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Travel the World with Your Kids for Free!
My children and I enjoy little more than traveling the globe; discovering new sights and sounds and learning about new cultures. Together, we’ve visited Egypt, Africa, the Orient, Mexico, England and more. No, we’re not rich. Nor do we ever have to deal with busy airports, luggage restrictions, or dirty hotel rooms. “How?” you may ask. We do our traveling through books and I hope to encourage you to do the same with your children.
While many of us read aloud to our children when they are young, we often let the habit drop as they grow older and begin reading on their own. I urge you not to do this. By continuing to read aloud to and with your children you create a shared culture and experience that becomes unique to your family. It enriches you as a whole rather than just as individuals.
As you learn life lessons and admire the character qualities of those you read about, they become a part of your unique family tapestry. For example, Nat Bowditch, in the excellent read, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, overcomes obstacle after obstacle to eventually achieve more than he ever dreamed. In this sailing story, when a ship was becalmed for an extended period of time, the crew was forced to physically row the massive vessel, also known as “sailing by ash breeze” (the oars were made of ash). In our home we’ve adopted the phrase to encourage one another. When confronted with an an endeavor that is uncharacteristically difficult you’re likely to hear one of us say, “Is it time to row by ash breeze?” It may not solve the problem, but it brings a smile and reminds us of what can be accomplished with a bit of hard work and perseverance.
I frequently have homeschooling moms ask for book recommendations for their middle and high school children. And, while I’m happy to offer them, I’m saddened that they will miss out on the experience of reading them with their kids. While children most certainly need to read on their own, I highly recommend reserving some excellent books as family read-alouds. A truly good book can be enjoyed by nearly all ages.
By enjoying such a book together you can travel to new destinations, experience exciting adventures, and meet fascinating individuals, as a family and all from the comfort of your living room. If you’re like us, you’ll also end up with a list of amazing places you can’t wait to see “for real”. For example, my daughter and I have dreamed of visiting the Blue Grotto in person ever since reading Red Sails to Capri.
Another plus to enjoying quality literature together is that your children learn what good writing sounds like. I experienced two examples of this just yesterday. As I began reading from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, my 10 year old commented, “I really like that sentence, can you read it again?”
“Spring. It seeped unseen into the waiting red earth in early March, softening the hard ground for the coming plow and awakening life that had lain gently sleeping through the cold winter.”
Now, that’s a sentence! (Well, two sentences.) But the fact that my ten-year-old BOY can notice and take pleasure in such writing is a gift, indeed. Later in the day, after a trip to the library, my 12 year old came into the room holding a book he’d chosen. “I like the story, but the writing is just not very good. I don’t think I can read this. It’s too annoying.” At relatively young ages, both boys are developing discriminating literary tastes, simply by being exposed to quality literature.
If you’re not sure where to start check out the 1000 Good Book List. Here you’ll find quality books categorized by age. I become convinced of the value of read-alouds when we were using Sonlight curriculum. Even if you don’t use their curriculum, you can choose most any of their read-alouds and know you won’t go wrong. You can check out Sonlight’s list by grade or peruse this nicely categorized list.
In fact, both the books I mentioned above were read as part of Sonlight. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is part of their grade 4 curriculum, as is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, the book we’re currently reading. As I mentioned before, don’t be put off by a book being labeled as “grade 4″. A truly good book will be enjoyed by the entire family. In fact, I recently loaned Carry On, Mr. Bowditch to a gentleman in our church who loves sailing and he couldn’t put it down!
Don’t forget to enter for some great prized in our online “baby” shower!
Microwave Mashed Potatoes
I was invited to a Demarle party the other night. While I was fascinated with their products it was all well out of my budget. Nonetheless, I did walk away with something of value. Everyone in my home loves mashed potatoes. We probably only have them a couple of times a month, though, because I seldom get dinner started in time to peel, bring water to a boil, and cook the potatoes.
Well…at this party, the hostess mentioned that she could throw covered potatoes in one of her fancy pans, cover with a Silpat and cook for 15-20 minutes and have potatoes ready to be mashed. This totally eliminated the “waiting for the water to boil” scenario and also shortens cooking time.
When I got home, I decided to do a bit of research. I figured it may be possible to use some other kind of dish as well. Guess what? Sure enough, I found several recipes for microwave mashed potatoes. Looks to me like you basically use a glass bowl, cover it, and make the potatoes as usual. I know I’ll be giving it a try!
Microwave mashed potatoes work for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit We Are That Family. Linking to Crystal & Co.
Slow & Steady: Seeing is Believing
I started the new year with the intent to lose a goodly number of pounds this year. (Please assure me that I’m not alone!) However, rather than my repeated ‘gung-ho’ attempts, I’m taking it nice and slow this time. Not only that, but I created a graph to make my process more visual. I listed the number of pounds I wanted to use on the y axis and marked out 52 weeks on the x axis. I then drew a red line from point to point. It looked something like this. I say “something like this” because on my chart I used a ruler and my red line is nice and straight. I’m not so steady on the computer, but you get the idea.
Each week, I mark my current weight on the appropriate coordinate. My chart looks very similar to the one above, with my graphing points just below the red line. So, what’s the big deal? Quite a bit actually!
Normally, I would have been frustrated at my slow progress and given up. However, because I know (and can SEE) exactly where I need to be to meet my goal by year-end, I know that my progress is perfect. A bit better than necessary, actually. Even though the difference isn’t the least bit noticeable to me, the chart makes me realize that if I just continue at this slow and steady rate, I’ll be a whole new person by year end. THAT keeps me from throwing in the towel, altogether and from expecting unrealistic results. I’m surprised how much this simple chart helps my attitude.
This got me thinking . . . if such a chart can help my attitude and keep me motivated, is there a way to incorporate something similar into our homeschool?
This year my daughter is enrolled in a charter school. In order to receive a graded transcript we are, for the very first time, required to log and track hours in each subject. 75 credits equals 1/2 credit and 150 equals a full credit. With Friday marking the end of our semester, I’ve been watching our logs closely to make sure we’re on track. We did pretty well, but there was one subject that we are a few hours short in (unless Paige wants to do 7 hours of Spanish this week!). I bet a chart like the one above would be a great way to visually track where we are in relation to where we need to be in each subject over the next semester.
I can also see using a chart like this to track practice time, minutes of reading or something similar. If you’d like your child to read 10 hours each month, mark a line on the chart and track his or her weekly progress. If you don’t have graph paper, don’t worry. Head on over to DonnaYoung.org and print some out!
What do you think? Would such a graph be a help to you or your kids? Do you have a similar system or visual that keeps you on track with larger goals?
Slow & steady is working for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit We Are That Family. Linking to Crystal & Co.
Does this count for Physical Education?
The kids even made the video. That should count for “Technology”, right? 
Behavior Modification Tracker for Kids (and Mom)
Have you ever noticed that minor behavioral infractions such as children interrupting you while on the phone, not shutting the front door or saying an unkind word often go without consequence? Conversely, how many times do minor, positive behaviors go unrewarded? Incorporating a Bean Bank is a great way to prevent those small positives and negatives from going unnoticed.
The Bean Bank works much like the popular board game Chutes and Ladders but instead of climbing ladders or plummeting down chutes, deposits and
withdrawals are made to the “bank”. For our “bank” we use a glass mason jar so that the contents can be easily seen. Our “beans,” or currency, are small, glass beads that we purchased at the dollar store. Each time my son (I only use this with one of my children) does something I want to encourage more of, like getting his teeth brushed and to bed in a timely manner, I tell him to go add a bean to his bank. This, of course, works in the opposite way, with the child having to take a bean out for doing something negative.
One motivator is to have a reward when they reach a designated number of beans in the bank. If there aren’t any beans in the bank to make a withdrawal, then they go into “debt”. This debt can be paid off by doing some extra chores or even grounding from a privilege. This system may not work for everyone but it can be a great motivator for children who respond well to instant feedback.
Note from Dena:
I just saw a great modification of this as a visual weight loss tracker for Mom in Pinterest. Of course, I can’t find it now for the life of me! Visualize this with me, please. One empty jar labeled “Pounds Lost” and one jar, containing the number of marbles that correspond to the number of pounds you’d like to lose, labeled “Pounds to Lose”. Place them side by side and watch as the “Pounds to Lose” jar empties out and the “Pounds Lost” jar fills up. I think this makes for a great motivational visual. (I’ll keep looking for the image.)
Linking up to Works for Me Wednesdays and The Mommy Club!
Frugal Leather!!
I guess you could call this a Craigslist impulse buy….but it looked so comfortable and was at such an awesome price , I’m not a bit sorry. When I saw this leather sofa set listed, I knew it was a HOT ITEM, under-priced and recently listed; I had to act fast!! I called the seller and found out she had just listed it the day before but was anxious to get it sold, as she had new furniture coming in a few days. When she told me it was only 2 years old, and the 2 reclining chairs had barely been used at all (new!! new!! new!!) I was sold!! She was asking $800 but thought I’d give it a shot and offer her $700, and she accepted!!! Knowing that I was getting such a great deal (especially at $700) I offered to put a $50 deposit on it through paypal to secure she wouldn’t sell it to anyone else until I could come to pick it up later that night. She told me not to worry about the deposit, and true to her word, she did not sell it to anyone else.
I have to say, this is the most comfortable set of couches I have ever had that pleasure of owning.
The furniture barely fit in our family room but we love it!!
Freezing Cooked Rice Works for Me!
A couple of weeks ago I pulled my rice cooker (purchased at a yard sale, or course) out of the storage bin and cooked up a batch of rice. I then packaged it in quart size freezer bags and put it in the freezer. Over the last couple of weeks it has been SOOO handy to just grab a bag or pre-cooked rice and add it to my meals. I added it to a soup, used it for taco filling and served it with some teriyaki chicken.
With my husband being gluten free, rice works as a great substitute for bread and/or pasta. My kids love what they call “Chicken Joes”, which is basically shredded chicken with BBQ sauce mixed in, served on a bun. My husband eats it over rice. I can cook him up some Minute Rice, but grabbing a bag of pre-cooked rice is quicker, less messy and significantly cheaper. Have you compared the cost of regular rice vs. Minute Rice? Yikes!
This week I’ll be making up both a batch of brown and white rice. Pre-cooked rice in the freezer works for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit We Are That Family. (I’m interested to try Kristen’s boiling pot tip to see if it really works!)
Note: I would never have purchased a rice cooker until after working at a Chinese restaurant and seeing how easily they made rice. When I happened upon one for a couple bucks at a yard sale, I nabbed it.
A Simple Woman’s Daybook
FOR TODAY Jan. 9, 2011
Outside my window…darkness, though it was lovely earlier.
I am thinking…of wrapping up year-end bookkeeping duties.
I am thankful…for loving friends and family.
In the kitchen…the counters shine at the hands of a loving daughter.
I am wearing…my PJ’s (of course!)
I am creating…a ruffle-edged knitted scarf.
I am going…to bed, shortly. I was in town (Walla Walla) earlier today.
I am wondering…if I can find a good recipe for Split Pea Soup for tomorrow night.
I am reading…Made to Crave (among others).
I am hoping…for a wonderful school day tomorrow.
I am looking forward to…listening to the Scouts make a presentation to the American Legion tomorrow night.
Around the house…I need to put away all the Christmas decor that I took down this weekend.
A favorite quote for today… Don’t look down on anyone unless you are reaching down to help them up.
One of my favorite things…Fruit smoothies in the morning.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Finish cleaning the office, attend Christian Women’s Club where Paige will play piano, watch a couple of her basketball games.
A peek into my day…Did school with the kids, sorted coupons, met Marillee in Walla Walla at the printer (final Clean ‘n’ Flip proofs!), did (mega-coupon) grocery shopping and walked with a friend. A typical day of homeschooling, homemaking and home business!
Clean ‘n’ Flip Makeover Sneak Peek
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For those of you who don’t know, our Clean ‘n’ Flip Chore System is undergoing a massive makeover. Here are a few of the new features of the updated system.
- The Zone and Bedroom Clean ‘n’ Flips have now been combined into one all-inclusive flipchart. Previously, the Bedroom chart wasn’t laminated (and couldn’t be checked with a dry-erase marker), now the entire chart is laminated.
- The program now includes an instructional DVD which instructs Mom in how to best implement and customize the system AND demonstrates to children, how to work step-by-step, through the chart. See sample below.
- You’ll also receive our Kid Friendly Cleaning Solutions E-Book, filled with natural and frugal recipes allowing you to make your own non-toxic cleaning solutions. You’ll even find a list of our favorite resources and printables to help you in your cleaning and organizing endeavors.
- The new program provides you with everything you need to succeed, right down to the dry-erase marker and laundry basket labels!
Right now, we’re blowing out our current system at a massive discount while offering special pre-order pricing on the new system. The new program is scheduled to be ready on Jan. 21. Would you like a sneak peek?
Keep Giving in the Forefront
While reading Ann’s blog before Christmas, I was struck by her post about their “radical” Christmas. What a great idea! Though I doubt we’ll follow their lead as far as celebrating Christmas (though perhaps we should), I loved the idea of using catalogs to inspire regular giving and to keep the needs of others before us. We sponsor a Compassion child so I already had their catalog and I quickly requested several others. We got our second one today. Right now, I have this basket and jar sitting on our kitchen sideboard.
Looking through the catalogs, it’s striking to realize that only a few dollars can buy a chicken, a mosquito net or some medicine. In fact, just over $600 can buy a home! It lets us realize that every few dollars we’re willing to set aside can go to help others. Every little bit helps.
My kids have already been “bargain shopping”, noting that a chicken costs a few dollars more in one catalog than in another. We’ve also discussed whether a cow or goat would be a better option for a family. As they read through the catalogs, they see how people live and become aware of their needs. I can’t wait for more catalogs to arrive.
Grandma has asked that we give something to the needy rather than give her a birthday present this year. We’re already trying to decide on the perfect gift to give in her name. I think we’ll keep a list of the needs we are able to meet over the next year.
I ordered a few extras of each catalog in case friends see our basket and are interested in doing the same.
Living and loving works for me! To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit We Are That Family. Also linking to Mommy Resources at Crystal and Co.
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- Giveaway Winners!
- Response Sheets to Document Learning & Grading Alternatives
- What we use to homeschool and why
- Celebrate at our “baby shower” and WIN BIG!
- Travel the World with Your Kids for Free!
- Microwave Mashed Potatoes
- Slow & Steady: Seeing is Believing
- Does this count for Physical Education?
- Behavior Modification Tracker for Kids (and Mom)
- Frugal Leather!!
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