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Puppy Update!
As the puppies have grown (almost 7 weeks now!) we’ve realized the daddy must have been a small dog, and definitely not a boxer…I’ve learned so much being in Puppy School–like, I know where the term “dog pile” comes from, (they all sleep in one big pile) and no matter how high you build your chicken wire pen, they will eventually figure a way to get out; and puppies have worms- I won’t go into that one.
Even though I would have never signed up for this, I have to say it has made many good memories for my kids and has been another great learning lesson in the school of life.
Another Craigslist Kitchen Find!
Like most of my kitchen appliances supplied by “Craig”, this range was only a couple years old, and was in nearly perfect condition (as in, it looked brand new). My husband, who is a chef, has high hopes I will eventually come across a Wolf, his dream gas range . . .but that hasn’t happened yet. In the meantime, this one works pretty nifty.
The hood you see in the picture can’t be added since it’s one of ”those items” that are not easily found on Craigslist. I guess it isn’t something people change out very often. Unfortunately, that item came in a brand new box with wrapper and all. 
Craigslist Kitchen!
Imagine for a minute, the kind of money you could save if you could go to a special “mall” uniquely designed for frugal bargain hunters where everything could be purchased at a 60%-80% discount. Although it sounds too good to be true, this “virtual mall” does exist, and it’s right at your fingertips simply by going to Craigslist.com. This virtual mall sells bunnies, dishwashers, leather furniture, kitchen cabinets, ski boots, motorcycles and even 5th wheel trailers . . . with the exception of a few items, it carries about everything a person might need to buy, and for a fraction of the cost you’d pay in a retail store.
I can honestly say the majority of all furnishings in my house have been purchased off Craigslist. Probably my best “buy story” was a kitchen . . . well, not the whole kitchen but almost everything in it, from the appliances to cabinets . . . even the kitchen sink!
These kitchen cabinets were listed on Craiglist for $2,000. I talked the seller down to $1,500 which supplied our entire kitchen for our remodel. Of course, we had to do some creative modifying, but it all fit nicely. Something I learned from buying these is that you have to be fast (they sell very quickly, especially when priced this low), have cash and willing to buy today! We left for a 400 mile round trip to get these cabinets within hours of contacting the seller.
This is actually my third dishwasher since our kitchen remodel in 2008. The first one was white but after 6 months I decided to change over to stainless steel. I sold dishwasher #1 on Craiglist (where it had originally come from) for almost the exact same price I bought it for 6 months previously, so it was rent free! Dishwasher #2, I also bought on Craiglist. It lasted for 2 years when the handle broke a couple of weeks ago. I was thinking of buying a new part but instead opted to buy the dishwasher I REALLY wanted 2 years ago At the time it was new at Home Depot, and I wasn’t willing to shell out almost $1,000 for it.
So, I got my dream dishwasher (stainless steel inside and out) for a fraction of the cost, with a little patience. This same model is still currently sold in the major retail stores for around $800-$900. I bought this one ( only 2 years old) for $350 from a lady who just remodeled her kitchen and was changing out the appliances.
Coming soon! I’ll be posting more Craigslist steals and deals!
Linking up to Works for Me Wednesday and Thrifty Thursday because . . . Craigslist works for me in more ways than one!
Mix It Up!
Do you ever get in a rut with your homeschooling or chores? Popsicle sticks are an easy way to save the day (or the week, as the case may be). When my kids start getting antsy or appear a bit bored, I’ll write their school subjects (or chores) on popsicle sticks and let them draw to see what they do next. It seems like such a little thing. I mean, they’re still doing the EXACT SAME work, right? But somehow, the added bit of surprise causes a big change in attitude. Or maybe it’s the feeling that Mom isn’t in control. I’m not completely sure.
If you want to make things even more fun, try throwing something “fun” into the mix. For example:
Go make yourself a snack.
Jog around the block.
Go see Mom for a 5 minute neck rub.
Mixing things up a bit works for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit We Are That Family.
Teaching Your Teen To Think (for free)!
Real-life learning for teens (whether you homeschool or not)!
While teaching your high schooler can seem a bit daunting, it doesn’t need to be. In fact, I consider teens the most enjoyable age to school. Once your students reach high school ages you are ready to work with them in applying their skills and knowledge to real-life situations and challenging them to analyze and critique the messages and views that surround them. This can lead to some great family values discussions. Let me issue a word of caution, here. I once heard someone share that teens often like to say things, “…just to hear how they sound out loud.” I’ve found this to be true. The lesson here is to restrain from panicking if your teen suddenly espouses an opinion that is opposed to your own. Instead, listen calmly and ask how and why they have arrived at their conclusion. If you can do so in a conversational manner (not bullying or pushing them to share your views), share your own thoughts on the subject. However, they most likely already know what you think. Often, a simple, “That’s an interesting way to look at it,” is sufficient.
I recall a specific incident with one of my children where he disagreed with my view that having television in the home was not beneficial. He shared several reasons why he felt otherwise. He asked me to clarify my view and I did. There was no indication that his view had changed until, six months or so later, I read a persuasive writing paper he’d written. Imagine my surprise (and relief!) to read his title; Television is a Negative Influence in the Home. I don’t even think he recalled our previous conversation, believing he’d come up with his opinion all on his own. Works for me!
Whenever possible, tie critical thinking assignments to real-life learning. For instance, my daughter and I recently chose to look closely at one of the initiatives in our state’s Voter’s Pamphlet that has been receiving a great deal of media attention. I had her write out the objective of the initiative at the top of a paper and list the stated pros and cons in two columns, underneath. (I’ve created a generic version of the Pro/Con worksheet in Word that you can download for free and use as-is or adapt to your own needs or pdf version for those who don’t have Word.) We read through the pamphlet, underlining important facts and read the supporting and opposing opinions. We examined the various sponsors of each view and discussed how the facts of the bill differed from the emotion-based appeals we’d seen on television and in print. In the end, I had my daughter write a few paragraphs stating whether or not she would pass the initiative and why. It was a meaningful and relevant learning experience. This exercise turned out to be especially fruitful as it turns out many of the television ads were extremely misleading. This was the perfect assignment to show her just how important it is to base these types of decisions on the facts rather than hype or rhetoric.
In history, we’ve been learning about early colonial America. Since we’ve studied the Boston Tea Party, I had my daughter look into the modern Tea Party Movement to see if she could determine why they would name themselves after the Boston Tea Party. After a good bit of research and discussion, she wrote a paper detailing what she saw as similarities and differences between the two “Tea Parties”.
Another weekly assignment at our home is to read choose one or two letters to the editor from our local paper, underline the thesis statement (if any) and highlight the supporting evidence (again, if it exists). You might be surprised at how many poorly written letters make the paper! These letters make for great discussion as well. Your child will learn to see how a poorly written letter, even if it makes a great point, can be very ineffective.
The goal of these exercises is not to have my child agree with me, but to teach her to think critically and to make her aware of biases and inaccuracies. These types of assignments are great discussion starters and help your student learn to challenge and analyze the information they are bombarded with on a daily basis. Teaching your student to question and think critically is one of the best gifts you can give them. And it doesn’t need to cost you a dime!
This article is linked to the Carnival of Homeschooling. Hop on over and check it out.
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