Hello everyone!! We are home schooling for the first time this year and have lots of questions ourselves, but what I plan to use for keeping track of everything is a teacher's record book. I bought ours on ebay, but if there is a teaching supply store near you, it could be bought at a store. Since I have no clue where the nearest store is, (even after not finding anything useful online) I have found it a little easier to get things online sometimes due to the pricing and convenience due to the high cost of gas. I'm all about trying to save us money as much as I possibly can, so when possibly I will use coupons anytime I shop whether it be online or at the local stores.
I have looked at local stores near us, but was not able to find anything, so I looked online and found one that would work also for lessons as well, as keeping up with grading and attendance. I checked out a few sites a few months ago, but after I got the teacher's book, I just decided that this may be a better choice. I have also purchased a few things that were on sale along the way and this will help out tremendously come closer the school time. There are going to be a large amount of shoppers the next few weeks, so I know that to stay on top of everything that keeping track of the sales ads and what coupons will be in the paper's each week will be critical.
To help make everything much easier on our end, I want to keep as good of a record of everything that I possibly can. I just want to have some physical proof should something ever happen and I have to have some documents or paperwork showing what we are doing, just-in-case something should ever come up (just never hurts to be prepared in this day and age). Since I already do some paperwork, this would be nothing much harder or time consuming than what I do now. It's never a bad thing to be ready in the event of something going awry.... Yes, there are people who are against home-schooling all together and well... you just never know. Home-schooling is not for everyone, but it is the right thing for our family. We have done lots of praying and I know that it is what is right for us to do. God has played a huge roll in helping us along with making this decision final.
If anyone else has any advice or pointers to offer us as we begin to start our school year in August, please let me know. I will also be using our blog to help anyone else who may need any pointers or advice with making the decision to home-school. For us, there were more pros than there were cons, which helped make the decision to home-school our children easier. It did take lots of prayer and I have no doubt in my mind that we will be going in the wrong direction. I have no regrets in making the decision to home-school, as I think that this is what is the
best for our children's future education.
The possibility of college could become a reality now, as opposed to going to public school. I know from my own personal experience with being a student in a public school, that had I been home-schooled, I would have definitely went to college. There were lots of things that they had not taught in the curriculum that would have been important to have learned in preparation for college. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, but the critical thing is that I want to make sure that I do everything right and that our children are learning what they should. As with everything else that has came along in our lives, we will be home-schooling as a family. Just can't wait to see what new experiences we will have as a home-schooling family moving forward. This is going to be a very fun and moving experience for us all. Thanks so much!! Take care and have a great afternoon and Happy Early 4th of July!! May God bless!!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Fried Green Tomatoes... It's What's For Supper... :)
There is one thing for sure.. there is nothing like some great southern home cooking. With our garden in full bloom and the tomatoes getting ripe, it was just too hard to not pick some green tomatoes and fry them up for supper. They are absolutely delicious and go well with about any other vegetable, casserole, or meat. I love to slice them thinly, and then place them in a cool bowl of water and add some seasonings. Let them sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or even over night. When you are ready to fry them up, just batter them and drop in them in a deep fryer or fry in a iron skillet. I love to pair them with fried squash, peas, and cornbread. Absolutely delicious and everyone loves them, which means of course, I have to fix much larger batches of them for supper.. lol They're so great that even our indoor pets love them too... yes we spoil our pets too, they are truly southern as well.
I don't think that I have ever found anything that comes close to freshly fried green tomatoes... well.. I'm a true vegetable lover and everything that we raise from the garden is always my favorite... so shhhhh, please don't ask me to pick just one as a favorite. Since green tomatoes are not always in season and we love them year-round, I will often prepare some for the freezer. I prepare them by doing them the same way as I normally would for frying them, with the only exception that after I have battered them up, I lay them out plat on cookie sheets and then place the sheets in the freezer. After a couple of hours, I will take them from the sheets and add them to zip-lock bags that have a light amount of the seasoned flour inside to prevent any sticking together. Then add them back to the freezer for later use, during the colder months for when you want a fresh piece of summer, long after the warm weather has went into hibernation... lol I also do the same with freshly picked squash.... so since these are a favorite around here, I have to put a lot of these little babies up. I also have taken green tomatoes and cubed them and added them with other fresh vegetables from the garden for a quick stir-fry.
I will also put up some of the stir-fry in the freezer as well and it goes great with rice, mashed potatoes, or anything almost. Home-made stir-fry is also something else that I fix that goes fast.. lol It's always a crowd pleaser plus it's a great way to fix dinner when you're pinched on options, time, or both. Making stir-fry is also a great way to get your kids in the kitchen and encourage them to be creative with recipes. There are so many wonderful things that you can make and cook using fresh vegetables. I have been an avid gardener for many, many years and so gardening, cooking, and canning is right up my alley. I love to find new ways to live off the land and make use of things that we have available. With times hard like they are now, I think that learning to make use of whatever you have on hand is key to surviving and staying afloat these days. I'm just glad that we don't have any picky eaters, which also makes for making meals and cooking so much easier.
Since I love writing and have so many interests that can be tied knit together somehow, I'm pretty sure that I will write about lots of other interesting topics. I will write another article with some helpful hints and even include some of our favorite recipes that I have created. I really enjoy preparing for winter time and anytime. I'm in the kitchen 90% of the time and when I'm canning, I'm in there for most of the day or night. I love how gardening can open the door for so many other things... it's also an educational experience. Take care and have an awesome day!! Until next post.... May God bless!!
I don't think that I have ever found anything that comes close to freshly fried green tomatoes... well.. I'm a true vegetable lover and everything that we raise from the garden is always my favorite... so shhhhh, please don't ask me to pick just one as a favorite. Since green tomatoes are not always in season and we love them year-round, I will often prepare some for the freezer. I prepare them by doing them the same way as I normally would for frying them, with the only exception that after I have battered them up, I lay them out plat on cookie sheets and then place the sheets in the freezer. After a couple of hours, I will take them from the sheets and add them to zip-lock bags that have a light amount of the seasoned flour inside to prevent any sticking together. Then add them back to the freezer for later use, during the colder months for when you want a fresh piece of summer, long after the warm weather has went into hibernation... lol I also do the same with freshly picked squash.... so since these are a favorite around here, I have to put a lot of these little babies up. I also have taken green tomatoes and cubed them and added them with other fresh vegetables from the garden for a quick stir-fry.
I will also put up some of the stir-fry in the freezer as well and it goes great with rice, mashed potatoes, or anything almost. Home-made stir-fry is also something else that I fix that goes fast.. lol It's always a crowd pleaser plus it's a great way to fix dinner when you're pinched on options, time, or both. Making stir-fry is also a great way to get your kids in the kitchen and encourage them to be creative with recipes. There are so many wonderful things that you can make and cook using fresh vegetables. I have been an avid gardener for many, many years and so gardening, cooking, and canning is right up my alley. I love to find new ways to live off the land and make use of things that we have available. With times hard like they are now, I think that learning to make use of whatever you have on hand is key to surviving and staying afloat these days. I'm just glad that we don't have any picky eaters, which also makes for making meals and cooking so much easier.
Since I love writing and have so many interests that can be tied knit together somehow, I'm pretty sure that I will write about lots of other interesting topics. I will write another article with some helpful hints and even include some of our favorite recipes that I have created. I really enjoy preparing for winter time and anytime. I'm in the kitchen 90% of the time and when I'm canning, I'm in there for most of the day or night. I love how gardening can open the door for so many other things... it's also an educational experience. Take care and have an awesome day!! Until next post.... May God bless!!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Navigtating Through Difficult Times.......
Well... I have found that since things are slow around here with jobs and work, that the key to survival is to try to use things that can be recycled or fashioned into other types of crafts in order to try to sustain some income. I have found that making paper beads from packages has helped us out somewhat. I got bored one day last summer and decided to see what I could with some common things that I was going to throw away. I've never been much of a waster, so this is a great way for us to reduce the amount of paper packaging that we throw out in the trash each week. Not only that, the projects that I have made using the items, have helped us earn some money along the way.
This is especially important, as the jobs in this area have went down to nothing..... no one is hiring. The few places that are hiring, you have to have degrees, so that makes it just that much harder for anyone who doesn't have high diplomas, GED's, or some type of college degree to find stable work. With that in mind, it just gives me that much more of an incentive to work hard to try to help earn income for our family. I also can some vegetables, fruit, and soups, in order to make sure that we will always have food on hand.
You just never know how things are going to go with how things with the economy are going right now. I have also resorted to using coupons and watching all of the sales ads each week in order to maximize what I spend in order to get as much as I possibly can. It breaks my heart to see anyone waste things. It's often hard to just run out to the store and buy things, so I have found it easier for me to just can things such as vegetables from our garden and any produce that I can get at a great price.
People often think that I have lost my gourd, but until they experience hard times and have to pinch pennies tight to make ends meet, they just don't have a clue. I have been into survival techniques and living off of the land for many years, but I am even more interested in it, ever since we fell victim to a natural disaster in spring 2011. Not only us, but our entire community lay in ruins, after that beast of a storm tore through out town. I have had feelings that I should learn as much as I can about surviving things and navigating through hard times. I'm not sure if it is something from the storm or not, but my survival instinct is telling me to can and prepare things for a later time, because we are definitely going to need everything that we can prepare and put up to survive.
I will take left overs and either freeze, can, or even re-purpose the left overs into a whole other meal for the next night. I have learned and discovered many ways to hep stretch things and make the best of things. I have figured most things out by trying out things and by doing research. I've even went as far to keep, what we like to call a "survival/storm bag" for any time that we may have to have things that could help us get through a few days until we got to some help, depending on the situation. It helps to prepare for any type of situation and be prepared for the worst no matter what. Then you will know that you can survive and make it through.
I always try to buy things in bulk when it makes sense for us to do so. It can sometime take me a few hours when I go out shopping, because I always like to see what products that I am getting the best deal with. I make sure to look at the weight and price of the products and strive to buy only products that have the most product for the cheapest price. I have found that often times when using coupons, I can sometimes come out ahead by buying the name brand products when they are on sale, rather than the store brands. I know a few pennies or even $2 or $3 may not make much difference to most people, but for us, it can make a huge difference.
It just depends on the store and what the sales price is that day or week, because sometimes, you come out ahead by buying the store brand products. You just have to do your research and figures to see where you would come out ahead. I also try to figure out how many of each item that I can afford to buy and most of the time, I will spend way less than I had anticipated on spending. I used to never even think to use coupons, but ever since 2011, I would not even consider not using using them. I just wish that I had schooled myself better on how to use them and started using them years ago.
I will sometimes buy coupons for items that we use the most online, since it's cheaper than buying 10 newspapers. The bonus to buying them online, is that they are already clipped out neatly for you, which is a huge blessing for any busy mom/wife. I will only buy a paper if the coupon preview shows coupons that are for things that we use the most. That way, I can buy more than 1-2 at a time when I go shopping. I'm not a fan of the coupons for things that generally are a bit pricier and state that you have to buy 2 or more of them to get from anywhere from $0.75 to $1.00 off because in most cases, I can only afford to buy one, not more than one.
To help make clothing a bit easier, several family members and friends will often do a clothing swap several times during the course of the year. This prevents waste and also helps others out as well. Yard sales are a great way to find the types of clothing that you want without having to spend a bundle on a new wardrobe. Most of the sizes and styles of clothing that I prefer to wear, they don't have at stores, so yard sales are a great thing for me. I like to wear more modest types of clothing and the clothing that they have in stores now, is just too revealing for me. I like to dress more age appropriate... I'm not getting any younger... lol
Another way to help you earn some extra money on clothes or anything that you are not using is to have a yard sale or sell them online. That way you can take that money and use it to pay bills or even take it and buy something else that you were needing. If you don't have time for a yard sale, you can perhaps find someone who will be happy to help sell the items for you on a consignment. That way you can help someone else out at the same time of helping earn money for yourself as well.
I hope that my advice can help someone else out, and if you have any other advice about any other wonderful pointers to surviving difficult times, please feel free to share them with me. I am always working and learning new things everyday in order to try to stay afloat in difficult times when nothing seems to work out right and things seem to take a left turn. Never give up and always, always, always, let God take control of everything in your life. He will see your through no matter what and He will always provide for you. Some times to move forward, we have to let go of the past first. That has helped me overcome some much of the pain from the storm. I hope that I am able to help someone else who is seeing difficult times or has ever fell victim to a natural disaster.
It's amazing how a span of 10 seconds can change your lives forever.... you will move forward, but you will never get over it. For me, that day taught me it's always more blessed to give than it is to receive..... that material possessions don't matter..... never take anything for granted..... family is always the most important thing..... and above all, God will see us through things that we never thought that we could go through. If you let God take control, you will always come out of the difficult situation. Things happen for a reason, though we don't always understand why. I pray that things will get better for everyone..... I honestly have never seen things as badly as they are right now. May God richly bless everyone!!!
This is especially important, as the jobs in this area have went down to nothing..... no one is hiring. The few places that are hiring, you have to have degrees, so that makes it just that much harder for anyone who doesn't have high diplomas, GED's, or some type of college degree to find stable work. With that in mind, it just gives me that much more of an incentive to work hard to try to help earn income for our family. I also can some vegetables, fruit, and soups, in order to make sure that we will always have food on hand.
You just never know how things are going to go with how things with the economy are going right now. I have also resorted to using coupons and watching all of the sales ads each week in order to maximize what I spend in order to get as much as I possibly can. It breaks my heart to see anyone waste things. It's often hard to just run out to the store and buy things, so I have found it easier for me to just can things such as vegetables from our garden and any produce that I can get at a great price.
People often think that I have lost my gourd, but until they experience hard times and have to pinch pennies tight to make ends meet, they just don't have a clue. I have been into survival techniques and living off of the land for many years, but I am even more interested in it, ever since we fell victim to a natural disaster in spring 2011. Not only us, but our entire community lay in ruins, after that beast of a storm tore through out town. I have had feelings that I should learn as much as I can about surviving things and navigating through hard times. I'm not sure if it is something from the storm or not, but my survival instinct is telling me to can and prepare things for a later time, because we are definitely going to need everything that we can prepare and put up to survive.
I will take left overs and either freeze, can, or even re-purpose the left overs into a whole other meal for the next night. I have learned and discovered many ways to hep stretch things and make the best of things. I have figured most things out by trying out things and by doing research. I've even went as far to keep, what we like to call a "survival/storm bag" for any time that we may have to have things that could help us get through a few days until we got to some help, depending on the situation. It helps to prepare for any type of situation and be prepared for the worst no matter what. Then you will know that you can survive and make it through.
I always try to buy things in bulk when it makes sense for us to do so. It can sometime take me a few hours when I go out shopping, because I always like to see what products that I am getting the best deal with. I make sure to look at the weight and price of the products and strive to buy only products that have the most product for the cheapest price. I have found that often times when using coupons, I can sometimes come out ahead by buying the name brand products when they are on sale, rather than the store brands. I know a few pennies or even $2 or $3 may not make much difference to most people, but for us, it can make a huge difference.
It just depends on the store and what the sales price is that day or week, because sometimes, you come out ahead by buying the store brand products. You just have to do your research and figures to see where you would come out ahead. I also try to figure out how many of each item that I can afford to buy and most of the time, I will spend way less than I had anticipated on spending. I used to never even think to use coupons, but ever since 2011, I would not even consider not using using them. I just wish that I had schooled myself better on how to use them and started using them years ago.
I will sometimes buy coupons for items that we use the most online, since it's cheaper than buying 10 newspapers. The bonus to buying them online, is that they are already clipped out neatly for you, which is a huge blessing for any busy mom/wife. I will only buy a paper if the coupon preview shows coupons that are for things that we use the most. That way, I can buy more than 1-2 at a time when I go shopping. I'm not a fan of the coupons for things that generally are a bit pricier and state that you have to buy 2 or more of them to get from anywhere from $0.75 to $1.00 off because in most cases, I can only afford to buy one, not more than one.
To help make clothing a bit easier, several family members and friends will often do a clothing swap several times during the course of the year. This prevents waste and also helps others out as well. Yard sales are a great way to find the types of clothing that you want without having to spend a bundle on a new wardrobe. Most of the sizes and styles of clothing that I prefer to wear, they don't have at stores, so yard sales are a great thing for me. I like to wear more modest types of clothing and the clothing that they have in stores now, is just too revealing for me. I like to dress more age appropriate... I'm not getting any younger... lol
Another way to help you earn some extra money on clothes or anything that you are not using is to have a yard sale or sell them online. That way you can take that money and use it to pay bills or even take it and buy something else that you were needing. If you don't have time for a yard sale, you can perhaps find someone who will be happy to help sell the items for you on a consignment. That way you can help someone else out at the same time of helping earn money for yourself as well.
I hope that my advice can help someone else out, and if you have any other advice about any other wonderful pointers to surviving difficult times, please feel free to share them with me. I am always working and learning new things everyday in order to try to stay afloat in difficult times when nothing seems to work out right and things seem to take a left turn. Never give up and always, always, always, let God take control of everything in your life. He will see your through no matter what and He will always provide for you. Some times to move forward, we have to let go of the past first. That has helped me overcome some much of the pain from the storm. I hope that I am able to help someone else who is seeing difficult times or has ever fell victim to a natural disaster.
It's amazing how a span of 10 seconds can change your lives forever.... you will move forward, but you will never get over it. For me, that day taught me it's always more blessed to give than it is to receive..... that material possessions don't matter..... never take anything for granted..... family is always the most important thing..... and above all, God will see us through things that we never thought that we could go through. If you let God take control, you will always come out of the difficult situation. Things happen for a reason, though we don't always understand why. I pray that things will get better for everyone..... I honestly have never seen things as badly as they are right now. May God richly bless everyone!!!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Writing, Blogging, Books, Home-School, & Other Tidbits
I have always loved to doing reports and writing. Although I have not been doing a lot of work on it over the course of the last few years, I have decided to get back into the swing of things and write. I have always wanted to write a book, but want to give it a try one of these days. I took a course in Creative Writing back in High School and really enjoyed it. Though I'm not much of a poet, I have done some poetry.
With us being new to home-schooling, I think that for me to get back to my writing roots would be a great way to help teach our children the basics of writing. Along the way they will be learning about spelling, phonics, sentence structure, and how to write various types of writings. I hope to gain their interest in writing as much I have always had.
I was always looking forward to the classes where we had to take thorough notes and write reports. I believe that I was the only person who was excited about writing reports. I even had some people, (they were kidding of course) offer to pay me to write their reports for them. I like to idea of writing about a random topic or a particular area of interest you happen to have a personal tie to.
I think learning about a wide variety of experiences from someone else's point of view, is often very exciting. Blogging is way to express your inner writer and totally be creative. I love the idea of that.... I have only recently gotten serious about my writing again, after not writing for many, many years.
Since summer is fast approaching, and that usually means that it won't be long until the next school year begins. With that in mind, I have already written out and planned a nice curriculum that we will be using. Since this is an especially difficult time for most people who are on budgets, home-school just makes more sense for us as a family.
I've prayed about making the decision on whether or not to home-school, and have debated for several years before. God finally heard my prayers and answered them, by leading me in the direction towards homeschooling our children. I have come to find that you do not have to spend a bundle on curriculums that you would only use short-term. Most of the catalogs that I looked at, were very pricey, so I began to research to see what I can use that is free and more budget-friendly for us to use.
There are so many great websites that are free for home-schoolers to use and it's hard to pick just one to go with, so I have decided that we will use a wide variety of all of them along the way. To make things even sweeter with saving you money on school supplies for your home-school budget, Dollar General and Dollar Tree, now both carry a nice variety of school supplies as well as teacher aides.
I think that the thing that I was most excited about was the fact that they had teaching time and teaching money counting aides, which was something that I was looking into for many years. I already had a book with crafting ideas for kids, which will also be something that we will be using.
It's a blessing to be able to be home with the boys all the time and be able to teach them how to read. I know some are saying.... "Well they won't get to interact with other kids their age", that is clearly not the case at all. There are local home-school groups that meet several times a month so that the children can do activities together and interact.
Some groups will even hold graduations, dances, field-trips, and proms. So, no, home-school children do not miss out on anything as most people believe. An added bonus of homeschooling is that you don't have to worry about bullying, drugs, peer-pressure, or any of the negatives that often occur at public schools.
For me, public school was not fun or enjoyable to say the very least. I experienced bullying, hecklers, and was jeered at more than I cared to be. For us, the choice to home-school was an easy one. There was no way in the world that I wanted out sons to have a similar experience that I did. What I endured made me get to the point that I actually dreaded going and in most cases hated to attend school at all.
The pros just outweighed the cons when making the final decision to home-school. When you home-school, you don't have to worry about doctor's excuses, book fees, or lunch money. You also don't have to worry about having to go and buy an entire new wardrobe for school or a large amount of school supplies that in most cases, the children never use anyway. I wasn't able to find any cons, because there are so many positives about home-schooling.
You can actually save money by home-schooling, plus, many colleges look forward to having home-schooled students attend, because they know that most home-schooled students have really good study habits. Also, home-schoolers get the chance to have more one-on-one time than that of their public school peers. So for us, home-schooling just makes sense, budget wise and convenience-wise.
Unlike many parents that I know, who have their children in public schools, I won't have to rush back home to be home by 1:30 or 2:00pm from grocery shopping, in order to be home before school lets out. The grocery shopping trip will also double as a math lesson and a reading lesson as well.
Also, I won't have to worry about the dangers of our sons ever having to ride a school bus to school. There have been so many accidents the past several years involving school buses, as well as some cases of children being hit by buses, while trying to board and get off of the bus. The very thought of them ever having to ride the school bus had me scared to pieces.... so much as I was prepared to drop them off and pick them up, had we chosen to go the public school route.
This is going to be an exciting experience for us as a family. I love to spend time with our son's and so this will be amazing. I look forward to spending time with our son's and having the chance to be their teacher as well. They are super excited about what we will be learning and have even enjoyed helping me with the lesson planning process.
Right now we are enjoying a slower-pace, because we know that when school starts, we will be very, very busy. Home-schooling, may not be for everyone, but it's something that we have prayed about for many years. Thank you God for allowing me to be able to be home with our children!! I know that by home-schooling, we will not be sorry about ever making that choice. Until next post..... May God bless!!
With us being new to home-schooling, I think that for me to get back to my writing roots would be a great way to help teach our children the basics of writing. Along the way they will be learning about spelling, phonics, sentence structure, and how to write various types of writings. I hope to gain their interest in writing as much I have always had.
I was always looking forward to the classes where we had to take thorough notes and write reports. I believe that I was the only person who was excited about writing reports. I even had some people, (they were kidding of course) offer to pay me to write their reports for them. I like to idea of writing about a random topic or a particular area of interest you happen to have a personal tie to.
I think learning about a wide variety of experiences from someone else's point of view, is often very exciting. Blogging is way to express your inner writer and totally be creative. I love the idea of that.... I have only recently gotten serious about my writing again, after not writing for many, many years.
Since summer is fast approaching, and that usually means that it won't be long until the next school year begins. With that in mind, I have already written out and planned a nice curriculum that we will be using. Since this is an especially difficult time for most people who are on budgets, home-school just makes more sense for us as a family.
I've prayed about making the decision on whether or not to home-school, and have debated for several years before. God finally heard my prayers and answered them, by leading me in the direction towards homeschooling our children. I have come to find that you do not have to spend a bundle on curriculums that you would only use short-term. Most of the catalogs that I looked at, were very pricey, so I began to research to see what I can use that is free and more budget-friendly for us to use.
There are so many great websites that are free for home-schoolers to use and it's hard to pick just one to go with, so I have decided that we will use a wide variety of all of them along the way. To make things even sweeter with saving you money on school supplies for your home-school budget, Dollar General and Dollar Tree, now both carry a nice variety of school supplies as well as teacher aides.
I think that the thing that I was most excited about was the fact that they had teaching time and teaching money counting aides, which was something that I was looking into for many years. I already had a book with crafting ideas for kids, which will also be something that we will be using.
It's a blessing to be able to be home with the boys all the time and be able to teach them how to read. I know some are saying.... "Well they won't get to interact with other kids their age", that is clearly not the case at all. There are local home-school groups that meet several times a month so that the children can do activities together and interact.
Some groups will even hold graduations, dances, field-trips, and proms. So, no, home-school children do not miss out on anything as most people believe. An added bonus of homeschooling is that you don't have to worry about bullying, drugs, peer-pressure, or any of the negatives that often occur at public schools.
For me, public school was not fun or enjoyable to say the very least. I experienced bullying, hecklers, and was jeered at more than I cared to be. For us, the choice to home-school was an easy one. There was no way in the world that I wanted out sons to have a similar experience that I did. What I endured made me get to the point that I actually dreaded going and in most cases hated to attend school at all.
The pros just outweighed the cons when making the final decision to home-school. When you home-school, you don't have to worry about doctor's excuses, book fees, or lunch money. You also don't have to worry about having to go and buy an entire new wardrobe for school or a large amount of school supplies that in most cases, the children never use anyway. I wasn't able to find any cons, because there are so many positives about home-schooling.
You can actually save money by home-schooling, plus, many colleges look forward to having home-schooled students attend, because they know that most home-schooled students have really good study habits. Also, home-schoolers get the chance to have more one-on-one time than that of their public school peers. So for us, home-schooling just makes sense, budget wise and convenience-wise.
Unlike many parents that I know, who have their children in public schools, I won't have to rush back home to be home by 1:30 or 2:00pm from grocery shopping, in order to be home before school lets out. The grocery shopping trip will also double as a math lesson and a reading lesson as well.
Also, I won't have to worry about the dangers of our sons ever having to ride a school bus to school. There have been so many accidents the past several years involving school buses, as well as some cases of children being hit by buses, while trying to board and get off of the bus. The very thought of them ever having to ride the school bus had me scared to pieces.... so much as I was prepared to drop them off and pick them up, had we chosen to go the public school route.
This is going to be an exciting experience for us as a family. I love to spend time with our son's and so this will be amazing. I look forward to spending time with our son's and having the chance to be their teacher as well. They are super excited about what we will be learning and have even enjoyed helping me with the lesson planning process.
Right now we are enjoying a slower-pace, because we know that when school starts, we will be very, very busy. Home-schooling, may not be for everyone, but it's something that we have prayed about for many years. Thank you God for allowing me to be able to be home with our children!! I know that by home-schooling, we will not be sorry about ever making that choice. Until next post..... May God bless!!
Is The Value Of Handwriting Skills Being Ignored???
I think that the value of handwriting skills these days are just simply forgotten, due to major advances in the technological age of today. I have even seen several adults who told me that they had forgotten how to write, because they depend on their cell phone or tablet pc to type and text, rather than to physically write something down. The importance of handwriting is not even being stressed as much as it once was, in public schools these days, as several schools in many states use some form of technology in the classroom.
I love technology as much as the next person, but I think that it is very important to still take the time to physically write and practice handwriting. Penmanship still plays an important role in our society, such as when you have to sign and complete applications, contracts, or any other type of paper-work. Penmanship is still important despite the fast paced world of the ever evolving technology. I have even witnessed adults who had some very illegible handwriting, due to the fact that they depended so much on the electronic devices of today, that they really got to where they hated to write anything by hand.
I still do a great deal of handwriting and believe that penmanship will always have some role in the future of the world, despite whatever advances in technology may come along. It never hurts to pull out a pen, pencil, or any other writing utensil and write a note, or letter. I think that the technology of today has in some cases, made people lazy, in the fact that they have come to rely on their electronics so much. When asked to write a quick little letter (by hand, not typed) and mail it to someone, several people would tell you, "I can't, I don't have time" or "Wow... it's been so long, I'm not sure if I can still write by hand."
The reason that I know this to be true, is most of the people that I am around on a daily basis, either text with a cell phone or use some electronic device to "write" their letters, as opposed to sitting down and writing the "old-fashioned" way. Me, being a strong believer in doing things the "old-fashioned" way, thinks that handwriting skills are still necessary and important. I don't think that the need for handwriting will ever go away totally. Handwriting should not replaced, but should still be focused on, as there will always be a need for handwriting in one's lifetime somewhere down the line.
With so many people using the highly evolved technology of today, there could possibly be a time where future generations will not have known about handwriting and penmanship. There are already books that can be viewed and read on tablet pcs, so you don't have to have a physical book in front of you. Is it handier than having a physical book in front of you or collecting dust on a shelf? Yes. Will it make people use actual libraries less? It's quite a possibility. It's never safe to rule anything out at this point in time, because who knows what the next big thing in the world of technology will be.
Many people will think that modern types of electronics will or should replace doing everything by hand, such as handwriting. The modern types of electronics should not encourage people to write by hand less, but just about everywhere you go you will see people typing texts to someone. You will also see a majority of people using some sort of electronic device. No matter how the trends of the advanced technological age becomes, we will all, at some point, still have to do some sort of handwriting be hand, without the use of electronics. Perhaps, advancements in electronics and technology have been the downfall to much of the laziness of today's society.
I love technology as much as the next person, but I think that it is very important to still take the time to physically write and practice handwriting. Penmanship still plays an important role in our society, such as when you have to sign and complete applications, contracts, or any other type of paper-work. Penmanship is still important despite the fast paced world of the ever evolving technology. I have even witnessed adults who had some very illegible handwriting, due to the fact that they depended so much on the electronic devices of today, that they really got to where they hated to write anything by hand.
I still do a great deal of handwriting and believe that penmanship will always have some role in the future of the world, despite whatever advances in technology may come along. It never hurts to pull out a pen, pencil, or any other writing utensil and write a note, or letter. I think that the technology of today has in some cases, made people lazy, in the fact that they have come to rely on their electronics so much. When asked to write a quick little letter (by hand, not typed) and mail it to someone, several people would tell you, "I can't, I don't have time" or "Wow... it's been so long, I'm not sure if I can still write by hand."
The reason that I know this to be true, is most of the people that I am around on a daily basis, either text with a cell phone or use some electronic device to "write" their letters, as opposed to sitting down and writing the "old-fashioned" way. Me, being a strong believer in doing things the "old-fashioned" way, thinks that handwriting skills are still necessary and important. I don't think that the need for handwriting will ever go away totally. Handwriting should not replaced, but should still be focused on, as there will always be a need for handwriting in one's lifetime somewhere down the line.
With so many people using the highly evolved technology of today, there could possibly be a time where future generations will not have known about handwriting and penmanship. There are already books that can be viewed and read on tablet pcs, so you don't have to have a physical book in front of you. Is it handier than having a physical book in front of you or collecting dust on a shelf? Yes. Will it make people use actual libraries less? It's quite a possibility. It's never safe to rule anything out at this point in time, because who knows what the next big thing in the world of technology will be.
Many people will think that modern types of electronics will or should replace doing everything by hand, such as handwriting. The modern types of electronics should not encourage people to write by hand less, but just about everywhere you go you will see people typing texts to someone. You will also see a majority of people using some sort of electronic device. No matter how the trends of the advanced technological age becomes, we will all, at some point, still have to do some sort of handwriting be hand, without the use of electronics. Perhaps, advancements in electronics and technology have been the downfall to much of the laziness of today's society.
Why Do States Offer A Free Fishing Day Or Weekend??
"Why do states have a free fishing day or weekend?", you may ask. Well, to be honest, it's because many people who have never fished may not want to spend a great deal of money on a fishing license that they may or may not use more than once. Local businesses often see a spike in revenue now, since many people who love and enjoy the sport of fishing will often times purchase a fishing license. People who have wanted to give the sport of fishing a try, can do so for free during the course of the free fishing day or weekend. Many times, people will find out that when they wind up giving fishing a try, they will like it enough to purchase a license and come back to fish again at local rivers, streams, or ponds.
Also, when the free fishing day or weekends are held, it gives families a chance to spend quality time together and enjoy the outdoors. Most states now have the free fishing day or weekends, to better give anyone who wants to try fishing. Sometimes the free fishing day or weekend if often held during Father's Day weekend. This gives fathers, their children, and families a chance to spend quality time in the beautiful outdoors, which would make the perfect time for a camping or hiking trip to a favorite fishing area.
Many families will have barbeques, picnics, and camping trips during this time, which also helps increase the revenue to local area businesses. The idea of a free fishing day or weekend helps give anyone who has ever wanted to try fishing, the chance to do so. Perfect idea for anyone who likes to save money or who wants to enjoy time with family, friends, or just simply being outdoors. A great way to enjoy a family reunion and do something fun at the same time. With summer time being such a busy time for everyone, these types of events help not just local businesses, but the entire community as well.
If you are looking for something that the entire family will be sure to enjoy, fishing would be just the thing. Nothing like spending quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. So when the free fishing day or weekend is held, why not take the time to enjoy the beauties of the great outdoors, while giving fishing a try. It's a wonderful way to unwind and take a break from the fast-paced world that we live in. Fishing can also be a great learning experience for the whole family. Anyone who loves outdoor activities, would definitely love fishing.
If you have ever wanted to give fishing a try, the free fishing day or weekend would be the perfect time to do so. You can buy some good fishing poles and a small tackle kit for under $30. You can practically use any type of bait you so choose. You will be in for a surprise at what type of fish you will catch. Who knows.... you just may wind up catching "the big one". Quite possibly the most fish of the day.... it can even be fun to make a competition out of the fishing expedition to make things funner. When fishing.... who knows what may happen. It's always fun and exciting when you have a fishing trip, not to mention relaxing.
Also, when the free fishing day or weekends are held, it gives families a chance to spend quality time together and enjoy the outdoors. Most states now have the free fishing day or weekends, to better give anyone who wants to try fishing. Sometimes the free fishing day or weekend if often held during Father's Day weekend. This gives fathers, their children, and families a chance to spend quality time in the beautiful outdoors, which would make the perfect time for a camping or hiking trip to a favorite fishing area.
Many families will have barbeques, picnics, and camping trips during this time, which also helps increase the revenue to local area businesses. The idea of a free fishing day or weekend helps give anyone who has ever wanted to try fishing, the chance to do so. Perfect idea for anyone who likes to save money or who wants to enjoy time with family, friends, or just simply being outdoors. A great way to enjoy a family reunion and do something fun at the same time. With summer time being such a busy time for everyone, these types of events help not just local businesses, but the entire community as well.
If you are looking for something that the entire family will be sure to enjoy, fishing would be just the thing. Nothing like spending quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. So when the free fishing day or weekend is held, why not take the time to enjoy the beauties of the great outdoors, while giving fishing a try. It's a wonderful way to unwind and take a break from the fast-paced world that we live in. Fishing can also be a great learning experience for the whole family. Anyone who loves outdoor activities, would definitely love fishing.
If you have ever wanted to give fishing a try, the free fishing day or weekend would be the perfect time to do so. You can buy some good fishing poles and a small tackle kit for under $30. You can practically use any type of bait you so choose. You will be in for a surprise at what type of fish you will catch. Who knows.... you just may wind up catching "the big one". Quite possibly the most fish of the day.... it can even be fun to make a competition out of the fishing expedition to make things funner. When fishing.... who knows what may happen. It's always fun and exciting when you have a fishing trip, not to mention relaxing.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Hello.... glad to be back!!!
Hello everyone!!! I'm happy to be back here to my blog... sorry for the long hiatus, but there has been lots of things happening the past 4-5 months that have kept me elsewhere. I've really missed working on my blog and writing on here. Around here, we have been busy gardening and so that means that canning season won't be far off. Actually.... I've already gotten an early start on it all.
I have been busily canning potatoes, squash, and pinto beans using the pressure canner. Yes, I know someone is probably thinking... "A pressure canner?? Really?? Who still uses those things... let alone can food in jars." I get that a lot, but I simply have some old-fashioned views. Home-canning help sees us through the winter months, when vegetables that we tend to eat and enjoy alot may not be available at the store. It also helps you to have food when you hit a budget or job crisis.
Today, I have been working on some what I am hoping to be some very tasty pepper flavored hot sauce. I normally make my different than this, but we shall see how it all turns out. I normally pack the jars with whole peppers that have been washed well, and then pour hot vinegar in the jars.... cap with the lid and you're set. I have always been one to experiment with sauces and seasons that I use in gravies, soups, and stir-frys, so I had the idea of making some home-made hot sauce.
I finely ground up my peppers, 1 onion, a small pinch of canning salt, and 1-2 cups vinegar. I wanted to make a small batch to see how it turns out. It's already hot and tastes great... can't wait for the final results. Well... I hate to cut it short, but I need to go for now. I have several jars of potatoes and squash to take out of the pressure cooker, that need to be placed on the cooling racks. I will post again later on, so until next post.... May God bless!!! :)
I have been busily canning potatoes, squash, and pinto beans using the pressure canner. Yes, I know someone is probably thinking... "A pressure canner?? Really?? Who still uses those things... let alone can food in jars." I get that a lot, but I simply have some old-fashioned views. Home-canning help sees us through the winter months, when vegetables that we tend to eat and enjoy alot may not be available at the store. It also helps you to have food when you hit a budget or job crisis.
Today, I have been working on some what I am hoping to be some very tasty pepper flavored hot sauce. I normally make my different than this, but we shall see how it all turns out. I normally pack the jars with whole peppers that have been washed well, and then pour hot vinegar in the jars.... cap with the lid and you're set. I have always been one to experiment with sauces and seasons that I use in gravies, soups, and stir-frys, so I had the idea of making some home-made hot sauce.
I finely ground up my peppers, 1 onion, a small pinch of canning salt, and 1-2 cups vinegar. I wanted to make a small batch to see how it turns out. It's already hot and tastes great... can't wait for the final results. Well... I hate to cut it short, but I need to go for now. I have several jars of potatoes and squash to take out of the pressure cooker, that need to be placed on the cooling racks. I will post again later on, so until next post.... May God bless!!! :)
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