Gifts that Keep on Giving: The Best of My 2021 Christmas

Gifts that Keep on Giving: The Best of My 2021 Christmas

 

This past year was a rollercoaster of highs and lows for our family, but it’s made me appreciate the little things and life so much more! In 2022, my goal is to actively enjoy everything that God has given me — down to the smallest detail. The Davis family celebrated a wonderful Christmas and now that I’ve had time to dive into all the goodies I received, I want to share the gifts that I’m most grateful for and that have really made a difference in my personal and business life.

 

Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite Face Wear

 

I’ve been working hard to treat and maintain my skin; your face is the first thing people notice, after all! But as a mother of five, I can’t always step out of the house for a spa day. That’s where this light treatment face mask comes in. It has up to 100 LED lights that glow red or blue to assist in firming and collagen production. The treatment only takes three minutes, making this skin tool great for my busy lifestyle while also allowing me to treat myself.

 

 

 

Beauty Fridge

 

Speaking of skincare, I’ve been upgrading my routine to make it extra effective and easy to accomplish. Since adopting a day and nighttime skin routine, I have more products to store than I can count! This adorably sized beauty fridge helps me store them all in a central location and keeps everything fresh. It’s especially useful for storing cooling items like tools, face masks, or depuffing treatments for an extra cool experience.

 

 

Digital Cards from Blinq

 

I love to make new connections, and with Blinq, I can grow a network of friends and business partners. The app allows me to share my contact information, social media links, blog website, scheduling calendar, app payment options, and much more! I love using it to share all of the projects I have and for sending greeting cards on special occasions. I highly recommend it to other bloggers like me or just the average person looking to have an elevated business card.

These aren’t the most conventional Christmas gifts, but they have truly made my life more enjoyable in unexpected ways. I’m so grateful for the people in my life that took the time to understand what I enjoy and go out of their way to give it to me. Whether you’re a busy mom, a business owner, or just a self-care enthusiast, these items are wonderful for adding a bit of luxury into your life. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do!

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Homeschool Favorite New Products

Homeschool Favorite New Products

Growing Our

Teaching Toolbox

Nothing makes me more of a proud Mama than watching each of my children’s minds blossom in the classroom. Homeschooling bright minds of all ages is a challenge, so I take advantage of our unique environment by going beyond the textbooks and introducing my children to games, movies, and brain teasers. Expanding our teaching tools means that I can take a personal approach to their education that is engaging and fresh.

Join me in growing our toolbox with these Davis-kid-tested products that can take homeschooling to a new level!

 

Counting Bears

 

This unique toy uses weight, size, and color to showcase math concepts, such as counting, estimating, addition, and subtraction. The bears give your child a physical connection to numbers that encourages the understanding of math concepts.

“My 3 year old plays with these for hours at a time. They are quite versatile, and there are a ton of activities for them posted online. We use them for math games, pre-reading preparedness, patterns, grouping, pretend play, and more. The bears are durable and well made; I know they will last through all of my children (and longer!). I would buy these again, and have already recommended them to several other parents.” – Tray Achorn, Amazon

Giggle Wiggle

 

This dancing caterpillar challenges up to four kids to place marbles on its wobbling hands without getting knocked off! This game fires up competitive kids and works to enhance motor skills.

“Not only is it challenging, but it’s silly and fun! It plays cute, upbeat music that the caterpillar dances to while you try to put the colored balls into his hands. It is super easy to assemble as all you do is pop the pieces together, and pick which color you want his bow tie to be.”

– Semperfimommy2014, Walmart

Crazy Cereal Game

 

This colorful game requires your little one to scoop out the cereal pieces that match the color of the spoon. While they race to get to the bottom of the bowl, kids are learning color recognition, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

“We love this game! It’s colorful, easy to play (or make up your own rules) and perfect when we need a little pre-meal distraction. Who doesn’t love bright colors, flashing lights and well, CEREAL? It’s great for counting, sorting, hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity and family fun. BEWARE, it will make you want to eat sugary cereal!”

– Educational Insights

Pancake Pile Up

 

Inspire your children to cook with this super fun relay game! Once kids get a hold of the spatula, they must match their pancake stack to a card and race to complete the pancake pile without knocking it over or losing an ingredient. The balancing action and sequencing make this game ideal for developing motor skills and coordination.

“Easy to explain and get the game going. Fun and active. Easy to change up the rules to accommodate different ages. Even my 2 year old granddaughter grasped the concept! Not an excessive amount of pieces to keep track of, the box is sturdy for storage after play, and kiddos use the pancakes for making me ‘breakfast’. Great game. Great price.”

– CookswithLove51, Target

Zingo

 

This bingo game tests your child’s ability to recognize words and pictures quickly, building early-reading vocabulary and recognition skills. The fast-paced game keeps the kids entertained and engaged. They don’t even notice they’re learning!

“This is really a great game for everyone. We played it for hours with out 3 year old granddaughter. It’s a twist on bingo that has a little extra feature with the way the plastic disks come out of the dispenser.” – Berniculous, Walmart

Picasso Tiles

 

Nothing sparks creativity like this completely customizable set of magnetic tiles. The square and triangular tiles can be used to build simple structures or full on castles! At its core, this is a STEM toy that both parents and children can enjoy.

“My kids love these Picasso tiles! Watching their creative minds at work is amazing. These tiles allow them to think outside the box. I get to watch their ideas come to life. They are great quality, easy to use, stay together very well and simply amazing.”

– Shelby, Walmart

Adventures in Odyssey CD Collection

 

When your usual kid’s TV shows aren’t doing the trick, Adventures in Odyssey saves the day with its wholesome stories about the adventurous people of Odyssey. With over 72 CD collections to choose from, your kids will never run out of exciting stories.

“Great product. Didn’t think my kids would like audio drama when they have DVD player, phone, iPods, iPads, etc. But they put those other things down to listen to this. Used this on a recent 6 hour drive and time flew by, even with 3 kids with ages from 7-13. All 3 really liked it.”

– Cjbias, Christianbooks.com

Sight Words Swat

 

Kids from the preschool level to third grade can grow their vocabulary with this fly swatting game. With fly swatters in hand, children are challenged to match the word they hear to the text on one of the bugs.

“This game is great! My kindergarten class LOVES it! It’s a fun fast paced way to build sight word fluency. The materials seem to be well made and are holding up to daily use after a few months.”

– Amazon

These items have truly elevated my homeschooling strategies by introducing math and reading skills as well as developing motor skills, coordination, and recognition – all without a textbook. It’s so important to put play into your child’s learning to cultivate their curiosity in a way that encourages them to explore the world around them. Education looks different for every child, so let them journey outside of the classroom!

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Book Review: “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from American Dream” by David Platt

Book Review: “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from American Dream” by David Platt

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream by David Platt is not for the faint-hearted. It is not only a riveting and extraordinary read but also far from conventional in terms of his beliefs surrounding his faith. Platt boldly challenges readers to sacrifice and leave behind all of their worldly possessions.

The very first chapter is titled ‘Is Jesus Worth Losing Everything?’ It’s a tough question to answer, but Platt pulls no punches. He encourages us to find the greatest thing to live for—the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Forsaking the American Dream

Platt mentions the Great Commission from Matthew 28, which pushes Christians to go out and make disciples of all nations in the name of the Holy Trinity.

We have all been called to evangelize the world for God. This undertaking is daunting but requires all of our efforts. By accepting the Great Commission, we must forsake the American Dream.

We are taught at an early age to gain as many earthly accolades as possible, and that the goal is to be rich and successful. But there’s a thin line between living for God and living for the world. It can be challenging to actually live how Jesus said we should.

Thankfully, we have excellent examples—the disciples.

The disciples abandoned their careers, family, and convenience to follow Jesus. They left certainty for uncertainty, safety for danger—all selfless actions to make sure the gospel advanced.

Pursuing a Sacrificial Life

David Platt calls us to stop placing our primary focus on living the American Dream, but instead, pursue living a life that is sacrificial by displaying more love and bringing more awareness to God and His kingdom.

The first time I read this book, I honestly didn’t love it — I was convicted. I never really assumed my faith had been rooted in the American Dream until I truly entered a relationship with Christ.

The second time, I loved it and it spoke to my heart.

On my third time reading it, I decided to take a different approach. I’ve been taking my time to get through the entire book, but it is incredibly fulfilling.

Each chapter has me reevaluating my heart, identifying my counterfeit gods, and implementing strategies to hold myself and our family accountable.

Focusing on Eternity

The cost of truly following Jesus is high. It requires being willing to let go of everything else.

Do you know what could be potentially standing in your way? As you read “Radical”, much will be exposed to you.

At the end of this book, David urges us to take the Radical Experiment, which is a one-year commitment that should be pursued seriously.

You’ll have to read the book to better understand, but the purpose is for Christians to spend their lives fulfilling God’s mission of exposing people to His love.

This requires us to come to the end of ourselves, and that can be challenging yet rewarding! Whatever dream you may see for your life pales in comparison to the plans that God has in store for you.

Building up treasures for eternity is far greater than building up temporary treasures here on earth. Make God’s plans your plans. His plans are far more fulfilling and ultimately the best for you.

Book Review: “The Unsuccessful Champion" by Demario Davis

Book Review: “The Unsuccessful Champion" by Demario Davis

Champions, like seeds, only gain strength when you bury them. – Matshona Dhliwayo

Finding true victory in the midst of adversity can be challenging. An individual must realize that despite how victorious they may potentially become in the world, true victory only arises when they champion their faith in the Lord. The world’s vision of success often does not align with how God views achievement. Demario was deemed unsuccessful, especially early in life, and despite coming up short many times, he always got up stronger and more determined.


His story is one of how to champion goals and also how to champion faith! His story is compelling, and his book Unsuccessful Champion is a quick read because you will feel like he is sitting down with you to share.
Unsuccessful Champion was written to inspire anyone who has a dream and wants to be successful. We all have different callings in our lives and our paths are unique. Regardless of our journey, there is a champion inside of us, fighting to be the best at what we do.


Champions are founded in the relationships they have with God and their family. Each day, God calls us to live lives that set us apart for His glory. There is no end to what He has planned for us. There are times when what the world has to offer may seem appealing or glamorous but finding true victory and true riches comes from Christ. Regardless of how successful or unsuccessful Demario was at times, his fulfillment and true victory is always in Christ!


Let his story be an example to you—that though your beginning may be small, where you finish can be great.


Forget what people may have said about you or tried to convince you that you could not have. God can change any situation and make it better than our wildest dreams. I recommend this book to anyone who feels discouraged and needs to know that they are not alone. Your worth is not in what the world offers, but in the ultimate prize God has in store for you.

Watch the full book review video here: http://frn.wtb.mybluehost.me/videos/

Homeschool Essentials: “Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool” by Karen DeBeus.

Homeschool Essentials: “Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool” by Karen DeBeus.

Growing up, it was my heart’s greatest desire to become a wife and a mom. I chose a career path in Education because I believed it would allow me to spend the most time serving my family while making a decent living. I say all of that because I’ve always felt called home. Once Demario was drafted in the NFL, it felt best for me to stay home, full time with our family. As we began planning for a family, I was impressed to begin homeschooling, which was foreign to both my husband and me. The more I attempted to dismiss the idea, the more I felt it tugging on my heart, so we went for it! This journey has been difficult at times, but God has shown up endlessly to remind me he’s called me to this, for this season of life!

In Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool, Karen DeBeus does an exceptional job espousing her personal experiences and challenges, reminding readers of the importance of staying connected to God throughout their homeschool journey. He is the one who has called us home to serve our families, and He wants the ultimate glory from it. While reading this book, I felt the need to minimize all distractions and press into the One who called me to homeschool!

Frequently, I’d be exhausted, frustrated, and running on fumes. I can vividly recall the week I found this book. Life was chaotic! We’d recently relocated, and football season was rolling. I was attempting to do all the mom, wife and teacher duties solo. One kid was acting bat crap crazy, another one we believed was experiencing hearing loss, while the other child was suffering from anxiety. Did I mention I was also hosting various guests for a month? When everything is threatening my sanity, God shows up and exposes me to gems like this read.

Ultimately, my children’s relationship with the Lord is most essential; therefore, it’s vital I display and teach Jesus’ truths! Curriculums are amazing and needed in increments but submitting and surrendering all that we do to the Lord is vital in order to run this race! I paused our homeschool for a few weeks, and we had fun, studied God’s truths, and reset! Reading DeBeus’s book “Called Home” and spending time with God gave me the bravery to refocus our homeschool structure to make our time God-centric.

I would recommend this book for any parent who finds themselves questioning their decision to homeschool. Veteran and beginner homeschool teachers alike will find all the information in this little book necessary. The book is a quick read, with relevant truths. DeBeus shares encouragement and reminds readers to shift their focus back on God and keep Him at the center of their homeschooling journey.

Homeschool Essentials: Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence

Homeschool Essentials: Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence

Right now, many parents have found themselves in the role of teacher, as well as caretaker and entertainer with no warning. It’s daunting to take on a new responsibility when there’s been very little time for preparation. Naturally, I started looking for some guidance, and found a gem that I think will help you, too. 

I started reading Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence by Jamie Erickson. As a mom who has spent some time homeschooling young kids, this book changed how I approached teaching my children, and it really made a huge difference in our little classroom. Frequently I struggle with self-doubt, especially when it comes to homeschooling. As a parent, you desire what’s best for your children, and although I strongly believe that during this season of life having them home with me is best, I often question if I made the right choice. 

Homeschool Bravely offers homeschooling parents the encouragement to boldly approach homeschooling as a calling from God, rather than a chore. Erickson offers tips on routines; she shares curriculum ideas and provides activities that will fit right into your lessons for the day. This book is grounded in faith and has scriptures woven throughout the pages. Having strong words of comfort with God’s own Word there to reinforce it did wonders for me. This book granted me encouragement and refreshed my confidence on this homeschooling journey. 

I closed the book, reassured that I’m not ruining my children or preventing them from experiencing something greater than what I provide. My perspective shifted tremendously, and I realized the importance of speaking life into myself and our homeschool classroom.

Additionally, this book is different from the other homeschooling books I’ve read because it provided direct insight on issues I am currently juggling—having kids with different learning challenges, ages and interests. I also love that all the content is pointed back to trusting God’s plan throughout this journey despite all my fear, doubt, failures, and even victories!

Grab your copy of Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence by Jamie Erickson here.