that fit inside one another with three pigs and the wolf. She did a wonderful job retelling the story despite Honeycrisp's intent on grabbing the piggies. Those poor pigs were either running from the wolf or a one year old!





Snack Time! What better way to enjoy snack time then with cookies? What's even better is these were 3 ingredient cookies made with 3 kinds of chips. Yes, those 3s just kept coming back! This recipe is so simple and easy the Pink Lady did the entire recipe on her own. The only thing she didn't do was place the pan in and take the pan out of the oven. Yes, moms, rest easy, that was where I came in.

So what are those three ingredients that make magic? Cake mix, 1/2 cup oil and 1 egg. Mix them up and add chips or nuts of our choice, then bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. We used chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and vanilla chips. Pink Lady had fun picking out the chips in from my baking cupboard. I hadn't realized we had three kinds. Maybe that's because I only sneak the chocolate chips every now and then. Don't tell the kids!

If you love the idea of 3 ingredient cookies, check out 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies! I posted this awhile back.