Hope House Update

It has been a while since we have sent out a newsletter, and we wanted to take this opportunity to bring you up to date on what has been happening here in Mexico.

A few weeks ago, we had an official opening of Hope House with a dedication and time of prayer and fellowship at the house. It was a very nice time and there were about 35-40 folks there from the church of our director, Maria Meza. Many of these women are helping out and working at Hope House and have provided many things for our resident family. Maria and her husband, Pastor Mariano, have been blessed and excited to see the fruition of their vision to minister to and help single moms and teen girls. They have taken on this project with all their hearts and energy, even though they were already busy pastoring their congregation and feeding about 100 children each morning Monday through Friday at a local school.

I would like to introduce you to our current resident family. The mom is Diana and she is 20 years old. She has two sons - Arturo who is almost 2 years old, and another baby boy (no name yet) who is about 3 months old. She came to Hope House from a very violent situation and is very timid. She has been hurt a lot and hasn't learned things we take for granted like basic personal hygiene for her and her children. The wonderful ladies at Hope House have been encouraging her and demonstrating proper care for her children, assuring that she feels safe and is learning and growing during her stay there.

Ricardo and the guys at Eliacim (men's rehab center) are doing well. We hope to get some blankets to give to them real soon since it is starting to get a little chilly here at night. We are hoping to begin supporting them financially on a regular basis real soon.Back in the summer, we felt God was releasing us from living in Mexico and bringing about a new season in our lives. After seeking His direction and discussing what He had laid on our hearts, we made the decision to move to the Phoenix area. Well, the time has come and we are making that move the beginning of December. Now that Hope House is up and running, we are only needed for oversight, direction and funding. We will be making monthly trips down here to do just that, as well as trouble shoot any issues that arise. We are hoping to be able to spend some time in the next year fundraising for Hope House in order to get a regular budget established that will cover all the costs as well as be able to pay some of the staff salaries. Right now, everyone is working there voluntarily!

We will also be working with Freedom Gate International Missions with Rick and Susan Bennett in Phoenix, helping in whatever ways we can be of assistance to them at their mission base. We will also be able to offer our assistance in outreaches to the Latino community in the Phoenix area, as well as begin to build relationships in other border towns where we can establish Hope Houses in the future.

We, as a family, are really looking forward to being part of Freedom Gate Church and participating in many areas of their ministry. We have lived in Mexico for the last 5 1/2 years, and the things we missed the most were being part of a vibrant church family and being able to host friends and family at our home on a regular basis. We also felt a great burden for our children. They have sacrificed many things during our time in Mexico, and we feel it is time for them to live in the states and have some of the opportunities that they have missed out on these past 5 1/2 years. They are entering their teen years, and being part of a great church family is very important to us for them.

Last weekend, God led us to a great house to rent in northwest Mesa and Joe is going to be able to transfer to Phoenix with WalMart, thus giving a continuity of income for our family. Then, when we get settled, he will find a better job with more income and consistent hours. Joe has worked at WalMart since January, riding his bicycle 6 miles each way to work in order to free up more monies to support Hope House as it was getting established. His hours have been inconvenient and he has had to work most weekends, but God has provided.

Please keep us in your prayers as we make this move. We are trusting that God will provide all that we have need of and more! He has opened all the doors and provided all that we have needed over the past 5 1/2 years. He has taught us, more than anything, to wait on Him and see His hand at work. And He is in the process of working out all the details for us in this move.

As we approach this holiday season, we are overflowing with thankfulness to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, for always keeping us, providing for us, loving us and growing us! He is truly awesome!

An Internet Resource for Teachers, Parents and Students

Help Me To Teach is a subscription-based internet directory of online educational resources designed to aid teachers, parents and students with searching for appropriate and safe websites. In just the few weeks that I have had access to this site, it has grown and increased its number of links tremendously! Elaine, the creator of this site, has over 40 years of teaching experience and has spent a tremendous amount of time finding, checking out and adding these links to her site. She has taken time to find sites that are safe for children to search, as well as a tremendous amount of lesson plan and unit study links to aid in teaching, whether in the classroom or at home. And there are currently over 2,300 safe educational links ranging from PreK through High School. There is a brief description for each link to help you decide if it is what you are looking for, as well as coding for age appropriateness so you can eliminate those not suited for your children.

For those of you who do not like to spend a lot of time searching the internet or weeding through thousands of sites, this would be a great resource and time-saver. It is also pretty reasonably prices, since it is $29.95 for a year and right now you get a second year for free! That is less than $15 per year for a helpful and growing resource for your homeschooling! There are also shorter subscriptions, as well as a 3-day trial for $4.95, so you can check it out for yourself to see if it would be a benefit to you.

Occasionally, I would search for something that did not bring many or any results, but those topics are also more difficult to find links to in Goodsearch. I looked up many things for our upcoming U.S. History study and found many lesson plan pages and unit studies, as well as links for online adventures, state study, etc.

If you would like to save time finding resources for your homeschooling, or like to use all online resources for your curriculum, you will find this a helpful and inexpensive resource.

HelpMe2Teach.com

Black Friday Specials...a Little Advance Notice

The other day when reading The Happy Housewife, I learned about two different websites that will be posting details on Black Friday specials ahead of time. Now, you have to know that I am really a newbie when it comes to shopping on Black Friday, but last year I took my 74 year old great aunt out for a morning of "fun" (i.e. standing in lines:-). It was her first time ever, as well as mine. But the incentive was a Sony camera for my hubby for a Christmas present and I only paid 1/2 of the normal price. To me, that was worth a few hours in line (and the rest of the day dead to the world:-). I found out that I don't do well on 3 hours of sleep, especially at 4:30am!!

However, both of my children want electronics this year, so I have already started keeping my eyes open for sale where I could afford to get them what they want. I am hoping for both at one store - much easier to do first thing in the morning. Also, add to that the fact that I have to cross the border into the U.S., either the evening before and camp out, or VERY early in the am.

You better believe I will be checking out TheBlackFriday.com and Black Friday 2008!

They will be posting the ads as soon as they get them. They both already have some of them online like Lowes and KMart.

So, do you shop on Black Friday? Is this a tradition? And have you found it is worth the hassle? I would love to hear your experiences and ideas!

Homeschool Library Builder...Fill Your Bookshelves without Emptying Your Wallet!

I really think their slogan says it all, "Fill Your Bookshelves without Emptying Your Wallet." This is a great resource for homeschooling families! The Homeschool Library Builder is a Christian family-run book business dedicated to providing great literature at affordable prices.

"We stock new and used, hardcover and softcover titles. Most of our new titles are publisher’s remainders and overstocks. Our used books are rated by condition and priced accordingly. Most of our used titles are in very good or better condition. Additionally, we are always on the lookout for hard-to-find or out-of-print titles."

They offer a FREE membership which entitles you to emails notifying you of upcoming sales and specials (they had a Bargain Bin sale a few weeks back with $1 and $2 books!), an account where your purchases earn you points that go toward future purchases, and an opportunity to earn more points when you refer your friends.

If you are using a curriculum that is literature-based, they have a search feature that includes such curricula as Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace, Beautiful Feet, Five In A Row, and much more. They even offer fundraising opportunities for your group by giving 20% of the proceeds during the designated time on the orders placed by members of your group.

I have found this store to be an excellent resource for our literature-based unit study (Learning Adventures) even though they don't have this curriculum as one of their special searches. Their prices are great and they have an excellent selection of "good" books (vs. "twaddle":-). They also have many out-of-print and rare books that I have had difficulty finding elsewhere.

Take some time to check out this website/store and see if they have some of those books you have had a hard time finding elsewhere. And I am sure the prices will be pleasing to you, too!

Recycle Old Electronics and Earn Gift Cards

Thanks to Money Saving Mom, I learned that Sam's Club has a recycling program for computers and other electronics where they will give you gift cards in exchange for your old computers. What a great incentive to recycle and also to make a little spending cash for the holidays!

They take LCD Monitors, Notebook PCs, MP3 Players, Camcorders, Desktop PCs, Printers, Game Systems and Digital Cameras. If you have one of these (or more) lying around, check it out and maybe it will be worth your while to recycle and receive a gift card.

Costco has the same type of program, so you can also check that out to compare or if you don't have a Sam's near you.

Also, Amazon.com has a program through FlipSwap where you can trade in old cell phones or iPods for Amazon.com gift cards - and they pay the shipping!

I am looking around the house to see what old electronics we have to recycle. Let me know if you try this and how it works for you.

Kinderbach - Piano for Your Little Ones

I have had the opportunity to spend some time looking over this online program for teaching 2-7 year olds music foundations and to play the piano. First, let me say that I am a pianist and have taught piano lessons from time to time, so I know a little about this subject and was a little skeptical of an online, web-based program to teach piano. However, after spending some time engaging in several Kinderbach lessons, and browsing through the whole first half of this program, I am convinced this is an extremely delightful and effective method for teaching very young children to play the piano.

Here is what Karri Gregor, creator and founder of Kinderbach, has to say about this program:

KinderBach is piano lessons for 2-7 year olds taught by DVDs, Activity Books, and CDs. Children learn the notes on the piano and staff by characters rather than letters. I have taught hundreds of students, and I know that your child does NOT have to be able to read to learn piano.

KinderBach not only teaches piano, but other factors of music. Music theory, note reading, rhythm, ear training, hand position and much much more!

KinderBach was designed to give your child the over all music foundation. Your child can take everything they have learned from KinderBach and apply it to another instrument or continue further with piano. KinderBach was designed to be a spring board, taking this information and just going to endless bounds with what they have learned!

My children at too old to be interested in Kinderbach, so I had to look at it from the perspective of how I think my children would have liked it when they were little, as well as from a teacher's perspective. I was one of those teachers who required children to read before beginning piano lessons, but I can clearly see that if you engage children in a different way than "traditional" piano instruction, it is very possible to teach them at a much younger age. Both of my children are very musical, but it came about more through listening and desire, than through my instruction (it is difficult to teach your own children a musical instrument:-).

As a homeschool family, I can see that Kinderbach would be a TREMENDOUS asset and addition to the very early education of our children. I believe they learn SO much more than just music, since they are following instructions, learning colors, and so much more. There are wonderful activity pages that go along with most lessons. And it is so much FUN for the little ones! I can imagine it would be difficult to limit them to just one session per day.

If you choose to use the online Learning Center with over 300 sessions included as well as PDF files for the printout activity pages, it will cost you $14.95 per month, billed monthly. That is a HUGE savings over paying a piano teacher about $60 per month (an average rate of $15/hour for 4 lessons each month). And if you choose to pay all of it up front, you can save over 50% of that. It is just $85.95!!! That is 60 weeks of lessons - about 2 years of instruction for just a little more than one month paid to a piano teacher! And don't forget the extra games, songs and coloring pages that are available, too! Ok, that savings is definitely worth it and this program is really great for 2-7 year olds. There is also a choice to purchases DVDs, CDs, and songbooks so that you don't have to use this on the internet, but that is a little more expensive.

Take advantage of their free trial of the first two lessons (weeks) and check it out for yourself. If you have children from 2-7 years old, I believe you will be truly delighted with this product, as will your children. And they will learn in such a fun and engaging setting!

A New Favorite Saying

For many years, my favorite saying and life motto was:

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Nietsche

This was quoted in the beginning of the Conan the Barbarian movie that I saw way back in the 80s!

Well, last night I heard a new saying that I really liked - and it was quoted in Kung Fu Panda (funny how movies seem to be where I get inspiration for life:-).

Here is my new favorite saying:

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
But today is a gift
And that is why it's called the Present.

How cool is that? I really like that and think it would be really great to remember and apply to my life.

I would LOVE to hear some of your favorite sayings. Share them here.

Review: A Great Nativity Play Set

I recently received this 17 piece Nativity Play Set from One2Believe. Their description is as follows:
Children can make this story come to life with our interactive “Nativity” play set, featuring everything you need to help your child learn about this fascinating Tale of Glory. Set includes a “Birth of Baby Jesus” mini-storybook and 17 PVC pieces (Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus in manger, King #1, King #2, King #3, Angel #1, Angel #2, Shepherd #1, Shepherd #2, male camel, male donkey, male sheep, female sheep, stable, tree, and a barrel of hay). For ages 3+.

Since my children are a little old to "play" with this Nativity Set, we spent some time together looking at the figurines and handling them to see how they are constructed. This set also comes with a little booklet with the Birth of Baby Jesus story in 3 different languages - English, Spanish and French. This would be great for those studying one of these languages to read and learn the Christmas story in Spanish or French.

I love the fact that this Nativity set was made specifically for children to play with and re-enact the birth of our Savior. My children always wanted to play with our Nativity set, but I couldn't let them because it was breakable. So, for even just this one reason, I think this is a fantastic gift! And the price of $24.99 is not bad for so many pieces. The characters are cute - some even have surprised expressions (which made me think that they were probably really surprised to have angels visit and talk to them).

You could keep the Baby Jesus out of the manger until Christmas morning and surprise your kiddos with the Baby that morning. And you could have the wisemen far across the room (or house) traveling the great distance to see the new King. There are so many ways you could use this set to teach your children the great story of our Savior's birth!

This company also has many other Tales of Glory Bible figures depicting stories from the Bible that would be great toys for your little ones, like Noah's Ark, Moses, Daniel, David & Goliath, Jonah and the fish, and more! What a great way to teach your little ones the great stories of the Bible and let them re-enact them time and time again!

You Could Win This New Book!

I am hoping to be 1 of 15 winners for
The Quest for Thunder Mountain
on the HSB Company Porch!
You don't want to miss out on this
great new give-away from the author of
The Terrestria Chronicles!

Readers of the popular Terrestria Chronicles allegory series will be thrilled to learn that Ed Dunlop has just released The Quest for Thunder Mountain, the first book in his new Tales from Terrestria series. The Quest tells the story of a young minstrel whose life is shattered when his career comes to an abrupt end. The book was written to help young adult readers experience the wonder of finding and doing the will of the King. You can see the TOS review of the Terrestria Chronicles at: www.TalesOfCastles.com .

Sorry for the Unexpected Break...

Well, it wasn't planned, but I haven't had the time or energy lately to get this blog updated. I apologize for those who have been checking in and wondering what in the world happened to me. We have been very busy - several trips to Phoenix, 2 interns here for a month, preparing to move, working on homeschool products reviews (look for those coming up here soon;-). Whew! It makes me tired even thinking about it all!

But the good news is that things are settling down for a little bit (if you don't count packing in preparation to move at the end of the month:-) and I am hoping to get some posts caught up in the next couple of days.

Just to let you know, two weeks ago we went to Six Flags Magic Mountain and I rode EVERY roller coaster there!! My kids and one other friend joined us, while my hubby and another friend sat and watched (roller coasters are just not their thing:-). It made my head spin sometimes and there were a few times I thought, "Are you CRAZY?", like when they suspended us face down for the start of one ride that swung you around and upside down - all face downward (Tatsu). And then there was X2 - the first and only roller coaster where the cars flip around and throw you into positions you just can't imagine, all the while riding a breathtaking roller coaster ride. There were even flame throwers (but my eyes were closed) and loud music and taunting voices in speakers just behind your head. The worst part was the jarring of your neck - thought I might have whiplash! But the pain went away pretty quickly and I was very proud of myself for making it through every one along with my kiddos. There weren't very many "older" folks like me in those lines:-)

My kids thought I was crazy...

when I told them I was going to make a tote bag out of the dog food bag. But, now they aren't so sure:-). I think it turned out great! The bag material is like tyvek, very heavy duty and water resistant. I lined the inside with a contrasting, yet coordinating fabric and attached these purse handles that I got on clearance at Michaels. It measures about 16" wide and 12" high.Ok, so this may be going pretty far as far as reusing and repurposing, but I am pretty proud of the final product. What do you think? I have another dog food bag, do you think I should make another? Do you think anyone would buy it? I would LOVE your feedback!
For more inspiring ideas, check out Make It From Scratch over at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven.
And for more frugal ideas, visit the Festival of Frugality at The Might Bargain Hunter.

A Great Deal on a Great Homeschool Magazine!

If you want to get a great deal on a great homeschool magazine, now is the time! I have been receiving this magazine for about a year now, and have really enjoyed the articles and resources it always includes. There are articles that will encourage and inspire you, as well as great homeschooling resources like complete unit studies and science experiments.

I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school
year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!

It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote bag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half of them are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry!
(They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download item.

Take a minute and check it out today. You can view older issues to see if this is something you are interested in, and the Teacher's Toolbox feature (which is fairly new), is a great resource for your schooling, too.

Need Some Ideas? Here are the Carnivals!

I forgot to link to these Carnivals earlier this week, so better late then never, I say!

Make It From Scratch was hosted by I've Got a Little Space to Fill.

The Homesteading Carnival was hosted by HowToMe.

The Carnival of Homeschooling was hosted by Dana over at Simple Pleasures

Take some time this weekend to browse and get some great ideas that may motivate, inspire and assist you in making your home a sweeter place and your Christmas a homemade one.

How to Have a Sane and Enjoyable Christmas!

A number of years ago, I realized that the only way I could make Christmas a stress-free and enjoyable time was to plan way ahead of time, shop all year, and take the last minute stresses away for my husband. And, of course, put the focus back on Christ our Savior, and reason for this celebration, after all.

Well, I believe this year may be a little different because we will be moving the beginning of December:-), but I wanted to share a great resource that will help you get on the right track. And you need to start NOW!!! It is not too early to plan for a wonderful holiday season. In my Inbox today, I received information about this wonderful resource:

The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family
by Sheri Graham

Here is some of what is included for only $12.95:

• Blank monthly and weekly calendar pages for planning your year

• Weekly "To Do" lists showing exactly what needs to be done each week

• Thanksgiving and Christmas Menus forms

• Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Recipe Card forms

• A Holiday Self-Evaluation form

• Shopping Lists

• "Sheri's Tips"- tips to make your holidays meaningful, shared throughout the ebook

• Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas

• Memory Making Ideas for the Family

• Holiday Journal Pages

• Many, many forms such as:
  
  Christmas Gift Shopping List
  Gift Making Checklist
  Christmas Card Checklist
  List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away
  Favorite Meals to Freeze for Later
  Decoration Ideas
  Needed Supplies to Purchase This Week
  Holiday Baking Schedule
  Kids' Gift Idea List
  Christmas Gifts to be Shipped

• PLUS!!! This ebook includes "The Glorious Coming: A Jesse Tree Celebration of Advent" - Jesse Tree devotionals, ornaments, and instructions to make your own Jesse Tree!

• PLUS!!! Some of our favorite holiday recipes!

I have to confess that I am in no way being compensated for promoting this item - I haven't even been in contact with these folks. I just saw it and knew it would be a wonderful planning tool for so many of you who get stressed out over the holidays. Since it is an ebook, you can buy it and print it out today to get started. And you will never have to buy it again - just print out new pages each year!

Here is the link, in case you want to check it out more for yourself. And if you are participating in a Jesse Tree devotional/ornament group swap, then you won't even have to buy another book for your devotions - they are all included, too!

I am going to start laying out my planning for the holidays now, since the next two months are going to be a little crazy in our house. I already have almost all my Christmas shopping done, so that is one thing I am WAY ahead on:-) Just a few more things and it will all be done. That takes ALOT of stress out of the holidays!

The Cutest and Simplest Clothespin Bag Ever!

I decided that I really need to make a clothespin bag and was considering crocheting one out of plarn (plastic yarn made from plastic grocery bags) until I found this one online at The Family Homestead - it is made out of a toddler denim shirt! It is TOO cute and SO simple that I just HAVE to make one like that. Only one problem - no more toddler clothes! My kids are big now and I don't have any of their little clothes left. I guess I will just have to stop at a thrift store and find one for pennies:-)

Tip Nut also had a list of 11 different patterns for clothespin bags just in case you are looking to make one.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Quite a number of years ago, I wanted to make sloppy joes but didn't have a can of sauce. I posted a question on a board somewhere (can't remember where) asking for a recipe to make from scratch and someone replied very quickly. And I haven't bought the canned sauce again since!

Every time I make it, I change it a little depending on what I have on hand and what I feel like (spicy, mild, etc.), but here is a general idea of my recipe:
2 lbs. ground turkey or lean beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
Optional: chopped green or red pepper, jalapeno
1 can tomato sauce
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 T dijon mustard
2 T honey
2 T cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground meat and onion. Mix in all the other ingredients. Allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes to thicken sauce. Serve on homemade whole grain buns with a slice of cheese.
My family just loves these! And they are healthy and wholesome, too!

If you would like more kitchen tips, check out Kitchen Tip Tuesdays over at Tammy's Recipes.
For more great ideas, check out Make It From Scratch where creativity and frugality meet!

We All Scream for Ice Cream...Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter!

Yesterday, I was reading Passionate Homemaking and saw her recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. It looked so easy (and my kids are always begging me to make ice cream - that ice cream maker sits around doing nothing most of the time) and I knew my family would love it. So I decided to try it. Yummmmmmmm! And I don't normally like chocolate, but this uses cocoa powder and tastes just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!Here is her recipe, but I made a few changes. First, I don't have access to raw milk, so I just used whole milk and heavy cream (cheap here in Mexico). Also, I just ground up some fresh peanut butter and used honey and sucanat in the ice cream. So all in all, it is pretty healthy - as long as you don't eat a quart in one sitting:-) It is also pretty inexpensive, considering that a 1/2 gallon of good ice cream costs about $5.00! This probably was less than $3.00 total.I can't wait to try her Coconut Ice Cream recipe - that is my FAVORITE flavor!

Today is Carnival Tuesday! Don't Miss Out!

I just wanted to make sure you don't miss out on these wonderfully inspiring carnivals:

The Carnival of Homeschooling - Old West Edition - is being posted by Miss Jocelyn over at A Pondering Heart (still can hardly believe she is only 17!! I am so impressed!)

The Make It From Scratch carnival is hosted over at Chez Artz today.

And don't forget to check out The Homesteading Carnival hosted by yours truly!!

Homeschooling When You Just Don’t Feel Like It (and Neither Do Your Kids!)

I think this happens to all of us regardless of what our “job” is. There are many days that my husband doesn’t feel like going to work and I remember how much I used to HATE Mondays! After a few days away from work, I just did not want to go back.

Well, why do we think homeschooling will be any different? I do admit that it is much easier to love and I love it much more than any job I have had in the past. But still, when other things in life start to pile up and your brain, at least, is busy will a dozen (or million) other things, there are still times and days that I just don’t feel like homeschooling. The danger of this is that no one else is in charge and it is TOO easy to just “skip” a day, or two….

When the newness of your curriculum wears off, or you get to the middle of a unit study and have run out of “fun” things to do, or since the temps are starting to cool off and it is actually pleasant some days to be outside, this is when you need a change, and idea, an inspiration.

I have a few different ideas that may help through these times. First, if you are feeling “burned out” (either you or your kiddos), don’t hesitate to take a day off of school to do something different. You can still count it as a day of school if you play educational games or take a field trip or watch educational videos. Don’t you realize that they do this occasionally in public schools for the same reason? And it still counts as a school day for them.

Another thing that may be happening is that you are bored – yes, bored – with your day-to-day curriculum. Even a great unit study curriculum can get boring if you leave out the fun stuff like cooking, crafts and games. Sometimes, especially when we “get behind”, we try to get through the bulk of the material and leave out the “fun” stuff – GUILTY! You can often tell when this is happening by your kids asking, “How come we never do fun stuff anymore?” Ooohhh, that hurts! Here I am the great unit study teachermom who always does thrilling and exciting projects with her kids and then I get that question!! Think perhaps I have forgotten that learning needs to be fun? Perhaps I have gotten caught up in getting done and set aside the things that really make the learning stick?

Well, the cure is simple – do the fun things! Don’t be ruled by the curriculum, make the curriculum work for you and your kids. Take time today to cook a meal that goes along with your unit study, read a fun book that enhances your topic, play a game with your kids that helps them retain what they have learned recently. Do a science experiment and have fun with it! How about a craft project?

Ok, if you haven’t figured it out yet, this pep talk is aimed directly at me and we are going to have a “fun” homeschooling day today!! Yeah!! And I hope some of you have benefited along the way.

Confirmation Code: GDXCXVC23296986

The Homesteading Carnival #66 - Happy Birthday Edition

Since this carnival comes up right between my two childrens' birthdays (Sept. 14 & 23), I thought a birthday party theme might be fun!

First we make the preparations: PLANNING THE MENU - here are some great recipes to consider:

Dora Renee' Wilkerson presents Salmon Patties and Fried Green Tomatoes posted at The Jud-King Family.

Alex presents Mango Salsa Recipes posted at Home Life Weekly. I actually made Mango Salsa for this party, but used a simple mix of mangoes, green onions, cilantro and Tajin (a powdered chile and lime mixture very popular here in Mexico).

Danielle Hull presents Zesty Salsa posted at Danielle Hull.

Rachel presents The Excellent Baker - Apple Crisp posted at Rachel's Reasoning.

Stacy presents Roasting Tomatoes posted at Delighting in the Days.....We had a cookout with hamburgers, sausages and chicken. I was able to get a fantastic deal over Labor Day weekend at Fresh & Easy, a new market chain that has some great deals!

INVITATIONS - buy or create your own:

You could get some great ideas for invitations from Miss Jocelyn as she presents Decoding The P31W Graphics posted at A Pondering Heart.

Then you need to GET THE HOUSE READY - this could include decorating and getting rid of pests:
Decorology presents decorology: Get that "simple life" feeling in your home posted at decorology.

MBB presents How To Kill Roaches And Get Rid Of A Home Cockroach Infestation posted at Money Blue Book Personal Finance Blog.Next, we need to BUY THE CAKE - or we could make one with this recipe:

Mexican Redhead presents Fluffy Yellow Butter-Cake posted at Go Therefore And Be Light.

We ordered a cake from Sam's Club - they really do make a great cake at a very reasonable price!

We also need to MAKE SURE ALL IS READY FOR THE PARTY - this might include a baby in your house:

Tomato Lady presents Homemade Baby Wipes posted at Little House in the Suburbs.

With a house full of guests, you might want a few tips on How to Save Water Indoors (a few tips) posted at HowToMe.

And if you are having a GARDEN PARTY, consider these entries:
toad sticker presents Liquid organic fertilizer posted at The Prepared Christian.

Piedro Molinero presents More About Butterfly Gardening posted at DIY Gardening Tips.

And don't forget THE GIFTS - you could buy them or make them yourself like this recycled water bottle holder that I made out of colorful plastic grocery bags.

Chickens might be interesting as Carole DeJarnatt presents Is it Moulting, Molting, or Snowing Feathers? posted at Fowl Visions.

Of course, you could also consider goats: Jacque presents New Goat Kids?? :O posted at Walking Therein.

We celebrated at our friend's house in Phoenix this year and had a wonderful time! My son, the musician, received a Takamine guitar and my daughter received some electronics - like a portable DVD player and a sound system for her room. And they both used some of their monetary gifts to buy clothes.Well, that's a wrap on this birthday party edition of The Homesteading Carnival! Don't forget to submit your articles for next weeks' edition hosted by Howtome.com.

And thanks to CyberGifs for their free birthday graphics!

Recycled Water Bottle Holder

This has been on my mind to do for quite awhile, and I finally collected enough colorful shopping bags to make enough "plarn" to make a couple. I got the pattern from Cindy at My Recycled Bags. It was very easy and quick to make. This one fits a smaller water bottle, so I am going to make another one for the large water bottles I carry around all the time (when you live in the desert, you don't go anywhere without your water bottle:-).

So start collecting your plastic grocery shopping bags and make yourself some "plarn". You will be amazed at the variety of things you can make from it.

I Am Hosting The Homesteading Carnival Here Next Week!

Interested in recipes, gardening, barn animals, home-making, outdoors, homestead tips, and MORE? Then you will enjoy The Homesteading Carnival, even if you don't live on a homestead. Some of us are just "homesteaders at heart", and we share homemade items, craft ideas, lots of recipes and things you can make at home. There are also tips about raising animals and gardening - definitely something for everyone. Won't you join us?

And don't forget to join us HERE next Monday for all the great articles about homesteading stuff!

My FAVORITE Homeschooling Curriculum for FREE!!!

Several years back, I used Teaching With God's Heart for the World with my kids. It is a full year history-based unit study curriculum with a focus on missions and how God prepared the world for the spread of the gospel. I was SO impressed by this curriculum and how it really changed our lives. The first week is academics-free and total focused on teaching our children how to pray and have a personal prayer life. Then halfway through the year, you have another academic-free week focused on intercessory prayer. I am sure that it helped that we were studying this while missionaries on a foreign field. We were so interested in everything about missions and read all 22 YWAM missionary biographies during our study.

I just found out, via Passionate Homemaking, that Ann Dunagan, the author, is making this curriculum available for FREE right now via downloads from their site. You have to at least check it out! You can download whatever you want to use, they have divided it up in to sections for easy download and use. Ann is also going to be going through it with her younger children this year and will be sharing about it on her new blog Mission-Minded LIFE.

Please, please, please don't miss out on this great opportunity to share God's heart for the world with your children through their daily curriculum! At least look at it and see if you might be interested in using it. It will change your lives as a family and give you a heart for the world!

For more great homsechooling ideas and encouragement, visit the Carnival of Homeschooling hosted this week by The Nerd Family.

Menu Plan Monday

It really helps my week go more smoothly (and meals prepared on time) when I plan out my menus ahead of time. But, alas, I am not a very organized/planning ahead type of person on a daily basis. I truly do like to cook whatever I feel like that day:-), but it is certainly not the most time efficient. So, since I am rather busy this week, I thought it would be a good time to get this ball rolling. Keep in mind, this is a starting place and I MAY veer off the plan from time to time, but at least I know that I have all the ingredients I need for these meals and the rest of the things that I need to do each day will have more time to get done (since I don't have to "ponder" what to make and whether I have what I need).

So here goes:

Monday
Breakfast - Whole Grain and Nut Pancakes
Lunch - leftovers from the weekend (Pizza Pasta)
Dinner - Enchilada Casserole with Salad

Tuesday
Breakfast - Egg, turkey ham and cheese sammies (on homemade whole grain buns)
Lunch - leftovers from Monday
Dinner - Oven Baked Ribs and BBQ Beans (making and freezing these for BD Party on Saturday)

Wednesday
Breakfast - leftover Whole Grain and Nut Pancakes
Lunch - leftovers from Tuesday
Dinner - Lasagna (already in freezer) and Salad

Thursday
Breakfast - Scrambled Egg Burritos
Lunch - leftovers from Wednesday
Dinner - Homemade Sloppy Joes on homemade whole grain buns and cole slaw (making for BD Party Saturday)

Friday
Breakfast - Homemade Granola Cereal or Fruit (on the go)
Lunch - eating out because in town all day
Dinner - eating out because on the road travelling

Saturday
Breakfast - ? because we will be visiting friends
Lunch - ? preparing for BD party (for both my kids:-)
Dinner - Cookout with Hamburgers, Sausages and Chicken Legs/Thighs, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, BBQ Beans - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CODY & ALISSA!!!

If you would like to join in Menu Plan Monday or just get menu ideas, go on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie to check it out.

How Renting a Car Saves Us Money

First, you must know that we have a 1998 Dodge Ram Custom Van with over 180,000 miles on it. And it doesn't run very well:-) so we get about 12 miles to the gallon on the highway - on a good day!

So, since we make alot of trips up to Phoenix which is about 200 miles each way, I decided to check into renting a car that would get better mileage and see what it would cost. I found that I could rent an Economy Car for about $16/day on the weekends and it would get about 28 miles to the gallon. When I figured the math, we would SAVE money by renting the car since we would use SO much less gas.

Well, last weekend was the first time to put this theory into practice. Normally, if I drove my van I would use about $150 in gas (usually about 500 miles total). The rental car cost me about $56 total, plus I spent $63 in gas for a total of $119. That was a savings of over $30, not to mention the peace of mind that came with not worrying about the van giving me any problems since my hubby wasn't with us:-)!!

Next weekend, we are making the trip again, and even with renting a Full Size Car (there are 5 of us going) at $22.49/day (and only about 23 mpg), we will break just about even with about $76 in gas and $76 for rental. And again, the peace of mind is worth a little to me:-).

Because of our poor gas mileage, the age of the van, and all the little things that are potential problems, I am looking into buying a used car with a small monthly payment that will save us money monthly just due to better gas mileage. Any suggestions or input on this plan?

BTW, my dream car is the newer Nissan Altima - dark gray/silver - aaaaahhhhhh! Oh, well, it doesn't cost me just to dream:-)

If you would like to see more ideas for saving money and living frugal, check out the Festival of Frugality hosted over at Frugal Babe (love that name!)

An Old Fashioned Sock Monkey

My littlest nephew has a birthday coming up this month, so I decided to make him an old fashioned sock monkey. I did a little searching online and found the Rockford Red Heel Sock Company where I bought a package of 2 pairs of socks (might make him an elephant for Christmas:-) and another site with the instructions. However, since I wanted him to have a hat, I followed the old fashioned instructions which use the toe for the hat (and the tail is still PLENTY long:-).

It didn't take me very long - probably a total of 1 1/2 hours - and is a great toy for my little 2yo nephew! I have also purchased a couple of sock monkey story books to send along with it. I can't wait to hear how he likes it - he seemed to really like monkeys when we visited a few weeks ago.

I always feel good when I make gifts myself from scratch. What about you? Do you enjoy making gifts? If so, what are some of your favorites? Leave me some comments with ideas and maybe I could do a post with a list of ideas for Christmas gifts!

For more creative "homesteading" ideas, visit The Homesteading Carnival #63: The Proverbs 31 Woman Edition hosted by Miss Amanda over at It's A Learning Experience.

Check Out These Great Carnivals

If you need something to read, there are a couple of great carnivals today!

The Homesteading Carnival is being hosted over at their home site and has lots of articles of interest.

Also, the Make It From Scratch Carnival is being hosted by Feels Like Home where you can find recipes and instructions for many items "made from scratch".

Check them out and enjoy!

Whew! That's alot of baking!

Today I sort of started my new business - baking bread to sell. The folks that we visit up in Phoenix have wanted me to bake bread for them, so this week I took orders and have been baking all day for our trip up there to visit tomorrow. I baked 8 loaves of bread and 6 dozen dinner rolls! All tolled, it took about 6 hours from start to finish (4 batches) and made my house very hot and sticky (humidity is VERY high today for the desert). But I enjoyed it and hope they all LOVE the bread made from freshly ground wheat and honey. I use a very simple recipe from the Bread Beckers - Slightly Sweet But Simple Bread - and double it. It seems to take a tad more flour than they say, but makes a wonderful bread!

So, anyone have any ideas for a name for my new "business"? Looking for suggestions, just leave in the comments.

This is too funny - my NEW homeschool motto!

I found this over on Why Homeschool and just had to share! I always liked the song "I Will Survive" sung by Gloria Gaynor, but this is just too hysterical - the HOMESCHOOL MOM version! Thanks to Natalie

Saving Money on Groceries...the EASY way!

I have recently been introduced to a great website that has had amazing impacts on reducing my grocery spending and increasing the value I get for my money. It is My Grocery Deals!

On this website you just enter your area code and then it will find all the grocery stores and pharmacies in your area and list them for you. Under each store, you will find a list of all the items on special that week. You can click on a button to add an item to your list and when you are done, you can just print out the list in order by store and then simply and quickly make your rounds and get the best deals at each store.

This last week was my first time to use this site and I was SO impressed! I was able to get meat for over 13 meals for under $35, as well as eggs for 88 cents/dozen and milk for under $2 per gallon. This was at a store I do not frequent, but it was not out of my way really. And the items they were out of, they gave a rain check for so I can pick them up at that great price this week.

I do not have easy access to coupons and newspaper flyers, so this website is wonderful for me! I don't have to look through a bazillion sales ads in order to find what I am looking for and it prints out a neat list that I can just use as I go from store to store! The best part - IT IS COMPLETELY FREE!! That's right! Just register for free, and you, too, can take advantage of every store's sales each week in your area! Just go to My Grocery Deals and begin!

For more great articles about being frugal, check out the Festival of Frugality hosted over at FIRE Finance.

Watching and Learning from the Olympics

Wow! That's what I have to say about watching the Olympics this year with my kids. It has been a great 2 weeks and we have learned alot. We have had many discussions about different sports and athletes, as well as about good vs. bad sportsmanship, graciousness in winning and losing, etc. Academically, we have done very little, but it has been a great time of learning together.

Have you ever heard of handball (not the kind in a racquetball court) on a field with a team before? That was a new one for us and now my son is hoping to get a homeschool handball team together. We are looking up the rules to learn them and learn about a sport that is very young in the U.S. We didn't even have a team in the competition - but there is hope to have one in the future.

And my kids are VERY interested in learning different swimming strokes and taking lessons - Michael Phelps is such an inspiration, as well as many of the other swimmers. And, of course, my daughter has always wanted to do gymnastics, so this has spurred her on even more.

Beach volleyball and basketball have been the favorite sports of my son and he is very intense when watching, even if we already know who wins:-)! He learned tons about these sports and how they differ from those played in the U.S.

We have played the trivia game daily that is available on DirecTV (don't know if everyone had access to that on MSNBC or not).

There were moments like Bela Karolyi watching Nastia Liuken's performance that were priceless and very entertaining. He is SO uninhibited - a joy to experience! If you haven't seen the clip, please go over to NBC Olympics website and watch it - it is so amusing and uplifting to watch his enthusiasm for the athletes.

If your kids are still small, plan to set aside time to watch the next summer Olympics in 2012. My kids are now almost 12 and 14 and it has been so much fun and so educational for all of us. Sometimes we were up till all hours of the night to watch a game aired live, but it has been so worth it! I am SO glad I set aside the books and just let our learning be about the Olympics and watching and experiencing these games together. Next time around, they may be too old to enjoy to this degree or off and running with their friends. It only comes around once very four years, so this was the time to enjoy it together.

And let me just say that overall, our U.S.A. athletes were great sports - whether winning or losing. There were a few exceptions, of course, but there were so many stories of graciousness and good sportsmanship, that I think these outweigh the few "bad apples". We have a terrific bunch of athletes of all ages and sizes representing us in China at the Olympics this year - WAY TO GO!

For more great homeschooling articles, visit The 139th Carnival of Homeschooling hosted by Life Nurturing Education.

Homeschool Freebies!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has just rolled out their new Homeschool Freebie Directory. Don't miss out on over 40 great companies that have offered free samples and products to homeschoolers! Have fun browsing and have a great school year!

Get Some FREE Food for Your Birthday!!

I just came across this blog that has listed MANY restaurants and other venues that offer free things on your birthday. I signed up for a bunch (who doesn't love birthday presents?) and signed up my kids (whose birthdays are both coming up in September) for those they qualified for, too. Check it out over on Hey Its Free! and sign up for some birthday goodies, too! Can't wait to start receiving my "gifts"!!

Have You Wondered Where I Was?

Well, I know there are some of you who read my blog regularly, so surely SOMEONE missed me! We were away on a trip to visit my brother and his family in Maryland. We had a wonderful time and spent a day in Philadelphia visiting the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Franklin Institute. What a great time of learning about history and science! Counts as TWO school days, don't you think? We also visited the famous Philly Cheesesteak capitol of the world where Geno's and Pat's King of Steaks sit across the street from each other in direct competition for the world's (or at least Philly's) best cheesesteaks!! Well, we tried them both and all voted for Pat's King of Steaks! They were marvelous and loaded with meat, cheese, mushrooms, peppers and onions! Not to mention that they were much larger and only $1.00 more. It was a fun adventure for the kids and I.Sadly, my hubby could not get off work to come with us:-( but the kids still had a great time with their Uncle Ric - flying, boating, tubing and more! He is the exciting uncle that takes the kids to do some rather adventurous stuff. So my kids are always thrilled to spend time with him. And now that they have two children, my kids love to visit their cousins - Jabin, 7 and little Josiah, almost 2. I had a very enjoyable time visiting with both my brother and his lovely wife, Karen. And I enjoyed loving on my little nephews - I don't get to see them often enough!

Now I am back and will, hopefully, be blogging on a regular basis and providing you with lots of money saving ideas, recipes and homeschooling encouragement. Please leave me a comment so I know you have visited (especially if I know you personally!) And don't miss the opportunity to win a great giveaway in the previous post about The Schoolhouse Planner and Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

So Much More Than A Lesson Planner!! And a great Giveaway!

I recently received my download copy of The Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse and...WOW! I am way more than just impressed, I think I am overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of items included for only $39.00!!! Keep reading to the end and you can qualify for a great giveaway!

I have to admit that I am a bit skeptical about planning books. I have looked at so many and have never found one that suited me perfectly. Well, I think that is about to change because you can customize exactly what YOU prefer into the perfect home AND school planning book with The Schoolhouse Planner.

First, you have to know that it has 247 pages!! Not to say you will necessarily want to use ALL of them, but you have so many choices that you can find exactly what you want to use and then some! And the Table of Contents is 3 pages long - that's ALOT of contents! It starts out with overview calendars of 2008 and 2009, then under each month from July 2008 through June 2009, it not only has a great two-page calendar for each month, but includes some great homeschooling and homemaking articles, great reference sheets with things like countries and their capitals, presidents, inventions, timelines, states and capitals, etc. They also have included several GREAT recipes each month for you to try (and I am VERY particular about recipes:-) and a page with resources from The Schoolhouse Store to help you find things to supplement your learning.

Then, when you thought that was alot of great resources, the Homeschool Forms begin. They have over 40 different homeschool forms for you to make use of, covering everything from Annual Plans to Field Trip Planning, Report Card and Unschooling Records, and just about everything in between that you could even think to want.

And if that isn't enough to blow your socks off, they have then included Household Forms!! Over 30 of them including Weekly Menu Planning, Chore Charts (including those for kids too little to read), Our Budget and much, much more! Needless to say, this is an incredible value and resource for any family. It will help you get inspired, organized and well on your way to a fantastic year.

Now that you want to check it out for yourself, you can visit The Old Schoolhouse and order yours. This is an E-Book so you can download it right away and print off exactly whichever forms you want to use. Then you have all the others for resources whenever you decide you want to try them, too. It really is a great value at $39.00 - and if you have been reading my blog at all, you know that I am VERY frugal and wouldn't recommend this if it wasn't a fantastic product at a great price.

And while we are visiting The Old Schoolhouse, I recommend you check out their magazine for homeschoolers. I have been receiving and reading it for over a year and have really enjoyed their articles and information. And now you can subscribe to the digital edition for only $16.95!! The cool thing about the digital edition is that you don't have to wait for it to arrive in the mail (I like that since I only get my mail once a week), it is less expensive (32% less), and when you see an advertisement you are interested in, you can click right on a link and visit them. You can also email articles to your friends when you find something they might be interested in. They have articles about schooling in different countries (which really interests me since we live in Mexico), as well as cool science experiments, reviews of homeschooling products and curriculum, and they even include whole unit studies that you can use in your homeschool.

I hope you get a chance to use The Schoolhouse Planner and read The Old Schoolhouse magazine. I really believe it will encourage and inspire you along this incredible journey of homeschooling your children! The Old Schoolhouse has given me one free subscription to the digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse magazine to give away to one of my readers just for leaving a comment. So let me know what you think and if you would like to receive The Old Schoolhouse digital magazine for FREE!! I will be drawing a random name from the comments on August 20th, so don't miss out!

For more great articles about homeschooling, visit The Carnival of Homeschooling hosted by Taking Time for Things That Matter.

An Incredible Kitchen Resource Tool

A couple days ago, I came across this wonderful list of equivalent measurements for use in the kitchen and just had to share it with all of you! I found this at TipNut (a great resource for so many tips!!) and it is 34 Handy Kitchen Measurement Hacks and Tidbits. Check it out and then print it out to keep in your kitchen for handy reference. And to keep it from getting destroyed when you are using it, just place it into one of those sheet protectors (I have all my recipes in those and it has saved MANY from spills) and keep it handy.

It is really helpful when doing recipes from Alton Brown on Good Eats because he insists that measuring by weight is much more accurate.