Thursday, October 28, 2010

It's here! (and a giveaway!)

My Gold Canyon Candle independent demonstrator kit came in yesterday!  It was like Christmas, twice!  When the kids and I got home it was on the front porch (all 50 pounds of it!)  We hauled it inside and opened it almost immediately (had to put the toddler down for a nap first!)  After church, when William got home we opened it up and went through it all again!

I know I'm a little crazy to add something new to my crazy life right now!  I really didn't even think about it, I just jumped in.  Like I said in my last blog post about it, anything that gets me to enjoy cleaning is truly a miracle!

I've already booked my first hostess, and I'm really looking forward to helping people get free stuff!  If you'd like to host a show in November, take a look at what you'll receive:

My next hostess (locally) to book will also get a hostess pack from me, with disposable plates, cups, napkins, drink mix and snacks for your show - all you have to do is get your friends together!

Not local?  Don't worry - you can host a virtual show and earn the same great rewards. 

Now, the giveaway:

A sample of some of my favorite things, Fall Holders!
 Visit Gold Canyon's Wish List Giveaway to enter!  Visit my Gold Canyon Online Store to Order!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Modest (and Chic!) Dresses

I'm on the e-mail list for several modest clothing companies.  If you are like me, and have trouble finding clothing that is not too revealing up top or too short, you'll love this company!  The prices are moderate, especially when you consider that you don't have to drive all over town (or to another town) to search for appropriate clothing.  I got a deal in e-mail today that I thought I'd pass along!

This cute dress, the "Kate", in the color "twig", is regularly $64.00, with the coupon code it's only $29.99!

This is from the Sweet Innocence dress collection from Diviine Modestee.  Use the code KATE at checkout to receive your discount!   Be sure to check out their clearance section too :)

(I was not paid for this review, not did I receive anything in exchange for posting thie.  That does not mean that I'm opposed to doing unbiased reviews for your product in the future!)

Friday, October 22, 2010

It's a miracle, my kitchen is clean (still)

Two weeks ago I received an order I placed from my mother-in-law's home-party.  I had forgotten about it, and really ordered just to be nice :)  (I'm sure you ladies know how that goes!  LOL)

One of the items was an all-natural cleaner (which was a stretch for me, because I HATE TO CLEAN)

Something strange happened as soon as I opened the package: I wanted to clean something.  I don't think that I've ever experienced this phenomenon in my entire life!

I quickly cleared the counter so that I could clean it.  It smelled so good!  The kids came in - "can we try too?" they wanted to know?  I'm no dummy, I told them no!  (It's reverse psychology!) "Maybe later" I said, enjoying the lingering scent of the clean counter.

The next day, I let them use it on the kitchen table, we all breathed deep of the lovely smell!  Pretty soon, I noticed that I was cleaning the kitchen voluntarily.  It's been clean for over a week now, which has to be some sort of record.  I've even been washing dishes every morning and enforcing the rule that everyone wash their own dishes.  Even my hubby noticed and did dinner dishes before bed, wanting to leave it as nice or better than he found it!

Also in my order was a candle.  Now, I'm a big fan of candles.  Remember the PartyLite craze?  I was on the forefront.  I have the entire candle nativity set for Christmas decorations!  So far I've escaped the Scentsy train, but only because we're being very conservative with our money right now!  I still had a small stash of PartyLite candles that I've rationed, so I ordered the orange scent because that's William's favorite.

I lit it the first day and was amazed that I could smell it in the family room, when it was burning 3 rooms away in the kitchen!  It also burns very clean, no soot around the edge, the wax liquefies completely and the wicks have remained upright, so I've got a good feeling there won't be any waste.

Let me tell you - I am convinced that these candles are way better than PartyLite, and the scents are stronger than Scentsy!  I'm so convinced that I signed up to be an independent distributor today!

I can't wait to share these products with my friends - anything that gets ME to CLEAN, has to fall in miracle territory!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

October is SIDS Awareness month too! (A contest)

I know we all think pink when we hear about October awareness, but did you know that you should also think blue?

October is Infant and Pregnancy Loss awareness month, specifically October 15th.  The entire month is also dedicated to SIDS awareness.

This is close to my heart, as many of you know!  We lost our son, Ian, in 2006 to SIDS.  You can read my blog posts about our grief journey by clicking the link at the top or to the right "Grief and Healing".

I posted an Etsy Treasury recently to spotlight sellers that support families going through this loss.

I also wanted to share a contest that is being helpd by the CJ Foundation for SIDS.  There are just 10 days left to enter!  In recognition of SIDS Awareness Month, the CJ Foundation is giving away a gift basket of prizes including aden + anais® swaddles, sleep bags and issie™ worth over $200 to one lucky winner! Simply sign up for their E-Newsletter using the form on their site and be entered into a drawing to win!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Another freebie: Baby/Toddler sling!

My Planning Family membership has paid off once again with a coupon for a free baby sling from Seven Slings.

I chose to do the gift set in "Latte" (as I did with the Udder Covers promotion):


The coupon code is "halloween" and will take $39.00 off of your purchase.  You still have to pay for shipping and handling, but with the extra for the gift set, size exchange insurance and the S&H, it was only $20!

This coupon came to me from my Planning Family membership, which was free. The sign-up process was long, and they called with a follow-up which was even longer!  I wasn't sure this membership was going to be worth it; coupons like this have changed my mind!  There is no incentive for me when you sign up (darn!) but there is incentive for you!


This is the second free sling that I've gotten, in addition to the Udder Covers.  The other promotion was a single use, but this one can be used as many times as you want!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Warning: TMI included here, read at your own risk

I'm not sure what this post will turn out as, but I can tell you it's starting as a vent!  This has been a rough day!

I'm 27 weeks pregnant, which normally means that I get up at least once, but usually 2 or 3 times a night to go to the bathroom.  Not last night.  I slept a blissful 7 hours, uninterrupted by potty breaks.  I was having a pleasant dream when I was harshly awakened by a panic-y thought - is it so hot in here I'm sweating?  Oh no - that's not sweat!  UUGGHHH I wet the bed!  Or, more appropriately I will blame it on Aaron, the growing little boy pressing on my bladder - HE made me do it!  I rushed to the bathroom (which is a stretch, because pregnant women do not really "rush" anywhere, especially when it involves transferring from a horizontal position) and then was struck with another panic-y thought - what if it was my water breaking?  On no!  Maybe that was it.  Of course the only thing to do was a sniff test.  First panic confirmed, now I'm also grossed out!

I started a bath, then peeked in the tub - it was gross.  I switched on the shower and got in, enjoying the first pleasant part of the morning: hot water!  After a nice scrub and soaking shower I was cold, so I wrapped up in hubby's bathrobe and fixed myself a cup of hot tea with honey.  Then, I put on a movie, just for me, a chick-flick: Julie and Julia.  Of course the 2 year old woke up half-way through and I stopped to fix us breakfast, then returned to the movie.  My 9 year old daughter awakened towards the end of the movie and joined us.  "Ah, this is going to be a peaceful day." I thought to myself.

Big brother woke up and came in so I sent he and his sister to fix themselves breakfast while I checked e-mail.  I got a great article from Empowering Parents on Calm Parenting: How to Get Control When Your Child is Making You Angry , I was reading it, sipping my luke-warm tea, agreeing with all the finer points and thinking "I'm doing pretty well as a parent" when chaos erupted from the kitchen.  Yes, the cardinal sin had been committed, an atrocity so great it warranted an all-out battle:  One child had taken the measuring spoon the other was reaching for.  Yes, I know you're shocked that such a calamity could befall our home, but it did, and now the battle for top-decibel was "on".  It wasn't long before the warring factions were at my desk, with the offending spoon, waving it to punctuate their stories.

Having just read:
"Why is it so easy to go from “zero to 60” when our kids make us angry? There are many reasons, but I think it’s mainly because we allow ourselves to go to 60. And in a sense, when we get up to 60—when we react emotionally—we’re allowing the behavior of our kids to determine how we’ll behave rather than the other way around."

You'd think that I would have kept my cool, but I didn't.  I think I went to 70 and my head spun around a few times as I glared at them and loudly inquired if they were really at my desk fighting over A SPOON?  I probably would have only gotten to 55 or so, except that the EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED YESTERDAY MORNING.  Granted, it was a different spoon, just a plain old soup spoon, not an important MEASURING spoon like today.

They offered the standard excuses "I was there first" "they pushed me" "they saw me reaching for it and jumped in front", blah, blah, blah.  At this point I was hearing Charlie Brown's teacher's noises "waw waw waw waw".  I don't even remember the words of wisdom that I offered them, but I concluded that the behavior was a lack of respect for each other and as such they would serve one another breakfast (silently).

I ate 2 small Butterfinger candies.  I stress eat.  It's what I do, please don't judge - I'm OK with it.

After breakfast I had them clean their rooms (mostly to try to prevent them from occupying the same space as the other person.)  After that, there were some other chores to be done, then lunch.  Lunch preperation went pretty well until the argument over "who mom was going to sit next to".  I feel so loved when my children argue over this (not really - I feel so annoyed.  I try to feel loved, but I can't work it up).  I cleverly solved this argument by... wait for it... sitting. between. them.  This solution had been previously suggested by my daughter, but Alpha Male Child would not hear of it.

After lunch we played a bit, then put the 2 year old down for a nap.  Now it was time for school.  We are working our way through Frontier House (click here to see what we've done so far) and I felt very accomplished that we've done "official schoolwork" 2 days in a row (since we've become "unschoolers" or whatever hybrid thereof, I've still not shaken the feeling that we must produce actual work in order to be legitimate.)  The toddler awakened immediately after this and the kids went to fix a snack.  I insisted that it contain protein, so they settled on waffles with peanut butter (and finagled a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top).  I promise you, the very moment I heard waffles pop out, the ruckus started.  This time they came to me bearing a knife.  Before they even spoke anything directed at me I just yelled "Seriously?  A knife?  You're fighting over a knife? Go away"  Not one of my finer mommy moments.  It seems that the alpha male child had harpooned the other's waffle, scarring it forever with a hole, rendering it completely inedible, of course.  She was now protesting that it had to be replaced, which male child said was wasteful.  I skillfully solved this problem by demanding that restitution be made, and brokered a waffle trade.

I ate the other 2 Butterfinger candies.

At this point, it is time to leave for karate class, so we pack into the car.  After answering 20 questions from the toddler about where bubba is and "why" (note to toddler - "you're not 4.  Stop asking Why?") I finally get a placated "OK".  A few minutes later I hear "here go momma" repeated at least 4 times before I respond by holding my arm behind me, while driving, contorted so that he can hand me whatever it is he wants me to have.  I pinch my fingers together and ask "what is it?"  The answer?  "A booger."

It is at this point I decided that I was taking the night off.  Hubby met me and picked up the kids, I had a pedicure.  Then retail therapy at Target.  I got nothing for myself, only for the kids.  Tell me how that happens?
I always like to try to look for the BS in any situation.  Sometimes the BS just falls all over you, sometimes you have to dig for it.  Oh, and I should also mention that BS is "Bright Side", but it's more interesting to just call it BS.  So, for today:

BS: I have clean sheets to sleep in tonight. 

Oh - bonus BS: my toenails are cute!

LRH Resources

I'm making this post so I'll have easy access to some cool resources I find while planning lessons and activities.  Feel free to add a comment with your suggestions or send them to me in e-mail!


Homeschool Buyers Co-op

Homeschooling's#1 Way to Save
General
ABCTeach: "The Educator's Online Resource"  Lots of free resources, paid resources also available.  Cool worksheet generator too.
Free-Ed.net: is “the world’s largest, fastest growing, most highly regarded source of totally free education. Serving the education needs of a global community since 1997. No tuition, no books to buy, no hidden fees It’s free … all of it!” Free-Ed is geared primarily toward adults seeking to continue or supplement their education, but the site offers complete courses and tutorials for more than 400 different vocational and academic disciplines, free for anyone interested in learning. Free-Ed offers education simply for the sake of education!
Education World - Lots of online resources, lesson plans, printables and internet resources
Super Teacher Worksheets - tons of printables!  Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Spelling and more!

Math & Science
Interactivate: The goals of Interactivate are the creation, collection, evaluation and dissemination of interactive Java-based courseware for exploration in Science and Mathmatics

Carolina Biological Supply Company: A place to purchase supplies for science lessons.  Also has a Teacher's Resources section with lesson plans, worksheets and more.

Scientific American's Bring Science Home

Geography & Environment
Wood Use: How big is an acre?

History
The National Archives: Interactive archives and lesson plans using copies of archived documents

Music
Free Kids Music: These are complete songs, not edited versions. And they are high quality…not poor quality versions designed to tease you into buying an album. All the music downloads for kids you’ll find on this site are FREE
Music Appreciation Without Lessons: 33 ideas for creating music appreciation

Reading
Book It Program - Free pizza for reading, teacher printables and lots more
Ticket to Reading Rewards - Tickets to College basketball games for middle schoolers
Book Adventure - Sylvan Reading Center, free online rewards program for kids K-8

Writing, Reading and Literature
Mrs. Cassel's helpful handouts

Monday, October 18, 2010

The Less Reluctant Homeschooler (LRH): Frontier House

I am teaching my children a bit of history this week.  I hope that it also results in some character building, satisfaction with what we have and an appreciation for hard work!

When PBS did their Frontier House series in 2002, I watched each week like it was a soap opera!  My husband was amazed, he had probably never watched public TV in his life!  He wasn't as thrilled with it as I was, but thought it was pretty neat.

We recently turned off our Direct TV service and subscribed to Netflix.  The very first discs I ordered?  Frontier House!  I was excited to see that PBS also offered a lesson plan to go along with the series!  Some of the links do not work anymore, so be sure to test them out before hand so you know what to avoid/substitute!  The plans are geared toward 5-8th graders (primarily), but they are working well with my 4th & 6th grade equivalent ages.

If you have younger students, there is a good lesson plan on Westward Expansion at Megan Cato's site.  It is much more comprehensive.

I am wondering if "lesson plan" and unschooling are mutually exclusive, and if using one means I'm not the other.  Hmm, things to ponder.  I guess just like the rest of my life, this area does not fit into a neatly labeled bucket!  I do know that my children learn best when watching a video (visual & auditory stimulation) and discussing the lessons (auditory).  I am trying to think of an easy way to integrate a kinetic experience, perhaps cooking or making something? 

One thing that I have been doing that I think falls into the kinetic slot is posting the links to their Facebook pages, so they have to go click them and read the info online (which we do all together, each on our own computers!  LOL)

I'll try to update this entry with our timeline of how it worked for us.  :)

Day One:
  • "Introductory Activity" from "Free Land" lesson
  • Post Become a Billionaire Sheet to their Facebook pages (caution - internal link to "worksheet" is broken)
  • Have them read, discuss according to steps 1-4
  • Post "Uncle Sam is Rich Enough to Give Us All a Farm" to their Facebook pages
  • Have them read as directed in steps 5 & 6, discuss according to step 7
  • Begin "Class One", Post "Timemap-US Borders" on their Facebook pages
  • Discuss, complete steps 1-7 (this was probably our favorite part - we loved the interactive timeline!)
  • "Class Two", we really didn't do.  The link to a quiz is broken, and we don't need an "assessment" essay :)
  • Watch episode one of Frontier House, discuss
Day Two: (We based on some of the activities in the "Extensions" section)
  • Wood Use: How big is an acre?  I used this worksheet for myself, to figure out the measurements, then we discussed.  I felt it was too advanced for my 4th and 6th graders.
  • We looked at the Homestead Act of 1862 (from the National Archives), then read from Homestead Act of 1862 (text). 
  • I printed a map of our neighborhood and overlayed the measurements for 160 acres.  This gave the kids a practical understanding of the actual size of a homestead (as well as reinforcing map-reading skills)
  • We watched episode 2 of Frontier House

Day 3:
  • We reviewed by discussing the Homestead Act
  • We watched episode 3 of Frontier House (The wedding episode - it's my favorite!)
Day 4:
  • Daddy was home!  We showed off our knowledge of The Homestead Act, sharing all of it with Daddy and letting him ask questions, fill in details, etc.
  • We had a marathon and watched episodes 4-6 of Frontier House.
  • In episode 6 we paused and had a discussion about godly roles for husbands and wives.  The Glenn family had a lot of conflict, due in part to poor communication skills, but owing largely to the husband/wife relationship.  We took time to share the Biblical mandate for husbands to love their wives and put their needs first, as Christ did for the church, and for wives to be supportive and encouraging of their husbands, submitting to them as Christians are to submit to the will of Christ.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Alive in Christ or just another Zombie?

James 2:20 "Faith without works is dead".

A Christian who (2 Timothy 3:5) "has a form of godliness but denies the power therein" is just like a Zombie.

Everytime you see a zombie this Halloween season - ask yourself if you are Alive in Christ!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

SoftBums Cloth Diaper giveaway

Most of you know I'm pregnant with #5, due in January!

I've really been considering cloth diapers this go-around, and I think I've just been convinced!  Take a look at the SoftBums OMNI Diaper:


The main objection to cloth diapers has been affordability, but this just blew it out of the water!

You can visit Home Grown Families' blog to enter!

Search Amazon.com for softbums

Friday, October 1, 2010

Quite Possibly Addicted

I think I may need a 12-step program soon.  Making Etsy Treasuries is too much fun!

I've made 2 more:

Vintage Retro Modern Nursery / Baby


October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

If you have a theme or idea for a treasury - let me know! (of course you'll be feeding the addiction, but I'm OK with that!)

Don't stop - there's lots more good stuff...

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