Ellie Aubrey - The Well-Caffeinated Mom

Books & Book Reviews

Book Review: Black Orchid by Abigail Owen (Book IV of the Svatura Series) and Giveaway

by Ronda BowenLeave a Comment

It’s my pleasure to review book IV of the Svatura Series, Black Orchid, by Abigail Owen here on Wining Wife as part of the Black Orchid Blog Tour. For those who haven’t read the series, here’s a quick recap of the first three books (don’t worry, I won’t give away any spoilers!). These books are in …

wellcaffeinatedmom

Mom of 5, homeschooling family, coffee fanatic, Girl Scouts troop leader, blogger, author, editor

My birthday was not yesterday but the week before.

My birthday was not yesterday but the week before. I got to go to lunch with one of my good friends, then my husband and kids took me to @halfpricebooks to pick out books and @loweshomeimprovement to pick out some plants. And then we headed off to dinner.

This is one of the things I picked up from the bookstore. It looks pretty cool, lots of concrete actions to take for those who want to change things. Some of them are simple, some of them take more effort.

Just thought I'd share.

Saw this super - cute bee on our walkway today, so

Saw this super - cute bee on our walkway today, so I had to try out the new phone's Camera Zoom feature. Turned out pretty cool.

#samsung24ultra #bee

Today's guest post comes from Joaquin Miranda of B

Today's guest post comes from Joaquin Miranda of Build & Renovate. As global awareness of sustainability and carbon footprint grows, it's crucial to build your home's surroundings to be resilient and low on energy consumption. Adopting energy-efficient landscaping practices is one legitimate way to do that. The residential sector accounts for approximately 20% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from fossil fuels used to heat, cool, and power such built environments. ...

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/07/19/implementing-energy-efficient-landscaping-design-in-2024/

I mentioned in my previous post about starting to

I mentioned in my previous post about starting to clean when you're not sure where to begin that making the bed daily is super important to me. I wanted to talk a bit more about how making the bed helps me and why I feel it's an important part of my daily routine. It's a Reminder That There's No "Done" in Cleaning…...

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/07/09/why-i-think-making-the-bed-is-so-important/

Self Help, Spiritual Inspiration Date Published: 0

Self Help, Spiritual Inspiration Date Published: 06-12-2024 Truths beautifully expressed Toby Negus, author and illustrator of The heart knows what the mind cannot see, has created a collection of lyrical inspirational prose messages coupled with colorful and mesmerizing symbolic illustrations that speak to the soul. The author has continued his exploration of the most transformational psychospiritual concepts that lie deeply within all humans, bringing the…...

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/07/08/book-blitz-heart-soul-by-toby-negus/

When you're bored, it's easy to check out. We watc

When you're bored, it's easy to check out. We watch movies or listen to podcasts while cleaning. We mindlessly scroll through social media while waiting for more exciting things to happen. But if we're not careful, we can scroll long enough that life starts passing us by. Even worse, we start to become bored with our normal lives and long for the lives we see depicted by those we follow on social media....

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/07/07/lifes-more-fun-when-youre-fully-present-for-it/

I hate to admit it, but after the events of last y

I hate to admit it, but after the events of last year, my home became a bit of a depression nest. We've finally come out of it, but knowing where to start when everything needs to be cleaned can be overwhelming. Here's the trick I used to fool my brain into thinking we were playing a game. Before I get into my trick, I want to share some things that have helped reclaim our house from the clutches of messiness....

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2022/01/05/dont-know-how-to-get-started-cleaning-try-this-trick/

At the end of 2021, when I changed the name of thi

At the end of 2021, when I changed the name of this blog from Wining Wife® to Well-Caffeinated Mom, I also put some other projects into retirement. I changed the name of this blog to reflect changing priorities (I still enjoy wine and spirits from time to time, but there are other things I want to write about) with the idea that I could swallow the other two blogs into this one....

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/07/04/bringing-back-two-of-my-blogs-just-a-secular-homeschooler-and-activism-my-way/

I don't know about you, but I've had friends and s

I don't know about you, but I've had friends and strangers recently both make comments that have led to me feeling bad at first then getting angry second.

When friends and loved ones (let alone strangers) share their big scary hair audacious plans with you, are you someone who cheers them on, or do you start up with all the ways things might go wrong -- or worse tell them outright that it's not possible?

Here's a post about why we should keep our fears about what others are doing to ourselves.

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/07/03/stop-asking-people-to-tamp-themselves-down-for-your-comfort/

#supportotherwomen #stoptearingeachotherdown #buildupothers

Laughing is Forever by Jason Stocks – Poetry Am

Do you like tea? You might want to give the teas f

Do you like tea? You might want to give the teas from The Art of Tea @artofteala a try. Today, I will review their products on the blog.

#artoftea #teatime #teasforpoetryteatime #poetryteatime

When your partner takes you to a plant nursery to

When your partner takes you to a plant nursery to pick a plant out for your 12th anniversary and buys you two because you were having a hard time deciding, they are a keeper for sure.

#plantsofinstagram #variegatedplants

That moment when your husband takes you to a green

That moment when your husband takes you to a greenhouse for Mother's Day and tells you to pick what you want.

#plantsofinstagram #iloveplants #caletheastella #croton #ravenzz

You might be a homeschooling family if hearing an

You might be a homeschooling family if hearing an owl hoot leads to disecting owl pellets and a deep dive into owls.

#homeschooling #homeschoolscience

Taking it old school #theoregontrail

Taking it old school
#theoregontrail

It's science kit day!

It's science kit day!

Haunted Historical Mystery Series, Book 3 Paranorm

Haunted Historical Mystery Series, Book 3 Paranormal Thriller Date Published: February 25, 2024 A blizzard rips through the Black Hills of South Dakota, as journalist Rachael embarks on a journey to Hawthorne House, a remote inn located deep in the frigid wilderness. As the storm rages on, Rachael finds herself caught in a gripping tale of mystery and intrigue, unsure of what lies ahead…...

https://www.wellcaffeinatedmom.com/2024/04/04/book-blitz-the-caretaker-by-regina-wixon/

The Gnome and the Science Experiment by Marilyn Sl

The Gnome and the Science Experiment by Marilyn Slaughter – Children’s Book

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TZM0IU (Amazon associates link - if you click and make a purchase, I will receive a percentage of that sale, at no additional cost to you)

@RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #GobtheGnome #MarilynSlaughter #ChildrensBook

This short story is about Nathan's adventures during a 5th grade science field trip to the Sunbrook Forest National Park. Nathan is familiar with the park because he and his sister Iris has visited the park before with the encouragement of their mom. Nathan overcomes some anxieties of not liking the subject science, having to buddy with the 5th grade bully, and worrying about other 5th graders, teachers and volunteers might see Gob the gnome and cause problems for Gob and the park. By the end of the science fieldtrip Nathan has built a level of confidence that he could make the best science presentation in his classroom and together with the 5th grade bully develop a monthly 'Clean the Park' project where he and his classmates join to clean up the forest. a mother wanting her children to enjoy the outdoors. Nathan meets an interesting park ranger who later become very instrumental in his interest in science, the environment and his future career plan after high school.

Playing around with my phone's camera. #52frames_m

Playing around with my phone's camera. #52frames_minimalism

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