I am a huge fan of lifelong learning, and one of the things I love about blogging is that it gives me lots of opportunities to learn new things. Last week I got to go to a blogger event hosted by Sunset Magazine and Curious.com. We toured Sunset’s headquarters – such a cool work environment! I thought the test kitchens were particularly interesting – they are set up to look like home kitchens, with recipes tested on both gas and electric stoves. Recipes are also tested in regular homes before going to print.
Curious.com’s O’Neil sisters were at the event to teach everyone how to make the pretty floating bead necklace above, and they sent us home with the materials and instructions to make these crystal-wrapped earrings:
I pulled the materials out yesterday after school, and five-year-old Lily and especially two-year-old Anna were both incredibly disappointed that they weren’t making the earrings! Lily eventually went and pulled out our wooden bead set, and they proudly made themselves some age-appropriate jewelry.
We have had this set for ages (it was a birthday present for Emma a few years ago). Yesterday was the first time Anna showed any interest in it, and Lily hadn’t played with it for a long time. If you want your children to love the learning the best way to cultivate that interest is to keep learning yourself. It doesn’t matter what you learn, but you need to stay curious!
What do you want to learn via an online class? Curious.com is offering my readers a $25 credit to start learning – enough to sign up for many of their courses! Homeschoolers and after schooling parents, they have courses for kids as well as adults! The courses are taught over video, with the instructors available to answer your questions.
What new skill are you curious to learn?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
So great to learn new things. Love how your kids followed your example!
It really is true! If we want our kids to be life long learners we have to be that too. I love that they got out the wooden beads. Going to check out that they offer :-)
Thank you so much for this post. It comes at the perfect time for me and I am super excited to share the credit with my son. I found a course I know he is really going to love. Thanks again.
I’m so glad you can use this credit!
How interesting that they had the test kitchens set up like home kitchens! I’m curious to learn crochet and wow there are a lot of tutorials curious.com site… how would I figure out which one would suit me best?
So fun you inspired your girls to make some jewellery of their own. :)
I think most of them offer free previews. And wow, they have a lot of beginner crochet options for you to choose from!
What a fun event to have gone too! Love how your girls had to make jewelry of their own!
Anna has made jewelry every morning since, too! She is really into this new skill!
I love that your kit encouraged Anna and Lily to make jewelry of their own :)
That was my favorite part :)
I’m taking an online mixed media class right now, and that’s been really interesting as I’ve tried out a few new skills and refined some old ones.
That sounds like an interesting class!
I love learning new things but don’t have the time to do everything I’d like. I’ve just ordered myself a jewellery making book for Christmas too!
I am always learning! Mostly I am curious about learning more about my faith and how to become a better parent for my kids.
Those are great things to be curious about!
What a great event! I wish I had been there!
That would have been fun!