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Homeschooling Adventures at the Maxwell's
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
I'm a Blogger Class Mate
This looks like a lot of fun!! If you'd like to become a Blogger Class Mate, or just learn more about it, just check out this blog here - http://homeschoolblogawards.com/2008/08/blogger-class-mates/ .
Basically, from what I understand, everyone will be given a writing assignment every Wednesday. When you get your assignment done and posted, just alert them at the above blog. It is set to run weekly through May of next year.
I'm really looking forward to it! I already had one friend join me there, what about you? |
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Monday, August 11, 2008
My Review of The Homeschool Planner and the Digital The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
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I was so excited that I was asked to review some of the wonderful products made by “The Old Schoolhouse” magazine. The first part of this post will be my review of “The Schoolhouse Planner.” My review of the digital version of the magazine will follow below.
When I first read the description of this planner, I’ll admit that I wasn’t impressed and didn’t feel I would need it. I tend to like doing things the hard way and thought to myself that I could assemble a similar group of forms and reference materials and not spend the money. I’m very happy to say that I was proven wrong, this planner is just amazing! The work that must have gone into assembling and designing all of the 247 pages of it is awe-inspiring.
The planner is a PDF download, and each page can be typed on and saved and printed as you need it. The planner is broken up into two major parts, one being monthly themes and the other being blank forms.
The monthly themes include very nice printable calendars for each month of the coming school year 2008-2009. The calendars are nice and large with lots of room to write in the squares. Each month gives you the calendar, a theme with very useful reference printouts such as timelines and other lists, an informative article on the theme, a resource list for The Schoolhouse Store, and several yummy recipes.
The blank forms are separated into two sections, one for homeschool related forms and one for the household. The homeschool forms include ones for planning and for evaluation, ones for keeping track of curriculum used, logs for field trips and memorization, etc., for assembling unit studies, for support groups and co-ops, and for extra classes and clubs for both children and parents among many others.
The household forms include sheets for phone and contact info for a variety of areas, homemaking schedules and reminders, groceries, menu planning and food inventories, daily and family chore charts and logs, budget and financial inventory, gift lists, prayer journal and bible reading schedule/log, dates to remember, garden planning, household inventory of major appliances and electronics, loaned and borrowed list, vacation plans, pets health, an address book and directions. And, believe it or not, there is even more than what is listed here!
Every page is designed to coordinate with all the other pages in this planner. The fonts and colors used are easy and pleasing to the eye.
There are so many pages included in this planner that is exactly what we were needing for this upcoming school year, and getting it all in one place has saved me tons of time that I can now use more efficiently instead of trying to track down or design similar forms myself. After downloading it and seeing it was 247 pages long, I thought that instead of just printing it all, I’d just go through it and print a few pages as they appealed to me. That concept didn’t last long as I soon wanted to print out nearly every page.
We are going to have a great year in our homeschooling this year, and I can give a lot of thanks for that to “The Schoolhouse Planner.” I will be recommending it highly to all my friends and support group peers.
The other product I was lucky enough to review is the digital version of “The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.” I’m currently a subscriber of the hard copy and always make sure I have a pad of notepaper and a pen whenever I sit down to read it. By the time I read through the paper version, I have a long list of websites I want to go to and curriculum ideas I want to explore. I was curious to see how I would read through the digital copy.
Since I’ve never looked at a digital version of a magazine before, I was pleased that the first thing to appear was a list of navigation tools.
When I clicked on the “Contents” tab at the top of the screen, I was able to choose exactly where I wanted to go with just the touch of a button. I could also just go page by page if I wanted, like in the paper version. When I clicked on the “Pages” icon, it took me to a screen that shows thumbnails of each two page spread, and then I could click on whichever one I wanted to go to.
There is also a search option. You can also click on “Links” and it will show you all the websites that are referenced on that page and if you click on one of the links it will open a new page and take you to the site. You can change the way you view the magazine on your computer by clicking on the “Settings” icon.
There are also icons you can select to bookmark a particular page for easy reference. You can also print a page, view full screen, get help, and do the RSS feed.
I will admit that I am highly impressed, way more so than I thought I would be, with this digital version of “The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.” When my current subscription runs out, I will renew with the digital version. It is much easier to just click on a link while I’m reading an article or looking at an advertisement than it is to stop in the middle of reading to write it out longhand on a sheet of paper then type it in later to go check it out. Half the time I end up misplacing all the little website addresses I jot down, but now I don’t have to worry about that! This will certainly help with my mountains of paper clutter. The digital version is a great product, and it’s another one that I highly recommend. All the free goodies that you get with your order are worth as much as the cost of the subscription, actually they are worth even more.
If you’d like to check out these products for yourself, you can find the planner here, and the digital magazine here. If you’d like to see all the other wonderful products you can get from The Old Schoolhouse Store, click here. |
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Monday, July 28, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - Moisturizing Body Scrub
This wonderful moisturizing body scrub will work with items you probably already have.
SUPPLIES:
2 cups salt (regular table salt)
1 cup baby oil (or other body oil you already own)
Put one cup of the salt into a mixing bowl and add the cup of oil.
Stir well.
Add the last cup of salt and stir until combined.
 
To use on your hands, add a small amount (about a spoonful) into the palm of one hand and smear and scrub all over both hands. Rinse off in warm water. If you want to do a full body scrub, then smear and scrub it all over your body and rinse in the shower when you are ready. You will feel and smell just glorious!! This can also be stored in the Scrap Paper Jar you made with me last week. |
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Monday, July 28, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - Scrap Paper Jar
This project is so easy and inexpensive and looks very nice when it's finished. You can use it for a vase, a pencil holder, or a holder for the project you'll see on here next week. When it is done, it looks a little like stained glass. Here are the supplies you'll need:
SUPPLIES:
Jar (glass or plastic, in whatever size you want), labels removed
White glue that will dry clear (I used Elmer's Glue All)
Tissue paper (select several colors, or match to your decor)
Scissors
Paint brush
Small container (to hold glue)
Stack the tissue paper evenly and cut a one inch strip through all the layers, repeat with another strip. Cut each strip into one inch squares. Don't go measuring this, just eyeball it. You can experiment here too, rip the papers instead of cutting them, or cut into triangles instead of squares, you're the artist here.
Put some glue into the small cup or container, you may thin with a tiny amount of water if it seems to thick. Turn the jar upside down onto some newspaper and begin brushing the glue onto the bottom doing only about a 3 to 4 inch area at one time.
Lay some of the paper scraps onto the glue then continue doing this until you have covered the jar.
If you want to use this jar with a lid, do not cover the threads at the neck, just up to them, otherwise go all the way to the top. If you are going all the way up, then give the glue time to try on the bottom then turn it over and glue around the neck of the jar and overlap to the inside a little. If you see any gaps where the glass wasn't totally covered, you can go back over it with more paper.
One it is all layered the way you like it, let it dry totally, then go back over the entire container with a final layer of glue (thinned if needed). This will seal it.
Once it dries now it is ready for use. Let me know what sort of container you will be using yours as. The jar in the pictures is an old pasta sauce jar, my son made one from a huge plastic peanut butter jar, and my daughter made one from a small jelly jar, the possibilities are endless. Have fun!!
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Monday, July 28, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - Color Changing Flowers
After a gentle rain a few evenings ago, I decided to take a walk in the field next to our house. I couldn't get anyone to go outside and play so I decided to go by myself. Funny how then everyone just had to be outside then too! Not that I minded, of course. So, we all went walking around the yard and through the field where the kids ride their 4-wheelers and dirtbikes. It had been a gentle rain, so there wasn't any mud, it mostly just help eliminate the dust. I started picking wildflowers along the way and soon had a big bouquet. I purposely made sure to pick some of the multitude of Queen Anne's Lace to do this little project with. Here's what you'll need if you want to try this out at your home:
SUPPLIES:
3 flowers with white petals (Queen Anne's Lace, carnations, daisies, etc.)
3 clear glasses
water
food coloring
Trim the stem of each flower so it fits into the glass nicely. Add water about 3/4 full.
Add a different color food coloring to each glass. Stir with the flower's stem. Let sit at least overnight. You should see the color being drawn up to the petals in about a day, depending on the type of flower used.
I had each child of mine select a color of dye then had them add it to the water. It seemed to give them some ownership of it, and of course they made it into a race! The blue seemed to show up the quickest and the deepest overall. Yellow was second and the red was last as it took nearly two days to see even a hint of it in the petals.
You could then take these flowers and press them and use them in cards or another craft. I had every intention of doing that, but these kids were determined it was going to be a race to the death and I had to end up tossing the flowers as the petals were falling off all over my counters. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. |
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Friday, July 25, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - Shimmering Shapes
These are cute and fairly easy window hangings you can make with just a few basic supplies. Here's what you'll need:
Tissue paper
Plastic foodwrap or nonstick foil
Pencil
White glue
Embroidery floss
Glitter
Scissors
Cut the tissue paper and either plastic foodwrap or nonstick foil a few inches larger than the design you plan to make. Use a pencil to draw a heart (or flower, diamond, circle, etc.) on the piece of tissue paper.
Lay it on the wrap or foil, then squeeze a line of white glue along the pencil line.
Press a length of thread/floss onto the glue.
At the top of the heart, make a loop with the thread and press the end into the glue.
Brush a thin layer of glue inside the heart, making sure to cover the outline thread.
Then, cut some pieces of thread and press them into the glue, so that they overlap and hang over the edges.
Brush another layer of glue over the top.
Lightly sprinkle glitter over the shape and leave it until the glue has completely dried.
Carefully peel the tissue paper off the foodwrap or foil and cut around the heart. Make sure you don't cut off the loop by accident.
Now hang it in the window for all to admire! |
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Sunday, July 20, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - Sharpie Shirt
The craft for this week is what I call the Sharpie Shirt. You probably already have the stuff needed for this project already lying around the house.
Supplies:
One white T-shirt
Shirt board (can also use cardboard or posterboard)
Sharpie permanent markers in an assortment of colors
Rubbing alchol
Spray bottle (a paper towel will also work)
Begin by placing the cardboard inside the shirt so that when you draw on it with the markers, the colors will not bleed through to the back-side. Using the Sharpie markers, make random drawing (swirls, dots, basic shapes, squiggles, etc.), switching between all the colors.
When you are happy with the design, use the spray bottle and fill it with the alcohol. Take the shirt into a well ventilated area (think outside) and spray the shirt well. Leave the carboard inside until the shirt is completely dry. The markers react to the alcohol and spread out creating the tie dye look. The alcohol can also be applied by saturating a paper towel and wringing it out above the marks until they are all soaked. The alcohol application should only be done by an adult or an older child as it will burn they eyes and is flammable, so just use common sense here. It dries quickly.
My daughter loves this shirt and wears it as fast as I can launder it. This would be a fun and inexpensive project for groups, clubs, or VBS. |
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Wednesday, July 9, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - God's Eye
I was reminded of this craft that we used to make in vacation bible school when I was younger. I saw it mentioned in a magazine, it showcased hip young adults making them as a group. I laughed when I saw the article, but was inspired to do this as a featured craft mainly because it is so easy and economical.
The supplies you'll need are:
2 sticks (chopsticks, dowel rods, twigs, pencils, etc.)
several yards of yarn, your choice of colors (or save effort and use variagated)
Step one: Cross your sticks at a perpendicular angle to form an X-shaped frame. Bind them together at the point of intersection by wrapping the yarn around in a figure 8 pattern then knot to secure.
Step two: Once the sticks are bound, you can begin to weave the yarn around the four poles of your frame. Take the yarn over the top of one pole, wrap it around the pole, and then proceed to the next pole and do the same. You can weave in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Keep the yarn taut as you weave. A tighter weave will lend stability to your God's Eye. To change colors, simply snip the yarn and tie the end of the new ball of yarn to the existing line. Then, proceed with your weave. When you are finished weaving your God's Eye, secure the line to the end of a pole with a simple knot and snip.
Here is a picture of the back of the God's Eye, which I think looks just as cool as the front does shown above.
On the one in the pictures, I used the variagated yarn, but my daughter made one and used red and tan and it looks really good too. You can also experiment using yarns with different textures. Have fun! |
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Sunday, July 6, 2008
CRAFT CORNER - Friendship Bracelet
Friendship bracelets can be very simple or extremely intricate, but at heart they're just colorful embroidery floss woven into lovely patterns, to be given to dear friends (or kept for yourself). This knotted style is known as "Snake Around the Pole" and is probably the easiest friendship bracelet to make.
The supplies you'll need are:
four different colors of embroidery floss
scissors
clipboard
Cut 8 strands (2 of each of the colors) of the floss, each about 3 feet long. Line the strands up together and knot together about 4-5 inches from one end.
Take this end and place on a clibboard, with the knot directly under the clip. Seperate the two strands of your first color from the others. Take these strands and cross it on top of the others, making the shape of the number 4. 
Then loop the strands under the others and bring it through the opening created by the "4" shape.
This forms a knot that you will pull tight by sliding it toward the big knot at the top. You'll need to use your other hand to make the other strands taught for the knot to slide easily.
Repeat this with the same string for as long as you want this color. When you are ready to change colors, replace with two strands of another color and combine the first color back in with the others.
Repeat the "4" shape knots with this color until you are wanting to change then continue knotting and changing colors until you have reached a length that fits around your wrist. Finish with another big knot, and leave enough room to tie the bracelet around your friend's (or your own) wrist. Trim the excess strings once you are sure the size is what you want.
There are so many varieties you can make with just this one knotting style. Just by changing the colors and number of strands, it can fill many a lazy summer day. My 10 year old son and 7 year old daughter have made so many of these, and have plans to make many more. My son picked the colors green, gray, light brown and dark brown and make a camoflauge bracelet, he hasn't taken it off in nearly a week. My daughter made one red, white and blue for the 4th of July, she changed it to using just three colors instead of four but used three strands of each color instead of two. The kids got the hang of it very quickly, and my husband even asked them to make him one in blue and yellow (he's a manager at a NAPA warehouse) once he saw me wearing mine today.
Remember, these are not just for girls, President Bill Clinton sported one in the first televised interview of his post-presidential years.
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Thursday, June 19, 2008
CRAFT - Concertina Caterpillars
I remember doing these things when I was little and I loved it! I made one the other day and quietly placed it on the floor in front of my kids while they were playing a video game. A few minutes later they noticed it and they got excited and flipped off the TV and begged for me to show them how to do it. It's so very easy, but it kept my kids occupied for DAYS!! They made them in a variety of lenghts, multiple color combinations, gave them different facial expressions, and experimented with the width of the paper strips. Here are a few of the finished products:
The supplies you'll need are:
Paper (two colors in similar thicknesses)
Adhesive (glue dots worked the best for this)
Scissors or Paper cutter like for scrapbooking
Ruler (if you are using scissors to cut with)
Cut the paper into one inch wide strips down the long edge of the papers.
Put some glue at the end of one strip. Press on the end of another strip, like this.
Fold the left strip over and crease it. Then, fold the other strip down over it. Keep folding one strip neatly over the other one to make a concertina shape.
When you get near the end of the strips, you may glue on the spare strips, then keep folding. Or when you get to end, glue them together and trim if needed.
Draw on eyes, feelers, and anything else you'd like. If you wanted to really get creative, you could cut out and glue on some wings, lots of little feet, etc. ENJOY!!
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