Feb. 9, 2010 - Win an ice cream maker
Pull up a stool to the ice cream counter in your own home. Check out the great giveaway at The Creative Side of Me
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Feb. 9, 2010 - Snow, snow and more snow
As I'm writing there is a soft snow falling and while it does hide the ugliness of dead grass and hibernating trees there is still danger lurking in the snow. In January we had a big snow and 4 people were killed and 3 more were seriously injured. My husband either knew or knew of these people - when you work in the Developmental Disability field it's small and it's like family both consumers and co-workers. Thankfully the children and I get to stay inside and enjoy the lovliness that God has sent us while staying warm and safe. Here are some pictures from the snow fall we recieved last week on Friday 2-5-10 just of the back yard but we got just over 6 inches of snow. Today we're expected to get at least 6 more inches!
Also in the past week we've gotten our house sided with vinyl siding. It looks very nice and almost like a new house! There is some small touch ups that need finished but the men who are doing the siding can't finish until the snow abates. We got rid of out in-bad-shape car port so now we're back to scraping our windows. We're hoping that once we get our inside wall fixed and the flooring in the kitchen fixed our house will sell quickly when we put it back on the market in a few months. I have my new house picked out so if you know anyone who needs a small starter or step down house I have one they can buy! I don't have any real good shots of the before except of damage in a windstorm and a hurricane but I will post some after shots once I can get out without freezing LOL
We're looking forward to a busy but joyous weekend:
1. Friday is our homeschool group's Valentine's party (this is a holiday but something fun for our children to do and yes they exchange valentines) and Usborne Reach for the Stars reading program kick off with free pizza for lunch!!! YUMMY!!
2. Saturday is a Fancy Nancy Tea Party at an area library - this was supposed to be last Saturday but we were snowbound.
3. Sunday is Hannah's baptism!!!! We're very excited that she will become a Sister in Christ and that she is making this committment to her Lord and Savior.
4. Monday is Hannah's 8th birthday! I can't believe how big she has gotten and how wonderful a daughter (both of them are wonderful) God has blessed me with!
5. At some point this week Hannah will become the proud owner of a guinea pig. I had one before and it lived to the ripe old guinea pig age of 6. This will be a 4H project, even though she is still a Cloverbud and can't do the fair component, this will give her practice for next year when she can actually go to Fair.
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Feb. 3, 2010 - MamaBuzz Tour: Ross King 'Words that Ryhme with Orange' child's music CD
Words that Rhyme with Orange, Music CD for children
Age Group This Book/Product is for: 2-12
Put out by: Ross King of Ross King Music
Price: $12.00
Note: Ross King Music is independent and “self-produced, which means this product in only available online and not in stores.
My Opinion:
I thought this was a really good CD - upbeat music and lyrics make you want to let loose. I don't mind if my children act silly, as long as it doesn't get out of hand and they all enjoyed bouncing and jumping or spinning to the music and trying to sing along to the songs. While this is an independent CD the quality is really good just like I'd expect of something that was put out by a large record label.
With songs like Happy to Be Me, Juicebox and LionMonkeyBaconDonkey the songs are sure to keep your toes tapping and your children occupied the length of the CD. Like other children's CD's this one is produced for the child(ren) and not the parents - so while I did like and found myself laughing with the lyrics I did have to stop it a few times as well as get the children to calm down. As with anything too much can be bad.
I'd definitely think this would be a good CD to have on hand if you were taking a vacation and going to be in the vehicle for long periods of time - this CD would keep them occupied while singing along and providing entertainment. For the $12.00 price I think it's definitely worth it, although the CD doesn't come in the plastic jewel cases those can be cheaply obtained if you must have one other than that the sleeve does protect it enough.
**This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by: Ross King for this review.
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Jan. 26, 2010 - More art
One of Hannah's favorite subjects besides reading, math (really!), science and geography is art. She loves art and would easily do 3 or 4 lessons a day which would be a lot of money for art curriculum LOL. This past week she had to start putting together a photograph folder when she finds a neat picture in a magazine, paper, or one that I've taken she'll include it in her folder. She went through some old National Geographic (since we don't actually read the articles) and cut some beautiful pictures out. The assignment was to use watercolor crayons and draw them - not to be identical to the photo but close enough, she choose a frog and a lion. I thought they turned out very good. She is a perfectionist though so what I thought looked good she had to keep going back to change it.
This was lesson 5 in the ARTistic Pursuits K-3 Book 1 curriculum.
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Jan. 26, 2010 - Master's Puppets
If you've read the title of this post hopefully you see the connection. This is a puppet group from a local Christian college that has the young people in the college go to local churches and perform with the puppets. They really get the children involved with the show with a game, memory verse, and lively puppeteering. This was done at our church on Sunday evening and the children so enjoyed it. Here are some pictures:
Hannah helping to put the memory verse in correct order:
The children doing motions to a song:
This is Bethanne doing the baby bottle slurp game, whoever finished drinking the water in the bottle first, won - Bethanne won
At the end the students opened up the floor for the children to come and play with the puppets. This was a big hit.
And on another note, Christian found this 'dinosaur' hat at a dollar store (honestly it looks more like an alligator or crocodile but I digress) and he enjoys wearing it and pretending to be a dinosaur.
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Jan. 15, 2010 - Getting started again
We've been getting back into the swing of things, last week (the week of the 3rd) we just took our time and only did a few things but this week has been full throttle. Math, science, art, grammar, etc the whole nine yards. I've discovered if I do math with Hannah first and then have her do her independent work the day goes much better than me waiting around for her to do her independent work first then sitting down to do math, usually around 3:30p.m. (by this time I'm ready to go to bed LOL). So that is our new 'schedule' we do anything that I have to teach first like math or art and then I turn her loose to do her grammar (this will be changing though), geography, cursive (which she is mastering quickly and enjoying), etc. Yesterday we did art, we are continuing using ARTistic Pursuits book 1 for grades 1-3 and she enjoys it.
This picture was for Lesson 4 (we've skipped around) and discussing how pictures can communicate. It was completed using watercolor crayons. Can you guess what her picture communicates?
If you guessed the walls of Jericho you are right! The picture isn't the clearest but the man in the right with the green tunic has a trumpet/horn. She loves art and really enjoys the non messy watercoloring technique used in the crayons.
Now my next question is what happens you pair a 3 year old boy with magnetic darts?........
Here is the same 3 year old boy turned loose with his 5 year old sister and a storage tub......(no worries I was right there and he was only in it long enough for me to take the picture)
And while I have no pictures this week of my 5 year old and her antics I do have one of my soon-to-be 8 year old daughter. I peeked in on her to see if she was asleep and sure enough but I couldn't pass up this photo-op LOL At first I thought she was still awake and writing, that is a pen in her right hand.
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Jan. 13, 2010 - TEACH magazine Winter 2009
The Winter 2009 TEACH magazine is just as good as the other issues! If you're a regular reader you probably expected me to say that though. Right now there is a special running if you subscribe now - you can purchase a 1 year subscription for $12.97 (plus current issue) and a $5.00 TEACH store gift ceritificate. The current issue is the Winter 2009 and it's theme is Comfortable Contentment.
This is one area of my life this year I'm trying to improve, being content. The four main articles are titled "Unshakable Christian Contentment", "Adapting to your Husband", "12 Steps to Serenity" and "Seeking to be Content". Of course there are the other articles and other monthly 'departments' such as Swinging on the Back Porch, Picket Fence Ponderings, In Be'teen Times and others. Also still making a showing are the wonderfully encouraging (or even comical) anonymous writings.
I cannot say enough about how much I look forward to recieving my TEACH magazine each season. Almost always the issue is just what I need for whatever season of life I'm going through which makes it even that more encouraging. So, you can take my word for it or go and order your own subscription and see what I am talking about.
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Jan. 4, 2010 - MamaBuzz Tour: "The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2" by Carla Barnhill
I was sent a copy of "The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2" by Carla Barnhill through MamaBzz and was happy that my children and I are continuing to enjoy it. The beautiful illustrations done by Elena Kucharik are light hearted and colorful which will keep the little one engaged. Short devotions will also keep their attention since attention spans are usually very, very short for children in this age range. Each devotion is easily read in less than 5 minutes and that includes the Bible verse and thought at the end of each devotional lesson.
Even though it's a one year devotion you don't have to start on January 1st, begin on any day through out the year and just keep going. If one day is missed it's okay, just skip or read two the next day - a great thing since they are so short. For an older preschooler more conversations can center around the day's thought and focusing on the Bible verse. It's a great way for littles one to have a devotion written to them so that they too can focus on God during the day just like their parents or grandparents do during their day.
Small enough to fit in a diaper bag or purse this devotion book can be taken to the park, doctor or just about anywhere there might be a few spare seconds, what a wonderful way to witness to others as well. Hardcovered, it will be able to take any knocks it might get from children handling it and thicker than usual pages are also a great benefit. Priced at just $14.99 for ages 3 to 6, it's a wonderful bargain to be able to give children the guidance of God's Word in a way they can understand. Scripture is taken from the ICB, KJV, NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT, NRSV, TLB and the TSLB versions of the Bible, children will gain a knowledge of different versions and this too can open up a discussion on why their parents choose a specific version.
**This devotion was provided to me by Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
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Jan. 4, 2010 - Waterbrook Blog Tour: "The One-Day Way" by Chantel Hobbs
Summary:
The One-Day Way produces lasting results by taking you back to basics. No more complicated weight-loss strategies. No more expensive diet plans that achieve only temporary results. Instead, you will lose weight and get fit with Chantel Hobbs’s simple, high-energy meal plans and her at-home program for cardio exercise and strength training. She will teach you how to change the way you think, which leads to new actions. Before you know it you will be strong, fit, and healthy. All it takes is doing things differently for twenty-four hours—and then repeating it.
The One-Day Way gives you everything you need to lose weight and get fit in body, mind, and spirit:
Break free from past dieting defeats
Learn a realistic, life-changing way to measure success
Change the way you think so you can change your life
Translate your dreams into goals, and your goals into lasting achievements
Get strong with thirty-one simple exercises, no fancy equipment required
Take advantage of ten ways to eat better while you lose weight
By focusing on food, faith, and fitness, Chantel shows you not only how to lose weight, but how to build the new life you were designed to live. You don’t have to wait any longer. The One-Day Way gives you all the tools for success, starting right now.
Author Bio:
The author of Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer, Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four whose story has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, the 700 Club, and the covers of People and First magazines. She appears weekly on two fitness-themed radio programs and promotes her One-Day Way Learning System on television. Visit Chantel at ChantelHobbs.com for fitness updates and coaching tips.
**This book was provided to me by Ashley Boyer, Publicist Multnomah Books, a division of Random House in exchange for my review.
***I have not read this book yet, once I have read it I will post a review.
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Jan. 1, 2010 - 9th Anniversary
At 12:01 a.m. (yes it was a.m.) on 1-1-01 I married my husband, Don. We married on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, I wore pants, a sweater and a leather jacket and we stood in the snow and cold and quickly said our vows. We were married by Don's sister. Our 'honeymoon' was spent in a hotel in Cinci and the next day we drove back to our house and the day after that he returned to work. It was rough going at first but as we came upon our first anniversary we were also excitedly expecting our first daughter in a month and a half. Imagine our delight in our blessings when this morning (December 31st) our three children woke us with shouts of "Happy Almost Anniversary!!" and breakfast in bed. Here is our breakfast :)
The lids are the trays, mine is the the one with the mug which is filled with pumpkin egg nog (DH won't drink any form of egg nog). DH's is the one on the blue 'tray' his cup (actually a sippy cup with no lid) has milk and he has a baby fork (yes, fork) to eat his cereal with. It was so cute and thoughtful. I told our 7 year old (who will be 8 in February) that we will work on me teaching her to cook this year and also on how to work the coffee maker so they can make something else next year - she is very excited with this prospect.
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Dec. 31, 2009 - Early Christmas with Aunt and Uncle
We celebrated early with my brother and Sister in Love December 23rd as we weren't sure if we'd see them on Christmas Day. The littles participated in helping make cookies, opened some presents and just enjoyed being with their Aunt and Uncle. I will say now that Christian does have his t-shirt off since they were using food coloring to 'paint' the cookies.
Bethanne is stirring and Christian is chopping nuts.
Cutting out cookies: Hannah, Bethanne and Christian
Cookie decorating with Uncle supervising (sort of LOL) I think more sprinkles and food coloring went into bellies than on the cookies.
So this was our time with Christmas with my brother and his wonderful wife (someone wonderful had to marry it him, it definitely took someone special LOL) I hope enjoyed the pictures.
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Dec. 31, 2009 - Nutcracker December 18th and 19th 2009
The girls and I were in the local production of The Nutcracker though Ohio Performing Arts Institute, it was also the 20th Anniversary for this production! This was Hannah's 3rd year and Bethanne's and I's first year. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work - I almost wished we had another performance or two to make it worth all the rehearsal time. We had two performances on Friday (a matinee for local school children and a night performance) and a Saturday night performance. My brother also performed - it was his 1st year. Here are some pictures from our time back stage and also greeting my mom.
The girls in their Party Scene dresses:
The girls and I in our party scene dresses (sorry about the darkness, the dressing room is quite dark) I just love the dress Bethanne is in - I'd love to make two of these for the girls for 2010's production.
Hannah in her mouse costume:
The girls in their Children of the Nations costumes. I would have preferred a dress but they got stuck being Russians and had to wear pants. My question is, Russian women never wear dresses? Oh well, they still made the cutest Russians :) minus the weird faces they are making.
After the show we are allowed to go mingle with the audience my mom came to Friday's show and gave us beautiful flowers (mine were blue, Hannah's dark purple and Bethanne's light purple) all with an attached Nutcracker ornament. The other picture is the girls and I with my mom. My husband and Christian also came but well they didn't make it through the entire show.
My inlaws came to Saturday's performance they gave each of us a very nice, full sized, Nutcracker. Mine included a music box playing We Wish You A Merry Christmas. I forgot to take pictures before we put them in the attic with the rest of the Christmas decorations.
It was a wonderful time and I thoroughly enjoyed the time the girls and I had together. Christian wants to try out next year and that may be a definite possibility. One of these days I'd love to have our entire in it with my husband being my dance partner in the Party Scene. Oh my dance partner this year was a young man of high school age and he made a very nice ornament for me that he gave me after our last performance.
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Dec. 29, 2009 - Funtastic Folders: J is For Japan by Sharon Crooks
I so enjoy adding new elements to our homeschooling lessons and having the chance to use and review Sharon Crooks, "J is For Japan" Funtastic Folder is no different. I have come to really enjoy Sharon Crooks unit studies/file folder books. She provides all the research and printables needed as well as hypertext links for further research on the subject. For "J is For Japan" there is both a Preschool and an Elementary level (Grades 1 -3), but the elementary level could be used for a younger student as well.
During this study you will study Japan and the date that will live on for Japenese - August 6, 1945 as well as a young girl named Sadako. There are handwriting sheets as well as excercises like learning to use chopsticks, counting in Japenese and even authentic Japenese cuisine. My daughter really enjoyed learning words for Japenese numbers and did very well on recalling them - which I attribute to the lapbook we did along with the unit. Lapbooks really do work wonders in the retaining and recalling of information the student learns.
Everything you need is included in this lesson except for a few minor supplies such as file folder (we used a spiral bounded books), card stock, brads, scissors, glue, crayons and the book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr. In place of the brads we used the metal clips sold in office supply stores in order to add the extra sheets. The book can be obtained easily by visiting a library or buying your own. The book does deal with death and also Japenese customs surrounding death and they are not Christians in the book - thankfully Sharon Crooks warned me of this prior to starting the unit and I was prepared to answer my daughter's questions.
This unit was very well done and my daughter was able to do most of it on her own, which made time for me to teach my other daughter. She enjoyed learning the culture - although we couldn't do any of the recipes we did do the activities that we were able to and I think that made for an even richer learning experience. This unit study can be found at CurrClick.
**I was provided a copy of "J is for Japan" unit study by Sharon Crooks in exchange for my honest review.
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Dec. 29, 2009 - The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn
"The Fallacy Detective" by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn is a book that should be on every homeschooling family's book shelves (and even those who don't homeschool) especially if they enjoy Classical home educating. "The Fallacy Detective" is geared for ages 12 to adult but could easily be used for those under the age of twelve - in fact I plan on using it in our upcoming 2010-2011 school year for my will be 8 and 6 year olds.
The book covers thirty eight lessons on recognizing logic that is skewed. Each fallacy is full defined and explained and cartoons are through out the book from Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts and Dilbert which aid in understanding. The cartoons are child safe for the most part however I did see one with Calvin being punched and a lawyer holding a gun as evidence, these are use only as teaching tools and could allow a parent to expound why violence isn't needed by Christians. Each chapter is fairly short, I read each in 5 minutes or less with following exercises that the student or adult can do to train themselves to recognize bad reasoning.
Some of the fallacies that are discussed in "The Fallacy Detective" are: red herrings, ad hominem, circular reasoning, part-to-whole, post hoc ergo propter hoc, propaganda, transfer and many, many more. Again each fallacy has a set of exercises after the short reading assignment, and it is recommended that the exercises be done in a group of two or more so that they can be discussed and see other points of view. This works well in a homeschool family since moms and dads can each participate with the children. All answers for the exercises are given in the back of the book, also is the Fallacy Detective game with all rules, how to score, preparation given.
This book is a great resource for anyone wanting to uncover fallacies in all walks of life, from reading a book, to discussions and T.V. commericals. You can sign up for The Fallacy Detective News and get "The Fallacy Detective" test, both for free. The book sells for $22.00 and can be purchased at Amazon, Christianbook, Rainbow Resource and Trivium Pursuit. So as fellow homeschoolers look towards next year's curriculum I would recommend this book as a must-have.
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Dec. 28, 2009 - Raising Real Men by Hal and Melanie Young
I have one son and my prayer is that he will become a godly man who wants to serve the Lord and raise a family who serves God. When I was given the chance to review "Raising Real Men" by Hal and Melanie Young I jumped on the chance to read the book. The book's subtitle is "Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys" , and at this moment in my life with a 3 year old boy at home surviving his antics is a goal of mine! I also have moments of wondering can I actually homeschool an active and inquisitive little boy without destroying his eventual manliness.
Hal and Melanie Young are the parents of 6 boys and two girls, and have a lot of experience of raising and home educating boys. There advice is down to earth and almost feels like you chatting with them over a cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer that). Even if the Lord decides only to give me one little boy, this book will be a handy guide on what I can do to help him become a man of God without making him effeminate like the world would want him to be. One of the chapters even goes into resisting the feminization of boys - which is so timely in today's world that wants girls to act like boys and boys to act like girls.
Scriptural to the hilt, using God's Word really drives home the advice that the Young's give from their real world experiences of raising six young men. Discussing items of interest such as hereos (no Spiderman) that are appropriate for our boys to look up to, how boys can be boys without sacrificing our or their Faith. One thing that I've been struggling with is wether or not to let my son use fake swords and/or guns and while I am still on the fence about guns as long as he knows the rules (no hitting animals, sisters, etc) I would allow fake sword play. There can be a time for this type of play - especially if he is defending his sisters and not killing anyone.
While I may not agree with everything that the Young's wrote in this book, I can't recall a specific item, this book is very sound in using Scripture to back up their beliefs and experiences in raising young men to be men of God. The Youngs have a great book and a wonderful resource for Christian parents who choose to utilize it and I do recommend this to anyone mom or dad who has one son or many becasue regardless on how many sons a family may have we want them all to be Godly men when they grow up.
* I was provided a copy of "Raising Real Men" by Hal and Melanie Young for my honest review.
** The book can be pre-ordered now by visiting Raising Real Men pre-orders.
*** The book is $15.00 and there is also an ebook option and a study guide available for purchase.
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Dec. 25, 2009 - Waterbrook Blog Tour: Primal by Mark Batterson
We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.
In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.
As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”
Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.
Author bio:
The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com
**This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.
***A review of this book will be forthcoming when I finish it.
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Dec. 17, 2009 - More Christmas Presents
I've so been enjoying sewing for people's Christmas presents and my children are no exception. With a machine that works it's been nice being able to just sew away LOL as time allows. I just finished making my girls a tote bag - using snuggle flannel and symphony (sp?) broadcloth. I also made one for me. These are so nice and I made them with the intent we'll each have our own bag to put our dance stuff in - the girls their ballet shoes, tights, leotard and skirt and mine will contain my tap shoes and once I get it my skort or culotte (haven't decided what will work best. So here they are: Hannah's is the ballet one, Bethanne's is the penguins and mine is red with flowers (it also has sparkles).
The pattern called to make ties to close the bag but it had a raw edge, which I didn't like and I figured I would be the only one tying them, the girls would knot them, or something else would happen so I omitted the ties. Thanks Pam! I thought maybe I'd use velcro but another friend said bad idea with tights - I didn't think of that! So I might add a button hole and add a button that way they can close it to keep everything in but it won't catch the tights and if they don't use it, no matter. I thought one of those cute shaped buttons would be nice.
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Dec. 15, 2009 - MamaBuzz Tour: Potluck Survival Guide: Care and Feeding of the Athletic Supporter by Cherie Kimmons
I love potlucks! So much food and of course I can't try it all and one of the hardest parts is deciding what I should bring - but oh they provide so much time for fellowship and new recipes. When I had the chance to review Potluck Survival Guide by Cherie Kimmons I couldn't have asked for a more neat review! Here is a guide that anyone who ever goes to a potluck should invest in - wether it's for a sporting event (don't let the subtitle fool you - it's not just for the athletic supporter), church gathering, homeschool group - whatever you have a potluck for this book will be a big help.
I really enjoyed the easy to read layout and conversational style the author maintained through out the book. Begining with how to choose a menu and how to balance things like appearance (some potlucks do look thrown together), weight (coordinating entree with the dessert), techniques and flavors - Cherie really gives great ideas. Most potlucks will include children and she gives great ideas and hints to include children and make sure they actually eat, I know mine will not eat anything they can't recognize so that usually means mac and cheese and deviled eggs. With Cherie's hints and tips geared for children and child friendly recipes I know my children will be eating at the next potluck.
Then we get to what the author's sub-title means, feeding the athlete and having a potluck before or after a game. I had no idea that athletes need certain foods before a game like heavy on carbs but low on protein and fat and a post game meal should include protein with a carb for maximum muscle recovery. She breaks down what meals are good for which meals and even foods that can be choosen from fast food places if need be. What she calls trunk foods - which are foods that are good to eat after a game to help calm stomachs and fill up the seemingly endless time void of travel.
Getting food to the people in attendance can feel like an overwhelming challenge especially when there are many people, so Cherie also gives ideas on how to contain the crowd and make sure everyone gets fed. Along with her buffet tips like labeling each dish (nothing can slow down a buffet than not knowing what that mystery dish is), serving foods at different levels can also provide eye appeal, with several other ideas that will make it a pleasing and organized buffet line. A food bar is another idea that may appeal to some and Cherie gives ideas for this version of feeding the masses.
Recipes - the heart of any potluck for any type of dish are included like appetizers, breakfast, entrees, soups and sandwiches, side dishes, salads and desserts. Sprinkled throughout are notes about the recipes to make prep quicker or make sure the recipe is a hit. To me, a potluck is a hit if I come home with no leftovers! The nice thing about these recipes is some can be made in advance and frozen and pulled out when the need arises, of course this would also work if you have a large family and like to have ready meals.
Cherie covers all her bases by providing information on calculating quantities that will be needed so there is enough food to go around. Discussing the ingredients to use, which are best and so forth and also how to transform (decorate) the choosen spot for the potluck. Most ideas seem to be frugal and wouldn't cost a whole lot of money (good for a homeschool group). This book would definitely be great assesst to any family who participates in many potlucks or even to have in a homeschool group's library. The Potluck Survival Guide can be found at Five Star Publications website.
This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by: Five Star Publications for this review
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Dec. 13, 2009 - Christmas Presents
This year I decided I wanted to make my children some Christmas presents and I'd like to do more next year. For Christian I wanted to make two shirts for him in a car and dinosaur motif and I was happy when I found the snuggle flannel on sale. They will be warm but with the short sleeves will keep a little guy who gets very hot, very fast somewhat cool. I had some help from a friend on the first one and had to find a video on youtube to walk me through the collar. I had fun making these even if I did stress on the collar at first but now they are all done and I can't wait for him to open them on Christmas morning.
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Dec. 11, 2009 - Wind Storm 2009
My readers may not remember, unless they lived in Ohio in 2008, that Hurricane Ike reached Ohio and did much damage across the state of Ohio. But you can go back and read about it here: Hurricane Ike reaches Ohio? and also see pictures at Summer Photo Essay. Anyway on Wednesday we got a storm with winds reaching 40 mph - no snow like those states to the west of us but we got lots of rain, some sleet and a little snow flurries and lots of wind. This made driving dangerous and also wreaked havoc on some of the residents of Ohio once again and we were not immune. While doing some sewing and craft things with the children I heard a loud noise and realized it was our siding, wood shingles and the framework that holds the siding on came flying off. Part of it banging the window so I was also afraid it would break our large picture window as well. My husband was in a meeting for work and unreachable so I called my FIL who came and tacked up the siding, which will work to keep the elements out until we get it fixed. We also found out how shoddily our house is built during the Korean War (if anyone would like to nominate us for Extreme Home MakeOver we won't object) which is either very maddening or just laughably frustrating. More maddening. I am posting a picture of the damage done below. We did have a contractor stop by today to measure and hopefully we'll have his estimate soon and then the insurance company will send out their adjustor and we'll go from there, unfortunately we know they won't pay for a new house LOL That triangular piece of wood is where they didn't finish it, the black piece to the left of the window is where they slapped dashed the picture window in, and yes the wood you see above and to the left of the window is rotted and some has mold from constant leaking that keeps occuring.
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