Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m Jennifer Mackintosh, and I’m a Catholic home educator, joyfully living out my vocation here in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of North Alabama. My husband, Rob, and I have 5 children (from 22 – 6) so life is delightfully full!
You’ll find posts and printables here on all the things I’m most passionate about: planning, organizing, making home, home education, and living our Catholic faith (faithful to the Magisterium and devoted to the beautiful Extraordinary Form of the Mass). If I were to identify a common thread for you it would be my great desire to find beauty in all the ordinary parts of the day – pretty in the practical – and my joy in sharing it with you when I find it.
We have been home educating from the beginning…and clearly have a number of years still to go! Our home education philosophy is primarily Charlotte Mason and Classical (using sound Classical principles), and in the younger years, we enjoy some Montessori work. I am committed to encouraging the wisdom that begins in wonder and our goal in home education is virtue!
In 2007, when I began this blog, blogging was just taking off. It was the thing to do because it was this great, nifty new platform that invited sharing in new ways! It literally brought my living room and learning room right to you! I really liked the idea of blogging, and even now, thinking back to those early days of sharing: how my family looked at the time, the sweet moments we shared – I find those memories a delight!
Excited to try blogging, and with no idea then of how it would bless and transform the home education community, I charged in and built my first blog (in blogger). When I originally introduced my blog in 2007, this was my introduction:
In coming up with a name for this blog we tossed around several eloquent ideas…thing’s like…Jen’s blog. As we were brainstorming, I thought of my day. The children always bring me fistfuls of wildflowers from outside, and I had once again washed a pocketful of marbles that had been tucked inside my oldest son’s pockets. Wildflowers and Marbles. My days are spent joyfully collecting these treasures and I write about them here.
And you know what? It still fits – years later! I still find great joy in sharing about all the ordinary little happenings in our days – the splendor in the ordinary (there is much to be found!).
Without a doubt, your favorite posts here are those that detail the nitty gritty and practical – especially when I talk about the learning room, building booklists, planning, or our Morning Basket! Click around – there is a lot here to take in!
Anything that is good, true and beautiful here is merely a reflection of THE Good, True, and Beautiful from the Creator of all. It is the splendor within our ordinary.
I pray that your time here is a joy. That it inspires you to look with fresh eyes to find the splendor within your ordinary! God bless you!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!
Hi Jen! You know I’m thrilled to see you on WordPress. And here is a sweet blog award for you because I truly see you as devoted to spreading joy, peace, hope, and love http://familyanswersfast.wordpress.com/thank-you-%E2%9D%A4/ . And receiving an award is pretty… pretty, don’t you think?
Thank you so much for that, Angie!
Gladly, my friend! I wish I could join in you current discussion, but spring has SPRUNG! I do enjoy scanning though. Good for you.
Jen, I have been so inspired by your blog over the years, but seldom do I leave comments, on any blog! 🙂 I have blogged myself from time to time, lost interest and the time to keep it up, deleted a few and begun again. However, because of the inspiration of your most recent changes to your blog I am in the process of reworking an old blog and have also begun a new one. The one I am the most excited about at the moment is Lottie’s Little Ladies. Although both of my girls are now in middle school and high school, this is a blog I am devoting to girls in K-5, providing information and resources for anyone interested in homeschooling their daughters gleaning from the wisdom of Charlotte Mason. The name is special to me for to me for two reasons, the first being that our last name is “Lottman” and I’ve always affectionately referred to my girls as “Lottie’s Ladies”, and because “Lottie” is often also used as a shortened version of “Charlotte”. I would love for you to visit, though I am not trying AT ALL to get a plug or drive visitors to my blog through you, so please don’t think that is the reason for my commenting. I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration you have been to me over the years, and even now. I am relaunching my other blog, A Gathering of Days, which will deal more with homekeeping, in March. I will probably post a link to it at Lottie’s Little Ladies around that time if you want to visit me there as well! 🙂
Hi Kim! I’ve been meaning to get over here to thank you for your sweet comment! What an encouragement! I really enjoyed looking over your blog – Lottie’s Little Ladies – it’s quite an amazing trove of CM resources! I love the name you chose for your home-making blog: A Gathering of Days! So lovely! I can’t wait to read!
Hi Jen,
I have been enjoying your blog from a distance for almost a year. Your blog is beautiful–just beautiful! I love looking through it and at all the beautiful photos. I find we are very similar in quite a few areas. I have really enjoyed reading your posts on life, organization, beautiful things, and Charlotte Mason. I too love to organize and have beautiful things around me to look at and use. I homeschool 5 children between the ages of early teen years to babyhood using the Charlotte Mason method (as well as remnants from Classical Education.) I also have been reading your posts on the book ‘The Living Page’ and I just received my book in the mail this past week. I am anxious to read it myself.
I recently started a blog this new year. It is a very simple one where I share my interests, our homeschooling, and life in general. I would love to have you come over and visit. My blog, lovinggodandmyfamily.wordpress.com, is private so it will require you to request to be accepted to see it. Please do come and visit. I hope to have you as a blog friend!
Oh, I’d love to visit, Charmayne! Thanks for letting me know about your new blog and thank you so much for the very kind words!! They’re so encouraging!
Jen, I just love reading your blog! You are so thorough with the information you supply (love the links!) and your organized beautiful home and learning spaces are exactly what I would like for our family. My oldest will be turning 5 this year so, I have been reading a lot on Charlotte Mason and I plan to incorporate her teachings with a mix of Montessori as well. I was wondering if you could recommend the Italics program from Penny Gardner as a good teaching tool? Thanks again for all you do!
Thank you so much, luerssen4! I’ve used Penny Gardner’s program with some success for my elementary students in 2nd grade +. It’s a good value and a good starting point if you need something you can just print and roll with for copy work. I tried it with my 4th child when she was younger just because she was so interested in beginning to write and I was already busy with other children, but it didn’t work as well as I’d hoped so I just adjusted and used basic letter/ABC copy work working our way through common words and names. Hope that’s a help!
I like to be regular reader of your blog (when I find time to read blogs!), but I don’t think I have ever read this “about” page. It is lovely to meet you and see your beautiful family.
Well, thank you so much, Laurie! I love having you here!
Jen,
I read somewhere on your blog that you had figured out how to stop Scribd from charging people to use your documents. Is that correct? If so, would you be willing to share how you did this? I am having the same issue, and have no idea what to do! Thanks so much! I just found your blog this week, and wonder how I have missed it all this time. Such a LOVELY corner!!
HI Julie!!!
First, welcome! I’m so glad you found this little corner of the web, and I’m thrilled you’re here!
About Scribd – a number of my “blog-friends” have used it in the past, and I remember them having the same issues you’re describing. However, I’ve never used Scribd, mostly because I started reading of some problems users were having sharing free files and requiring accounts, etc. And also because EVERY time I tried to access a file hosted there, I would find an endless level of hoop-jumping that eventually drove me away.
My blog actually began life (7 whopping years ago!!) on a blogger platform, and it didn’t take long for me to become frustrated that I couldn’t host my own pdf files on blogger – I had to host them off-site. I worked around that for a couple of years using Adobe Workspaces. I was committed to providing free access to any file I shared, and Adobe let me do that. BUT…last year about this time, Adobe sent me a notification that they were shutting down Workspaces, and they would leave files accessible for the year, but by 2015, files would no longer be accessible – and thus began my migration to WordPress. I was so hesitant to move an established blog, but I’m so glad I did! WordPress has been wonderful, and I can host my own files here!
So…while I can’t help you with Scribd files – might I suggest looking into WordPress? I pay for this site so that my readers don’t have to see ads, but you can quite easily go with a free version of WordPress and host all of your files right there!
Anyway – I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more, Julie! But WELCOME!
Jen,
Thank you much for your detailed reply. I think we are going to try using Google Docs right now and see if that solves the problem. I am actually not a blogger myself, but have a friend who is, and was doing a favor for her trying to figure out how people would not have to pay for her documents.
Thanks again for your reply! I have marked your blog as one to follow, and I look forward to mining the archives as I have time. I already marked your little tables from Wayfair as a must purchase. I am always in need of table space for my ever growing family!. We just welcomed our seventh child 3 months ago! My oldest is 12, and they are constantly in need of space to play games, put together puzzles, draw, etc.
Blessings to you!
Julie Z
Oh, excellent, Julie! And I think Google docs sounds like a really good option for what you’re trying to do! I empathize so much with your dear blogging friend! I truly enjoy sharing files and resources and I want those to be easy to access and free!
Those Wayfair tables are SOOOO durable! Love ’em!
God bless YOU and congratulations on your newest little one! What a beautiful family!
I just want to say a million times…THANK YOU for this wonderful blog and for sharing your lesson plans! It has enabled me to be more organized in our homeschool planning….it has been a HUGE HUGE help for me. Found your blog via Amongst Lovely Things.
Wow – Veronica! Thank you so much for those kind words! That’s so encouraging! I look forward to seeing you “around” more and more! Happy planning! 🙂
As a former member of St. Mary’s the Annunciation in Hunstville, I am over joyed to hear of the recent favor granted by the Bishop to the faithful at the Parish. Ad multos annos! I still remember with great fondness, the wonderful holy hours in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on first fridays, back in the 1980’s…we used a truly beautiful booklet, which is worthy to be sought out and used by all Catholics….it was reprinted from the 40’s….It was a great blessing for my vocation.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Br. Bugnolo! And how wonderful to hear of your fond memories of St. Mary’s. Our parish is TRULY a blessing to the many families that attend, and we are all so grateful for Father Mackey and the beautiful Mass which Fr. Faber called “the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven!” Deo Gratias!
Rorate Caeil: A New Traditional Catholic Parish is Created.
Hi there!
I’m looking for a post your wrote on planning a charlotte mason education for multiple children. I saw it on pinterest, but can’t find the page on your site. Could you direct me to the write page? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! Can you help me a little more? Maybe if you link me directly to the pin I could look at the image and figure out which post it’s referring to?
Pretty much all my Charlotte Mason planning posts refer to planning with more than one child…because I have lots of kids. I’ll try to list a couple that I think might fit the bill.
A Considered Booklist
Planning In Pretty Notebooks
Planning Again – A Year Considered
Planning – A Beginning
Or…you might just want to scroll through all the posts here on planning.]
Hope you find the post you’re looking for, Sarah!
Dear Jen, I just want to thank you today because you’re work -in this space- has been one of depth, of light, or of real value to me as I homeschool. Some of the best resources have been discovered through you and your generosity to share your methodology and personal spin on how, when and why to use particular materials, space and especially the insertion of Beauty! It has helped me to recognize the beauty of the EF Mass through your choices as well. I miss your regular magic and creativity here since the death of your dear brother and I pray for him and for your family today especially as the Birth of Light is upon us! Please consider me a friend in Minneapolis.
What an encouraging comment, Sherrylynne! Thank you, my friend in Minneapolis!
My writing here is always…sporadic. And I suppose it always will be. Any time there are toddlers in the house {right now!} my extra time is pretty slim! 🙂 So….if it’s quiet here, it’s just because my life is full and I’m being attentive. And, it probably means that I’m eager to come back and write and share again as soon as I am able!
Please consider me your southern friend in the foothills of Alabama! 🙂
Hi Jennifer – I was googling Mary’s gardens and changed upon your old blog and this “new” one – both are wonderful and joyfilled treasures. Thank you for sharing your gifts. God bless you!
Emy
Hi Jen – I just nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. 😉 Thanks for all the the inspiration! https://pinoyroots.wordpress.com/2015/08/13/versatile-blogger-award/
Hi. I am new to your blog. Happened to find you on Instagram first and then clicked over here. Just wanted to say “hi” and that we are an Alabama family too Blessings!!
I’m so glad you’re here, Jamie – what a small world – another Alabama family!!! I look so forward to seeing your around here; don’t be a stranger! God bless!
Hi. My son just started college and we can’t find the Drawing Textbook by Bruce Mcintyre. He has an assignment due tomorrow night! Is there any chance we could pay you for some pictures of the pages he needs? Thank you. Kristi Stevens