Monday Menus

It is Monday so once again it is menu time.

Monday: Chicken Kiev, Broccoli Mac & Cheese (In the freezer)
Tuesday: Boneless Pork Shoulder Ribs(Crockpot), Baked Brown Rice, Broccoli
Wednesday: Pork Roast, Potatoes(Crockpot), Roasted Cauliflower
Thursday: French Toast, Eggs, Bacon
Friday: Cube Steak, Broccoli, Bread

Have a great food week!

WFMW: Schooling with Little Ones

Something I hear often after I say I homeschool is, "How do you do it with all your little ones". Well, homeschooling a 6 year old when you have a 4, 2, and newborn is a challenge but it can be done. First, take advantage of any of the newborn's naps. Then invest in some dollar big puzzles and dollar coloring books for the 2 year old. Then only let the 2 year old use those when you are schooling. Then they are his special "school" things. With the 4 year old use peer pressure and preschool work. Get some preschool workbooks and give them the choice to work on it. But if they don't choose to work on it they have to play in their room or what ever you would let the 2 year old do. And yes I have use the line, "If you aren't big enough to work on your school work you aren't big enough to play on the computer while your brother works on his work". It has worked pretty well so far for me!

Carnival Time

2 great Carnivals are now up. First is the Carnival of Homeschooling over at About.com:Homeschooling. Her theme this week is autism but that isn't what all the posts are about. The other carnival is Carnival of Recipes: Dieter's Edition. They seem to have some very yummy options and some non-dieting ones too!

Frugal Homeschooler: Free Science

For those who are looking for my free science resource list, don't panic. I have now started a new blog and I moved it there. That is where all new Frugal Homeschooler posts will now be (I am slowly moving over the old ones). So run over to NerdFamily Things and check it out!

Happy Constitution Day

I just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Constitution Day! Go educate oneself;).

Menu Monday

So here are my menus for the week:
Monday: Chicken Kiev, Roasted Red Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Crockpot Roast and Potatoes, Broccoli, Salad
Wednesday: Cube Steak, Broccoli, Beer Bread
Thursday: Pasta Carbonara Florentine, Beer Bread, Broccoli
Friday: Tilapia, Broccoli Mac and Cheese

So this is my objective...Hopefully this is what I am making;). Just ask if you want any recipes!

Easy Chocolate Souffle

This is now over at NerdFamily Food!

Frugal Fridays: Frugal Crafting

One of the best way to save money is crafting gifts instead of making them. But those craft supplies can really add up. But there is a way to save a little money. First keep a running list of all craft projects would you like to do. Then make a list of all supplies needed. Then go to a JoAnns store and sign up for mailer coupons. Usually each mailer will have at least one 40% off coupon. Then watch your paper for additional JoAnn ads that will also have a 40% off coupon. Also watch for Michaels ads that each contain a 40% coupon. Here we have a Michaels ad at least every other week but often every week. Also, at least where I live, JoAnns will take Michaels coupons also so I only have to go to one place. I have walked in many times with 3 coupons at one: Mailer coupon, Michaels coupon and JoAnns Sunday coupon. I don't even shop the ad itself unless the sail item is more than 40% off. Then walk in only getting the things on your list. Don't look around or take very long. If you are normal, the longer you are in a crafting store the more you will spend.

Something to keep in mind is that you want to more through your whole list this way, regardless of how small the price point. I admit that I have felt self-conscious using the coupons on $1 embroidered letters but I needed them and they were on the list. Now of course you need to make sure that you get the more expensive things first, just to make sure that you get the coupon but... There are some acceptions. After you get used to watching the ads you will see what is normally on good sales(more than 40%). An example is 12 by 12 scrapbook paper (I got these to make birth announcements). They are normally 50 cents a sheet but go on sale for 6 for 96 cents. So obviously I got them on sale and not on coupon.

So that is how I keep my crafting relatively under control!

Frugal Homeschooler: Record Keeping

Once again I am looking at homeschooling on the cheap. This time I am looking at the record keeping side. It surprises me how intimidated people are by the idea that the need to keep records. It just isn't that hard. Now granted, I am in California where we don't have a lot of rules but still. I think this is something anyone can do with out any fancy, expensive stuff.

Personally I take the calendar approach. Since this is first grade I am just getting an idea of my oldest's output. I have an overall minimum plan but not a daily plan (doesn't allow for much flexibility). I bought a calendar with a page a day. Then I just write each kid's name and what they did for the day. It is that simple. When this calendar is done I will just use the undated teacher's planner I got at the Dollar Tree. It has plenty of room and the price is great;). I prefer the paper version right now and then I will convert it to a computer file at a later date for prosperity.

There are also a couple of free sites. You can download a free version of HomeSchool Tracker. It is a software program that you can put everything in to plan and track. I haven't tried it but have heard good things, especially for multiple kids. The other tool out there is Donna Young's site. It has all the printable paper work you can imagine. She has planning pages, notebooking pages, calendars, etc. I have already used them many times.

Well, hopefully that helps someone with the bookkeeping and tracking that goes with homeschooling. If you have any other free or cheap resources for record keeping please leave them in the comments. Also, if you haven't checked out my post on reproducible books please do and add your finds too!

As always remember homeschooling doesn't have to be hard or expensive!

Menu Monday

Here is my proposed menu for this week:
Monday: Cube Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Cauliflower,apple-raisin coleslaw
Tuesday: New Chicken Casserole Recipe, Broccoli, Salad
Wednesday: Crockpot Turkey Breast, Potatoes, Leftover Cauliflower
Thursday: Mahi Mahi, Broccoli Mac and Cheese Gratin, Salad
Friday: Ham and Potato Gratin, Ham, Broccoli

Southwest Covers Up Scandily Clad "Lady"

For those of you who haven't heard, Southwest recently asked Kyla to adjust her outfit in order to stay on a flight. There is discussion going on about her freedom and was this done because she was a attractive young woman and someone (which of course must be an old married lady like me because no man would complain) was offended. In the CNN interview there was this quote:

Feminist Ann Friedman can't imagine this happening to a man

I happen to offer this different view: it would if his penis was hanging out. As a matter of fact he would have been arrest for indecent exposure. Here is some photographic evidence (Due to the issue these are not on this post due to our family friendly nature. You can click on the image and see it in a window. Mind you these are just stills off of the CNN interview).




In the second picture it looks as if the skirt was made from the top part of a pair of jeans. All you crafty girls have seen those purses and aprons made like that. According to AllDay: Today's Family Blog:

At first, when she appeared on the set, it didn't seem like her outfit was so inappropriate. It was clear that her skirt was pretty short, but it didn't seem worthy of getting a lecture from a customer service representative on how to dress.

But when she sat down, we learned just how short that skirt was -- when she flashed our national television audience. Yeah, that skirt was short.

So was she discriminated against? Yes, in the beneficial way. All she said she had to do was pull down the skirt and up the top. A man would have been bounced and possibly arrested. I say hurray for Southwest! I am not asking for a company to apply stricter standards than the law but let us apply the law. There is a law that allows a woman to nurse in public but other than that cover up! Private parts are not to be seen in public.

(HT: Rocks in My Dryer)

Deaths

Madeline L'Engle died Thursday at age 88. She was the author of Wrinkle in Time and many other great books. Literature and the world will miss her.

Pastor D. James Kennedy also dies this week at age 76. He actually died as a result of a heart attack he had in December. While I listened to him on the radio in hugh school and college, I was shocked (pleasantly) to see he was a founding member of the Moral Majority. He will also be greatly missed.

Both families are in my prayers.

An invasion of civilization by little barbarians

I came across Thomas Sowell's summation of a parent's duty, "Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late," in an article about conflicting ideas about parenting. The author, Tony Woodleif, a homeschooling father of four, lays out Sowell's two competing theories:

Mr. Sowell contrasted the "unconstrained vision" of utopians, who want to radically improve humankind, with the "constrained vision" of realists, who begin with the proposition that man is inherently self-interested, and not moldable into whatever form the high-minded types have in store for us once they get their itchy fingers on the levers of power.

Like the author, I fall in to the "constrained vision" camp, described here:

The constrained vision indicates that world harmony and universal satisfaction are mirages. People are innately selfish, and they'll always desire more goodies. This means that tradeoffs between competing wants are inevitable. My wife and I therefore forbid our children to use the word "fair." Parents still in the thrall of the unconstrained worldview are prone to manipulation by their kids, who like little human-rights lawyers insist on fairness as an imperative. And don't get me started on the damage that an exaggerated sense of fairness and entitlement has done to public schools. In our house things are much simpler: That last piece of cake had to be divided somehow, and in this imperfect world your brother got the extra frosting. Deal with it.

Also, read the article to get an thoughtful defense of "Because I said so."

Frugal Fridays: Free after Rebate

One of my big money saving tips is to take advantage of Walgreens Rebate Saver program. Every month they have some things completely free after rebate and many things just on rebate. One of the nice things is that you can use coupons on every product so if you watch what is out there you can actually get money back on things. I save all my toothbrush and tooth paste coupons for these and I usually get them for free or almost free. I recently got Suave shampoo and conditioner for a great deal. It was on sale 5 for $10 and then there was a $5 rebate and I use 3 coupons that totaled another $1.25 off. So I ended up paying $3.75 for 5 bottles.

Free this month contact solution, foundation, Pantene hair product and toothbrush.
My one recommendation is only buy things you will use not just all free things.

Reproducibles: A Homeschooler's Blessing

As a homeschooling mom, I can say my biggest money investment is curriculum. I am quickly realizing the benefit of using books that give you permission to photocopy. I have 4 kids so this is a huge benefit. For example, Singapore Math is not one you can reproduce. I spend about $32 in books per kid per year if they only do 1 years worth. While that isn't a lot of money at a glance it is $256 to get one kid all the way through the 6th grade. Which means I could save $768 if I could just reproduce them (of course not counting photocopy cost). That won't make me quit using Singapore but it might sway me in other subjects. So I am going to start compiling a list of reproducible materials.

So far here is my short list.
ELP's Handrwiting Skills Simplified - Grade 1 (this is great if you need extra practice)
Story of the World's Activity Guides

So if you have something to add to the list, please email me (mom@nerdfamily.com) or leave it in the comment.

WFMW: Brand Loyalty

For this week's Works For Me Wednesday Shannon asked what brands we are loyal to. You know we all have those things that we are willing to spend a little more on. Here in the NerdFamily household we have quite a few. We are loyal to some things just for the taste such as JIF peanut butter, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper and Best Foods mayonnaise. Some things are because they work better for us like SpeedStick (for both NerdDad and myself) and Aveeno skin products. I also have a few household things that just work better overall. Ziploc bags are one of my big indulgences because the bag is thicker and the zipper is stronger. I also really like Dow's Scrubbing Bubbles. None of the generics or other brands seem to work as well.

So even though I try to be frugal we definitely have specific tastes. I have found that if I balance shopping on the sales matched with coupons (and rebates from Walgreens) the prices can be very manageable.

So where do your loyalties lay?

All Day Kindergarten: Now Can We Learn?

Maryland has now begun a full day kindergarten and people are worried that play time is over. According to an article in the Baltimore Sun:

She has only nine months to get her 5- and 6-year-olds to identify the sequential property of numbers using the calendar, learn the alphabet, recognize letter sounds, learn how to sort by color and number, and learn to share and play nice with one another.

You have to be joking! It is stressing them out to get this accomplished? I understand that my children are brilliant;) but I think this is an easily accessible goal. I am also shocked that there is an all day kindergarten program that doesn't expect them to be reading at the end.

The need for programs like this make me seriously doubt the teaching ability of these teachers. There is a mention that there will also be homework. I guess I wonder what these teachers are doing to teach. You have a 5 or 6 year old for a full day and still need them to take home work for their parents to teach them how to do? Though it does seem that they are doing an all day program to allow for some individual teaching. You would think that would be the time that the remainder of the students could be working on homework.

I think this just proves that more on its own doesn't fix the system. More money, more time with out a new approach obviously isn't going to be successful so you are wasting the money and the time.

Weekly Menu

In order to hold myself accountable I am going to start posting my weekday menus on Monday. So here it goes...
Monday: Tillapia, broccoli, drop biscuits, spinach/strawberry salad
Tuesday: Enchiladas, broccoli
Wednesday: Stuffed pork loin chops (with spinach and feta), potato/leek gratin(trying a new recipe)
***Update: The potato/leek gratin was so/so. I won't be making it again.

Thursday: cheeseburger pie, broccoli, salad
Friday: Date night with church kids get sandwiches!

If anyone wants a recipe let me know!

Free Education Fun!

I have found a great site with free education games for kids. PlayKidsGames.com has all kinds of games from math, vocab, letters, geography, etc. The math games even have a straight rapid math facts game. You can pick your grade levels on a variety of the games. The Nerdlings will start using it tomorrow! Stay tuned for more free educational sites.

Spherical Tree House

So this looks very cool. It can sleep 4, is plumbed and has electricity. I am wondering if it sways as you walk in it. You too can have one of these for only a base price of $150,000.

(HT: BoingBoing)