What I have up my Sleeve...

Several times over the last few months I've shared something with a friend only to be asked, "How long have you been doing that?" or "Why have you never told me that before?" So today, I will share with you all the tricks and tips that I have up my sleeve. (Okay, not all--mostly because I can't ever remember them all, but here are several.)

• I reuse cereal box liners. I get lots of raised eyebrows on this one, but seriously folks, they come in handy! After they've done a grand job holding the cereal, shake the dust out, fold it, and store it until needed for...a mat for a preschool art project, a bag to shake chicken pieces or smash croutons or crackers in, a cooling place for cookies and the list goes on. For a mat or cooling place, I cut the bag open and lay it flat, once done you can either wipe it off and reuse another time OR throw it away if it can't be used any longer. I feel greener just typing this 'up my sleeve' trick.
  
• I use vinegar in my washing machine to freshen our clothes. I pour it in a "downy ball" and toss it in. Vinegar helps soften clothes and ward off static cling, too.
  
• I've been known to mix a box of plain Cheerios with a box of 'honey nut' cheerios. This makes the cereal last longer and plain Cheerios are less expensive (and it's usually a bigger box).
• I bought a mister bottle at the health food store. I mixed distilled water with a couple drops of lavender essential oil, tapped the bottom 100 times to mix it thoroughly. I use it as a natural air freshener around the house.
• I try to keep a loaf of French bread handy for a quick supper. I buy the loaves at W*lmart for $1.50, then I cut them long-ways in thirds. So I get 3 long pieces out of one loaf. I spread spaghetti sauce, generously sprinkle low-moisture mozzarella cheese and bake! Sometimes I put turkey pepperoni or mushrooms on top...yummy, easy supper.

So there you have it...some of the ideas that are up my sleeve. To see what others have up their sleeves, visit Works for Me Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by; I hope you will be back soon.

Games with my Kids

I was going to write a blog post...you know, just to keep up the momentum. However my oldest girl wants to play a game with me. I've been praying that God would help me be more 'present' with my kids. I don't want to always be distracted and doing other things. So this is an answer to prayer. As well, I'm honored that she enjoys my company and now I must go beat her at Scrabble. hee, hee, hee.

While I'm playing, you may want to peruse another game we played this morning. It is called The Really Amazing Animal Game. Very fun and all of us played...Trenton (age 4) 'wowed' us with all of his right answers!

Playing games with my kids works for me on this snowy afternoon! Be sure to head over the "We are That Family" for more ideas.

Love Language-Quality Time

I've been reading Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages of Teenagers. Tonight I'm convicted about the chapter on Quality Time. I so want to do better in this area with my kids. I've typed the long quote below directly from the chapter.

Here are eight guidelines for better listening and true dialogue.

1. Maintain eye contact when your teenager is talking. This keeps your mind from wandering and communicates that the teen has your full attention.
   
2. Don't listen to your teenager and do something else at the same time. Undivided attention.
   
3. Listen for feelings. Ask yourself, "What emotions are my teenager experiencing?"
   
4. Observe body language. Ask for clarification to make sure you know what she is really thinking and feeling.
5. Refuse to interrupt. Interruptions often stop the conversation before it gets started.
6. Ask reflective questions. "What I hear you saying is.... Is that correct?" "Are you saying...?"
7. Express understanding. The teen needs to know that she has been heard and understood.
   
8. Ask permission to share your perspective. "Would you like to hear my perspective on the idea?"
   

Some parents find the idea of asking permission to share their perspective offensive. "Why should I have to ask my teen permission to speak?" The question is not whether the parents have the right to speak to the teenager, they do. The question is "Do you want your teenager to listen to what you are saying?" Asking permission recognizes that she is an individual and has the choice of hearing what is in your heart and mind or not hearing it.

Lots for me to think on....overall I don't think I'm doing terrible in these areas. However I know there is room for improvement! The computer is a biggie for me. I'll be working on something and my girl will come in and start to talk to me. I need to take time to listen to her--either by saying, "I want to hear what you are saying, give me 10 minutes to finish this up and I'm all yours." Or by turning right then and listening to her. We have good communication and I'm so thankful for that. I want to continue to foster that and let her know that I treasure our relationship.

Learning how to be a better parent to my kids is what Works for Me this Wednesday. Head over to "We are that Family" for lots more Works for Me Wednesday posts.

Who needs regular shampoo?

This post may cost me a few readers...or at least it will make my regular readers (all 3 of you) shake your heads in bewilderment. I am trying the baking soda hair cleansing method and the vinegar rinse.

First a couple reasons, then I'll share the method (easy peasy).
1. Very inexpensive. Probably enough said about this reason...shampoo and hair care products are incredibly expensive.
2. Natural, no chemicals.
3. Wanted to see if it made a difference in my girls' hair. Their hair tends to be dry and can be frizzy. We are buying more and more products, trying all kinds of different ones to achieve soft, healthy hair. It's all too much!!

I need simple and effective. So this is what we're trying:
Baking Soda Hair Cleansing
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 cup warm water

Pour over hair, massage into scalp. Rinse out well.

Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon
1 cup warm water

Pour over hair and rinse out well.

* Your hair will not smell like vinegar, trust me. Oddly upon smelling the vinegar, I was transported back to my grandma's kitchen dying Easter eggs. {good memories} aside, I sure didn't want to come out of the shower smelling like one. :)
* There is no lather with the baking soda, which for some reason makes us think we aren't getting our hair clean. However, suds don't have any bearing on the cleanliness.
* From many of the articles and personal accounts that I've read online, the ratio of baking soda to water and vinegar to water, varies and will need to be tweaked for your particular hair type.

I will have to post an update in a few weeks after we've done this for a while. Hopefully our hair will be healthy and luscious. I have read though that your hair will go through a detox period where it may seem more oily. For my girls, that will be great (because they have such dry hair). We'll have to see how it goes for me.

Here are some links that deal with baking soda and vinegar hair care.
Keeper of the Home talks about her hair adventure.
Sorta Crunchy has a great guest post about the whys and hows of going shampoo free.

Certainly there are many more links I could give you, but these two will start you out, along with the traditional 'google' search. Let me know if you go shampoo free!
Go to We are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday posts!

Edited January 12, 2010
I keep forgetting to tell you how this hair adventure went. Well, it was hair raising, that's for sure! The first couple days I was sold. My hair was manageable, clean and well, good. Then it became not-so-good. It seemed to go downhill quickly. My hair was NOT clean and gross. I could go on with more details, but just think--not washing your hair for 5 days straight. ewww.
I see benefits in using the baking soda and vinegar once in a while to clarify your hair. But this sure didn't work for me. Is it working for anyone else?

Julie Bogart of Brave Writer

I had the privilege of hearing Julie Bogart speak at a recent homeschool support group. She is a fantastic, encouraging speaker. Even though I've heard her before, I still left feeling motivated, enlightened and equipped with skills to use with my kids.

Here are a few nuggets I walked away with::

• be aware of your child's feelings about writing--does even the mention of writing bring tears and frustration? We want our children to have success in their school work (and in their life). Make sure you connect with your child emotionally, relationally, because writing is a personal endeavor.
• If you have be critical of the child's writing in the past and have hurt his/her feelings, start by apologizing to your child. This will be the first step in your strategy for encouraging your young writer.
  
• Honor the child. Encourage each attempt at writing. Find one good thing to praise. Don't immediately look at the misspelled words, missed punctuation and run-on sentences. Look at the content.
  
• Ask questions that draw out "more" from the child. For example: if the child writes "Rollerblading is cool." Ask him "What makes rollerblading cool?"
• Writing thrives on letting some of the problems go. Only work on 1 or 2 things at a time. Don't overwhelm or discourage the child. Writing can be exhausting--just the physical aspects of writing; however when you also are demanding creativity in word choice it can be way too much for the child.
  
• Writing is 'breathing' and 'moving'. Type the paragraph (rough draft) with each sentence on its own line. Cut the sentences apart and have the child manipulate them to see if a different order would be more interesting or sound better.
  
• Good writing takes time. 4 weeks per writing assignment from start to finish is a good time frame.
  
• For young children, write/transcribe what they say. They will learn that writing is for shared enjoyment. Read it to the family at supper time.

On the Brave Writer website and Julie's blog you can learn more about the classes that she offers and the techniques she has used in homeschooling her own children as well as used in her own professional writing career. She knows her stuff and is excited to share it with others.

I'm praying that I can implement some of Julie's ideas and certainly her philosophy on teaching writing. Brave Writer works for me!

To read more "Works for Me Wednesday" posts, visit "We are THAT Family".

Pulling the Weeds and Fixing the Stinkies

So many common tasks in life bring out hidden attitudes or problems in my life. I'm not sure if you've ever noticed this phenomenon or not. I'll give you a gardening example and then to close, I'll tell you how I fix the stinkies. Seeing how it's summer and we planted a little garden, I've been tending to it. Tasks like pulling weeds, staking up tomato plants, and thinning lettuce plants have been part of my gardening. As I'm performing these tasks, I often think how much they relate to my own life. Pulling weeds = weeding out bad attitudes and habits, staking plants = asking for help and accountability with problem areas and thinning plants = removing some of the even good things in order for the best things to flourish.

Weeds, I've observed, can be surface roots and evasive ground cover or they can be deep rooted and tall. Either way, they need to be pulled and sometimes dug up. Weeds in my life are the same way. Some are more surface and don't take too much effort to pull them out of my life and get back on track. Others are rooted deep and take much more time and effort to pull/dig out.

Staking the tomato plants helps them to not fall over making the tomatoes all mushy and rotten. My friends who pray for me and lift me up certainly help me not to fall over damaging the hard work I've put into my character and life.

Lastly, thinning plants may seem like a sad thing--pulling up a perfectly good plant--why would someone do that? Well, if the plants are growing too closely together, none of them will grow well. Same with me, I may be doing lots of good things, but if it's too much, none of my activities will be done well. Reminds me of a quote I heard a long time ago: "Say no to the good, so that you can say yes to the best." This lesson is a bit harder to learn than saying no to the bad...that's actually easier for me; it's more cut and dry. Thinning the good is a practice in my life that requires leaning on the Lord for guidance and trusting my hunny's advice and wisdom.

As promised here's how I fixed the stinkies--what stinkies you ask? Well you know how after so many washings and dryings clothes and towels take on a smell of their own? This smell is much different than the Tide you opened and sniffed in the aisle of Wal*mart and it's certainly NOT a smell you want to sniff as you dry off from a shower. After much trial and error, I've started using white vinegar in my rinse cycle and WAALAA! stinkies gone. (insert smile here). Again, not sure about you, but after I found this little trick, then I needed to remember to actually put the vinegar in during the rinse cycle. My solution: fill the handy-dandy Downy ball with the miracle liquid and toss it in the washer after the clothes.

Now if only fixing the stinkies in my heart were as easy...

Go to We are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday tips and hints.

Summer Fun Ideas

Treehouse my hunny is building in the backyard.
This weekend it will be getting side rails and a slide! :)

The theme for Works for Me Wednesday is "Mom, I'm Bored"--and how to avoid hearing these three words in your house. My dad used to say, "Boredom comes from within" and while as a kid I didn't like to hear that, the saying stuck with me. And, it is true. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines boredom as : the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest. Interestingly enough, my kids rarely say they are bored. I don't say that from atop a high place, be assured. I think it may be because we homeschool and they are used to being home. When they have free time from school work, they play, read, listen to music etc. I realized one day when my 7 year old declared she was bored, it was because I hadn't had the family on any kind of schedule or routine.

So, how do we direct our children so that they do not become weary and restless through lack of interest? The biggest way is to develop a daily routine that includes chores, learning and play and then STICK TO IT! (That last part was for me...I'm so tend to make great plans and fall short on the follow-through.)

Each family member has chores according to his/her ages and abilities. Each day of the week has a bigger chore that we only do once or twice a week (examples: dusting, deep cleaning each room). Be consistent with your daily and weekly chores and the house will stay in good order.

Some ideas for summer learning are library reading programs, reading biographies, comparing a book to its movie counterpart and visiting museums. Library reading programs are great because they are free and the children are working toward their own personal best--not competing against others. Reading biographies as family read-alouds or silent reading are a good way for our children to see life in action. Dave and Neta Jackson have written several volumes of short biographies. Choose a book to read that has been made into a movie, for example Because of Winn Dixie. Read the book aloud, then watch the movie. Discuss with your kids the differences between the two. Visiting museums can open doors to further learning and great discussion. Find local museums and go!

Of course there are loads of ideas of things to do for fun--bigger, more expensive ideas may have their place during your summer, however for the most part, your children will be playing at home or at the neighborhood park. Summer is a good time to do art projects like painting or playdough because they can be done outside on a picnic table or vinyl tablecloth spread on the ground. Don't forget the impromtu picnics and water balloon fights. :)

Make your daily routine doable and flexible. A few closing thoughts: nip bad attitudes in the bud, pray with your kids for a good summer, and realize that you are NOT the entertainment committee. Give them perameters and let them use their imagination and creativity. Most of all, have fun with your kids. One more tip, is actually from last week's WFMW, host Kristen wisely said to leave while your kids are still having fun. I have thought of this advice several times this week. Even when we are at home playing for free time...I need to switch gears BEFORE bedlam breaks out. So remember that little gem and have a great summer.

Check out We are THAT Family for more Summer Ideas.

Moussing Foam Wax

If you've been reading my blog (which I hope you have :) you know that I like to mix it up. You know, post about different aspects of my life. Well, today's aspect is my hair. I finally found a product that I LOVE for my difficult hair. Pantene Texture Moussing Foam Wax yes, I realize that it sounds like I'm buffing a car, however this stuff works wonders on my hair. I have short to medium length hair that is thick but lays very flat and straight. This product gives me volume, style and a shiny finish. And without a lot of fuss--I slather it on, blow-dry my hair and I'm good to go.

Now my problem is that I can't find the product...oh, the woes of hair.

Walmart no longer carries it and from the comments on the Pantene link I provided above other Moussing Foam Wax lovers are having the same problem. Eeegads! When I do find it...I'm stocking up! It lasts a long time because a little dab'll do ya (does anyone else remember that commercial?)

Okay, the hair-ommercial is over for today...hop on over to We are THAT Family for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas. And if you are here visiting, I sure hope you'll come back and see me real soon!

Decluttering my Email Inbox

I have such a great feeling of accomplishment...it was only my email inbox, but it was a cluttered mess. I read a very helpful post by The Lazy Organizer. In her post, she said that she added three more folders that have cleaned up her inbox for good. Well, me too!!

I was always scrolling back and forth through emails that needed attention. So, why not make a "Needs Attention" folder? In all, I created 3 more folders (I already had my family, friends, homeschool, etc. folders in place.) Mine are titled slightly different than The Lazy Organizer's are.

Needs Attention today
Needs Attention 1 week
Future Interest

Each day I will place emails that I need to answer today in the Needs Attention today folder. Clever, huh? I must empty this folder each day.
Each week, starting with Sunday, I will place emails that I need to handle within a week in the appropriate folder. This folder must be viewed and managed on an almost daily basis, so that I don't miss anything.
And the Future Interest folder for things I'd like to look at, or think I might use, but not now.

So, for the exciting news, I started this morning with over 300 emails sitting idle in my inbox. Right now, at this very moment, I have 8. 8, yep, that's all. I love this new system; I don't think I will dread getting new mail anymore. And visually, it's all so freeing. I can breathe.

Today, my email inbox, tomorrow, my house. :)

Visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas.

Works for Me: Encouragement

My love language is definitely words of encouragement. I love to give words of encouragement and I love to receive words of encouragement.

Last night at our local homeschool meeting the speaker was a veteran homeschool mom. Her children are now in their 30's homeschooling their children. I smiled when she said, "We homeschooled when homeschooling wasn't cool." (After the country/western song by Barbara Mandrell "I was country when country wasn't cool.") She encouraged us that in homeschooling our lives become training fields for our kids. They watch us and model themselves after us. What a big responsibilty and a challenge to live our lives according to God's Word. She also encouraged us to know the strengths and weaknesses of our children. Give them opportunities to explore what they are good at. She said that it was the times of play and free-time that solidified what her children became. For example, her one daughter always loved to dress up in homemade costumes and put on plays. Today she writes children's Bible curriculum--turning Scripture into plays for children. Our speaker wrapped up her talk by reading a story called "The Invisible Mom". It is kind of long, but it has a wonderful message.

Here are some links that offer encouragement:
Jeannie Fulbright has a list of encouraging articles, mostly related to being a wife, mom and homeschooling parent.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss has a wonderful bunch of articles on a wide variety of topics. Click on "Grow" on the left-hand side bar.

Go visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas.

AWANA Patches

My kids enjoy AWANA and I do too. They learn to hide Scripture in their hearts, along with other things. My only big problem is affixing the patches onto their vests. Seriously the patches vexed me until a friend told me about Aleene's OK to Wash-it. I'm so glad that I no longer dread my kids coming home with patches. :)

For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, head on over to Shannon's Rocks in My Dryer.

Soft Ginger Snaps

These cookies are a favorite holiday treat around our house. I make them a lot for friends and neighbors, too. They are soft which may take them out of the "snap" category.

Ginger Snaps

¾ c. butter softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
½ c. molasses
2 ½ c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
granulated sugar

Cream butter and first amount of sugar well. Beat in egg. Mix in molasses.
Stir flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt together.
Add to butter mixture. Mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar and place on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

Make sure they don't bake too long or they will not be soft.

Enjoy!

For more Works for me Wednesday ideas check out Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Quick Meals

Today's Works for Me Wednesday is a "What do I fix" Edition. This is a great idea because as Shannon has said--we all have those days when it's 5:00 and we have no clue what we are going to make for supper. So, new visitors, thanks for stopping by and checking out what I make for supper in a pinch. I hope you feel welcome and at home. Come back anytime!

Before I share what I fix when I have no plan--I want to say that I was hoping this was going to be "Backwards WFMW" because I have a question. If you are so inclined, leave an answer in the comments and I'd be so grateful. My question: Is it acceptable and dare I say, perceived as loving and thoughtful to email our family Christmas newsletter? The list of family and friends that we send Christmas newsletters and pictures to is around 100. It can't be shrunk. Let me know what you think, please.

Okay, on to my quick meals...

Chicken and Stuffing
Preparation time is 10 minutes, cook time 30 minutes. You will need chicken (boneless, skinless, brea*sts), stuffing, and cream of mushroom soup. The recipe is linked with the title. Good!

Breakfast for Supper
Pancakes or scrabbled eggs are fair game for supper at our house. I have an easy recipe for pancake mix.

2 c. any combination of flours (I like to use whole wheat and oat, other options rye, white, rolled oats, wheat germ, cornmeal, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix these dry ingredients. [You can make several batches of this recipe and store in freezer sandwich bags or containers in the frig. or freezer until ready for use.]

Add these ingredients when you are ready to make the pancakes:
2 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey

Mix until just until blended. Pour on hot sprayed griddle.

Other easy meals:

• spaghetti (sometimes I have already browned meat in the freezer, sometimes we eat it meatless.) Bag of ravioli that Shannon mentioned is a quick pasta meal too.
  

• Egg noodles cooked according to package directions, then mixed with a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (sometimes I have already cooked, cubed chicken in the freezer, sometimes we eat it meatless). A frozen veggie, like peas or broccoli, can be added.

• Salad with chopped chicken, carrots and croutons

Here are a couple things I do to try to AVOID the "5 o'clock and no plan for supper" syndrome.

• Cook and freezer batches of ground beef and chicken. I usually freeze them in 2 cup quantities. Label with date. I try to do this every couple months.
  
• Plan for supper by 10 a.m. Get meat out of freezer, put bread in the bread machine, etc.
  

Well, I think that's it for now. It's 10:40 a.m. and I need to go plan for supper. :)

Thanks Shannon for hosting. Be sure to go to Rocks in my Dryer for more quick meal ideas.

TMJ Relief

Okay, so I grind my teeth at night. I know, a bad habit (I could have added it to my list yesterday). It's the kind of bad habit that I'm unaware that I'm doing it. As opposed to the bad habits that I do in full awareness (eating chocolate chips right from the bag, just as an example, not saying I do that or anything, uh, umm).

Years ago a dentist fit me with a very expensive mouth guard that I bit through in less than 5 days. Glad that worked.

A couple months ago I purchased a mouthguard from Walmart's sporting goods department...for $2.88. I followed the directions, boiling it, fitting it to my mouth, and now wearing it every night. Let me tell you folks, relief! Relief like I never felt. Almost NO popping of my jaws, no lock-jaw and whatever other wretchedness came upon me each night. Relief.

Relief has come. But not without a price. And no I'm not talking about the $2.88 I spent at Wallyworld. Look at the thing...it's hideous. I had to take a picture of it because you wouldn't have believed me otherwise. What's that you say, couldn't I have found a clear one or some other fashion color?? No, not me, although I did try. This one is double cushioned and apparently I need that extra cushion because I haven't bit through this one...yet. I do see evidence of much wear and tear, but for now this is working for me.

And my hunny, well, he's gotten used to sleeping with Frankenstein. I've got one understanding man and boy am I thankful.

Run right over to Shannon's Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas.
And, just for the record, I don't store my mouthguard in the kitchen with the abundance of apples.

Works for YOU Wednesday

Today is BACKWARDS Works for Me Wednesday. Instead of me telling you some clever tip, I'm going to ask YOU a question and you leave me clever tips. Thanks Shannon for hosting! I have lots of questions, like this one about a frying pan, however today I'm wanting new ideas for frugal Christmas gifts. You see how many people responded to my question about a frying pan (zero, zilch, nada); I sure hope this question gets a better response.

Our budget doesn't allow for much gift-giving, so mostly we get a few things for our children and we try to get something for our nieces and nephews. So, I'm looking for ideas for children,15 years old and younger.

Over the next couple days I'll share what ideas I've done in the past few years, but today I want YOUR ideas.

Thanks!! And visit Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday--BACKWARDS.

Scripture Memory

As of late I've been challenged and encouraged to make a plan/goal for Scripture memory. Here are some ideas for making it work:

• Write the Scripture on a piece of pretty paper or colored card stock
• Laminate to add durability
• Place in prominent areas (above the sink in the kitchen, bathroom mirror, etc.)
• Memorize it perfectly with the reference
• Review frequently even after you've moved on to other Scriptures.
  

So, I've chosen my Scriptures for the next 3 weeks. Today I'll write them on card stock and get them laminated. My goal is that by next Wednesday I'll have memorized my first section and moved onto the next one.

Feel free to ask me how it's going.
Visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas.

No more dry heels

Dry cracked heels are just a part of summer....or are they?

I've been pampering my heels with a low cost and very effective combination of exfoliating and lotioning. For exfoliating, I'm using the Dr. Scholl's for her exfoliating stone file (link is above). Specially shaped for heels and soles, it does a fabulous job when used once a day in the shower. The lotion I am using is also Dr. Scholl's For Her Softening Balm (link above).

These two items help send me off to dream land in smoothy softness.

For more great Works for Me ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Homemade Bread Crumbs

Okay, I have to apologize for my pathetic post yesterday. I have nothing to complain about and so many things to be thankful for. I am still sick, however not near as pitiful as before.

Our family doesn't like the ends of the loaf of bread. So, I tie up the bag with the ends in it, toss it in the freezer and every once in a while, I blend them all into bread crumbs. In my blender, I can blend them frozen although I do tear the bread in small pieces. It's easy and makes great oven fried chicken.Please visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday ideas! Have a great day!