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Our latest video
Here is a short video of our Clean N’ Flip set. You can check them out on our website at this link.
Mudroom Makeover In Progress
Several years ago we enclosed our back porch and turned it into a mudroom/bathroom/pantry. The bathroom (the priority) and pantry were quickly finished up, but the mudroom remained unfinished all this time. I knew how I wanted it, but it never seemed to be a priority. Plus I detest mudding and sanding drywall and that’s where the project left off.
My mother-in-law took the kids last month so I could work on a project. Darn! That meant I had to actually work on a project! lol I decided to tackle the mudroom once and for all. I did manage to get the room mudded, sanded and primed that weekend. I then had to wait for hubby to put the flooring down.
This weekend we made another Home Depot trip to pick up cabinets. I painted the room at 8pm last night so that we could get the cabinets up today. Sadly, I’m only manager to average about one day a week to work on the project. Still, we’re finally at a point where I can see the end in site.
Here’s the very attractive “before” pictures. It’s kind of funny, because directly to the right of the first view, is a totally adorable bathroom. You just had to walk through this mess to get to it!
And the “during” shot. (A view of the same area in the picture directly above) Not close to being done, but at least you can get a feel for the desired outcome. I can’t wait!
All three of us at PJ’s are in the midst of remodeling projects. In fact, we all own older homes, so the projects are ongoing and continuous. If you have something you’re working on we’d love for you to leave a link to share with us. Inspiration is a good thing!
My Savings Quest
I’m planning to work on including personal finance lessons in our school plan for this year. It just so happened that, in this week’s Freebie Friday newsletter, Jamin shared a fun savings game. It’s simple, but interesting and is a good introduction to budgeting and planning for a late elementary or middle schooler. You can check it out at My Savings Quest.
A College Professor’s Assessment of Homeschoolers
Or…how to best prepare you homeschooler for college. I found this article to be very interesting. (Article reprinted with permission)
College Professor Critiques Homeschoolers
copyright 2009 by Greg Landry, M.S.
I teach sophomore through senior level college students – most of them are pre-professional” students. They are preparing to go to medical school, dental school, physical therapy school, etc.
As a generalization, I’ve noticed certain characteristics common in my students who were homeschooled. Some of these are desirable, some not.
Desirable characteristics:
1. They are independent learners and do a great job of taking initiative and being responsible for learning. They don’t have to be “spoon fed” as many students do. This gives them an advantage at two specific points in their education; early in college and in graduate education.
2. They handle classroom social situations (interactions with their peers and professors) very well. In general, my homeschooled students are a pleasure to have in class. They greet me when the enter the class, initiate conversations
when appropriate, and they don’t hesitate to ask good questions. Most of my students do none of these.
3. They are serious about their education and that’s very obvious in their attitude, preparedness, and grades.
Areas where homeschooled students can improve:
1. They come to college less prepared in the sciences than their schooled counterparts – sometimes far less prepared. This can be especially troublesome for pre-professional students who need to maintain a high grade point average from the very beginning.
2. They come to college without sufficient test-taking experience, particularly with
timed tests. Many homeschooled students have a high level of anxiety when it comes to taking timed tests.
3. Many homeschooled students have problems meeting deadlines and have to adjust to that in college. That adjustment time in their freshman year can be costly in terms of the way it affects their grades.
My advice to homeschooling parents:
1. If your child is even possibly college bound and interested in the sciences, make
sure that they have a solid foundation of science in the high school years.
2. Begin giving timed tests by 7th or 8th grade. I’m referring to all tests that students take, not just national, standardized tests.
I think it is a disservice to not give students timed tests. They tend to focus better and score higher on timed tests, and, they are far better prepared for college and graduate education if they’ve taken timed tests throughout the high
school years.
In the earlier years the timed tests should allow ample time to complete the test as long as the student is working steadily. The objective is for them to know it’s timed yet not to feel a time pressure. This helps students to be comfortable
taking timed tests and develops confidence in their test-taking abilities.
3. Give your students real deadlines to meet in the high school years. If it’s difficult for students to meet these deadlines because they’re coming from mom or dad, have them take “outside” classes; online, co-op, or community college.
_______________________________
Greg Landry is a 14 year veteran homeschool dad and college professor. He also teaches one and two semester online science classes, and offers free 45 minute online seminars..
http://www.HomeschoolScienceAcademy.com
WFMW: Explore the Possibilities
Just a reminder to do some checking around before you order online. Just today, I managed to save $230 by spending a few extra minutes doing a bit of searching.
First I needed new Quickbooks business checks and envelopes. After placing the items in my cart I did some Google searches for “intuit coupon code” and “quickbooks checks code”. The first couple of sites I went to had nothing current. I nearly gave up. Thankfully, I clicked on www.retailmenot.com where there were several active codes. Most were 10% off or free shipping but one was for 50% off and it worked! Saved me over $100!
Then, my daughter needed new piano books. I first checked the site recommended by her piano teacher and found they would be right at $30 after shipping. I then checked Amazon.com and CBD. No bargains. Finally, I decided to check ebay. Wouldn’t you know, someone was selling all four books, in excellent condition, for $13.97 with free shipping! Again, less than half what I would have paid before.
So, less than 30 minutes of searching (for both purchases combined) saved me well over $100. Exploring the possibilities works for me! To see more Works for Me tips visit We Are That Family.