By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , handicrafts , homeschooling
The county fair As a little girl, the Central Florida County Fair was always an exciting time of year. My grandparents lived close by the fairgrounds and every night I could see the lights and hear all the fun. We would go in the evening when everything was lit up. My favorite was the carousel […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Great Outdoors , handicrafts , homeschooling , Simple Living
Prairie Boy Birthday Little House on the Prairie is just as much fun for boys as it is for girls. When my sons decided on a prairie boy birthday party for their joint birthdays I knew I would be in heaven. Our homeschool year had been all about reading the Little House series. In addition, we […]
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By Holly Giles | handicrafts , homeschooling , Nature Study
Nature Jar This simple nature jar craft can lead to many nature study adventures. You never know when excitement over a frog or butterfly will ensue! I am always looking for simple projects to keep us at home and enjoying what is around us. Keeping simple jars around ready to fill with wonder is at the heart of nature […]
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By Holly Giles | handicrafts , seasonal
I found a bag full of old wooden spools in my grandmother’s sewing box. A beautiful array of rich colors. I had an idea of how to bring them to life and re-purpose this necessity of the past. The deep pumpkin orange color caught my eye and I decided to make a necklace for the […]
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By Holly Giles | handicrafts , Simple Living
Mason Jar Outdoor Light Chandelier Sprucing up my back porch is a yearly effort. Florida weather can be rough on anything exposed to the elements. Therefore, each season calls for a fresh look. My free-flowing mason jar outdoor light is now a welcome sight with my morning coffee and the birds. Collecting mason jars is a […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , handicrafts , homeschooling
Life Skills The Giles Frontier had a booth at the Gifts of Grace arts and crafts fair. It was an opportunity for success and teaching life skills to sell our repurposed feed sack totes, lip balm, jewelry, homeschool curriculum, and slingshots. It can be a lot of work setting up a display, spending most of […]
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By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , handicrafts , homeschooling
County fair There is more to the county fair for the family than candied apples, fried Twinkies, and the Ferris wheel! It can be used to educate your children and learn new skills. As a child, I loved going to the fair. My grandparents lived very close to the property where the Central Florida Fair took […]
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By Holly Giles | handicrafts , popular
Make your own feed sack tote Have you seen a feed sack tote? Throwing out these adorable feed sacks was breaking my heart! I saw a feed sack tote and knew I had to learn how. During the depression, My great-grandmother made dresses and field shoes for the grandchildren from burlap and cotton feed sacks. […]
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