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Living the Learning Life

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Book Club

How To Plan the Best Book Club

I’ve participated in a couple book clubs over the years, but the best book club by far was one that…
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Breakfast outside with a new @squarehalobooks book

Breakfast outside with a new @squarehalobooks book. An extraordinary start to an ordinary day. Be well, friends.

You might be a homeschool parent if you take your

You might be a homeschool parent if you take your children's enthusiasm for one thing and blow it up into a unit study. Our trip to try Hungarian chimney cake/bread was a five-star success. If you're in the DMV, try Twisty Sweets and Savory in Herndon, VA.
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The girls got half a chimney filled with ice cream (E tried Vanilla Sugar and A tried Oreo). I brought home two savory chimneys for us to nibble on the rest of the day. No regrets 😋
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So of course I'm going to make trying breads from around the world a summer thing (#homeschoollife #unitstudy ). Got any recommendations - either types of bread to try or DMV spots to visit?

I interrupt my usual bookish programming for a mas

I interrupt my usual bookish programming for a mascot-safety-awareness PSA - for adults. My brief stint many years ago as a giant dog was an eye-opening experience. A great experience but....didn't really expect the adults to be more of a challenge than the kids 🤪
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Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. marks the unofficial start of summer. Here are two tips for adults interacting with mascots (if you want the full stories click on the link in bio).
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1.) Don't pull or yank on any part of the appendages - think tails, wings, giant snouts, etc. They are attached to the human inside and you could unbalance the person towards an accident.
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2.) If you wouldn't do it to another adult in public, then don't do it to the adult in the mascot costume. Stick to high-fives, fist-bumps, and selfies. If society turns to rubbing bellies as a greeting, then I'm out. Don't do it. Or anything else questionable.
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That's it. Have fun. Model good behavior. Help the kiddos be seen (lots of blind spots in those costumes). Have a great summer season 😎🌞

Into the last week of reading for May and this is

Into the last week of reading for May and this is the stack that I've started 🤦‍♀️ At least three are going to follow me into June, but I'm not sure which others I'll finish. (Mostly, I wanted to show off the beautiful cut roses that a friend from book club brought last night 🌹). Books and flowers are a solid combo.
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What would you add with books for a good combination - books and ??? (I'd also accept quiet, coffee, tea, sweat pants, or blankets 😄).

Book club time! This was a fun read and inspired m

Book club time! This was a fun read and inspired me to re-visit the rom-com world of You've Got Mail - that AOL dial tone though 😂
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What are some other fun, beach-type reads?

My husband took the girls this morning, and I had

My husband took the girls this morning, and I had a chance to try to string two thoughts together into a sentence (didn't work, but showing up counts as something in the writing process); browse a new-to-me bookstore without interruption (lovely place @bardsalley); purchase two books that I'm excited to start (eventually), go to the library to re-stock my girls' reading piles; and use semi-colons in an IG description (win for the grammar nerd?).
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Do you have a favorite punctuation mark?
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Happy reading ya'll 📚

Any Alan Gratz fans out there? My eldest daughter

Any Alan Gratz fans out there? My eldest daughter is pausing her typical fantasy reading in favor of these historical fiction thrillers. Do you have a favorite?
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And, meet Marbles. He likes books, too, but is not a fan of people paying more attention to them than to him (sorry Grenade).

Two more books for my #tbr23in23. Two beautiful, i

Two more books for my #tbr23in23. Two beautiful, if a bit melancholy, stories in beautiful covers. Both are character-driven, internal perspectives.
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A Month in the Country tells the story of a man, post-WWI, who accepts a job uncovering a mural in an old church. The story is told as his reflections on that season of life - a period he remembers fondly but never returned to or sought out again. The story explores themes of hiddenness and truth, judgment and grace.
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Villette by Charlotte Brönte is the story of Lucy Snowe, who moves from England to France and begins to be a schoolteacher. Hers is a story of reason and passion, sincerity and superficiality, Protestant and Catholic. At times it conjured similarities to The Odyssey, though in a much different setting and language. I appreciated the chance to practice my French but was grateful more than once for the translations in the back.
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Have you read either of these? Thoughts? Reading more of the Brönte sisters is on my radar - any favorites I should start with in particular?

Happy Monday! The girls and I started the day with

Happy Monday! The girls and I started the day with some volunteer work at the library for their book sale and an early peek at the books! The booknerd/wordnerd vibes were strong with this #bookhaul!
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Have a good (reading) week!

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