1. Blueberry Crisp
This is my favorite Blueberry Crisp recipe. And yes, I made a personal-sized pan of it this week and ate the whole thing almost all myself.
I not only ate it for snack, I also ate it for breakfast. It has oats and blueberries, so it’s basically oatmeal, right?? 😉
If you’re interested, you can watch this video I did here where I make it live and swoon over how much I love it.
2. Nail Art by Kaitlynn
Kaitlynn (my 9-year-old) has been obsessed with nail art videos on YouTube and she’s been trying out different designs on anyone willing to be a guinea pig.
She did this design for me today. She also encouraged me to “work on growing my nails out longer” so she could try more designs on me. I’m working on that whole nail-biting thing, so here’s more motivation to continue to break that habit!
3. My Little “Business Man”
He got his first real suit for Presentation Days at school this year… and he rocked it. 🙂 Once he was all dressed up, he came into the room and said, “Mom, let’s talk business!”
I just about busted up. This kid. There are no words for him. He has so much life and spunk and you just never know what’s going to come out of his mouth next.
I’m so glad that he’s not so grown up that he’s grown out of snuggling with Mom, though. Just about every morning and every night, he asks if we can snuggle together — and I’m more than happy to oblige!
4. These Three Kids
I’m SO proud of these kids and the maturity they’ve shown the last two weeks in stepping out of their comfort zones and experiencing a lot of firsts and new things.
I know I’m biased and all that, but I really am so impressed with them and how they’ve faced their fears, adjusted to a brand-new schedule, and had (for the most part) great attitudes and resilient spirits, in spite of their inhibitions.
I’m seeing so many new character traits blossoming, so many new sides of them come out, and we’re having so many wonderful conversations together. I think we’re all growing together as a family and I’m humbled and grateful.
God is so good to lead us and I’m grateful to see His hand in this new chapter of our lives. (And thank you to the many of you who are praying for us! You have no idea how much it means!)
5. Kaitlynn’s Skating Competition
Today was Kaitlynn’s second time to perform this Showcase Program in competition. I love to see how her confidence as a skater continues to grow (watch a video clip of her performance here).
This was her first competition where there were no tears, she didn’t get stressed about the experience, and she was able to go out and just have fun competing/performing!
That is a huge accomplishment for her — especially since this was her first competition to compete at the No Test level (she just moved up from High Beginner). I’m so proud of this girl and can’t wait to see how God uses her gifts and talents in the future!
What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments!
Amy says
HI! I was wondering if I missed your post on sending your kiddos to school. We are homeschooling and you were one of the bloggers that opened my eyes to it and it has been a great fit for our family. I know it isn’t for everyone, but I was wondering if you posted on that decision. I’m sure you know your readers support you where ever God has led you! And I enjoy reading about your faithfullness and His in your life! 🙂
Meg says
Hi Amy! After much thought and prayer, Crystal and her husband felt God leading them to make a change with their kids’ schooling. You can read more about it at the following links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJK77OzD8CT/
https://moneysavingmom.com/2016/08/5-things-im-loving-week-school-book-im-reading-recipe-loved-plus.html
-Meg, MSM Team
Tyla says
Beautiful skating Kaitlynn!
Melissa says
For the Blueberry Crisp recipe have you ever tried it with frozen berries? I tend to always have them for smoothies in the freezer.
Crystal Paine says
Yes! I have and it works well. It will usually be a little runnier, but still super yummy!
Tori says
I have to ask where are the girls dresses from???
I love the stripes and the blue together!
Crystal Paine says
Kathrynne’s is from Kohl’s. Kaitlynn’s is from Amazon.
Aimee says
Isn’t it wonderful to see your children blossom as you follow God and his unique plan for your family? My husband and I were homeschooled and I never imagined we would send our son to public school. But we felt it was the right choice for our family and choose to walk in faith. It has been incredible to watch our son thrive!
Crystal Paine says
Yes! Walking by faith is hard but oh so rewarding!
Davonne @ The Tidy Mom says
You have 5 fabulous things this week! Here are mine:
1) I feel like I’m starting to actually get back into the habit of writing regularly, even if it’s only for a few minutes once or twice a day.
2) FINALLY figuring out a sustainable chore system for my kiddos.
3) Lots of family time this weekend because of said chore system freeing up so much of my time 🙂
4) My Homeschool Mom Bible.
5) My husband’s tenderness towards me and our children <3
Crystal Paine says
Oh! A sustainable chore system! That sounds like an *amazing* thing to love! 🙂
Rosanna says
I have also made something similar to your blueberry crisp, except it’s called Baked Oatmeal. The sugar content isn’t crazy high, so it’s great for breakfasts.
I love the suit that Silas has. I have a 6-year-old boy. Your picture makes me think I should get him a suit as well. He would look so adorable in it.
5 Things I’m Loving This Week:
1) That we have one more week until we start our homeschool year. (we live in Canada and we start our school year later here. That also means we finish later in the spring)
2) A cuddly son, who doesn’t think he’s too old for cuddles.
3) Painting our old night tables. Excited to see the finished product back in our room.
4) Trying out your grocery shopping system of shopping the sales. I did my first one on Saturday. My hubby has only been telling me for years that I should try this.
5) The opportunity to be a part of the Worship Team for a Multi-church Service in the Park this morning.
Crystal Paine says
We LOVE Baked Oatmeal… though we don’t usually make ours with blueberries.
Mary Ginty says
That blueberry crisp DOES look AMAAAAAZING!!! WIll DEFINITLY HAVE TO TRY IT!!!
Crystal Paine says
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Sunshine S. says
I’m currently grain-free, so I made this blueberry crisp with unsweetened shredded coconut in place of the oats. It was divine!! I’m so thrilled to have an alternative to my usual eggs for breakfast! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Crystal Paine says
Oh! I love the coconut idea!
Savannah says
I thought I spotted Shauna’s blueberry crisp! So yummy! Love her books!!
Crystal Paine says
I loved Bread & Wine and can’t wait to read Present Over Perfect!
Lea Stormhammer says
I’m a wee bit jealous of that blueberry crisp – I may just have to make myself one with the raspberries I have in the freezer. So glad you were able to pamper yourself a bit. And, yes, that totally counts as breakfast! 🙂
I have one things I’m SUPER grateful for: My husband just got his First Call as a Pastor!
We are so humbled and excited (and more than just a little scared!) by this and we can’t wait to see what’s in store! The next few weeks will be super busy and we’re looking forward to it. It’s been a really long road to get here and we can’t be more grateful.
Have a great week everyone,
Lea
Crystal Paine says
That’s SO exciting about your husband!!!
Victoria says
Love the nail art! My daughter watches those tutorials too. She has a different design on her nails each week practically.
5 Things I am Loving This Week
1. eBay listing: Spent yesterday afternoon listing homeschooling books and already 24 hours after I started listing I have sold $220 worth of books.
2. Road trip to see a friend early last week.
3. First soccer game of the season this week.
4. Peanut butter and chocolate –seriously the best food combo ever.
5. New rental has a new renter moving in end of the week!
Crystal Paine says
Woohoo for selling $220 worth of books!!!!
Jamie @ Medium Sized Family says
I’m so glad that the kids are adjusting well to the new schedule! It can be tough to walk into new experiences, but your family knows how to handle challenges. That’s a great life lesson!
My 5 things for this week are watching baseball in the rain (beats 92 degree heat, right??). My second born wants to join band, which was a surprise that made this former music teacher happy! A fun zoo trip with my 2 year old. A barn full of hay (less worry for feeding our goats this winter). Lots of outside time with the kids, soaking up the last rays of summer sun (my favorite season!).
Crystal Paine says
Baseball in the rain sounds adventuresome!!