Welcome to At the Starlings! We’re sharing inspiration for homeschooling, family discipleship, and homemaking. The Starlings are Andy, Peggy, and 7 little ones. We are Reformed Christians and all native Floridians. We hope you'll be encouraged and inspired!
We loved it! It took us about a year to go through it. I haven’t ordered a pig, but I have a close friend who ordered 1/2 of a pig (family of 3) and it lasted them well over a year.
Hi, I've just read a new book called, If Aesop were Alive Today by Susannah Davies. Its a contemporary collection of fables in Aesop form covering topics like deforestation, racism, ageism etc. They are all illustrated with moral lessons. I'm a Christian and I've read it with my children. It's lovely
I did. It’s plenty for grammar, spelling, etc. She did some independent reading of books of her choice, but we consider that separate from language arts. Hope that helps!
This was very helpful! I teach our ladies bible study at our church and we are going to be starting “Better” next month. This will be my first to do by Jen Wilkin. Thanks so much!
Just wanted to pop in here and say I’ve missed your videos :). I can imagine why you’ve been away and I hope your family has been thriving through the summer!
I am looking at switching to this for my 3rd grader. We attend a co-op one day a week. We have previously used The Good and the Beautiful, which only has 120 lessons (which worked well for just 4 days a week of at home instruction). Do you think a week's worth of lessons for LLATL could be condensed to 4 days? My son is a strong reader, grasps grammar easily, but fights writing (mostly just the physical aspect - he does not seem to mind the process).
You could certainly do 4 days! We found that the yellow book took much less time to complete each day than the red book. There isn’t as much cutting and gluing, etc. Sometimes it took my student 10 minutes to complete a day’s lesson. You could easily double up one of the days- perhaps the days that are lighter on writing in your case. Hope that helps!
@@peggystarling Thank you again. Super helpful. As I've continued to research, I've had a few more questions that I thought you might be able to help with. 1. Is the teacher manual necessary? It's pretty inexpensive, but does it have additional resources/information or is it more like an answer key? 2. I printed the yellow book placement test and my 7yo did it very quickly and almost perfectly. He has previously used The Good and The Beautiful through grade 2, and is an advanced reader/has an excellent understanding of basic grammar. However, looking ahead to the orange book, the expectations for writing seem like more than he is ready for (he did the reading comprehension section of that placement test perfectly, and probably could do the rest verbally, but looking at something like the vocabulary section of the book study, the writing seems like a big jump). I don't want him to get bored, but I also don't want to skip too far ahead and create any gaps. Any thoughts? 3. Are you familiar with the orange book? Is it as comprehensive? I liked that the yellow book included handwriting. I didn't see that in the orange.
1. You need the teacher book because sometimes the student book will just say, “discussion with teacher,” and the information for the discussion is in the teacher book. So it’s more than an answer key. 2. This is my opinion, so please feel free to take it or leave it. 😄 My philosophy is that it’s better for my student to be slightly challenged all year than for them to have work that is too easy. For that reason, in your shoes, I’d go with the next level and just slow down if it gets too challenging and more time is needed on writing, etc. 3. I’m not familiar with the orange book, so I’m not sure exactly what it contains. We’re making a big pivot this year and I chose not to use LLATL. I still thinks it’s a great all-in-one language arts, and since it is known for that, I’d expect there to be writing and more in the orange book. Blessings on your next school year! ❤️
@@rachaelpierson3470 I’m so glad it was helpful! We did not use the blue book. For my first 3 children I have used Delightful Reading to teach the basics, and that has been a huge success. They enjoy the games and activities that go along with it. All 3 have finished that curriculum as successful readers. Hope that helps!
I think purchasing the videos on how they teach it, would’ve been helpful for you. It certainly was for me. CM math is a mastery program, not spiral. Perhaps the book isn’t very good in explaining that in itself. Just wanted to share another perspective ❤ I appreciate your time & opinions!
I noticed they’ve done a lot of work on the whole program recently! That’s wonderful. I love SCM and still recommend be who schoolers to look into them. I think there wasn’t much information on this math back when I purchased it. Thank you for clarifying that it’s mastery- it seemed to me to be spiral when I was using it. Thanks for commenting and giving your perspective! ❤️
@@rachaelpierson3470 I believe they are but I've never personally used them. The old versions definitely incorporate a lot of Bible verse and character trait.
How blessed u are to live in sunny FL! Last month my husband and I were declined to be licensed foster parents because we are over the limit for children under 21 under 1 roof (we have 7 but our oldest are 18, and 17 so really only 6, soon to be 5 minors) We had hoped theyd make an exception due to the serious need for licensed foster parents, but alas that door has closed for us. Are the rules the same in FL? In NH its no more than 6 under the age of 21. Also, our cost of living in NH is very high and our winters are quite long! We just got over 12 inches of snow yesterday! 🤪 we've wanted to relocate to FL for 2 years and have done research on it for the past 18 months but we've been watching FL cost of homes sky rocket...it just wouldnt make sense to sell our home ( we have quite a bit of equity) and end up w a higher mortgage at a worse interest rate ( our current rate is 2%) so we've shelved that hope, sadly. Im glad to get to live vicariously through you, though! Thanks for sharing! ❤
There are similar rules in Florida about the number of children. The first child we were fostering (our now adopted son) was related to us, so an exception was made. The baby we are fostering now is our adopted son’s half-sister, so they made an exception for us again. There still had to be approvals and hoops to jump through all the way up the hierarchy to allow us to have these children since we already had 5 of our own. I believe the limit is 6 but we have several 5 and under so that required more approvals. All that to say we had a special situation! Florida is a great state to live in! My husband and I are both from Florida so we’re very biased. 😉 We learned with COVID that it’s important to want to be a citizen of your particular state. I bet NH is beautiful! We haven’t been that far north. 😂 Blessings to you and your family! ❤️
@@peggystarling that's just amazing how the Lord opened those doors and busted down obstacles for you guys to be able to foster like that! Praise God! Thanks for sharing ♥
True story: I was first to watch this morning, first to like. Was sitting in my truck at work watching, went into work, and realized I locked my keys in my truck. I was distracted by your beauty and the labor of your hands, again.
My best advice is to just start and get something in the ground! It’s easy to get into analysis paralysis with researching varieties and finding the right spot etc. Learn as you go. Pick a sunny spot in your yard and plant something. I’ve had the most success with potatoes, green beans, herbs, and flowers- zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos. Bigger raised beds are an investment, so it’s more cost effective to start with containers, plant directly into the ground, or a small (4x4) bed. Give it a try! Let me know how your season goes. Happy gardening! 🪴🌼
The readers come with it in the pack (not purchased separately) and they are required for the assignments. The extra literature books are not required. Hope that helps!
This was so fun to watch! Way to go, you tried so many things and they all went well. These are things that I enjoy making as well. Wanting to let you know that I roast my veggies for the salsa in a 400-425 degree oven and just keep an eye on them and then journal the length of time and write it on the recipe. This way I can kinda forget about them and I was nervous with all the smoke and spatters in my home. By the way I hope you try the Rye bread. That is one of the easiest one in our home because its not a sourdough and doesn't take two bowls with mixing. lol I like to triple this batch and freeze it. For me the Rye bread freezes the best and doesn't change the taste or texture. If we are having a tough day/night I just pull a loaf out and make sandwiches, tuna salad, grilled cheese, or we also love cream cheese and tomato on the Rye bread. Its always nice to see what you share. Hope you are doing well.
I will DEFINITELY roast the veggies in the oven next time! Good idea! If you have a rye bread recipe you love, can you link it? I’d love to try the one your family loves. Always good to hear from you! ❤️
All your food looked amaazing! I look forward to trying out your white chicken chili recipe. Like you, I’ve been endeavoring to make all our bread cooks home baked. Tortillas are next on the list! I’ve conquered sandwich bread too, and the kids like it way better than store bought. I’m still learning to slice it though. Any hot tips on a great bread knife? Thanks for the video, Peggy!
Tortillas were fun! I think next time I’ll make a HUGE batch and freeze them because I don’t want to go through that process weekly. 😂 The naan is a little easier to manage once a week. My kids are loving the homemade sandwich bread, too! I’m so thankful. This is the bread knife I have and it’s been really awesome- amzn.to/4alB8u0 It comes VERY sharp and I’ve sliced my fingers a few times, so be careful! I’m still getting the hang of slicing the bread evenly, but this knife makes it a lot easier. Good to hear from you! ❤️
Love Spam! As a kid, we would have fried Spam/fried egg/sliced cheese/tomato sandwiches for lunch. Also, love Joel Salatin! Currently reading his books and are in the process of building a chicken tractor.
Glad I’m not the only one who loves spam! 😂 I’m reading Pastured Poultry Profits by Joel Salatin ❤️ Making future plans! I only have layers right now, but we hope to add broilers in the future and potentially build a business. 🌟
Thank you so much for this flip through. So very helpful. I am a missionary living overseas so I don't have the chance to flip through things to see them in person before purchasing. SO happy to have found your channel. God bless!
Strongly considering it. I’m looking into another program to see what I think. I’m basically deciding between an all-in-one (LLATL) or DIYing language arts with separate curricula for grammar, lit, writing, spelling, etc. Stay tuned! ❤️
@@peggystarlinghey Peggy! I am planning on DIYing our language arts. Just wanted to share to let you know you’re not alone in making this decision. I haven’t found a complete thorough curriculum yet. Wishing you well in this journey!
My son is 4 almost 5 and he knows his letters and sounds but i Was worried level 2 of delightful reading would be too advanced for this fall. But you feel it’s a good program to start after they know letters and sounds? Does it start with reading right from the get go?
It does start with reading, but it’s very phonetic. If he knows his letter sounds fairly well, I’d say he’s ready for it. It’s also very gentle- you can write the words for him if he’s not writing yet. Lots of suggestions are given. You can always save it for a little later if he ends up not really being ready yet. ❤️
@@peggystarling I was really hoping to put off formal reading lessons for another year but also not quite sure what to do because another year of letters and sounds also seems redundant. But I really don’t want to push it. Have you ever used level 1 delightful reading? I was thinking of using that for him.
@homeschoollifemom I haven’t used level 1, but I know it’s mostly letter recognition and sounds. I totally support putting off formal reading until 6 if it makes sense for that child. ❤️ You could also consider doing level 2 once or twice a week and just read books to him the other days! Just an idea!
Woooow .... I praise God for you and the grace he's given you to do all you do,I'm watching from Kenya and so glad to have God honouring content even from as a Reformed sister.
Thanks for watching! Definitely try for 8 hours. The bones become super brittle with all of the minerals leeched out and the flavor has more time to develop. 👍🏻
It’s just faster. If you do it on the stove, it has to simmer for 24 hours+ to break down the bones and get all of the nutrients out. Only 8 hours in the pressure cooker!
Love your videos you have such a beautiful home and such great children, God bless you and your wonderful family, I will definitely pray for you and congratulations on your new addition to the family(your bundle of Joy)❤
Cast iron pans, enameled cast iron Dutch oven, and stainless steel pans are all I own as far as pots/pans go. I wash my cast iron with a gentle soap that doesn’t have any lye and a dark wash cloth when needed and then rub on some coconut oil.
Hi, I really am loving your channel in the content that you’re posting but I did have a few questions. The first video I watched was of your family buying a half a cow and I was just wondering if you could do a follow up video to that my husband and I just ordered half a cow that we will get in September and I was just wondering how long did it lastyour family and if you plan to order one again if so when, etc. thank you so much
Hi! The half of a cow lasted my family for about 1 year. We had a little over 1 year worth of ground beef, steaks, and organ meats. The first thing we ran out of were roasts. We eat a lot of chicken, fish, and pork throughout the year, so beef probably makes up around 20-25% of our meals during the week. We will definitely order another and possibly a whole cow this time! Our farmer won’t have any ready until May so we plan to order then. I hope this was helpful! ❤️ I can do a follow-up video also.
@@peggystarling yes thank you so much. We are so excited about doing this and I plan to do more scratch cooking like you do on your channel. Can I ask how much you spend on groceries a month for your size family?
@@KrystalK982 I’m excited for y’all! For my family of 9, we usually spend between $800-$1,200 per month. I’m in Florida so groceries are right at the national average. This budget also includes household items and stocking up on pantry staples. I don’t purchase a lot of convenience foods or snacks for reference. Hope that helps!
Babies are the most precious gifts in the world. Spam is delicious. I grew up with it. My mom would slice it just about as thick as you did. Slice up a tomato put on top with salt and pepper and broil it. So good. 😊
Watching u brings me right back to when I was in the same chapter you're in and i just love it! 😊 I homeschool 7, too. Currently they are 18, 17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 7. Youre in the thick of it friend but i promise it does get easier! The days are long but the years are short and youll start to see the fruit of your labors soon! My husband and I wish we could return to that chapter even for a moment. The dynamics change so much as they grow up and become more independent. Praying for your family, and for the Lord's will re sweet baby Joy, sister! ❤
Thank you for your encouragement!❤️ It's so helpful to hear from families who are ahead of us. I'm trying to enjoy this time and not wish it away, but steward these hearts well and point them to Christ. I appreciate any wisdom you're willing to share! Thanks for praying for us.
We've done the butterflies a couple of times now and it's been a great success! The last time one or two didn't make it, but for the most part it has been great and become a favorite spring activity!
Homemaking with Joy shared a chocolate granola recipe from Ruth Ann Zimmerman and it has rice crispies in it and it is so yummy. There is a cinnamon version too. I made mine with coconut and almonds and almond extract. It was an amazing treat and loved the first batch so I made a second one. Just found your channel so I have to catch up with your progress.
I’m glad you appreciate butter as much as I do:)! And the use of the marmalade was brilliant! I have a very dear aunt who gifts us orange marmalade every year and we prefer fig or berry preserves. But every one of us loves orange chicken! Thanks! And, blessings to you from the west coast :).
