Everyone loves Free stuff!

The first concerns that many homeschool parents have are I don't know anything about making lesson plans or planning schedules and how much is homeschooling my children going to cost me? Well, let me just say, lesson plans are easy to create and scheduling or planning your homeschool day is as simple as waking up in the morning. You do not have to search long and hard for lesson plans on the computer. They are everywhere and many of them are absolutely free! Here are just a few examples of the websites I have found that give away free stuff! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Enjoy!

Here is my favorite webpage for lesson plan examples.

http://donnayoung.org/f11/apologia-f/gen/dy-g1-2.pdf

You can find History & Science lessons on this website and they are absolutely free!! Love it!http://www.prontolessons.com/asian_americans.html

Now to answer the next question, homeschooling can cost as much or as little as you want it to cost. Many homeschooling forms, planners, lesson plans and charts are free, you just have to look for them.

This is one of my favorite websites! I could spend all day on it because you can find tons of information on just this one site. You can find many different homeschool forms on this page, as well as free Lesson Plan forms!

http://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/index.htm

Forms, Forms & More Forms....absolutely Free!! This is a wonderful site full of homeschool forms that you can download absolutely free! http://www.newbeehomeschooler.com/moreplannerforms.htm

I absolutely love this webpage! We are constantly looking for paper to write on!!! So now we have to look no further than this page....Free Notepad & Notebook Paper
http://www.fuzzimo.com/free-hi-res-notepad-and-notebook-textures/

This one is from Five J's and it is awesome! If you need a gradebook, look no further. This is from her site: "Gradebook+ is a free gradebook and record-keeping spreadsheet template for homeschool." http://fivejs.com/gradebook/fivejs-gradebook-plus-v1-excel.xlt

Free books are everywhere! The greatest resource is your local library, however, here's a great link for online audiobooks that I found!http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/genre/Children/all

Finally, here's a website you can not pass up!! You'll find here a directory of free homeschool curricula, literature and text books organized for the use of homeschooling families. http://oldfashionededucation.com/

Our Daily Schedule Revised! New Lesson Plans are coming....

Our Daily Schedule Update *Tenative* - notice I said "tentative" because although this is my goal - life happens LOL! =0 ) We are trying something new...we are schooling year-round this year. So far, I am reallying enjoying schooling year-round! It seems to be a lot less stressful and less demanding.

Mon-Fri
Bible Reading - 15 mins every morning- We read a story out of the Beginners Bible or a lesson out of the book, Leading Little Ones to God.

Mon-Thursday
Spelling - 20mins-30mins- We go over Dolch words for her grade level & complete one worksheet out of the Scholastic Week by Week Homework Packet Spelling workbook, Grades 1 and 2.
Grammar-10m- We go over a Grammar Rule each day and Bryleigh has to write the rule in her composition notebook. Not only is she learning the rule, but she is also using her handwriting skills and spelling skills as well. She also works Grammar/Phonic worksheets that we bought from Sonlight.com.
Writing - 10m- We write more than 10 mins a day, however, I do not require her but 10 mins a day. She volunteers more time because loves to write.
Math - 40m- we do visual Math. She watches the Mathtacular video that we got from Sonlight.com and then does worksheets that correspond with that days' lesson. We also use real life events to enforce math skills. Ex. Grocery shopping & cooking

Monday and Wednesday
Science - 20 mins- 30 mins - we also do visual Science. She watches the Discover & Do video from Sonlight. com and then we do experiments & worksheets using real life events. She loves learning Science in the Kitchen. I also just received new Science Lesson plans that I will be intergrating in with her current lessons.

Wed- Thursday
History - 20 mins - 30 mins- We acquire History Readers from the library. And we read a book each day about a current event that is going on. I also print out worksheets from Enchantedlearning.com to help with the lessons.

Tuesdays
Piano Lessons - 30 mins
Library time- 20 mins- 30 mins

Weekend
Art - 1 hour

Home Economics - daily- She folds clothes, dusts, vaccuums, and helps me cook each day. I have bought a curriulum called Keepers at Home. When I get that in the mail, I will begin the lessons in it. http://thegreatestcallinginlife.blogspot.com/2012/01/keepers-at-home-little-keepers-at-home.html

Quiet Time- I will begin to implement a quiet time for 30 mins to an hour each day. During this time, Tracee will lay down for a nap or go in her room to play while Bryleigh goes to her room for required reading, to finish up any work that she did not complete or to have some playtime. (Also I found some great audiobooks that I thought she could listen to while she plays). This will give the girls a break from me & each other - you know we are together all the time and we all need breaks! lol This will give me time to get my lessons together for the next day or finish housekeeping.

Mon-Wed-Friday
Piano practice -10mins- 15 mins

Co-Op
We have 40 days of CoOp each school year (We actually attend 2 Co-Ops, one on Tuesdays & one on Wednesdays). Bryleigh is learning Phonics, Geography, Art History, Reading, Kitchen Science & Magic School Bus Science on CoOp days. Also she is learning social skills & is able to interact with other children during this time. Let me add this: When we have CoOp days the CoOp lessons will replace the lessons on the days indicated above.

Mini Offices? What's that?

I've always wanted to lapbook but after my second daughter was born, it just never seemed that I had enough time to cut out all the things that I need to make a lapbook out of and my oldest daughter didn't really seem interested in helping. So a friend introduced me to a Mini Office.

Mini Offices are an ideal method of keeping all the charts, facts and lists at hand in a lapbook folder or file folder or reference file. A mini office is a particular application of lapbooks. Each child can make his own mini-office -- a lapbook filled with reference pages for his own learning. The sky is the limit on what you can include. With a mini office, you have an individualized reference tool for each student! Cater it to your child's level and needs. Make a new one each term if necessary or make several -- one for each school subject. Pull out the math mini office when studying math. Or use a language arts mini office when doing a writing assignment.

How do you make a Mini Office? Depending on how long you want your mini-offices to be, choose 2-3 file folders and glue them together side to side. Download the sheets you want to use and a cover sheet. Cut your sheets and start placing them on your panels of your mini-offices until you have it organized. This could be challenging if you have a lot of sheets you want to add. I had to cut down some of the charts so that they could fit on a panel. Glue and let dry. (You can laminate them if you want)

What do you put in your Mini Office? The sky is the limit. You can make one Mini Office for each subject you are teaching or you can make a mini office for all the subjects. Depends on what you want.

Where do you find all of these charts? Simple. Google it. If you want a Math Mini Office, simply google Math Charts. The internet is full of examples of Mini Offices & charts or reference sheets to put in your Mini Office.

The best part about the Mini Offices is that they are easy to store & don't take up much room. My daughter made the one below. She loves pulling it out and opening up all the panels.

What is a Homemaker worth?

I was reading this article from a friend's blog & I had to share!

How Much is a Homemaker Worth?

“The life of a homemaker is one that includes an endless amount of demands and to-dos. Depending on the size of the home and family, the position of homemaker can go well beyond the usual nine to five. We examined some of the tasks that a homemaker might do to find out how much his or her services would net as individual professional careers. We only take into consideration tasks which have monetary values and use the lowest value for each calculation.

Private Chef – Meal preparation is one of the major tasks of most homemakers. From breakfast to dinner, there is plenty of meal planning and cooking to be done. The American Personal Chef Association reports that its personal chefs make $200 to $500 a day. Grocery shopping is another chore that needs to be factored in. A homemaker must drive to the supermarket, purchase the food and deliver it to the home. Grocery delivery services charge a delivery fee of $5 to $10.Total cost for services: $1,005 per five day work week x 52 weeks = $52,260 per year.

House Cleaner – A clean and tidy home is the foundation of an efficient household. Typical cleaning duties include vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, scrubbing sinks as well as loading the dishwasher and making beds. Professional maids or house cleaning service providers will charge by the hour, number of rooms or square footage of the home. For example, bi-weekly cleaning of a 900-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment with five rooms, costs $59-$124 . A 1,300 square-foot, single-story home with seven rooms runs $79-$150 . A 2,200 two-story, three-bedroom home with nine rooms averages $104-$180 . Additional tasks such as oven or refrigerator cleaning and dusting mini blinds can run an extra $20-$25.Total cost for services: $118 per week X 52 Weeks = $6,136 per year.

Child Care- Homemakers provide full-time, live-in child care. This type of service from a professional provider would usually come with a host of perks including health insurance, paid vacation and sick days, federal holidays off, dental and vision coverage, and bonuses. The International Nanny Association’s 2011 survey found that nannies make $600 to $950 per week in gross wages, on average.Total cost for services: $600 a week plus perks/benefits x 52 Weeks = $31,200 per year.

Driver – A private car service might seem like a high-end luxury to most, but the beneficiaries of a homemaker get this service on a daily basis. Companies like Red Cap, which provides personal drivers that use the client’s own car as the means of transportation, offer a glimpse into the cost of this homemaker task. An elite membership which includes 365 days of unlimited, round-trip service is $1,000 a year plus 33 cents – $2.03 per minute.Total cost for services: $1,000 per year + [(estimated miles driven 8000 miles / 50 MPH) x 60 min/hr x $0.33 per minute] = $4,168 total per year.

Laundry Service – Clean clothes come at a cost when you have to pay for the service that most homemakers do for free. Professional laundry services charge by the pound. For instance, Susie’s Suds Home Laundry Service, Inc. in Texas charges 90 cents to $1.00 a pound to wash, dry, fold, hang and steam your clothes. Items that take longer to dry such as comforters, blankets, rugs and winter clothes are assessed at a price of $12-$15 each.Total cost for services: $0.90 per pound x 4 pounds of clothes per day x 5 days per weeks x 52 weeks = $936 total per year.

Lawn Maintenance - Basic maintenance of the exterior property is a less common, but possible duty of a homemaker.This could include things such as mowing, debris removal, edging and trimming the lawn. These services cost about $30 a week on average.Total cost for services: $30 per week x 52 weeks = $1,560 total per year.

The Bottom Line – Total for a year of all services is: $52,260 + $6,137 + $31,200 + $4,168 + $936 + $1,560 = $96,261 per year.

The daily work of a homemaker can sometimes be taken for granted by his or her family members. However, these services could earn a homemaker a considerable wage if he or she took those skills to the marketplace. Homemakers in general contribute a lot more to the home in addition to these tasks, and no amount of money can fill those needs.”

Also a mother who educates her own children would be worth either a tutor or a teacher’s salary. One who grows her own produce, raises animals, and sews clothing also adds to the family income. As you can see, the article really just scratches the surface!

Stepping away from the monetary aspect of it reminds us of a homemaker’s greatest contributions, namely the tender love, Godly wisdom, and careful nurture she imparts to her husband and children (if the Lord has blessed her thus). This is worth far more to the Kingdom of God than we could ever put a dollar amount on. It makes one think, when considering the value of what we do. What am I pouring my energy into? What is really important? What will last eternally?

Being a chef is of little value if we do not demonstrate hospitality and nourish souls.

Taxiing across town is a worthless effort if we do not drive others to Christ.

Washing clothes only helps to clean up the outward appearance; we must be about washing with the Word.

The bottom line is this: Only God can place a real value on homemaking. Proverbs 31 makes that infinitely clear. A Christ-honoring homemaker who is industrious and is about the business of serving her King is worth far more than money can buy. Her worth is far above rubies. She is working to build Christ’s Kingdom! When done unto the Lord, wiping noses, cleaning up spilled milk, and speaking wisdom into the lives of children is the kind of work that lasts forever and ever. That is one thing the world will never understand, try as they might; you just can’t place a dollar value on something as noble and beautiful as homemaking.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”-Proverbs 31:10
Do you have anything to add?

Keepers at Home & Little Keepers at Home Series

I have been looking for a great Home Economics curriculum for Bryleigh and a friend recommended this to me. After looking over the information, I instantly fell in love with it! I decided to order both of these handbooks. I highly recommend checking this out!

The "Keepers at Home" manual is 380 pages and for girls ages 7-16. The Keepers at Home handbook for young ladies is perfect for girls 7 through 16. The handbook is designed to teach and prepare girls to become godly, competent keepers of the home, Christian wives, and mothers. It includes Bible reading, Bible memory, extensive skills for practical living, and creative handiwork. Give your daughter the skills she needs to succeed at the calling God has given her. Whether your daughter is a member of a club or uses it as part of her education, this book combined with a little teaching will prepare her for life.

For smaller girls, they have the "Little Keepers at Home" which is geared to girls ages 4-6. This Little Keepers handbook makes a great start for your little girls to begin learning to be keepers of the home. The book has a very simple design so that your girls, ages 4 to 6, can begin to be little keepers and future Christian homemakers! The handbook includes sections on Godly Girlhood, Basic Skills, Homemaking, and Nature. Girls will learn to begin, work on, and finish projects.



Here's the table of contents for Keepers at Home: http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/product/category/KeepersatHomeTableofContents

Here's the table of contents for Little Keepers at Home:http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/zk/ProductArticles/Little_Keepers_TOC.pdf

Here's some examples of what you will find in the Keepers at Home handbook.


You can order these book at http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/product/KeepersatHomeHandbook.html

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that they have Contenders for the Faith for your sons ages 6 to 16! It provides guidelines for 89 different skills, each an important component to preparing our sons to be Godly men.

I want to but I just don't know how!

I believe everyone has a calling in life. Everyone has a purpose for doing what they are doing. I realized a few years ago that my calling is to be a stay at home mother, wife & a homeschool teacher. After I began homeschooling my children, I began to talk to other mothers who would love to homeschool their children but who did not know how to get started. So after much prayer, I decided to create a blog on many of the questions and concerns that the mothers mentioned to me.

Many of the mothers' first concern was how do we do it on one income. Many were under the impression that homeschooling families live on one income. But, this is not necessarily true. There are many that live on one income, however, if you are considering homeschooling, remember this, you can homeschool at anytime and at any place which gives you the freedom to work if you choose to do so. I know several ladies right now who work part time. One lady is a nurse. She works at night and homeschools during the day. Another lady started her own home based business and yet another lady I know bakes breads, casseroles & desserts and sells them. I'm sure I could list many more examples but I think you get my point. A great place to learn how to live on one income is at http://christianpf.com/learning-how-to-live-on-one-income/ Pray about this and if God wants you to homeschool, He will make it possible!

Many of the ladies worried about being able to afford the curriculums. You do not have to buy a big expensive curriculum. The local library is a wonderful resource! You can also check with other homeschoolers that are your children's ages and plan curriculum swaps. Also, don't forget to do Field trips! For example, you can have a field trip to your local grocery store. While you are getting groceries you can be teaching your children social skills, math skills, spelling skills and science skills. The field trip didn't cost you a dime (except for the groceries you were getting) and your child was able to have class! To know more about how to get started you can go to Cindy Downs' website. It is a wonderful FREE resource that gives you more information that you would ever imagine. Everything is included on this site! From "What is Homeschooling" to "How long do I need to homeschool a day". It also includes free printable forms, schedules, planners and more. http://oklahomahomeschool.com/index.html

Also, I would like to add that Book Samaritan can provide you with books you might need. The Book Samaritan is a non-profit orginization that helps homeschooling families who are in need. They ask for no money but, they love donations. http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/

The next big question was I don't have time to do that. Yes you do! Homeschooling can be done any time & any place. You are the boss and you decide when & where you Homeschool. You will decide and organize what your children will study each year, unless you use a boxed curriculum which has each lesson planned out for you. You will decide how much time you will devote to each subject too! You can do it...if I can do it, there's no excuse why you can not! Here's a great blog about a couple who homeschool their children on the road! http://www.ourbigearth.com/2009/01/04/homeschooling-car-school/

Okay, sound good so far, well, it gets better...the next topic we are going to discuss is: Is Homeschooling Legal? Yes it is! When I first started in homeschool, this was my first concern. I was constantly worried that some police officer would knock on my door and take my kids away but, that concern faded as I was directed to the link below. Once you click on it, click on the state that you live in and it will give you details on the laws for homeschooling in your state. http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

The next thing I need to explain is "Will I need to homeschool under the "home school law" or the "private school law"? That is up to you! Remember you are the boss and you get to decide which one you want to do. Also, let me point out that you need to make sure that your state doesn't have a "required" way to do it. If they do, you need to go with what the state's requirement is. To learn the difference between these two types of laws, go to the link below to find out more information: http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/201103100.asp

I had one lady ask me "How do I know I'm doing it right?" The internet is full of examples on how to make lesson plans, how much time to spend on each subject, and what your child needs to know at a certain age or grade level. Also, there are many homeschoolers that you can ask. I promise you, you will be doing it right, even if you think you are not. I found this website which gives wonderful information on how to homeschool. It also gives you forms to use and lesson plans. http://donnayoung.org/index.htm

Another question I was asked: How do I know what subjects I need to teach for each grade level? Each state has a Department of Education website. If you go on this website, they will list Grade Level Expectations. You can follow this list or you can go to your local bookstore or library and get the What Your____________ Grader Needs To Know book series by E.D. Hirsch Jr. The books outline what is taught in each grade in Core Knowledge. I personally have 5 of the books that E.D. Hirsch Jr. has written and I highly recommend them.This book supports most everything they cover in school, including math, science, literature and social studies. The format is easy to follow and the synopses of historical figures and subjects are very helpful. It's been recently revised and updated to stay current with today's children and their learning styles. Go to this link for more information: http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=298

I also want to mention that I have allowed my kids to join a Homeschool CoOp. This is a wonderful way to meet other homeschool families in your area. A homeschool coop is a group of homeschooling families that join together to share in the education of their children. Homeschool Co-ops involves parent participation by nature. Don't expect to drop your children off at classes or activities. Parents teach classes, care for younger children, help with clean up or other tasks. Sometimes outside teachers are hired, which usually means a more costly program. Each state has a CoOp that you can join up. Just look up on the internet and see if one is in your area and if not, start one!So I hope this blog has helped you to understand a little more about homeschooling and to help answer a few of your questions.

And if you are thinking of homeschooling...just do it!! It's wonderful and the benefits are too many to list!

I'm so excited! I am now an independent distributor for The Gourmet Cupboard! I have prayed for many months for God to allow me to find a Christian Based work at home job that I can do while I'm homeschooling my girls. I was introduced to this company by one of my friends & after tasting the food, I was hooked.

Gourmet Cupboard offers handmade gourmet desserts, meals, soups, coffees, teas and dips at very affordable prices! Each mix is handmade using only the finest ingredients. Each mix includes all the dry ingredients, and you simply add one or two other ingredients such as sour cream, water, cream cheese, ground meat, etc. The products are individually handmade in Southeast Texas and most contain no msg or preservatives. There are even mixes for those people who are gluten free or diabetic! With Christmas right around the corner, these mixes make great gift ideas too!

Also, if you are like me and need a little extra income, The Gourmet Cupboard offers an excellent business opportunity with FREE signup, low product purchase requirements, and great training! It is a wonderful opportunity for a work at home business for mothers, retirees, or anyone wanting to make some extra money and enjoy our tasty products!

Just visit this website for more information:
http://www.thegourmetcupboard.com/

To look at the products, click the tab on the right that says Our Products. And if you find something you like, feel free to order it...when ordering please include my Rep ID number 6361 at the top of the page.

If you have any problems ordering feel free to email me and I will order whatever you need!

Thanks for looking & pray for me as I start this new adventure!