Craftsman Drill Review – Lesson Plans

A couple of months ago, Craftsman contacted me to find out if I would be willing to review one of their products.

Um, yes please!
It was fabulous timing too because Zak’s drill (manufactured by another company which shall-not-be-named) had completely given up the ghost only days before.

Soon after we moved in, we received the mother of all drills from Craftsman—the C3.

Right away, Zak got started finding excuses to use the new drill.

Of course we had to put together our art/Tot School corner

and our bookshelves

The bookshelves are from IKEA (they are the STRIPA shelves, though I can’t find them on the website anymore-the RIBBA shelf might work. Check your local store.) These shelves are great for books because they serve the same purpose as gutters, but are more aesthetically pleasing and cheaper. Just in case you are wondering-the books don’t slide off because there is a little lip on the front of the shelf.

But we didn’t stop there.

During our last trip to IKEA, we were hanging out in the as-is section (my favorite part of the store) and discovered a glass cabinet door that had been discarded among the scraps of lumber.
Instantly, Zak put it in our cart (not an easy feat with two squirmy children).
We brought it home.
Drilled some holes.

Added cute children (though not professional photos-they will be replaced soon!).

And hung it on the wall.

$10 for a custom frame!

I have one more home project that we just finished Saturday (with the help of Craftsman), but I’m so proud of it that it deserves its own post.
Tomorrow.

Find it here.

So ladies, if you want to make your husband happy this Christmas, buy him this drill. With 19.2 volts it’ll make him feel so powerful that he’ll be begging for “honey-do” projects!
A win-win situation.

Zak’s testimonial (I asked him to describe the drill in ten words or less):
Easy to handle, powerful, and manly.

Next Plan Idea:

Activities and Ideas for the 100th Day of School

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

Next Plan Idea:

Have you read?

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