Every year, we have a tradition to countdown the days to Halloween with activities and little treats. We’ve tried different countdown calendars over the years and finally settled on one that works perfectly for us. The setup starts with a simple paper chain. I tape or glue date stickers on each chain (one for each child). The […]
Archives for September 2014
The Neglected Garden
I finally made it out to the garden today. We’ve been deluged with rain, illness, and let’s face it, a bout of laziness which all conspired to keep me from visiting it for way too long. There’s nothing I love more than a garden that just tends itself! Unfortunately, I don’t have one of those. Mine is definitely suffering […]
Stop & Go: A Free Printable Phonics or Reading Game
Are you looking for a way to add some fun to your language arts lessons? Several years ago I came up with this little printable game board that I could use when my kids just needed a little more fun in their school day. Set up is a snap – just print the game board […]
Budget Tips – The 3 Ns
When it comes to budgeting, people either love it or hate it. My husband falls in the latter camp. Even though he majored in math in college, he doesn’t like dealing with, managing, or even thinking about money. This is extremely lucky for me, because I happen to love budgeting. It must be the little accountant […]
Smoky Triple-Bean Turkey Chili
It’s beginning to get that little nip in the air that says autumn will be here soon. I love autumn! It reminds me of the smell of new school clothes, the crunch of leaves underfoot, impromptu football games at the park, and the warmth of sweaters and blankets on chilly nights. And let’s face it, autumn […]
A Homeschooling Must Have
Over the few years I’ve been homeschooling, I developed one serious pet peeve: dull pencils. I’ve tried many pencil sharpeners over the years – electric, manual, expensive, cheap – and every single one of them leaves the pencil half sharpened. Our most recent electric model sharpened pencils so lop-sided that I resorted to twisting the […]
Easy & Quick FHE Chart
I don’t know about you all, but I tend to have grand plans of things I want to make to keep us all organized. The tendency is to not make anything until I have the time to get it perfect. Since time is hot commodity in this house, things basically just never get made. For […]
Outdoor Couch
We’ve been working hard at getting our landscape done this summer. I guess I’ve just gotten tired of the endless dirt and weeds that crop up in an unfinished yard. So we started by planting some grass and installing a big patio, but realized after building it that we had nothing to put on it […]
Pack Meeting Roundup: Our Planet
I am the den leader for the Wolves and Bears in a local cub scout troop. This month we’ve been discussing ways to take care of our planet. For den meeting, we went on a fun hike at a nearby park and picked up trash along the way. We discussed trash and recycling in our community and made posters […]
5 Ideas for Church Quiet Bags
Anyone who has ever gone to church with us has learned that my toddler likes to sing…loud and a lot! His singing usually continues after the organ and congregation have stopped. The boy loves his music! When he’s not singing, he is crawling under the pews to visit those fortunate to sit in front or behind […]