Read. Write. Mom!

Free Printable George Washington Activity Pack

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Mandy

This free printable George Washington activity pack offers a fun variety of ways to study and celebrate the first president of the United States of America. Learning the foundations of history can be fun and educational when sprinkled with fun activities.

George Washington Activity Pack

The following activities are included in this printable pack:

Coloring Page with facts about George Washington
Maze
I-Spy
Dab-a-Dot Letter Recognition Activity
Puzzles
Word Search
Word Scramble

You can download the whole packet or print which individual pages you want to use.

I can remember learning about George Washington as a young child in school. However, after becoming an educator, I learned much more about this man nicknamed the Father of Our Country.

Did You Know?

George Washington was elected President without any competition.

He was the only President to go into battle while serving as the President.

By the time he became President, he had only one tooth. He started losing his teeth when he was 22 years old.

He did not have a middle name.

Books and Other Activities About George Washington

As a former elementary school librarian, I’ve had the opportunity to experience many books about George Washington. If you are looking for more picture books to enhance your learning activity, these are a few that I would recommend. These were always a favorite with my students.

My Little Golden Book About George Washington I am George Washington (Ordinary People Change the World)National Geographic Readers: George Washington (Readers Bios)Who Was George Washington?George Washington’s Teeth A Picture Book of George Washington (Picture Book Biography)

My students were also crazy about drawing and creating art, so I always included a video on how to draw George Washington in my lesson plans. This channel had the best tutorials for drawing just about anyone or anything!

Download your free printable George Washington Activity Pack here!

Also, check out my free printables page on the blog for more great seasonal and educational printables.

What Day Is It Again?

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Mandy

What day is it again?

I’ve asked myself this more than once over the last two weeks! But, it’s back to reality around our home. The holidays were filled with lots of good food and vegging out. Hubby was able to take almost two weeks off work, so we enjoyed our time together as a family so much. My husband is an over-the-road truck driver, so our time together is limited. He finally had to return to work this morning, but the Teen is still out of school until Monday. Speaking of vegging out…does it get any cuter than this?

In the afternoons, when I take a nap, more times than not, I wake up to Jake snuggled up beside me. A literal cat nap!

Morning Storms

Our morning started with tornado sirens and torrential rain. We had pretty good thunderstorms last night, but this morning was worse. Thankfully, we are fine, and we have no weather-related damage. I haven’t heard of any in town except a stop light partially knocked down by the wind. But still, what a way to start a morning! Once the bad weather passed, I got my shower, headed to my mama’s house to visit with her, and popped into Dollar General for some milk. I came home and had some lunch, and napped. I’m currently working on the laundry I’ve avoided since Saturday. Oops.

Ringing In The New Year

Our New Year’s Eve was tame. Hubby and I did stay up to see the new year. We were watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, mainly because Duran Duran was performing. They’ve only been my favorite band since I was 8 years old. They were fantastic and the perfect way to ring in the new year! At midnight, it sounded like a war zone outside! Our neighbors (well, it sounded like the whole neighborhood, actually) were very enthusiastic about the new year, as displayed with really loud fireworks. It went on for about twenty minutes. We slept in a little on New Year’s Day, and then hubby insisted on making a traditional New Year’s Day meal for lunch.

He cheated a little…canned peas, turnip greens, and store-bought cornbread, but it was still so delicious! After all the holiday food we’d been eating, my body had been craving some vegetables.

And More Christmas!

Speaking of holidays, I think I mentioned we had to move my mama’s side of the family Christmas celebration to New Year’s Eve because of scheduling conflicts. At the last minute, we decided to go out to eat at a restaurant before returning to mama’s house to open gifts, so we all met up at Airport Grocery, a blues-themed restaurant with fantastic barbecue and so much more. I love the old-time decor there.

As I mentioned above, I was tired of holiday-type food, so I ordered half a dozen tamales and a side salad. It was more I could eat, so I shared some with hubby. It was delicious, though!

The Rest of the Week

The plan for tomorrow is to start the morning by ensuring the Teen is registered for his senior year of school. Registration begins early for the next school year, so that has to be done. I’ll be keeping the laundry going and working on some little organizing projects. I have so much to keep me busy. What’s going on in your world? Are you tackling the new year with new projects, too?

Making Goals and Plans For The New Year

Posted on January 2, 2023January 1, 2023 by Mandy

I’ve been busy making goals and plans for the new year. Honestly, I didn’t think I had any goals left to set to set since leaving my job. I’ve suddenly been hit with a lot of inspiration, and even though life looks a bit different in some ways now, I can still dream, strive to hit milestones and do some self-improvement.

Self-Improvement

I signed up for some online seminars on goal-setting and discovering what I genuinely like to do. I’m having to make a life pivot since leaving my job last May, so doing a little self-discovery is something I’ve wanted to do. I usually scoff at these types of things, but the two I will attend this week are free, so why not?

Additionally, I have got to place more focus on getting healthier. I have become very sedentary since leaving my job, so getting moving is a priority. I have followed along with Ilona for a couple of years as she hosts a walking challenge each year on her blog. I’m joining this time, and I’ve downloaded the MapMyWalk app on my phone to track my progress. The goal is 1000 miles this year!

I also realize I need more quality sleep at night and to stay better hydrated by drinking more water. No more staying up until the wee hours, wasting time on social media, iPad games, etc. I can also tell just from the dry condition of my skin that I’m not as hydrated as I should be. Both of these are so important for good health.

Home Improvements

We have a lot of home improvements to make. While I’m pretty sure we won’t get to do everything on our list, my main goal is to get some painting done upstairs, new flooring downstairs, and a tree removed in our backyard.

Writing

After some half-hearted attempts at blogging last year, I’m excited to get back into writing more. I’ve been thinking of starting some memoir writing, reflecting on my childhood and life up to the present. It will be one of those projects that will be a work in progress for as long as I live. Haha! I’m not sure anyone will even care about it when I am no longer here, but I was inspired by one of my great-aunts who kept meticulous family tree records. She also wrote poems, essays, and stories about our family. These are treasures to me, and I want to do this, too.

Reading

Seeing what everyone read last year inspired me to step up my reading game this new year. I’ve had a Goodreads account for a long time but abandoned it years ago. I finally returned and got everything set up for the 2023 Reading Challenge. Are you on Goodreads, too? You can follow me here! I’ve pledged to read 25 books this new year, but I hope I can surpass that. I’m a big reader of non-fiction, but I will try to expand my reading horizons to include some fiction.

Savings Challenges & Debt Elimination

I’ve purchased some envelopes and little pouches for some personal savings challenges. We have some special things coming up in the new year that I would like to get a jump on when it comes to funding them. My son will start his senior year in August, and with that will come pictures, parties, and other occasions. I will also be fully prepared financially for the holidays this year. I’ll probably expound more on this in another post.

And, of course, just like millions of other people, eliminating debt is also a goal. I want to eliminate my student loan and my husband’s credit card. We do have medical debt and probably always will, but getting most of that paid off would also be great.

Making goals and plans for this new year has been very enjoyable, and I am excited to see what I can accomplish. Have you mapped out a plan for 2023? Let me know what you have in mind for the new year!

Photo by Bich Tran

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2023December 31, 2022 by Mandy

Wishing you lots of joy, peace, love, health, healing, fun times, and every good thing you need for the new year ahead. Happy New Year! Thank you so much for stopping in to read my blog. I appreciate you for taking the time to read my thoughts here.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Closing Out 2022

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Mandy

Can you believe today is the day we are closing out 2022? This year seems to have flown by—lots of changes, highs and lows, and making life adjustments. But isn’t that just about what happens every year?

Closing Out 2022

We’ve spent the week doing little projects and things around the home. We got all the Christmas decor put away on the 27th. I didn’t put out much this year, so it wasn’t a big job. The most time-consuming part is wrapping each ornament in tissue paper before storing it. Hubby has been off all week, so he has been a big help to my mama and me with the little things she needs to be done. I finally got my upstairs office in working order again, so I’ve been spending time there to blog and work on my new planner. Hubby and the Teen have been watching movies and YouTube videos.

Getting Out of The House

Hubby and I popped into Walgreens on Wednesday. I was just ready to get out of the house for a bit. They were marking down Christmas items, so I picked up a few things like candy and hot chocolate. I also perused the beauty aisle, found some foundation I wanted to try, and picked up some toothpaste. Afterward, we headed downtown to a little shop that sells things from booths. One booth has used books, and I picked up a huge sack full for $14. I plan to read more this next year. My mama joined us at one of our local Mexican restaurants for lunch, so we enjoyed lunch with her. I had the potato fajita as usual, but we also got some chorizo dip, which is so yummy!

I also had my last margarita for the year! Ha!

Reflecting on 2022

As I look over this past year, I’m thankful for my family and for being alive. I started this year recovering from a heart attack. So far, I’ve not had any more issues this year. I also had to leave my job as an elementary school librarian to preserve what was left of my health. I’ve struggled with this since August, when I would have been returning to work. I have missed my students so much. But it has given me more time with my family, and I don’t feel so run down anymore. I have more time to rest when I need to. Yet still, a big adjustment and one that I never quite saw coming when I had my life all planned out. Ha!

So, we are closing out 2022, and I’m hopeful for what the new year brings! I pray that 2023 will be full of blessings for all and that you can accomplish your to-do lists and achieve your dreams! Do you have big plans for New Year’s Eve? If so, I’d love to hear!

What I Bought During the After-Christmas Sales

Posted on December 27, 2022December 26, 2022 by Mandy

Today I’m sharing what I bought during the after-Christmas sales. I love receiving gift cards during the holidays, and I also love to check out all of the after-Christmas sales to see what I can find and just how far I can stretch each gift card. I’m not a big shopper, nor am I a fashionista. Still, I’ve decided that going into the new year, I want to be very thoughtful about what I purchase, and sometimes that might mean spending a little more for a quality item that will last longer or give better results.

Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works currently has its 50-75% off Semi-annual sale. They have so many great holiday soaps, candles, and bath products on sale, so I spent my BBW gift card on several hand soaps and some holiday-scented mini hand sanitizers for little happies for next Christmas.

I love scented soaps that go with whatever holiday or season I’m currently in. Getting a head start on next year’s stash makes perfect sense when they are on such a great sale!

Sephora

After taking Christmas pictures, I saw that my current foundation routine makes me look older. As I’ve aged, my skin feels drier, and my current foundation seems to magnify my wrinkles. Adding powder on top of it makes me look ghostly. So, I spent my Sephora Gift Card on some Charlotte Tilbury Mini Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray because I’ve read that using a setting spray instead of powder can give a more youthful, fresher look. I decided to purchase the mini size just in case it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I’ll also be switching up my current foundation, but I haven’t decided yet which one I will choose.

Amazon

My big splurge with my Amazon gift cards was on a Kindle Paperwhite.

I have been turning the decision to buy one over and over in my mind and just decided to take the plunge! I read books on my iPad through the Kindle app but was looking for something lighter and more straightforward to read my books on. I was listening to a podcast, and the person speaking was singing the praises of the Paperwhite as a fantastic way to experience books. I was sold, and I can’t wait for it to arrive later this week! I’ve had a Kindle Fire before, but it was many years ago. I like the Paperwhite for its simplicity. I don’t need it to function like a tablet.

I still have a few gift cards left to spend, but I’m currently looking at those websites to see what I’d like. I may hang on to those for a while in case I see something in the future that really catches my eye.

Have you done any after-Christmas sales shopping? If so, I’d love to hear about what you purchased.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

The Day After Christmas

Posted on December 26, 2022 by Mandy

Well, it’s the day after Christmas, and we have successfully pulled off another one! It’s been a quiet day at home. We are all super tired from the festivities and just taking it easy today. I wanted to share a few pictures to document it on the blog.

The last few of days leading up to Christmas Eve were a whirlwind! We still had last-minute shopping, wrapping, and planning to do. The hubby and I ventured out to several stores to help my mom finish shopping since she was still recovering from the virus. We also had to shop for groceries and ingredients for holiday dishes. We put off wrapping gifts until almost the last minute, so that caused a little stress. Ha! But it finally all came together, and under our tree was full!

The Fun Starts on Christmas Eve

We do a couple of stops on Christmas Eve. The first was to my mama’s house. We took a few family pictures and enjoyed opening presents with her. Here is hubby and I. My face looks super puffy.

After our Christmas with Mama, we all headed to my aunt’s house for a big Christmas Eve celebration. We had snack-type foods and opened presents with my daddy’s side of the family. My daddy always enjoyed this night, and we sure do miss him. If I’m honest, Christmas is not the same anymore without him. But we absolutely still enjoy our time with this side of the family. We are all spread out so far, so when we can come together, it’s always a wonderful time! I just had to take a picture of my aunt’s beautiful nativity set.

And, because snack food just doesn’t hold our teenage son all night, we had to hit up the McDonald’s drive-thru on the way home. Indoor dining was closed for the evening, and we probably sat in the drive-thru line for close to 40 minutes. We listened to Christmas music and talked. We finally made it home around 9 PM. I quickly took off my makeup and changed into my Christmas jammies to relax!

Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning, Santa came! I woke up around 5 AM and let Jake outside. I enjoyed a couple of cups of coffee and some game-playing on the iPad before the hubby and the teen woke up. When they finally came downstairs, we opened our family gifts. The Teen was excited about his new TV. The TV in his room was old, and the remote was lost. This is a smart TV with everything he needs to enjoy gaming and watching his favorite shows.

After the gift opening, I returned to bed and rested for supper at my aunt’s on Christmas night. It’s basically like Thanksgiving dinner all over again. I was so miserably full by the time we were finished.

The Day After Christmas

And so, today has been a very lazy day. Hubby is a little stir-crazy, so he has been straightening up the house a little, and I’ve just sat back and let him. Haha! I got a few gift cards, so I’ve hit up the online sales at several stores. I’m excited to share what I’ve bought, but I’ll save it for another post.

And guess what? On New Year’s Eve, we get to do Christmas all over again with my mama’s side of the family! It was the only time we could all get together without scheduling conflicts. I still need to tie up a few loose ends for that gathering. I know one thing for sure! I will never be this last minute again for another holiday. I’m not kidding. It’s almost been too much for this poor body!

I pray that everyone is staying warm and safe right now. This winter storm that swept through during the holidays was really something! We have been fortunate that we got nothing but a few flurries last Friday night, but it sure was cold! Single-digit temps are no fun!

I sure hope your Christmas, if you celebrate, was a good one!

Holiday Hustle & Bustle

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Mandy

Whew! I don’t know about y’all, but the holiday hustle & bustle is catching up to me! We had to make quite a few trips out to do Christmas shopping and grocery shopping this past weekend, with a lunch date thrown in there for good measure! By Sunday, I was pretty tired but waited until Monday to have a relaxing day where I stayed home and did nothing but read and keep the Teen fed. I hung out in my new pink penguin pajamas and felt comfy and cozy all day! The internet was out the entire day and late into the evening, so I read, made lists, and wrapped gifts.

Last Weekend

Hubby was home Friday, so after the Teen was done with his last exam, hubby picked him up from school, and we all went to lunch to celebrate the end of the first semester. After lunch, we dropped the Teen back off at home, and hubby and I went to Walgreens to look for stocking stuffer items. I was amazed at the lack of holiday items available this year. It just seemed as if there wasn’t the usual amount of merchandise. We picked up a few stocking stuffers and headed to our next stop, Tractor Supply.

Tractor Supply carries the softest tee shirts for men and women there under the brand Blue Mountain. Hubby and I love them, and since the Teen needs to size up in his tees, I decided to get him a few of those. We found the shirts and picked up a stocking stuffer for Jake (Greenies cat treats) and a beautiful Christmas gift for my aunt that I think she will love! Speaking of Jake, I caught someone under the Christmas tree this weekend!

On Saturday, hubby and I set out for Walmart to purchase a few Christmas gifts and do the grocery shopping. We ran into my aunt and uncle there, and although we live in the same town, we don’t see each other often, so it was great to catch up with them a bit. We will see them at my mom’s side of the Christmas festivities. We were able to find all but two gifts we needed from there. After that, we spent the rest of the evening at home, and hubby grilled some steaks. It was a busy weekend!

Incoming Winter Weather

I dread the incoming winter weather that will reach us sometime in the wee hours of Friday morning. We will wake up to a low of 8 degrees! I plan to spend tomorrow and Thursday making sure all the laundry is done, clean sheets are on the beds, and the house is prepped as much as possible. We won’t be getting any snow or ice, but these cold temps are still no fun. I’m sending hubby for firewood when he gets in from work. It’s going to be freezing until the following Monday. I will be so glad when that arctic blast is over.

Catching Up

I’m still trying to catch up on my blogging and blog reading. I know the rest of this week will be hectic—lots of shoring up gifts, wrapping, cooking, etc. The Teen and I are headed out into the crazy one last time to make sure we have everything we need for the holiday celebrations this weekend. I’m feeling a lot better since my last post. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying this week leading up to Christmas.