The companies are chosen based on your votes! If you’ve found Shining Dawn Books to be worthy in any of the many categories, we would certainly appreciate your vote.

Click on the graphic or any of the links to vote for your favorite homeschooling businesses.

Thanks to everyone who voted for either Our Journey Westward or Shining Dawn Books during the Homeschool Blog Awards at The Homeschool Post.  The winners haven’t been announced yet, but winning doesn’t matter.  It was SO NICE to know that both blogs were nominated!

How exciting to learn that Our Journey Westward and Shining Dawn Books have been nominated!  Thank you to those of you who made the nominations!!  Consider yourself cyber-hugged!

Click on the graphic above to see all the categories and nominees.  If you’d like to vote for my blogs, you can go directly to their category pages using the links below.

Our Journey Westward has been nominated as

• Best Eclectic Blog
• Best Cyber-Buddy Blogger

Shining Dawn Books has been nominated as

• Best Curriculum or Business Blog

Oh, and The Curriculum Choice has been nominated for

• Best Family or Group Blog
• Best Curriculum or Business Blog (I won’t whine that we’re up against each other in this category!!  LOL)

Good luck to everyone!  I’m busy casting my votes this afternoon!  You have until November 20th to vote.

Last month, the topic was best “Lapbooking” blogs (and I found some new treasures!)

This month is best “History” blogs.  You have a chance to nominate your favorite bloggers who supply you with great history ideas.  I can’t wait to find some new treasures in this category since history is so near and dear to our homeschool.

Just in case you didn’t already know about this fun idea, I thought I’d let you know!

(The award was created by The Babblings of Mere and you can find the rules and such for the award here.)

And Michele of My Blessings From Above passed on the I Love Your Blog Award.  Well, who doesn’t like hearing that??  I think she already knows that I love her blog just as much!

Thanks so much both of you sweet gals!  For both awards, I’m supposed to pass them on to others.  I may find the time to do that very soon, but for the time being, I’m – um – swamped (again!)  Imagine, me being overloaded!  Farm life, a toddler, homeschooling, a toddler, a couple of speaking engagements, a toddler, church responsibilities and…. a toddler are keeping me busy.  Farming is slowing down (thank you, Lord!), so hubby will hopefully be around more to help out with things like….the toddler!  :o)

Melissa has given me the Arte y Pico Award!  The award is dedicated to those who “nourish and enrich the spirit of creativity.”  Melissa honored me as a “teaching artist”.  )  Thank you , Melissa!!  If you’ve never visited her blog, you simply must.  She is a very creative and gifted homeschooler who will inspire you often!

I’m supposed to pass the award on to five others who I find creative and inspiring.   I read so many blogs that inspire me often!  Here are just a few of those….

Barb at Harmony Art Mom – I learn wonderful things and get new ideas from her **constantly**.  Seriously, I have no idea where so many great ideas come from!

Candace at His Mercy is New - Her house and school projects have spurred me into action on many occasions lately!

Dawn at My4Sweetums – She’s a master at hands-on learning with her children.  I’ve followed her lead often!

Jimmie at One Child Policy Homeschool – Her creativity amazes me!  From teaching her daughter to developing wonderful tutorials, this gal’s super-dee-duper.

Nora at Living By Faith in Kentucky – This real-life friend of mine is one of the most creative organizers I’ve ever met.  She hasn’t shared much of her organizing wisdom (yet, I hope) on her blog, but she’s a whiz at it!

I was only allowed five.  So many more of you are awesome and creative and inspiring!

Natural Paths has so sweetly passed this award on to me!  Isn’t it pretty?  And what a nice words!  I have such a hard time passing awards on because I never want to offend anyone.  SO MANY blogs make my day!  Here are just a sampling of the great blogs I read that I’d like to pass this award on to.

Bright Star Christian Homeschool

By Faith in Kentucky

By Sun and Candlelight

The Heart of Harmony

The King’s Creation

One Child Policy Homeschool

Our Homeschool and Other Such Happenings

Under His Construction

By the way, I finally got around to passing on the E is for Excellent Award.  Scroll down to see.

Thank you NaturalPaths and Lynn and Nancy for passing this award on to me!  I’m in a bit of a hurry right now, so I’ll have to pass it on a little later.

Later is finally here. 

The Educational Life

Our Homeschool Expedition

My Blessings From Above

The Mind of Stacy

In the Potter’s Hand

Also, I was tagged by SchoolinRhome and Christin for the book tag.  I’m supposed to pick up the nearest book and open it to page 123.  Ha!!  I’m sitting in a huge pile of books and NONE of them have 123 pages!  What’s that say about me?  I LOVE children’s books!!

1.  I don’t like to wear shoes.  I’d rather be barefoot – even in winter!

2.  Even though I’d rather be barefoot, I don’t like feet!  Baby feet, yes.  Anyone older than, say, two or three, yuck!

3.  I can’t stand to be too hot or cold.  Unfortunately, I get really cranky if things get too hot or cold.

4.  Speaking of cranky, I get cranky when I’m hungry, too.  Yes, my poor husband.  He sweetly calls me “sensitive”.  I know deep down he’s thinking,  “This girls is nuts!”

5.  I can’t stand to touch dry things.  The unfinished bottoms of pottery or chalk are examples.  I also don’t like dry things in my mouth – dry chicken or lima beans, for instance.

6.  I think I must be OCD sometimes.  I find myself counting the yellow stripes in the middle of a two lane road when I’m bored.  Or counting trees or houses.  Yes, that’s really sad, I know.

7.  Maybe this is weird, maybe not – but I LOVE teaching.  I mean REALLY love it.  Give me an attentive (or not) audience and I will teach ’till time’s up.  (Ask the co-op moms.  I try to stop by 2:30, really I do!)

It’s time to vote for your favorite homeschooling blogs!  I hope you’ll give mine some consideration as you make your decisions. 

Look for me in the categories of….

Best Homeschool Mom

Best Crafts, Plans & Projects

Best Super-Homeschooler

Best Variety

Go to The Homeschool Blog Awards Voting Page and cast your ballots before December 15th!