Spring in Tennessee always seems to keep us guessing. This year, the weather played a few tricks on me and forced a last-minute change to our monthly nature study plans. I had originally hoped to gather wisteria and locust blossoms for a seasonal treat with our teen nature club, but an unexpected early freeze altered… Continue reading Honeysuckle
Our year of teen book clubs is coming to a close, and this month we celebrated Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Although this classic is often recommended for younger readers (ages 10–12 is an ideal range), we still had never read it! I wanted to make space in our reading schedule this year to finally… Continue reading Black Beauty
Book Club always feels a little magical in December, but this year’s celebration had an extra sparkle. As we planned our winter gathering, we knew it was the perfect time to honor Jane Austen in her 250th birthday year by reading Emma. Long before the school year began, the moms of our book club set… Continue reading Jane Austen Emma
It’s the first day of spring—and a perfect day to get outside and enjoy a day of nature journaling with our Teen Nature Club! We met up for a wildflower hike, right on the spring equinox, and it truly felt like the world was waking up just for us. Along the trail, the redbuds were… Continue reading Redbud
This is now on my list as one of my favorite Victorian novels! Although George Eliot (also known as Mary Ann Evans) wrote the book in 1861, it still holds a timeless truth of how relationships with people and community are more valuable than money 💰 When I began planning our literature for the school… Continue reading Silas Marner
Hello friends! It is March and as is typical for homeschool groups in Middle Tennessee, it is time to commit to our homeschool communities for the incoming school year! I have been planning behind the scenes for a while now, scouting out resources for our high school books and resources, and making sure that Fridays… Continue reading 2026-2027 Teen Club Sign-up
If you’ve followed our book club party journey over the years, you know how much we love an English novel that weaves delicious food into the storyline. The Importance of Being Earnest did not disappoint. From the very first scene, when Algernon fixates on cucumber sandwiches, my teens were completely hooked. This month’s reading felt… Continue reading The Importance of Being Earnest
Our nature journal lesson today was a “two-fer” - both are early spring blooming plants that can be eaten and used medicinally! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUxyihrjl50/?igsh=bXdydXV2Z3BmMXg5 I love using our time together in the teen nature club to focus on specific object lessons - having the actual plant to feel, taste, smell, and observe closely as we draw… Continue reading Henbit and Deadnettle
Our December nature journaling was a little different as we attended a presentation by some local rangers at a nature park about the benefits and reasons for a prescribed burn (or controlled burn.) I keep a "calendar of firsts" as part of my nature journaling and noticed last year, in the early days of December,… Continue reading Prescribed Burns
November is the key month for all nut bearing trees! We have enjoyed learning about hickories and Tennessee tree nuts in the past but never spent time looking closely at what makes the black walnut so special! Part of our nature journaling practice is using our observation skills with actual specimens from the object being… Continue reading Black Walnut
KIND + CULTIVATED 