Dec. 16, 2009 - We wish you a Merry CHRISTmas!
Dec. 15, 2009 - A slight kink in the plan....
About a month or so before our trip (when the weather was still cooperating), my hubby started on his newest outdoor project: painting the house. He got about 1/4 of it done, and then fall weather began to kick in full force. Along came the nor'easter and other random storms (one which included a tree falling on our shedding and demolishing it), and then our big trip to Phx... Sooooooo, the weather hasn't gotten any better (another nor'easter and two weeks of storms and wind later
), the days have gotten shorter, DH is surprisingly busy @ work for this time of year, and thus, the house painting has been put on hold. And as I sit here and take a peek at the calendar, next week is the first day of winter.
I know that he started this project thinking that work would be painstakingly slow as it usually is in Nov/Dec, and I'm EXTREMELY grateful that he still has work, (let alone an overflow of it!). But, I got a feeling that I'm gonna be stuck w/a half painted (well, umm 1/4 painted, lol) house until spring. And even that is iffy, considering our spring weather is about the equivalent of this fall: rain, and rainier. Oh well, at least he got the whole front of the house done, so when you're standing directly in front you can't tell, lol. But the sides and back...a whole different story 
Here's some pics of the project, so far...
Can you even tell the difference?
Well, I'm sending prayers up for a couple of decent weather days... If not, I'll show you how it turns out next spring/summer !
Dec. 14, 2009 - This year's neighbor cookies
and then me messing around in making this
So we had a bunch of friends over and made these cookies
and packaged them with the gospels inside of these
Dec. 11, 2009 - Gifted Hands
We just watched the movie "Gifted Hands" last night and thought it was really good. It's a very touching and inspiring story about neurosurgeon Ben Carson. It will be airing on TNT in Feb. for those that have cable and don't mind waiting. But for the rest of us
, it's available now on DVD from your library, local video store, or Redbox (this is where we got it - but you'll want to check online first for which one in your area will have it, because it was checked out of all but one in our town). I would recommend it for families w/teens, as some of the surgical scenes may be too much for young ones (the tv rating is TV14). Here's a short clip of it from Johnson & Johnson:
Dec. 10, 2009 - Saving money by getting FREE stuff and earning money online
I just finished a super fun cookie party paid for by Betty Crocker thanks to http://www.houseparty.com! Free cookie mix, gifts for my guests, she even supplied papers, cups and napkins! It was tons of fun! I've received flower seeds, a Cranium game and more from them before as well!
During the party my guests asked me to explain how I always end up with so much free cool stuff! SO that is what this blog is about!
I get free amazon.com giftcards just by searching via http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/AngelAlmeyda instead of google. I get about $20 a month. Thanks to Swagbucks I got my awesome Wusthof Santoku knife free, and any new curriculum that we have gotten this year (over $150 worth!).
I get free amazon.com giftcards just by searching via http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/AngelAlmeyda instead of google. I get about $20 a month. Thanks to Swagbucks I got my awesome Wusthof Santoku knife free, and any new curriculum that we have gotten this year (over $150 worth!).
I find tons of deals via http://www.moneysavingmom.com/. Thanks to her I got to order 3 FREE nice giftbaskets from 1-800 flowers this week.
I get paid to do surveys at http://www.pineconeresearch.com. They pay $3 per survey and send you full sized products to try.
Lately I have gotten lots of nice stuff from http://www.bzzagent.com including full sized Burts Bees products, and Aveno baby wash. They also "pay" you in points to MyPoints.com which I then trade in for more amazon.com giftcards. I'd love to refer you to MyPoints as well. Send me your email address and I'll send you an invitation. I have a seperate account for myPoints, and they send me emails and for each one I open and click on I earn more points towards gift certificates.
For you local ladies I try and post deals I have gotten at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55408749272 which is run by my friend Amy. She teaches an AWESOME seminar about saving money and making the most of your time which I highly recommend as well!
I do a handful of other things as well, but these are my major websites!
Dec. 11, 2009 - Planning for Kirsten
Now that I have my posts written about Josefina I can start thinking about Kirsten! We won't start meeting again for American Girl until January. But, I am determined to have everything planned out and prepped before we start this time!
So here is the plan!
Crafts:
1. Patchwork Pillow
2. Bunny Pincushion
3. Quilted Potholder
4. Yarn Doll
5. chromatrope toy and Geography Notebook Pages
6. Midsummers Wreath
Ongoing craft:
Braided Rugs
Snack:
1. Swedish Meatballs
2. Swedish Crackers with Lingonberry Jam
3. Swedish Rice Porridge (Skansk Grot)
4. Rye Bread and homemade butter. (Have girls make the butter in a jar.)
5. Potato Soup
6. Pepparkakor Cookies
Whew, so there is the plan! Now for the shopping and cutting and prepping. Then I am ready to go!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
Dec. 10, 2009 - Metzger Family Christmas Newsletter!
HERE is our new Family Christmas Newsletter! Merry Christmas!
~ Mark and Lisa Metzger
Dec. 10, 2009 - Metzger Family Christmas Newsletter!
HERE is our new Family Christmas Newsletter! Merry Christmas!
~ Mark and Lisa Metzger
Dec. 10, 2009 - Do you really share God's view of children?
Dec. 10, 2009 - It's the Friends that Count - Why Having Godly Peer Realtionships are Important!
This came today from Nancy Campbell! This is so true, parents. WATCH whom your children are friends with. They influence your childen for good or for bad. Choose and help choose wise friends for your children. Explain to your children WHY this is so important. Congratulate them when they chose the wise friends and reject the company of the foolish ones. ~ Lisa Metzger
Deuteronomy 30:2, "Return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul.
I talked to a girl yesterday who was homeschooled in a lovely Christian home. She became rebellious and got into smoking, drinking, and sex. How on earth did this happen? She said she got into bad company in her homeschool and church youth group! Help! Yes, bad company can be found anywhere. We cannot expect that our children will be in good company just because they are in a church youth group or even a homeschool group. We need to constantly check out their friends. We must always know where they are and who they are with.
I believe it is important to establish good friendships for your children even before they hit the teenage years. If they establish solid friendships with those who are a good influence before they are teens, they will be off to a good start. How can you do this? One of the greatest blessings Colin and I found as we raised our children was to have loads of hospitality. We invited families to our home with children of similar ages to our children. We encouraged the good influences. Their boys would stay with our boys. Our boys would stay with them. The girls' friends would stay with our girls and vice versa. We did not allow this carelessly, but only with the children and teens we could trust and knew their families inside out. We knew what went on in their homes because we were in and out of their homes ourselves.
It is a fact that the more functions and gatherings you can have in your home that includes other "good influencing" young people, the more blessed your teens will be. They love fun and loads of people around.
This was one of the complaints of the girl I talked to yesterday. She said her parents didn't like to have people to their home and therefore she missed out on the joy of company of other young people through the ministry of hospitality. Because of her own experience she says that when she raises her family that she will freely show hospitality in order to provide friendships for her children.
When our boys were young they started making go-karts and racing them. They then got into Moto-cross riding. Now they are in their mid-forties, they still enjoy getting out on their Moto-cross bikes to relax and burn off some speed! But when they were young, they did this with their friends who we also loved and trusted. They enjoyed doing the "real guy" stuff, but they did it in good company. That was the secret.
When children get to the teen years, they feel the need for company. They love to hang out with friends. Therefore they need to be hanging out with the right friends--the wise ones! They will be steered by the company they keep. The other night the young people in our home spent the evening with another family in our fellowship who also has young people. They through they may watch a movie but they didn't even get to it. The mother of the home asked a question and they got talking--and they kept talking until 3.00 am in the morning--and they were still asking and answering questions on the way home! They talked about real things, the qualities they desire in a husband and wife and about the principles of marriage. They didn't do this on their own but in the company of the parents of the home. They couldn't stop talking about how they enjoyed the evening and how they learned so much. As they hung out together with "wise" friends, they became wiser. Read Proverbs 13:20.
We love to talk about "life" subjects around our dinner table in the evenings and it is more fun the more young people who surround to the table.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL, Above Rubies
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