I usually don't make a New Years Resolution, however, I do have one this year. I feed my kids too much processed sugary foods, especially for breakfast. Usually we have waffles or pancakes, the kind you can pop in the toaster or microwave. There is really nothing redeeming about these products other than the convenience.
So my resolution is to feed my kids a healthy breakfast on weekdays. The choices will be either oatmeal with some flax seed oil and wheat germ mixed in or eggs and whole wheat toast. A side of fruit and milk or orange juice to drink.
I know this isn't a big resolution but it's something I think I can manage.
What about you do you have any resolutions this year?
Oatmeal Recipe
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Why is my child coughing so long!
Some of you who know me pretty well know that our family has been put the the ringer the last few months with sickness. It all started with my daughter Hannah who had a wet cough or phlegmy cough that started way back in July. I took her to the pediatrician multiple times who said it was allergies or a virus. She continued to cough everyday all day. I knew it wasn't allergies. My husband, mother and son all have allergies, and they have never coughed everyday for months because of allergies. I finally decided if the pediatrician wasn't going to do anything that I would take her to an allergist to prove that it wasn't allergies. The allergist tested her for allergies, turns out she is mildly allergic to trees but that wasn't what was causing the coughing. The allergist determined Hannah had a sinus infection, that went undiagnosed for 5 months. After a round or antibiotic and steroids the cough finally ended.
Next was my baby Noah(8 months old) who started coughing, I was ready to cry after the ordeal I went thru with Hannah. I took him to the pediatrician who said "it's a virus", then a week later back to the pediatrician, "it's a virus", then another week went by, "it's a virus", then back again to the pediatrician it's getting worse lets give him Omnicef, still not better lets' give him breathing treatments and another round of Omnicef because I was insisting it's not a virus. Still no improvement, Noah continued to get sicker and sicker and I was crying every night because I knew something was seriously wrong! And my pediatrician kept telling me it was viral! So in desperation I made another appointment with an allergist/immunologist praying he would have some insight. After listening to my story the allergist/immunologist said he suspected it to be Mycoplasma, after doing the physical exam he said Noah had pneumonia. He didn't have a fever which was throwing off my pediatrician . After 10 days of Bactium, the antibiotic to treat walking pneumonia, (Mycoplasma Pneumonia), I am happy to say Noah has stopped coughing. I am so thankful to God for leading me to the right doctor.
I know this is going around so I hope that my story will help other moms who can't figure out why their children are coughing!
The 3 most common causes of a cough that lasts 6 weeks or longer are postnasal drip (most commonly from allergies), asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (stomach acid coming up to the vocal cords and making him cough)--in that order. Often the history or exam guides you. For instance if there is wheezing, asthma is the likely candidate. If the lungs are clear but there is alot of snot, postnasal drip.
The typical approach is a trial of treatment for the most likely culprit. Albuterol sometimes is helpful if you give it and you notice that for the next couple hours he coughs or wheezes less. It doesn't do anything to make him get better faster but it does make him breath easier and wheeze and cough less until his body heals. If he is not getting better within a week or two, you can try oral steroids for 5 days or a steroid inhaler which gives the same medicine right to the longs but takes longer to work (maybe a month). Somewhere along the way a chest xray is good to get to make sure there is not a pneumonia or something unusual that might show up on xray.
For both asthma and postnasal drip from allergies, avoiding common allergens can be helpful. The most common ones are cats/hamsters, dust mites (cover mattress and wash sheets in hot water weekly) and pollen or mold.
My friend who is a doctor sent me this information. I thought it might be helpful to someone.
The 3 most common causes of a cough that lasts 6 weeks or longer are postnasal drip (most commonly from allergies), asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (stomach acid coming up to the vocal cords and making him cough)--in that order. Often the history or exam guides you. For instance if there is wheezing, asthma is the likely candidate. If the lungs are clear but there is alot of snot, postnasal drip.
The typical approach is a trial of treatment for the most likely culprit. Albuterol sometimes is helpful if you give it and you notice that for the next couple hours he coughs or wheezes less. It doesn't do anything to make him get better faster but it does make him breath easier and wheeze and cough less until his body heals. If he is not getting better within a week or two, you can try oral steroids for 5 days or a steroid inhaler which gives the same medicine right to the longs but takes longer to work (maybe a month). Somewhere along the way a chest xray is good to get to make sure there is not a pneumonia or something unusual that might show up on xray.
For both asthma and postnasal drip from allergies, avoiding common allergens can be helpful. The most common ones are cats/hamsters, dust mites (cover mattress and wash sheets in hot water weekly) and pollen or mold.
My friend who is a doctor sent me this information. I thought it might be helpful to someone.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Another Great website for teaching materials
This Website has tons of great worksheets on Math, Reading & Writing Worksheets, Grammar & Phonics,Spelling Lists & Worksheets, Puzzles & Brain Teasers,Science & Social Studies,and more!!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Getting Organized!
I love moneysavingmom.com
Her ideas have helped me tremendously in getting into a schedule and getting organized. I am posting this post for my sister who missed MSM specials on her schedule and organization.
Here is Moneysavingmom's daily schedule
Daily Cleaning List
Daily Checklist- I love this check list it even reminds you to drink some water!
Creating your own Plan
These list have helped me make a huge change in how I run my home! For more information go to moneysavingmom.com and click on the simple living tab!
Her ideas have helped me tremendously in getting into a schedule and getting organized. I am posting this post for my sister who missed MSM specials on her schedule and organization.
Here is Moneysavingmom's daily schedule
Daily Cleaning List
Daily Checklist- I love this check list it even reminds you to drink some water!
Creating your own Plan
These list have helped me make a huge change in how I run my home! For more information go to moneysavingmom.com and click on the simple living tab!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Deliberate
Has a word ever just stuck in your head. Today the word "deliberate" is resinating with me.
Yesterday, I took my kids to the park. While I was there a noticed 3 boys were holding one boy while another one punched him. I totally lost my cool. I ran over and screamed at these boys like a crazy woman, telling them to leave the kid alone. The fight broke up and then 15 minutes later I noticed these boys grabbing my son to do the same thing to him. Again, I screamed at these same kids....I left the park feeling horrible. Something in my heart told me the way I handled this was not RIGHT.
This morning when I was praying, I felt like God spoke the word Deliberate. And then I realized that I had missed an opportunity to teach these boys about how God calls us to love one another. Instead of screaming at them, I should have walked over and told them why this behavior was wrong and how God wants us to treat each other.
I kept on thinking about the word "DELIBERATE". How often I just speak without thinking. I react to situations with little thought.
I know a few people who are very deliberate in what they say. The first person who comes to my mind is my husband, Evan. I can tell when he speaks, that he is deliberate in his answers. My sister's husband Dave is also very deliberate when he speaks too.
My prayer is that I stop and really think before I speak.
A fool often speaks and later reflects on what he has said. In contrast, a wise man considers his words before he speaks Colossians 4:6
Yesterday, I took my kids to the park. While I was there a noticed 3 boys were holding one boy while another one punched him. I totally lost my cool. I ran over and screamed at these boys like a crazy woman, telling them to leave the kid alone. The fight broke up and then 15 minutes later I noticed these boys grabbing my son to do the same thing to him. Again, I screamed at these same kids....I left the park feeling horrible. Something in my heart told me the way I handled this was not RIGHT.
This morning when I was praying, I felt like God spoke the word Deliberate. And then I realized that I had missed an opportunity to teach these boys about how God calls us to love one another. Instead of screaming at them, I should have walked over and told them why this behavior was wrong and how God wants us to treat each other.
I kept on thinking about the word "DELIBERATE". How often I just speak without thinking. I react to situations with little thought.
I know a few people who are very deliberate in what they say. The first person who comes to my mind is my husband, Evan. I can tell when he speaks, that he is deliberate in his answers. My sister's husband Dave is also very deliberate when he speaks too.
My prayer is that I stop and really think before I speak.
A fool often speaks and later reflects on what he has said. In contrast, a wise man considers his words before he speaks Colossians 4:6
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Free Kids Audio Books
Jeanne, check this out free audiobooks! It will save us trips to the library
http://budgetsavingmom.com/2010/10/22/free-books-for-kids/
http://budgetsavingmom.com/2010/10/22/free-books-for-kids/
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Balls that I plan on dropping
I am trying to do too much! I have a ton of things I am interested in, but only 24 hours in a day. So here is my list of things I plan on dropping or cutting back on.
1. TV watching....there are really only a few shows that I actually like on tv. I am planning on turning it off instead of watching something that is wasting my time.
2. No more needless home improvement projects. Along the lines of the #1, I will no longer watch HGTV. My house is fine the way it is. I don't need to be painting, replacing or decorating items in my house that aren't broken! There are enough broken things that I don't need to go looking for work to do.
3. I have really wanted to plant a raised garden in my yard and grow my own organic vegetables. I am dropping this ball for 2 reasons, I don't have the time and I really don't have a green thumb!
4. Trying to make complex meals for dinner. When my kids get older I will come back to this but right now, I am going to keep it simple.
Do you have any balls you need to drop?
1. TV watching....there are really only a few shows that I actually like on tv. I am planning on turning it off instead of watching something that is wasting my time.
2. No more needless home improvement projects. Along the lines of the #1, I will no longer watch HGTV. My house is fine the way it is. I don't need to be painting, replacing or decorating items in my house that aren't broken! There are enough broken things that I don't need to go looking for work to do.
3. I have really wanted to plant a raised garden in my yard and grow my own organic vegetables. I am dropping this ball for 2 reasons, I don't have the time and I really don't have a green thumb!
4. Trying to make complex meals for dinner. When my kids get older I will come back to this but right now, I am going to keep it simple.
Do you have any balls you need to drop?
PRIORITIES
Money Saving Mom did a great post on her blog this morning on priorities. So I decided to make my own list. Some of mine are the same and some of them are different.
1. Spending time reading my Bible and Praying....I want this to be my first priority but in all honesty I don't think it is, so I am going to make a conscious effort to make this the first thing I do.
2. My husband is my 2nd priority. I want to encourage him, show him that I appreciate him and the hard work he does everyday so support our family! I love what moneysavingmom said, " My goal is to flirt with my husband at least once a day". I also make his lunch, (he won't do this for himself so I do it) he eats much healthier if I pack it and it's a lot less money. Plus, it gets him home earlier because it takes longer to go out to lunch.
3. My Children- I am going to try to spend 15 minutes with each child individually everyday (yes, I also took this from moneysavingmom) easier said than done.
Scripture memorization which I use Seeds family worship music to do this, or make up my own little songs.
Teaching my kids to be kind to other people and to always watch out for the underdog.
I try to read to my kids at least 1/2 to 1 hour a day.
Teach them to do chores and be part of our family team.
Make sure I give them opportunities to socialize because I homeschool them.
4. Keeping my house relatively clean. I don't know about you but I feel really stressed out when my house is a mess. The way I do housework is the messiest place gets my attention. I haven't been able to come up with a schedule that I can stick to.
5. Paying off our mortgage. This is a big financial goal my husband and I have. I try to save money when I can but I don't obsess about it. My time is better spent saving on large items like insurance and cars than it is clipping coupons.
6. Exercising and eating healthy food.
1. Spending time reading my Bible and Praying....I want this to be my first priority but in all honesty I don't think it is, so I am going to make a conscious effort to make this the first thing I do.
2. My husband is my 2nd priority. I want to encourage him, show him that I appreciate him and the hard work he does everyday so support our family! I love what moneysavingmom said, " My goal is to flirt with my husband at least once a day". I also make his lunch, (he won't do this for himself so I do it) he eats much healthier if I pack it and it's a lot less money. Plus, it gets him home earlier because it takes longer to go out to lunch.
3. My Children- I am going to try to spend 15 minutes with each child individually everyday (yes, I also took this from moneysavingmom) easier said than done.
Scripture memorization which I use Seeds family worship music to do this, or make up my own little songs.
Teaching my kids to be kind to other people and to always watch out for the underdog.
I try to read to my kids at least 1/2 to 1 hour a day.
Teach them to do chores and be part of our family team.
Make sure I give them opportunities to socialize because I homeschool them.
4. Keeping my house relatively clean. I don't know about you but I feel really stressed out when my house is a mess. The way I do housework is the messiest place gets my attention. I haven't been able to come up with a schedule that I can stick to.
5. Paying off our mortgage. This is a big financial goal my husband and I have. I try to save money when I can but I don't obsess about it. My time is better spent saving on large items like insurance and cars than it is clipping coupons.
6. Exercising and eating healthy food.
Friday, October 29, 2010
10 Parenting Mistakes You must Avoid with your Kids
My friend Vicki sent me this link and I really thought Jean Tracy had some really great parenting advice!
Click Here to see 10 Parenting Mistakes You must Avoid
Click Here to see 10 Parenting Mistakes You must Avoid
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Godly Character Traits Educational Freebie
I was just talking to a friend today about how she was doing a study with her son on the character traits of God. And then, I was on moneysavingmom.com and found a educational freebie on this very subject. Great timing!
Click here to go to moneysavingmom.com and get the information
Click here to go to moneysavingmom.com and get the information
Another way to save a few hundred dollars :)
So....if your new to all this. Here is what you want to do. Get out your current policy, hopefully you can find it. Go to a website like NetQuote and fill out the form. You will need information like, when was your house built, how old is your roof, do you have hurricane shutters, have you had a mitigation inspection and what is your deductible(usually it's about 2% of your home's value).
After researching for this year it turns out that my current policy even though it went up is still one of the lowest policies around. If you live in South Florida I recommend checking out People's Trust out of Boca Raton. This doesn't have to be a tedious process the key is to have all of your information ready!
Monday, October 25, 2010
I am converting!
No, I'm still a Christian. I am converting from an American consumer driven society to a minimalist lifestyle. I have been inspired by Money Saving Mom.
After spending close to 1 1/2 hours a day picking up toys, I have realized that these "blessings" are actually a curse to me and my kids. Not only am I tired of picking up the stuff, I am tired of nagging and yelling at my kids to pick it up. This time I am wasting picking up toys could be better spent reading to my kids or picking up a book myself.
So I have taken at least half of our toys to Goodwill.
I also have gone thru all the medications and vitamins in our house. It turns out that most of them have expired so I'm tossing almost everything.
Today my goal was to go thru our Tupperware and toss anything that doesn't have a match. I also am going thru my tablecloths and cloth napkins which I NEVER use and loading them up for Goodwill.
Join me in the converting to the simple life.
Click here to see the inspirational blog
Dealing with Toy Overload
After spending close to 1 1/2 hours a day picking up toys, I have realized that these "blessings" are actually a curse to me and my kids. Not only am I tired of picking up the stuff, I am tired of nagging and yelling at my kids to pick it up. This time I am wasting picking up toys could be better spent reading to my kids or picking up a book myself.
So I have taken at least half of our toys to Goodwill.
I also have gone thru all the medications and vitamins in our house. It turns out that most of them have expired so I'm tossing almost everything.
Today my goal was to go thru our Tupperware and toss anything that doesn't have a match. I also am going thru my tablecloths and cloth napkins which I NEVER use and loading them up for Goodwill.
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| This is my living room as I went thru the clothes my friends have generously given to me. |
Join me in the converting to the simple life.
Click here to see the inspirational blog
Dealing with Toy Overload
Sunday, October 24, 2010
What a Mom will Do
Hi Friends,
I just wanted to share with you what I did this weekend for my kids. As I was gardening, which I NEVER do, I found a very, very large and very active praying mantis. Cool Right? They are great insects. People love to have them around in their gardens.
So, as any mother who wants her children to learn would do, I had my HUSBAND catch in on our bug collector. Then we looked up what to feed it. It only eats LIVE bugs, ones that are very active.
Out to my garden, again. This time on a live bug chase. I found a couple of worm like things and dropped them in the cage. The praying mantis- no- I can't tell you what it did- very PG-13. So, so very gross. Then I searched my house- we had to have a few bugs somewhere (found a spider). They can eat 12 crickets in a day. I couldn't keep up!
My husband had to remind me after church today- to change out of my dress before digging in the garden for more bugs. Where are all the stink bugs now that we could use a couple dozen? Finally, I broke down and bought some meal worms at the Seven Eleven and almost passed out when I opened the container. So, so very gross.
My boys filmed the battle between the praying mantis and the cricket. The cricket didn't have a chance.
One of my sons is studying insects at school (which is why we didn't let it go yesterday- he was sure his teacher would like it). His teacher said he could bring it in tomorrow .
We are all looking forward to tomorrow.
Jeanne
I just wanted to share with you what I did this weekend for my kids. As I was gardening, which I NEVER do, I found a very, very large and very active praying mantis. Cool Right? They are great insects. People love to have them around in their gardens.
So, as any mother who wants her children to learn would do, I had my HUSBAND catch in on our bug collector. Then we looked up what to feed it. It only eats LIVE bugs, ones that are very active.
Out to my garden, again. This time on a live bug chase. I found a couple of worm like things and dropped them in the cage. The praying mantis- no- I can't tell you what it did- very PG-13. So, so very gross. Then I searched my house- we had to have a few bugs somewhere (found a spider). They can eat 12 crickets in a day. I couldn't keep up!
My husband had to remind me after church today- to change out of my dress before digging in the garden for more bugs. Where are all the stink bugs now that we could use a couple dozen? Finally, I broke down and bought some meal worms at the Seven Eleven and almost passed out when I opened the container. So, so very gross.
My boys filmed the battle between the praying mantis and the cricket. The cricket didn't have a chance.
One of my sons is studying insects at school (which is why we didn't let it go yesterday- he was sure his teacher would like it). His teacher said he could bring it in tomorrow .
We are all looking forward to tomorrow.
Jeanne
Friday, October 22, 2010
Progressive Phonics beginning readers and activity sheets free!!
I just saw this link on Money Saving Mom and checked it out. What a great resource!
I wish I would have known about this before purchasing BOB books!
Click on the link below for free books and activity sheets!!
Progressive Phonics
I wish I would have known about this before purchasing BOB books!
Click on the link below for free books and activity sheets!!
Progressive Phonics
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Which Foods to Buy Organic
I used to think that organic food was for people who had money to waste and a little bit to much time on their hands to think about that sort of stuff. However, after reading an article on local migrant workers (picking fruits and vegetables) who were pregnant having babies with severe birth defects, I realized that I was completely ignorant and wrong in my opinions on the matter. So without breaking the bank click here for a list of foods you should try to get organic.
My sister Jeanne told me about a great way to clean non-organic fruit. Get a squirt bottle fill it up 1/4 vinegar to 3/4 water and spray the fruit to clean off the pesticides. The fruit actually smells sweeter after being sprayed and rinsed!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Homeschooling Freebies
Happy Scribe Copybooks -Enjoyable Handwriting Books for your Children
is giving away a free Happy Scribe Copybook
Click here to get your free materials
Everything is Negotiable ....well almost everything.
I remember the trill the first time I ever negotiated a price at a garage sale. It was a cute pair of pajamas, but they were missing a button. So I asked the woman who was selling them if she would knock off 25 cents for the missing button, so instead of paying 75 cents I paid 50....
(I remember my sister Jeanne was with me, I think her face turn bright red....LOL)
Since then I have found that almost everything is negotiable.
After mowing our lawn for the first few years we lived in Florida, we finally broke down and hired a lawn service. We decided only to hire them for the summer rainy season because the lawn needed to be mowed every week. So after the first summer, I called the company we had hired and told them we no longer needed their services until the next summer unless they would lower their prices, then we would keep them all year round. The owner of the company cut our bill 50% even in the summer.
Another example was at the Home Goods store, I saw a table that was perfect for our home. It had a few scratches little scratches on the surface. I asked to speak with the manager and he knocked $25 off the price.
Whenever hiring anyone to do work for you...ALWAYS get three estimates! If you prefer one company or person over another ask them if they will do the work for the same price as the lowest estimate.
My favorite largest negotiation was when we bought our Honda Pilot. It was in August, when the dealerships are trying to get ride of all their stock. I got a list of all the dealerships here in south Florida. I called each one. One by one, they knocked off $500 every phone call I made. Until finally, I knew I had the rock bottom price. I think we saved about $8000 all together.
I know it's a little embarrassing to haggle with other people. But come on don't you work hard to earn your money?
(I remember my sister Jeanne was with me, I think her face turn bright red....LOL)
Since then I have found that almost everything is negotiable.
After mowing our lawn for the first few years we lived in Florida, we finally broke down and hired a lawn service. We decided only to hire them for the summer rainy season because the lawn needed to be mowed every week. So after the first summer, I called the company we had hired and told them we no longer needed their services until the next summer unless they would lower their prices, then we would keep them all year round. The owner of the company cut our bill 50% even in the summer.
Another example was at the Home Goods store, I saw a table that was perfect for our home. It had a few scratches little scratches on the surface. I asked to speak with the manager and he knocked $25 off the price.
Whenever hiring anyone to do work for you...ALWAYS get three estimates! If you prefer one company or person over another ask them if they will do the work for the same price as the lowest estimate.
I know it's a little embarrassing to haggle with other people. But come on don't you work hard to earn your money?
Sprung a leak
I heard a loud knock at the door, usually this is good sign, it means a package is being delivered. However, when I answered the door it was not the UPS man but the man from the water company. He asked if I had any water running....um-mm..no......I have a feeling this isn't going to end well.
After turning the water off to the house and the sprinkler system, we walked out to check the meter... the spinning triangle isn't good, is it? So........ somewhere between the house and the meter we have a leak.
So you may be wondering why I am posting this....
To make a long story shorter...our water bill for this month is rather large. A broken pipe that you don't know about can cost you a fortune!
If this ever happens to you... here is a little tip
The water company will give you a break on your water bill once every three years if you have a leaking pipe. They did ask me how long it took us to fix it and had me read the current meter reading to them before giving me the discount. They subtracted $220 from our bill.
To make a long story shorter...our water bill for this month is rather large. A broken pipe that you don't know about can cost you a fortune!
If this ever happens to you... here is a little tip
The water company will give you a break on your water bill once every three years if you have a leaking pipe. They did ask me how long it took us to fix it and had me read the current meter reading to them before giving me the discount. They subtracted $220 from our bill.
Greek or Italian Chicken
I had totally forgotten about this recipe and then something triggered it in my mind. This recipe is so easy and so delicious. You can serve the chicken with a couple of side dishes or throw it on top of a salad. Do yourself a favor and make it for dinner, you will not be disappointed!!
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| Cut off the fat and throw some chicken breast or other pieces in a ziplock bag. |
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| Pour in some Greek style salad dressing or Italian Dressing, enough to coat all the chicken. Marinade it by sticking it in the fridge for a few hours. |
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| I like to grill the chicken for easy clean up but you can also bake it. Make sure that if your grilling it you use LOW heat. Chicken dries out if you grill it on high heat. |
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| Easy Taste Wonderful :) Ingredients: Chicken Parts Italian or Greek Salad dressing ziplock bag |
Friday, October 15, 2010
Raising Godly Tomatoes- Disciplining your Children
I don't know about you guys but it seems to me our generation has no idea how to discipline our children (myself included). What we may think is common sense apparently, isn't so common any more. God meant for us to enjoy and love our children, they are our inheritance from Him.
Proverbs 29:17
17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.
The opposite is true if we don't discipline our children. I don't want to hate my children but if I don't discipline them and they are ruining my life that might be what ends up happening.
With my oldest child only being six, I am by no means an expert in this area. And from what I've heard from my friends every child is different in what method of discipline works. I have referenced the website below called Raising Godly Tomatoes for some insight and found many of her ideas to work. If you are struggling or just not sure what to do with your kids don't give up. First of all PRAY!! God made your kids, He picked you and your spouse to be their parents. Don't ignore problems, they don't just magically disappear and remember the first thing LOVE is, is patient!
Proverbs 29:17
17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.
The opposite is true if we don't discipline our children. I don't want to hate my children but if I don't discipline them and they are ruining my life that might be what ends up happening.
Proverbs 13:24
24 He who spares disciplining hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
God's Plan For Raising Children- this is another really great study on what God has to say about raising kids.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Easy Experiment With Light Refraction
I don't know about you all but it seems we haven't had a lot of luck with our homeschool
experiments. So now that we've had some success I figured I would share the wealth.
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| Fill a clear baking dish with water. You will also need a little mirror. This is one I broke off some old make-up powder that I had. |
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| The mirror must be submerged in order for the rainbow of colors to appear. |
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| Presto, the light is broken up in to a beautiful surprise. Don' t you just love how God hid the colors in sunlight! I do! |
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
This is an incredible easy meal and fantastically tasty!!
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| Buy a Pork Butt It's on sale this week at Target for $1.49lb Get one as close to 5lbs as you can. Now is the time to stock up while it's on sale! |
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| Cut the Butt in to two Cheeks...LOL Salt and pepper sprinkled all over |
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| Pour in 1 Can of Beef Broth into the crockpot and cook for 6 hours. |
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| The meat is done when it separates with a fork. At this point take out the meat an put it on a cutting board. |
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| Separate the fat from the meat. Return the good stuff to the crockpot and dump in some BBQ Sauce. My personal favorite is Bullseye Original ! Mix it all together. |
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| Serve on the bun of your choice! Pour some extra sauce on top! Enjoy:) Ingredients Makes about 8 servings 5lb Pork Butt 1-(14.5ounce) can of Beef Broth 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce Hamburger buns |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Minimalist Wardrobe
Money Saving Mom is one of my favorite websites. I am so inspired by her youtube post. She has a very small wardrobe, just a few items that she switches around. I think it's time to follow her lead and clean out my closet :)
Just click here to see it
Just click here to see it
Monday, October 4, 2010
Favorite Music
Hi Folks,
This is my first post ever! I am Lindy's sister- Jeanne (aka Angela) - and I live in Maryland. My hubby and I have 3 boys ages 10, 8, and 4. I wanted to share some of our favorite music that we found at the library and love to listen to often. Before I share it, I want to let you in on a little secret- my kids play longer with their toys, color longer, and playdough longer if they are listening to music (actually so does their mother).
We love Beethoven's Wig- esp. volumes 1 and 4 (see below). It takes classical music and puts really funny words to it. For example, "Beethoven's Wig, is very big" to Beethoven's 5th symphony. They all laugh and laugh in the car. They have become very familiar with the tunes and recognize them by their name when they are on the classical music station. The albums also have the music without the word at the end of the CD.
My youngest son and I really have great memories of listening to "Under A Shady Tree". I'll sing to him, "Under a shady tree" and he will sing back to me, "you and me". We often will sit under a tree in our backyard, with a blanket spread out, and a snack, and a pile of books to read- so the song brings back those memories (especially when it is cold outside and we are stuck inside).
Sometimes, we just put on the classical music station while we go about our day. Now the boys put it on their radios when they go to bed at night to help them fall asleep. Try it and see what you think.
Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
This is my first post ever! I am Lindy's sister- Jeanne (aka Angela) - and I live in Maryland. My hubby and I have 3 boys ages 10, 8, and 4. I wanted to share some of our favorite music that we found at the library and love to listen to often. Before I share it, I want to let you in on a little secret- my kids play longer with their toys, color longer, and playdough longer if they are listening to music (actually so does their mother).
We love Beethoven's Wig- esp. volumes 1 and 4 (see below). It takes classical music and puts really funny words to it. For example, "Beethoven's Wig, is very big" to Beethoven's 5th symphony. They all laugh and laugh in the car. They have become very familiar with the tunes and recognize them by their name when they are on the classical music station. The albums also have the music without the word at the end of the CD.
My youngest son and I really have great memories of listening to "Under A Shady Tree". I'll sing to him, "Under a shady tree" and he will sing back to me, "you and me". We often will sit under a tree in our backyard, with a blanket spread out, and a snack, and a pile of books to read- so the song brings back those memories (especially when it is cold outside and we are stuck inside).
Sometimes, we just put on the classical music station while we go about our day. Now the boys put it on their radios when they go to bed at night to help them fall asleep. Try it and see what you think.
Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Want to save money? I mean BIG money
Stop what you are doing,
YES!
Right Now... find your last mortgage statement.
Now take a look...how much money are you paying in principle??
Now, how much are you paying in INTEREST! (YIKES)
I know it's horrible isn't it!!
Let's say you owe $200,000 on your principle balance at 6% interest rate with a 30 year fixed loan.
If you never make an extra principle payment you will be paying an extra $231,677.05 in interest. That doesn't sound like 6% to me, it sounds like 130%.
That home you thought you were paying $200,000 for is really costing you 431,677.05
Did you know you can do something about it?
You can pay down your principle balance and decrease the amount you pay in interest.
Now let's say you don't have a lot extra cash to add to that principle balance only $100 additional a month.
Over the next 30 years you will have saved $62,463.88 in interest and decreased then length of you loan by 9 years 10 months.
Isn't that ridiculous, everyone tells you 6% is a great rate, but really is it?
There is a great calculator online that can show you how much you can save by prepaying your mortgage principle.
Simple ways to save on groceries.
First of all saving money on anything requires a certain amount of humility. Repeat after me, "A penny saved is a penny earned" if Benjamin Franklin was willing to pinch a penny then so can I.
1. When items that you frequently use are Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) stock up!
I am finding that Walmart isn't really the cheapest place to buy food. Publix is much less when items are BOGO. Sure the regular prices at Publix are more expensive than the regular prices at Walmart however, when Publix has BOGO you really save big! Especially if you have a coupon and they let you use 2 coupons for the BOGO.
2. Know the price for items you buy frequently so when you see a good deal, you know it!
We drink Folgers coffee everyday, usually it's around $10-12 so when I see the sale price at Publix drop down to $7 a can I buy 5 cans, my bill may be temporarily high but in the long run I am saving.
3. Shop at multiple stores- I have 3 stores I shop at Publix, Super Target and Walmart Grocery store certain items are lower at certain stores. I am still trying to figure out which items cost less at each store so I am making a list of what cost what where.
4. Try not to go out to eat. I LOVE eating out but, boy, is it expensive! We try to eat healthy but I do keep some quick not so healthy meals at home to avoid going out to eat. For example, we have frozen hamburgers in the freezer, going out to eat you pay about $8-10 for one meal. You can buy a whole package of burgers for the same price and it will probably last you 2 meals. And if you do go out to eat drink water! Do you realize that you are paying $2.50 for a soft drink? You can get (2) 2 liter bottles for that price, suck it up, swallow your pride and order water!
Click here for some more ideas for saving at Publix
Share some of your favorite money saving tips and leave a comment ! :)
1. When items that you frequently use are Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) stock up!
I am finding that Walmart isn't really the cheapest place to buy food. Publix is much less when items are BOGO. Sure the regular prices at Publix are more expensive than the regular prices at Walmart however, when Publix has BOGO you really save big! Especially if you have a coupon and they let you use 2 coupons for the BOGO.
2. Know the price for items you buy frequently so when you see a good deal, you know it!
We drink Folgers coffee everyday, usually it's around $10-12 so when I see the sale price at Publix drop down to $7 a can I buy 5 cans, my bill may be temporarily high but in the long run I am saving.
3. Shop at multiple stores- I have 3 stores I shop at Publix, Super Target and Walmart Grocery store certain items are lower at certain stores. I am still trying to figure out which items cost less at each store so I am making a list of what cost what where.
4. Try not to go out to eat. I LOVE eating out but, boy, is it expensive! We try to eat healthy but I do keep some quick not so healthy meals at home to avoid going out to eat. For example, we have frozen hamburgers in the freezer, going out to eat you pay about $8-10 for one meal. You can buy a whole package of burgers for the same price and it will probably last you 2 meals. And if you do go out to eat drink water! Do you realize that you are paying $2.50 for a soft drink? You can get (2) 2 liter bottles for that price, suck it up, swallow your pride and order water!
Click here for some more ideas for saving at Publix
Share some of your favorite money saving tips and leave a comment ! :)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Classical Conversations Supplements
When I need a break from my kids I have found some CC supplements on the internet...if you need a break too here is a list.
Science
Magic School bus gets eaten (Cycle 2 Week 2 Types of consumers and parts of the food chain)
http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=3421
Magic School bus wet all over (Cycle 2 week 4 The natural cycles)
http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=7605
Science
Magic School bus gets eaten (Cycle 2 Week 2 Types of consumers and parts of the food chain)
http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=3421
Magic School bus wet all over (Cycle 2 week 4 The natural cycles)
http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=7605
Magic School bus gets planted. (Cycle 2 week 4- The natural cycles)
Magic School bus all dried up (Cycle 2 week 5- Animals adapting to environmental change)
Grammar
Pronouns Schoolhouse Rock
Nouns
Interjection
Verb
Adverb
Conjunction
Preposition
Adjective
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Why I homeschool my kids :)
My whole life I think I have been a minimalist. I like having a small house because that means there is a minimal amount of square footage to clean. I like spending a minimal amount of money for every item I buy. I like to do the minimum amount of work to complete any project. So you may ask, why do you homeschool? Isn't it a lot of work?
I have prayed about what to do with my children's education since their birth, I never imagined I would be one of those home schooling jumper-wearing "hippies". But while I was praying I felt like God spoke to me, this is not one occasion where I want you to take the easy minimal route, I want you to home school these children.
Now that I've been homeschooling for about 6 months, I have to say, that I think it is easy in a lot of ways. On most days, we get up, no need to rush off anywhere, I get to have my coffee, have a conversation with the kids, it's very relaxing. Many days we start off by reading books for a while before we start "school".
I hear tales from my sweet friends, who are rushing off to school, rushing back to school to wait in long car lines to pick up their children, rushing to do homework, rushing to feed the kids supper, rushing off to sports or cub-scouts, rushing to get their kids into bed and starting all over the next day... and then I think to myself, maybe, home-schooling is actually the right choice for a minimalist! :)
I have prayed about what to do with my children's education since their birth, I never imagined I would be one of those home schooling jumper-wearing "hippies". But while I was praying I felt like God spoke to me, this is not one occasion where I want you to take the easy minimal route, I want you to home school these children.
Now that I've been homeschooling for about 6 months, I have to say, that I think it is easy in a lot of ways. On most days, we get up, no need to rush off anywhere, I get to have my coffee, have a conversation with the kids, it's very relaxing. Many days we start off by reading books for a while before we start "school".
I hear tales from my sweet friends, who are rushing off to school, rushing back to school to wait in long car lines to pick up their children, rushing to do homework, rushing to feed the kids supper, rushing off to sports or cub-scouts, rushing to get their kids into bed and starting all over the next day... and then I think to myself, maybe, home-schooling is actually the right choice for a minimalist! :)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
3 eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4"
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 Cup of Parmesan cheese
6 Cups of Spaghetti sauce, divided ( I like homemade)
1 (16 ounce) Package of mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 Cup of parmesan cheese (you need a total of 1 cup of the parmesan cheese)
- Sweat the 1/4" slices by sprinkling with sea salt and letting sit for 30 min.
- Rinse, pat dry with paper towel get good and dry
- Dip slices into beaten eggs then dip in a mixture of 3 Cup breadcrumbs and 1/2 C parmesan cheese
- Place on baking sheet coated with Extra Virgin Olive Oil then bake for 7 minutes at 450 degrees, flip and bake an additional 5-7 minutes depending on how crisp you like it.
- In a 9X13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese. Sprinkle Basil on top.
- Bake in preheated oven now turned down to 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Notebook...not the movie or the book
Jeanne came up with this idea and I love it!
Step One....buy a notebook or find one that you already have that still has some blank pages.
Step two...on the inside of the front cover, write down phone numbers of anyone whose number you need to know frequently but haven't memorized...i.e...dentist, school, pediatrician, friend....you get the point.
Step three...on the first blank page divide the page into four segments...upper right things I need to buy, upper left...things I need to do....
If someone recommends a book, gives you directions, a confirmation number, a website, any information you may need at a later date, write it in this notebook.
Instead of having little pieces of paper lying all around the house keep your notebook on the counter or by the phone....
You can use a page a day or a week
I am finding that I get a lot more done with this method, it's easy, cheap and efficient.
Step One....buy a notebook or find one that you already have that still has some blank pages.
Step two...on the inside of the front cover, write down phone numbers of anyone whose number you need to know frequently but haven't memorized...i.e...dentist, school, pediatrician, friend....you get the point.
Step three...on the first blank page divide the page into four segments...upper right things I need to buy, upper left...things I need to do....
If someone recommends a book, gives you directions, a confirmation number, a website, any information you may need at a later date, write it in this notebook.
Instead of having little pieces of paper lying all around the house keep your notebook on the counter or by the phone....
You can use a page a day or a week
I am finding that I get a lot more done with this method, it's easy, cheap and efficient.
THE CHART
This is a great way to train your child without guilt or screaming. I got this idea from a friend and it has really helped at our house. Ethan must get 9 of the 10 categories "X"ed to get the reward. Right now the reward is getting to play a little Wii at the end of the day.
So far, he didn't get to play one night since we've instated this chart. That night there was lots of crying and gnashing of teeth, but now we don't fight about getting school work done, he know the consequences and doesn't like them.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Trouble with Math
Whether your kids go to public school, private or are home-schooled, this website is a gem. Sometimes our children have a hard time understanding math when we explain it or even their teacher at school. So the next time you are stumped go to Khan's Academy.
This man made youtube videos from basic addition to calculus.
Here is the link
http://www.khanacademy.org/
The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Despite being the work of one man, Salman Khan, this 1600+ video library is the most-used educational video resource as measured by YouTube video views per day and unique users per month. We are complementing this ever-growing library with user-paced exercises--developed as an open source project--allowing the Khan Academy to become the free classroom for the World.
This man made youtube videos from basic addition to calculus.
Here is the link
http://www.khanacademy.org/
The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Despite being the work of one man, Salman Khan, this 1600+ video library is the most-used educational video resource as measured by YouTube video views per day and unique users per month. We are complementing this ever-growing library with user-paced exercises--developed as an open source project--allowing the Khan Academy to become the free classroom for the World.
The Battle of the CAR SEAT!!
The Battle of the car seat. This lesson took me a long time to learn and I'm not sure I've mastered it, I get another chance and child to work on this one. I've tried screaming, spanking, sheer force and it really didn't work at getting the kids into their car seats willingly. Until my sister told me this nugget of wisdom.
- Keep little treats in the car such as a little box of raisins or orange tic-tacs and after the child gets in the car seat, they get a treat. My kids get in the car now and are excited to jump into there seats and wait for their treat!
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