And now for the rest of the story...

Real Homeschool Spanish

2012-01-05T22:30:00.000-06:00

This curriculum is designed for the whole family to enjoy! *And you don't need to speak Spanish in order to have fun learning the language with your child. The motto of the curriculum is RELAX, ENJOY, ASPIRE, LEARN SPANISH and REAL Homeschool Spanish strives to make this a reality. Here are some examples:

1. Spanish is learned through conversation and all new vocabulary is first taught through speaking it and getting replies from your children (audio files are included so that the teacher/students can hear the language spoken).

2. Learning the language is incorporated into the day. Material that is learned is relevant in a homeschooling environment and can be used not only in “class” but throughout the day.

3. With the ideas section and games from the activity book your student will have fun learning the vocabulary in a variety of exciting ways.

4. The curriculum comes with a planning guide and daily planning chart so that you can be organized in presenting the material to your family and fitting in as part of your family’s educational journey.

5. Emphasis is placed on a relaxed learning environment. Here’s more from their website on why:
“We believe that a relaxed environment encourages positive language learning. Too much grammar and too much emphasis on perfectly correct speech hinders the enjoyment and progress of learning. Slow and steady practice promotes correct speech over time. For these reasons, we have limited our grammar sections to a minimum and stress communication and enjoyment first.”

I reviewed (the download-able version) of REAL Homeschool Spanish. It included the book (featuring 10 units, 55 vocab clusters and 15 idea sections of ways to further your learning), a 179 page activity book featuring all kids of activities from word searches, to crosswords, to word scrambles and lots in between, all the audio files you need, an answer guide and the daily curriculum guide/planner.
There are number of different options for buying REAL Homeschool Spanish from instant downloads (with or without the daily planner) to hard copies with books and CDs. Check out their purchase page to find out more about products and prices. Currently the download-able versions sell for $49.95 and the hard copies sell for $89.95. There are also many samples available on their website- check them out!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Real Homeschool Spanish, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

World's Greatest Stories-- TOS Review

2011-12-21T10:32:00.000-06:00

Anything that helps me is a worth-while commodity. Wholesome things that make my 'Mom-job' easier are almost as precious to me as chocolate...ok, well maybe. I do hold chocolate in the highest esteem. And coffee. And things that make me laugh. ANYWAY...

We received the NIV audio version of The World's Greatest Stories. Since we travel up north (a lot!) to visit family, this was a perfect addition to our travel necessities. Along with chocolate. And my travel mug full of coffee. :)

The World’s Greatest Stories are dramatized tellings of the Biblical narrative. The text is straight from your choice of the NIV (New International Version) or KJV (King James Version) with nothing added or taken away. They are read by George W. Sarris who desired to increase Biblical literacy in children. He saw the need to produce an auditory Bible that was true to the words of the text, didn’t add characters or remove any of the actual events from the telling but still keep it captivating for children to listen to.

There are six volumes in The World’s Greatest Stories Collection. We reviewed Volume 1 The Prophets; which included tellings of The Blazing Furnace, The Handwriting on the Wall, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Elijah and the Prophets of Baal and The Prophecy of Jonah.

Other Volumes include:
2. The Life of Christ
3. Beginnings
4. Joshua and Esther
5. Joseph and His Brothers
6. Defeating Giants

Each CD is about an hour long so they are great for car trips, to have playing during chore time or to have in as the children are going to bed at night. And at just $7.95 a CD (or cassette tape) they are reasonably priced for just about any budget. If you order six or more items in one transaction, shipping is even free!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about World's Greatest Stories, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Vintage Remedies--TOS Review

2011-12-19T10:38:00.001-06:00

I was totally excited to get this review material- this subject matter is of my own heart. 'Remedy' should be my middle name...and Vintage...well that just screams 'wealth of knowledge' to me. :)

Over the years I've learned (and dabbled in) herbs, tinctures and simplistic cooking/living. I received Vintage Remedies for Kids to review- and how appropriate- did you know I have a multitude of kiddos? I admit, they tend to be my test-subjects. Anyway...onward to the good stuff!

This book is geared for young learners ages 2-6, both boys and girls. Kiddos learn how to identify healthy foods and have a hand in creating healthy snacks for their families. Each of the 18 chapters has a brief introduction for the parents, a section to read to the children, followed by hands-on activities perfect for littles (that's what I call my younger crowd). There are also sample schedules included for use at home or in a playgroup setting (and convenient shopping lists).

This new workbook is packed with projects covering every aspect of natural living including wellness, nutrition, immunity, natural body care, and the conservative use of valuable natural resources - in terms they will understand and remember! The workbook is flexible and can be used also as a fun family project. Children at this age learn best with active lessons, so this isn't a sit and read style picture book! It's a guide for parents that is packed with hands on activities that are perfect for little hands, but fun for all ages. You can pick up a copy of this book for $25, here.

To learn more about Vintage Remedies and the large selection of health and wellness books and curriculum they offer, be sure to stop by their website. Their story is quite fascinating as well, so have a look at their About Us page!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Vintage Remedies, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

I See Cards--TOS Review

2011-12-15T14:37:00.003-06:00

When children play Fractazmic, they know they're having fun, and you know that they're learning!

Fractazmic is an interactive & fun lesson in fractions that gives your child (unlimited) practice at their individual level.

Each brightly colored card displays fractions, along with eye catching graphics, to reinforce what your child is learning. Players will quickly identify the fractions on their cards and calculate their way to fun and learning! Fractazmic teaches fractions, numbers and measurement, students from 1st-8th grade can benefit from this learning game.

Fractazmic Decks Include:

60 Math Learning Cards
Each card clearly numbered
Each card clearly labeled with the fraction and reinforcing graphic.

What makes Fractazmic Decks Special:

Quickly learn to convert and add fractions.
Reinforces relationship between fractions and measurements.
Shows real world use of fractions.

The Rules:

The cards can be used in various ways to fit best with where your child / student is at from using the individual sets of cards to first familiarize the child with the different fractions to playing the different games. Fractazmic can be played by 2-4 players, but also be used individually by the student.

The aim of the game is to combine the different cards in a suit to make 1(a hand). The player with the most ‘hands’ wins.

These are fun, educational card games which retail for US$6.95 per deck of cards.

Fractazmic’s amazing creators can be contacted for support or advice through their contact page HERE.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Fractazmics, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Artistic Pursuits Books--TOS Review

2011-12-07T10:37:00.001-06:00

We were sent ARTistic Pursuits, Grade 4-6, Book 1: The Elements of Art & Composition for review.

4-6 Graders can learn technical skills while creating original works of art. Book one provides an overview of drawing, covering the elements of art and composition. These books are 'non-consumable' so they can be used for the entire family! I was very pleased to receive this product for review because art always seems to fall to the way-side in our homeschool. We do seasonal type projects and special things for the holidays but I can safely say we've never had a curriculum for art. NOW WE DO! What an awesome and user-friendly (or should I say mom-friendly?) curriculum! At first glance, I observed that this book gives students their first in-depth look at the elements of art (in an easy-to-understand text)with illustrations in pencil, marker, and scratch art, the media they will be using. The 'elements of art' and composition are explored through American art.

Here's a breakdown of what you will find in this book:

Unit 2, Lesson 1

ILLUSTRATED VOCABULARY: A definition is given in both words and pictures at the top of the page. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the 'Explore your World!' section are listed and color coded to clarify the purpose of the creative assignment and for easy grading using a grading system on page 87.

Unit 2, Lesson 2

ART APPRECIATION PAGE: Students see how the topic of the unit is used in a work by a master artist. When they see a concept in artists' works, they are more able to use it in their own work. Illustrations accompany the work, helping students see what is being discussed in the text. Arrows point to the places in the artwork that are discussed in the text so students can't miss seeing it.

ART HISTORY PAGE: Students gain a larger context to view art in as they learn about the artists and the times in which the art was made.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: A biography of the master artist familiarizes students with major artists and their works. Students learn about painters of the American Revolution, the first painters of the Native Americans, Wilderness Explorers, Cowboy Painters, Quakers, miniatures, American Impressionists, Realists, and Regionalists.

THE TIMES: Students learn about American history. They will see what Americans were doing, thinking, and discovering during the artist's lifetime.

MAKE AN OBSERVATION DRAWING: Students gain skill in working from observation, memory, or imagination.

Unit 2, Lesson 3

TECHNIQUES PAGE HOW TO: Students learn technical information. How to use a medium such as pencil or pen and a variety of ways for using each medium are introduced. Techniques for drawing and exploring certain subject matter are shown. This page introduces some basic ideas about seeing to help the student begin to observe more closely.

SOMETHING TO TRY: Students practice with the techniques shown, completing a project.

Unit 2, Lesson 4

FINAL PROJECT PAGE: Instructions are given for a final project in which students assimilate the information from the unit and do a work reflecting their interests or particular interpretations.

YOU WILL NEED: A materials list is given in the right column.

REFER TO THE FOLLOWING WHEN DRAWING: Suggestions for what to use as a reference is given in the right column. Once students go through the book they will have used all the references available: photographs, direct observation, their imagination, etc.

STUDENT GALLERY: Students see how others their own age interpreted and successfully used the element of art. A range of skill levels is shown to encourage different approaches to art.

LOOK BACK: Students evaluate the success of the finished work by answering the questions. Parents can use the color-coded stated objective for easy grading.

Media Introduced: Ebony pencil, white pencil, black markers with point and wide tip, scratch art paper and silhouette.

Contents: 1. Space 2. Line and Shape 3. Texture 4. Value 5. Form 6. Form using Value 7. Local Value 8. Contrast 9. The Shapes of Natural Forms 10. Edges 11. Balance 12. Rhythm 13. Overlap 14. Depth 15. Proportion, The Face 16. Movement

4-6 Book One (ISBN 978-0-9815982-4-6), made in the USA, Price: $42.95

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Artistic Pursuits Books, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

College Prep Genius--TOS Review

2011-11-29T15:34:00.000-06:00

We received the VocabCafe books to review from College Prep Genius. VocabCafé books help students easily learn SAT-level vocabulary words while reading an original, wholesome story. These modern novellas contain no illicit sexual themes and no sorcery! Based on a three-step approach to increasing vocabulary, each book highlights 300 advanced words by using definition, repetition, and reinforcement. Readers will find the definition of every highlighted word at the bottom of the page -- there's also a word review and appendix.

Our 6th grader is reading at around a 7th grade level and she enjoyed these books. They're definitely keepers to teach vocabulary to the rest of the bunch in the future. We can never start too early working towards the SAT, right? :)

Get all 4 Vocab Cafe series books for the price of 3 books. Order now and you will receive: IM for Murder, Operation High school, Planet Exile & Summer of St Nick for $38.85.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about College Prep Genius, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

The Reading Game--TOS Review

2011-11-27T23:39:00.000-06:00

Super awesome resource in this one! Our family likes anything that has the word 'game' in it though so we were ready for the challenge! I really enjoyed getting this review, especially for our 6 year old-ALMOST-reader. She was just as excited to get a review that was just for her... :)

Ok- so here's the goods:

The Reading Game is a supplemental learn-to-read program that works along side most standard curriculums. If you like stats, it also meets the criteria of the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts, Foundational skills, and Reading skills needed for both kindergarten and first graders. The Reading Game has 6 illustrated storybooks: the Skunk, Snake, Bear, Penguins, Unicorn, and Zebra. Each book comes with a color coded word matching card game. The memory games are played in six stages for each book, learning five words in each stage. By the end of your first book your child/student will be able to read 30 words. Yay!

"Frequent exposure through play hard-wires these words into long-term memory. The card game requires two players, the student and a tutor. By transforming rote learning into a fast paced game where there is a winner every few seconds, learning to read becomes fun."

The first story is told using just those thirty words. It tells of a skunk without a stripe who is rejected for being different but finds acceptance among a group of cats and becomes their defender. Each game thereafter adds another thirty words for a reading vocabulary of 180 words by the time the complete series is finished. The multi-sensory teaching approach (through the card game play and the storybooks) works well for retention and FUN for your child/student.

We're not all the way through the game yet but we're working our way to the end! There's nothing better than a child who's having fun learning...

You can score The Reading Game for yourself here, it retails for $24.95.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about The Reading Game, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Time Timer-- TOS Review

2011-11-23T09:56:00.001-06:00

Make Every Moment Count

What a fun product/review! This timer is more helpful to our day than I ever imagined. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first opened the package but now that we've been using the Time Timer, it has proven itself to be invaluable!

The Time Timer has been around for awhile. It was invented over twenty years ago by Jan Rogers in response to her four-year-old daughter’s need to see the passage of time in order to understand it. The Time Timer is valuable even today in helping a new generation of students, classroom teachers, special educators, and homeschoolers keep track of their time. Time Timer is different from a regular kitchen timer or wall clock because of its unique construction, you can actually see the time passing as the red disk decreases minute by minute. And there's NO TICKING! This is huge for the kiddos in our home because there's no distraction- just a visual account of the minutes passing by.

As you can see above, Time Timer comes in 3 sizes: 3", 8" and 12". There are so many uses for this timer, some of them include:

setting time limits for work or practice sessions
keeping track of time during testing
keeping track of time during therapy sessions
helping students learn to manage their time wisely
providing a visual aid for learning about the passage of time
helping children monitor their time spent during chores, homework, or play activities
and many more practical uses, from timing exercise periods to timing computer use

Almost any age can use this timer, it is very easy to operate. I like that our 6 year old can understand and see as time passes during her work time. I appreciate that she is grasping the concept of time as she sees the red disk disappear. What an valuable tool!

Another super awesome benefit to the Time Timer is that it is also available as a watch, an app for the iPod and iPhone, and there is a software program for your computer.

Time Timers are $30.00 for a 3” model, $35.00 for the 8” model, and $40.00 for the 12” model (perfect for classroom and group use). The software is $24.00, while the watch is available for $40.00. Orders placed in the United States and those which total over $50 receive free shipping.

Check out the Time Timer website and see if this handy tool might help to manage your family's time more effectively…Learning to make every moment count!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Time Timer, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Keyboard Town PALS--TOS Review

2011-11-14T07:07:00.001-06:00

Keyboard Town PALS is a typing program that teaches young children to type. This program doesn't used 'timed' tests and approaches learning to type as a game. When children first begin the program, they are introduced to Sunny:

Sunny is a helpful friend that guides the child through Keyboard Town. Older children might find Sunny's character to be fairly 'elementary' but the content of the lessons is solid and very easy to understand. Sunny explains the middle row of keys to be named as "Hometown," the upper keys to be named "Uptown," and the lower keys to be named "Downtown." There is a "helper hand" that shows the child where to place their fingers on the keys.

These are the Keyboard Town PALS (this is also an acronym that stands for the Purposeful Associative Learning System) PALS is the way in which keyboard skills are taught in this program. The PALS guide the child through the lesson and explain how things work in the "Downtown, Hometown & Uptown" keyboard rows. I had our 6, 9 and 11 year old children try out this program. The younger two found the finger placement a little difficult to maintain on the keys- the 9 year old felt he could improve his 'finger coordination' with a little more practice. Both younger children understood the lesson easily. Our 11 year old went through the lesson as well, she found the presentation to be to elementary for her but she grasped the information easily and proceeded through the lesson without any issues at all.

Parents can purchase the program in either a CD Rom or Web-based package for $30.00 (currently on sale), with English, Spanish, and French versions available. The Keyboard Town PALS program centers around children who can recognize all the letters of the alphabet. However, the program “Little Hands Can Type” is also available for purchase for younger children.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Keyboard town Pals, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

The Person I Marry- Bower Books-- TOS Review

2011-11-12T13:46:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I've really enjoyed these reviews so far. They've been fun, helpful, and most have been truly captivating. But this one stands alone...not only for the reasons mentioned above but because it really pulled at my heartstrings. Wow. What an amazing book. Simple really...but SO powerful. I'm so glad for this book- I received the e-book to review but I'll be ordering it and keeping it out in plain sight F.O.R.E.V.E.R! I'm trying to figure out when to read this to our children throughout the year(s)...maybe for each birthday? This is gold right here- simply gold. Oh how their little, tender hearts can be prepared for marriage (God's way, not society's way!). I'm virtually speechless. **Notice I said virtually...LOL.**

On to the review! Husband and Wife team, Gary and Jan Bower produced The Person I Marry. It is a hardcover 32-page book for all ages.The illustrations are just lovely. The front cover is indicative of the types of pics you'll see throughout the book. The Person I Marry coins the phrase "Long before thinking of diamonds and glitter, this book has some things you'll want to consider." It is written in a sing-song-poetic type format. Young people are reminded just what type of person one should marry – one with a beautiful inside. The message in the book shares qualities which create strong marriages in a way all ages can understand. The book tells the reader,

“The vows I’ll say I mean to keep,So I’ll look hard before I leap.”

I really enjoyed the back page of the book that has a checklist-type area entitled "Things I'll look for in the person I'll marry."

Gary and Jan’s other books include Tessa’s Treasures in the four-book “Thinking of Others’ series, The Jingle in My Pocket in the five-book “Bright Futures” series, Mommy Love and Daddy Love board books, Over Land and Sea about international adoption, and a Michigan Kid series. Illustrations and descriptions of many books can be found at the Bower Books website. Posters with an illustration, character trait, and short poem can also be purchased from Bower Books.

The video below will show you more of this precious, precious book:

The Person I Marry from Bower Books on Vimeo.

The hardback version of this book retails for $11.99, go here to order. To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about The Person I Marry by Bower Books, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Meeting my 'babies'...

2011-11-10T08:44:00.001-06:00

4 years ago today...

Ooka Island Adventure--TOS Review

2011-11-07T10:36:00.001-06:00

Ooka Island Adventure is a 3D hero-mission designed to teach young children how to read. This early literacy program is designed for children ages 3 through 7 and combines the highly engaging components of a state-of-the-art online world with the scientifically proven OokaMethod that builds literacy skills. With the OokaMethod, children first understand that words are made up of individual sounds they can hear and manipulate. Second, they learn to associate these sounds with letters and blend them together to make words, thus breaking the code that speeds them through the levels of reading development.

To your budding little reader, Ooka Island Adventure is an attractive online game environment where they navigate through the island, guided by a friendly robot named Zobot. Children encounter a variety of captivating learning activities with appealing names such as Alphabet Mountain, Cave of Sounds or Bubbly Troubly. Through play, little ones learn and practice essential pre-reading, reading and spelling skills. In the Popcorn Library, they start to read books from the very beginning, which can be very motivating. Here are a couple of other funny characters that will accompany them in their quest:

Players earn currency which can be later used to free elves and buy various items for their avatar, such as clothing, toys, and even music for the juke box. When lesson time is over, children get 8 minutes of Free Play. During this time, they can roam around the island, shop at Misty Mart, play in the Pencil Playground, or even access the instructional activities for more practice.

I encourage you to explore the Ooka Island website where you will find the Ooka Island books, free tunes and even a blog. With the promo code above, the great values below and the free 14 day trial, you can soon send your little adventurers well on their way to reading fluency!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Ooka Island Adventure, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Excellence in Literature--TOS Review

2011-11-02T09:29:00.002-06:00

The people over at Everyday Education hit the mark with this one! What perfect material, especially for our first-born-daughter. She eats this stuff up...

This material is designed for grades 8-12, but is adaptable for younger grades. Because our oldest is doing 6-7 grade work (and because she loves reading!), she was able to start this curriculum with no issues at all. We shortened the assignments some and I was super excited to expose her to some wonderful literature. And another bonus...this curriculum is also boy-friendly so that even the most reluctant reader(s) and writer(s) are drawn in by the power of the stories!

The author, Janice Campbell says, "The courses are designed to focus in-depth on selected great authors or literary movements, while exploring the context of their life and works with additional reading and writing. This offers opportunity for writing practice in a number of different styles, as well as the opportunity to grow thoroughly familiar with some of the greatest writers and literary works of all time."

Another cool thing is if your child is an auditory or kinesthetic learner, they may benefit from listening
to unabridged versions of the books. Yay! Audio book versions (I'm thinking long car rides!) are awesome for our family.

While the material available in this curriculum is geared towards college prep (even with an optional Honors Track) and satisfies requirements for High School English, I am grateful for its flexibility so that I can introduce our children to classic literature. The author, Janice Campbell commented that "this curriculum is meant to be a delight, and to spark joy in the discovery of wonderful stories, plays and poems." She's right! :)

Check out the author's bio below:

Janice Campbell and her husband Donald homeschooled their four sons from preschool into college. She has been writing and speaking about things that matter for over two decades. Janice is the author of the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12, Transcripts Made Easy and Get a Jump Start on College. She is also Director of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE).
Whether teaching high school students to love literature or teaching writers and entrepreneurs how to create multiple streams of income, Janice’s focus is on lighting lamps so that others can more easily find their way. Her website, www.Everyday-Education.com, offers inspiration, resources, and a free e-newsletter.

Info on the program:
~Each volume is available as a print book or e-book (and will soon be presented as online books on the website in 2012).
~Each one-year study guide is $29 and it's $139 for The Complete Curriculum (all 5 levels) in a binder.

You can read more on their FAQs page here. There's lots and lots of info and support throughout the entire Everyday Education website, you won't leave with unanswered questions! To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Excellence in Literature, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks (&Firefighters)-- TOS Review

2011-10-31T09:43:00.003-06:00

At first I thought this review was just going to be cool for my boys- my boys are in love with fire trucks! *Not to mention their grandpa is a volunteer-firefighter...that's pretty cool...they get rides in fire trucks from time to time!*

Marshall Publishing provided us with this review product. We popped in the DVD first (30 minutes long) and the kids enjoyed the songs, safety tips and video of fire trucks. After the video was over we checked out the Fire Trucks & Firefighters book. There was WAY more information in there than I expected! The pictures are on high-gloss paper (124 pages to be exact) and are arranged in an easy-to-read format. The beginning of the book discussed the differences between rescue vehicles and the firefighter's tools & equipment. We read about fire fighting facts, fire science basics and prevention & safety tips. At that point I realized what a great resource this is for any family!

The middle section of the book had a really neat section titled "Words of the Firefighter." This section included the fireman's prayer, ten commandments for firefighters, firefighter's commitment and the firefighter's pledge. My boys were eating it up...

The end part of the book was probably my personal favorite. We enjoyed pics of fire house museums, information on some of the greatest fires in history and cool fire-related websites. The index of the book also gives links broken down by state, to fire museums. We know where our next field trip is going to be...The Chicago History Museum & the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago.

And for the music portion of our school day- the lyrics to the sing-a-long songs available at the end of the book!

This review was not only great to learn about fires, fire trucks & firefighters but it rolled right into a science project about fires and how they work. We'd never had a family-fire-evacutation plan before this, now we do. Thanks Marshall Publishing...what a great product!

You can pick up your copy of this DVD/book set for $29.95 here. Children of all ages can benefit from the information provided, all of our children (ages 12-3) gained something from either the DVD or book.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks (&Firefighters), visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

As an added bonus, Marshall Publishing also sent us a DVD about George Washington Carver. The DVD is more than just a biography, it is a true story of inspiration. The DVD features stunning photography and a superb musical score. A study guide and complete information on George Washington Carver can be found on the Marshall Publishing & Promotions website. The George Washington Carver DVD is available for $19.95.

To order either of these products, or to see what else Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. has to offer, visit their website at www.marshallpub.com. You can also order by calling their toll free number 888-300-3455.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about the George Washington Carver DVD, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Northstar Games- Say Anything- TOS Review

2011-10-27T19:42:00.001-05:00

A second game by NorthStar Games... Say Anything. Ok, so the title alone makes me smile. Just because I'm the kind of person who likes to be witty and come up with off-the-wall answers. **Just a little truth for ya in case you're new here and didn't already know that!** :)

This is a light-hearted game about what you (and your friends or family think). It will get people talking, laughing and having fun in minutes. You can play it with 3-6 family members (ages 8 and up)or as a party game with adults (might I add it can be HILARIOUS with adults). This game gives you the chance to Say Anything!!

Here's more specifics on the game:
The game has 60 question cards with a total of 360 topics, 6 dry erase pens and 6 dry erase boards, 1 SELECT-O-MATIC-6000 which is a spinner used to determine player order, 12 player tokens, 1 dry erase score board, and 1 full color rules booklet.
Basically, Say Anything is a simple game to play but lots of fun:
1. Each player at his/her turn asks a question from the currently drawn card.
2. Everyone else writes their answer on their dry erase board and turns it face-up on the playing area.
3. The current player secretly chooses their favorite answer given by the other players.
4. The other players choose which of the answers given might be the one the current player guessed and place their tokens on the appropriate
answer boards.
5. Each player gets points based on who selected the current answer and according to the scoring rules.

**North Star Games says that it takes approximately 2 minutes to learn the game and about 30 minutes to play.**

Say Anything Family Edition game sells for around $19.99 and can be purchased from places like Amazon.com, Target and other retail stores.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Say Anything, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Northstar Games-Wits & Wagers- TOS Review

2011-10-25T23:18:00.001-05:00

This game is a blast! Our entire family (all 7 of us) had such a good time playing this...there was giggle-after giggle-after giggle-after giggle! Even the 3 year old got in on the fun, she kept stealing the Meeples. What's a Meeple, you say? I'll tell ya. Better yet I'll show ya...see that cute little guy with the shades below? Yep, you guessed it, that's a Meeple! Isn't he cute? Ok, so he doesn't look exactly like that in the game but he resembles the human-shaped-wooden-playing-pieces. Did you know that Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years? This is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game. Pretty clever if you ask me.

Anyway, back to Wits & Wagers Family. First and foremost, this is a game with family-friendly questions. No censorship needed. The game is easy to play with three or more people, ages 8 and up. Our 6 year old was able to participate with a little help/teamwork and like I mentioned before- the 3 year old was more than involved. :)

To play, everyone writes down a “best guess” answer to one of the 300 trivia questions. The guesses are displayed and everyone chooses the guess he thinks is correct or closest to the correct answer. Points are awarded both for writing the winning guess and for choosing the winning guess from among the other guesses.
The Meeples are used to indicate one’s choice of guesses (or for the 3 year old to swipe and run away).

The game moves right along and you're not there playing all night...nor did the kiddos get bored! Yay!

Available both online and from a variety of national retailers, the game comes with a deck of question cards, a score board, five answer boards, a set of dry erase markers, and five pairs of Meeples. Prices may vary according to retailer but online you can find it for $15.23 plus shipping. And check this out: "Free Parts Replacement - Don’t let a lost or broken component stop you from playing. If any of our game component(s) should fail (or even be lost) within the first year of ownership, we will deliver an identical or comparable replacement to your door free of charge! Requesting replacement parts is a breeze... simply e-mail us the requested part(s) along with your mailing address. We’ll send the parts out within two weeks." I need to keep that in my mental-filing-cabinet...especially if the 3 year old gets crafty and doesn't come back with the Meeples!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Wits & Wagers Family, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Visual Latin-- TOS Review

2011-10-17T11:08:00.002-05:00

If you've been at all skeptical on reading reviews (here or elsewhere)- today is the day you may say, "NO MORE!" All of the products I've reviewed thus far have been great, but this one takes the cake...mostly because I started out so skeptical myself. When I received theVisual Latin DVD, I honestly didn't run to open it and begin this review immediately. The word 'Latin' just seems a little daunting to me, or at least it did.

When I finally did open the DVD and begin to play the intro lessons, I was immediately blown away. This curriculum is taught by a guy named Dwane Thomas. Let me tell you that his way of teaching, explaining and overall personality not only impressed me but my kiddos as well. After watching the 4 introductory lessons we all wanted to see more and jump right in to Lesson 1. The Introductory Lessons include:
~Why Study Latin?
~Latin Then & Now
~How to Learn a Language
~Stuff You Should Know About Latin

When we got to Lesson 1, we discovered it was broken down into 3 sections: grammar, sentences & reading (see pic above). Each section is fairly short (5-8 minutes) and after each section is complete there is a worksheet available to reinforce what was just learned. Here again, I saw the words "grammar & sentences" and I began to get anxious and I thought, "Oh boy, here it comes. Here comes the hard stuff." Nope. Everything was completely do-able and nobody freaked out (that should actually say that I didn't freak out!). It must be a little something they call "the unique design that really works!"

Our 12 and 11 year olds (and even my 9 year old!) are totally excited to continue on with the lessons. I can say that we are DEFINITELY looking towards future DVDs to continue our study in Latin (that means Mom too!). **As a side note when I was going through the intro lessons, one thing that stood out to me was that if one learns Latin other languages will come easier because a lot of the root words have similarities. I have some Spanish in my background and I was totally able to see how that is true. I'm very excited to offer Latin to my family as a precursor to learning Spanish in the near future.**

Wanna give it a try? Go here and try out 6 FREE lessons! See if you agree with me...see if you're not immediately hooked on Latin! Visual Latin is available on DVD or as a download so you can take it with you on any compatible device. There are many different lesson bundles available, check them all out here to see if any of them will work for your family. The single/family DVDs in bundles of 10 lessons each are priced at $30. The downloads will give you a $5 price break on single/family lessons ($25 for each bundle).

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Visual Latin, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Happy Birthday Princess

2011-09-28T19:14:00.001-05:00

The "joys" in having a toddler is all the cutesy-little-cartoons and cutesy-little-songs that go with them. Well...there's this one channel that our 4 year old likes to watch and in the mornings, they play this song:

Now mind you most mornings when I hear this song begin, I run for the other end of the house with coffee cup in hand. Because most likely I think my head may explode if I don't. This song has become the new 'thing' on birthdays around here- a new tradition of sorts. So now we sing the traditional 'Happy Birthday' song and then we sing the 'Happy-Happy Birthday to you' song. Usually the birthday-child is mortified and the rest of the children take pleasure in the 2 minutes of torture. Again, I look for somewhere to run...

Ok, so this one is a little blurry. My camera battery died as I was about to take the first cake-picture. So, I grabbed my phone. We do what we can, right? Look at my little-big girl, she's 6. Oh.my.

We sang the menagerie of birthday songs...the kids laughed...the grandparents wondered what in the world just happened...and I enjoyed all the blue teeth/lips from the Smurf cake.

Before Five in a Row -- TOS REVIEW

2011-09-21T07:32:00.001-05:00

I can't tell you how much I LOVED doing this review- I simply adore this book. Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert is a book of creative ideas designed to help you gently, consistently prepare your children for the life-long adventure of learning. For preschool age children (ages 2-4), this book is WAY more than a 'school curriculum'! This book offers a plan where the parent and child reads the same book aloud for five days in a row. After each reading, they discuss various aspects of the story or complete the suggested activities. The original Five in a Row materials were geared towards early elementary students, but I was lucky to review the book that they’ve developed for younger children.

The book is divided into two parts. The first section contains hundreds of simple ideas and activities developed around 24 of the finest books EVER written for young children. These are truly the cutest, sweetest books you'll ever find-Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?, The Runaway Bunny, The Carrot Seed, Corduroy, Caps for Sale, The ABC Bunny, The Snowy Day, Katy-No-Pocket and Blueberries For Sal. We were able to find just about all of the books we needed at our local library. We loved some of these so much we decided to add them to our personal library! Each unit provides creative ideas and enjoyable activities designed to build excitement and a love of learning with your child while building the super important skills for learning-readiness. Our 3 year old loved doing these activities and having special reading time with Mom- she tells me she loves doing school. YAY! :)

Part two of Before Five in a Row is an awesome, comprehensive resource filled with specific ideas designed to help prepare children for learning through simple, everyday activities. There are ideas for bathtime, bedtime, in the kitchen, at the grocery store and MANY more. The info and inspiration given in this book helps the parent make the most of these precious years and pave the way for 'real learning' down the road.

While we used this book of ideas in our homeschool, it would be appropriate for any preschooler. The parent-child bonding this book facilitates is priceless. Nothing is sweeter than your little one snuggled up against you while you read a book...absolutely priceless! :)

Although there are no sample pages available for Before Five in a Row, there is a special explanation of the book available on the Five in a Row website here. Before Five in a Row costs $35 can be purchased from Rainbow Resource.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Before Five in a Row, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Happy Belated Birthday, Spuddy!

2011-09-20T14:50:00.001-05:00

My one and only 'body-born' boy turned 9 years old on September 4th. His nickname is Spud...or Spuddy...or Spudderd. We couldn't make it up north to celebrate with extended family so we asked him what he wanted to do to make his day special. He replied, 'I want to see Sue the T-Rex.' So, off we went on the Metra train to the Field Museum in Chicago to meet Sue. Here's the view of the city from the Field Museum- you can barely make out Lake Shore Dr. on the right hand side.

The front looked very majestic! We were all so excited! Right now there is a HUGE whale exhibit- did you know whales are HUGE? The kids crawled through a model of a whale heart, that was huge! Did you know the tongue of a whale weighs more than an elephant? Amazingly huge...

Here's Sue! She's named after the woman who discovered her... Sue. This T-Rex skeleton is the most complete found to date, and in the best shape. And it's in Chicago. :)

This was an underground exhibit. We were 'shrunk' as we entered. We got to see what it would be like to be microscopic size and walk around underground. The kids thought it was awesome...especially the 'shrinking' part. There was a lot of talk about the show, "Honey I shrunk the kids." LOL

The following day was his 'real' birthday so that's when we had cake and opened presents. Spuddy requested chocolate cake with fresh raspberry sauce. He loves raspberries!

Of course, as per our annual talk-while-eating-your-birthday-cake-and-sit-under-the-table-until-it's-gone game, Spuddy spoke. So, under the table he went. This is such a typical face for him!

This is another typical look for him- crazy excited. He enjoyed his presents...as usual... HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY, SPUDDY!

BigIQKids-- TOS REVIEW

2011-09-16T08:22:00.012-05:00

Who doesn't love that title?

BigIQkids.com turns your computer into an online learning academy by providing daily academic lessons for young learners in an interactive, easy to follow format. For the best results, children should log into BigIQkids.com daily and complete their lessons and quizzes. This “daily” strategy builds invaluable study habits, leads to better grades and greater self confidence.

The makers of BigIQKids say, "it is important your child (or students) complete their lessons everyday. Each lesson takes between 10-15 minutes to complete and will soon become part of the young learner’s daily routine. Most important, our programs will not advance the student until they have achieved mastery of each individual lesson. This is critical to our unique approach of working around each child’s own pace and comfort. We build proficiency leading to subject matter mastery which is periodically checked with review tests and quizzes."

Parents (and/or teachers) receive email reports detailing their student’s progress. These reports provide insight as to time spent, problem areas and test results. You can also view the child’s progress in BigIQkids Reports found in each program. Programs can work with existing curriculum or on their own with pre-loaded lessons, quizzes and tests. You have the ability to customize your child's programs- please see below for info on the what each program has to offer:

Spelling & Vocabulary: With a over 40,000 word dictionary, BigIQkids spelling & vocabulary program comes pre-loaded with 40 lessons for K-adult appropriate word lists. Or, as a parent or teacher, you can easily enter your own word lists and the program will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes and tests around your own list with the goal of achieving 100% on the Friday spelling and vocabulary tests. The program includes tracking and progress reports. You can build your own curriculum or use our default settings. The program is completely customizable and goes around a student's progress.

Math: You can set up a child's lesson to mirror what they are doing in their current curriculum. For example, if the child is on double digit addition and single digit multiplication, the program can focus on just these two areas providing invaluable practice and reinforcement that is certain to provide them with the tools to ace their next test. Or, BigMathTime can automatically generate grade specific and subject specific lessons as per your requirements.

U.S. States: Every elementary student will be confronted with the need to know their US State facts to mastery. BigStatesTime is the ultimate tool in learning the state's location, capital, spelling, abbreviations and general state facts. The program allows parents/teachers to add additional facts which will be included in the child's lessons and the program culminates in a “State Mastery Exam” that, if passed with 100% mastery, awards the child a State Master Certificate.

The kiddos liked working in this program. The math & spelling didn't seem to excite them as much as the U.S. States did...I think it was just the content material. When they all got their turn with the states facts, it turned into a MAJOR competition (of course, this didn't surprise me!).

And who wouldn't love this friendly buddy to help you along?

BigIQKids spelling & vocabulary program is ALL FREE! There are premium programs for math and U.S. Geography. To learn more about the differences, please see below:

FREE vs. PREMIUM programs:

BigIQkids Spelling & Vocabulary Program is FREE!
Free vs. Premium Math programs
Free vs. Premium U.S. Geography programs
*There's a 7 day free trial on ALL programs! What a great option...go and check it out! See if your kids end up in an educational competition like mine did... :)
Check out the FAQ page for any other questions you may have about the program!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about BigIQKids, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

**

Time 4 Learning-- TOS REVIEW

2011-09-13T21:59:00.004-05:00

Time 4 Learning is an online home education program that mixes fun with learning! This program is not only for homeschoolers but it works for after school learning/tutoring and summer instruction as well. My kiddos love to do anything on the computer so this review was right up their alley. There's some online academic instruction and then some fun- what a perfect combo!

The Time 4 Learning program offers language arts and math and is considered a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Science and social studies programs are provided as a free bonus for most grades. Another bonus is that if your child is on different grade levels for reading and math skills, Time 4 Learning tailors the program to meet your child's specific needs.

Parents can track your child's progress throughout the program as well as participate in the "Parent Community & Forum" area. Below is an example of a progress report you may see regarding your child's work in the program:

There's really cool looking students in the program too. Now my kiddos want red hair and mini-mohawks...

Oh, that's right...I'm supposed to be talking academics here! Sorry, I was sidetracked by the cool graphics, weren't you? So, on my first-grader- here's a taste of some phonics:

Don't worry, she didn't ask me for a button nose.

In all seriousness (I can be serious?), I really did like this program. The "Getting Started" Area was super helpful and answered all my questions. It talks about things like "Where does my child start? How do I track my child's progress? What do I do if I need help or want to ask questions? Can I preview a lesson? How many lessons should my child do every day (I have 1 extremely motivated child who would actually do 10 lessons and ask for more!)? And how do I use the lesson plans provided?" This was plain 'ole good, comprehensive, fun learning. Of course the kids liked the games the best- they just 'suffered' through the academic stuff (or so they say).

So do you wanna try it out? Here's the details:

No contracts! Cancel at any time!
$19.95 per month for the first child
$14.95 per month for each additional child
Two-week money back guarantee!

Sign up for Time4Learning HERE!

To find out more about Time4Learning you can hop over and visit their FAQs page.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Time4Learning, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. **

Iced Coffee

2011-09-12T18:00:00.002-05:00

Ok, one of my new favorite people of all time is The Pioneer Woman- she even got her very own show on Food Network! That was just an added bonus for me cause I absolutely adore her. I've been oooing and aaaahhhhing over her blog for a long time, mostly over her food and recipes. She's my kinda girl! I'll link you to her blog in just a minute...hang tight...please! :)

In one of my many searches through her SCRUMPTIOUS recipes I found 'Perfect Iced Coffee.' My sister brought me a cold brew maker many years ago and I thought it was super yummy but didn't drink iced coffee all that often. Now that I've grown to depend on some coffee (especially around 3pm!) and it's hot outside, iced coffee is the perfect match for me! I drooled as I scrolled through her cold brew pics and couldn't wait to make some myself. I think the favorite part is that she kept A TON of the prepared coffee in her fridge (in a jug with a spicket!). Did I mention I like her? I would love to talk to her or meet her someday! Anyone going to Oklahoma anytime soon? :)

So, here's my take on her Perfect Iced Coffee. It turned out quite yummy...

Then go look at her blog. See if you get lost there for hours- like I did.

Totally yummy- I love coffee.

This was 10 oz. of coffee and 1 1/2 gal. water. I stirred it around and around in my bread-dough-bucket. You can let it sit 8 hours- I left it over night.

I used a small mesh strainer and paper towels. Nothing fancy around here- it did the job.

The leftover coffee grounds...it looked so yummy to me... have I told you I love coffee?

The upcycled water container with spicket. I like spickets too. And now there's 1 1/2 gallons of iced coffee in my container...in the fridge...waiting for me to open that spicket...and fill my glass.

LOTS of ice, cold-brew-coffee, half & half and caramel flavoring.

Now go and look at Ree's site...she did a much better job documenting than me. Do you want some iced coffee now?

Lesson Planning

2011-09-11T22:14:00.002-05:00

So, I've spent the better night writing out lesson plans for the week. I've got the kiddo's lesson plan book out, my school stuff out and I'm trying to merge everything so I don't forget anything. I feel like I'm in a wind tunnel...where are all my ducks? Are they in a row? This is what I've been staring at for the better part of 3 1/2 hours...

But really I'm dreaming of this...Adler Planetarium in Chi town.

They just so happen to have free admission this Tue & Wed for residents. And I just so happen to have an unused train ticket in my purse. And 6 backpacks with coordinating lunch bags and a stroller...and 4 umbrellas...and lots of water bottles. Think it's too early for a field trip the 2nd week of school?

R & R Games --Pig Pile -- TOS Review

2011-09-11T21:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our very first review! Games, who doesn't love them? If I gave you a glimpse into our 'game closet' you'd see that our family adores them- in every shape and size. Pig Pile (from R&R games) showed up in a cute, compact box with 80 playing cards, 40 adorable little piggies and the instruction sheet.

Pig Pile is a fast paced game for 3-6 players. In each round, players race to be the first to get rid of all their cards and collect the most pigs. Each player gets 10 cards- 3 that face down (known as the SLOP pile) , 3 that will face up and 4 cards to hold in hand. After each player has the allotted amount of cards, the remaining cards are set in the middle of the table face down (as a deck to draw from). The basics of the game are that you play a card from your hand face up to the center of the table (this becomes the Pig Pile of cards you try to get rid of). If you have more than one of the same card, you can play all of them at the same time. You then draw one card from the deck. The next player does the exact same steps only he must play a card (or cards) that are equal to or higher than the number the last player played. Once a player has no cards left in hand, they can play from the three face up cards in front of them. Once you get down to having no face cards and none in your hand, you move on to playing the SLOP pile (or face down cards). The player who gets rid of all his cards first, wins the round. The next player to go out by getting rid of all his cards comes in second, and so on and so on. To score the round, the player who goes out first takes three pigs. The second player to go out gets two pigs. The player left with the most cards gets no pigs (boo-hoo!) but in a three player game, the third person always gets one pig. You play and play and play the rounds until all the pigs are gone, whoever gets the most pigs at the end wins the game!

Of course, there are some twists and turns thrown in this fun game like the #4 card represents being 'Hog Tied.' The #11 card is a 'Ewe Turn' and when played it reverses the direction of play. The #8 card 'Hog Wash' and the 'Hog Wild' cards are special cards that change the flow of the game even more!

Our thoughts:
I ran this game through the critics (our kiddos) and they adored it- especially because of all the cute, little piggies. The game is for ages 7 and up but our five year old did quite well, with just a little help. With four kiddos playing the game, it seemed to take forever to get anyone out and get through the whole draw pile before moving on to the SLOP pile. We ended up modifying the rules slightly so the game moved along at a quicker pace and the kids didn't get bored with the repetition and waiting. There also seemed to be quite a few rules and getting to know the 'special' cards and their meanings seemed a little confusing at first. The more we played the game, the easier it became. The kids can now play this game alone and I love hearing their giggles when they start collecting 'the little piggies.'

You can get Pig Pile from R&R games for $15.95. They have other fun looking games on their website too, such as birds, bugs & beans and Hey Waiter. Check them out! They are currently offering a 20% discount to anyone purchasing Pig Pile or Flea Circus through the TOS Homeschool Crew reviews. Just enter the coupon code, CREW20, to receive the discount now through December 31. You can also check out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog for more reviews on Pig Pile and other R & R games.

To see what my Crew Mates had to say about the games they received, check out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog under R&R Games. Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Back to School 2011-12

2011-08-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

Above Rubies

2011-08-26T07:18:00.002-05:00

I've been reading Nancy Campbell's '100 Days of Blessing' (you can find it here). Today she spoke about being positive and speaking positive things into our lives. Positivity is SO important! Here's a snippet of my morning devotion:

One of the greatest secrets to live above your daily problems is your confession. What you speak has power to affect your life, your circumstances and the lives of your children in your home. Make sure your confession is positive. Here are some affirmations for you to speak OUT LOUD today...and every day!

~I am ABOVE grumbling, complaining and self-pity!
~I am ABOVE listening to negative thoughts about my husband and my marriage. I am bound by covenant.
~I am ABOVE the lure of being squeezed into the mold of this world's system.
~I am ABOVE being intimidated by the antagonists of God's truth. I am on a narrow road that leads to life.
~I am ABOVE the fallacy that I am 'just a housewife.' I am in the perfect will of God as I train my children to affect the course of this nation.
~I am ABOVE the deceiving humanistic philosophies that infiltrate the media and society around me.
~I am ABOVE the trials and frustrations that encompass me about.
~I am ABOVE the tales and petty talk of gossipers.
~I am ABOVE self-preoccupation. I give room in my heart and mind for the needs of others.
~I am ABOVE the pressure to 'keep up with the Joneses.' I don't have to have everything everyone else has.

"Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

Lord, help me today to speak positive words. Help me to speak only words of victory. Amen

Coupons, really?

2011-08-24T07:35:00.002-05:00

I've always wondered who had time to clip, use and organize coupons. I thought it was a useless 'hobby.' BUT...since moving to 'the city' I admit I've caught the coupon-bug! All these great stores and restaurants are around me and they all have great sales/deals, I figured it was time. I found a bunch of great sites (through FB mostly) and started learning the art of couponing. I organized a binder for 'the binder method' and jumped right in.

It's been a few weeks now and I decided to transition into the 'clip-less' method. I still have my big binder though with loose coupons and lots of page protectors for the coupon inserts. And then yesterday, on one of my favorite sites, I found this:

Woohoo! Exactly what I needed, another bag- for my binder of course! *Don't tell my husband* LOL

Speaking of binders, I've also been busy organizing/creating my stash of binders for our new school year. Binders for the kids and their schoolwork, a binder for my college classes, my stylish binder (in binder bag) for couponing, a binder for my reviews through the Schoolhouse Crew, a binder for each of the TOS Planners I purchased (AWESOME!) and last but not least, a binder for the OAMC group I'm hosting. I think it's safe to say we like binders...think I can find a coupon for some more?

Everything happens in threes!

2011-08-12T06:05:00.001-05:00

We traveled up north for yet another birthday- this time it was Angel Baby's turn! She's now 3 years old...wow, where did that go? This was from birthday party #1. She couldn't contain herself while we sang "Happy Birthday!"

This new outfit became her 'Printess, Printess' outfit for the rest of the week. I had to steal it in the night just to get it washed...

Birthday party #2 at Timm's Hill

Good choice, Grandma! You can never go wrong with something "Printess, Printess."

Birthday party #3! She shared this celebration day with her cousin. Double the cake, double the ice cream, double the presents, double the trouble! :)

"I do it myself..."

And last but not least, the rest of the crew:

Legoland

2011-07-19T06:55:00.005-05:00

I do suppose there are some perks living in (and near) a big city. We have been promising the kids since before the move, that we would take them to Legoland. This has been a dream especially for the boys as they are AVID Lego-lovers! What an adventure, what a blast. Even I had fun! :)

In the thick of it

2011-07-08T07:05:00.005-05:00

Do you ever get wrapped up in life and struggle to keep up? Funny how this post follows the 'new beginnings' post where I openly list 10 things going on in my life at once...hmmmmm... oh, and (p.s.) I started the exercise thing too.

I read this post this morning and found comfort in her words as well as His words. Moving has thrown me off my axis. Most days we're doing good and even enjoying summer! But other days I get caught up in the unorganized chaos still laying around and get overwhelmed by what is left to be done. Those days are when I lose sight of the big picture. Moving has whipped me out of my routine and my schedule, now I have to make a new one...urgh.

Psalm 139: 23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties."

So, today is a new day...and His mercies are new. I'm starting over and am going to try and not get overwhelmed by the floors that need cleaning, the library that needs organizing, the desk that needs de-cluttering and the move-in projects that still need attention, the food menu that needs creating, the groceries that need to be purchased, the bills (yuk!) that need paying, the broken-down boxes that need to be stored (please God, I don't want to move again!!!), the grass that needs mowing, the overgrown flowerbeds that need weeding, etc.

It's Friday. That means it's the start of a weekend and family fun time! So let it begin. The rest will be here waiting for me on Monday, right? Enjoy your weekend!

New beginnings

2011-06-29T06:52:00.003-05:00

I have some new insight this morning about new beginnings, my new beginnings. I go through periods in my life when I start something new- it probably happens many times a year (never stopped to count). I always think to myself "Man, you sure are piling it on. Do you think you've crossed the boundary for what is humanly possible? Don't you think you're overextending yourself just a bit? How do you plan on pulling all this off? Are you going to do this half-way because you don't have the time and energy to fully devote yourself to this?" And the list goes on and on... My new insight is that yes, I may jump in to new things with both feet and do 10 things at once BUT it's because of the motto that I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE ON PURPOSE. I have so many things that I want to do and experience, I just can't wait to do one at a time. I want to get out there and experience life and see what I can do next. There you have it, that's it...my new insight. So yes, I may be tapped out, overwhelmed at times and extreme but I'm beginning to be comfortable with that's just me and how I roll. Trying to do something different would be like tying me up and telling me to be comfortable sitting there. Yea, not so much. I enjoy busting outside the box and living my life (albeit even when I'm thrown some wicked curve balls)!

So without further ado, my current new beginnings list:
New house/community/church/friends/everything.....
TOS Homeschool Crew (Review team for the next school year)
Young Living Essential Oils business (source of income from home and a major interest of mine)
Continuing education for BSN (future income and back-up-plan) & Medical Transcription degree (source of income from home)
Survey team (source of *tiny* income)
Couponing (fun and a challenge)
Planning a womens retreat for Sept 2012 (because I want others to be blessed as I have)
New homeschool year, new ideas (starting planning/lessons) *Lots of new curriculum
Online bible study leader

*Yet to be started: daily exercise, eating/nutrition overhaul and weight loss (ewww, I'm dragging my feet here)

I'm sure there's more, that's all my brain could remember this morning (and on 3/4 cup of coffee). I'm excited...new things and ideas bring on a renewed energy for me to lunge forward in my life and not let things get stale. There are other things I want to do but I'm trying to restrain myself. 10 is an even number...instead of one thing at a time, ten should hold me for awhile. Maybe. Philippians 4:13!!

The bible study I'm doing this summer is put on by Good Morning Girls and we're reading Sally Clarkson's book "The Ministry of Motherhood." Good stuff and good reminders. I'm glad my nose has to stay the course as leader of my FB group...great way to NOT become sidetracked. Such important thoughts and realities, so glad I jumped in there! I've wanted to post to their Women in the Word Wednesdays for weeks now...nothing like today to do it! :)

He speaks...again

2011-06-27T07:35:00.000-05:00

Where oh where have I gone?

2011-06-10T07:34:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning to ask myself that very same question! :)

We've moved (again). In effort to be near Hubby's work, I packed up our crew and we moved all our 'stuff' last weeekend. Wow, what a job! I said that 18 months ago...and I'm saying it again...moving 7 people is just brutal!

In the midst of the sea of boxes, I'm trying to get things back together. So many things are swirling around in my brain- I thought of making a list. I'm second guessing myself, I'm afraid it will further overwhelm me.

We're SW of Chicago now. This weekend we hope to make our very first family trip to IKEA. We're on the search for lights/lamps. What do you think of these for above the kids' beds? Aren't they cute?

I'm thinking they may be to large for 2 in each room, we'll see. The kids love them...of course.

What are you up to this weekend? I'll be unpacking boxes...

Yes, I am that random...

2011-05-16T09:24:00.002-05:00

This song popped into my mind this morning, why you ask? I have no idea. Maybe it was because I saw the book "Pokey Little Puppy" as I was packing the kids' bookshelf. Why that has any relevance, I don't know. I had to chuckle a little because I remembered my grandma teaching me this song at about 5 years old. I remember singing it and being so proud- poor little dog.

As usual, things around here are moving at lightning speed. I finished up my semester classes last Friday and also got an email from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper that I am being published today. I sent in a letter to the editor as part of an extra credit assignment in my Eng Comp class & now they're publishing my letter. I actually find this funny, who'd a thunk it?

The kids are done a tad early with their homeschooling- thanks to all the moving mess we've got going on. They're happy to be outside- because spring has finally showed up- and not stuck inside doing BORING schoolwork. I wonder how excited they'll be to start all the BORING stuff again in August? LOL

Guess what I've been doing? Packing. Is this only the second time I've told you about it? Or maybe the third. Just in case you forgot- I feel the need to tell you again that I LOATHE MOVING. Yes, I loathe it. We're getting good at it though. And this time, I'm going through E.V.E.R.Y S.I.N.G.L.E T.H.I.N.G. because I'm just sick and tired of so many boxes. I think living in a small home will do that to a person. I wonder what it would feel like to give away TOO much. Maybe that's not possible with 7 people. I'm trying to find out. Goodwill loves me right now.

I started a summer reading group through Good Morning Girls. You should check them out, fall groups will be forming at the end of summer. It's been an awesome thing for me to be part of a bible study online. So, so good!

My sister-in-law & I are in the beginning stages of planning an Above Rubies Retreat near the Chicago area ( in 2012). I toured the retreat center (awesome!), now I just have to decide on a date and book Nancy Campbell! I'm totally excited about this, it's been about 6 years in the making.

I've been using FlyLady's moving tips. She is helping me stay sane- so far anyway. I keep a copy of the tips right next to my chair so after my devotion each morning I can remind myself not to freak out- BABY STEPS she says. I'm trying.

I am not a fan of road construction. Here, there or anywhere. It is not my friend.

My Tom-Tom is my friend.

The kids are with grandma doing a little spring shopping trip. I am sitting here, still in my pajamas, looking at my CHAOS. Ok, it's been nice but I gotta go before I lose the ambition I barely have. Did I mention I loathe moving? Oh yea, I think I did.

Knowing my limits...

2011-05-02T08:26:00.004-05:00

It's no secret that I tend to bite off more than I can chew- jump in with both feet- and then expect not to choke or sink. Most times, I admit, I'm just down right unrealistic. I'm actually chuckling as I write this because in print I sound pretty crazy! Do you know many people who admit they're quirky or crazy? If not, allow me to be the first! Happy Monday!

This is just one of the things I've been staring at for the past 4 months...in Jan. I returned back to school.

There's 2 weeks left to this semester so my brain is feeling quite mushy & I'm sure my eyes have that glazed over look...

Now I've begun adding this into the mix:

Talk about a recipe for complete mayhem! But in the midst of the madness I've had a revelation, the revelation that I too, have limits. Really? Seriously? I'm not Wonder Woman? This is a hard concept for me to grasp cause I want to do everything (I know my family is falling out of their chairs laughing right now)! My original plan was to take classes over the summer (and move). It kind of dawned on me yesterday that is going to be a bit much. So, with the realization of my human-ness I withdrew from my summer courses (but then added another for the fall!). Yes, yes I did- I can't help myself...

I've also reacquainted myself with FlyLady. I don't know why I ever 'forgot' about her-she's been a lifesaver lately! I'm following her moving tips...I really want to survive this! Go figure.
Am I getting more wise in my 'old' age? Probably not...

2011-04-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a platypus?

2011-04-29T22:19:00.005-05:00

Nope, it's not Perry the Platypus...it's even better! Introducing my very first review on a downloadable unit study by The Old Schoolhouse: The Curiosity Files- Platypus. I am a huge fan of downloadable unit studies, especially this time of year. Spring is here and the kids are restless, they need variation in our every day school routine.

I have to say it caught them a little off guard when I told them we were going to be doing a unit study on Platypus(es). Once we got started, my kiddos were in awe of the platypus. This unit study was 87 pages of fun filled, excitement packed learning. The Curiosity Files are presented by 'Professor Ana Lyze' in a fun manner for ages 8-13. However, while using this unit study I was able to adjust the material to comfortably include our 5 year old as well.

There were so many activities jam packed in this unit study, we weren't able to get through the whole thing in a week. We look forward to finishing it up next week- the kids want more! **They adoringly named the Platypus on the front cover, Perry.** Have a look on all the cool stuff available in this study (for the price of $6.95):

Bible study and memory verses
Math, history, and geography investigations
Literature and suggested book list
Writing, spelling, and vocabulary activities
Beautiful copywork pages (manuscript and cursive)
Science observations, projects, and experiments
Discussion questions
Art, crafts, drawing, and coloring pages
The Curiosity Fact Files collectors card and booklet
Internet resources and video links
Complete answer key

One thing I really appreciated in The Curiosity Files unit study was everything at your fingertips. I didn't have to go anywhere and hunt down additional information, crafts, questions or answers to questions. Talk about a comprehensive collection! My kiddos and I look forward to more of these unit study gems. There's lots to chose from, go and check them out and if you just can't decide on one or two- they come in a bundle! The 9 pack bundle saves you 35% off the regular price of $6.95 each.

Here's one on Puffer Fish.

What about Quicksand?

Our boys are gonna LOVE Zombie Fire Ants!

Happy Shopping!

His love is deep...

2011-04-26T06:37:00.005-05:00

You know how you get a song stuck in your head? Well, I woke up singing this song this morning. You could say it's stuck in my heart...

Such an amazing song, especially following an amazing weekend. It's one thing to get the gravity of what He did for us, it's another to watch children FULLY understand it for themselves. It's a look of soberness and reality of how huge a thing it really was. And to fully grasp what a sacrifice He made for each of us individually can be overwhelming. Such a precious thing when a child says, "Mama, Jesus is so awesome- I want Him to be with me forever and ever."

How was your Easter? The week before Easter (starting Palm Sunday) we began daily readings explaining the things Jesus did that particular day. The kiddos really understood what Jesus did the last week of His life, they were shocked that Jesus went into the temple and got mad and starting flipping tables over. When I explained that He was mad because the people there were disrespecting God and it hurt Jesus' heart to see them being selfish in selling things to try and make profit a in His Father's house. I then likened that to sometimes we do stuff that disrespects God when really we should just be worshiping Him. Our 8 year old said, "Whoa..."

The kiddos were so adorable (ahem...and handsome) in their new duds. Grandma and Grandpa have graciously provided the Easter outfits the past 2 years. What a blessing!

Think on these things

2011-04-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

As I was reading through Philippians this morning-quite a few things jumped out at me...isn't that interesting when that happens?
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7

~Do you ever get in the middle of some situation and think, "I'm not content with this. Why do I have to do this? I don't like what's happening. Why is this happening like this? Should I do this?" Well, if not then it's just me...because I basically say something to this effect EVERY DAY! :)

~First of all, I find it hard sometimes to NOT be anxious. God tells us to NOT be anxious, pray, be humble, be thankful and ask, and then He will in return give His amazing peace and guard our hearts. Hmmmmm, sounds like a pretty good plan doesn't it? Sounds to me like it just may help my anxiousness and help bring about the peace I always seem to be looking for. Now, if I can just remember this before a freak-out session....

Lord, help me to remember Phil 4: 6-7 BEFORE I freak out next time!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

2011-04-12T09:57:00.002-05:00

This might not look like more than a bunch of gnarly branches to you- but I see something very exciting just around the corner! Some tiny, baby buds just starting to turn a yellowish-green. It won't be long and these buds will explode into beautiful and fragrant lilac flowers. I can't wait, this bush is right next to our back porch- the flowers smell SO yummy!

I'm so proud to announce my 30 baby garlic cloves made it through the winter. They starting shooting up out of the dirt even before all the snow was gone! I kept watching them hoping they'd make it after that second (2 ft) snowfall. I'm so excited to see what's under that dirt- to see if I'll get a good harvest...it's amazing to me that after such a harsh winter, life waits patiently until it's safe to jump forward and say, "I'm here!!!" Hello spring, nice to see you again!

Snow, Rain & Robins

2011-04-01T13:49:00.004-06:00

You know when you see this guy, there's hope for nicer weather.

The Northwoods hasn't been overly kind to us this winter...everything was melted and then WHAM- 2 feet of snow in a matter of a day. I know it's common in this neck of the woods but its still not pleasant any way you look at it. The residual snow has been shrinking little by little each day, today it's rain-snowing. You know, the kind of freezing rain that's snow too...maybe you don't know...consider yourselves blessed! :)

I'm looking forward to my garden again this year- and the herb bed- and the flower beds! Actually, that's all I can think about these days as I sit here in my chair looking out at all that white stuff.

My mother-in-law gave us this amazingly awesome (homemade) bird feeder. It's huge! The thing holds more than a bucket of seed at a time. Yes, I fill my bird feeder with a bucket... Over the winter, I've grown fond of the feeder as I watch the birds coming to eat and carrying the seed(s) away. Even the squirrels and little chipmunk amuse me. I have two bird identification books on the bookshelf that are collecting dust-now that some of the pretty birds are coming back I'm excited to dust off those books and see what we've got. So far we've spotted male and female bluejays, chickadees (of course!), morning doves, a woodpecker and a female cardinal. And of course, last but not least, this morning we saw some robins. Hallelujah for the robins!!!

My rubies

2011-03-20T15:07:00.005-06:00

Here's a little ditty about some rubies:

About 4 years ago I asked Hubby for a mother's ring. We lived near an amazing place that had a little jewelry shop. The wife and I struck up conversation every time we walked through there, she had lots of littles and so did I. I filled her in on our adoption adventure and how we were working so hard to bring 4 new children home to our family. It was her husband who was to make my mother's ring. Naturally, I included a birthstone for each of our children. 7 children to-be, 7 birthstones. They were still working on the ring after our African children came home. About that time I found out I was expecting our little Angel Baby. So, I called them up and had them add an 8th stone to the ring. I chose an anniversary style ring with the stones going all the way around the band. Only 8 stones wouldn't cover the entire band...I wondered what to fill the rest of the band with? I immediately thought of rubies. So, I called and the man evenly spaced 3 rubies for every birthstone placed around my mother's ring.

Why rubies you ask? Well, partly because of Proverbs 31:10. "A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls." Not that I'm the most capable, intelligent or virtuous woman out there but it was my Hubby who found me and it is He who says I am far more precious than jewels and my value is far above rubies or pearls. Hard not to feel beautiful and appreciated when it's said that way, isn't it?

Way, way back in 2006 at the very beginning of this blog I spoke of our decision to adopt from Liberia and why. It was at my very first Above Rubies retreat that God used an every day woman to speak to me about the orphans in Liberia. My life and my family's life was changed forever by that retreat. So, as a result of that experience is reason #2 why I chose rubies to be placed in my mother's ring. God used that retreat to make me a mother to 8 children.

Below is a picture of Colin & Nancy Campbell. I've been to a few women's retreats over the years and have had the pleasure of speaking with Nancy personally. She is the founder of Above Rubies ministries. Such a sweet, sweet lady. You can read more about them here.

It was an Above Rubies magazine that first introduced me to her and the ministry. Did you know you can get this magazine for free? As many copies as you want for free? I get them, keep one for myself and give the rest away or leave them in waiting rooms. I pray over them and hope that someone will pick it up and receive the same encouragement I have. Interested? Take a look here.

I've learned a lot over the years from things she has had to say and from the articles others send into the magazine. I've also wrestled with certain things she's said. Those things have caused me to dig deeper into the word to see what God has to say about it (it wasn't hard to find, all her teachings are FULL of scripture!) and pray really hard about how God would have me receive that information and apply it to my life. I've acquired many of her books and CDs over the years as teaching materials and enjoy digging deeper into the subjects she talks about. Amazing things...amazing lady.

We are blessed to be going to our very first family retreat this next weekend. I'm so excited to be bringing my entire family as well as meeting Colin for the first time. I highly recommend the women's retreats and after next weekend, I'm sure I'll be saying the same about the family retreats! Wanna take a look at info on the retreats? Here it is. I've also met all of Nancy's daughters personally. Sweet, sweet girls. I am the age of their youngest daughter, Serene. Serene and Pearl have many CDs (found in the bookstore) and have blessed this home time after time with their sweet voices.

I've been praying for a few years now about hosting/planning a women's retreat. Now that we are back in northern WI, there just aren't any near here (trip to Canada anyone?). I've been holding out and praying for a partner in crime to help me. I think it might be a bit much for one person, we'll see what God has to say when He answers me about it! :)

Reason #3 I picked rubies for my mother's ring: I think they're pretty.

24 hours

2011-03-13T18:27:00.004-06:00

Well, the last 24 hours has been a humbling experience! I asked for help and you all jumped right in. I went from 6 followers to 31 in less than 24 hours...you all could make a girl blush! I've filled out my application for the review team I was telling you about. Thanks for all your help in making that a possibility! If you stop by and aren't a 'follower' yet- I'd love to have you! The more the merrier!

So, now that you are all here you should know I have plans to jazz things up a bit around here (and post LOTS more). That being said- for those of you who've looked around here a little, what kinds of posts do you enjoy most? What would you like to see more of? Here we go...................

Can you help me out?

2011-03-11T20:28:00.006-06:00

Hey there! :)

Can you help a girl out? Will you 'follow' my blog? If you're not sure how, hit the word 'follow' over there on the right. Then, fill out the info in the little box with a Google account, etc. That will make you an official follower. As of now, there are 6 of you (thank you!). But, I need 25 minimum in a quick hurry (2 weeks) to complete the application process for The Old Schoolhouse Crew. The TOS Crew reviews homeschool curriculum and I've wanted to join for 2 years! I'll be Facebook-ing about it too and may even join the Twitter world so I can tweet. So, would you show me some blog love and follow me?

EEK!

2011-03-04T06:18:00.008-06:00

Has it been a month already? I bet you thought I'd forgotten about you all- nope, not so! I'm beginning to think it may be MANY years before things slow down...

As of late January I went back to school to complete my bachelors degree in nursing. Just a handful of classes left until graduation! :) So, I now school the kiddos by day and then try and study and do classwork at night and on weekends. My original thought of doing it in my spare time has proven futile. I guess I don't have much spare time- who would have 'thunk' it? School and every day life stuff has kept me hopping- I'm very much looking forward to spring break to catch up on little projects around here and to breathe a little! Before we know it the snow will be melted and I'll be planting the garden again (can't wait for that!). We're all ready to get out of this house and enjoy the outdoors again!

This past weekend we took a road trip to my sis & bro-in-laws new house. We celebrated her birthday along with our Mama who also came for the weekend. Here's a few silly pics of our time together:

Me & my baby (one of them anyway!)

Mama
Mama rockin out Honky-Tonk Style!

A mean game of cribbage between the boys!

Jelly face!
~Sweet Princess~

Hangin in the kitchen...

Bday girl....'You talkin to me?'

Just 5 of the cousins...a good time was had by all!

2011-02-06T07:04:00.003-06:00

STAND FIRM- JAMES 1:12

2011-01-27T07:52:00.000-06:00

Waiting...

2011-01-19T06:51:00.002-06:00

In this new year, do you have a clear sense of where God is taking you? Sometimes we sit in a waiting pattern as we wait to hear from the Lord. What would you like me to do Lord? How would you like to use me? This is such a perfect song to remind us what to do as we sit, pray and wait to hear from Him.

Welcome 2011

2011-01-01T06:24:00.000-06:00

May you feel His love & presence more this year. And in return, may you show His love & presence more... Happy 2011, be blessed!

End-of-the-year pictures

2010-12-29T10:01:00.003-06:00

Dear Son #2 turned 12 on Dec. 11th. Here he is reading one of the homemade cards from his siblings (with sister & Grandma looking on).

There's a story behind this gift...our boy has seen that all our bio kids have gotten blankies as babies. He never got a blankie and mentioned that to me one day, saying he felt sad and left out. My first thought was 'You're too big for a blankie.' Then I paused and really thought about it...no he's not. Every baby in this family needs/gets a blankie. So, here he is with his blankie. He was one happy boy & I got a HUGE hug that night!

Our yearly tradition of 'see-if-you-can-make-the-birthday-boy-talk-so-he-has-to-sit-under-the-table'. He's normally tough but he busted out laughing at his siblings attempts...so, here he is under the table! **Notice brother's foot... hehe

I got this picture idea from a friend. She's reading the Christmas story out of Luke 2.

Angel Baby

Princess

**Smiley** (her new nickname given by her softball coach)

Big brother

Little Brother

Big sister (home for Christmas from school)

Merry Christmas from the Gustafsons!

2010-12-17T07:20:00.001-06:00

Did you know?

2010-12-14T05:55:00.002-06:00

Did you know you can buy 2 chickens (that will supply countless eggs providing protein) for $25? Did you know a pair of goats costing $150 helps to provide protein for children to grow? A family can sell extra milk, cheese & yogurt at market to earn money for medicines and other necessities. Fertilizer from goats can increase the amount of vegetables grown in a family garden. For $40, a family fishing kit can be purchased including nets, lines, hooks, a pole and a basket. You can empower a family to put food on the table. Did you know 5 fruit trees can be purchased for $30? How about a donkey that can help transport produce, firewood or other goods that can be sold at market. That same donkey could carry a sick child or family member to a distant clinic. Donkeys are reliable and hardworking and can live for 30 years or more. Does it make sense that you can buy $1,100 worth of medicines for $100 (including antibiotics, antiseptics, disposable syringes, painkillers, antifungals, de-worming meds, anti-fever drugs and vitamin A)? What about the low cost of providing a family with a bed net for $18 to help protect from malaria? Contaminated water infects and kills many children, worms alone contribute to 200,000 needless deaths every year. You can contribute to a clean water fund or even help a clean well to be dug in a village across the world. Why is it $1,650 worth of school supplies can be purchased to stock an overseas school for only $150? What about the low cost of giving one Bible for $18, in a child's own language, that shares God's love and Jesus' salvation? Did you know America is suffering too? Economic crisis has dramatically increased the number of American families falling through the cracks. $300 worth of necessities can be given to an American family for $50! What??? Did you know U.S. classrooms, especially in low-income neighborhoods, lack basic school supplies. Education is power, right? $150 worth of school supplies can be delivered for $25.

We have seen first hand the devistating effects when some of these basic needs are not provided. Our African children (their friends and biological families) have suffered at the hand of protein deficiency, lack of clean water and it's effects, non nutritious sources of food, lack of vitamins and/or medicines to treat simple issues (and medications that were given that were severely expired), malaria because of a lack in mosquito nets or nets with large holes, schools with no materials and/or teachers trying to educate in a room with little or no chairs and a broken piece of chalk board hung on the wall (and no chalk to write on it).

As I sat here this morning going over our Christmas lists and tidying up my to-do list, I thought about the different kinds of gifts that can be given. A lot of American families have struggled this past year because of many reasons. Many parents want to give their children that perfect gift and place it under the tree. Did you know that on Christmas, in Africa, my children looked forward to a boiled egg (or chicken leg) and Kool aid for a special treat? How much more are we able to give all our children? But how much hurt and lack in basic needs still exist?

There are many organizations that pull on your heartstrings, especially during this time of year. If you feel led, find one that you feel is legit and give a gift to help. What about Operation Shoebox? If you missed it this year, start planning for next year. We know the pain and lasting difficulty that physical and emotional depravity brings, we experience it first hand in our 'heart-babies' every day. When you're buying those last minute items and those dollar signs are swirling about, would you give a thought and prayer for those less fortunate than us? They are all around us...

One organization that we try to contribute to every year is Heifer International. We haven't been able to buy a whole animal to gift, but shares are available. A share allows you and your family to give $$ towards the purchase of an animal. In the past, instead of exchanging gifts with family members, we've honored them by purchasing a share of an animal from Heifer International. We were able to print off a card to give in explanation of their gift.

Another organization along the same lines is World Vision. Check them out to see how you can contribute to their cause.

Above all, please remember the reason for the season. If you don't feel led to give towards food, clean water or medicines- please pray about giving the gift of a Bible. That is the eternal food most desperately needed around the world.

Merry Christmas to all!

Shutterfly Savvy!

2010-12-07T05:49:00.004-06:00

I just adore Christmas picture cards! You know, the kind that has the fancy background in which you painstakingly place your favorite family picture in the center and choose a fancy font (in usually silver or gold writing) to tell everyone 'Merry Christmas 2010'! Or something of the sort... Our family has only done this once or twice in the 10 years since we've had children, mostly because of finances (sad but true). BUT....this year I ran across something quite interesting and lovely, to say the least! Shutterfly is having a Christmas promotion where they are 'giving away' 50 free cards. And all I have to do is tell you about it! They have so many cute and adorable templates! I think my favorites are the collages...I'm trying to figure out a way to squeeze everyone in there! My plan is to try and include a family picture as well as individual shots of each child. Question of the day: why have I not done this before? Answer of the day: Because I usually do things the hard way....urgh...I really don't like admitting that. :)

They make it so easy for you, go and check it out! And while I was looking around, of course I noticed all the other great things they offer besides Christmas cards. Here's just a few of the products that caught my eye:

Christmas photo cards

Birth announcements

Desk Calendars (great Christmas gift idea!)

How's that for going viral? Pretty sweet promotion if you ask me! Have an awesome holiday season, enjoy your family & remember the 'reason for the season!'

Kitchen cleanout

2010-11-16T11:10:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine began a thread about feeling as if she was drowning in certain areas of her house. I could so relate! I think we discussed these areas: dishes, clothes/laundry, shoes, toys, school books/papers, etc. So, she began by doing a kitchen cleanout. I said I was going to join her but she beat me to it...I'm playing catch up this week. She came up with the idea that in the 'old days' people had one cup, one bowl and one plate, and that she wanted to model that with her children/family. I thought about that for awhile. Good idea...but my first reaction was why I go through all of that cleaning out and packing away/giving away if I could just keep up with dishes at every meal? This is a huge challenge for us. Since moving, we have no dishwasher and our kitchen is a fraction of the size of what we had in AR. While my pal was doing her kitchen redo, I tried to keep up with the dishes at every meal- I failed miserably. As part of daily chores, the kids used to rotate and do all the dishes-when we had a dishwasher. After moving here, daily chores became very overwhelming. Partly because of unpacking and reorganizing and partly because our chore responsibilities were different in a new house. Working all those kinks out always takes us time...lots of time. In the mean time, I felt bad for the smaller kiddos because the dishes always just got so overwhelming. If I had a hard time tackling it, how could I expect them to? So, I started doing the majority of the dishes and when things didn't seem so bad, I'd have them do it.

During this time, I also started thinking about routines, lack of routines and 'old' routines that don't work anymore. I suppose when you have a house full and the kiddos are all younger, any lack of routine or 'old' routines stick out like a sore thumb. That's where we are, especially in kitchen. So, I decided my pal was exactly right- take away the things that overwhelm. I did the same as her and packed away some 'kid' plates, bowls & cups for company/cousin visits. I proceeded to leave each child one plate/tray, one bowl, one 'meal' cup and one water cup. That's it, that's all they have. After cleaning out that cupboard, I tackled my plastics cupboard. That is the one that always has things falling out of it...we don't have that many leftovers to store so why have so many random containers, right? I started chucking...

I reorganized some cabinets and felt great! Then I turned around and looked at all the 'extra'- that didn't feel so good. How could it have gotten so cluttered? How did we get that many 'kid' plates/trays & cups? Unbelievable... So, I went in the basement and hauled up some boxes, in it went. This is just a little of my finished project:

The kids now only have the top shelf! I left their holiday mugs in the back for hot chocolate on our movie nights. We're missing one cup and one bowl in this pic. I took it this morning and baby was still eating...

This is now my plastics cabinet. I even had room for mixing/serving bowls!

And I actually have some counter-space here! Enough so to drag out the bread machine (to help me when I'm in a hurry!).

This is what's getting hauled out today. GOODBYE FOREVER!!! :)

p.s. The children are all washing their own dishes after each meal. If they don't, there's nothing to eat on at the next meal! :)

Gotcha Day

2010-11-10T06:09:00.003-06:00

Today marks 3 years since our African kiddos came home to the U.S. We mark today as our Gotcha Day because it is the first day we were all together as a family- Hubby traveled alone to Africa to bring them home. The past 3 years has been some of the most eventful years of our lives, full of many ups and downs for everyone. But if we've learned anything, we've learned much more about forgiveness and how to love more deeply and unconditionally. Today we celebrate the unification of our family. We celebrate the uniting of our physical family here on earth as well as the beginning of a dream orchestrated by God. We don't know many specifics about this plan/dream, all we know is that it is of Him and we are following Him to carry out THE plan. For those of you who followed us during our journey- you may remember these:

Happy Gotcha Day, Gustafson family!

Reflection

2010-11-09T06:20:00.002-06:00

Our kiddos this Halloween. We had a (good) witch, pirate, ninja, princess (of course) and FiFi the pink poodle. I struggled this year (again) with the concept of Halloween. Our older children questioned me on where Halloween came from and who 'made it up.' I tried to give a short but honest answer and they were quite confused even with that. They asked why people celebrate Halloween. I tried to answer by explaining about culture and traditions and that we'd dress up and enjoy the party put on by our local school instead of going door-to-door...but I think even that left all of us confused and a little uneasy. Our local grade school did an amazing job putting on a party for the kids and spared us all the gross and gory stuff that Halloween tends to bring. I was thankful for that but have also realized we need to think about this a little more for next year and years to come. We teach our kids the motto of practice-what-you-preach so it's only right and 'just' that we address this issue to stay on the right side of our family motto...

I've been reflecting on especially the last year. What a whirlwind! The last few years has really been insanely crazy but I think my memory has a hard time going back more than a handful of months and recalling things accurately! Tomorrow marks the 3 year anniversary since we brought our African kiddos home. It also marks 5 years since we began the adoption process, wow, how time flies. Every year, we celebrate our Gotcha Day by talking about what we remember and how we felt on that day. A special friend of mine (and photographer) took pics for us as my Hubby stepped off the plane with our 4 oldest children, she also made it into DVD form with music. We watch that DVD every year on our Gotcha Day.

So much has happened since then- our bio kids have grown by leaps and bounds (physically, emotionally and spiritually) as have our African children! We've welcomed a new baby in that time and said 'goodbye' to the 2 oldest children as they've gone out on their own in pursuit of their futures. We've moved 1000 miles back to the place we call home. We've said goodbye (for now) to friends, those we consider family, our church as well as a home and business. We've taken the next step in homeschooling as I went from teaching 2 children to 5 (then back down to 4 this year as we helped our 17 yr old African daughter transition into Job Corps this fall).

We've grown spiritually through all these hills and valleys and still have a long way to go. We're trying to 'clean up' any areas in our marriage/parenting/every day living that has gone by the wayside and needs attention or has been neglected. Yea, it gets tiring at times but we're committed to God, our marriage and our family. That alone keeps us trudging along especially during those times it feels like we're wading through mud.

We've returned to extended family, our church home/family as well as the heritage/culture we were raised in. Those things alone bring comfort and a feeling of 'belonging' that is hard to describe unless you've lived a portion of your life without it. We had an amazing summer with grandparents and I enjoyed getting my hands in this nutrient-rich, glacier soil and we had a bountiful harvest of veges and lots of herbs (not to mention lots of pretty flowers!). The fall has kept us running with winterizing (we'd forgotten how much work this is!) and I've been crazy canning yummy foods with our garden bounty (as well as an entire tree's worth of apples!).

We're moving into the holiday season now and are starting our homemade gifts for friends and family (in all our spare time)! :) Last year the holiday season was rushed and chaotic. We're looking forward to enjoying the season more this year...I even think I may decorate early, just because!

I think I'm looking forward to the winter months-I'd like to tackle some projects and crafts that seem impossible in the summer months. Let's see how I feel in February when we're neck deep in snow! We hope you're enjoying the fall season and that you're looking forward to the holiday season as much as we are! Until next time...

Anonymous sender

2010-10-03T07:06:00.001-05:00

I received a hand written card in the mail the other day, this is what the note said:
Dear Becky,
Be encouraged in your high calling as a Godly wife and mother today! Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Ps 112: 1-2 :)

Wow! What a surprise & what an encouragement. This got me thinking...do you know someone that could use encouraging? Maybe you could be an 'anonymous sender'? I've got some blank cards sitting around in my office, think I'll pay forward the blessing this week. :)

Back to school pics-2010

2010-09-30T07:43:00.004-05:00

*This was Big Sister at Easter time. She's away at school right now in Job Corps working towards her diploma and CNA certification.

2010-09-29T07:03:00.000-05:00

Big Enough

2010-09-21T05:19:00.001-05:00

Mastermind?

2010-09-20T07:25:00.002-05:00

Have you ever heard of (or played) this game? I haven't. I read about it this morning on a blog I follow, she's having a giveaway. Here's what she had to say about it:

As a homeschooling mom I’m always on the look out for fun, challenging games that encourage thinking and reasoning skills. As a mom who loves to spend time with my kids I love to find games that are fun for both children and adults. Mastermind does both. It was also one of my favorite games when I was a kid.

Mastermind requires and hones deductive reasoning and logic skills. As a child it was one of my favorite games to play with my father. I loved being able to solve my father’s patterns and Mastermind was a game that my father truly enjoyed. I remember waiting to take my turn as all of us children would play Mastermind tournaments with dad.

The game pits a code maker against a code breaker. The ‘maker’ selects a pattern of colored pegs, then the ‘breaker’ tries to guess the pattern. After each guess the ‘maker’ scores the guess which provides the ‘breaker’ with information about the true pattern. Play continues until the ‘breaker’ is able to deduct the true pattern based on the information provided by his previous guesses and scores.

Players take turns being the maker and the breaker and the player who is able to guess the code in the least amount of turns is declared the winner. Of course our children love challenging each other to games of Mastermind (otherwise I wouldn’t be telling you about it), but it’s also a game that both Mark and I enjoy playing with our children as well as with each other.

Mastermind is a 2-player game designed for ages 8 and up, although our younger children do a fine job at being code breakers. The Attaché edition of Mastermind (shown) is terrific for travel. It comes in a zippered case with built-in, covered storage for all the game pieces.

Buy Mastermind

There are several editions of Mastermind available on the website. They range in price from $9 – $18.99.

To enter her giveaway, go here. 3 days left! :)

Meet Katie

2010-09-15T07:52:00.002-05:00

Meet Katie. She is the author of one of my all-time favorite blogs. Her heart bleeds compassion. Admittedly, she seems to be handling certain situations with her older adopted children better than I have. She seems to be handling uncertainty and the 'unknown' of raising adopted teens with more grace than I. She's an amazing Woman of God and one whom I've been learning from! Check out this recent post:

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2010/08/teenagers-and-lesson-from-jacob.html

Precisely...

2010-09-15T06:56:00.002-05:00

I homeschool.

Everyone who knows me knows I homeschool.

But if they had to guess my reasoning they’d be wrong.

Sure, I had my reasons when we initially began homeschooling: issues with the school, bullying, etc. But those reasons changed and morphed and took on a whole new life.

Everyone I know who homeschools does it for the same reason: To give their child the best education possible.

The issue that comes in to play is the definition of education. Some pile their kids high with books and programs so that nothing is left out. Others let the children lead, through unschooling. Some teach the dead languages. Others feel that Japanese is the way to go. Some insist upon a stringent course of study. Others insist upon taking their time.

And so now I can tell you why I homeschool. Be sure to brace yourself, I am a bit of a pariah in the homeschooling community.

I home school because kids only get to be kids once. They only have X number of years before the responsibilities of adulthood take them over. They only have so much time to relax and have relatively carefree lives.

I don’t want my children worrying nonstop about a math test that is coming up before they can fully grasp the concept. I’d rather give them chance to figure it out.

I don’t want my children to feel pressured to grow up too fast in the public school environment. I’d rather them mature at their own rate.

I don’t want my children staying up until 2am to finish a report on a book that has no interest to them and no cultural value whatsoever. I’d rather work with them to pick and choose books that have meaning.

I don’t want my children to dissect a poem and try to figure out what the poet meant when he/she wrote it. I want them to decide how the poem made them feel.

I don’t want my children to learn about history without seeing both sides. They need to know that even the “bad guys” think they are doing the right thing. It’s all about perspective.

I don’t want my children to grow away from each other as schools seem to promote. They need to know that while friends come and go siblings are forever.

I don’t want my children to grow away from God. They need to develop the tools to live for Him while they are still young. They have years to defend their beliefs, I just want to take a few years to help them learn how to do so.

Are you waiting for specifics? Well, they can do everything the “average” kid can do. They can also repair lawn mowers, bake cakes, sketch incredible pictures, and write music. They can grill burgers, pull weeds, do laundry, and help replace alternators in mini-vans. But more importantly they can sit and hold a conversation with their 88 year old great grandmother, they know how to get on the floor and play with their 1 year old cousin. The teens will cuddle and hug their younger siblings. They volunteer their time and money to help others without batting an eye.

They are all best friends (their words not mine). They help boost each other up when their reach falls short… They hold each other’s hands when fear sets in… And they guide each other in their steps, no matter how rocky those steps may be.

And I suppose that’s why I home school. To give my children the best education possible. And my definition of education is the same as the the Free Dictionary’s: A knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process.

Sheri Sears (with the help of her fabulous husband Mike) began homeschooling her four children in 2001. She spends her time creating whatever she can out of nothing to make her house more homey, writing lesson plans, listening to her son’s garage band and writing how God is carrying her out of the depths of depression. You can catch up with Sheri at her blog The Shades of Pink. Be sure not to miss the Love Story she and her husband have written.

Taken from: http://heartofthematteronline.com/

Just a lil ole mustard seed

2010-09-12T07:02:00.002-05:00

Luke 13: 18-19
Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."

Last night I was canning a second batch of pickles and one of the ingredients was mustard seed. That got me thinking...such a little seed but yet so powerful... Most of us probably have heard the parable about the mustard seed and a mountain. Matthew 17:20- "So Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." So, true faith, by God's definition, always involves surrender to the will of God. Both the source and the object of all genuine faith- even the weak, mustard-seed variety- is God. And with God nothing will be impossible.

Have you ever thought about your faith? What kind of faith do you have? The 'show-me-everything-will-work-out-good-before-I-do-this' kind of faith or do you have what others would call crazy-insane-jump-in-with-both-feet-because-God-told-you-to' blind faith? Or maybe something in between?

I've been 'nesting in the branches' of the large mustard seed tree...I've been searching for comfort during this time of refining. For me, it's hard to see the bigger plan during the process of refining-all I can see is the fire. But I trust God with everything in me, I know He loves me so and wants me to reflect Him. We've lived here 9 months now and with that has come a lot of change. For me, it's been a time of working through issues that I've allowed to lay dormant for way too long. I'm realizing now that allowing my heart to have these dormant areas hasn't done me any favors! While it's painful to work through past hurts and conflicts, the future holds such great promise. I still feel my heart is in the midst of the fire but the intensity of the heat is lifting, some clarity is shining through!

So, I am thankful for the reminder of that lil ole mustard seed...not only can it grow into something mighty to provide us shelter from a storm, but it can also help to demolish any problem we see as impossible...with God's help, of course! :)

2010-08-25T07:47:00.002-05:00

Organizing Bug!

2010-07-28T15:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, so if you've read my blog for any length of time-you've probably seen many posts about organizing projects or the fact that I really am OCD at heart! :) Well, I've caught the organizing bug! I let the school room go over summer and we're going to start a month later than we did last year (Sept vs Aug), so I've got one month and a big space to get super organized! Here's some tips, the ones that got me motivated!

Inexpensive Organization
By Dena Wood

Aside from the fact that an organized space is just plain relaxing and enjoyable, there also are a few undeniable practical reasons to organize your space. The reason that carries the most weight with me is the fact that a lack of organization is expensive. Take a moment to think about it.

How often have you ended up buying more tape, scissors, craft supplies, or tools simply because you don't have the time to sort through drawers, bins, and boxes to find an item you know you already have . . . somewhere? Either that, or you find the item, but it's smashed, wrinkled, or otherwise unusable. If you're like me, you do that more often than you'd like to admit. While I consider myself to be a fairly organized person, there is always room for improvement. (Menu planning (to avoid wasting produce) is a big one for me.)

Living in a society where every need is turned into an opportunity for profit, we can easily walk away with the idea that it costs a great deal to be organized. That's what they would like you to think, anyway. There are entire store sections, magazines, and websites devoted solely to organizational helps. Can you possibly organize without all those impressive doodads and gizmos? Sure! Believe it or not, you can even do so with style.

One of my favorite organizational "tools" is the dresser. Dressers are the ultimate organizers; they come in a wide variety of styles, and they look great throughout the house. In the corner of our dining room, I have a large dresser that houses my children's craft supplies. It's filled with glue, tape, paint supplies, papers, foam sheets, and the like. On the top are a small lamp and some framed photographs. It looks very nice, and one would never guess it is actually a craft cabinet.

Right inside our front door is a small baby dresser. The top drawer of this dresser is used for keys, wallets, and items you tend to need as you head out the door. Another drawer holds dog leashes and brushes, and the bottom drawer holds our camcorder and tapes. A small, white, distressed dresser in the foyer neatly holds hats and gloves.

The upstairs hallway houses yet another dresser. This one has a few tools in the top drawers and fabric in the others. A second baby dresser in my craft room provides the perfect spot to store ribbons, rubber stamps, elastic, and such. Each of these dressers was either a hand-me-down or picked up at a yard sale. I'm not sure one can actually have too many dressers!

Creativity is a must when considering how to inexpensively organize. You'll need to think outside the box. For instance, for several years I'd longed for a large hanging pot rack made of iron. Prices ranged from several hundred dollars down to about $80. Since I didn't have the money, I got creative. I asked my husband to grab an old ladder that was out in the backyard and cut it to the size I needed. (Fortunately, I noticed when he started sanding it! I wanted an "old" look, so sanding it was not a good idea.) We mounted large cup hooks into the ladder rungs and hung it from the ceiling with chain link purchased at the hardware store. It looks great, gets lots of compliments, and cost only a few dollars. Instead of thinking I'm cheap (the truth!), people think I'm extremely creative.

Here are some more easy storage ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

· Corral items in shoeboxes. I use clear, plastic boxes for medicines, contact supplies, band-aids and ointments, cleaning supplies, travel-size items, etc. Not only do shoeboxes prevent small items from spilling all over the cabinet, but this idea also makes it easy to reach in and grab the particular box you need. I even have all our shampoos and conditioners in a larger box, just to keep them contained. You can nearly always find inexpensive boxes and baskets at your local dollar store.

· Earrings and necklaces can be stored neatly in pill organizers, ice cube trays, or muffin tins. Take one of your 25-cent yard sale finds, paint it, and use it for your jewelry--no more tangled chains or missing earrings!

· Headbands can be stored on an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll. If you want to pretty it up, cover it with contact paper or scrapbook paper.

· Glass jars are ideal to store so many items: food items, craft items, and office supplies are a few that come to mind. And they look so pretty sitting on your shelves. Plastic peanut butter jars are great for storing little LEGO™ sets and such. (I remove the label so the jars look nice.)

· Cut down cereal and detergent boxes and paint or cover them with paper, and then use them to store magazines. Detergent boxes, with the handles attached, can make nice little totes for children to keep their toys in, and they can easily be moved from place to place.

· Shoe organizers are great for storing socks, gloves and hats, craft supplies, small toys, and much more. Take advantage of unused wall space whenever you can. Pegboard is inexpensive and can be used for similar storage needs.

· Store grocery store bags in a pretty, empty tissue box.

· I love dishpans! I tend to use them mainly for school supplies--books, videos, small manipulatives, puzzles, and such. I buy them at the dollar store. My kids keep their toys on mesh shelves, and dishpans are ideal (and cheap!) for storing their toys by item. The older kids will use one for CDs, one for electronics, one for paperbacks, etc.

· Wrapping paper can be stored on end in a small wastebasket.

· Use bed risers to create extra space under your bed. (I love the look of a high bed!) You can attach casters to old dresser drawers to roll them in and out from beneath the bed, or you can just use plastic tubs. It's amazing to see how much stuff will fit under the beds! The key to success is to keep your items organized and easily accessible.

· You can often find large, outdoor trash cans on sale. I use these to store our sleeping bags in. The lids fit tightly, and the sleeping bags stay nice and clean. I've seen people use these cans as storage for blankets and linens too. They place a round, wooden tabletop on the can and then drape the entire contraption with fabric so that it looks like a fabric-covered table. This is a good storage idea for seldom-used items.

I hope I've managed to convince you that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get organized. Perhaps I've even motivated you to take a fresh look at what you have on hand. Once bitten by the organizing bug, it's hard to stop. And that's a good thing!

On my way back...

2010-07-22T13:06:00.001-05:00