Maxi skirt sale...link

i just needed to post that WalMart is clear ancient out some of their women's maxi skirts. I normally do not purchase items from Walmart, but for $6, you just can't beat the price and the comfort. I have quite a few of these, because of the sale, and I wear them just about everyday. I can't even get fabric this cheap to try to sew my own. Seriously, everyone needs at least 4 in their closet.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faded-Glory-Women-s-Fashion-Maxi-Skirt-with-Shirred-Waistband/42618095

Kwik Sew...link

For anyone who sews, I thought I would let you know that Kwik Sew  is having a sale on their patterns right now for a great price. I love using these patterns, since they are easy to trace.

Beautiful writing pages...link

I just came across this, this morning and knew I needed to share it! They are beautiful pages that can be used for journaling or even to make homeschool writing assignments more interesting and beautiful. Because these are free, for the time being, I am printing off a set to keep to photo copy if ever needed.

Color and Write, Coloring Journal Pages for Teens and Tweens

There are also beautify done pages on the creators blog for sale, here.

There is also a huge sale going on, which ends TODAY! Perfect for homeschooling.
http://www.buildyourbundle.net

I pray everyone has a blessed day.

Homeschooling and "THE Curriculum"

I thought I would go ahead and address this once and for all. There is no curriculum out there that is one-size-fits-all. I am tired of everyone bashing others because they think their curriculum is the absolute best on the market (and they probably paid a pretty penny for it too).

I personally love the flexibility that Ambleside Online affords me. I also spend $150 or less each year AND I only have to purchase these once and I have them for "free" for every other child in our home.

I posted many links on my Facebook page today. The links I posted and will post on here are the very few of hundreds I weeded through, to make sure they fit my ideals of what I wanted to do with our homeschooling experience.

I use Ambleside as our base, then I go from there. Most of the books are free to download at Project Gutenberg

I use the KJV and Geneva version to teach Bible. I found a read through the Bible list for children.

I purchased the Eclectic Education Series Cd's, which will take my children from Kindergarten all the way to college. I think that is a good deal. I also really like that they are God based books. I don't have to worry about what my children may accidentally read from day to day. These cover math, phonics, reading skill building, grammar, some science and some history.

For handwriting, I went with the same curriculum I was taught in school. D'Nealian is a much simpler type to teach and transfers easier when you start cursive.

For Nature Journaling, I have done a few things so far. In years 0-2, we learned about an animal in our science stories every week, so that was simple. Now that we are in year 3, it became a challenge until I came across these beautifully detailed coloring books on Amazon. Tabitha copies the picture, then writes about the particular plant each week.

For Health, we have struggled to find something that is not mainstream and full of things I do not think my children need to know about just yet. I have just recently had a suggestion for a AO board room discussion that I could use my homeopathic, essential oil, medicinal herb, and Nourishing Traditions book. Why had I never thought of that before? I will also use our encyclopedia health books as needed.

Music is very easy right now. I bought 2 recorders and a lesson book, which we use infrequently. I also have a beginner piano book. I also have everything from when I was younger to teach violin and flute, but that is down the road. Weekly, we work on learning hymns and listening to classical works. I also have a book we learn about composers.

I really like Art. We learn about a new famous artist, with this series of books, every few months and they draw on paper every chance they get. I really like that AO tells us NOT to do all of those fufu-ish crafts that you put together and throw away. If they want to make something, that is where handicrafts come in. If they are going to take time to make something, it had better be usable. Both children have just started a sewing curriculum that I found on Craftsy and they Rainbow Loom. Tabitha has also started to learn how to crochet.

For foreign language, the children start out learning American Sign Language. This year, I have added Latin to be started in year 3. I will probably add Spanish and French in later years, so that they have a well rounded international vocabulary.

As for workbooks, I do not let anyone write in them. We either go over them orally or I copy the pages and put in a 3 punch folder. For any writing, I print off the lined pages, until they are old enough to use the regular ruled paper.

In Ohio, testing or evaluation is required. I use this company, purely for the convenience. No filling in bubbles for us!

I feel like I am forgetting something, but this is the majority of what we do every week. I also do not follow the school year. We start our years in January and go all year with a break every 4-5 weeks depending on what is going on in our family, be it birthdays, Biblical holy days, or illnesses.


Another great free curriculum site is this. I have looked through it, but have not used any of it yet. I stays in my bookmarks for future use.

Condiments

Everyone has the basic 3 condiments in their refrigerator. Ketchup, mustard, and mayo.

I thought I would share my recipes, for 2 of these, that I have been using for a while now, with all of you. If you were like me, I searched and searched for an awesome recipe, mainly so I could be sure I knew where all of the ingredients came from. I just don't trust many companies now, so I make as many things as I can myself.

Ketchup

1 can (7oz) organic tomato paste (I use Woodstock)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (Spectrum)
1/4 cup maple syrup (local)
1/4 cup water (we have RO water)
1 tsp sea salt (Real or Himalayan)
1/4 tsp onion powder (Frontier)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (Frontier)
1 tbsp. whey (homemade from our raw milk)

Put all ingredients (except whey) into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix with a whisk. Reduce to a high simmer for about 20 minutes. Cool, then mix in whey. Put in a mason jar and set on top of your refrigerator for 8 hours. Refrigerate for up to 2 months.


Mayo

1 egg at room temperature (fresh from the farm, free range, pastured...)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (Bragg's) (you could sub with white vinegar or lemon juice)
1 tsp water
2 tsp mustard (yellow or Dijon) (Woodstock or Annie's)
1/8 tsp salt (Real or Himalayan)
1 cup oil
(I use 1/2 grape seed and 1/2 extra light olive. You could also use sunflower)
(La Tourangelle, Bertoli)
2 tsp whey

Pour directly in a quart mason jar. Using an immersion blender, with the blade part sitting on the bottom of the jar, pulse 2-3 times, then hold power on while moving the blender up and down in the jar. You will have nice, thick mayo within 30 seconds.

Let sit out for 4 hours on top of refrigerator, then put in refrigerator for up to 2 months.



I get most of these ingredients at wonderful prices through our co-op, so that keeps our cost down even further. I love that I can make these basics and even more for my family and not have to pay top dollar for the "organic" brands, which still have undesirable ingredients.

Pear sauce day

Today is pear sauce day. You've definitely heard of apple sauce, but pear sauce?

3 years ago, I started making and canning pear sauce, since you can not seem to find it anywhere in the stores besides in the baby food aisle, which would cost me a small fortune! My kids prefer pears to apples any day. Maybe someday I'll have to try making plum sauce too...

I bought a bushel of pears from a local orchard last Saturday ( they actually delivered it to the Canton Farmer's Market for me!). They have been on my kitchen counter ever since, and today, the majority are ripe, so here we are today.

I use these instructions from start to finish. I use Bartlett pears, FYI.

Pears are locally in season right now, so if you would like to try this, get to your nearest pear orchard ASAP.

I am praying, that in the next few years I will have pears in my own back yard and will never have to source pears again, same with peaches also.

Let's retry this... Homemade Liquid Soap

Over a year ago, I tried making liquid "castile" soap and utterly failed. Why? Probably because I did not follow the directions. I did not want to give up a crock pot, so I tried to do it my way on the stove top. Big mistake! So, here I am again, now that my gallon of Dr. Bronner's is down to the last 16 oz, with a surrendered crock pot and a recipe I made with the soap calculator, so I could use up various bits of my soaping oil stash and the basics are rolled from the original blog post that started this challenge.

I used Silver Firs Farm's basics to make my own recipe. Also, as I said, you must surrender a crock pot for only liquid soap making, since you are using potash (also known as KOH or potassium hydroxide). If everything doesn't go as she says ( have no idea how she says it will be done in 3-4 hours...), be patient. It took from the start, 90+ minutes to get it thick, even with my hand blender, off and on, so I didn't burn the motor up. Then I needed to stir until extremely thick, which was again, on and off for an hour or so, then I stirred every 20-30 minutes on low for 4 hours, then turned it back up to high until bed time, which was 6 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, then turned it off until we got back up this morning and stirred every 15-20 minutes on high for 4 hours. It is finally done! I added the boiling water straight to the crock pot instead of needing to clean another thing. Now I just have to wait until it is dissolved to bottle it in a recycled apple cider jug and cure it for the next 4 weeks. After that, I plan on giving each member of the family their own personal bottle with a scent they want. I will use .5 oz per 16 oz of soap, in case anyone is wondering. I get soap scents from EBay and MMS.

Dissolving...

Inspiration for going no-poo...link

http://fulfilledhomemaking.com/no-poo-shampoo/

I have tried to go no-poo, but I didn't realized how long it could take for my body to recalibrate. It has taken me around a year to train my hair to not have to be washed (with WEN, which I buy by the gallon once a year) more than every 2 weeks. I may have to try harder sometime soon.

Currently, I do not wash my daughter's hair more than once a month and my oldest son, I think I have formally washed it 1 time. and he is 4 years old.

Abide With Me: Dr. Mom To The Rescue~ Part 1: Health Care At Home... link

Abide With Me: Dr. Mom To The Rescue~ Part 1: Health Care At Home...: I'm so excited to share this with you today. This post, in a three part series, has been a work in progress. It comes to you after much ...

Going back to nature - Grains

After writing a bit on grains for today's Thought of the Day, I figured I needed to say more about how versatile grains are. You can grind, roll, and sprout them, maybe even more. It is so amazing how many different kinds of grain there are; from amaranth to oats to many types of wheat.

Here is a link to all sorts of different types as well as their nutritional profiles.

Here is another link that tells you how long WHOLE grains can be stored.

As I said in today's TOD also, I am planning, hopefully in the near future, to start grinding and flaking my own whole grains. I will be able to buy whole grains in bulk through our co-op.

For sprouting, it's quite simple, and you have heard of wheatgrass, right?

There are also these really cool lids to put on 5 gallon buckets and air eaters to help keep your grains the longest and still be able to take some out as needed.

Once I have all the necessary components, I can't wait to try these 2 recipes... here and here.

COCONUT!!!

As some of you may guess, coconut is one of my favorite things to use. It is so versatile. I use the oil to cook with, soap, baby rash ointment...

I thought I would make a post about how I use coconut products in our food.

1. "Almond Joys" (or Mounds if you don't like nuts, lol)
      2 tbsp. Coconut Cream Concentrate
      2 tbsp. Shredded coconut
      1 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder (I like dark)
      1 1/2 tbsp. raw honey
      8-10 raw almonds

  Mix all in ingredients except almonds in a bowl with a fork. Put small clumps on parchment paper or a sil pat. Put an almond on each clump. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

2. Coconut yogurt
    I really like Liberte yogurt flavors, but don't like the fact that it's not pastured organic, so I have
   decided to make my own with Kalona plain yogurt.
  
   1 24oz tub of Kalona Plain 5%
   1 tbsp. vanilla extract (homemade)
   3+ tbsp. pure maple syrup (or honey)
   1/2 c shredded coconut
   1/2 c flaked coconut

   Mix together in a bowl. Put into jelly jars for single servings.
   I use ball jars with the plastic lids and Erasable Multi-use Labels so I can write the info and
   expiration date on top.

   I also am planning on making blueberry, strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, lemon, peach, apricot,
   etc... As long as it is in season, I will make a freezer jelly and we can have those as mix ins. I will
   just have to make a naturally sweetened base, just as the first 3 ingredients above.

3. Apricot bars
  * I use shredded coconut
I have not tried it yet, but I would think you could use almost any dried fruit in this recipe and it would be quite yummy. I am going to try medjool dates and figs soon.
  
4. Baked oatmeal 
  I have substituted the cranberries for dried cherries or mixed raisins. I sprinkle a light layer of
  shredded coconut on top after I get everything else in the casserole dish. It gets nice and toasted and
  everyone (except Eric - I sprinkle it on 3/4 of the dish) likes it.

5. Granola
    I do not use the vegetable oil. I replace it with coconut oil, but you could use sunflower seed oil
    also. I also do not add the nuts/seeds until afterward. I use raw nuts and seeds, which have more
    nutrition. You could also sprout your nuts and seeds for even more nutrition.

   You can also used any dried fruit as long as it is diced (apricots, figs, dates...).

   I double the cinnamon and vanilla, since we really like cinnamon and vanilla around here.
   
    For coconut-y granola, I use virgin coconut oil and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. If you don't want
    the coconut flavor, but the benefits still, use expeller pressed.

    For chocolate granola, I add 3 tbsp. of cocoa powder (1/2 batch)

   So far I don't think one of my batches has ever been the same. I love experimenting with different
   ingredients. Also, I usually 1/2 this recipe, as it makes a lot.
  
   I use this for snack time and cereal.


Here are a couple things I have not gotten around to try yet.

1. Homemade Magic Shell Topping
  
    Eric loves this stuff, yet the commercial stuff is so bad for you. I found this recipe a couple weeks
   ago.

2. Maple Pecan Ice cream
   There are even more recipes online. I have a few more, if interested contact me.
   I really like coconut ice cream. I was first introduced to it through our co-op. The brand is Luna & Larry, but I just can't afford to buy it more than maybe once a year, if that! So, I am on the hunt for
  delicious, do it yourself recipes. Now all I need is an ice cream maker. Anyone want to buy one for
  me?

An awesome homemaking blog...link

The following link is to an awesome blog/website that I am sure will be helping me further save money with feeding my family and maybe some other things too. There is so much information. I have been reading post after post for the past week and I am still far from reading everything. I really want to just print everything out, but that would be a lot of paper!

I am blessed that I have a local co-op that I can buy items, such as she suggests in bulk, which are far less expensive than getting them at my local health food store.

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/recipes.htm
 

Lemon (or citrus) vinegar

Somewhere along the way. in the past month, I came across lemon vinegar, to help clean those stubborn greasy messes. I decided to try it and now I just have to share it with my readers! I usually just clean with straight white distilled vinegar that I get in bulk at Sam's Club, but this stuff rocks.

It is so simple.

Make lemonade (well, that's what we did...)

stick the lemon peels, cut into sections, into a quart canning jar
pour white vinegar over these
put a lid on
let set for 1-2 weeks on top of your fridge or in a cabinet (don't forget about it though)
strain into a spray bottle
use it on everything!

If you don't like lemon scent, then you can try it with oranges or even grapefruit too!

I would recommend using organic, so they don't have all those yucky sprays and pesticides on them.

So, there you go. Easy homemade cleaner that really works.

Big savings!

I posted about this on my Facebook page and thought I should share this with the rest of the world.

. I have realized that by the simple acts of just breastfeeding and cloth diapering, I have saved over $10,000 in the past 6 years!

There is a laundry list of things this also includes besides just formula and diapers. There are diaper wipes, rash cream, extra trash bags, extra fees for trash pick up, training diapers, gas for late night runs to the store when you run out of something unexpectedly, bottles, artificial nipples, liners, bottle brushes, and pacifiers. 

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg!

 

We save even more than that by not going out to eat more than 1 time a month, growing and storing our own food, sewing our own clothes, making our own soap and household cleaning supplies, never buying clothing, household knicknacks, or fabric unless it is on clearance or without a coupon, treating our small illnesses at home homeopathically, not going to the doctor for "well visits" or even "sick visits" (why do you need a doctor to tell you your child is healthy? Why do you need a doctor to tell you that your runny nose and cough is a virus?), and just plain staying home. As Eric says, " You are a STAY AT HOME mom, not a go everywhere under the sun all day mom...".

 

I am planning on saving even more in the near future by never buying kleenex or paper towels again. I bought a bolt of unbleached muslin, on sale of course, from JoAnn Fabrics, and have slowly, between other projects, been making reusable paper towels and hankerchiefs with my serger. They are a cinch to make. You may be thinking that it makes more laundry, but it doesn't. Just thrown the hankerchiefs in with a load of whites and the papertowels in with a load of towels. I will tell you that I do air dry them so they don't shrink, but that is a cinch to do too! I bought a couple of these and have them hanging off the shelf brackets in the room off of our master bath. I air dry tons of things on them like swim suits, lingerie, wool socks, cloth diapers, and anything else cotton I don't want shrinking in the dryer. I have even taken the curtain off of the window and use the curtain rod to hang up my cotton skirts to dry by the sun and with help from the air conditioner vent as well. That does 2 things efficiently. Drying my laundry and adding moisture into our air.

 

All of these little things add up to big savings!