Showing posts with label friday favorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friday favorites. Show all posts
Happy Friday friends! And happy last Friday of September! Even writing those words seems absolutely impossible. As we have sat outside soaking in the last nights at the cabin and the beauty of the lake, it has really seemed impossible that the summer has been winding down and we welcomed the first day of fall this week. Time truly does fly each day.
This week turned into a bit of an adventure as on Monday as mom was driving the car to some appointments it suddenly died on the highway. We are beyond grateful that she was safe but our car has spent the week at the "car doctor" and we are hoping that we will be able to get it back today...and praying for a very cheap fix.
I hope that these last days and last weekend of September is beautiful time for you friends! I posted the following quote on instagram to welcome fall from one of my favorite authors:
"Go at the Speed of Joy" Isn't that absolutely beautiful? It has hit me deeply.
Summer 2026 has been one of the most tender, healing, and redemptive summers of my entire
life.
A year ago, last week, at the end of Summer 2025 I was in a very different place: in a very unhealthy and toxic work environment where I experienced years of workplace abuse, dealing with a painful personal loss, approaching an event that required grace while being bullied, and constantly crying out to the Lord to work in miraculous ways that I couldn't even begin to fathom could happen. I had no idea that the next 8 months would hold more pain then my heart could imagine as my precious mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer over the holidays, the deaths of three friends, financial stress, and that I would be laid off unexpectedly from my job just days before my mom's radiation treatments would begin.
And then summer 2026 arrived... after all of that trauma and pain it entered in the sweetest most tender way.
This summer has brought us answered prayers, healing for my mom, tears of gratitude, healing stages for many things, laughter that is deep, the blessings of dear friends that have surrounded us and spoken so much life over and into us, and hope and freedom.
If you are in an end of "summer /beginning of fall 2025" situation... I am sending the gentlest of hugs. I hope that this is an encouragement that rescue, relief, recovery, and restoration are in your future.
You are not forgotten...you are seen. These are verses that were lifelines that I clung to- I hope they encourage you today.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
// Isaiah 32:18 //
You are the God who sees me...Have I not even here (in the wilderness) been seen with understanding and compassion?
// Genesis 16:13 //
When the Lord restored the fortunes, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
// Psalm 126 //
As I mentioned though above, if you have entered fall with a hurting heart, you may find a very personal post that I shared last year on simple reflections on fall if you are hurting tenderly encouraging. You can read it HERE.
I shared on instagram on Wednesday the following stories...
SO delighted and excited to share with y'all...
Here are a few additional posts from the last couple of weeks that you may find interesting. Make a cup of tea or grab a cup of coffee as you read.
Personal Reflections...
1% Projects (5th Generation Cabins)...
Travel Posts...
Teachers Pay Teachers...
Health Thoughts and Tips...
May your weekend be filled with blessings beyond what you can imagine. Thank you for coming here and connecting each day! Happy Friday friends!
This is a girl excited to say hello to the upcoming fall months, but also wanting to hold onto warm days for as long as possible to stay longer at the cabing... *smiles*
Happy Friday friends! I hope that you have had a lovely week! This week has been extremely busy with my college classes, working on the blog, Caravan Sonnet Classroom, and also some speaking opportunities.
At the same time... this week has been extremely beautiful. I shared the above on my stories on instagram on Wednesday and just had to share here. It was a tender week with the most beautiful closing of a chapter -in ways that I never could have imagined.
In general and overall Summer 2026 has been one of the most tender, healing, and redemptive summers of my entire life.
A year ago, this week, at the end of Summer 2025 I was in a very different place: in a very unhealthy and toxic work environment where I experienced years of workplace abuse, dealing with a painful personal loss, attending an event that required grace while being bullied, and constantly crying out to the Lord to work in miraculous ways that I couldn't even begin to fathom could happen.
I had no idea that the next 8 months would hold more pain then my heart could imagine as my precious mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer over the holidays, the deaths of three friends, financial stress, and that I would be laid off unexpectedly from my job just days before my mom's radiation treatments would begin.
And then summer 2026 arrived... after all of that trauma and pain it entered in the sweetest most tender way.
This summer has brought us answered prayers, healing for my mom, tears of gratitude, healing stages for many things, laughter that is deep, the blessings of dear friends that have surrounded us and spoken so much life over and into us, and hope and freedom.
If you are in an end of "summer 2025" situation... I am sending the gentlest of hugs. I hope that reading this is an encouragement that rescue, relief, recovery, and restoration are in your future. You are not forgotten...you are seen.
These are verses that were lifelines that I clung to- I hope they encourage you today.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
// Isaiah 32:18 //
You are the God who sees me...Have I not even here (in the wilderness) been seen with understanding and compassion?
// Genesis 16:13 //
When the Lord restored the fortunes, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
// Psalm 126 //
I look forward to sharing more but these are just some small thoughts on this Friday morning. *smiles*
Here are some of my favorite things from this past week! First of all....
I am OVERWHELMED by the response of this reel that I posted earlier this week on Instagram. I am so thankful that the beauty in the reel touched so many people's lives. You can watch, like, comment, and share the reel HERE!
2. Update on Mom
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for mom. She has been doing really well and has been gaining back her energy each day and week here at the cabin. We have some upcoming appointments that are very important and some decisions to make so we continue to ask for prayers for the best next steps forward.
.jpeg "caravan sonnet the one percent projects")
I am so excited that y'all are very excited about the 1% projects that I started sharing about on Instagram. There is so much to share about these projects- but you can watch and see the latest one (Day 5 with part 1 of the 1901 kitchen cabin) by clicking HERE!
I am also SO grateful for ALL of your support of this shop. Y'all... THANK YOU. This is something that I work so hard on behind the scenes and your support, reviews, and encouragement are HUGE.
This month I hit some major milestones and I literally wept out of gratitude!! Thank you so much for all of your support of the shop! If you would like to check out the shop you can find it HERE!
Can I ask 3 HUGE favors?
(1)- If you are not already following the shoppe could you please do so? Even if you are not a teacher or don't plan to purchase things the number of followers does influence potential buyers and this would show incredible support! Simply click HERE!
(2)- If you have purchased something would you please take a moment and leave a review? It doesn't have to be long, but reviews are SO helpful to TPT owners like myself! Simply click HERE!
(3) Can you pass on the shop to those that teach High School History, Personal Finance, Law, Business, and Government so that they can find these resources? Your help in sharing about the shop is a gift that is beyond words. Thank you!
.jpg "Top 10 Must Pack Items for a New England and Canadian Cruise")
With Caravan Sonnet turning 13 years old this year I love sharing on Fridays some of the older but most popular posts on the blog! One of the things that Caravan Sonnet developed into in the early years was a a resource for those looking for cozy luxury travel around the United States and World.
I am so delighted to start sharing about some upcoming adventures for the Fall and Holidays and look forward to sharing all of the details!!!
In the meantime, you can check out all of the travel and cruising adventures HERE!
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!!
This is a girl excited to say hello to the upcoming fall months, but also wanting to hold to summer for as long as possible... *smiles*
Happy Friday friends! I hope that you have had a lovely week! This week has been extremely busy starting my college classes and working on the blog and Caravan Sonnet Classroom. At the same time this has been an incredibly restful week. I have been purposing more and more to guard my time very carefully in the sense that I am not just "busy" doing "all of the things". It can be so easy to fall into that with all of the different seasons that we are each going through to be busier and busier. One of the things this summer that I was determined to do was learn to "rest well". I have been incorporating small moments throughout each day leaning into rest, and leaning into how this truly not only creates more peace, but has allowed me to be creative, more wise with my decisions (since I am not rushing around everywhere) and more fully present for those in front of me.
I look forward to sharing more but these are just some small thoughts on this Friday morning. *smiles*
Here are some of my favorite things from this past week! First of all....
.jpeg "the next four months - fall and the holidays")
I am OVERWHELMED by the response of this reel that I posted earlier this week on Instagram. I am so thankful that the beauty in the reel touched so many people's lives. You can watch, like, comment, and share the reel HERE!
2. Update on Mom
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for mom. She has been doing really well and has been gaining back her energy each day and week here at the cabin. We have some upcoming appointments that are very important and some decisions to make so we continue to ask for prayers for the best next steps forward.
I am so excited that y'all are very excited about the 1% projects that I started sharing about on Instagram. There is so much to share about these projects- but you can watch and learn more on Instagram by clicking HERE!
I am also SO grateful for ALL of your support of this shop. Y'all... THANK YOU. This is something that I work so hard on behind the scenes and your support, reviews, and encouragement are HUGE. This month I have hit some major milestones and I literally cried yesterday out of gratitude!! Thank you so much for all of your support of the shop! If you would like to check out the shop you can find it HERE!
Can I ask 3 HUGE favors?
(1)- If you are not already following the shoppe could you please do so? Even if you are not a teacher or don't plan to purchase things the number of followers does influence potential buyers and this would show incredible support! Simply click HERE!
(2)- If you have purchased something would you please take a moment and leave a review? It doesn't have to be long, but reviews are SO helpful to TPT owners like myself! Simply click HERE!
(3) Can you pass on the shop to those that teach High School History, Personal Finance, Law, Business, and Government so that they can find these resources? Your help in sharing about the shop is a gift that is beyond words. Thank you!
With Caravan Sonnet turning 13 years old this year I love sharing on Fridays some of the older but most popular posts on the blog! One of the things that Caravan Sonnet developed into in the early years was a a resource for those looking for cozy luxury travel around the United States and World.
I am so delighted to start sharing about some upcoming adventures for the Fall and Holidays and look forward to sharing all of the details!!!
In the meantime, you can check out all of the travel and cruising adventures HERE!
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!!
.jpeg)
.jpeg "caravan sonnet- rebecca vandemark")
This is a girl excited to say hello to leaving for our River Cruise TOMORROW!!!... *smiles*
Happy Friday friends! I hope that you have had a lovely week! Y'all- I am so excited! If you missed the posts from this week I hope that these will be exciting for you also- and please follow along on this journey!
and
Here are also some of my favorite things from this past week! First of all....
Caravan Sonnet Classroom has been so amazing as I am listing TONS of new resources for the beginning of the school year this week and in the days to come!! Here is just one of the newest resources that are available in the shop:
This is for NEW and VETERAN teachers alike and is EVERYTHING you would need for the first week of Personal Finance! Start your personal finance course with purpose—to make this an uncommon year that is AMAZING!
SAVE YOURSELF TIME in this busy back-to-school time and still set your Personal Finance course up for success with this growing First Week Personal Finance Curriculum Bundle designed for high school, dual enrollment, CTE, homeschool, and introductory college Personal Finance courses. Whether you're teaching Personal Finance for the very first time or looking to refresh your existing curriculum, this bundle provides engaging, ready-to-use lessons, activities, classroom decor, and teacher resources to help you confidently launch your course.
This is more than a collection of worksheets—it is a comprehensive, growing curriculum designed to help students build strong financial literacy skills while saving teachers valuable planning time.
This Bundle Currently Includes 12 Resources:
⭐ Classroom Activities Including:
⭐ Bell Ringer Resources
⭐ Digital Classroom Resources
⭐⭐ALSO INCLUDES A BONUS FILE: EXIT TICKET FOR DAY 1!⭐⭐
AND MORE!! You can purchase this AMAZING resource and so many others today by clicking HERE!
I am also SO grateful for ALL of your support of this shop. Y'all... THANK YOU. This is something that I work so hard on behind the scenes and your support, reviews, and encouragement are HUGE. Thank you so much for all of your support of the shop! If you would like to check out the shop you can find it HERE!
Can I ask 2 HUGE favors?
(1)- If you are not already following the shoppe could you please do so? Even if you are not a teacher or don't plan to purchase things the number of followers does influence potential buyers and this would show incredible support! Simply click HERE!
(2)- If you have purchased something would you please take a moment and leave a review? It doesn't have to be long, but reviews are SO helpful to TPT owners like myself! Simply click HERE!
THANK YOU!
.jpg "heating pad")
When I was a teenager I tried to attempt a "stunt" (like I was a cheerleader- which in my defense I was so it made sense haha- please don't ask *smiles*) while I was water skiing. Suffice it to say the "stunt" went horribly wrong and I took a bad fall that hurt my back. About 7 years ago I was skiing (winter this time) and I took a very bad fall and between the two things- I can unfortunately end up in extreme pain if my back goes out... so one of the things that I have always been grateful for, has been the suggestion of THIS heating pad by one of my doctors about 12 years ago. I can't say enough good things about it and can't recommend it enough! If you have been around the blog the last decade then I also have to say that this was a huge help while I was extremely sick fighting Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease and Cancer (and other things). The heating pads of this brand come in a variety of sizes (I use the medium size while my mom loves the small size).
For after my mom's knee surgery we also purchased the knee version and this was a huge help also. (You can find that HERE). There are tons of options of sizes, but if you are looking for a new heating pad definitely try these out. It definitely is an investment, but worth every single penny. Each one we have owned has lasted for about 5 years - so they last a LONG time! I just checked and on Amazon they are having a MAJOR sale today so definitely check that out!
With Caravan Sonnet turning 13 years old this year and us leaving for our river cruise tomorrow I love sharing on Fridays some of the older but most popular posts on the blog! One of the things that Caravan Sonnet developed into in the early years was a a resource for those looking for cozy luxury travel around the United States and World.
In the meantime, you can check out all of the travel and cruising adventures HERE!
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!! Please follow along, like, comment, and connect in the coming week on our trip over on Instagram!
First- if we are connected on Instagram thank you for the likes, comments, and shares of the reel that shows some of the very vulnerable part of training for my first marathon . You can watch it HERE! If you have not seen the reels from this week, you can find them HERE.
Thank you for all of your support, love, likes, and comments and just viewing and watching my reels and posts. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but it truly is - so thank you!
Second, here are some of the favorite posts from the last week:
Monday TPT/ Teachers Pay Teachers / Education Posts
Thank you so much for all of the sweet messages about the Caravan Sonnet Classroom Instagram Community! You can find us on IG HERE! This community is all about my life as a my life as a professor, the colorful, creative, and educational high school and college curriculum that I create, training for my first marathon at 46 years old and my Teachers Pay Teachers journey. I look forward to connecting more there!
Tuesday Travel Posts
Prime Day sales were out this week and I am sure you saw tons of them. This year- I just recommended one. THIS bag set is one that you will want to go and get (whether it is prime day or not!)
Personal Updates
Seven weeks ago, I started training for my first walking marathon. I thought I was preparing for the Honolulu marathon. What I didn’t realize was that I was also preparing for one of the most unexpected seasons of my life. After an already difficult year, I wasn’t expecting another huge chapter of uncertainty.
Two days after I began training, I was unexpectedly and without warning laid off from my job. You can read more HERE.
Two days after I began training, I was unexpectedly and without warning laid off from my job. You can read more HERE.
Thursday Health Thought Post
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!! I will see you here tomorrow!
.jpg)
.jpg "friday favorites- june 19th")
Happy Friday friends!! I hope that you have had a lovely week! I am so grateful to spend time with each of you in this sweet space each day. I love catching up together for these "friday favorites" posts! I hope that you enjoy these items!
First- if we are connected on Instagram thank you for the likes, comments, and shares of the reel that shows the heart behind our "upgrade" to our tiny kitchen corner in our 1901 cabin. You can watch it HERE!
Second- and I think the most important reel that I have ever shared- thank you thank you thank you for the love and support as mom FINISHED radiation!! If you have not seen the reels from this week, you can find them HERE.
Thank you for all of your support, love, likes, and comments and just viewing and watching my reels and posts. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but it truly is - so thank you!
Second, here are some of the favorite posts from the last week:
Monday TPT/ Teachers Pay Teachers / Education Posts
I am so excited to be attending my first TPT forward and can't wait to bring y'all along for the journey!
Tuesday Travel Posts
Personal Updates
Thursday Health Thought Post
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday and weekend friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!! I will see you here tomorrow!
.jpeg)
This is a girl excited to say hello to May... *smiles*
Happy Friday friends! I hope that you have had a lovely week! This week has truly left me a bit speechless... I know that sometimes on the internet it can be a bit frustrating when a blogger says something like this because then you are like well why say something like that if you aren't going to share. I can't speak for others, but because I live so much life with y'all I know that this community is faithful in support and prayers. So right now, I do ask for prayers. Something happened yesterday that has definitely thrown me. Please know that it is nothing to do with my mom's health or mine, and thank you so much for your prayers. This verse has brought specific comfort to my heart in the last 24 hours:
Here are some of my favorite things from this past week! First of all....
I am OVERWHELMED by the response of providing this FREE guide and telling my story and journey with medical debt and finances. This is truly a passion of mine to discuss finances, so telling my story was definitely a raw and vulnerable start to sharing more about this. If you would like the Free Guide please click HERE!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for mom. You can find the updated news HERE. We continue to ask for prayers for the best next steps and treatment.
I shared a bit more HERE in a blog post, but earlier this month the TPT store changed its name!
When I started the shop back in 2021, I was quietly building resources late at night and early in the morning, uploading them between life responsibilities, and dreaming of what this could become. And slowly, faithfully, it has been becoming something much bigger than I could have imagined as I chase my dreams.
Sales reaching 26 states, Canada, Australia, the Philippines.
Five star resources.
A community of teachers I am so deeply grateful for.
But as I have been thinking about the future — really dreaming about where this is going — I kept coming back to one thing: I am not just building a shop. I am building a classroom. A place where teachers find resources that bring financial literacy, history, government, economics, and law alive for their students. A place where other educators who are building their own TPT journeys can find honesty, encouragement, and community. A place that can grow beyond any single platform — because what we are building together is bigger than that.
I am also SO grateful for ALL of your support of this shop. Y'all... THANK YOU. This is something that I work so hard on behind the scenes and your support, reviews, and encouragement are HUGE. Thank you so much for all of your support of the shop! If you would like to check out the shop you can find it HERE!
Can I ask 2 HUGE favors?
(1)- If you are not already following the shoppe could you please do so? Even if you are not a teacher or don't plan to purchase things the number of followers does influence potential buyers and this would show incredible support! Simply click HERE!
(2)- If you have purchased something would you please take a moment and leave a review? It doesn't have to be long, but reviews are SO helpful to TPT owners like myself! Simply click HERE!
THANK YOU!
I shared more about the upcoming Lake Placid Half-Marathon that I am officially signed up for! You can read the post HERE! As y'all know back at the end of the summer, I had signed up for and planned a trip to Hawaii for this month - and part of that stay was going to be doing a half-marathon. It felt like a stretch goal, something both adventurous and symbolic. But life, as it so often does, shifted. With my mom’s diagnosis, everything changed. Priorities realigned. Travel paused. And the idea of that race quietly slipped away.
But the dream didn’t. I am officially registered for the Lake Placid Marathon and Half Marathon this June! Read more about this HERE and send along ANY and ALL tips please in the comments below!!
When I was a teenager I tried to attempt a "stunt" (like I was a cheerleader- which in my defense I was so it made sense haha- please don't ask *smiles*) while I was water skiing. Suffice it to say the "stunt" went horribly wrong and I took a bad fall that hurt my back. About 7 years ago I was skiing (winter this time) and I took a very bad fall and between the two things- I can unfortunately end up in extreme pain if my back goes out... so one of the things that I have always been grateful for, has been the suggestion of THIS heating pad by one of my doctors about 12 years ago. I can't say enough good things about it and can't recommend it enough! If you have been around the blog the last decade then I also have to say that this was a huge help while I was extremely sick fighting Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease and Cancer (and other things). The heating pads of this brand come in a variety of sizes (I use the medium size while my mom loves the small size).
For after my mom's knee surgery we also purchased the knee version and this was a huge help also. (You can find that HERE). There are tons of options of sizes, but if you are looking for a new heating pad definitely try these out. It definitely is an investment, but worth every single penny. Each one we have owned has lasted for about 5 years - so they last a LONG time! I just checked and on Amazon they are having a MAJOR sale today so definitely check that out!
With Caravan Sonnet turning 13 years old this year I love sharing on Fridays some of the older but most popular posts on the blog! One of the things that Caravan Sonnet developed into in the early years was a a resource for those looking for cozy luxury travel around the United States and World.
I am so delighted to start sharing about an upcoming adventure that we are going to have in the second half of the summer and look forward to sharing all of the details!!!
In the meantime, you can check out all of the travel and cruising adventures HERE!
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!!
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