Random Five on Friday (May 24th)

People We Saw and Places We Went
1.) Lily (my friend's daughter) celebrated her 1st birthday party on Saturday. It was loads of fun for us all. The children played outdoors. They created ant hills and collected dinosaur bones (sticks). There was cotton candy, cake, cupcakes, frozen fruit bars, grilled zucchini, appetizers, and delicious brisket. This is my favorite photo of Lily that day! Isn't she sooo adorable!

My Luck . . . 

2.) I was bit five times by either a mosquito or a spider that snuck its way into my jeans during the birthday party on Saturday. I was seriously considering a visit to the ER early in the week. This was a picture after the swelling went down a little. The photo makes the bite appear much smaller than it actually was, because of the angle of the shot. At one point that evening, I tried to cover it with a 3" by 3" gauze after applying medicine and could see the edges of the bite mark. The redness has gone down tremendously since this day. The bite mark bruised mid-week. It continued to itch through the entire week. The itching FINALLY stopped exactly one week later. I am sure I'll have a few scars. Apparently, I had a mild allergic reaction. I tried a couple natural remedies and also used two Beeyoutiful products that I reviewed last year. You can read my review for Ow Ease and Miracle Salve here. I am thankful for a reduction in swelling, redness, and itching - thank you Lord for answered prayers. I am so glad that this wasn't something more serious.

Oh . . . and the AC unit in the apartment died on us this weekend. It was hot and humid. Luckily, the outdoor unit was replaced the next day. My father-n-law owns the apartment and installed a temporary window unit so we didn't have to sleep upstairs without any air conditioning. Thank you Kenny! We were happy that you had the time to help us out since Jeff was working at the fire station. 

In My Life This Week . . . 

3.) The countertops were installed in the laundry room at the new house. I had Jeff push the freezer down closer to the sink to open up the door area. It is a little less crowded now.

Corner for Washer Dryer at End of the Countertops

White Laundry Room Sink Beside Freezer 

We have a few more odds and ends projects while we wait for the bank to gather paperwork for the closing date. The appraisal was also completed this week. It's cleaning time baby! We need to speed up the packing process now and thoroughly clean the house before moving in day arrives. The classroom walls were not textured because we had a rainstorm come through on Friday and Saturday. My hubby attacked floor repairs this week and still needs to wax the floors before we move inside the house.

Jeff painted the hardy panel at back of the house green. The classroom will eventually be the same color. I finally saw my carpet and countertops in person! Alyssa was making carpet angels on the floor and playing paper dodge ball with her papa in her bedroom while Jeff and I rearranged the laundry room. I didn't bother walking in the mud to see the classroom this week.

 

In Our Homeschool . . . 
4.) I posted my Scaredy Cat Reading System Level 3 review. Please head over and read my review if you are in the market for a new reading and spelling curriculum. Additionally, Alyssa and I also gained access to an amazing homeschool resource you might want to check out called The Schoolhouse Library. You can see my post about The Schoolhouse Library on my blog. Several items really caught my attention!

Alyssa started reading the Ivy and Bean book series on our iPad. I placed a hold on the library ebook. She had access the next day! I am loving the use of Overdrive Media Console app. She really likes this series and can read it independently. I haven't ever read them, but a lady recommended them to me.

I will hopefully post my Simplified Pantry review later this evening (Sunday). I know it is not a homeschool product but it's a product that'll benefit ALL families. Thank you to the Schoolhouse Crew leaders for allowing us to review it! If you are looking for a helpful menu planning cookbook Simplified Dinners may be the perfect solution. We are loving it! In fact as I type this review, I am thinking about and planning which meals we'll try next week. I am actually motivated to create menu plans thanks to this review!

I am Inspired to . . .  
5.) After seeing the house this weekend, I am inspired to pack even more. I can guarantee you that we will be packing and moving lots of boxes next week. Packing has distracted me from my final review edits. I am looking forward to a phone call with the closing date.

I will link this post up at Random 5 on Friday hosted by Miranda at The Pebble Pond. Please join the fun and link up your random five thoughts, facts, or occurrences. I will also link this post at The Homeschool Mother's Journal at iHomeschool Network and Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey!

God bless, 

Tracey