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For several years now we've celebrated Reformation Day, and while we could do the same things each year and my kids would be perfectly happy, I like to change things up a little to keep the day interesting for them. So this year, the night before Reformation Day, I locked myself in my room for a couple of hours and threw together a spur-of-the-moment plan.
I had been mulling over our options all day, and the idea for this scavenger hunt just came to me. Everything in this post I threw together in an hour, and I was a little unsure if it would come together, but my kids loved it and it also led to some good conversations about theology and the gospel!
You can read more about why we celebrate Reformation Day here. All of my Reformation Day posts, including many more ideas for marking the day, can be read here.
Organizing The Scavenger Hunt
For this scavenger hunt, I hid a series of clues that when put together spell out the word "REFORMATION". On each slip of paper I wrote a household scavenger hunt clue adapted from this website, but any household clue hints will do! Hints like these led the kids from clue to clue, but in between searching for each clue we would pause and do activities related to the corresponding letter in the acronym REFORMATION.
The activités for each letter of the acronym are listed below. I also created a printable of all this information which you can download below, but keep in mind you may want to get all the links opened in your browser ahead of time so you have them ready before your kids start finding the clues.
Resources You Will Need
1. Reformation ABCs. In addition to the printables above, you will need the book Reformation ABCs by Stephen Nichols. I centered the scavenger around this book and you will need to read the corresponding pages in the book for several of the acronym letters. If you are willing to put a little work in to research some of these topics yourself, you could make do without buying the book, but it is a fun one to have around!
2. Optional: Another book or video about Martin Luther. For an optional book option, you can also get another book about Martin Luther to read to your kids so they have more background information about this central figure of the Reformation. We read this Martin Luther pop-up book, because I think it is a great one to introduce Luther and the Reformation to my littler kids in a way they can more easily understand. You may also consider watching the Torchlighters Martin Luther episode, which is a great introduction for kids!
3. Optional: Printed Music For Hymns. I included three hymn options in this scavenger hunt, and I have the lyrics included in the printable I created, but it's sometimes nice to have the sheet music. I recommend downloading "Hymns To The Living God", which is a free hymnal from G3. All three of the hymns are included, and you can print out the corresponding pages by referencing the index at the end of the hymnal. You'll need:
-A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
-O Worship The King
-O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
4. My Reformation Day Scavenger Hunt Printable. This document includes all the information below which you can print as your parent "cheat sheet", the REFORMATION acronym that you can cut into strips and hide for the clues, and lyric sheets for the hymns.
5. Optional: Supplies for the fortress craft. I was excited to find this great craft (originally recommended to me in this blog post), you'll want to get the supplies for that ready ahead of time if you choose to use it. One significant item is toilet paper rolls, so start collecting those before Reformation Day!
6. Candy or another easy snack reward. To keep my kids excited about the scavenger hunt, I built in some small snack moments. We used candy, but any quick snack food will do!
7. Dirt/worm pudding, or another Reformation Day treat. There are lots of ideas out there, but worm pudding is a favorite of our family! You could also do marshmallow hammers, or door-shaped cookies, etc. This is a fun final reward to wrap up the scavenger hunt!
All the rest of the information for the scavenger hunt is included below, or once again, you can download the printable that includes all this information here!
R is for the Rhine River
-Read “R is for Rhine River” from Reformation ABCs.
-Locate the Rhine River in an atlas and see which countries it runs through.
-Eat one candy from the reward bowl!
E is for Erasmus
-Read this: Erasmus published a version of the New Testament translated into Greek and Latin directly from old manuscripts, because of a movement called “ad fontes”, which means “back to the sources”. This was an idea popular at the time of Luther - many thought to get the most accurate information, they should go as close to the original source as possible, especially regarding ancient documents. This movement eventually led to the reformers searching for the truth about what was going on in the church by going back to THE source - God’s Word! Erasmus unintentionally influenced Luther and the Reformation.
F is for Fortress
-Luther wrote the great hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. Let’s do a fortress craft together! Younger kids may also enjoy this coloring sheet.
-Read Psalm 46 and talk about how God is our fortress in times of trouble.
O is for Oxford Martyrs
-Read “O is For Oxford Martyrs” from Reformation ABCs.
-Read Acts 5, and take note of Acts 5:41. Why do you think the disciples, and later on the Reformers, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus?
R is for Reformation
-Look up the word "Reformation" in the Websters 1828 dictionary.
-Now read about the Five Solas of the Reformation on Got Questions.org. How did the Five Solas address different problems in the Roman Catholic Church?
-Luther hoped to reform the Catholic Church and bring it back to God’s Word. Was he successful? Do you think there are any things in Christian churches today that need “reformation” to be more in line with God’s word?
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
M is for Martin Luther
-Read “M is for Martin The Monk” from Reformation ABCs.
-Optional: Read another book about Martin Luther or watch this Torchlighters Martin Luther episode.
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
A is for “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
-Let’s sing Luther’s great hymn!
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
T is for Tyndale
-Read “T is for Tyndale” from Reformation ABCs
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
I is for Indulgences
-Read “I is for Indulgences” from Reformation ABCs.
-One of the major complaints Luther had for the Catholic Church was regarding indulgences. He rightly thought it was disgraceful that the clergy were telling the people they could purchase a proverbial “ticket to Heaven” (ie: less time in Purgatory) with money. Read the Five Solas again if necessary, and discuss the what the gospel is. How are we truly forgiven and saved? In light of that, can you see why indulgences were such a terrible distortion of the true gospel?
O is for “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” or “O Worship The King”
-Let’s sing one (or both) of these hymns together!
-Read about some of the ways that Luther changed church music (scroll down to where it says “Church Music”). Talk about how we have some wonderful hymns, like the one we just sang, because of the reforms Luther made in music.
-Watch a video about how Luther changed the way we sing in church.
N is for “No Other”
-One of the greatest moments of the Reformation was the Diet Of Worms, when Luther declared:
I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.
Let’s discuss that quote - what did Luther mean when he said “Here I stand, I can do no other?” (As some versions of the quote are rendered). What was he standing on?
-Read the “B is for Bible” page of Reformation ABC’s. How is the Bible like a treasure map? And what (or who) is the great treasure it’s meant to lead us to?
-Let’s pray and thank God for His word, for how the Reformers bravely stood on the Word of God and recovered the gospel. And let’s thank God for saving us by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!
-Finish up with our Diet Of Worms treat (or other special Reformation-themed snack)!
You can download a printable with all this information here!
Enjoy!
Note: This post probably looks very familiar if you've been around here for a while - and that's because it is. I had two rather disjointed posts about our favorite Thanksgiving picture books on my blog, and I decided to combine them into a single post this year. I've also created a printable list for your convenience! You can find that at the bottom of this post!
The last few years, I’ve really been leaning into the Thanksgiving holiday with my kids. We’ve set up a Thanksgiving tree (inspired by some friends of ours), we’ve filled out gratitude journals, and we’ve explored Thanksgiving picture books.
After checking out a multitude of Thanksgiving picture books from our library, the following are the ones that made the cut. I am quite particular about these book choices. I have a pet peeve about Thanksgiving books making no mention of who we should be giving thanks to, or misrepresent to whom the Pilgrims themselves gave thanks at that first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims did not have a Thanksgiving feast to thank the Native Americans - they invited their Native Americans friends and I am sure there was some gratitude directed their way, but the Pilgrims were primarily giving thanks to God.
With the exceptions of just a few books on my list that are directed at more historical events (ex. Balloons Over Broadway) or celebration ideas (ex. How To Celebrate Thanksgiving) or stories about the meal itself (ex. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving), all of these books point the theme of "thanksgiving" where it belongs - toward the Giver of all good things.
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing - This is a play off of the classic Christmas poem, and I thought it was so cute, especially with the sweet illutrations.
How To Celebrate Thanksgiving by P. K. Hallinan - This is a picture book, in rhyme, that celebrates all the fun of Thanksgiving Day (including eating so much you feel like you might burst). Cute illustrations, fun poem.
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin - This is the first time I've read this one, and the quirky story of Grandma's special cranberry bread recipe and how it's nearly stolen made me laugh.
Thanksgiving In The Woods by Phyllis Allsdurf - This book is based off a family who celebrates Thanksgiving each year by having dinner in the woods - this is one of those times when the illustrations really make the whole book. This pages are so pretty.
A Turkey For Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting - A fun story about Mr. Moose tracking down Turkey for Thanksgiving. My kids where laughing at this one!
Franklin's Thanksgiving by Paulette Bourgeois - My kids love watching the old TV show Franklin, and this book had the typical mild dilemma that the show often features - Franklin invites too many people to Thanksgiving. It was cute!
Over The River And Through The Wood by Matt Tavares - I'm sure you recognize the first lines to this poem - somehow I never realized it was about Thanksgiving!
Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings by Mike Berenstain - This obviously isn't serious history, but on the way over to Grandma's House For Thanksgiving Dinner, Papa Bear tells about the “Pilgrim bears” that came to a new land seeking religious freedom.
Squanto And The Miracle Of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes - This is a Thanksgiving classic for us, telling the story of Squanto's life and how God used him to help the pilgrims survive.
This Is The Feast by Diane Z. Shore - Another one where the illustrations really shine, telling a little history about the first Thanksgiving.
Sharing The Bread: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zeitlow Miller - This book features a poem with a fun beat to it, all about working together to make Thanksgiving dinner.
A Thanksgiving Turkey by Julian Scheer - This book was slow going at first, but the ending just got me. One of those times when I feel silly tearing up a little as I read to the kids. I think I resonated from this one especially coming from a family that hunts.
Thank You For Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall - It's the classic problem - everyone is going around saying what they are thankful for, and someone else says what you were going to say! I really liked how this one pointed back to being thankful for our Savior too.
Thanksgiving Graces by Mark Kimball Moulton - As Grandma invites more and more people to dinner, the narrator wonders if there will be enough - Grandma talks briefly about the parable of the fishes and reminds her grandson that they can stretch the food to include others. A sweet story about hospitality at Thanksgiving.
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli - A sweet "gratitude list" type of book, but I especially liked this one.
Give Thanks To The Lord by Karma Wilson - Another beautiful Thanksgiving book, this one taking inspiration from Psalm 92.
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story Of The Puppeteer Of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet - This is a book that is in high demand at our library, but we finally got it and truly enjoyed learning about the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and how a man named Tony invented the idea of ballon floats.
The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh - A longer chapter book that tells the story of how the pilgrims came to the New World and established the first Thanksgiving feast. I love how historically accurate this one was!
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott (illustrated by James Bernardin) - This is a sweet story about three girls who must be left alone on Thanksgiving, and attempt to make the meal for the family themselves, with mixed results! (Note: I could not find the version linked above on a retailer website, but if you can track it down, I loved the illustrations by Bernardin in this version.)
Sarah Gives Thanks by Mike Allegra - This book is about the woman who petitioned a series of presidents to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, and finally succeeded with Abraham Lincoln. I like this book about her life, and the pages that show her family praying together and thanking the Lord for providing even in the midst of hard times were heartwarming.
And one chapter book recommendation:
Rush Revere And The Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - This is our favorite Thanksgiving historical fiction book - all about the journey of the pilgrims from Holland to the New World, including good history about the first Thanksgiving. It's so imaginative and fun with the time-traveling horse, Liberty! We like it on audio, but the actual book has some wonderful art pieces and fun illustrations too.
I hope this list is helpful - and get those books requested now, because if your library system is anything like mine, you may or may not get them in time to read before Thanksgiving is here!
Church music has long been an area of interest for me.
I grew up in a picturesque little church complete with a white steeple and bell, on a plain surrounded by mountains, and every Sunday we sang hymns. Having that kind of foundational experience with the great hymns of the faith gave me a very strong appreciation of songs with theologically deep - not just theologically correct, but deep - lyrics. I still love hymns very much, for a multitude of reasons. One reason is that songs that have stood the test of time, not just decades but centuries, tie us to believers throughout all that history until now.
That said, I'm not one to eschew good modern music either. If a modern song is theologically correct and rich (a rarity, unfortunately), I'm apt to love it just as much as my old hymns.
Unfortunately, the challenge with any worship music, new or old, is to make a good judgement about whether this song is rightly praising God, or if it's subtly "me-centered" or praising man. It can get very tricky, and I'll admit that I'm pretty picky about the songs that make it onto my personal list of favorites.
With the challenge of finding Christian music that is sound and has the right focus, I started to wonder, why isn't Psalm-singing more common these days? The Psalms are, after all, songs. If God gave us a songbook right there in the middle of the Bible, why don't we sing them more?
I have personally never been in a church that sang Psalms, and when I realized that, it started to trouble me. There are some that think only Psalms should be sung in church - I'm not of that persuasion, but shouldn't we at least include the Psalms in the musical rotation? Why wouldn't we?
There are a many reasons why a lot of denominations might not sing the Psalms anymore, and I'm not sure I'm completely equipped to give a good summary of that right now. But the more I thought about it, the more I determined that though we might not sing Psalms in church much, that didn't mean we couldn't learn to sing them ourselves. So this year I've been working pretty hard, reading books, trying to figure out how to do just that.
I will write a separate post about how we've started to add some Psalms to our repertoire, but first I wanted to give a few reasons why Psalm-singing is something worth doing - including within your own family.
1. The Psalms are God's songbook.
As I mentioned above, there is no other songbook anywhere that can be rightly described as inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself. All Scripture is God-breathed, and that includes the Psalms. When we sing the Psalms, we are singing God's very words back to Him, and there is something very beautiful in that.
2. When we sing the Psalms, we can be sure we are singing theologically correct songs.
You don't have to analyze the Psalms before you sing them to look for errors or a wrong focus - God gave us these songs to sing from His Word. As long as the Psalm hasn't been "adapted" beyond recognition, there is alot of peace in knowing we are singing Scripture.
3. The Psalms connect us to believers in the Old and New Testaments.
Just as I love hymns in part because I know so many believers have sung those very words before me, the Psalms connect us even more with believers through the ages. The Israelites sang these very songs, Jesus likely sang Psalms with His disciples, the early church sang psalms. It's very inspiring to think we are singing the same praises to God that have been sung through so many ages.
4. I believe Scripture tells us to sing Psalms.
I recognize some people will differ with me on this, but I think Ephesians 5:19 indicates that we should keep singing the Psalms. Paul says:
"...speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord..."
I know many people say that this verse is just referring to different types of music, but I really don't see why the word "psalms" wouldn't mean the psalms of Scripture.
5. Singing Psalms is an effective way to memorize Scripture.
No other book of the Bible has been put to music as much as the Psalms have, and this gives us a prime opportunity to take God's Word and hide it in our hearts! Not every Psalm song is a word-for-word adaptation, of course, but even if it's not word-for-word, a faithful adaptation will get the ideas of the Psalms embedded into your mind.
5. The Psalms are formative.
If you get an opportunity to read Scott Aniol's book Musing On God's Music, I highly recommend it. In it, he points out that the Psalms aren't just empty words - when we read and sing them, they are forming us as Christians. The Psalms are a cohesive book about what it means to live as a believer in a fallen world, until Christ comes to earth as King and reigns forever and ever.
Psalms show us how to respond when we are attacked and persecuted, when we are hopeless, when we sin, when we are needy, when we are full of joy, when we prosper. They rightly order our affections, and train us to respond in a godly way no matter what life brings to us. And they show us how to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord through every bit of it. Why would we not take advantage of this beautiful gift God has given us in the Psalms by learning to sing them from our hearts, until we see Him face-to-face?
I hope I've convinced you to at least consider learning to sing the Psalms if you never have before. I can tell you it's been a beautiful thing to start learning different Psalms with my kids through singing them together. Hearing their little voices singing the songs God gave us is so moving, and I know the words are being absorbed into their hearts while we sing. Since I've started this process, snatches of Psalms have also come to me in the form of a melody playing through my mind, and it's been an encouragement whenever I think of one of our Psalm songs. I know that learning the Psalms through song is going to be an effort that will be well worth it when I look back at how we spent out time together someday.
Another post coming soon on how to go about learning to sing Psalm songs when you are not very musically gifted, like me!
Have you ever sang the Psalms? Does your church use a Psalter?
I'm always interested to hear other people's experiences with Psalm-singing.
Fall is my favorite time of year, as it is for so many people, and I'm surprised that it took me so long to assemble a list of our favorite autumn picture books. These books all capture different aspects of fall, or just have an autumnal vibe!
We are a little picky about fall picture books. It has to have a bit of a nostalgic or cozy factor to make the list. I also didn't include books that have too much of a focus on Halloween, since we don't celebrate Halloween in our family - most of these books don't have an allusion to Halloween at all, and if they do it's very brief and I tried to make a note of it. As a result, this is truly a list that focuses on the season of fall and not any particular holiday!
If you want to expand this list a bit, I also have a list of Thanksgiving picture books that we love as well!
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak - A beautiful picture book about the transition from summer to fall. This whole series is lovely for the changing seasons.
The Turnip by Jan Brett - This is the story of a particularly huge turnip, and how the animals must get it out of the ground before it snows. This story was fun, and really captures that transition period between harvest and winter.
Autumn Story by Jill Barklem - I love all the Brambly Hedge books for each season! In this one, Primrose goes wandering in the woods, gets lost in some hidden tunnels, and is finally found by her parents and friends. The cozy illustrations really make these books.
The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown - This is a funny story about a scarecrow boy that wants to go work with his dad, but his dad doesn't think he's ready...until he sneaks out one day to scare some crows on his own!
The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson - Using repetition and simple monochromatic illustrations this book tells the story of an apple pie being baked and shared. This would be a cute one to read before actually baking an apple pie!
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall - All about the process of growing apples and making apple pies. I associate apple pies especially with the fall, and this would be another book to add for an apple pie theme.
County Fair inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder - This is part of a picture book series related to the Little House On The Prairie books. In this volume, Almanzo's pumpkin is contender in the county fair.
The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Diane Arnold - Based on a true story of a sheep farmer who beat out a bunch of younger contestants in a long-distance race in Australia...by eating pumpkins! I don't know if the pumpkin part is true or not, but the pumpkins make this a delightful book for fall nevertheless.
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger - A yellow leaf desperately holds on to its branch, afraid to let go, until he finally finds a friend to make the jump with him. Very sweet story.
The Berenstain Bears Harvest Festival by Mike Berenstain - The Berenstain Bears are classics, and this is a particularly cute one as the family goes to a harvest festival and then talks about all the blessings God sends us in the fall.
Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale Retold by Steven Kellogg - This is our favorite book version of the story of Johnny Appleseed, a frontiersman who planted many apple tress in the Ohio wilderness, and how his legend grew. The illustrations are fun, and it ends on a perfect note for a tall tale.
Hooray For Fall by Kazuo Iwamura - Mick, Mack, and Molly, adventurous squirrel children, are back in this cute fall adventure in their brand-new red sweaters, knitted by their mother! They explore the woods and make note of all the fall changes. We like all the books in this series.
Bear Has A Story To Tell by Philip C. Stead - Bear has a story to tell, but everyone is getting ready to hibernate for the winter and can't listen. Maybe he'll finally get to tell them when they wake up in the spring - if he can remember it!
Fletcher And The Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher notices the leaves are falling off his favorite tree, and he desperately tries to prevent them from leaving. Dejected, he realizes he can't stop the leaves from falling...but then something beautiful comes to take their place. This book is sweet and poignant, and my kids love all of Fletcher's adventures.
Little Tree by Loren Long - In this book, a little tree holds onto his leaves too long, until he realizes he'll never grow unless he lets them book. A beautiful story and touching message.
Lawrence In The Fall by Matthew Farina - Lawrence doesn't have a collection to bring for show and tell at his school, until his dad takes him on an adventure in the woods. He finds a beautiful leaf collection to share with his classmates.
The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri - All the animals want a squirrel to join them in their fun, but Squirrel is too busy getting ready for winter. This would be a fun story to start explaining hibernation for small children. The illustrations are also bright and fun!
Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland - This book explains all the changes we see in nature as fall approaches, in the middle of the season, and as it starts to come to an end. The illustrations in this one are also so luminous and pretty!
Count Down To Fall by Fran Hawk - This book is probably one of my personal favorites for fall - I love the woodland illustrations. The book is written in verse as we explore the way many different kinds of leaves change in autumn, and they even include aspen trees, which are my personal favorite.
Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf - Sophie finds a perfect squash, and starts treating it like a doll and taking it with her everywhere. Her parents try to convince her to give it up, but she won't until it starts to get soft and squishy - then she tucks it into a warm dirt blanket until it greets her again in the spring. I was amused by this book as a parent - you know it was written because some child somewhere really did become attached to a squash!
Pumpkin Day At The Zoo by Susan Meissner - All the zoo animals get a pumpkin treat in this colorful book! The illustrations in this one are delightful, and I love that it's written in verse.
Tractor Mac: Autumn Is Here by Billy Steers - Fergus, a new calf on the farm, starts to become afraid when everything starts to change in the fall - until he finds out the reasons why and experiences all the fun autumn can bring! I included this one especially because of the illustrations - they are so bright and cheerful and perfect to get in the mood for fall fun.
A Fall Ball For All by Jamie A. Swenson - A gorgeous picture book - the art really makes this one for me. Forest animals all gather to enjoy an autumn windfall "ball".
How Many Seeds In A Pumpkin by Margaret Macnamara - A class of children make guesses about which pumpkin holds the most seeds - and find out that size is only one factor for how many seeds a pumpkin makes. This book is also a great opportunity for a math tie-in with skip counting and multiplication.
The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen - The illustrations in this book are moody and almost creepy, but the story is cute - a scarecrow gets blown off his stake and dances down the corn rows. Then he hears a sweet prayer from a child, asking for blessing on the scarecrow in the field so they can get a good corn harvest - and the scarecrow realizes the best place he can be is right where he was all along.
Too Many Turkeys by Linda White - A really fun book about a couple who keeps a turkey...but then have trouble as all the turkeys of the forest are drawn to their yard. Fred gives away their gardening secret to the neighbors to solve their turkey problem!
Sweater Weather by Matt Phelan - This is a book of very few words, but the quirky illustrations of a rambunctious bear family were very relatable to us as a large family!
Peepers by Eve Bunting - Two boys help their dad with his leaf touring business, and make fun of the leaf "peepers" behind their backs...until the end, when they realize they sound an awful lot like the peepers as they enjoy the beauty of early winter. My kids laughed at this one. We all related to it since we live in an area with alot of "peepers"...and we sound like them when going on leaf excursions too! One mention of Halloween in this one.
When Fall Comes by Aimee M. Bissonette - This picture book is really beautiful, and explores the way animals - and people - prepare for fall and winter.
In The Middle Of Fall by Kevin Henkes - I really like this book for the younger crowd - bold illustrations, and simple text about all the colors of fall and the transition to winter.
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise - This book isn't specifically related to autumn, but to me it had a fall vibe. An owl applies to be a knight, and to his surprise is accepted! He becomes a night watchman, and uses his courage and wits to befriend the dragon that has been gobbling other knights up. Really cute book overall.
Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle - A lovely picture book about all the ways a farm might need to get ready for winter. There are a lot of things related to harvest in this book, which is why I'm including it in the fall list, but it could be great for early winter too.
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hill - This book shows how a family in the 1800s might have worked to support themselves throughout the year - then the man takes a trip to the market in the fall to sell their produce and trade for wares to last them through the next year.
Earl The Squirrel by Don Freeman - The kids and I enjoy this story of a little squirrel who accepts too many gifts from a little girl, until his mother insists he start working to gather his own acorns. The illustrations are really retro and cute!
Miss Suzy by Miriam Young - Another squirrel story! Miss Suzy loses her cozy home and is rescued by a band of toy soldiers. This is an adorable story with a fall feel to it.
A Fall Treasury Of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom by Angela Fererro-Fanning - This is a very kid-friendly craft and recipe idea book. We didn't read straight through it, but we flipped through for ideas, and I loved the cute illustrations too!
The kids remembered a couple books recently that I didn't get from our library this year, so I may very well be adding to this list in the future!
For a printable version of this list, click here!
Bonus Books!
These are books that I'm adding to this list as I find them - eventually I will add them to the printable, but for now, here they are.
The High Hills by Jill Barklem - Part of the Brambly Hedge series, this story follows Wilfred and Mr. Apple as they get lost high on a mountain and are forced to spend the night. As always, the illustrations are adorable, and the ones in this book made me think of late fall.
Otis And The Scarecrow by Loren Long - Otis the tractor plays fall games with his friends, but they can never get the scarecrow to do anything except give a grumpy face. But that doesn't stop Otis from making sure the scarecrow isn't lonely during a rainstorm. Sweet book about friendship. One mention of jack o'lanterns.
The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry - This was a precious story about a lonely scarecrow who makes friends with a crow. It's written in verse, and the illustrations are lovely!
You probably read that title and immediately thought about Confessions Of A Shopaholic, didn't you? When I think of that movie, I think of that scene where Rebecca Bloomwood is sitting among a pile of shopping bags after a spree of uncontrolled, compulsive spending. I think of the scene where she tries to buy the scarf with maxed-out credit cards, and runs over to a hot dog stand to get enough cash to finish her transaction. I think of her selling everything she owns to pay off her ridiculous credit card debt.
But there are other ways that purchasing new things can take on an undue importance in a person's life. Perhaps it won't involve mountains of shopping bags and credit card debt, but subtler ways that it disrupts someone's priorities. Small ways it can lead to disordered loves.
Now, I had been thinking about doing a no-buy project for a long time, but not very seriously. I recognized a long time ago that I sometimes use shopping as a self-soothing habit...if I'm having a particularly difficult month, it's more likely I'll end up buying something I wasn't really planning. After my fifth baby was born, I really wanted to do a no-buy project, but I knew realistically it was a silly time to attempt something like that. My body had changed alot, and sometime while I was pregnant the styles drastically changed as well. I needed clothes that fit me, and I knew I was going to truly need to make some purchases to update some things in my wardrobe. So I didn't do it then.
But when I watched that video last month, everything she said really resonated with me. And I thought, Why not try a no-buy project now? I wanted to share a few reasons that I decided to finally jump in.
1. I would like to spend less money.
Lest you get the wrong idea, no, I don't have any credit card debt. I don't buy things if we don't have the money to pay for it. Shopping is not some sort of compulsive addiction for me in that way. I'm judicious in the prices I'm willing to pay for something, I have alot of frugal habits, I get alot of good deals. I don't overdo it financially.
However, I know if I reined in those few areas where I am personally tempted to purchase too much (clothes, books, housewares), I could save us a good amount of money, and use that money for other things that mean more. I'm excited to see how this experiment will alter my budget.
2. I would like to be more intentional with my spending habits.
This is how my shopping usually goes: I go through pretty decent chunks of time where I don't buy much at all. Maybe I'm more aware of my budget or have a savings goal, maybe I have just cleaned out my closet and remember that I have too many clothes already, maybe I just feel generally satisfied with what I have for a while.
But then inevitably, after a few months, I'll get a bit of a shopping bug, and I'll spend a chunk of money all at once. Usually this bug hits me at the beginning of a new season, when I want to update my house or wardrobe for the changing weather. It's almost become a habit for me to expect to buy a few things before a season change.
I don't like that I have this habit formed to the point where I start to feel dissatisfied with what I own, like clockwork, as a new season arrives, and I start to think I need to "update" things. This is not intentional decision, it's subconscious, and I don't like having something subconscious controlling my spending habits that way.
I want to become very thoughtful and intentional about buying things that will truly add to my wardrobe and home, instead of buying because of some subconscious urge to "freshen things up". This is part of the internal awareness I need to develop surrounding shopping. I think doing a no-buy year will help me learn about when and why I feel that urge to get something new, so I can be more intentional in the future.
3. I want to be more aware of, and learn to resist, marketing schemes.
Companies have fine-tuned the science of getting consumers to buy, with a multitude of psychological tricks. While I am decently aware of when I am falling for those tricks, I want to learn to see them with my eyes even more wide open, and become more proficient at resisting them! If the previous point is learning to develop awareness of my own patterns and temptations, this will be learning to recognize temptations from without, and learn how to overcome those.
4. I want to fine-tune my style.
I think I have a pretty good sense of my style already, and I do enjoy experimenting with my style sometimes (and I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that). But the fact that I have accumulated so many clothing items indicates I could stand to be a bit more picky in my purchases. Instead of having a closet with too many clothes, I would like to have a smaller closet of clothes that really work for my style and figure and make me feel confident and satisfied with what I have. Taking a break on buying new clothes will give me space to really explore my closet, figure out the things that I like the most, and hopefully curate my style to a point that I'm excited about what I already own, instead of only getting excited when I have something new.
5. I want to stop using shopping as escapism.
As I mentioned above, I know that sometimes if I'm a little bored with life, or having a bad month emotionally, I am more often tempted to add a little interest to things by buying something. It's exciting to get something in the mail, it's exciting to have something new to wear or read!
But when I start to use that new-things excitement to soothe myself or escape something stressful, I know in my heart I'm not turning to the right thing. I should turn to the Lord to be my comfort in those stressful moments, I should learn to develop a heart of gratitude and appreciation for what I have instead of allowing myself to get bored with it all. I don't like that I've put "things" in a role that they were never meant to fulfill. Scripture instructs us to hate sin so much that we would even give up our eye or hand to stop sinning (Matthew 18:9) - if something is taking a sinful place in our lives, we need to cut it out, throw it away. That's what I'm trying to do with shopping. It has the potential to become a form of idolatry, and that's serious.
6. I want to order my affections rightly.
Sometimes we buy too much stuff because our priorities - our affections - are out of order. I would never say I care about things (things!) more than Christ - but when I give shopping an undue place in affecting my mood or attitudes, in my thoughts or my budget, I'm not loving the Lord as well as I'm called to. Material things can become a distraction from what I'm really supposed to be doing, from virtues I'm supposed to be developing (self-control, thankfulness, putting the needs of others first, etc.). I think eliminating that distraction for a while will help me reset and bring my actions more in line with where my priorities lie.
You might remember that in 2021, I gave up social media for a year. I deleted all the apps for the major platforms off my phone, I deactivated my accounts, I took a firm detox.
It was a hard, emotional year in alot of ways. My eyes were opened to deeper sin issues than I even suspected when I started out. I had to wrestle with alot of regrets for wasted time and messed-up priorities. I had to come to terms with the fact that social media was occupying an undue place in my life and relationships, and it was painful to come face-to-face with the selfishness it had fostered in my heart.
At the end of the year, I hesitantly came back to a couple platforms, but this time my eyes were open, and my relationship with and attitude toward social media was entirely different. I had put it in it's proper place. I can't explain the peace that came from that.
The benefits from my social media reset have lasted. The scrolling habit was broken, and even now, two years later, I spend a tiny fraction of the time on social media that I did before my detox. Taking that year helped me love my family and the Lord better, and it took my eyes off myself. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, even though dealing with my own sinfulness was painful.
I am quite hopeful that taking a break from buying certain things will bring the same sort of freedom and peace that my social media break did. If it's even half as impactful on my habits, it will be well worth it.
I'll share another post soon with my rules!
Have any of you considered taking a break from shopping?
I know alot of people will not relate to my particular shopping issues at all, but I'm sure some of you do, and I'd love to hear what's worked for you.
"I wish we had a house this huge!" I hear that little declaration off to my right. I'm typing this on Saturday, and my two little girls are creating a Calico Critter mansion. They can stay occupied with Calico Critters for hours, and I'm so glad because I have always thought Calico Critters were adorable, but I couldn't get any of the girls into them until the last year or so.
There is also screeching and yelling coming from down the hall as the boys play some sort of game in their room, but we're going to ignore that. My oldest daughter is writing letters downstairs, and my sweet husband is just about to make me one of his signature lattes (he's really good at lattes).
We have an unexpected weekend at home due to an injury, and I woke up this morning with a million projects running through my head. A whole free weekend! How should I spend it? I'm nearly stress paralyzed with decision fatigue already, and it's not even 10 o'clock.
High on the list was to write a blog post or two, so I thought, why not write one about all the projects I have in my queue? It'll get it out of my brain, and may be interesting to read I suppose, so here we go.
1. Blogging. I have so many posts in my head that I want to get out, but it's been such a difficult season to find time to do anything for myself, so I unfortunately can't guarantee all of these will get written. But here are a few posts that I hope to write...someday.
-How To Sing The Psalms With Your Kids (And Why You Should)
-I Decided To Start a No-Buy Project - Here's Why
-A Masterlist Of Reformation Day Resources
-Fall Picture Books We're Loving
Those are the big posts I keep wanting to find time to work on, and then there are just the general update posts, like this one. It's alot to carry around in my brain, I tell you.
(Also, tell me which one of those sounds the most interesting, and I'll work on it first.)
2. The family newspaper. I'm not sure I've mentioned this, but over the summer I had the kids start writing a family newspaper, and we actually mailed out two issues to family and friends! It's been really fun, and we've gotten alot of good feedback. We are two months behind now on sending out the next issue (reluctant writers and printer issues), so I would love to get that mailed today.
3. Pumpkin polymer clay earrings. I got into making polymer clay earring this summer - nothing too fancy, just cute little shapes that my girls find particularly fun. It's so satisfying to make something for them and then see their little eyes light up with excitement! I got a pumpkin cutter a few weeks ago, and I've been dying to try it out, but making those clay earrings takes quite a bit of time.
4. Letter-writing. I made a letter writing goal at the beginning of the year, and I didn't do too terribly until the summer hit. Nobody's been getting any letters from me since. I so enjoy sending a receiving letters - it makes me feel more connected to my friends than anything else, including social media. If someone puts something online, it's going out to a bunch of people at once, it's not special; if you receive a personal letter from someone, then they thought about you in particular, and valued your friendship enough to carve out time to connect with you. I love that feeling myself, and I love the idea of giving that thought-about feeling to someone else.
5. Reading. I always carve out some time for reading, but I started several books related to the Reformation and autumn, and I'd really like to finish them before the end of the month! Here are a few I'm hoping to get through this month:
-Martin Luther by Eric Metaxes
-Why The Reformation Still Matters by Tim Chester and Michael Reeves
-Still Protesting: Why The Reformation Still Matters by D. G. Hart
-Luther In Love by Douglas Bond
-Giant Pumpkin Sweet by Melanie Heuiser Hill
As you can see, all of these will be less relevant to the season in a month's time, so I better get moving.
6. Bake a pumpkin pie. We went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze last weekend, and the kids each got to pick out a pumpkin...and unfortunately, a couple of them are already looking a little ripe! I need to start baking asap so we don't waste our pumpkins. I'm thinking of making a pumpkin pie, because why not, and I'm also contemplating pumpkin soup. Other pumpkin recipe suggestions welcome.
7. Develop a birthday card system. We have several family and friends birthdays coming up, and every time I remember that it's someone's birthday, I wish I had taken time to develop a system for sending out birthday cards. I am thinking of doing a little card file system, and I can just sit down at the start of each month and write out all the cards at once. It's so nice to receive a card in the mail (see letter-writing point), and I just wish I could be more organized about birthdays!
8. Research my family tree on ancestry.com. Devoting more time to this has been a goal of mine for a while, and I can honestly say I've been a big failure when it comes to accomplishing this! It takes quite a bit of time to do the family tree research right, even with ancestry.com, and I really need a set time each day to make progress.
Seeing all that typed out, I realize if I really want to accomplish any of it, I better get myself organized and just carve out the time to get it all done! That's what I'll be doing straightaway with the rest of my day.
What's on your autumn to-do list?
Let's not even talk about getting ready for Christmas...I don't have space in my head for that yet.
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