It's that time of year where Moms everywhere shop, wrap, bake, shop, wrap, and bake with occasional breaks for coffee or chai tea. 

After 33 years of Mommying, 5 children, 3 grandchildren, and numerous friends and family to shop for, I have developed my own system of Christmas shopping. 

My Christmas shopping system was developed and refined all the years I shopped for Daddy. He would give me money and I would get gifts from him for the whole family. Plus I had my own shopping. I had to streamline. 

I start early in the fall, thinking about Christmas gifts and trying to notice what everyone I love is enjoying or needing. If I see something that I know someone will LOVE, I pick it up and save it for Christmas. 

If I see something that would make a great Christmas present, but not sure for who, I will buy it if the price is cheap and put it in my gift drawer. 

Then I go through my Christmas shopping process: 

• Look at Last Years' List
• Go over budget with hubby
• Make a List for this Year
• Watch for my Favorite Online Sales
• Use Amazon Wish Lists 
• Make Some Handmade Gifts
• ​Look for Bargains in Stores

I do a lot, but not all of my shopping online. Okay, let's start with the lists. 

It's almost Christmas! 

Do you have a girl on your list and your not sure what to get for her yet? 

I have some great ideas for you. They are fun, wholesome, and will lead to afternoons of fun. 

With four daughters who are all very different, I know what girls like. Here are some gifts that will be a hit with girls of various ages. I hope this will help you in your Christmas shopping or at least inspire you in a new direction. 

When I give gifts, I want to inspire people to love Jesus and reflect the joy He brings. These are not "Christian" gifts, but they are wholesome and fun! 

So check out the gifts below. You can buy them all on Amazon. Just click on the links. 

From our home to yours, we wish you the merriest of Christmases. 

Warmly, 
Meredith Curtis

I love Christmas Music!

In fact, Christmas music is one of the highlights of the holiday season for me. I make playlists for the car, the house, and parties. 

You will notice that I have very eclectic taste from classical music to the latest Christmas song from Kari Jobe. 

Amy Grant is one of my favorites. No one sings Christmas songs like Amy. Unless, of course, it's Twila Paris or Julie Andrews

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is another favorite. I have several of their albums. 

Here is my Christmas playlist. This is the music we will listen to on Christmas morning this year. 

It is a combination of worshipful music and Christmas classics. 

Notice there are 3 different versions of Canon in D. I just can't help it! I love that song! I also love some not-so-well-know songs like "Wandering Pilgrim" and "C'mon Ring Those Bells." 

How about you? What are your favorite Christmas songs? Please comment below. 

Merry Musical Christmas! 

Warmly, 
Meredith Curtis

Our family loves to snuggle up together and read Christmas picture books.

After all, who can resist a picture book, especially if it's about Jesus' birthday. 

There is something magical about reading aloud together. It calms everyone down and bonds the reader with the listeners in a precious way. 

We have collected Christmas picture books over the years and even now, I am adding to the collection for the grandchildren. 

All of these Christmas picture books are inspirational and sweet. 

The focus on the magic of Christmas: a baby in the manger who didn't belong here because He created the world He came to out of deep love for the people living in it. Some of the books focus on kindness and hospitality--2 important aspects of Christmas for our family. 

Reading Christmas picture books aloud can be a meaningful Christmas tradition in your home. Why not start that tradition this year with these amazing Christmas picture books. 

​At Powerline Productions, we have so many gifts that will make your loved ones happy. From picture book and cookbooks to unit studies and Bible studies, there's something for everyone!

Little children love our I See Colors series of picture book with bright happy photos combined with engaging text. They will learn their colors without realizing it!

Everyone loves our cookbooks. Along with a quick tour of exciting places or times, you get easy-to-make recipes to make history and geography come alive in your home school. 

Bible studies are a great way to give a meaningful gift while investing in a loved one's future. Check out our Real Men, Ladies, and God's Girls studies that make Scripture practical and applicable to daily life. 

Of couse, there's so much more! Let me introduce you to some great gift ideas that won't break the bank. 

After all, who says Christmas shopping needs to be expensive. 

Celebrate Christmas in Germany Unit Study is a way to experience a more meaningful Christmas while learning and having fun! Travel to Germany with me and discover so many of the festive Christmas German traditions we have adopted as our own. We will explore cities, castles, churches, the Black forest, and a Christmas museum.

Each day will start with reading one of Grimm’s fairy tales, followed by a Bible passage. The devotion ties the fairy tale and Bible passage together.

Reading time is followed by learning about a different topic every day ranging from Christmas markets or Advent to St. Boniface or bears. Hands-on learning fun follows! Crafting, mapping, baking, cooking, drawing, and planning will keep children happy while they learn at the same time.

Are you ready to visit Germany for Christmas? 

Learn more about Celebrate Christmas in Germany here. 

You can purchase Celebrate Christmas in Germany Unit Study at Amazon. 

Celebrate Christmas in Germany Unit Study E-book is available for purchase at PayHip and TeachersPayTeachers. 

Have a festive, fun Christmas. 

God bless you!
​Meredith Curtis

It is an honor to write a review of Douglas MacArthur: What Greater Honor by Geoff & Janet Benge from Benge Books. Like all of their other amazing biographies this couple has written, it is full of historical fact and inspirational wisdom. This book is a perfect addition to my homeschool. 

General MacArthur has always been a hero to me in a vague sort of way. I admired his "I'll be back!" when he was forced to leave the Philippines and he kept his word. I liked the way he handled the Korean War until he was let go suddenly by President Truman. 

However, to be honest, I didn't know much about his life, his values, and his families. That has all changed!

Douglas' parents were born on opposite sides of the War between the States. His father Arthur MacArthur was a highly decorated military man who had been thrilled to meet Abraham Lincoln when he was a young man. His mother Pinky idolized Robert E. Lee and reminded him every night, "You must grow up to be a great man like Robert E. Lee." Interesting that God brought his parents together from opposite sides of the Civil War. I think that gave General MacArthur an ability to see both sides of issues in a clear, calm way. 

​​Douglas grew up in the late 1800s riding horses, moving place to place wherever his father was stationed, and eventually ending up at West Point. His momma moved to be close to him for the four years he attended West Point and when he graduated, he left the podium to embrace both his mother and father. His love for his parents was deep and demonstrated by the inner call he felt to live up to the heritage his father had left him. 

I was fascinated by his love and concern for the people around him throughout his life. He had tremendous wisdom, especially in dealing with the Japanese people when he occupied Japan. He was truly a man who lived honorable in peace and war. 

When I finished the book, I realized that I had not just learned about Douglas MacArthur, but so much more about World War I, World War II, and the Japanese occupation than I even imagined. As a history lover, that is so exciting to me! 

​Nothing says Christmas like curling up under a blanket and watching a Christmas movie. 

I want to share our family's favorite Christmas movies with you. 

We have seen many of these movies over and over again through the years. Some are inspirational and some are hilarious fun! 

All are packed with festive holiday cheer and music that makes the troubles of the world seem distant for a short time. 

As Christmas rolls around again year after year, we find ourselves wanting to see these old favorites once again. 

So, pop the popcorn, heat up the hot chocolate, and get ready to hear about some wonderful Christmas movies that the whole family will enjoy! 

Can you get ready for Christmas and homeschool at the same time?

Of course you can.  You can schedule everything perfectly and have the perfect balance of school, fun, and preparation. OR…

You can combine Christmas adventures and preparations as one big learning experience. 

How We Did It

Before the children got to high school, we always scheduled our subjects to take a break during December, except for math. We always worked on math at least 4 days of week during December except for Christmas week.

What did we do for school those weeks you ask?

Well, we learned about Christmas in other places or read favorite books aloud that led us on learning adventures. We also prepared for Christmas. We signed and addressed Christmas cards, decorated the house for Christmas inside and outside, caroled, attended Christmas events, participated in Christmas dramas, made gifts, shopped, wrapped gifts, mailed gifts, and did lots of baking.

Sometimes we enjoyed Christmas-focused unit studies that included reading, crafts, field trips, as well as Christmas preparations and fun.

​It's time to shop for Christmas. Do you have any little lambs on your shopping list? 

A classic well-written, beautifully illustrated picture book is more than just a wonderful present, it's an investment in a child's future. 

You see,  lovely books stir up a love of reading in children. Cuddling on the lap of a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle builds tender memories that lead to years of reading enjoyment. 

Reading picture books together is not just great for intellectual growth, but it helps to form emotional bonds between the reader and the listener. Years of reading excellent classic books is the most effective way to raise a reader.

So this year, invest in a little loved one's future by giving the gift of reading with a classic picture books. I am sharing with you so of my all time favorite picture books. Each one would make a great gift. Or give two or three! 

I just finished reading God's Mail Volume 3 by Ron Hardin from God's Mail written by a pastor with a heart to encourage people in the Lord. 

To say that this book is a collection of poems is to miss the mark. This book is a collection of poetry that is completely based on the Word of God. In fact the book is laid out so that when you open it, you see a page of Scriptures on the left and the poem on the right.

The page of Bible verse is important because the passages address the topic. The poem is based on these Scriptures.

I loved the page of Scriptures. I felt so encouraged and inspired by them, especially in light of the topic covered. The poems are straight from the author's heart. The idea of each poem is to encourage the reader with spiritual truths. 

I felt eager to draw closer to the Lord after I read this book. I could really sense the author's heart to build up the Body of Christ. ​

Ron tackles a number of difficult issues including divorce, abortion, and everyday life survival. The poems are honest and transparent, not trying to impress, but rather to bless. 

Veterans Day is set aside for Americans to say, "Thank you" to the soldiers, sailors, and pilots who have risked their lives defending America. It means so much to most veterans to have Americans appreciate their service to our nation. 

Growing up, Daddy always flew the American Flag on Veterans Day, just as he did on Fourth of July and Memorial Day. I always felt proud to be an American when I saw our flag waving from the front porch. 

However, sometimes as a child I got confused between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. If it confuses you, here is the difference. Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those who have given their lives for our country. Veterans Day is a day to honor all those who have served the country in war and peace. We honor ALL veterans. 

You can talk to your children about Veterans Day and explain why we celebrate. You can do something special for veterans that you know (see ideas below). You can hang the flag together and learn the proper way to hang it and take it down. 

American USA Flag Etiquette 
Tips for Hanging a Flag on Your House

You can download color pages for Veterans Day that your children can color. 

Veterans Day Coloring Pages
Veterans Day Color Page from Crayola 
​USA Printables: Veterans Day

​You can also tell them how Veterans Day came to be. 

One way to explore literature at a deeper  level is to read a classic book and when everyone is finished reading the book, to watch the movie. 

I love classic literature! My book shelves are filled with classics that have been loved by many generations. I always look for ways to enjoy literature with my children and to dig a little deeper. 

We have found that discussing books in a book club type atmosphere is a great way to dig deeply into a work of literature. (You can read my blog post, Book Clubs Instead of Book Reports or listen my podcast Book Clubs Instead of Book Reports). 

Another way we have explored literature at a deeper level is to read the book and watch the movie. Next, comes the discussion part. We figure out all the ways the book and the movie are different. There is always so much to discover. Movie producers and screenwriters often make massive changes to reach their audience. 

Once we have our list of differences between the book and the movie, we discuss them. Which do we like better: the original book or the movie changes?

I have chosen 4 books that are fine works of classic literature. Each of them also have movies that are wholesome fun for the whole family to enjoy. 

Heidi by Johanna Spyri was written in 1880 and is set in Switzerland. Orphaned, she goes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps where her charming ways win love and affection. Relatives become appalled by the sparse conditions she lives in with her Grandfather, so she is sent to Frankfort, Germany where she lives with her cousin, meeting Clara and her grandmother who leads her to Christ. 

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter is set in America at the turn of the century. Orphaned, she is sent to live with her Aunt Polly . She turns the town upside=down with her sunny disposition. The movie is just as sweet as the book. It was produced in the 1960s. 

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers is set in turn-of-the-century England. She is a nanny that comes to get the family back together. You will love the movie, too with all the enchanting adventures Mary takes the children on including drinking tea upside-down. 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is another classic book that introduces the reader to a magical car and the magical adventures in that car. The movie is quite fun, too! 

I loved reading beautifully illustrated, well-written picture books to my children. Now,adays I love reading to my grandchildren.

Counting books and color books are my favorite. It's such fun for little ones to read and learn without realizing they are learning! I love when they point to the numbers and count the pictures in a counting book. 

Little children just love books about mommies and babies. After all, that is their world during those early years. 

I found a set of picture books that combines counting, geography, and mommies with babies. I think this series is wonderful! I want to share these delightful counting books with you. Not only will your little ones explore the world of numbers, this series takes children all over the world to different habitats. What fun!

The rhyming text is enchanting. In fact, each of these book is actually a song you can sing! (The music score is in the back of the book)

The illustrations are beautiful! In some of the books, the artwork of each page is created with polymer clay and then photographed for a 3-D effect. Other books have pictures made from torn paper or painted, textured paper collages. You will love the illustrations! 
Not only will you enjoy the creativity of the illustrations,, they can lead you into art project like working with clay, torn paper art, and collages. I love that! These books make great spines for a quick unit study, especially with all the information in the back of the book. 

You can use this series to teach counting, teach geography, learn about animals, or enjoy the mommy/baby theme. These books would make a  great addition to any homeschool library. 

I'm excited to tell you about a beautiful Bible story book illustrated by Michael Welply. Jehovah's Mighty Acts Bible Stories by Nathan J. Langerak is published by Reformed Free Publishing Association. 

Always eager to find an engaging Bible story book for children, I sat down to read the book first. Immediately, i was so impressed with the lovely illustrations. I had to stop reading and flip through the pages to look at the pictures. There are 31 Bible stories starting with Creation and ending with Esther. The focus is on stories that display God's mighty acts like creating the world, appearing to Moses in a burning bush, the escape from Egypt, the day the sun stood still, and rescuing the Jewish people through Esther.  

You see, this book is more than Bible stories, there is deep theological truth in each lesson. It is like mixing Scripture with theology class and making it easy to understand for children. I loved it! 

In the chapter 2 "God's Friends" we meet Adam and Eve in the Garden. We learn lessons on marriage, friendship, ruling and took care of the animals. We learn that Adam and Eve ruled like a king and queen in the garden. They enjoyed a sweet friendship, a reflection of their friendship with the Lord. 

Now to complete the review, it had to be child-tested. So, my daughter read the book to my grandson who liked it, but his mom felt that it was a little too old for him. That made sense because Rusty is four. The book is written for ages seven to ten. My daughter enjoyed the book, though and wants a copy for her homeschool library. 

Now to find someone in the age group it's written for. 

I had my friend Gracie read the book and she enjoyed it! She felt like the stories made more sense to her than ever before and she understood them better. She loved the book!