3 Questions I Ask Myself When I Feel Like Giving Up on Homeschooling: by Kristy at The Little Cottage I found Kristy at The Little Natural Cottage a few weeks ago and just fell in love with her transparency. As a veteran homeschooler, I confess there are many days that I find myself overwhelmed and very tempted to quit. Kristy wrote an article where she shares this reality and how she manages to get over the hump. It really spoke to my heart. Here is her article. If it speaks to your heart like it did to mine, jump over to her site and let her know you were blessed! 3 Questions I Ask Myself When I Feel Like Giving Up on Homeschooling Yes, I feel like giving up sometimes. I get overwhelmed. Frustrated. Off track. And just plain tired. Homeschooling takes all I’ve got and then some, and there are weeks when I just feel like throwing in the towel. Years ago, during an especially difficult season of life, my husband and I agreed that there would never be another option for us regarding educating our children. Homeschooling is a conviction for our family, and we’re sticking with it. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. So what do I do when I feel like I’m absolutely the wrong mom for the job? Well, after I’ve drank a few cups of coffee, sneaked into the bag of chocolate chips, put the kids down for a nap and escaped to a quiet place with my laptop… I ask myself a few questions. 1. Am I getting enough sleep? The answer to this one is almost always no. I am a chronic overachiever, and sleep is usually the first thing to go when I feel like I don’t have time to tackle one of my beloved projects. Plain and simple, I’m an ogre when I’m sleep deprived. If you don’t believe me, ask my kids. (On second thought, please don’t.) It’s amazing how much better I handle stress (yes, homeschooling can feel stressful at times) when I’m leaving enough margin in my day for sufficient rest. 2. Am I trying to do too much? The answer to this question is almost always yes. It’s hard for us moms to admit it, but we really can’t do it all. Something has to go. For me, the first things I “let go” when the going gets tough are my expectations of a perfect house and my blogging projects. I can’t be a career blogger and a career mother. I just can’t. I have to let go. 3. Why am I homeschooling in the first place? This may seem like a strange question to ask when I’m feeling low, but it’s amazing what a little honest evaluation can do for my resolve. I’m not homeschooling because it’s easy. I’m not homeschooling because I’m cut out for it. I’m not homeschooling because I have a fancy education and I feel smart. I’m not homeschooling because it fits so well with my schedule and personal goals. I’ve chosen life as a homeschool mom because I believe God has called me to it. And since He called me, He will equip me. He will. And He does. More than anything, homeschooling is a walk of faith. I believe that God is bigger than my mistakes. Wiser than my weaknesses. Stronger than my inconsistencies. I believe that He knows and loves my children infinitely more than I could ever know and love them. I believe that He gave them to ME, and me to them, with an eternal purpose in mind. I believe that I can do this, and do it well. Not because of anything good within me, but because I am equipped by God Almighty himself. So is there ever really a time when I’m ready to say, “I quit?” Sure. I say it. And when I reach the end of myself is when I find Him. Holding me. Cheering me on. Giving grace for another day. And another… and another… Thank you Kristy, for your wisdom and heart!Were you blessed? Take a minute to let Kristy know by clicking here.
Sale on Curriculum! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. Save 15% On Select Curriculum Products At DiscountSchoolSupply.com! Use Code: CURRIC14 At Checkout! Click Here! This is the time of year that I start to think next year’s curriculum, how about you? I am excited to pass along this great sale from Discount School Supply! What are you planning to use next year?
Give Yourself a Raise! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! Give Yourself a Raise! All right mama. You and I need a break every once and a while. Actually, we need a break everyday, we just usually do not get to take one. I have a few amazing deals to share with you that hopefully help you get that break! I have partnered with Raise.com to be a part of their “Give Yourself A Raise” campaign. Raise.com is a new website that helps busy moms like you and me buy gift cards at a discounted price. Just click on the Starbucks cards and see what I mean. People like you and me go to Raise.com to sell their unused gift cards. That means moms like you and I can save a few dollars buy purchasing their preloaded gift card at a reduced price!!! How cool is that? I love a good deal, don’t you? This is one of those pages that we need to bookmark and check often. Some of the cards will save you a a dollar or two, but there are many, many out there that can save you $15 or more! As a stay at home mom, that makes me smile! Are you ready to Give Yourself a Raise? Just click on the gift card picture at get shopping. Be sure to come back here and let us know what kind of deals you found! Look at all the categories of gift cards: Arts and Crafts: (are you scheduling any art activities?) Automotive: (I need new windshield wipers!) Baby and Kids: (Can I just hear a YES!) Beauty: (This is a chance to treat yourself!) Books and Magazines: (think homeschool supplies!) Computer and Software: (We are looking at new computers for our boys) Department Stores: (It’s Spring. We all need a few spring summer items) Education: (Yes! Homeschool stuff for less!!) Electronics: (I do not need any more electronics, but if I did…) Entertainment: (Take your husband out on a date!) Finance and Business: (Find what you need for less) Flowers and Gifts: (Make sure your spouse knows about Raise!) Food and Beverage: (We all need to eat) Health and Wellness: Home and Garden: (It is Spring!!) Jewelry and Watches: (I do not want a new watch, but the boys need one) Men’s Apparel: (Hubby needs new work clothes) Office Supplies: (Do you have enough paper, pencils, and school supplies?) Pets: (Yes, even out dog gets a discount) Relationship Services: (Read your Bible! Just sayin’) Restaurants: (Do I hear a second date?) Shoes: (‘nough said) Sports and Outdoors: (shin guards, shorts, balls, gloves…) Toys: (We all have kids) Travel: (I would love a get away) Weekend Savings: Women’s Apparel: (Yes, and double yes!) Wow! I see 25 categories minimum that I personally need to shop in over the next month. Shopping for gift cards could save me between $25 and $700+!! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Look Up from The Screen We were sitting in the waiting room for hours waiting for our son’s turn. He was scheduled for minor surgery and the doctors were running behind. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad waiting. He was 15, so he no longer complains. (Don’t laugh, he really does not complain) Everyone in the waiting room was happily entertained with their electronic devices. The 8 year old, the teenager, and the 3 elderly patients waiting for surgery or loved ones all quietly played on their ipads, computers or phones. After my son was called in, the time went much slower. I finally put down my ipad and said aloud, “I was wondering how people survived waiting rooms before technology. I bet they actually talked to one another…” All of the “patients” were now in surgery. It was just we few parents who remained behind. Suddenly, we all put our toys away and shared our stories. One mom said her son was having surgery because after his cancer, her son had developed an infection. She was more than eager to share their story. Time flew by and the nurses came to call her to recovery. I looked at the last mom in the room and said, “I am going to be nosey and ask you about your son too.” She laughed and shared that he had trauma to his eye from a football injury and then went into the details of how they were going to repair his eye. We chatted for a long time. Just as she was sharing her sons ambitions to join the Navy, and elderly man walked into the room and overhearing her comment said, “The Navy is a great choice!” I asked him of he was a former sailor like my husband, and he went on to chat our ears off about his tour. He was delightful, and we both were able to thank this veteran for his service to our country. Time flew by once we all put out toys away. We became vested in each other’s stories, rooting for our children (And the veterans wife). I bet you will find yourself in a situation this week where everyone around you is engrossed in their screens. I would encourage you to be the first to put yours down and open a conversation. I bet you will be blessed!
Boys Adventure Guide! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. As you know I have 5 boys. I live in an environment marinated by testosterone. Honestly it’s loud and crazy and wonderful! For those of you with little girls, please share your favorite girlie websites with me so I can share them with all of my readers! This is one of my favorite sources for all things boy! Make sure you request a catalog. My boys consider this proper reading material:). Great Gifts For Boys under $50 at JmCremps.com Get A Free Adventure Guide From JM Cremps Here!
Skip Counting Mat Activity Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! I have been travelling from blog to blog lately, looking for inspiring material to share with you all. There are some really amazing homeschool moms out there! Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Tanya at The Natural Homeschool. I fell in love with this easy skip counting exercise she created. I plan to debut it here at home next week. Enjoy her post and then hop on over to her site and let her know you enjoyed her ideas! Classical Conversations and Montessori-Inspired Math: Skip Counting (by Tanya, The Natural Homeschool) This is a cool and easy project to put together to help little ones memorize their skip counting numbers from one up to fifteen. Take a look at how we did this and how it works so well for us. Even though it is for the Classical Conversations curriculum, it is almost Montessori-inspired. I love it and so does K! This activity is great for children ages 4 and up. I printed out 2 copies of the templates for skip counting numbers 1-15. Then, I laminated all of them and cut 1 copy of each into individual sheets and the other copy I cut the numbers and title separately. I cut a bright blue sheet in half and placed one half on either side of the card. On the back of each card, I taped an envelope. Inside, I placed all of the individual numbers as well as the title. Now, we are ready to start! First, take a nice placemat and put it at the bottom. Take all of the individual numbers out of the envelope and place on the bright sheet on the left (all out of order). Second, practice placing all of the individual numbers over the matching numbers on the card. It is very important that this is done in order. Third, once done, move all of the individual numbers to the bright half sheet on the left again and flip the card over (so the student cannot see the numbers. Fourth, Take the title and place it on the top part of the bright half sheet on the right. Start placing the individual numbers in order. So first, you practice by being able to see the numbers and second, you test your memory and try to place all the numbers in the correct order without looking. This is Bekki… Isn’t that a great idea? Jump to Tanya’s blog and let her know! We all love positive comments!! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Homeschooling 101: A Guide to Getting Started, by Confessions of a Homeschooler Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. Today I am featuring one of my favorite bloggers! Erica@ Confessions of a Homeschooler is a true inspiration to me as a mom and homeschooler. This past year she released an amazing resource for homeschoolers, that is a must-have for newbies!! Enjoy this post from Erica. So you’ve finally decided to homeschool…but have no clue where to get started? After thousands of emails asking for help getting started homeschooling, I thought a book that set it all out for you in a step-by-step format would a great benefit to new and current homeschoolers! Homeschooling 101 is a step by step practical guide that will help you to get started, and continue on in your homeschooling journey. It is designed to help guide you through all of the steps to getting started, choosing and gathering curriculum, creating effective lesson plans, scheduling your day, organizing your home, staying the course and more! It even includes helpful homeschooling forms! Just the mere thought of homeschooling can be a very daunting task. Delving into the unknown can also create an element of self-doubt that fills your mind right off the bat. That coupled with an overwhelming task of choosing and gathering curriculum, creating lesson plans, organizing supplies, and teaching multiple grade levels can be quite disheartening. But don’t worry, in this book it is my intention to offer you a step by step practical guide that will help you to get started and continue on in your homeschooling journey. I will help guide you through all of the steps to getting started, choosing and gathering curriculum, creating effective lesson plans, scheduling your day, organizing your home, staying the course, and more! As you may have heard already, there is no one right way to homeschool. This book is by no means a rigid set of rules that must be followed exactly. Instead it is a tool to provide you with the means to get started in your journey. Take from it what makes sense for your family, and alter that which needs to be changed to fit the unique needs of your homeschool. I thought a quick glimpse at the table of contents would help give you an idea of all the valuable goodies included in this book. Chapter 1: You’ve Decided to Homeschool… Now What? Chapter 2: Choosing Curriculum Chapter 3: Gathering Curriculum Chapter 4: Creating Effective Lesson Plans Chapter 5: Getting Organized Chapter 6: Starting School – Day 1 Chapter 7: Homeschooling Multiple Grades Chapter 8: Homeschooling & Discipline Chapter 9: Standardized Testing Chapter 10: Homeschooling with Toddlers Chapter 11: Homeschooling Your Preschooler Chapter 12: Homeschooling Kindergarten & Elementary Chapter 13: Homeschooling Jr. & High School Chapter 14: Homeschooling on a Budget Chapter 15: Starting Homeschool Midyear Chapter 16: Switching Curriculum Midyear Chapter 17: Homeschooling an Only Child Chapter 18: Homeschooling & the Working Parent Chapter 19: Homeschooling & Special Needs Chapter 20: What about Socialization? Chapter 21: Time Management & Keeping your Sanity Chapter 22: Homeschool Burnout Chapter 23: Staying the Course & Naysayers Appendix (Helpful Homeschool Forms, including a FREE Lesson Planner!) Resources & Links Make no mistake, this is not a pamphlet full of fluff, instead it is full of helpful information, tools, and resources! I also did my best to include requests from my readers as well, so hopefully I covered most things related to homeschooling. While I realize that all homeschools are different, new homeschooling families still need a tangible starting point. With over 100 pages of valuable information and tools, Homeschooling 101 will guide you through your homeschooling process! There is also a free printable lesson planner in the Appendix for all of you who would like a little color added to your day! And of course I added a TON of awesome homeschool planning forms to help you get organized! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Typing Practice Completed While Sending Cards I LOVE real mail. You know, the kind you get from the mailman. The kind you get to open! Card store is having a 20% sale on their invites and announcements until February 26! If you are planning a party, shower, or special occasion you will be excited to know you can order now, receive the discount and schedule your announcements to be sent out later! This would be a fun typing exercise for your kids. have them plan a special event (pizza night? Sleep over? Birthday party) and send out invites to their friends! I love a great deal:). Plus, I love mail! Wait, I said that already!!
President’s Day Notebooking Pages Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. Note-booking is a great way to approach teaching your kids about the holiday President’s Day. My boys enjoy the high quality templates by Debra. I think the best aspect about note-booking is the pages are cute (yes, I need the pages to be cute for ME to buy into the project), easy to download and store, and provide a confined space for the boys to write about what they are learning. Many kids will stare at a blank page all day, but will happily write their heart out on paper that has a confined space. Here are a few samples for you to help you as you celebrate some of our Presidents. While you are on Debra’s site be sure to sign up for her free note-booking samples! AMERICAN PRESIDENTS SAMPLE AMERICAN FIRST LADIES SAMPLE Use discount code = discount10 to save $10 on your $20+ purchase at NotebookingPages.com Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy.
President’s Day Activities Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! President’ Day is this coming Monday. My boys and I are busy learning about the presidents of the United States by memorizing this fun rap by Smart Songs. It’s a catchy one, so be prepared to be singing about the presidents today! I love that it is catchy, cool, and loaded with facts about each of these leaders. Enjoy! I stumbled upon another great blog today, take a few minutes to follow the links and visit Tara at This Sweet Life. She has has made a really cute President’s Day printable for us all. Just follow the link to her site by clicking here! I am curious about how you are celebrating President’s Day with your kids this year. Leave a comment below! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Fun President’s Day Activities Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! Abraham Lincoln and George Washington by A Cupcake for the Teacher President’s Day Writing Prompt and Word Search (FREE) by Michelle Cute Crafts from dltk-kids President’s Day Jumbo Crossword for Older Students by Frank Virzi Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
The History of Valentine’s Day Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! Our kids make paper hearts and exchange valentines cards in mass quantities. For my boys, valentine’s is all about candy and love. Have you ever studied the origin of this rose colored day? Here is what the History Channel has to say. The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France. Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Valentine’s Day: A Day of Romance Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Hooked on Phonics Really Works Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. When our oldest son was 4 my husband and I splurged on Hooked on Phonics. At the Time the system was a stretch for our budget, but honestly this was one of the best things we have ever purchased. All 5 of our boys have either learned to read or become stronger readers with the Hooked on Phonics system. The activities, workbooks and readers are colorful, engaging and really work. My youngest son is finally deep into the workbooks. He has been our most reluctant reader. The good news is that once again, the program is yielding results. I am pretty sure my future grandkids are going to reap the benefit of that original purchase!
9 Valentine’s Crafts, Games, Food, and More!! Amazing Valentine Day Crafts and Gifts. Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. Precious Handprint/Footprints D.I.Y. Surprise Balls Grab handful of wonderful goodies from the dollar store. Wrap them one, with colorful crape paper. Your kids (or hubby) will be delighted as they unwrap these balls of wonder! Aren’t they gorgeous? Classic Game- Candyland This is a fun way to celebrate your child’s sweetness:) For Your Hubby… Heart Shaped Food!!! Bacon- courtesy of Paper Mama 10 More Heart Shaped food Ideas from Coralie Free Valentine’s Day Activity Pack-by Simply Living Mama Valentine’s Day Mailbox for Kids- by Camp Clem Free- Valentine’s Printable Bingo sources: D.I.Y- Surprise Ball Embrace Your Chaos- Handprints Honestly WTF- Surprise Balls The Frugal Girls- Gifts in a Jar The Paper Mama- Heart Shaped Bacon LoveBug’s and Postcards- More Heart Shaped Food! Simply Living Mama- Valentine’s Coloring Pages! Camp Clem-You’ve Got Mail Craft Crazy Little Projects- Valentine’s Bingo Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Why Freezer Meals? The Last Thing You Want To Do is Make Dinner Inside: One those 27 days out of the month that you don’t feel like cooking, you’ll be thankful for the 2 days you did THIS… At the end of the day, after driving down the mountain with all the kids, shopping at two busy stores, teaching my kids that ‘it’s not ok to slap your brother with the package of bacon’, and realizing that I lost my grocery list somewhere along the way, the LAST thing I want to do is make dinner. I had to come up with a plan. It made no sense to corral 4-5 squirrely boys down Mt. Everest to trudge through the heat and crowds to save a few bucks only to be so tired when I got home that I blew the budget on take-out food. MY SOLUTION? Freezer meals. Ladies, those freezer bags in my freezer saved my life too many times to count. Natalie at A Turtles Life for Me shared how she spent around $100 and was able to freeze 46 meals for her family! I am inspired! Inspired by the book, Dinner’s in the Freezer, Don’t Panic Natalie shares how she shops, prepares, and freezes “perfect sized” meals for her family. Cooking in bulk is a necessity for me. We are busy, my boys eat food by the truckload, and our big stores are down a mountain. Plus, There is a sinister black cloud that hangs over my head all day if I am not prepared for dinner! I may be crazy, but I prefer to pretend to have it all together. My hungry boys ask me all day long what the next meal will be. They have come to depend upon my expert cooking skills. (Laugh with me here). I have used my “Bulk Cooking Days” to teach our sons to cut, prep and prepare meals. Homeschool Life Skills in action! Anytime I can double, triple, or quadruple a recipe I do- and I freeze the extra servings. It’s saved my sanity more than 3.4 dozen times. Freezer Meal Resources: Freezer Meals By Once a Month Mom “Once a Month Meals gives you everything you need to shop, prep and cook a bulk of your monthly meals in just one day — and freeze those meals for when you want to eat them.” Freezer Meals on the Cheap: By A Turtle’s Life for Me “Have you ever heard the story about the boy who woke up on a gorgeous day and his dad told him he had to go out back and chop firewood. The boy asked why he had to spend a warm, summer day chopping firewood and the dad said it was so he didn’t have to do it on a cold, winter day. That’s how I feel about freezer meals. It’s all about sucking it up and committing to an afternoon of slaving away in the kitchen, because you know it will make life SO much easier for the next couple months. This way, when you have that warm, summer day when you’re running your kids here and there and life seems so chaotic… dinner is already made and you look like supermom for doing it all and still putting a healthy dinner on the table!” Cooking Camp for Kids: Teaching Your Kids to Cook- One Tasty Recipe at a Time. By Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool “Teaching kids to cook is an invaluable life skill… but it takes time and commitment. With Cooking Camp 1, you will have everything you need to coach and train your kids to become “experts of their meal” over time. Cooking takes practice. There is no way around that. These are family loved recipes shared from my home to yours.” [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=146e73e46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Cooking Camp: Teaching Kids to Cook Don’t Panic! Dinner’s in the Freezer! “Hectic lifestyles and over-full schedules make traditional cooking methods nearly obsolete in many families. The results are poor nutrition and budgets strained by the high cost of fast food or commercially prepared meals. Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer offers a simple and economical alternative, featuring dozens of recipes designed to be prepared and frozen for future use. With 100,000 copies sold, this book gives practical tips for planning, organizing, and shopping for meals, as well as unique ways to freeze and reheat prepared foods. Every recipe includes measurements for cooking alone or as a joint venture with one or two friends. Families, singles, retirees-everyone who needs to eat-will find fast and easy answers to the question, “What’s for dinner?” Trust me, That’s enough to get you started.
Seed Strips: Gardening Craft I am really excited about this craft/gardening task.I have to thank Amy at Raising Arrows for sharing about this tip last week. One of our kids is completely inspired by all things farming. We really try to find projects that nurture his love for growing things when planning our homeschool day. I was thrilled to stumble upon a tutorial for teaching him how to make his own seed ribbons. If you want to learn more about planting with seed strips, Gardeners.com is a great resource. If you and your kids want to make your own seed strips, you can follow along. Materials needed:Seed packetstoilet paper (We used Costco brand)FlourWaterbowlpaint brush (We used chop sticks) Instructions Place Flour into a bowl and mix with water until it forms a paste. Measure a piece of toilet paper so it is the length of your table.Fold the paper in half. Read Seed packets to determine how far apart to “sow seeds”. Using a ruler, mark the paper with a pen at the proper spacing. (This makes it much easier for younger helpers!)Place a dollop of glue on each mark.Place 1-3 seeds per dollop of glue. Use your table or workspace to create a production line.Cover your table with seed strips. Let the strips dry. If you have enthusiastic helpers, you will need them to rest over night. If you have enthusiastic helpers, you will need them to rest over night. (Kids love using too much glue) Simply (and gently) roll the strips and label. Wrap with rubber band until planting day! When you are ready to plant: Dig trench to the proper planting depth.Unroll strip.Lay strip into trench.Cover with soil.Water. Voila! Planting made easy! My boys LOVED this project. We are ready for our early plantings, how about you? [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=142a79846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=143dc6846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]