Free Algebra Course Online!

I came across this while searching for help with a course I may have to take in the near future...the dreaded Algebra I.  Ugghh!  If you are anything like me, you absolutely, totally, & completely DESPISE Algebra. 
Hence, I have postponed this course as long as possible.  However, I will need to take it next fall in order to complete my degree. Sooo I'm grasping for help now so that I can brush up over the summer. 
(Although I realize I'm deluding myself by
 thinking this will help prepare me for the terror to come!)

Anyway...here is the link to the online course & hey, it's FREE!! (site operates via donation)

Core Algebra1

 

Why do I love Charlotte Mason?

Recently, I was asked, "What makes you love Charlotte Mason?"  Well, that question I just had to answer! Where do I start? This will be my second time around with CM as I homeschooled my children for 12+ years & next month my granddaughter & I will begin her homeschool journey.

The truth is I guess I've always followed Charlotte Mason's methods even before I ever heard of them. lol!

I can still remember when Karen Andreola's book, A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning,  first swept the homeschooling world & how CM was all the "new" rage.  So, of course I picked up a copy at the next homeschool convention.

  I read it & only then did I realize that I was already incorporating many of Charlotte Mason's methods into our homeschool. Charlotte taught God first, character/habit training as essential for the young child (& adult!), short lessons, narration & copywork, nature study, use of living books rather than textbooks, so much more.

She believed that children are persons & that they should be given "something to love, something to think about & something to do" each & every day. After morning lessons, she encouraged the children to be out-of-doors every afternoon exploring God's creation & learning about the natural world.

I wish I could have known her personally! In some ways, I have had the privilege of "knowing" her better through those who have written about her.  I placed a list of links below so that you too can come to know Charlotte Mason better.  Many of the links on my sidebar are Charlotte Mason related as well.  Happy researching!

 
Catherine Levison -
A Charlotte Mason Education

 

 

   Karen Andreola's -
 Pocketful of Pinecones:Nature Study with the Gentle Art of Learning

 

Ambleside Online's Annotated Charlotte Mason Series
click the link above to access Charlotte Mason's own writings on educating children (free)

Nature Study - Free Nature Treasure Hunt!

Charlotte Mason was a huge proponent of children getting outside to interact with & study the natural environment around them. Today's experts agree as an increasing number of studies show that kids who are given time to play outside are happier, healthier & smarter. Help your kids connect with nature and put smiles on their faces by going on a Nature Treasure Hunt courtesy of Nature.org!

Tuesday Smiles

 

I saw this on Christian Homechool Association of Pennsylvania's (CHAP) website & just had to share it here.

Hope it brings a smile to your face! 

Actually, this concept would turn the simple act of building a snowman with my granddaughter into a great object lesson to draw her heart closer to God & His creation.

 



Nativity Printable pack (Free!)

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

I wish I could say I created this pack, but I didn't.

However, click on the image below & you download this adorable package for free!  Enjoy!

 

click on image

Charlotte Mason - 31 Days of Charlotte Mason (link)

While searching for ideas to incorporate Charlotte Mason's method into our upcoming homeschool semester, I came across this excellent resource.
I think this is the best introduction to Charlotte Mason!

31 Days of Charlotte Mason

 

Happy homeschooling!

Freebie Friday

  This week, I am excited to share a website that has been my #1 go-to site for homeschool & household planning printables for over 15 years.

 

 Donna Young.org

Click Image to Visit Her Site

Since 1998, Donna Young has provided the homeschool community with free planners, calendars, worksheets, chore makers, household checklists, curriculum subject forms, & soooo much more. 

 

  Over the years, I have probably used almost
every chart, checklist, & planner she offers.

 

 



Alpha Phonics - teaching reading skills

Now that I have settled my mind & heart upon using Weaver Interlock to teach my granddaughter God's word, early science, social studies, narration, art, & preschool math skills I'm ready to talk - PHONICS.

Back when I was a new homeschooler (sssshhh 1999!), I was led by a seasoned homeschool mom to Alpha Phonics by Samuel Blumenfeld.  At the time, I was fortunate to be able to borrow a copy from my library to try out before buying.  After one week of using it with my son, I had to go out & purchase my own copy!

If you know how to read you can teach reading using Alpha-Phonics. The layout is open & go - 128 self-explanatory, scripted lessons.  Simple & straightforward & totally jargon free!  I could just open the book, go to the current lesson, & read it to him.  I remember lessons only took about 15 minutes per day.  My son was about 4 when we began & was practically reading from lesson 10!
  
What I like best about this program is that there aren't any distractions on the page just large print calligraphy which I think is preferable for young decoders.
It also uses the word families approach in which a single vowel is presented and reading skills are developed by studying all the possible word families of that vowel before moving to the next vowel. 

Needless to say, my granddaughter will cut her reading teeth on Alpha Phonics.  I'm so excited to be blessed to teach another generation to read using this elegant program. More on phonics in another post!

I would love to hear from others who have used Alpha Phonics or comment below & share what phonics program works for your child.

Cut down her 1st Christmas tree!

 

 

My beautiful grandbaby cut down her very first Christmas tree this weekend. 
Poppy "helped" saw it down for her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't you just love that fresh, wintery scent of Christmas tree wafting through the house??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now what, Poppy??

Budget Control - 52 Week Savings Challenge

We are determined to as Dave Ramsey would put it...get "gazelle focused" on our finances this year.  We want to be sure we are always saving something!  My husband came across this online & I'd thought I would share it with you. 

What a great way to at least start saving SOMETHING in your emergency fund.

 

Who is up for this challenge??

Comment below & let me know if you are ... let's do it together!

 

 52 Week Savings Challenge

Week 1 is December 30, 2013 - January 5, 2014

 

 

Thursday Storytime - Thankfulness

We are blessed to have an excellent, large library within a 5 minute drive from our home.  Each Thursday, the knowledgeable & friendly children's librarian offers a preschool storytime complete with stories, songs, finger-plays, & a craft.

My granddaughter & I attended our very first storytime together the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving and the theme was "thankfulness".  I was a bit apprehensive as we have been working with her on learning to obey & follow commands immediately & I wasn't sure if she would handle sitting still for a whole hour.

She did fantastic & we had a fun time!  The librarian read aloud 4 different storybooks, we sang 3 songs which included finger-plays, & each child had an opportunity to tell the room what they were most thankful for. 
What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon!

Our favorite book was A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

 



 

Afterward, my granddaughter cut and pasted her very own turkey craft!

Charlotte Mason - Picture Study

Charlotte Mason emphasized picture study.

Picture study is easy to incorporate into
your homeschool schedule & the rewards are great. 

Here's how to do it:

• Simply choose an artist that interests you
• read a brief biography about the artist
• select 3-6 works of art created by the artist you selected
• each week, allow your child to quietly "take in" one picture; noticing each detail
• turn the picture over & hide it
• ask your child to see the picture in her mind's eye
• now ask her to describe the picture to you in as much detail as she can recall (narrate)
• lastly, have a short discussion regarding how the picture made your child feel, think, etc...

Just a reminder: this is the time of year
to buy clearance 2013 art calendars. 

 

This is a fantastic way to get cheap, quality art prints so that you can start a Charlotte Mason style weekly picture study in your homeschool.

Share how you incorporate picture study into your homeschool - COMMENT BELOW

 

 

Weaver Curriculum - Interlock

   In case you didn't know, my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter has recently come to live with our family.  To my joyous surprise, her arrival awakened the homeschool "mom" in me!  As she is preschool level & I consider myself to be a Charlotte Mason style homeschooler, I know that I don't want to use a curriculum that is too structured. Over the past month, I've been familiarizing myself with the latest and greatest homeschool curricula that has appeared on the market in the 4 years since homeschool ended in our home.  My youngest will graduate from public school next year after entering in 9th & my oldest graduated homeschool in 2010.  Now, I'm starting again with a preschooler!  Whew!
  
   After hours of researching, I have decided that I will be using the tried and true Weaver Curriculum.  When mine were younger they loved Weaver and to this day it was the only curriculum that they used in which they still can recall what was learned.  Weaver is a unit study program based upon the Bible.  Beginning at the beginning in Genesis chapter 1 with the preschool/Kindergarten program, Interlock and continuing chronologically through the Bible with Weaver Volumes 1-5.  My family completed all but Volume 5 in the 8 years that we "weaved" our way through homeschool.

   Weaver Interlock was created for 3-6 year olds and covers Genesis chapters 1-10.  The curriculum includes a Bible story, Language arts, Social Studies, Preschool & Kindergarten arithmetic, Music, and Physical education, finger-plays, and songs.  Interlock is designed to be used 3 days per week which I really like as it allows time for the concepts to stick and for outdoor activities.  I don't want my granddaughter to have just a “Christian Education” I feel the Lord is leading me to provide her a “Biblical Education”, and there is a huge difference. 
The Weaver bases itself on the Hebrew form of education, where you train the heart.  And that is why it has always worked so well for us.

More on our journey through Weaver Interlock starting the week of January 6th 2013, after which I intend to post updates & photos of what's happening in our homeschool each week.

Free Printables Friday

Looking for a comprehensive homeschool do-it-yourself planner?
One with plenty of calendar, tracking forms, and weekly planners to select from?
Look no further than Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus!

Here is the link to her Totally FREE customizable homeschool planner:

FREE PLANNER

Happy planning!

Budget Control (Food Costs part 2)

I'd like to share a great conversation I just had with my son.
First, I returned from the grocery store today with another $109.00 spent. My second trip this week.
The first trip cost us $52.00.  You may be thinking..."what's the problem with that?"
Problem:  I should have scanned
what food we already had in the pantry!

Egg noodles were on sale 4 for $5, so I bought 5 bags.  Spaghetti sauce was $1 a jar, so I bought 4 of those. Now we have 9 jars of spaghetti sauce and 11 bags of egg noodles crammed in my cabinets.

That's not all!  I also bought various jars of curry sauces that were on clearance.  How many jars of those now?  7 jars!  Let's not forget to mention the copious numbers of canned items: soups, vegetables, fruitcup, & on, & on....

This is that lack of planning on my part that I discussed in my previous post.  My son pointed to the cabinets & freezer overflowing with food and said that we need to stick to a "set list of food we KNOW we like & will eat up right away so that our stock turns over quickly & so that food doesn't end up in the trashcan".  Uh ...YES!  Out of the mouths of babes!
Lesson learned today - SHOP MY PANTRY FIRST!

Free Printables!

Calling all homeschoolers &/or printable addicts (like me!)

 

Every Friday, Blessed Beyond a Doubt, shares links to TONS of FREE PRINTABLES!

You can even add your own to share. 

As long as they are free!

Happy printing!

Budget Control (part 2 - Food Costs)

   I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the cost of food continues to increase.  Recently, our family has made it a priority to establish a written household budget. In the process of evaluating some of our expenses, we've discovered that our monthly grocery bill is simply too high.

According to Dave Ramsey, food cost is a major area of our finances that we can tackle in our first month of budgeting to reduce expenses immediately.  So, my husband and I have determined to take control of our food budget beginning January 1, 2014.
  (I know, I know, just another New Year's resolution, but note the emphasis on the word determined!)

   Unfortunately, we tend to do our weekly shopping "on the fly" rather than creating a meal plan first & then sticking to a shopping list.  This behavior has developed into a bad habit over the years due to lack of pre-planning and sheer laziness on our part. 

   Well, the time has come to break that habit!   Over the next few weeks, we will be creating a monthly meal plan with shopping lists for each week.  Once I have my meal plan in hand, I can scan the supermarket sales flyers & match my menu to what is on sale.  Then, if I have coupons, I can take advantage of further savings.  BUT, this gal isn't coupon savvy enough at the moment so right now the target is to start PLANNING what we will eat & buying accordingly.

   So, I've spent the last few days researching online for ready-made meal plans.  Hey, why reinvent the wheel right?  In that time, I've come across sites claiming to "feed a family of 4 on less than $50 a week"!  However, I hesitate to imagine what we'd be eating for under $200 per month!! :) Sadly, after quick inspection, those meal plans generally included plenty of dry milk, white rice, dried beans, and white flour based recipes.  That doesn't fit our family as we enjoy eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as lean meats.  We believe it is more cost effective in the long run to choose healthier, whole foods to stave off future illness.

   Other sites assume we have a fresh supply of vegetables flowing in from our own garden or an ample storage of foods that I've canned myself just sitting on shelves in our pantry waiting to be opened.  Still others expected me to spend hours & hours each week clipping coupons and driving to 3 different supermarkets to get "the best price match". 

Sigh.

     We live in a small townhome with zero space for a chest freezer, no basement for storing items bought in bulk, and I am not the type to clip hundreds of coupons.  What to do? Well, I finally came across a website that I think might fit our family's needs.

  Wholesome Mommy.com!  

 This site offers menus based on real foods, not fillers.
Plus, 4 weeks of meal plans with shopping lists and recipes for FREE!!

Here is the link-
 Wholesome Mommy 4 Weeks of Meal Plans

Sign up for her newsletter at the top of the website &
the meal plans will come to your inbox

   What I really like about this menu plan (other than the inclusion of whole foods) is that it is based upon a $400 per month grocery budget.  Currently, we spend about $650 on groceries. That is too much!!
Which is why we desperately need a food budget & fast!  Our intention is to try to stick as closely as possible to the Wholesome Mommy meal plan beginning January 1st.

This will be our first attempt to stick to a grocery budget - so pray for us!! :)

I'll try to update you on our success (or failure) with 

this 4 week meal plan throughout January.

Comment & share what your family does to lower grocery bills!

Lithuania Potato Bread

Lithuania Potato Bread

 

bulvinis ragaisis

We love bread around here and what better way to feed my inner Lithuanian than with homemade potato bread slathered with softened butter?! I came across this recipe at about.com and couldn't wait to give it a try.  Hey, it requires zero kneading! How great is that?

 

 

 

Makes 2 large loaves of Lithuanian Potato Bread - Bulvinis Ragaisis

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large red or white potato, peeled and grated finely, undrained
• 2 cups scalded milk
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon salt

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, place grated potatoes and their liquid and scalded milk. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast, 4 cups flour and beat well with a Danish dough whisk, wooden spoon or paddle attachment. Add egg, sour cream, salt and remaining flour and beat again until well incorporated.
   
   
2. Cover and let rise about 2 to 3 hours or until light and doubled. Beat again. Grease 2 large loaf pans and fill half-full with batter. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30-45 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees. Immediately turn out of pan and let loaves cool on their sides.

Budget Control...(part 1 - The Budget)

   Another year is almost upon us and this year my husband and I have determined to develop a household budget and track our expenses.  I'm embarrassed to admit this, but after almost 20 years of marriage, this will be our first attempt at a written budget.  No surprise - as a result we've accumulated thousands in consumer debt and only possess the fuzziest of views of how much and where the money goes with each credit or debit card swipe.  Shocking isn't it?!

   Well, our New Year's goal #1 is - ESTABLISH A BUDGET!  And as dreadful as that sounds it's not nearly as dreadful as living paycheck to paycheck.  Aware that we will need to educate ourselves on HOW to create a budget, we are anxiously awaiting the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University kit that I picked up used online.  (I paid for the kit w/money from selling used homeschool materials!)

   We will also need to be held accountable for every purchase we make and will need support to stay focused on our goal to be debt free (including our mortgage) by 2020.  With that in mind, we joined the support group page on Facebook - Dave Ramsey Budgeting. 
   This blog is actually a way to hold ourselves accountable.  My plan is to post a monthly update of our successes and failures on the journey to becoming ex-debtslaves!

Please, share below how your family sets up a budget!
Anyone else familiar with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University?