Monthly Garden & Animal Tasks

I know it is January, and it may seem a bit early to think about gardening, but I need to get plans in place before life gets more chaotic.

In an effort to simplify my tasks and create a more peaceful routine, I had already made up a file card system… the problem is that I keep misplacing it as it doesn’t have a true home yet. I will attempt to outline the major tasks in this post, so I can access it from anywhere 🙂 You may feel free to use it or copy, if it suits you.

Continue reading “Monthly Garden & Animal Tasks”

Podcast Episode 08: Biblical Feasts: Key Dates for 2026

Pip: Welcome back to Pollywog’s Place — where the calendar is not a passive object but a living document requiring lunar consultation.

Mara: Susie at Pollywog’s Place Blog has been mapping out the Biblical Feasts for 2026, walking through what each one means, when it falls, and how families can actually observe it. Let’s start with the dates themselves and the theology behind them.

Biblical Feasts: Key Dates for 2026

Mara: The core question this post answers is practical: when, exactly, do the Biblical Feasts fall in 2026, and what is each one actually commemorating? It’s a reference guide with real theological grounding underneath the dates.

Pip: The post sets up why you even need a guide like this: “Unlike holidays, where the dates usually fall at the same time every year, Holy Days are not set dates. I always have to check the Jewish calendars as the Biblical Feasts vary according to certain signs like cycles of the moon and sun, which I have no way to accurately calculate.”

Mara: So the upshot is that these aren’t dates you can memorize once and move on — they shift with lunar and solar cycles, and the start time shifts too, since Jewish dates typically begin at sundown the day before.

Pip: The post lays out all seven main festivals across two seasons. Spring opens with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, both running April 1 through 9, followed by the Feast of First Fruits on May 21 through 23. Fall brings the Feast of Trumpets on September 11 through 13, the Day of Atonement on September 20 through 21, the Feast of Tabernacles running September 26 through October 2, and the Feast of the Eighth Day on October 2 through 3.

Mara: Each feast carries its own weight. Passover marks both the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt and the crucifixion of Jesus. The Feast of Unleavened Bread remembers the Israelites leaving in such haste they couldn’t let their bread rise. Pentecost, fifty days after Passover, foreshadows the coming of the Messiah.

Pip: The fall feasts shift in tone. The Feast of Trumpets looks forward — the post notes kids get to blow the Shofar. The Day of Atonement is described as solemn, often marked by a 24-hour fast. And Sukkot is framed, memorably, as “Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one.”

Mara: The post also notes that Sabbath, while not a Biblical Feast, is treated as a commanded observance — and links out to companion posts including Starting Our Sabbath and Sabbath Day Resources for families building that practice.

Pip: There’s an honest note running through all of it — this is a family learning alongside their readers, not a finished authority handing down conclusions.


Mara: Two seasons, seven feasts, and a calendar that asks you to pay attention to the moon — that’s a different relationship with time than most of us are used to.

Pip: Next time, we’ll see what else is taking shape at Pollywog’s Place.

Biblical Feasts

Key Dates for 2026

Sabbath Day Resources

Starting Our Sabbath

Special Holiday Meals: February Edition

This time of year seems to be a little busier for us, so I thought it might be helpful if I just got all my special meals and recipes gathered for the month. I checked the menu plan and have made a list of the holidays that we want to celebrate.

If you haven’t seen our Perpetual Meal Plans yet, then you really need to check them out, as they have all kinds of special and unique holidays listed. Now is the time to start making your bucket list for Fall things, if you haven’t already.

Special Winter Meals with Recipe Links

You can also check out our Holidays tab and the February Holidays post for even more ideas!

Don’t forget to add upcoming birthdays onto your Meal Plan!

Here are a couple of links that you might find helpful:

Grocery List

Blank Meal Planner

February

2: Groundhog Day

3: National Carrot Cake DayI’ve got an amazing Sugar Free recipe that I need to post!

5: World Nutella Day

6: National Chopsticks Day

7: National Fettuccine Alfredo Day

9: National Pizza Day

12: Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday

14: St. Valentine’s Day

20: National Cherry Pie Day

21: National Sticky Bun Day

22: George Washington’s Birthday**/National Chili Day/Cook a Sweet Potato Day

23: National Banana Bread Day

24: National Tortilla Chip Day

25: National Clam Chowder Day

26: National Pistachio Day

27: Polar Bear Day

28: National Pancake Day – Make a Pancake Board w/all the yummy toppings!

Other:

Friday the 13th: Good Luck Meal

5th Saturdays: Weenie Roasts

**President’s Day (3rd Monday) this day honors George Washington’s birthday

Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday (varies)

Leap Day  (29th)

Ash Wednesday (6 weeks before Easter Sunday- the beginning of Lent)


March

1: Peanut Butter Lover’s Day

2: Dr. Seuss Day

6: National Oreo Cookie Day

7: National Cereal Day


Holy Days

We have also been studying ‘Holy Days‘, and we try to add them in as we can.

I’m sure there are some days that I haven’t added, but let us know in the comments if there are any that you think should make the list!

God Bless!

Finding Peace Amidst the Noise

There are so many things I could write about, as we have been focusing on PEACE this month in our home. I have noticed ways that we can eliminate things to bring PEACE, and other things that need to be changed. We have had several appointments this month, and something that has struck me is how LOUD this world is.

Continue reading “Finding Peace Amidst the Noise”

Special Holiday Meals: Opposites Day/Backwards Menu & Activities

Opposites Day is on January 25th, and Backwards Day is January 31st, these days may be linked to old customs like Topsy Turvy Day (think Hunchback of Notre Dame) that happened around the Epiphany (January 6th) and similar celebrations have been noted throughout history… a special day set aside to break the mundane and bring a little excitement into everyday life.

I had a hard time thinking of foods to go with these holidays… what would you add to the list? This could get a little confusing, but don’t be afraid to be SILLY!

Opposites Day/Backwards Day Menu & Activities

Main Dishes

Breakfast for Dinner/Dinner or Dessert for Breakfast/Dessert before Dinner, etc.

Upside Down Meatloaf

Popover Pizza

Arrange the meal into a cake form… Spaghetti or Meatloaf Cake w/Mashed Potato Icing or meatloaf cupcakes… the possibilities are endless!

Desserts

Chocolate Cake with white icing or a white cake with chocolate Icing

Hot Cocoa with Ice Cream

Ice cream with the cone on top

Pineapple Upside Down cake

Blonde Brownies



Activities:

Wear your clothes backwards or inside out, shoes on the wrong feet might be painful though

Say your ABCs backwards.

Have a backwards dinner menu, or start with dinner for breakfast.

Write with your opposite hand.

Wear pajamas all day and wear your regular clothes to bed.

Learn about opposites, antonyms, palindromes, etc.

Games:

Have an Opposite Day Scavenger Hunt.

Play Opposite Day Bingo.

Have a Race where you run backwards and the last person is the winner!

Movies:

Please review these and use at your own discretion as I have not seen many of them myself.

  • Opposites Day
  • Freaky Friday

Also, check out our posts:

Backwards Day

Opposites Day